Chapter 6 Cosmos (5) He is like a drop in the eye of a storm...
Zhao Qianyi, a vocal music student, had always dreamed of becoming an artist, but for various reasons, this didn't happen. So, she had high hopes for her daughter. Since childhood, Lin Xia had been constantly taking extracurricular classes, learning musical instruments, but lacked talent. She then took calligraphy, struggled to sit still, and learned dance. Zhao Qianyi, dissatisfied with the teachers' unprofessionalism, decided to pursue art, a direction she had finally found.
Zhao Qianyi told Lin Xia, "Your hands are for holding paintbrushes. Just paint well." That's why Lin Xia still can't do housework, cook, or even turn on the gas stove. Although a little spoiled, most of her peers also lack self-care skills. After all, they've been dubbed the "Beat Generation" by experts and scholars, and they need to live up to that title.
But Lin Xia believed that if those experts saw He Chuan at this moment, they would never say so.
Lin Haisheng's home has electricity and running water, but the kitchen does not have a gas stove, but a wood-burning stove like in the countryside. He Chuan does everything by himself, from chopping wood, to lighting the fire, to cooking and frying dishes. His movements are smooth and skillful.
The dishes came out of the pot, one was stewed green beans and the other was stir-fried shredded vegetables, and they tasted pretty good.
Lin Xia was stunned.
"How old were you when you started learning to cook?"
"When I was very young, I don't remember it very clearly."
“That’s amazing!”
Lin Xia felt sincerely impressed, and this time she was not worried about starving to death.
In the afternoon, Aunt Hao came to see them and brought them a lot of vegetables grown by herself, a piece of pork, a cleaned white-striped chicken, and eggs. She told them that if they had any problems, they could come to her home at any time. She also praised He Chuan for being sensible and capable, and seemed to be accustomed to the fact that Lin Haisheng and He Ping were away on business at any time.
Lin Xia and He Chuan's summer began so suddenly.
In the next few days, Lin Xia went to Aunt Hao's house to play with the cats, dogs and rabbits during the day, and went home to eat the meals made by He Chuan at night. He asked for her opinion every day, and she made requests without hesitation. He Chuan followed her taste. After a few meals, Lin Xia even felt that she was getting fatter.
He Chuan was not only a great cook; he also washed dishes, mopped the floor, and tidied the house. He performed all the housework meticulously and meticulously, making Lin Xia look lazy, useless, and incompetent. Feeling guilty, she asked for help. He Chuan initially refused, but after much persuasion, he finally agreed to let her do some minor chores like peeling garlic and taking out the trash, which was quite satisfying.
She thought He Chuan was a really nice guy and anyone who lived with him would be truly happy.
After Lin Haisheng and He Ping left, Lin Xia's quality of life did not decline, but became more comfortable. She no longer had to follow various rules and could do whatever she wanted. It was really great. All her previous worries and confusions were swept away!
.
That morning, Lin Xia received a call.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice sounded from the other side:
"Hello, is this He Chuan's home?"
"Yes."
"I'm his homeroom teacher. Can you please ask him to answer the phone?"
Lin Xia called He Chuan, who took the phone and said a few words. Then he said to Lin Xia:
"I'm going out for a bit and will be back soon. Lock the doors and windows at home and don't go out."
"where you go?"
"School."
"What are you going to do?"
"Go get your acceptance letter."
After saying that, he went into the house, changed his clothes, and came out. He was pushing his bicycle out of the yard, but he didn't expect Lin Xia to run out after him.
"I'm going too!"
She changed into a green floral dress and wore a woven straw hat on her head.
"I'm tired of playing at Aunt Hao's house, and there's nothing to watch on TV. Please take me out for a walk, please!"
She begged in a pitiful and soft voice, and He Chuan couldn't refuse. He thought about it and agreed to her.
"All right."
Xiaolin Farm is located in a remote area with few people, so he was not very comfortable leaving her alone to look after the house.
"Yeah!"
Seeing him nod, Lin Xia cheered.
"Then take the bus."
He Chuan pushed the bicycle back.
Lin Xia hurriedly stopped him: "Don't take the bus. I get carsick if I take that bus!"
The line bus is the minibus that Lin Xuedong took when he brought Lin Xia here. It travels between Xiaolinchang and the city. The ticket costs one yuan. It departs at irregular times every day and has no fixed stops. It stops when you wave.
"Just take me on your bike. There's a seat!"
Lin Xia pointed to the back of the bicycle. Although there was only an iron rack for tying luggage, it could also accommodate people.
He Chuan also took a look, hesitated for a moment, and said to her:
"Wait a moment."
He went into the house and soon came out with a thick cotton cushion and a rope. He tied the cushion to the iron frame with the rope and pressed it hard with his hand to test the thickness.
"Okay, sit down."
Lin Xia sat on it as she was told. It was soft and not uncomfortable at all. She smiled happily and said:
"Thanks!"
He Chuan hummed, raised his legs and stepped onto the seat, then thought of something and whispered:
"If you can't sit still, just hold on to my clothes."
"good!"
Today was a beautiful day, sunny and cloudless. The road from the small forest farm to the city wasn't easy to ride on. The road was bumpy and undulating, and the ups and downs were quite strenuous. But the scenery along the way was truly beautiful: wildflowers in the mountains, fertile fields in the distant hills, and the air was filled with the faint, fresh scent of pine.
