Chapter 2 (4)

  Two girls jumped up and asked: "Is he handsome? Wow, isn't he talented!"

  The white and fat one understood the trick of leaving a suspense at the end of each episode in a TV series, saying: "You'll know when you watch it!" The two fleas clapped their hands excitedly and said: "I must come!"

  It's very late at night. The countless stars in the sky connect the vast heaven and earth together. The farthest light suddenly drew near.

  That night, Lin Yuxiang couldn't sleep well. The knowledge that Liang Yangjun had taught him was too much to digest. He could only carefully review it again, and the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. He almost wanted to jump out of bed to write a love letter. Unfortunately, although the power of love is great, it's not necessarily resistant to cold. Yuxiang's soul quietly jumped three times, but was too cold to tell his body to keep jumping.

  After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Xiang decided to write on his bed. Because scholars believe that the end of all pure love is in bed, if it's really like that, then being able to start again in bed can also be considered a kind of perfect ending.

  The feeling of writing the first love letter to someone is like a child catching frogs, hearing the distant croaks, approaching and finding none, or they all jump into the water. Finally, seeing one hiding by the road, just about to catch it, but the frog suddenly escapes with a saint's foresight. Before starting to write, I feel my inspiration is tangled, with too many words that can't be finished, and when I really start writing, I hesitate on which sentences should come first, which ones should serve as transitions. Inspiration is elusive, playfully escaping.

  Biting his pen and thinking hard, he thought that for the first letter, poetry was still the best, with subtlety being the most beautiful. At this time, he remembered the poem sent by his elder brother, so he quickly got out of bed to find it, finally finding "Youthful Years" and "Su Mu Zhe", feeling the atmosphere, thinking that these two poems were too sad and tragic, leaving them for when they parted ways would be more useful.

  Zhao Chuan's "The Year You Decided to Head South" seems out of place, and that "Should Have Loved You from the Start" is a bit too explicit.

  After comparison, I feel that the third one still has development potential, so I refined it and remade it. With a few words changed, the tone suddenly changed greatly, enough to qualify as a love poem:

  Are you going to head north? Then I'll give up my decision to go south

  Which city will you go to? I'll follow with all my heart

  Time flies by like this, we may not have days to meet again

  I want to cherish this feeling until memories turn to ashes

  Do you want to walk with me?

  We've walked together but still feel boundless longing in our hearts

  Let's put down the world's grievances and grow up gradually in life's uncertainties

  Is it okay to walk with me?

  Don't let your thoughts struggle in the cold wind, follow me

  You won't be afraid, will you? Let's build a warm home together

  This 16-line poem took Rain翔 over an hour to write, with three changed rhymes in between. He finally managed to finish it. This small poem exhausted his talent. He felt that writing poetry is truly one of life's greatest torments. No wonder most poets throughout history are thin and frail.

  A mother does not dislike her own ugly child. Yu Xiang likes this poem more and more as he reads it. In fact, there is a very clever place in this poem, with profound implications. The first section is about following the woman, which is a common lie that men tell when they first pursue someone. By the fourth section, the disguise can no longer be hidden, and true nature is revealed, changing to "follow me", which is truly honest.

  After finishing the poem, it was already past twelve o'clock. Yu Xiang almost rushed out to deliver it. With his heart at ease, sleepiness didn't come naturally. This sleep was unusually sweet, with dreams one after another, as if all the dreams for the next few days had been spent on tonight's joy.

  The next day, Yu Xiang woke up late. His mother happened to be back home and called him to wake up. After waking up, Yu Xiang first looked for the love poem, then put on his clothes, and thought about last night's dream, but the dream was completely gone. Having a dream but not being able to recall it is indeed a pity, just like publishing an article without receiving payment.

