Dinner party
Psychological research has shown that people's evaluation of things often comes from the sense of satisfaction they get from them, and this sense of satisfaction is derived from the ratio of ideal to reality. Conversely, if you don't want to disappoint others, it's best not to let them have too high expectations, especially some unrealistic bubbles, so sages teach everyone to be humble.
There are indeed people who dare to go against the tide, deliberately letting onlookers drool, only to end up "dying in the light". The sharp fluctuations of China's stock market in 2007 and 2008 proved this truth. Investors who were stuck with heavy losses even lost the motivation to jump off buildings, but then they seized the rare business opportunity brought by the Olympics, rushing in like a swarm of bees, only to discover that there weren't as many wealthy foreigners coming to Beijing to splurge as they had imagined, and finally realizing they had been fooling themselves.
The Chinese nation is still quite hospitable, so they don't like people with too much mystery and will scold the latter as "fake profundity". For example, Xu Jingliang had some preconceived displeasure towards Ai Mei of the same department who had not yet met, although Ai's name had a somewhat flirtatious quality to it. However, this belated appearance after being called out for a month was unavoidable and made Xu Jingliang, who always reluctantly got up from his spring dreams to listen to the elegy of scientific socialism, feel indignant.
Perhaps girls from the depths of the southwestern mountains all have some innate spirit, and Ai Mei seemed to sense that this would not be a good omen for the future. So she took the initiative to invite everyone to a nearby Korean barbecue restaurant to indulge in romance. She said her boyfriend was treating, and asked everyone to take care of him, which was reasonable. However, it's strange that this gathering was organized by Cheng Yi from a different department, who happened to be helping with moving luggage that day. But the reason he wasn't chosen instead of Su Yunwen, who was also busy, might have something to do with how much Su admired Ai Mei's handsome boyfriend that day, at least that's what Zhuo Liu thought.
Anyway, the six people sat together as scheduled. Lu Yuanhang, who had been mysterious and elusive lately, finally arrived despite being elusive, looking a bit tired and still distracted as usual. The girl naturally chose the position next to the window and said in a low voice, "I might find you later." She put her vibrating phone on the dinner table.
Xu Zhēnliú nodded slightly, discovering that everyone was looking at him, and then turned to today's "host", a relatively typical melancholic beautiful young man: "Is... Du Xiǎozhōng, right?" This was just a conversation starter, and before the other person could nod, Zhēnliú continued: "Are you working or still in school?" He deliberately put his career first.
"Ah, work," Xiao Zhong's tone was not high, but still enthusiastic: "I'm at...?"
"He's into the internet, IT industry," Ai Mei took over the conversation: "We've heard of you long ago, great talent!" After finishing speaking, the girl glanced around at several other classmates.
Xu Zhènliú smiled and was about to take the opportunity to speak, when Yùnwén, sitting on his right, seriously wrapped a few slices of freshly roasted beef in lettuce leaves while simultaneously saying to him without regard for the occasion: "Didn't I tell you that day? You still asked what she did, and at the time, you were distracted." Su Jiěniáng pouted, tidied up her hanging hair, and began to savor the flavor of Lín Guó's cuisine with relish. Zhènliú looked at her helplessly, then glanced at ài Méi, who was clearly somewhat displeased.
The male lead was quite natural, he raised his wine glass: "Xiao Mei is back at the Language Institute, everyone take care of her," Du Xiaozhong, who is one year older than his girlfriend, seemed not very good at socializing, and when he said this polite remark, he appeared a bit awkward.
"Ah," Lu Yuanhang, who had not spoken for a long time, nodded towards someone: "It's so lucky to have such a boyfriend." She took a few sips of her drink and looked at Ai Mei with a very sincere gaze.
In our view, the AA system commonly adopted in Western countries is somewhat unreasonable, and we feel that even matters of food, sex, and money should not be handled in such a way. In fact, this is only one aspect of the issue. In most cases, rights and obligations are always precisely matched, which means that from the moment when the host and guest are distinguished at the dinner table, there is no longer any equality to speak of. Therefore, clever Chinese people often wait until they have eaten their fill before pretending to fight over who pays the bill, at least enjoying a brief moment of carefree indulgence while eating, which is indeed cunning.
