Chapter 17: The Flower in the Shade and the Three Months of Green Beans

  Twenty-three

  Students are on holiday, and the usual idle chatter is gone. Shen Shuxian walks from the school gate to the dormitory like a little sparrow, not looking like someone who's sick at all. One moment she steps on Ning Xingguo's footprints, the next she scoops up snow in her hands to play with it. Ning Xingguo can only follow behind her, warning her like an adult, "Don't run around wildly, the ground is slippery, what if you fall?"

  As soon as the words fell, Shen Shuxian's feet slipped and her body rushed forward along the stairs, her forehead bleeding and her palms scraping against the ground. Overcome with grief, she lay on the ground crying and refused to get up.

  Ning Xingguo quickly went over to support her and took her back to his own dormitory to lie down. Because Shen Shuxian's dormitory didn't even have a stove, let alone things for decocting medicine.

  The medicine in the jar was emitting a strange fragrance, and the stove had warmed up the room. Ning Xingguo set up another cauldron, boiled some water, added a handful of millet, some green beans, corn, and several pieces of diced sweet potato. These were all things that Zong Xiuyu had specially instructed the school cafeteria staff to send over regularly.

  Shen Shuxian was half-reclining, with a cold compress on her forehead, which had been soaked in water to relieve the pain and reduce the heat. Fortunately, she hadn't knocked out any front teeth just now.

  Holding in his hand a book on the desk titled "Warning Bell", authored by Chen Tianhua. Unconsciously, he flipped it open and read:

  How many years will this long dream last? Who sent the alarm clock ringing in the land of sleep?

  The stench of blood and rain is hard on me, what a good rivers and mountains are willing to be given away!

  A strong wind blows, forcing people to move, the smell of blood fills the air, and blood flows like a flood.

  A boundless sorrow shared in a common boat, I offer it to fellow compatriots to listen with an empathetic ear.

  Ning Xingguo, who was busy with his work, heard this familiar sentence and walked over to ask, "Do you also like Tianhua's works?"

  Shen Shuxian nodded, "I used to know a thing or two about it, but I didn't have much chance to read it carefully. Today, I saw his complete works here with you, and it's really an honor. Mr. Chen Tianhua is truly admirable, reading his poems, I feel my heart burning with passion."

  Ning Xingguo nodded in approval, "It's rare for someone of your young age to have such patriotic fervor. Read on, I love listening."

  Shen Shuxian finally understood a principle, getting close to the people you like is key to catering to their tastes. And so she continued reading, Ah! Ah! They're coming! They're coming! What's coming? Foreigners are coming! Foreigners are coming! It's all bad! It's all bad! Everyone's in trouble! Old and young, male and female, noble and humble, rich and poor, officials, scholars, merchants, artisans... from now on, we're all just cattle and sheep in the foreigners' enclosure, fish and meat in their pot, to be slaughtered or cooked at their whim, unable to move an inch. Alas! This is the day of our doom!

  Alas! Alas! Alas! The wealth and industries accumulated by our compatriots through hard work are about to be taken away by foreigners; the loving wives, children, and elderly of our compatriots are about to be torn apart by foreigners. Men and women, fathers and sons, brothers, husbands and wives, will all suffer slaughter at the hands of foreigners. The path of life for our compatriots will come to an end from now on; the descendants of our compatriots will be forever cut off. The hail of bullets and cannonballs is the funeral procession for our compatriots; dark prisons are the final resting place for our compatriots. This great land has become a world of dogs and sheep; the divine and noble breed has fallen to the lowest level of slaves. Alas! How heartbreaking it is!

  Shen Shuxian's reading of "Ah!" was particularly good, full of a terrified tone, and Ning Xingguo nodded in approval as he listened.

  Later, Shen Shuxian said, "Oh no! If we don't lift the lid of the cauldron, the porridge will put out the fire!"

  "Haha! You little scamp." Ning Xingguo smiled and quickly went to deal with the pot of porridge, adding a small cup of cold water to it, restoring calm, waiting for the next boil.