  He rushed to school and coincidentally Susa was also walking down the hallway reciting English, they exchanged a smile, but Lin Yuxiang's courage from last night suddenly disappeared. He quickly walked into the classroom, wondering why his courage had such a short lifespan, it seemed like even the greatest courage in the world was fleeting, only blooming briefly at night. After thinking for a long time, he still didn't dare to give it to her, so he put it in his backpack to wait and see what happened next. Due to lack of sleep, Lin Yuxiang fell asleep during class. He was discovered by the English teacher once, who asked him a question that was difficult to answer, but Lin Yuxiang responded with a confident "atao", which left the English teacher speechless. The English teacher had also been staying up late recently to study and hadn't had time to prepare for class, so he was asking random questions, and even he himself couldn't remember what he had asked, so he just kept telling Lin Yuxiang: "Nothing, nothing, sit down, please sit down, don't sleep." But Lin Yuxiang didn't hear the "don't sleep" part.

  Then fell asleep again, and buried his head in sleep.

  The literary society was quiet, and the results of the essay contest had not yet been announced. Ma Debao waited eagerly, still saying cheerfully: "They're taking their time to evaluate, which shows that there are many participants and the level is high." He deceived a group of students who only had the writing skills of an author but hadn't yet become cunning authors into believing it was true.

  Every week's class was also boring. Ma Debao only knew how to hold time and not drag on the content, and he spent a month of four classes to completely eliminate the magnificent Chinese and Western literary history. There were no more classes to teach, so he had to introduce the author's life experiences and borrowed a book about the author's rise to fame. The author of that book seemed to have read too much of the Futurist manifesto "A Slap in the Face of Public Taste", and between the lines, he slapped the great authors, Ma Debao read it and felt guilty, like "Guo Moruo became a party trumpet later on, writing disgusting poetry lines such as 'several million kilograms of grain per mu', this kind of person is not worth remembering for Chinese people", implying that foreigners should remember. There was also "Kafka is not only sick but also an idiot, he can't write articles and has no brains. In 'The Metamorphosis', why didn't Gregor Samsa feel surprised after turning into a dung beetle? This is a manifestation of his stupidity. Germans should forget him!" Ma Debao read it and felt inappropriate, and dared not to read on. He saw three lines of large characters on the book's flyleaf: "If you don't like Lu Xun, you're an idiot; if you don't like Marinetti, you're a fool; if you don't like me, you're old and incurable."

  Ma Debao didn't know Mussolini's favorite Marinetti, and of course he had no good impression of him. As he read on to the third item, he was frightened and felt that he was too old to be saved. However, "old" is indeed incurable.

  Ma Debao turned to a formal "Biographies of Chinese Writers" and rehabilitated the previous few people, but first impressions are hard to shake off. The students' thinking stubbornly refused to change, and they would tell anyone that Guo Moruo was a bad egg and Kafka was an idiot. Fortunately, most students nowadays have never heard of these two names.

  That day, Ma Debao lectured on Xu Dishan's prose and brought out his own work for comparison, so that the immature parts of Xu Dishan's article would appear. The students were completely uninterested and self-absorbed. Ma Debao proudly announced that his first collection of prose had sold out and was about to be reprinted. The naive students didn't think that it was actually because all the complimentary copies had been given away, and they put down their work to congratulate Teacher Ma. Ma Debao said he would publish his second personal collection of prose, temporarily titled "The Day After Tomorrow's Tomorrow", saying it had a strong academic flavor. The students believed even more, and it seemed that many book titles for citation were emerging before their eyes. Even the title was borrowed from the Dynamite Train. The students looked forward to Ma Debao's "Big Back Tomorrow" book very much.