In Beijing, the most common Korean restaurant chain is probably "Samcheongrye". The name actually represents the vast territory of the Korean Peninsula, known as "Three Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains". However, many Chinese people mistakenly interpret it as an abbreviation for "Three Thousand Miles of Wind, Clouds, and Moon", which adds a sense of heroic flair to their barbecue. Despite cultural differences, they have adapted to local customs, demonstrating that the ability to assimilate national styles and spirits should never be underestimated.
Since the countrymen have long been accustomed to the courtesy of their ancestors, everyone was no longer awkward when they were about to leave. Since they had eaten at someone else's expense, it would be embarrassing to continue arguing endlessly about Ai Mei's tardiness of a month. In this sense, Ai's dazzling appearance can be considered successful. Although Xiao Zhong, who was responsible for paying the bill, seemed unnatural and somewhat silent, with the participation of classmates like Zhen Liang, there was no need to worry about an awkward atmosphere at dinner gatherings, and this time was no exception, as everyone left in high spirits.
We often say that someone "understands things", which means they are more worldly. Now there is a new term called "high emotional intelligence". In fact, leaders also know that those subordinates who are good at flattering and bootlicking are often unreliable wallflowers. What looks like devotion to the organization is just a surface phenomenon, but ultimately, they often can't escape being manipulated by sugarcoated bullets. Over time, this has become what people often refer to as "unspoken rules". Obviously, Ai Mei is quite skilled in this regard. From the moment she sent out the invitation, it was already destined that everything would end well, because probably no one would be foolish enough to put themselves in an "inhumane" predicament. This petite girl from Yunnan and Guizhou easily got several of her classmates to "fall into line", and it seems that being admitted without taking the entrance exam wasn't just a coincidence.
Actually, being able to read people's expressions and body language is not some kind of esoteric secret art hidden deep in the mountains, it's just a matter of professional level varying from person to person. Since everyone already knew about the "group discussion" meeting before dinner, they didn't bother making unified plans for their night lives: Cheng Yi went to work out at a nearby club, Ai Mei and others went shopping for daily necessities at the supermarket, while Yunwen got her wish and took away several take-out boxes with the phrase "can't finish, pack it up", thus avoiding the trouble of lining up in the cafeteria for the next two days, and probably also eliminating any reason to run to school, which is two stops away from their dorm.
"Has your mother not returned to Xi'an yet?" Xu Zhongliu found that after Yu Hang went out, he naturally walked onto a small road that was easy to overlook, leading to the hotel where Lu's mother and daughter had temporarily stayed when school just started.
"She might be planning to stay in Beijing for a while," the girl said without hesitation, with a hint of helplessness in her tone: "She went to an intermediary two days ago, maybe she's looking for a place to live long-term."
This was somewhat unexpected, after all, it's not common for a daughter who has been working alone abroad to study with her parents. But since the other party took the initiative to find him, the boy didn't ask further and just nodded his head, which can be understood as a sign to let the other continue speaking.
"She stared at me so tightly, it's annoying," Lu said, speaking to herself in a way that left the listener bewildered; "Just now when we were eating, she kept sending short messages for a while, asking where I was, and I said I'm with you."
Zhenliu thought someone had something on their mind to share with him, but it turned out to be just a shield. He was used to being overly sentimental, but felt that things were not so simple. Just as he was about to sort out the causes and consequences, Yuanchuang beckoned him from afar, and it turned out that Mrs. Lu was waiting impatiently in the house, "helping each other out of the city gate".
"Xiao Xu," said the mother, who had traveled far and wide to "escort" him, taking a few quick steps forward. Her Tianjin dialect, unchanged after many years of living abroad, made it impossible for anyone to detect even a hint of tension: "I heard you have a new classmate who just arrived." This announcement somehow seemed like an attempt to cover something up.
"Ah, yes." The usually eloquent Lin Xiang was at a loss for words, possibly because the dim streetlights made it difficult to see each other's faces. On the other side, Mrs. Lu was still rambling on about something, seemingly still talking about how classmates should take care of each other and such clichés, and he could only awkwardly respond to her.
