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墨書 Inktalez
In the book "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" by Jin Yong, Ren Woxing says, "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 students, all from rural backgrounds. No one minded each other's sweat or smelly feet. However, in their college dormitory, which housed just six people, problems arose constantly.
Jie Bing, the only child from Dongyang City, had a mother who was the deputy director of a local police station and a father who held a leadership position in the district. Raised in a pampered environment, Jie Bing was the youngest among them but 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 students—Third Sister Hu Ruoyun, Fourth Brother Liu Jiawang, and Cui Shuigen—as another.
Zhao Jinpu was two years older than Hu Ruoyun. He was a decent person; despite his 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 a brotherly demeanor. Miao Shujie was quieter and didn't socialize much with his fellow villagers; he lived a pure life, appearing indifferent to worldly affairs.
Jie Bing was different; she was quite active in class and often sought out their counselor, Teacher Zhou, visiting her office for various reasons. It was unclear how Jie Bing managed it, but during the first class meeting, Teacher Zhou appointed her 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 27 was Jie Bing's birthday. That evening, she hosted a dinner at Xueyuan Restaurant next to the cafeteria (a privately-run eatery that rivaled local restaurants) and invited not only her five dorm mates but also 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 inside.
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 are complexities. Don't take it to heart."
General Qi had once been a prominent figure in both their classes but had recently 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 Affairs Office for allegedly seducing and deceiving them into an inappropriate relationship. They demanded compensation or threatened to escalate the matter to higher authorities.
Realizing he could no longer stay at school after this incident, General Qi didn't return for the new semester.
Suddenly remembering something, Mao Na tugged at Hu Ruoyun's ear and twisted it playfully. "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 released him. "You really don't know she's in Jiangcheng? Alright then, 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 help her get a job in public security in Jiangcheng!"
She glanced at Hu Ruoyun again. "You'll meet her sooner or later. Qiuying said Zhang Meina has been asking about you. Just remember: meeting isn't an issue as long as there's no lingering connection."
Hu Ruoyun protested again, "You know what our situation was back then? It ended before it even began!"
Mao Na pulled one of Hu Ruoyun's arms into her embrace. "I know; I'm just reminding you." She pinched his ear again to check if it was red. "Oh dear! Let me blow on it."
Among their six dorm mates, 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 significantly with English.
In English class, where lessons were conducted entirely in English, those three found it particularly challenging.
For Hu Ruoyun, one small relief was that his 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 Chinese Ancient Literature, History of Modern Chinese Literature, Classical Chinese Philology, History of Foreign Literature, and Folk Literature, he found them to be manageable.
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