A rabbit that can't run 1200 meters
The school's annual sports meet was in full swing. Led by Fu Jia, the boys were extremely enthusiastic. The stronger ones were eager to sign up for shot put, the thinner ones were keen to try ping-pong, and the taller ones had gathered some friends to form a basketball team. In short, the boys were determined to show their prowess. While the girls weren't as athletic, several, led by class officers, set an example by signing up for events like the long jump and relay, and also mobilized a group of other girls. Xia Tong, naturally, didn't sign up for any events. No one asked her what she was good at, and besides, she hadn't discovered any event where she could excel. So, she naturally became part of the support team, not even getting a chance to be a cheerleader.
The homeroom teacher was overjoyed to see everyone so enthusiastic. Good results in the sports meet would not only bring them pride, but also earn the class points and a rotating red flag, plus a prize. Only the girls' 1200-meter race remained unsigned. After some persuasion, the teacher selected two usually academically gifted and lively girls, reassuring them that participation was the most important thing, and winning wasn't the goal. The two girls, out of consideration for the teacher's usual favoritism, reluctantly agreed.
So some people are busy preparing for the competition, some are busy purchasing competition items, some are busy repeatedly practicing the cheering slogans and actions, and some people can only sit alone in a corner of the playground's plastic track, watching others busy.
Occasionally, when the logistics coordinator needed to leave for a while, Xia Tong would help look after things like bottled water and glucose. Sometimes, when someone in the class was going to compete or won a prize, Xia Tong would help write encouraging or praising news articles to be read on the school radio. Actually, there was plenty of free time; many girls in the class who were afraid of the sun would sit in groups of three or five in the shade of a big tree, fanning themselves and chatting. The male lead from last night's TV drama, the new bracelet they just bought, the gossip about their favorite celebrity, and the cute kitten at their grandmother's house could keep several girls chattering from noon until evening. There was one person, even though she knew the plot of last night's TV drama better than anyone else, never lacked any different bracelets, bought her idol's newspaper, and loved cute, soft kittens, but she had no one to share all of this with. She was happy alone, but even in her happiness, there was a touch of loneliness, wasn't there?
On the other basketball court, Fu Jia was warming up with his teammates before the game. Their class was dressed in black basketball uniforms. This was the first game of the tournament, and the court was surrounded by girls from various classes. The boys, their desire to perform intensifying, began to get excited. Fu Jia raised his arm and shouted, "I heard those idiots from Class 4 are eyeing Mu Qiuling from our class! This time, we'll use Class 4 as a sacrifice and see who dares to have designs on our girls again!"
Mu Qiuling was unanimously considered the most beautiful girl in the class. She came from a wealthy family, had excellent grades, and spoke gently. If she were alive today, she'd be a typical "rich, beautiful, and successful" girl, or a goddess like Shen Jiayi. Back then, she was the dream girl of many boys. Any boy who dared to speak to her would be dragged into a corner and given a few punches, real or fake. Fu Jia's words immediately ignited the boys' fury, and they began to rage.
"Those bastards actually dared to make advances towards the girls in our class, kill them!"
"He's blind as a bat! We have to kill him this time!"
Momentum surged, and Fu Jia smiled with satisfaction, realizing his goal had been achieved: Who knows if any of the clueless students in Class Four have a crush on Mu Qiuling! She's so popular, there must be some secret admirers, right? Anyway, there's no way to verify it, so what can you do about it?! He scanned the entire room, searching for Xia Tong without success. He searched again, but still no luck. With only ten minutes left before the competition, why hadn't this girl shown up? He ran to his class's cheerleading squad and asked the class monitor, "Where's Xia Tong?"
The class monitor was a proud and arrogant girl, but that didn't stop her from liking the handsome Fu Jia. However, she was particularly annoyed when she heard him start talking about looking for Xia Tong: "Oh, I don't know where she went either!" Her unwillingness to help others was really annoying. Fu Jia's face also turned cold: "Find her here right now! I have something important with her!"
The class monitor panicked a little when she heard this: "You go ahead with the competition, can I get your things for you?"
"Call her over here, or what's the point of the competition!" Fu Jia's displeasure and annoyance were written all over her face, as if she would quit the competition if she didn't find her.
The class monitor immediately softened her tone: "Don't worry, don't worry, we'll split up and go look for him. We promise to bring him to you before the competition." Then she and a few girls hurried off. When they found Xia Tong looking at her belongings by the track, she was diligently arranging the scattered bottled water. They immediately began to berate and scold Xia Tong: "What important thing did you take from Fu Jia? He's about to compete, and you're still here! Don't you have any sense of class honor?"
Xia Tong was completely confused: "I didn't take anything from Fu Jia..."
"You don't even know what you've taken from someone, what else can you do? Fu Jia trusted you so much! Alright, take all your things and come with me!" A girl shoved Xia Tong's backpack into her arms and pulled her towards the basketball court.