The Olympics are approaching, and this area near the Capital Airport Expressway is also busy with construction. The already narrow streets have become even more congested. Xu Jinliang dodges various roadblocks while thinking of a way to escape, but Far Navigation remains eerily silent beside him, making Xu Jinliang uneasy. They finally arrive at the entrance of the reception center, where Xu Jinliang uses the excuse of needing to use the restroom to hastily leave.
To be honest, after leaving the barbecue restaurant and strolling around for a while, he indeed had some inner urgency. He was the type who "drinks and urinates", to put it politely, his metabolic system is more sensitive to alcohol, this kind of person usually has a good capacity, no matter how much they drink, they can always solve it on the spot. In fact, many things in the world have similar logic, people who are easy-going and carefree generally can withstand changes, they don't have too much burden, and usually won't pay attention to trivial matters. Of course, conversely, anyone in this kind of person's heart is just a "passerby".
He rushed home in a hurry, just about to rush into the bathroom for a refreshing and satisfying bowel movement. However, he found that Teacher Xiao Wu had arrived at some point, and his mother and daughter were discussing something at the dinner table. Although he couldn't afford more courtesy, the imagined smoothness was also somewhat restrained. He hastily washed up with a hint of reluctance and naturally strolled over to the sofa to flip through the evening newspaper.
Perhaps it was because they knew in advance that Xu Zhenliu had a gathering today, so there was no need to invite him to dinner. Or maybe the current topic was attractive enough not to interrupt, anyway, the boy's arrival did not change more of the conversation between mother and daughter. Although this "serial drama" cannot be replayed at any time according to the audience's needs, Xu Zhenliu, who suddenly appeared halfway, quickly entered the role, understood the main plot and character relationships. Obviously, the topic was still about a girl named Wei Dan. It seemed that after Wu Yu talked to her several times, the little girl couldn't withstand the strong "policy offensive" and confessed that she had been in a "deformed" love affair recently because of the unhappiness at home. As for what problems Mr. and Mrs. Wei had, it seemed that further investigation was needed.
It seems that Wu Yu is very satisfied with the stage results of his hard work, and his shining eyes are particularly charming under the backlight of the desk lamp: "I didn't have time today, I'll go find Old Wei again later, this guy, what's he up to."
As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Lu Yuanhang has always been elusive and unpredictable, making it difficult for people to figure him out. His mentor is even more mysterious. Wei Yicheng, director of the Language Teaching Research Office, is a senior title holder who obtained his Ph.D. from Peking University in his early years. He specializes in language psychology research and has achieved remarkable results, making him a representative of the "power faction". This man doesn't talk much and is more skilled at communicating subtly with others through eye contact and facial expressions. Xu Zhiliang and his classmates rarely see this legendary "master" who seems to be busier than the department head, even skipping the last mentorship meeting on some pretext.
It seems that the extraordinary temperament can also be inherited, and there is a saying that "like father, like daughter". Although they have never met before, Zhen Liu has already subconsciously sketched out a rough outline of this Wei girl in his mind according to the "refined gentleman" route. The noble status has an idiomatic expression called "blue blood", which translates to "blue-blooded" in Chinese, and "blue" also implies melancholy and mystery. Therefore, the legitimate descendants of the aristocratic families always have some unique genes that ordinary people can't decipher.
Suddenly, I found that the voice behind me seemed to be lowered a lot, even mixed with many indistinguishable gasps, almost whispering: "He and Xiao Zhao originally...? Is it right...?" Without turning my head, Grandma Peng probably introduced some body language, making her originally hoarse voice even more inadequate for outsiders: "So...? Otherwise, I'll go ask him."
"No, no, no, I still don't get it," Wu Yu was also infected: "I think you're being too...?" Perhaps because he had changed his original plan to let the remaining students catch up, the class teacher who won the first battle seemed somewhat unfulfilled.
In essence, academic research and family squabbles may not be that different after all. Both stem from curiosity and resort to collective discussion, with no clear right or wrong, only differing in their "normativity" and level of difficulty. Therefore, academic institutions often harbor a soil that can suffocate people under the tongue, only more subtly and cunningly so. The mother-daughter exchange earlier is a clear example, and within families, there is no need for multiple layers of veils or masks to conceal things. Zhen Liu thinks that perhaps it's because of this that the two didn't want him, a newcomer to the academic "third tier", to learn too early about the overly profound true and false realities within, so they tacitly sounded the retreat early on.