  On Friday evening, as usual, I went to make up for my English class. Lin Yuxiang's English is poor, and when communicating with British people, he can only ask about their names and genders, and nothing else is up to par. Lin's father attaches great importance to English. In the ten-year plan he made for his son, Lin Yuxiang will go abroad in seven years, with many goals in mind, but he firmly believes that one of these thirteen world-renowned universities - Yale, Harvard, Tokyo, Waseda, Stanford, Sydney, Oxford, Cambridge, London, Paris, MIT, Columbia, and Moscow - will eventually accept his son. Recently, Lin's father has also reduced his consideration of Russia as an option, citing the cold weather, Napoleon and Hitler's defeats, which he attributes more to the Russian climate than the Russian people themselves. His son grew up in a warm region and cannot withstand the cold; moreover, it seems that whatever ideology Russia adopts, it is always associated with poverty, so even some poor socialist countries do not dare to learn from Russia for fear of becoming even poorer, and are instead seeking inspiration from China. It's clear that going to Moscow University is not as good as attending Peking or Fudan universities. After giving up one goal, Lin's father continued to narrow down the options. The remaining militaristic nationalists in Japan often claim that they did not kill many people in Nanjing, which has made Lin lose his good impression of the entire country, and the two Japanese universities have also lost their appeal. Since his son is not good at science, MIT is also not a suitable option, leaving only nine universities to choose from.

  These nine universities are all in English-speaking countries such as the UK, US, France and Australia, so when Lin's father forced his son to study classical Chinese, he also forced him to learn English.

  Yu Xiang was deeply influenced by China's profound and rich culture, with a strong sense of patriotism that could not be dissolved, which led to a rejection of English, resulting in poor grades, making supplementary lessons an urgent need.

  Mr. Lin handed his son a Parker pen before he left, asking him to give it to Bai Gao and tell him to take good care of Yu Xiang. This time the supplementary lesson was not at Boss's Bar, but had moved to the town government office. At 5:30, when Yu Xiang arrived, the gate of the government office was wide open, but inside there was no one. The staff of this town's government offices were slow in doing everything, and the only thing they could be proud of was how quickly they ran away after work. The 5:30 bell seemed to be an air raid warning, which could make a whole office full of people retreat cleanly within ten minutes, enough to make even the most famous generals jealous.

  The building is very large and was built in a classic style, with ancient architecture. The location of the supplementary classes is fortunately located in an ancient building. The building number is five, hidden among the trees. It is said that the designer is a well-known master in this small town. Of course, he would not live in the town, but had long gone to settle in Shanghai's "Roman Garden" villa. He graduated from junior high school and miraculously passed the entrance exam for Nanjing Municipal Key Middle School, and then miraculously got accepted into Nankai University, and again miraculously went to Cambridge University to study architecture for a year. Cambridge University is indeed a "miraculous academy where even sleeping can make you smarter". After spending a year there, he returned home with an air of confidence, became a new star in Shanghai's architectural world, and accepted the invitation from his hometown to design this magnificent building.

  That's where the town mayor lives. It's as beautiful as a palace. The Roman flavor is very strong. Bai Hua Gao was waiting for someone in the living room, next to him was a shy college student with a big mouth and small eyes, who had the physiological characteristic of speaking more than he knew. He would definitely disappoint the two girls greatly.

  Liáng Lǜ Jūn finally arrived. The supplementary lesson began immediately. University students introduced themselves in English, and after waiting for the students' reaction, they couldn't help but replace the students to say "I've often heard about you!" After being disappointed, they started teaching, seeing that the students were not working hard, saying: "You are an aer!"; The student didn't understand, he asked the student to look up the dictionary and said that learning English requires looking up new words frequently, using more obscure words. He thought the student would say "Oh, I see! 'Aer' means someone who does things roughly!" But unexpectedly, all the students were secretly laughing, and two female students blushed. He shouted sternly: "What are you laughing at?!"

  Li Yangjun bitterly smiled and said: "We aren't"

  "How come? Is your English good or is mine?" The college student retorted angrily.

