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墨書 Inktalez
In the book "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" by Jin Yong, Ren Woxing said, "Wherever there are people, there is a world of rivers and lakes..."
During high school, Hu Ruoyun lived in a large dormitory with over twenty other kids, all from rural backgrounds. No one minded the sweat or the smell of each other's feet. However, in their university dormitory, which housed just six people, problems were constant.
Jie Bing, the only child from Dongyang City, had a mother who was the deputy chief of a local police station and a father who held some leadership position in the district. Spoiled by her parents, Jie Bing was the youngest among them but was also the most perceptive. Hu Ruoyun noticed that after getting to know each other better, he categorized himself along with the eldest Zhao Jinpu and the second Miao Shujie as one group (all from cities or at least county towns), while he grouped the rural kids—Third Sister Hu Ruoyun, Fourth Brother Liu Jiawang, and Fifth Brother Cui Shuigen—as another.
Zhao Jinpu was two years older than Hu Ruoyun. He was a decent person; despite coming from a good family background, he showed no signs of being spoiled. He loved to eat and play but didn’t study hard. He took good care of his friends and had an elder brother's demeanor. Miao Shujie was quieter and didn’t socialize much with fellow villagers; he lived a pure life and seemed indifferent to worldly affairs.
Jie Bing was different; she was very active in class and particularly eager to get close to their counselor, Teacher Zhou. She often visited Teacher Zhou's office for various reasons. It was unclear how she managed it, but during the first class meeting, Teacher Zhou appointed Jie Bing as class monitor, stating that since everyone was still unfamiliar with each other, they would elect class committee members themselves starting from the second semester.
September 27th was Jie Bing's birthday. That evening, she hosted a dinner at the Xueyuan Restaurant next to the third canteen (a privately run restaurant that was on par with many outside eateries). She invited not only her five dorm mates but also all the members of their "class committee."
She opened all the birthday gifts from others in front of them but casually set aside the gift boxes from Brother San Hu Ruoyun, Fourth Brother Liu Jiawang, and Fifth Brother Cui Shuigen without looking at them.
On the weekend, when Hu Ruoyun met Mao Na, he mentioned this incident. Mao Na responded nonchalantly, "Welcome to the adult world; wherever there are people, there is a world of rivers and lakes. Don’t take it to heart. General Qi used to be a prominent figure in our two classes but has now faced harsh realities! After the school announced its disciplinary action against him, two girls from Class Two who had close ties with him reported him to the student office, claiming that General Qi had seduced and deceived them into having relations... They demanded compensation or threatened to report him to relevant authorities!"
General Qi realized he could no longer stay here; he didn’t even return for this semester!
Suddenly, Mao Na seemed to remember something and grabbed Hu Ruoyun's ear tightly: "Tell me, have you met Zhang Meina? Did you meet her without telling me?"
Hu Ruoyun covered his ear in protest: "Sister! I really haven’t met her! Who told you she’s in Jiangcheng?"
Mao Na finally let go: "You really don’t know she’s in Jiangcheng? Fine, I’ll let you off this time! Qiuying wrote to me saying Zhang Meina is studying at the Provincial Police Academy on a self-funded program. She even mentioned that after graduation her brother could arrange for her to work in public security in Jiangcheng!"
After saying this, she shot a glance at Hu Ruoyun: "You will meet her sooner or later; Qiuying said Zhang Meina has been asking about you. Just remember: meeting isn’t a big deal as long as there are no lingering ties."
Hu Ruoyun protested again: "You know what our situation was back then? It ended before it even started!"
Mao Na pulled one of Hu Ruoyun's arms into her embrace: "I know; I’m just reminding you." Then she pinched his ear again: "Oh dear, it’s all red! Let me blow on it for you."
Among the six people in their dormitory, Liu Jiawang and Cui Shuigen were the most diligent students. However, perhaps due to differences in education between rural areas and cities, these two along with Hu Ruoyun struggled particularly with English.
Whenever English class came around and the teacher conducted lessons entirely in English, it became a torturous experience for all three.
For Hu Ruoyun, one small consolation was that this major did not require advanced mathematics or physics and chemistry; otherwise, it would have been another heavy blow for him.
As for other subjects such as Introduction to Linguistics, Classical Chinese, Modern Chinese, Introduction to Literature, History of Ancient Chinese Literature, History of Modern Chinese Literature, Classical Chinese Bibliography, History of Foreign Literature, and Folklore... they posed no significant issues for him.
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