At sixty-three, a person who is not envied is mediocre.
Although the puppy love incident had passed, and everyone seemed calm on the surface, with the teachers behaving normally, Li Wei, being a sensitive girl, still sensed something was amiss.
The substitute teacher's casual glances as she entered the classroom, the homeroom teacher's subtle decrease in calling on students to speak, the furtive looks from other classes... Sigh! Li Wei thought she might just be overthinking things. Who knows? Anyway, she didn't really care.
There were also those who ridiculed and mocked her, such as several girls led by the vice class monitor Zhou Xiaoyan.
She simply couldn't muster the courage to confront Aunt Luo, so she just let the girl buzz like a mosquito.
As for Luo Da, he didn't care at all. He was used to being unconventional, sleeping in class, fighting and playing after class, and disappearing after school. This was his normal yet abnormal life since starting junior high school.
Li Wei couldn't quite understand it. How did a kid who was barely normal in elementary school suddenly change like this in middle school? After observing the other boys in the class, she noticed that there were a few like Luo Da who were always elusive, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, and she didn't know what they were doing.
Li Wei had discussed this matter privately with Wu Feng, a classmate. Wu Feng had much more contact with her classmates than Li Wei, since she often helped the teacher collect and distribute homework. Moreover, Wu Feng was a normal child and still maintained a sense of curiosity about learning and interacting with classmates.
Unlike Li Wei, who showed little interest in any of the usual school activities, competitions, or contests, Li Wei was content with winning as bullying the weak and felt no pride in winning, but felt utterly humiliated by losing. She was always well-behaved and obedient, becoming a quiet and delicate flower in the class. Because of her early romantic relationship, everyone in the school knew that there was a girl named Li Wei in Class 6 of the first year of junior high. She was practically a celebrity, yet no one ever asked her to do advertising.
Needless to say, my curiosity about school matters is practically zero. My desire to make money isn't high anymore either. I'm more interested in the gossip of relatives and friends, and it would be even better if I were less bothered by baseless rumors. A comfortable and peaceful life is wonderful.
Therefore, it was not only convenient for Li Wei and Wu Feng to understand school matters, but they were also quite well-informed.
Seeing Li Wei ask, Wu Feng, who always lived in Li Wei's shadow, said rather smugly, "You didn't know that? Really! Let me tell you, I heard that many of the boys go to the toilet or the woods behind the school to smoke after class. I don't know if Luo Jianhua went, but a lot of boys do. Also, I heard that when they need to fight or settle some problem, they go to that woods. We girls don't dare to go near those woods."
Wu Feng paused here, then mysteriously glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she lowered her voice, "I also heard from older girls that couples sometimes go to that woods. So most girls don't dare go near there, afraid of being called indecent. It's terrifying..."
Li Wei, who was drinking water, suddenly spat it out. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. Catching her breath, she smiled at Wu Feng: "Why are you so scared? It's not like we're committing murder or arson. Tell me, when the teacher talked to me and Luo Jianhua about our... you know... things the other day, weren't you scared too?" She never expected that there would be places like university rendezvous spots in junior high. How come she didn't know this when she was in junior high?
Wu Feng scoffed, "How can that be the same? We're all in the same boat as Luo Jianhua. There's nothing wrong with a little puppy love..."
Li Wei spat out the water she had just drunk. This Wu Feng was surprisingly fierce. She'd better not drink anymore; otherwise, she'd choke to death. Wiping her mouth, she said, "Let me tell you, don't listen to what others say. Nothing's wrong." This little brat is so young, and she already knows how to spread rumors. So irresponsible.
Wu Feng's expression was unreadable. She continued gossiping, "Actually, it's not that girls are afraid of those dating. It's that I heard a girl was once caught by bad guys while walking through that grove. I don't know if it was a boy from school, or what happened to him, but anyway, the girl transferred schools. Isn't that scary?" Wu Feng's face showed fear as she spoke, as if the incident had just happened.
Li Wei did have some recollection of this incident. It had been passed down privately among students at Yanglin Town Junior High School. She thought the grove hadn't been so terrifying before. How had it become a demon forest?
When they got home that evening, Li Wei caught Li Lin and warned her to stay away from that grove of trees. She was just in case, and she wouldn't go there, afraid that Li Lin and the others wouldn't know what was good for them.
As a result, Li Lin, dressed like a butterfly, looked down at her arrogantly: "If you ask me, I would have known as soon as I entered junior high school. By the time you tell me, it will be too late, humph."
Li Wei was furious: "You brat, you knew and didn't even tell me! I even considered going through the back gate of the school. You're so unfair! Don't call me 'sister' anymore. See if I'll still think of you when something good happens to me! Humph!" She turned and left, feeling like she had spoiled her for nothing.
Li Lin felt a little guilty after being reprimanded by her sister. She didn't want to say anything nice to coax her, so she pouted as she watched her sister walk away to the backyard and went back to her room to do her homework.
Although Li Wei seems a bit lazy at school, she's anything but lazy when it comes to eating, drinking, and dressing up. She either eats with her grandmother or cooks her own soups and porridges in a small pot, carrying her own set of ingredients and utensils—various bottles and jars of mung beans, red beans, barley, black rice, millet, and other grains, as well as goji berries, lily bulbs, white fungus, longan, lotus seeds, and various tonics. As for fresh pig's trotters, aspic, black-boned chicken, and fruit, she always buys some when she goes to the city or the market; even her aunt and Ding Anping often bring her some. Now that they have a refrigerator at home, food can stay for a couple of days without any problems.
