Chapter 87
The fields were covered with a thin blanket of mist in the morning, still asleep, with only birds chirping occasionally from the branches, making the surrounding fields even more tranquil.
Chi Jun leaned against a tree, his shoes getting wet from the dew-covered, withered grass along the edge of the field.
He casually plucked a blade of grass, and as he moved his fingertips, he turned the blade of grass in his hand, glancing occasionally at Xu Qingzhou and Chen Wanlin not far away.
Chen Wanlin spread a tattered burlap sack on the muddy ground and beckoned Xu Qingzhou to sit down.
Xu Qingzhou glanced at him, silently shook her head, and didn't sit down.
Chen Wanlin then stood up again.
It had been more than half a year since the uncle and nephew last met.
Now, when we unexpectedly meet again, many things have changed.
Chen Wanlin looked Xu Qingzhou up and down. Although the girl was wearing a school uniform, she still looked thin, but her face was a little fuller than before, and she seemed to be more energetic and had a good complexion.
How are you doing?
He asked.
Xu Qingzhou wrote on the paper: 【It's good】
“That’s good,” Chen Wanlin nodded.
There was a silence between them. Chen Wanlin took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
He took two breaths, remained silent for a while, then sighed and looked at Xu Qingzhou, saying, "Qingzhou, I'm sorry for what happened when you left last time."
Xu Qingzhou lowered his eyelids and remained silent.
She recalled the afternoon of her grandmother's burial last August, when her aunt pushed her out the door in the pouring rain. Although she was heartbroken and didn't want to stay in that house any longer, as she walked step by step towards the main road behind the house, a faint glimmer of hope still lingered in her heart—
I hope my uncle will chase after her and take her back, just like he always does.
I hope... there are still people who love her.
Even if she doesn't go back, that action will at least give her a sliver of love to sustain her in this lonely and desperate world.
What chilled her heart was that the road, covered by the torrential rain, was so muddy and so long. She walked for a very long time, but her uncle never appeared.
“I know you must hate me and your aunt quite a bit, but Qingzhou, your uncle can’t do anything about it,” Chen Wanlin sighed, flicking his cigarette butt. “There’s nothing I can do. You know your aunt, her temper is absolutely unbearable, and her family is…”
A grown man, confined to his family, smoked a cigarette and sighed, lamenting his helplessness.
But how could a young girl, all alone and with no social experience, possibly support herself and manage her studies?
She wasn't facing the words "there's no way out," but rather the despair of being isolated and helpless.
Xu Qingzhou didn't want to listen anymore.
She took out paper and pen and wrote a line:
Uncle, I need to rush back to school, I'm going to be late!
Chen Wanlin was stunned for a moment, and then, in a daze, he said "Oh". He turned around and saw Xu Qingzhou take two steps, but then suddenly called out to her.
Xu Qingzhou turned around.
Chen Wanlin looked at her, his brows furrowed, his expression suggesting he was somewhat reluctant to speak.
"Qing Zhou."
He gritted his teeth, seemingly hesitant about whether to speak, but finally said, "Do you know your aunt ran away?"
They ran away...?
Xu Qingzhou was a little unsure if "ran" meant what she thought, when Chen Wanlin added angrily, "She ran away with a man from the village."
Xu Qingzhou: "..."
“Linlin is rarely home now. Sometimes she comes back once every ten days or half a month, and sometimes I don’t see her for a whole month. When she comes back, she just asks me for living expenses, so now I live alone at home.”
Xu Qingzhou remained silent, looking at the old man in front of him.
Chen Wanlin: "Qingzhou, after all, you're still my niece. I was the one who wronged you before. Now that I'm all alone at home, it's quite convenient. Would you like to come back and live here?"
Come back and stay here.
At this moment, Xu Qingzhou felt like a ball. When Xu Meiling was around, her uncle would kick her away, but after Xu Meiling left, her uncle would pick her up again.
From beginning to end, she was never treated as a complete and independent person and was never respected.
Xu Qingzhou shook his head.
"Come back. Nothing beats home outside."
