Chapter 7. History Lesson
The bell for afternoon history class had barely faded when the classroom door gently opened. A chorus of brisk footsteps, accompanied by a whirl of vibrant colors, greeted us—our history teacher, Ms. Rajni, herself, had arrived! A vibrant figure of Indian descent, her dark skin accentuated by a bright smile. She wore a traditional sari intricately embroidered with patterns, the fabric fluttering as she moved, like a vibrant butterfly.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" Her voice was as clear as knocking on crystal. "Today, instead of memorizing dates and events, let's do something special—a little time travel!"
Before she finished her words, the environment of the entire learning cabin began to merge and transform. The surrounding walls and ceiling gradually disappeared, replaced by a holographic scene of a Venus city from five hundred years ago: towering yet slightly oppressive skyscrapers, people walking hurriedly on the streets, their faces showing anxiety and fatigue, and a huge light screen scrolling densely with various competition rankings, efficiency indicators and resource consumption data. The air seemed to be filled with an invisible tension.
"Welcome to about five hundred years ago," Teacher Rajni's voice sounded on the "street", a little lowered, "This was a period of 'crazy growth' that our society once experienced. Technology was advanced, but everyone was running, afraid of falling behind, and the overall sense of happiness was very low..." The screen showed astonishing statistical data charts about psychological stress and mental health at that time, floating on the corner of the street.
Many students unconsciously shrank their shoulders, feeling the oppressive feeling coming towards them.
"So, what was the turning point?" Teacher Rajni instructed. The setting gently shifted back to the familiar cherry blossom classroom, where the warm sunlight and the scent of green grass dispelled the earlier dullness. Her large eyes swept across the class, gleaming with wisdom. "The community self-governing organizations and countless ordinary people united to promote the reorganization of the Supreme Council through legal procedures. The new Council decisively changed direction, establishing a new path centered on 'letting nature take its course,' respecting differences, and emphasizing inner contentment."
A young girl sitting by the window raised her hand and asked curiously, "Teacher, were those members of the old committee exiled to outer space?"
When Teacher Rajni heard this question, she immediately clasped her hands together and laughed: "Oh! Dear, this is a very imaginative question! But the truth may not be that dramatic." She winked playfully.
"You have to know that back then, our planet was encased in an incredibly powerful barrier that no one could fathom!" She gestured with her hands, as if enveloping a sphere. "It enveloped the entire world tightly. We couldn't leave, and no one else could get in. So, wanting to throw someone into outer space? It was technically impossible!"
"So where did they go?" she asked herself, answering briskly. "They were tried by the law and sentenced to varying terms of service, based on their individual responsibilities... well, we could call it 'social service and retraining'!" She chose a gentle word, but her eyes showed she understood its meaning. "They need to rediscover what truly matters to the people of Venus."
At this time, Teacher Rajni lowered her voice a little, with a hint of mystery as if sharing a secret: "Speaking of that magical barrier... it is one of the greatest mysteries in our history." Her big eyes swept across the class, "Just two hundred years ago, it just - poof - disappeared silently! It was like magic. That's why our "Fire Seeker" was able to fly out so smoothly and visit our ancient neighbor Mars!" She winked at everyone lively, and the girls were surprised and excited by her cute metaphors and mysterious stories.
"Okay, let's end this serious topic!" Teacher Rajni suddenly pulled out a box of crystal-clear, petal-shaped dumplings from the beautiful folds of her sari, as if by magic. "Here, try this! 'Time Capsule Dumplings'! The outer layer is a quantum jelly-like candy coating that mimics the texture of the barrier material back then. Bite into it and you'll find a surprise—the taste of the original pioneer food! For example... the taste of algae mixed with a little bit of metal energy bar?"
The students immediately screamed and laughed: "Wow! What a terrible taste!" "Teacher, is this really edible?"
Ruixi curiously picked one up and put it in her mouth. She bit it gently, and a strange taste spread in her mouth. She frowned and said, "...This taste... is so historical!"
The classroom was filled with experimentation, exclamations, and laughter. At this moment, history was transformed into a wonderful experience that could be touched and felt through the taste buds.
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