However, Student Zheng Qing hadn't had time to care about that ungrateful puppy recently.
His college entrance examination results were out, and he had reached the level for First University admission, but the admission letter hadn't arrived yet, so his family had been very concerned about the old lady at the gatehouse these days. After all, all the mail for this community was handled by this elderly person.
Although things generally don't develop according to people's habitual thinking, sometimes, even with divergent thinking, you still can't understand why things turn out the way they do.
This morning, after Student Zheng Qing woke up, he habitually scratched Poseidon, who was nestled by his pillow.
Although it was a small white dog, it had many light blue stripes on its body, which, against the white background, looked very much like waves on the ocean. Student Zheng Qing thought for a whole night and gave it a resounding name: Poseidon!
But today, he didn't feel the soft little thing he usually did; instead, he touched something hard and stiff. Opening his sleepy eyes, Student Zheng Qing was startled for a moment, but then he sat up in surprise.
What appeared before Student Zheng Qing was a letter.
To be precise, it was a letter that came from who knows where, with no stamp, no postmark, and no zip code.
The kraft paper envelope felt very thick and comfortable to the touch. On the back of the envelope, it was sealed with red ink, and a circle with a triangular prism symbol was imprinted on the ink.
On the front of the envelope, the red Yan style characters were full and clear:
Pingyang City
Jiefang Road, Yunhua Community
Building 7, Unit 3, 201, Smallest Bedroom
To Student Zheng Qing
Student Zheng Qing immediately looked up at a treasured sword hanging on his bookshelf; it was stable and showed no abnormalities. He flipped out of bed, rushed to the living room, and saw that the trembling wisp of green smoke in the incense burner beneath the family ancestral tablet was as peaceful as usual. He inspected the four corners of the room; neither the thin talismans pasted on the doorframes nor the thick talismans engraved on the window sills had moved from their original positions.
Washing his hands, he pulled out a yellow talisman paper from a gray talisman bag. Student Zheng Qing recited a long Spell, then watched the talisman paper slowly fall onto the envelope.
Nothing happened.
Student Zheng Qing felt like he had just acted like a lunatic.
It shouldn't be anything dirty, he pouted, maybe his parents left it by his pillow before they went out this morning?
Impossible. He quickly dismissed this thought. If his parents had received such an eerily addressed envelope, it would never have ended up in his hands.
Carefully tearing open the envelope, a large admission letter came into Student Zheng Qing's view. The cover still had the triangular prism symbol enclosed in a circle, with four bold, flowing ancient seal characters written on it:
First University
To the lower right of the ancient seal characters, there was also a string of small characters written in running script: “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”
Opening the notice, on the left side were eight neat small characters in fine brushwork: “There is a path to the mountain of books, and no end to the sea of learning,” which had a grand feel.
The small print at the very top of the other side clearly stated:
'This University is a key institution of higher learning approved by the Ministry of Education with qualifications for higher education enrollment.'
Below that was standard Song typeface:
Student Zheng Qing:
It is our honor to inform you that you have been admitted to the Department of Astronomy, Nine Provinces College, First University, for a four-year program.
Candidate Number: 08043203119
Notice Number: 20080010007
First University
July 28, 2008
There was also a red symbol in the blank space, a circular ring with a flowing 'arts' character inside.
Attached below the admission letter was a light yellow card that read: “Please reply within one week of the arrival of this notice. The interviewer will contact you within twenty-four hours and guide you on what to prepare. Other needs can be communicated with the interviewer.”
Accompanying the admission letter was also a ticket issuance confirmation for a plane ticket departing from Chang'an Afang Airport on September 1st. There was also a full scholarship certificate, with various colorful seals crowded together, their red and green hues dazzling to the eyes.
Finally, there was also an A4-sized, slightly greenish-white stiff paper.
His parents had gone to work, and Student Zheng Qing was home alone. Holding this inexplicable admission letter, Student Zheng Qing seemed a bit skeptical, as he knew his own situation clearly. He distinctly remembered the three Universities he applied to: his first choice was Capital University, his second choice was Western University, and his third choice was the Normal University at his doorstep. All the majors he applied for were in finance.
When did he apply to this University?
But his name was correct, and his candidate number was also correct; they were both his, so these were not wrong.
Department of Astronomy, Nine Provinces College? Is it related to Astronomy? But it seems this major wasn't in the application guide? And such an ascetic name, he didn't remember filling it in either.
Rubbing the blank stiff paper, Student Zheng Qing's first reaction was that it was a scam. Tsk tsk, it must be some third-rate University that registered a formidable name abroad and then came back to China to make money. Such stories are not uncommon.
He was then somewhat puzzled. Speaking of the name First University, it should be quite prestigious, but he hadn't heard of this name domestically. However, there seemed to be such a saying abroad, was it France or Germany?
Touching the soft gray pouch on his chest, Student Zheng Qing's eyebrows gradually rose. His intuition told him: this admission letter must be related to what he learned from his master.
He went to the bathroom, scooped up a handful of cold water, and splashed it on his face. Student Zheng Qing immediately felt all the cells in his body stimulated and activated by the coolness.
Leaning on the sink, he carefully scrutinized the guy in the mirror for a long time. Hmm, yes, his face was radiant, indeed looking like someone about to experience good fortune, but it could also be the effect of the cold water stimulation.
In the mirror, a gentle face was revealed. His eyes weren't large but were bright and sparkling; his nose bridge, like other East Asian faces, had a slightly short and round feeling; fine downy hair was faintly visible at the corners of his lips; his neatly trimmed short hair lay obediently in all directions, but a stubborn cowlick stood proudly on top of his head, refusing to yield to its companions around it.
“Damn it.” He grabbed a handful of cold water and vigorously wiped that cowlick, pressing it down. Of course, he knew this was just psychological comfort; once the cold water dried, this clump of hair would stand up again.
Chuckling foolishly, Student Zheng Qing's body trembled, and a silver-white pocket watch rolled out from the round collar of his undershirt, dangling in mid-air, swaying and swaying restlessly.
This pocket watch was a gift from his master on his twelfth birthday.
That was his first time going to Hui Zi Market, and also his first time encountering that hidden world.
The silver watch cover snapped open. The hands on the dial rotated quietly, one second, two seconds, three seconds, as if nothing could stop this quiet and persistent rotation.
Student Zheng Qing's smile froze in the mirror, letting the water droplets on his face and in his hair converge into a stream, rolling down his cheek to his chin, and then dripping onto his chest.
In a trance, he seemed to see a small figure practicing calligraphy.