Xu Qingzhou shook her head again. Before Chen Wanlin could say anything more, she wrote on the paper: "Uncle, that's not my home. My home is outside."
Chen Wanlin was speechless.
He stared at Xu Qingzhou for a while without saying anything more.
As the sun rose higher and higher, the thin fog gradually dissipated, and the temperature in the fields gradually increased.
The sound of grass being trampled grew louder as it approached. Chi Jun looked up and saw Xu Qingzhou walking towards him with a smile.
"Are you done?"
Xu Qingzhou nodded.
As he approached, Chi Jun handed her a small grasshopper woven from straw.
The grasshoppers are woven into small, exquisite pieces.
Xu Qingzhou's eyes widened in surprise, and he mouthed, "You're amazing!"
Chi Jun smiled smugly.
"Anything else? Reach out your hand."
Xu Qingzhou didn't understand, but still obediently stretched out his hand.
The next second, Chi Jun slipped a small ring onto her finger with lightning speed.
He pulled her into his arms:
"This time you accepted it yourself, you're mine now."
Xu Qingzhou hugged his waist tightly, buried her head in his chest for a while, then looked up at him with watery eyes.
Seeing that her expression was off, Chi Jun glanced at the figure in front of the grave in the distance, his expression turning cold.
Did he bully you just now?
Xu Qingzhou shook his head.
"What happened?"
Xu Qingzhou sniffed and smiled.
[Chi Jun, please don't leave me, okay?]
Chi Jun laughed when he saw this and deliberately teased her.
"Then beg me."
Please
Chi Jun was taken aback by such a decisive reaction.
He stared at Xu Qingzhou for two seconds, then suddenly raised his hand and pinched her cheek: "Alright, then I'll reluctantly agree."
Xu Qingzhou smiled, buried her head in his chest once again, and hugged his waist tightly.
He recalled the question his uncle had asked her earlier:
"Qingzhou, what's your relationship with that young man?"
"You are at a critical juncture right now. You can't act impulsively. You have to consider the consequences. A girl's reputation is very important."
"Qingzhou, I'm still your uncle, your only family in this world. You have to listen to your uncle and not follow just anyone..."
Xu Qingzhou: [Uncle, he's not just any ordinary person.]
Xu Qingzhou: [He is my only family member right now.]
The large, warm hand on his head felt safe and secure. Xu Qingzhou buried himself in Chi Jun's arms, greedily inhaling his scent.
Chi Jun, I have completely severed ties with the past. You are now my only family.
Please, please, please don't leave me.
*
It's already mid-April, and the increasingly dwindling countdown numbers on the blackboard underscore the imminent and urgent nature of the college entrance examination.
The atmosphere in the classroom grew heavier and more oppressive each day. Everywhere you looked, heads were buried in front of desks, piled high with test papers, materials, and books, the pages curled up at the corners.
The school bell, the morning exercise bell, the eye exercise music—none of them exist.
All the students could see were questions, questions, and more questions.
At this stage, teachers have long since run out of new knowledge to teach. There's a small test almost every day and a big test every three days. Students have become numb to the tests, numbly writing papers, numbly looking at their scores, numbly correcting their papers, and copying down their mistakes.
During breaks, the sound of plastic bags being torn open could often be heard in the classroom, followed by the aroma of instant coffee powder.
Xu Qingzhou observed that some students would start taking their medication before lunch, and after lunch, they would go to the restroom. He also heard several instances of students vomiting in discomfort from the stalls.
In early May, a girl from the next class went insane.
The day was the start of what was reportedly the umpteenth mock exam. The female student was said to have been restless before the exam bell rang, stomping her feet and slapping herself hard, which frightened the other students in the exam room.
The proctor called out to remind her, but the girl ignored him and kept letting out inexplicable laughter during the exam. Sensing something was wrong, the proctor called the girl's homeroom teacher. When the teacher arrived, she saw the girl staring blankly as she tore up her exam paper. After finishing, she laughed and rushed out.
The school specially invited a psychology teacher to give a three-hour psychological counseling class to all senior students, and held another parent meeting to encourage parents to pay close attention to their children's mental health.
