Chapter Two: Old Friends

Chapter Two: Old Friends

The bell signaling the end of class rang, and the classroom instantly erupted into a flurry of activity.

Lin Xia’s desk was in the third row by the corridor. Ren Jie and Ren Xia walked over to her side, hand in hand. “Lin Xia, hurry up, let’s go get breakfast. If we’re late, there’ll be too many people, and it’ll be hard to squeeze in.”

“Oh,” Lin Xia put down her book and followed the two out of the classroom.

She had completely forgotten where breakfast was supposed to be, and by the time the three of them arrived, the noodle stall was already surrounded by a crowd. Looking at the throng, Lin Xia couldn’t help but sigh to herself: China truly is a land of many people—everyone wants to be first, afraid to fall behind.

She couldn’t help but murmur, “So many people.”

Balancing on tiptoe, Ren Jie peered into the crowd and remarked, “It’s always this packed at breakfast. But don’t worry, we have our ways.” She laughed twice, then called out, “Li Jing—over here! Li Jing!”

Lin Xia watched as a slim girl squeezed out from the crowd, one hand carrying four plastic bags of noodles along with four pairs of chopsticks, the other arm cradling four porcelain bowls. She muttered, “Hey, you guys should come help me out.”

Ren Jie hurried forward to take the bowls from her. “Thank you, really, thank you.” Ren Xia took the noodles and chopsticks.

Li Jing shook out her hands. “You know it’s hard, yet none of you came to help. Luckily, I’m quick and nimble—there are even more people now.”

Lin Xia glanced at the swelling mass before the noodle stall, tongue-tied by the sheer number of students still streaming out from the teaching block toward them.

Hugging a stack of bowls, Ren Jie said, “Let’s not stand here, let’s go to our usual spot. I’m starving. I reviewed vocabulary again this morning—studying really is exhausting.”

No sooner had she spoken than her stomach gave a loud rumble. The four girls exchanged glances and burst into laughter, Ren Jie unfazed.

She simply placed the plastic bags with the noodles into the bowls, and everyone started eating. This was now the most popular way to eat noodles in their little town. In the past, everyone ate directly from porcelain bowls; but at some point, people started hearing that the bowls weren’t clean, so they began lining them with clear plastic bags before adding the noodles.

“Oh, right—” Ren Jie swallowed her mouthful, “Lin Xia, didn’t you say you watched the latest episode yesterday? Come on, tell us about it.”

TV drama? Oh no, what’s popular now? While eating her noodles, Lin Xia pondered without betraying any expression.

Li Jing laughed, “Look at you staying so calm and collected even in times of crisis—truly admirable.”

As Lin Xia looked at her three friends, she was filled with emotion.

The four of them had been closest in middle school, but after the high school entrance exams, Ren Xia, having failed, left school and later married and had children early. Ren Jie and Li Jing both made it to high school but didn’t continue either, soon marrying and raising families as well. Lin Xia felt regret, but there was nothing she could do.

Such was the way of this small town: girls who didn’t pursue education would marry and bear children early, as if riding a tide. Anyone who didn’t conform would become an outlier.

None of the four were outstanding students, but Lin Xia’s home was on the main street of town, while the others lived in various villages under Xishui Town’s administration. Lin Xia was the luckiest—she was able to study all the way to university.

People in town were a bit more open than those in the villages, and a little less partial to sons over daughters. Besides, everyone loved to compare—family wealth, children’s looks, grades, anything at all. So after Lin Xia’s entrance exams, her family gritted their teeth and bought her a place at the county’s top high school.

Lin Xia wasn’t gifted, but the teaching conditions there were far superior to other schools. After the college entrance exams, she just barely made it into a third-rate university. The Lin family wasn’t particularly pleased, but since their child had managed to get in, they paid her tuition and let her continue.

“Lin Xia, Lin Xia…” Her thoughts were interrupted by Ren Jie’s curious gaze. “What are you thinking about?”

Lin Xia smiled, “Just hoping that Mr. Zhang won’t call me up to write vocabulary on the board.”

At the mention of vocabulary, everyone’s mood sank.

Ren Jie slurped up her last few noodles. “Let’s hurry back and study. We can talk about the drama after class.”

Lin Xia nodded, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and followed the flow of students back to the classroom.

Back inside, Lin Xia was surprised to see that seventy percent of the class was already seated.

She thought to herself, Mr. Zhang truly has a queenly presence. Look at all these kids sitting obediently, writing out their vocabulary, compared to how things were in college. Children really are easier to teach.

Returning to her seat, Lin Xia saw Yang Yanju still practicing vocabulary. “Didn’t you already memorize them? Why are you still writing?”

Yang Yanju replied, “Better safe than sorry. If I make even one mistake, that’s a smack on the hand—Mr. Zhang doesn’t go easy. Did you forget she hit you last time?”

Lin Xia shivered in remembrance. Oh yes, corporal punishment was still a thing here. If a child was disciplined at school, parents would only praise the teacher for being strict. What parents feared most was teachers neglecting their child.

Back in the first year of junior high, she had once been called to the blackboard to write vocabulary, made a single mistake, and got her hand smacked with a wooden ruler by Mr. Zhang. That was the last time she was ever hit. After that, school discipline grew more humane, and she was never struck again.

Lin Xia picked up her English book, quickly went over the morning’s vocabulary, and joined the others in writing them out.

Breakfast break was just thirty minutes. Lin Xia barely managed to write out all the vocabulary once before the bell rang, and Mr. Zhang strode in from outside.

She placed her English book and lesson plan on the lectern, scanned the class, and said, “I trust you’re all prepared. Let’s begin. As usual, each group will send one student. Group one, Zhao Qiang; group two, Li Bo; group three, Lin Xia; group four, Li Jing. Both boys and girls, equal numbers. Those called, come to the front; the rest, write your vocabulary in your notebooks for your group leader to collect and hand in. Are you ready?”

The class responded in unison.

Mr. Zhang nodded approvingly and opened her textbook. “Let’s begin.”

After class, Ren Jie, who sat behind Lin Xia, poked her in the back with a pen. “Lin Xia, you really remembered so many words in just one morning—impressive!”

Lin Xia turned and smiled. “It’s easy if you focus.”

Ren Jie propped her chin in her hands. “At last, we survived two English periods. Now, tell me what happened in yesterday’s episode.”

Yang Yanju, Lin Xia’s deskmate, leaned over. “Did you watch the latest one last night?”

Ren Jie nodded. “She’s amazing. I saw in the synopsis that when Leng Qingqiu opened the door, she saw a courtyard full of lilies, the breeze lifting her short hair—so beautiful.”

Yang Yanju leaned in as well, urging her, “Yeah, I missed it too. Lin Xia, tell us what happened.”

Hearing the name Leng Qingqiu, Lin Xia realized what was airing now. Wasn’t it the once-famous “Gold Powder Family”?