It's been a while since the 06 freshmen of the Department of Linguistics came to our institute for their major courses. In the first few weeks of school, it was truly the first time that all four of us were present in full force. The classic "Chinese Character Studies" course became quite lively as well. It was clear that Ai Mei, who arrived later, was not unfamiliar with everything at the institute. She greeted all the teachers she met with ease and naturalness, some of whom couldn't even recall her name. Indeed, "a scholar doesn't have to leave his door to know what's happening in the world", and the space-time relationship of this new century is indeed as unpredictable as Einstein had predicted.
With the emotional cultivation of the previous day, the lingering warmth of the interaction made Xu Zhènliú not have too much antipathy or apprehension towards Ai Gūniáng's eight-sided cleverness. On the other hand, Yúnwén seemed a bit unnatural, especially when she heard someone and her mentor Yè Nánniàng enthusiastically discussing some hot research project at Minzu University of China that even Yúnwén herself had never heard of. However, Zhènliú didn't have the mind to ponder the underlying connections for the time being, thinking about whether he should share last night's "latest developments" with Yuǎn Háng, but after some thought, it seemed like he didn't know where to start, and there was also no opportunity for them to be alone together.
Because it was in the research institute, naturally no one gave them that long-awaited dismissal bell, and the conference room that could only hold an oval-shaped long table looked more like Plato's Academy or a Stoic portico. The teacher starting to preview next semester's wonderful content was just a signal for everyone to pack up and get ready to leave.
"Oh, right," Professor Chen, whose hair had turned somewhat white, suddenly raised her right hand, apparently having just thought of something important: "Little Xu, Teacher Zhao came by at noon, and you happened to not be there. She asked me to tell you to go find her after class, she's in the office, probably hasn't left yet." This old graduate from Beijing Normal University's Ancient Chinese Language department in the 1950s spoke accurately, clearly, and completely, often using short sentences: "I almost forgot." She added, putting the content with the least effective information at the end of a sentence.
"Ah, okay," said the little fatty, slightly surprised. After all, in an era where communication technology was so advanced, it felt a bit strange to use this kind of method to get in touch: "Thank you," said Chuan Liu, who hadn't forgotten the "favour of transmission". The simple stationery had long been packed away, but he just got up and walked out of the conference room with empty hands, leaving his backpack on the table. The girls obviously knew that this kind of teacher-student conversation usually didn't take long, so they didn't need to be called over and waited for Chuan Liu to finish before heading back to school together. Yunwen seemed to be sending a text message, while Aime was making a phone call in the corridor.
Compared to others, Xu Zhongliu and his supervisor had very little contact. Since that somewhat awkward meeting at the beginning of the semester, they only exchanged a few words when they occasionally ran into each other in the department. Although this was partly due to the heavy course load in the first year, it was mainly because he wasn't good at socializing. In fact, his fellow graduate students often had some gossip or news and would run to their supervisor's office, saying "once a teacher, always a father." If the language department hadn't already closed for the day, Su Yunwen and the others probably wouldn't have been so idle either.
Dr. Zhao Ran had an independent office because he was a new import, but it wasn't very big and was somewhat lonely at the end of the corridor. The door was slightly ajar, so Qian Liu just symbolically knocked lightly.
"Come," the voice was not loud, but in this desolate dusk it sounded very warm.
"Hello," the boy came in and still pushed the door back to its original position, smiled and nodded as a greeting: "Just got out of class." He was familiar with every place he went to, so he sat down on that artificial leather sofa very naturally.
Ms. Zhao wore a beige professional attire, a habit cultivated on the other side of the ocean. Perhaps due to the chilly autumn air, her complexion appeared even paler than usual, and her smile carried a unique benevolence characteristic of elderly women. She seemed to be moved by Xu's careless attitude, sitting down without waiting for an invitation, unlike Little Fatty's earlier polite but insincere nod.