It was July, the peak of summer blossom season. The roadsides were lined with vibrant little blossoms, whether cultivated or wild. Deep pink, light pink, purple, and snow-white, the flowers were a dazzling sight. This was a common local flower, known to elders as the "broom plum" or "autumn jasmine." It wasn't until many years later that Lin Xia realized it was the mysterious cosmos, the same flower she'd heard as a child in the opening theme song of the Japanese cartoon "Flower Fairy," which Xiao Bei used to make hats for.
This summer, He Chuan rode his bicycle to take Lin Xia back and forth along this path countless times, and they traveled through this sea of cosmos flowers countless times.
Later, when Lin Xia was painting, he always unconsciously used the paint with the same name as the flower to express summer. Sometimes the subconscious mind often understands people better than themselves. It is the silent details in these memories that fill a person's life from youth to old age, which is vivid and real. Although ordinary, it is a unique and one-of-a-kind life.
.
About half an hour later, the two finally arrived in the city, and He Chuan took her to the school gate with familiarity.
Experimental High School, this is where Lin Xia is about to enroll. She just then discovered that He Chuan was her senior, but when she enrolled in September, he was no longer there, and the two of them just missed each other.
Outside the school gates, a roll of honors was posted, listing student rankings, grades, and accepted schools. The yellow text on a red background looked rustic, yet also festive. Groups of parents and passersby were watching, and Lin Xia, curious, stepped forward to take a look.
Upon seeing this, I was very surprised. He Chuan was indeed not the first in the city, but he was second in the school and third in the city, and the difference between him and the top scorer in liberal arts was less than five points.
Lin Xia knew that He Chuan was a good student, but she didn't expect him to be so good at it. So, wasn't it a bit... overestimating her ability for her to show off her high school entrance examination results in front of him?
Thinking of what happened that night, Lin Xia felt particularly embarrassed and her face turned slightly red, but He Chuan didn't notice. After showing his student ID to the security guard, he reached out and greeted her:
"Come in."
Lin Xia followed He Chuan into the school, pulled down the brim of her hat to cover her entire face, and didn't even have the mood to take a closer look at her future school.
I entered the main teaching building and went up to the third floor, where the senior year office was located. It was summer vacation, and the entire school was quiet. Only on this floor were teachers and students busy coming and going, handling various matters related to volunteer admissions.
He Chuan knocked on the door and entered the office. Lin Xia stayed outside the door and secretly looked inside. He Chuan's head teacher was a thin middle-aged woman who wore a pair of thick glasses and had her hair casually combed into a low ponytail. She was a very typical image of an excellent old teacher.
He Chuan took a large envelope from her hand, opened it and started reading it on the spot. For some reason, Lin Xia felt that he was genuinely relieved, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, as if a stone in his heart had finally fallen to the ground.
But the head teacher didn't seem to agree. She frowned, looked unhappy, pushed her glasses on the bridge of her nose, and said almost with grief:
"Look at you, kid. You clearly have the grades to get into Peking University or Tsinghua University. At worst, you can always get into Renmin University. Why did you choose this university in Hong Kong? It's neither a 985 nor a 211. What advantages will it have after graduation? He Chuan, you have to think it through!"
"Teacher, I have thought it through."
"Aiya, why are you so stubborn!" The head teacher took off his glasses, waved his hands helplessly, and called to his colleagues:
"Please help me persuade him!"
The office was full of high school teachers, so naturally, they all knew this top-notch student from the key class. Admission to the Chinese University of Hong Kong was indeed rare in this city and era, and word had spread throughout the school. Everyone gathered around, talking at once:
"Did I miscalculate my scores, or did I fill in the wrong application? Was it because I was admitted in the early batch of the zero-form application?"
"Do your parents agree that you can apply to this school? The teacher needs to talk to your mother."
"I heard that living expenses in Hong Kong are incredibly high. Even though you've received a full scholarship, the living expenses are too high. Can your family afford it?"
"How about repeating a year? With your ability, if you work hard, you'll definitely be able to go to Peking University or Tsinghua University next year!"
Lin Xia was watching outside the door and couldn't help but gasp, worrying about He Chuan.
From childhood to adulthood, Lin Xia has never been an outstanding student. Because she is vain, opinionated, disobedient, and an art student, she is almost more disliked by teachers than bad students. Therefore, she has always been afraid of teachers. If she was besieged and persuaded by a group of teachers like this, she would have surrendered long ago and accepted whatever they said.
However, He Chuan remained unmoved. His face was calm and unperturbed, and he answered all the teachers' questions in an orderly manner.
"No mistake in estimation, no mistake in reporting."
"Don't tell my mother. She's away on a business trip. I can make the decision myself."
"I will work part-time to earn money for my studies and will not ask my family for money."
"I won't repeat my studies. I don't want a 985 or a 211. I want to study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I will enroll there, and this won't change!"
The nineteen-year-old boy stood there with his back straight, like a drop of water in the center of a storm, fighting against the whole world, still determined to walk the path that no one understood.
This scene from that day remained in Lin Xia's memory for a long time. From this young man, Lin Xia vaguely understood that people must decide their own lives and be responsible for themselves. Whether they succeed or fail, as long as they try their best, they will have no regrets.
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