Chapter 15: 15

Outside quarrels about education had no effect on the daily academic lives of the students of No. 3 High School. The school did its best to separate the students from this type of external discussion to avoid impacting them.

China was a country with a long history, a rich culture, and good traditions. After generations of educational reform, China had learned to take the best ideas and avoid the dregs, allowing Chinese people to make use of concepts from cultures from all over the world.

Sometimes debates were a good start, because with debate came progress. There were always some people with extreme views, but the majority of people wanted their country to become better and stronger.

Most high school students viewed these kinds of social questions as extremely far away. After the Mid-Autumn Festival performance, the students of Class 15 became more united, which fostered a stronger learning atmosphere. Over time, a kind of benign competition formed which made Class 15 shine brightly among the other classes of year one.

At heart, Shen Shao considered himself a layman. He admired the students who were proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but all he felt was a little envy. As far as his life plan was concerned, he thought it was enough to be able to play a bit of piano for his own amusement and practice calligraphy to sharpen his mind.

Because No. 3 High School attached great importance to students’ strengths in all aspects, it sent a lot of students to participate in outside competitions. Shen Shao frequently saw articles in the school newspaper about classmates who took part in competitions and won first place. Every time he saw those articles, he sighed to himself about how impressive those students were. Even if his actual mental age was almost thirty and his brain had improved in this life, he still couldn’t compare with those kids.

“Shen Shao, are you reading the school paper again?” When Liang Cheng saw what Shen Shao was reading, he felt a little bored. “What’s so good about those stories? Our school sends people to competitions every day. They say our school has so many trophies they can’t fit them all in the showroom cabinets. They have to lock up the extras in storage.”

“Is it that extreme?” Shen Shao smiled, folded up the school newspaper and put it in his desk. “Anyway, I think they’re impressive.”

Liang Cheng shrugged. In his eyes, the most powerful person in school was Shen Shao. Compared to him, everyone else was a lightweight.

Shen Shao had no idea his deskmate blindly idolized him. He continued to chat with Liang Cheng about some of the powerful figures in school, and his voice had a touch of envy and appreciation. “They all know so much at such a young age. They’re so sharp.”

Liang Cheng stared at Shen Shao, unable to say a word. Wasn’t that something an old person would say? How can you call other kids young? Do you have any awareness that you’re a high school student yourself?

Although Shen Shao’s ID card said he was seventeen years old, Liang Cheng knew Shen Shao’s real age was over two years younger than that. Liang Cheng might be introverted, but he was also considerate. He didn’t ask Shen Shao why he deliberately changed his age.

Maybe Shen Shao didn’t know that he himself was a figure to be admired in the eyes of many other students. Liang Cheng felt somewhat helpless about this, but he also felt happy, because even if Shen Shao left people speechless sometimes, the students in class liked that about him.

After all, who wanted to get close to a genius who was high above everyone else, immersed in his own world? Avoiding someone like that wasn’t jealousy, it was human instinct. Think of a flower growing on a high mountaintop. Even if everyone praised it for its beauty, how many people would actually dare to pick it?

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Liang Cheng nodded seriously. It was better that Shen Shao was like this.

“Hey, do you have any plans Saturday night?” Zhou ZeYu ran over to them, scratched his head, and said with some embarrassment, “My birthday’s on Saturday. My parents gave me a bunch of money to invite some friends to a meal. You guys have to come.”

“Your birthday’s coming up?” Liang Cheng’s eyes widened. He nodded in a daze. “I’ll be there!”

Shen Shao nodded also. He said with a smile, “Another year’s up. Do you want me to bring you two hard-boiled eggs?”

Zhou ZeYu shook his head with a bitter face. “Man, don’t make jokes. Don’t you know how much I hate eggs?”

“I asked just because I know.” Shen Shao stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “Haven’t you heard that children are supposed to eat two eggs on their birthday? Rolling on year after year, growing up smoothly and quickly. Think of the symbolism.”

Zhou ZeYu squinted. “Someone whose actual age is a few months younger than me isn’t qualified to say that.”

Shen Shao lifted his eyebrows. He shrugged without making another comment. After Zhou ZeYu returned to his seat, Shen Shao started to think about what birthday gift he’d give. It was already Thursday, which didn’t leave much time.

The uncomplicated days of studying and going to school went by fast. In the blink of an eye it was Saturday. On that day, Shen Shao deliberately wore a new outfit. After buying a birthday present for Zhou ZeYu, he hurried to the hotel Zhou ZeYu had booked. It was almost time.

The Grand Heng Hotel was famous in Furong City. For ordinary people, it was the kind of place they might spend half their monthly salary for a single meal. Most people wouldn’t go there unless they were celebrating a major life event.

But for the upper crust, the Grand Heng was a place where it was barely acceptable to eat. Every time the hotel staff saw aristocratic young masters arrive in their cars, they were extra attentive and careful and almost treated them like bodhisattvas.