Upon arriving at the venue, Xia Tong was pushed in front of Fu Jia by several people who demanded she hand over what they called "important items." Fu Jia, smiling, took the unopened bottle of mineral water from the class monitor and placed it in the bewildered Xia Tong's hands: "Alright, just stand over there and wait for me." The class monitor's face immediately darkened. She shrugged off the two and returned to her class's designated cheerleading area: This is outrageous! They're using me as a pawn!!!
Fu Jia, seeing her standing obediently, returned to his group, satisfied. But after this incident, all the girls disliked Xia Tong intensely. She stood on the edge of the class, no one willing to speak to her. If she joined in their chants, the girls would glare at her disapprovingly. Xia Tong herself had little interest in basketball, and now, standing alone on the outside of the group, her mood plummeted. She also felt some resentment towards Fu Jia: if it weren't for him, how could she have ended up in this situation?
Fu Jia's team, brimming with confidence, easily defeated their opponents and then swept aside the remaining classes in one fell swoop. After the preliminary rounds, their class became famous overnight, and every student felt proud. As soon as the competition ended, he ran over, covered in sweat, and gulped down all the water Xia Tong was giving him.
Then, flashing his gleaming teeth like Mr. Beaver, he winked at Xia Tong: "Am I amazing? Did you see how many points I got all by myself?!"
Xia Tong: "..."
"What's with that expression?! Am I not good enough? Did you even watch the match carefully?" Fu Jia frowned.
"All right······"
"What do you mean by 'okay'? This is so perfunctory!"
"·····"
The two of them walked away bickering, leaving a group of energetic girls with nowhere to vent their frustrations, swallowing all their congratulations.
The afternoon was the track and field competition, and good news kept pouring in from the class. Xia Tong was busy writing news reports praising the class's achievements. Suddenly, the class monitor ran over, pointed at Xia Tong, and shouted to the back, "Isn't there someone who's free? Let her replace Ke Ying!"
The teacher, along with several classmates, helped Ke Ying over. The large group of people startled Xia Tong. Just then, Ke Ying limped over and took Xia Tong's arm: "I sprained my leg and can't participate in the 1200-meter race later. Please go in my place! I beg you, I'll treat you to something delicious when we get back!"
The class monitor added fuel to the fire: "Please help us out. You're the girl with the most free time in our class. Just go and substitute for Ke Ying. We'll all be grateful to you."
Xia Tong was in a difficult position. She had never been good at sports; she could barely run 800 meters, let alone 2000. Moreover, the event had happened so suddenly that Xia Tong hadn't even had time to prepare: "I...I can't do it, I can't run 1200..."
The teacher then spoke up: "It's okay, as long as you finish the run, it doesn't matter how long it takes. Challenge yourself, and if you finish, you'll be a hero in our class." Under pressure from a group of people, Xia Tong gritted her teeth and accepted this difficult task.
Xia Tong was very nervous when she went on the track. She looked at her opponents, who were all energetic and full of vitality. She licked her still bleeding lips. Just now, because of her nervousness, she had accidentally cut herself on the broken glass when drinking the glucose. What bad luck! God, give me the strength to run to the finish line!
As soon as the starting gun fired, Xia Tong sprinted with all her might. Despite her petite stature, she was agile and quickly took the lead in the pack. Although her PE teacher had repeatedly warned her not to start too fast in a long-distance race, as it would deplete her energy and make it difficult to keep up later, she never listened. She reasoned that running slowly would also get tiring, and every extra bit she ran at the beginning was valuable. If she didn't push herself when she had the energy, what would happen when she was exhausted? Wouldn't that be even worse?
After running one lap, Xia Tong's pace noticeably slowed, and she was quickly overtaken by others, one after another. Her throat felt tight, making it hard to breathe. Worse still, she felt a throbbing pain in her right abdomen. She clutched the painful area and struggled to keep going, each step a stumble, each step a sharp pain. She felt like her lungs were going to explode, and her stomach was killing her. She continued running, slowly but relentlessly. She didn't know how many people had passed her, whether she was at the back of the pack, or even how many laps were left before the finish line. She could only keep running forward with her eyes closed.
Suddenly, she felt someone whispering beside her, and it was an unpleasant voice. She struggled to open her eyes and found it was Fu Jia! He had also joined the race! He asked her with great concern, "Does your stomach hurt?"
Xia Tong suddenly felt like crying and nodded.
"Or we shouldn't run anymore, you'll get a stitch in your side."
How many laps to the finish line?
"One and a half laps."
"Then I want to finish the race."
"Okay, take a deep breath first--"
"Exhale - Inhale -"
"Yes, that's it, get the rhythm right."
"Don't be afraid, I'll be with you."
Don't be afraid, I'll be with you no matter what.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com