Maybe not used to the cold atmosphere, Zhen Liu classmate opened his mouth first: "You've been quite busy lately?" He roughly looked around the room, possibly waiting for himself to arrive, and the office desk was neat and empty, without the hustle and bustle of work.
"You also know, the institute is like that, can't say it's busy, nor can it be said to be not busy," Indeed, for a person who grew up in the smell of ink like Zhen Liu, this was all too familiar. But Dr. Zhao's casual remark afterwards caught him off guard: "How's your dad doing lately?"
In fact, Xu Zhongliu's father had also worked in the administrative department of the Language Research Institute before, but he left here more than a decade ago and went to that land in the Pacific Ocean which was only discovered at the end of the Age of Exploration. Although there are many old colleagues in the hospital who know each other, they rarely ask about him on weekdays, far less well-known than his grandmother when she was vice president.
And today, the foreign Ph.D. who had just returned from the United States two years ago suddenly asked about his father thousands of miles away, which was a bit unexpected: "Ah, it's fine," he mechanically replied without thinking, only to realize that he hadn't contacted his dad in days either: "Still in Australia."
"What is he doing now?" It seems that Mr. Zhao didn't just ask casually, perhaps they knew each other before, after all, she also graduated from the hospital back then.
"He's still teaching at a university," it is well-known that faculty positions in foreign top universities are not iron rice bowls, and in the white-dominated world, teaching Chinese is just an accessory to the mainstream. It's absolutely not as glorious as domestic media propaganda. In short, it's far less dignified and praiseworthy than Xu Mama's job, so whenever the topic comes up, it's often downplayed. Fortunately, most Chinese people are not aware of the ins and outs, they just hear that foreign intellectuals are more open-minded than our own "ugly old nine", but Zhao Doctor, who has been studying in the US for many years, naturally understands the depth of the situation, but it's unknown whether he can keep it confidential like his fellow alumni from Claremont University.
Actually, as soon as Zhen Liu opened his mouth, Teacher Zhao nodded and didn't seem to be surprised. She lowered her eyelids and was silent for a few seconds, then elegantly changed the position of her crossed legs: "There are quite a lot of classes this semester, right? I originally wanted to go find you at noon, but I was afraid that it would be hard to get a seat on the way back."
"It's okay," Xu Zhongliu knew that he should be more proactive in "keeping in touch" with his teacher. But he really couldn't stand the utilitarian philosophy of many of his classmates, and this time he seized the opportunity to speak out: "You must be very busy usually, so I didn't always make a special effort to come here," The boy paused for a moment, both as a transition and to remind the listener to pay attention: "Actually, a mentor should be a guide for students, not a boss."
In human society, different groups often have their own unique behavioral patterns and rules, such as slang, also known as "black language", which is a concentrated manifestation. In most cases, using the same slang marks the identity of similar identities and relatively constructs a sense of superiority over others. For example, now Xu Zhen chooses these two words with double meanings to explain that there should not be too much mutual utilization between teachers and students, it is to quietly tell this foreign doctor that he is already qualified to have an equal conversation with her, at least in the subconscious process roughly so.
And so, the boy who had not yet shed his childish air naturally and smoothly revealed a hint of self-satisfaction, and expected praise after their first encounter, at least a smile of appreciation. However, things did not develop as simply as he had imagined. Zhao Laoshi, who had been steeped in American culture, would certainly not have failed to understand the subtle implications of her young disciple's words, but when she heard his carefully designed allusion, she seemed to be slightly shaken by some force, and a hint of emotion appeared in her eyes, as if she were being seen through. In fact, it was only much later that Xu Zhen learned that his unintentionally clever remark had touched upon a mysterious and subtle "hidden line" between the two of them.
This feeling can be expected to become a memory, but at that time it was already bewildering. Teacher Zhao's profound meaning did not last long, and she soon remembered her original intention for summoning the students: "I've been busy with things lately, let's find an opportunity to chat more after I'm done with this, originally I always heard Director Gu mention you, saying that Little Xu has a lot of ideas."