Not to mention the goat milk every few days, so Li Wei was the most comfortable person in the whole Li family. Li Lin and Grandpa Cheng also often ate what someone called beauty and nourishing food, even though they sometimes thought it didn't taste very good.
As for clothing, with so many talented designers on their aunt's side and an abundance of fabrics, it would be difficult for Li Wei and her siblings to dress in a dowdy way. Li Lianhui, being a boy, didn't have much room for creativity. Li Lin, on the other hand, was extremely vain, dressing from head to toe. Every time hygiene and discipline were checked, she was scrutinized by teachers and classmates, especially the girls, who wouldn't blink an eye from the moment she entered until she left, revealing her true character. She was practically a walking display platform for headwear, clothing, shoes, and socks. The most outrageous time was when she didn't wear the same outfit twice in a whole week.
In Li Wei's eyes, it was a bit flashy, but in the eyes of the entire school, it was absolutely gorgeous. Look at the lace on that skirt, the bow hair clip, the lace stockings, and the leather shoes—wow! Nobody in town had ever seen anyone dressed like that. Especially the girls, who looked at Li Lin with envy.
Li Wei's mindset was different. She had her hair cut short like a student's, reaching her ears and forehead. She didn't like to put anything on her hair; the soft, smooth strands of hair were the most beautiful adornment for this young girl. She wore simple yet high-quality casual clothes, which were neat and easy to move in.
Although she thought it was quite simple, from her schoolbag and other stationery to the small watch on her wrist, not to mention the teachers and other adults, even the students who hadn't seen much of the world could tell that they were all high-quality items. Add to that her unusually fair, delicate, and charmingly lazy demeanor, always polite and well-mannered to everyone, and she stood out quite a bit among a group of rural children.
Her unhurried and leisurely demeanor naturally made some jealous classmates dislike her, especially the female classmates, such as the vice class monitor Zhou Xiaoyan.
Although Li Wei didn't notice, among the girls in Class 6 of the first year of junior high school, Zhou Xiaoyan and Li Wei were the most outstanding. They were both good students, came from good families, and were considered good-looking.
The difference is that, because students start school at least at eight years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), most first-year junior high students are already fourteen or fifteen years old, and some are even older. They are practically teenagers, and the girls who develop early already have their graceful curves taking shape.
This week, Xiaoyan is a typical example of this type of girl. She's quite tall for a girl, a good half a head taller than Li Wei. Li Wei is considered slightly above average height among children her age, while Li Lin is even taller. They're born to the same mother; I don't know how those girls, who don't drink goat milk, grew up like this.
This week, Xiaoyan is quite pretty. Although she doesn't seem to be doing better than Liwei academically, she often speaks to Liwei with a condescending and disdainful attitude because of her height advantage. I don't know what she's looking down on.
Li Wei naturally wouldn't stoop to her level, but the more indifferent Zhou Xiaoyan became, the more frustrated she felt, as if Li Wei looked down on her and ignored her. She inexplicably grew increasingly resentful and jealous of Li Wei, yet she couldn't find any fault with her.
After class that day, Li Wei watched Wu Feng and Su Xiuli play beanbag toss on the playground in front of the classroom. They dodged the beanbags so skillfully, it was really entertaining, and she felt a sudden urge to join in. She planned to try it herself, naturally teaming up with Wu Feng and Su Xiuli, but Zhou Xiaoyan from their opposing group raised an eyebrow and said to Wu Feng and Su Xiuli, "If she wants to play, we won't! We don't play with people who are dating."
Li Wei chuckled in exasperation. This brat, what did she know about dating? Had she suddenly become someone with a bad reputation that everyone avoided? She wanted to see what Wu Feng and Su Xiuli would do, so she watched with a smile.
Although Wu Feng was rather timid, she hadn't wasted so many years of friendship. She threw down the sandbag and said, "We're not playing anymore without Li Wei, right, Su Xiuli?" In Wu Feng's mind, Su Xiuli, as Li Wei's deskmate, naturally had to be on Li Wei's side.
Su Xiuli glanced cautiously at Zhou Xiaoyan's expression, then looked at the girls who were clearly aligned with Zhou Xiaoyan, and whispered, "I'm fine with anything..."
Alright, the differences in distance and kinship are self-evident.
Li Wei didn't hesitate to have some fun and immediately praised Wu Feng: "Feng, this Sunday I'll take you to the city park for boating and then to a restaurant. We can eat whatever you want. Oh, and after school tonight, come to my house. I made banana split ice cream yesterday, let's eat it together."
Wu Feng's face was radiant with happiness, while Zhou Xiaoyan's face was clouded with worry.
After school in the evening, as soon as the teacher finished assigning homework and left, Li Wei called out to Luo Da: "Luo Jianhua, let's go together after I finish cleaning. Wu Feng will help me clean. Let's go to my house for banana splits tonight."
Damn it, Mom's blackboard tape recorder wasn't bought for nothing. She can boss Luo around like that, do whatever she wants.
We can't do things that put us at a disadvantage.
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