But accidents can happen.
In mid-May, another farcical incident of someone jumping off a building occurred at the school.
I heard that the guy was emotionally devastated because his girlfriend broke up with him unilaterally.
The boy's mother, the head of the senior year, was usually arrogant and serious, and bossy towards her students. For the first time, she showed a panicked and embarrassed expression. She raised her hand and slapped her son, who had been pulled down from the railing, across the face.
Xu Qingzhou didn't go out of the classroom to watch the commotion, but while he was writing his homework, the boy's loud argument and crying with his mother still clearly reached him.
After that, the boy never came to school again.
Even the grade director, who always arrives early and leaves late and strictly enforces discipline, took a week off.
These two incidents undoubtedly added another huge weight to the already heavy mood of the students.
Anxiety was evident on the faces of countless students.
Even Xu Qingzhou, who was usually calm and composed, occasionally began to feel irritable and restless.
Fortunately, Chi Jun was by her side. He always seemed relaxed and cheerful, as if everything was under control and there was nothing to worry about. He would joke around and take Xu Qingzhou out to distract her, which would gradually calm Xu Qingzhou down again.
In fact, even if Chi Jun did nothing, his very presence gave Xu Qingzhou a sense of peace and security.
Because she knew she wasn't alone.
This certainty has given her a great sense of security.
*
The National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) will be held on June 7th, 8th, and 9th, last
Starting June 1st, the school canceled evening self-study sessions for senior high school students.
On the one hand, it is to allow students to eat healthy and nutritious meals at home to ensure their physical condition. On the other hand, it is also because at this stage, cramming for exams is no longer very effective. The key is to relax and be in a better mental state to face the upcoming college entrance examination.
At the beginning of the month, Xu Qingzhou brought a newspaper back from school.
Although it's called a newspaper, it's actually a college application guide, listing the past years' cut-off scores for each school, as well as other relevant information about the schools.
That evening, as usual, Xu Qingzhou finished writing a few practice papers to practice his writing skills. He then sat cross-legged on the bed, drinking milk while casually flipping through the newspaper to browse the news.
Actually, college applications are usually submitted after the college entrance exam scores are released. It's not too late to study them carefully after the scores are released, but Xu Qingzhou was also curious about the universities. He flipped through the pages and was quite engrossed in reading them.
"So serious?"
A comment came in from the side.
Xu Qingzhou looked up and saw Chi Jun standing by the bed in loose pajamas. She glanced at the newspaper in Chi Jun's hand, her hair was wet, and she had a dry towel draped over her shoulder, about to wipe it off.
She smiled and handed the empty milk glass to Chi Jun's outstretched hand.
Chi Jun naturally took the water cup outside to rinse it.
After Xu Qingzhou turned the page, Chi Jun dried his hair and brought over a plate of just the right amount of fruit.
He casually sat down on the edge of the bed, one leg bent and resting on the edge, the other leg hanging down naturally. He casually picked up a toothpick and put a piece of cantaloupe in his mouth, glancing at the newspaper in Xu Qingzhou's hand.
Which school are you planning to attend?
Xu Qingzhou scratched his head with the tip of his pen, took the small mango that Chi Jun handed him, and wrote on the paper:
I haven't decided yet.
What are your requirements for the school?
It seems there aren't any requirements...
"environment?"
Be prettier!
"weather?"
I prefer dry, crisp air.
"temperature?"
Not too cold and not too hot would be ideal.
Chi Jun was amused.
"Don't you have your own requirements too?"
Xu Qingzhou smiled sheepishly.
Chi Jun: "I've noticed that many students have one important criterion when filling out their college applications."
【What? 】
"Check if the dormitory has air conditioning."
Xu Qingzhou thought about it and realized that this was related to the quality of life, so it should indeed be a very important point. Unexpectedly, the next second, Chi Jun said, "Don't report those with air conditioning."
Xu Qingzhou:
Chi Jun looked up at her and smiled.
"What if I make you comfortable and you don't want to live outside with me anymore?"
Xu Qingzhou: "..."
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