The last two sentences of praise seem more like a transition in the conversation, as she didn't have much body language to prove it. She half-turned and picked up a thin envelope from the edge of the table with two periodicals: "Recently, Nanjing University and Hong Kong and Taiwan organized a forum on the differences in usage between the two sides of the strait," Zhao Ran pulled out an official document from the envelope, roughly an invitation letter, looking at it absent-mindedly: "The director of the organizing committee is a classmate of mine when I was studying for my master's degree. Let me go and help out." She quickly put the neatly folded letter back in the envelope and held it in her hand without intending to pass it to Zhuo Liu for reference: "Our institute is one of the co-organizers, so it counts as official business. The conference will be next month, and I'll probably have to stay there the whole time."
Xu Zhongliu never quite understood what the instructor meant, usually this was a sign that students were about to be assigned tasks, of course, for most people it was exactly what they wanted, but looking at Zhao Rang's gloomy expression at this moment didn't seem quite right, more like he was talking about something that wasn't going to happen to him immediately. So the boy could only nod repeatedly while waiting for the next part.
"Ah," Teacher Zhao seemed to be distracted for a moment: "So," she put the envelope back in its original place: "We may not see each other much recently, and you two are probably busy too. I was thinking of taking this opportunity to go together during the meeting."
"Oh," Zhuo Liu was stunned for a moment, seeing that the instructor didn't seem to continue speaking, so he made small talk and said: "Yes, preparing must be tiring, you take care of your body."
Mr. Zhao smiled faintly.
Silence indicated there was nothing else, so Xu Zhongliu stood up: "It's late," looking at the streets outside the window where people were still flowing: "Then I won't delay you any longer, I..." He stretched out his hand towards the door, indicating that there were still classmates waiting over there.
"Alright," Zhao Ruan's gaze returned to its original kindness: "Be careful on the road." For a child of this age, it was clearly unnecessary to remind him of anything else, so that seemed more like a formalized tacit understanding.
To be honest, Xu Zhongliu wasn't very interested in participating in this kind of academic activity. The busy and fulfilling experience was often just like pouring water into a bamboo basket, futile and pointless. If things didn't go well, he would end up being blamed, as if he had been too proactive. So when he walked out of the office, not only did he feel no sense of loss, but instead felt a kind of joy similar to that of having narrowly escaped disaster.
At the end of the long corridor, Yunwen was browsing through the notices and announcements on the wall aimlessly. Seeing Xiao Xu walking towards her with a swagger, she lowered her usually bright voice by half: "What's up?" A pair of big eyes sparkled under the dim light.
"Hey, it's been a while since I've seen you, what have you been up to lately?" He deliberately left out the part about the forum, so as not to be asked back and forth, and also quietly told others that he wasn't interested in following the instructor around all day.
"Hmph," Su Yunwen deliberately pretended to be indignant: "Look, Teacher Zhao, you're so concerned about me!" If she were in front of Ye Nan, she probably wouldn't dare say this even if you gave her ten times the courage.
"That's it!" He said with a straight face and a strong tone, knowing that sometimes, giving in was much more cost-effective than being stubborn: "And what about the two of them?" Through the half-open door, he found that the conference room was empty.
"Ai Mei was just in the corridor, and now she's gone who-knows-where," the girl nodded: "Yuan Hang left after class, let me tell you, said she was going to her old colleague's place to pick up something." Probably because those high-heeled shoes and hot figure were tired from standing, Yun Wen sat down and flipped through Ai Mei's notebook on the table: "I feel like Yuan Hang is really busy, when she came today she didn't even come with us two together, sent a text saying she just happened to be in this part of the school."
Before the words had fallen, Ai Mei burst in from outside, her deep brown eyes shining brightly: "As soon as I heard the footsteps in the corridor, I knew it was you, heavyweight," she quickly tidied up the books on the table: "I just happened to run into an acquaintance and went upstairs to the publishing house for a chat."
"What's going on, are we retreating?" Xu Zhongliu saw that Yunwen, who had returned the laptop to Ai Mei, didn't seem to want to move: "I'll carry you?"
"Going to Gao Lao Zhuang?" Su Niang seemed to have just come back to her senses.
As I walked out of the language institute's large revolving door, the sky had already darkened slightly. The cacophony of car horns on the streets during rush hour had long replaced the crisp and neat bicycle bells of ten years ago. The brutal low-level industrialization was mercilessly devouring what little warmth this city had left. Various restaurants along the road were entering their busiest hours, and the sweet aroma of roasted white potatoes unique to autumn and winter began to waft through the air.
