In a blink, the last self-study period of the afternoon was largely over.
On the podium, Wang Qingtao looked at the time and had someone collect the papers ten minutes before class ended.
“Don’t delay your dinner, hand in your papers.”
As soon as he said this, the originally quiet classroom instantly erupted in cheers.
Xu Ming’s thoughts were interrupted by the noise. He stopped flipping his book and looked up at the podium.
Wang Qingtao looked quite young. Although he was not very tall, he did not have problems like nearsightedness or presbyopia. As the most popular math teacher in Dongping No. 1 High School, he left a deep impression on Xu Ming.
While he was thinking about this, the next second he heard someone call him.
“Hand in your paper, Xu Ming.”
He glanced sideways, and in his line of sight was a face wearing glasses.
He quickly recognized that the person was his class monitor, Li Wenhui, who was privately nicknamed 'Little Class' by everyone due to his mature appearance and thick beard.
Thinking that he had only answered a few multiple-choice questions on the paper, he felt a little embarrassed.
He awkwardly pulled the paper out from under his book and asked, “I don’t need to hand in this blank paper, right?”
“That won’t do.” Li Wenhui took the paper without question.
Next to him, Qian Hong was dumbfounded. He had spent a lot of effort to fill his test paper completely, so he never expected Xu Ming would dare to hand in a blank sheet.
He stared for about two seconds, then finally gave a thumbs up.
Xu Ming returned a roll of his eyes.
He didn't think much of it, after all, he wasn't without any gains.
Looking at the math subject on the panel, which had been raised to 35 experience points, he felt full of fighting spirit.
“Don’t just stand there like an idiot. If you don’t go now, you’ll be fighting for food with the younger students.”
He stood up and reminded Qian Hong, then waved the stainless steel lunchbox he had just taken out of his desk.
According to the school's tradition, the senior year classrooms and dormitories were moved to the first floor to avoid climbing stairs, and meals were also staggered ten minutes early.
However, due to the limited mealtime for senior students, if they went late, they would have to fight for food with the younger students, and most likely go hungry for several evening self-study periods. Therefore, from the moment they left the classroom, it was a hundred-meter sprint for both boys and girls.
It indirectly filled the void of not having morning exercises for seniors.
Xu Ming couldn't remember the last time he ran, but at this moment, he only felt how good it was to be young.
“Youth is priceless!”
Feeling the vitality returning to his body, the campus environment quickly receded in his vision.
Both familiar and strange.
Among everything in his sight, the most striking were the various banners about the college entrance examination on the walls of the teaching building.
He only briefly glanced at them before looking away, but when he passed the full-length mirror in the comprehensive building hallway, he couldn't help but stop and turn to look.
The person in the mirror was sunny and handsome, a standard male high school student. His thick hair, which hadn't been cut in almost two months, made him feel incredibly reassured.
Not nearsighted.
No uneven shoulders.
About one meter seventy-something tall, he would still grow a few more centimeters by the time he reached university.
Although Xu Ming wasn't particularly narcissistic, faced with this scene, he truly couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth.
“A bit thin.”
He muttered to himself, and just as he was about to leave, the corner of his eye caught a digital perpetual calendar hanging in the upper right corner of the mirror.
February 24, 2006, Friday.
102 days left until the college entrance examination.
The focus of Dongping No. 1 High School was entirely on the college entrance examination. Teachers and students did not participate in the annual five major subject competitions. To ensure the school's undergraduate pass rate increased year after year, the teaching philosophy evolved from the initial 'Hundred-Day Sprint' to the 'College Entrance Examination Three-Hundred-Day Countdown,' which was actively promoted to all senior high schools in the city.
Recalling the origin of this information screen, Xu Ming’s heart stirred slightly.
“Only three months left?”
He murmured softly, but his gaze did not linger, treating it as a minor interlude.
Qian Hong went with Xu Ming to the cafeteria to get food. He wasn't surprised by Xu Ming's vanity at this time, after all, which boy in the class didn't have a small mirror.
However, when he saw Xu Ming turn around and leave, his face immediately filled with confusion.
He quickly caught up and asked, “Aren’t you waiting for Zhang Yingxin?”
“Why would I wait for her?” Xu Ming continued walking without stopping, asking casually.
Qian Hong heard this and looked gossipy: “That’s not right, did you two break up?”
“We were never together.” Xu Ming paused, immediately turned his head to clarify, his tone resolute.
Before the division into arts and science streams in the first year of high school, Zhang Yingxin sat in front of and behind him. Because she was pretty and mature, she was very popular among the boys in the class. Perhaps it was due to being in close proximity, she frequently showed him affection, even suggesting that he become her younger brother.
After this spread in the class, it secretly made many boys jealous.
However, when he formally expressed his feelings and wanted to define their relationship, Zhang Yingxin refused, citing the school's prohibition on dating.
She said they should wait until after high school graduation.
He chose to support her.
From then on, as an ordinary classmate, he often helped her get food and wash her dishes, showing his attentiveness.
Even after the arts and science split, it remained unchanged.
This caused his monthly living expenses of 150 yuan to be stretched thin.
Even his grades, after being assigned to a regular science class, gradually slipped to a middle-of-the-class level.
After the college entrance examination, in order to attend the same university as Zhang Yingxin, he disregarded his parents' objections and gave up a second-tier university, choosing the private third-tier university she had applied to.
But the final result was, right after the freshman military training, Zhang Yingxin changed her QQ signature to:
“It’s great to meet you. The years are long, and I wish to accompany you through this journey.”
And very quickly, she and a male classmate whose family lived in the city both dropped out of school.
They got married because she was pregnant.
From then on, he sealed his heart, putting all his energy into his studies, earning a school scholarship, getting his high tuition fees waived, and successfully getting into Yanjing University's materials science graduate program after graduation.
Thinking of these foolish things from his previous life, Xu Ming felt an urge to slap himself.
He shook his head to calm himself down and quickened his pace toward the cafeteria.
…
Dongping No. 1 High School's cafeteria had two floors and required students to bring their own utensils.
However, because there were no tables or chairs inside, after getting their food, they could only find a spot and squat on the ground to eat.
Some senior students even ate while walking, saving time to the maximum extent.
Because Wang Qingtao collected the papers promptly, Xu Ming and Qian Hong arrived at the cafeteria to find not many people getting food. They quickly went to queue, spending three mao to buy steamed buns and one yuan for dishes to share between the two of them.
Paired with five mao a bowl of porridge.
Qian Hong had been Xu Ming's deskmate before the arts and science split, and he naturally saw everything Xu Ming did for Zhang Yingxin.
Today, when Xu Ming uncharacteristically invited him to eat, he was momentarily stunned in class.
Faced with this unusual behavior, out of concern for his good friend, he started a conversation as soon as they found a place to squat after getting their food.
“Tell me, what’s going on?”
“You handed in a blank paper for the math practice test, and you broke up with Zhang Yingxin too. How did I not know you had such a tough side?”
“What stimulated you?”
Xu Ming took a bite of his steamed bun and said calmly, “Nothing much, I just want to focus on studying during the remaining time and work hard to improve my grades.”