Noon arrived, and Qi Tongwei jogged over to the canteen. He ordered a serving of braised pork and four steamed buns.
The braised pork was the best and most expensive dish in the canteen, costing twenty-five cents a serving. If it weren't for Sun Babai, Qi Tongwei could never have afforded it; he would have been stuck eating cornmeal buns with pickled vegetables.
Two servings of braised pork a day meant fifteen yuan a month just for meat. What kind of family could afford such indulgence? Let us once again thank Sun Babai.
The tender, succulent pork slid down his esophagus into his stomach, bringing immense satisfaction. Sweeping through the food like a whirlwind, Qi Tongwei finished every last bite and let out a comfortable burp.
"The feeling of being full—it's wonderful!"
His current body was too frail and lacked nourishment. After training all morning, he had nearly fainted from low blood sugar.
Qi Tongwei pulled his watch from his pocket to check the time. When it reached 11:45, Liang Lu appeared at the canteen entrance, arm-in-arm with Wu Huifen.
They were here.
Today, he would make sure Liang Lu knew his name, and Teacher Wu would finally have to fulfill the obligation she had mentioned.
Qi Tongwei rose and walked toward the exit. As he passed by the door, he brushed shoulders with Liang Lu. The camouflage uniform he wore sent a clear message to her: I am a freshman.
"It's him!"
Liang Lu squinted, a dangerous expression crossing her face.
"Hey, Tongwei, wait a moment..."
Wu Huifen called out to him immediately. She stepped forward and said, "Tongwei, Teacher Gao must have spoken with you, right? What do you like to eat? I’ll make something for you this evening."
The two stood facing each other. Liang Lu, still holding Wu Huifen’s arm, glared at him with wide, hostile eyes.
Qi Tongwei treated Liang Lu as if she were air. Smiling at Wu Huifen, he replied, "As long as you make it, Teacher, I’ll love it!"
"You child." Wu Huifen pursed her lips, her eyes crinkling with warmth.
There is a saying that happiness brings a glow to one’s face, and that was exactly how Wu Huifen looked now. With her troubles dissolved and having been recently "watered" by Teacher Gao, she was radiant and captivating.
Qi Tongwei kept his words brief. He had no desire to appear too close to Teacher Wu in public; it would be a disaster if some scandal were to spread. Rumors were the sharpest blades in the world.
After he left, the two women went to get their food. While eating, Liang Lu asked, feigning indifference, "Huifen, that person just now..."
"You mean Tongwei? He’s one of Old Gao’s students. Do you know him?"
Liang Lu’s eyes twitched, and she gritted her teeth. "I don't know him! I’ve just seen him!"
Wu Huifen smiled. "Tongwei is an excellent child. You’ll recognize him as soon as I say his name. His name is Qi Tongwei—the very same Qi Tongwei the whole school is praising for bravely catching that criminal."
"Huh? Him? That guy?" Liang Lu’s voice rose, and she jabbed her chopsticks hard into her bowl. "That blind-eyed, foul-mouthed bastard is Qi Tongwei? How is that possible!"
Wu Huifen’s smile faded. "Lulu, I must tell you seriously: do not jump to conclusions or judge a book by its cover."
If good feelings had a shelf life, it was certainly peaking now. Wu Huifen wasn't blabbing about how she had secured the housing; she possessed the basic discretion required after asking someone for a favor. She was deeply grateful to Qi Tongwei now and wouldn't allow anyone—not even her best friend Liang Lu—to speak ill of him.
"Huifen, you’re scolding me."
Liang Lu was so angry she could explode. As her best friend, shouldn't she be standing on her side, joining her in condemning that bastard? At the very least, shouldn't she ask for the whole story? How could she start by taking his side? Was this even the same Huifen she knew? No, Huifen was good; only Qi Tongwei was bad.
"I’m not talking to you anymore, humph!"
Liang Lu had spent a long time stewing, but she couldn't find any real evidence to refute Wu Huifen. Finally, she could only throw down those words and storm off in a huff.
She went to find Brother Chen Shan, hoping her lover would notice her unhappiness and offer her some comfort. But Chen Shan was so preoccupied with the "Great Moon of Eagle Country" that he didn't notice anything wrong. Instead, he pulled out a book like he was presenting a treasure.
*The House on Mango Street.*
"Look, Lulu. This book was just published. It’s by the Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros. It tells the story of a young girl named Esperanza growing up after emigrating from Canada to Eagle Country. This will be very helpful for when we go to Eagle Country later."
The world she had always longed for now felt blindingly painful to Liang Lu. Especially with Chen Shan dragging her to look at his "ideal land" while completely ignoring her, her anger could no longer be contained. Her emotions spiraled out of control.
Liang Lu threw Chen Shan’s hand away. "Eagle Country, Eagle Country, Eagle Country! I think you’re possessed. You don't see me at all!"
With that, she ran out of the office in tears.
Chen Shan stood there, stunned, and frowned. "What’s gotten into her? So inexplicable."
Then, he went back to studying his sacred book.
...
"Nature, love, life, philosophy. Conveying love, conveying beauty, learning to be tolerant."
"But my friend, how can I not hate someone I should hate, and how can I learn to love someone who doesn't love me?"
In the library, after reading Liang Lu’s life insights, Qi Tongwei’s lips curled upward. "Teacher Liang, this person you hate... it wouldn't happen to be me, would it?"
"How not to hate someone you should hate, how to love someone who doesn't love you... tsk tsk. Are you trying to tell me how kind and pathetic you are?"
"You truly are yourself, Teacher Liang."
Qi Tongwei loathed this "green tea" act of hers. In his past life, every time she caused an unreasonable scene, she would turn around and look pitifully to Teacher Wu, forcing him to apologize. Qi Tongwei couldn't understand it; how much did he owe her? Why were there always endless apologies to be made?
"If you want to cheat, just say so. What is this 'how to love someone who doesn't love you'? Hypocritical..."
Qi Tongwei picked up his pen, writing as if inspired: "Before autumn arrives, the leaves always embrace the branch. They were never apart, but that was only in the past."
Doesn't love me? Then stop the chatter. Break up. We must break up.
Qi Tongwei tucked the bookmark back in the old spot. Later, Liang Lu found the bookmark in the same place. After reading it, she turned to look out the window and sighed softly.
"Autumn will take the leaves away from the branches, but I want to be taken away by autumn, too. But Father won't agree."
"What should I do? Should I beg them to stay, or offer my blessings?"
Liang Lu didn't write these thoughts on the bookmark. Fortunately, she didn't; otherwise, Qi Tongwei would have laughed himself to death, and then sued her for murder. In his previous life, Liang Lu had been like a fanatic, dedicating everything to her Brother Chen Shan. Now, she was actually contemplating whether to let go.
What’s this? Has it been a few days since you tasted those pork-and-leek-flavored French kisses, and you’ve forgotten how good your Brother Chen Shan is?
Tired of the "waiting at home for my love to return" act?
Qi Tongwei let out a faint laugh, then a chuckle, then a manic laugh, and finally a roar of laughter!
"In the last life, you tested love for me. This time, I’ll help you!"