  Liáng Zuò Jūn handed over the dictionary. The university student took it and flipped through it from back to front, seeing that the 8th definition of "aer" was indeed "one who does not take things seriously". With a self-righteous attitude, he wanted to lecture others, but unexpectedly saw that the first definition was actually "**er**", suddenly becoming red-faced and ear-red. He resented his university professor for only teaching extended meanings without teaching the original meaning. Moreover, whenever the professor encountered mischievous students, he would scold them as "aer". The university student himself had been under the professor's tutelage for six years, being called "aer" all along, and was finally prompted to get an English level 8 certificate.

  Liang Yangjun burst out laughing and said: "That's ridiculous." Lin Yuxiang also followed suit.

  The college student suddenly stood up, raised his hand to slam the book and leave, but then thought that the book was his own and it would be a pity to slam it, so he might as well not have any effect, turned around and left. When he reached the door, he realized that the door was public property, and slammed it in a compensatory manner.

  Four students were stunned by the temper of the "prodigy". Outside the door was Bai Gao's reluctant voice, and the university student deliberately said loudly, intending to let the people inside hear clearly: "I can't teach these students, please ask for help from others."

  "Awesome! I added 10 minutes, it's 10 yuan!" The university student held out his hand for money.

  "You haven't finished yet, how can you..." Bai Gao said with difficulty.

  "You too!" The college student stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

  Bai Pang Gao Jinlai endured the fire and handed down a test paper, saying: "You guys are good, you've driven the teacher away. Do the test papers, I'll go contact (someone) again!"

  Four people have no mood to make dumplings. Two girls praised the male teacher, saying they liked this rebellious boy's personality, and hated that the boy had endless legs, disappearing in a moment, otherwise they would drag him back.

  Liang Yangjun resumed his old profession and said, "You go back with some enlightenment?"

  Yu Xiang sealed his mouth and did not speak.

  "Let me tell you, this kind of thing requires courage, just go for it, and if all else fails, we can always change to another one."

  The most famous saying is indeed a profound truth, and Lin Yuxiang's dark clouds in his mind were suddenly dispelled.

  "Ah, I see! Come to the future and help me take a look at how well I've written this poem?" Yǔ Xiáng pulled out a worn and weathered piece of paper from his backpack. The paper was aged to perfection, enough to make an archaeologist drool.

  Li Yangjun took over the antique, looked at it carefully, and praised it highly, saying: "Good, good, good poem! It has flavor! It has flavor." He was eager to devour it.

  Lin Yuxiang smiled happily and lowered his head in embarrassment.

  Li Yangjun: "Your writing skills are quite good, I almost thought you were illiterate. Such a poem will definitely move people! Brother, you have great prospects, why not submit it?"

  "I haven't thought it through yet."

  "You idiot, I'm telling you, this thing will definitely move that! You don't believe it, fine! But your paper seems too old, huh?"

  I only have

  "It's okay, I have it! Remember to always carry letter paper with you! It should be elegant, not too flashy. Like this one of mine."

  Liang Yangjun pulled out his letterhead, a sky blue color with a background of the sea. Liang Yangjun said that this kind of letterhead doesn't need to be written on, just sending one sheet would guarantee a 90% chance of success.

  Lin Yuxiang was so moved that he couldn't speak, so he simply didn't even say thank you. He rewrote it as Liang Yangjun said. Lin Yuxiang's calligraphy is like a dirty child, usually not very good-looking, but after cleaning up, it can still be taken out. The soft and fluffy words that seemed to be about to fall asleep before, today all accepted the important task, just like the US military heard that they could only fight, and were excited.

  Lin Yuxiang saw his own writing and was delighted. After copying it out, he compared it to Luo Tiancheng's "script" and thought it was nothing special. Liang Yangjun looked at it and praised Lin Yuxiang's writing as being like a person's. Then he suddenly tore the letter paper in two. Lin Yuxiang tried to salvage it but was too late, thinking that Liang Yangjun was jealous, and said: "What are you doing?"