  The dark night sky is blowing with a cool wind, and the world inside the house is warm like spring. Those who have feelings will be satisfied with water, let alone porridge.

  Got out of bed, sat beside the desk, listening to Ning Xingguo talk about Chen Tianhua's affairs, didn't know how much I heard, just staring at his serious expression, furrowed brows, and indignant look, dazedly watching, couldn't get enough. Was Kang Mi also looking at him like that? If he didn't like me at all, why did he bring me here?

  "I admire Tianhua, but unfortunately he came to an end. What a pity! What a pity!" Ning Xingguo sighed, "What a pity! To die with dignity, one must kill a few traitors before dying."

  Shen Shuxian leaned against her cheek, looking at the bowl of black Chinese medicine, wondering if it would be very bitter. She then followed up on Ning Xingguo's topic and asked, "What happened next? Why did he commit suicide? He was such a strong-willed person, why did he do that? It's indeed a great pity, just as you said."

  For listeners who want to continue the topic but don't know how to find a new one, the best follow-up words are "I wonder what happened next?", "Why is that?", "And then?", "Oh, I see. And then?"...

  Ning Xingguo got up and went to the cupboard to find ice sugar. Ice sugar is flat and cool in nature, with the effects of tonifying the middle and benefiting Qi, nourishing Yin and moistening the lungs, and relieving cough and resolving phlegm. Therefore, adding it to traditional Chinese medicine can best bring out its efficacy. Ning Xingguo knew all these things.

  Chen Tianhua lost his mother at a young age, his elder brother was disabled and couldn't take care of himself, and his father was poor and had no relatives to turn to. The neighbors didn't think much of them either. Chen Tianhua himself wasn't handsome, with a big face and many acne scars. This family situation and physical defect gave Chen Tianhua a strong sense of inferiority.

  "Oh, if he were as tall as you, Mr., he probably wouldn't mind taking selfies." Shen Shuxian said thoughtfully.

  Ning Xingguo shook his head. "Tianhua said in 'The Death Oath' that there is no optimism without pessimism, and those who are optimistic do not exist." This strong sense of self-abasement also made him develop a melancholic and emotionally unstable temperament: from childhood, he had a kind of foolish loyalty, always sympathizing with the ancients, and when talking about the rise and fall of dynasties, he would feel uncomfortable for several days... Every time, he would return in pain. Even "tears flowed horizontally, throwing books and dancing, making an indignant expression". The darkness of the late Qing dynasty and the crisis of being a slave to a lost country made Chen Tianhua's negative emotions even more intense. Ning Xingguo placed a large piece of rock sugar on the table, wrapped it in paper, and gently tapped the other end of the flashlight. "At a farewell ceremony for Hunan students graduating from a Japanese normal school, Tianhua suddenly let out a loud cry and fell to the ground crying."

  "Tsk tsk, a man who cries more than me." Shen Shuxian furrowed her brow, picked up the medicine bowl to drink, but was stopped by Ning Xingguo, who used his hand to add some rock sugar inside.

  "Drink slowly, it's bitter. He, because of national affairs, often had excessive anger and frustration, frequently gathering with others to discuss state matters, exchanging words, shocked by the situation, and shedding tears together; therefore, later on, he became too worn out and sorrowful, actually with such a mindset joining the revolution, naturally when the revolution encountered setbacks, he would become disheartened. In the end, he ended up taking his own life." Ning Xingguo sighed.

  "I think, no matter what you do, whether it's falling in love or teaching, even revolution, all require a good attitude." Shen Shuxian looked thoughtful, gazing at Ning Xingguo.

  "You're a good kid, very brave. Don't worry about that thing, don't be afraid of nightmares, I'm here, don't be scared, you're right." Ning Xingguo looked at her steadily.

  "Teacher, may I trouble you with something?" Shen Shuxian said.

  "You said it, I will definitely make sure to do what you said." Ning Xingguo nodded encouragingly.

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