"Want to eat so much," Yuwen's appetite was always good, holding Aimo.
"Someone once said," Zhentao suddenly thought of something: "This secret love affair," he deliberately arranged the emphasis in a high and low rhythm: "is like roasted sweet potatoes, not as fragrant to eat as they smell."
"Hmm, makes sense," Su Yunwen said with a deep sigh: "Then I won't eat it."
The cold air arrived, and two girls happily hugged each other with smiles on their faces.
Zhuāng Liú was very satisfied with his own improvisation, stretched a lazy waist, but stopped in mid-air. He inadvertently discovered that the familiar Shaanxi noodle restaurant across the street had a familiar emaciated face flickering in front of it, vaguely resembling the legendary Lu Yuanhang who should have gone to a colleague's house long ago. Zhuāng Liú didn't have time to think carefully, but instinctively pretended to be nonchalant and walked quickly for a few steps, and when he turned his head to look back, that place had already been submerged by the coming and going of red men and green women, and gradually became dull and difficult to distinguish.
"Wow," Yunwen suddenly sighed, startling Zhenzhen to jump up, as if caught in the act: "What a wonderful youth." It turned out that she had seen several junior high school girls who had just finished school and were walking home together. Yes, although they themselves had not yet left the ivory tower, facing these children whose bodies had not yet fully developed, the new graduate students had unfortunately become irredeemable adults.
"Hey," Xu Zhongliu glanced at the public transportation IC card in Yunwen's hand: "When was this photo taken?" On it, a slightly shy Su Niangzi was wearing a light blue uniform-like shirt with a smile that was about to break out.
"High school graduation," Ai Mei also chimed in, admiring the two deep dimples: "At that time, my classmates teased me so much that I almost couldn't take it." Seeing that there were people cheering her on, Yun Wen warmly reminisced.
"You'd better treasure it well," Xu Zhong said deliberately with a serious tone: "This is a one-of-a-kind youth."
"What about now?" Su Yunwen struck a pose, imitating the one in the photo.
"This is... " The boy looked back at his weak and sickly body, finding a strategic route for transfer: " Pirated Youth."
"You're too bad," Yunwen pretended to chase, but her smile was still relaxed. After all, she was only defeated by time, not another beauty.
The merchant woman does not know the sorrow of a lost nation, and still sings across the river. Those little girls obviously did not know that their appearance triggered so much nostalgia among "uncles and aunts". Perhaps it was the power of hormones, or perhaps they were tired of the uniform stiffness, despite the gentle autumn breeze, they couldn't wait to tie their school uniforms around their waists and show off their bright T-shirts in various colors. Unbeknownst to them, true youth must be concealed in order to reveal its irreplaceable value, just like a fledgling swallow that seems to want to fly out of the sky without any constraints. Perhaps it was because they couldn't think of any color that could match them, so the teachers designed those dull and gloomy school uniforms to contain their overflowing youth. Dialectics tells us that only defects need to be decorated.
Elementary school students are in groups, middle school students are in clusters, and college students are in pairs. I remember an education expert summarizing it this way. When children start evolving from "a cluster" to "a pair", the initial barriers between people slowly build up. Unfortunately, we all learn what is called "growth" in this process. When Chinese people still believed that "the sky is like a canopy covering the four wilds", European sages had already begun to imagine the original "earth", because they believed that true vastness can only be explained by a boundaryless sphere. This is probably also why the word "colonization" has a derogatory connotation in Chinese, while it means "the world is public" in Indo-European languages. The dream of two acres of thin land on the already crowded and barren land was enough to make hundreds of millions of Chinese people take up knives and guns, but Lincoln's Homestead Act promised Americans a home that existed only in theory in the vast uninhabited Midwest, yet allowed the newly emerging nation to span the entire continent.
However, in this group of early adolescent girls who have just entered the blooming season, it seems that it's not yet time for boys to appear, so they can't find the motivation to distinguish themselves from each other in their playful fights. Even in Beijing, the heart of the Chinese nation, things are still like this.
Thank goodness.