  Li Yangjun took out the transparent glue again, carefully repairing the letter and said: "I'll teach you, this way, others can see that you are a person who has thought about it repeatedly, tore up the letter and then sent it out after repairing it, rather than being impulsive and loving someone at first sight. This can show your deep emotions, inner conflict, stable personality, got it?"

  Lin Yuxiang was speechless with admiration. He put the letter in an envelope, fearing to reveal secrets, without writing his name.

  At 8 o'clock, class was over. Liang Yangjun invited Lin Yuxiang to the dance hall. Yuxiang is a bad dancer and didn't dare go, so he lied and made an excuse, hiding on the street corner to write addresses and stick stamps, taking advantage of his courage to send them out first, and deal with tomorrow's matters tomorrow.

  This night was dreamless, and the sleep was as calm as sailing on the Pacific Ocean when Magellan named it. Early in the morning, I got up on time, feeling refreshed and carefree, and last night's events seemed vague and unreal, like a dream.

  When he suddenly remembered, he was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat, slapping his forehead in regret for sending the letter. In class, his mind wandered, worrying about what would happen to the letter. He thought China Post's efficiency wouldn't be that bad, but he underestimated it. At noon, when he went to the guard room, he saw his letter lying straight in Susa's class mailbox, and he couldn't open it. His heart was anxious, his eyes fixed on the letter with a mixture of emotions, like the expression when visiting a prison.

  It is permissible to visit the prison, but only to take a look at the letter's appearance, satisfying one's curiosity. To get the letter out of prison or rescue it would either have to wait for a long time or be impossible. Yu Xiang and the letter are separated by a vast distance, causing unbearable pain.

  After finishing lunch, I rushed back to the guard room to check on it and saw that the letter had been released. Facing the empty mailbox, I broke out in a cold sweat. In my heart, I was shouting "What should I do? What should I do?"! With my head hung low, I walked to the door of Susa's classroom, but didn't even have the courage to take a glance inside, my head hung so low it seemed to be buried in my chest. In the cold winter, all I could feel was a scorching heat on my body, and my skin felt numb.

  The afternoon class calmed down in my heart, thinking that things are already like this, and I am also powerless. It's like a crime has been committed, whether to kill or cut is the judge's business, his mission ends here.

  That afternoon, Yuxiang and Susa didn't see each other again, which was good, saving trouble. That night's sleep was also sweet, tomorrow is Sunday, can rest. The most enjoyable thing in the cold is to sleep in, Yuxiang slept until almost noon. In bed, he didn't think about anything, tired, with a mouthful of saliva on his pillow, slightly awake, like his older brother, there were great lines coming to ask how many worries you have, just like a mouthful of saliva flowing east. After amusing himself for several times, he restored "a river of spring water flowing east", suddenly had an idea, why not walk along the river under the sunset bridge, see where it would go.

  The heavens are favorable, the earth is advantageous, and people are harmonious. Lin's father went to visit, and it goes without saying where Lin's mother went. Packing lightly, changing into travel shoes. Arriving at the riverbank, there was the fragrance of mud. Winter outings can't compare to spring outings, which can have a "spring breeze brushing against one's face". Winter winds absolutely don't have the obligation to brush against one's face; winter winds only push people back. Rain Xiang threw away the thick stack of test papers exchanged for an outing in the suburbs, but it was worth more than an hour, and yet felt quite relaxed. Returning home to do test papers again had a better effect than taking any number of supplements.

  On Monday, I went to class and fell into a daze again. My head was spinning and I felt sleepy. Shen Xier excitedly came in and said: "Lin Yuxiang, guess what I brought for you? Guess!"

  "I don't know."

  "Guess it!" Shen Xi'er commanded.

  "I'm busy, I'm going to sleep!" Lin Yuxiang waved his hand and buried his head in sleep.

  "It's Susa's letter!"

  "What!" Lin Yuxiang was so shocked that he even forgot about sleeping, which he had been thinking about just a few seconds ago.

  "I'm busy, forget it!"