“Second Young Master Gu, this hotel isn’t as good as the ones in the capital, but the local specialties here are good. Since the Second Young Master came to Furong City for a few months, it’s worth it to try our local dishes, right?” In the back seat of the car, a young man in his twenties smiled as he explained some of the local customs of Furong City to the person next to him.

The teenager beside him looked about fourteen years old. His fine hair fell to his ears and made his earlobes look as white as pearls. He listened to the other man’s explanation and occasionally nodded slightly, but most of the time he was nearly expressionless, as if this didn’t have much to do with him.

When their car arrived at the Grand Heng Hotel, the wealthy young masters and their bodyguards got out of several cars all at once. They made so much commotion that the head clerk came out personally to greet them.

When the head clerk saw the first young man, he smiled immediately. “Young Master Liu, what brings you here?” He was speaking to the young man who’d just described the customs of Furong City to the teenager.

“A friend from the capital came for a visit. He’s leaving tomorrow, so I took him out to have some fun.” Young Master Liu stepped back to let the head clerk see the teenager behind him. “This is Second Young Master Gu from the capital. Please ask your chef to show off his best craftsmanship. Don’t wrong the second young master’s palate.”

“Of course, of course.” The head clerk saw how politely these young masters from Furong City were acting towards the teen. At once he understood that among these young masters, the youngest boy had the highest status. He carefully led the group inside and described some of the specialties of Furong City.

“Shen ‘Shao’, you’re finally here. We were waiting for you.”

Puzzled, the head clerk looked over at them. Which one was Shen ‘Shao’? All he saw was a group of half-grown teenagers. But they all looked like normal students… Which one was the young master of a wealthy family?

It should be mentioned that in these circles, not many people dared to call themselves ‘Young Master X’. They had to weigh the strength of their family before they put on a show outside. For example, the people around the clerk were the top aristocratic young masters of Furong City. He hadn’t seen many people who would dare to be called ‘Young Master X’ in front of these people. He hadn’t thought someone would make an exception today.

Other people nearby also heard this “Shen ‘Shao'”, but they were used to spending time with rich and powerful families, and they didn’t reveal any surprise. Although a teenager who looked seventeen or eighteen years old smiled and said, “Our Furong City really is a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.”

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“It’s the ‘Shao’ of ‘the garden must resemble Shao Ping melons’,” Second Young Master Gu, who hadn’t spoken from beginning to end, suddenly said. “Not the ‘shao’ of ‘young master’.”

Several people looked at each other in surprise, but Young Master Liu, who was the leader, recovered quickly. “The second young master is naturally able to explain. Those students seem to be well-behaved and clever. I don’t know which famous school they’re from.” He didn’t recognize the poem that contained the line “the garden must resemble Shao Ping melons”, but it didn’t stop him from praising Second Young Master Gu.

Second Young Master Gu glanced at him lightly. He returned to his usual silent, indifferent appearance.

After Shen Shao walked into the private room, he saw that all the students in his class who had a good relationship with Zhou ZeYu were already there. He immediately apologized and said with a smile, “I’m sorry I’m late. I’ll punish myself with tea instead of wine.” Then he picked up a cup of tea and drank it with a heroic tilt of his head.

The students slapped the table and laughed. Liu Shuang joked, “Shen Shao, have you been watching too many martial arts movies lately?”

“You can tell?” Shen Shao asked with a shocked expression. “Lady Liu is the cleverest woman in the Central Plains!”

More than a dozen students began to call out various things, but Zhou ZeYu clapped his hands. “Hey hey, don’t make trouble. The food’s almost here. I’m afraid you’ll scare the waiters and they won’t serve us.”

“It’s better for you if they don’t serve us. That way you’ll save money on our food.” Liu Shuang took the napkin that was folded in her cup and shook it out. “But don’t worry, I’ll definitely eat my share.”

Zhou ZeYu put his hands together, pleading, “Lady Liu, please show some mercy. Leave this little one enough money for the car ride home.”

The students in the class were amused again. In the midst of the noise and commotion, everyone ate an entire table full of food, including a bucket of rice. Then they wiped their mouths and began to take out the gifts they’d prepared for Zhou ZeYu.

Although Zhou ZeYu liked to make jokes, he was a well-bred child. No matter how the gift was wrapped, he sincerely thanked the giver and put it in his bag.

Shen Shao didn’t know the specific situation of Zhou ZeYu’s family, but it was clear that Zhou ZeYu wasn’t in a bad way. Otherwise he wouldn’t dare to take everyone to a place like Grand Heng for his birthday.

After they gave him the gifts, their group left the private room and prepared to go home.

A pair of curving staircases wound from the second floor down to the first floor, one on the left and one on the right. The students of Class 15 saw several young people walking down the opposite staircase, followed by a group of bodyguards dressed in black.

“Hey,” Zhou ZeYu said to Shen Shao in a low voice. “Look, someone over there is watching you.”

When Shen Shao glanced over, all he saw were the backs of several black suits. He looked away and patted Zhou ZeYu on the shoulder, saying with emotion, “It’s still early in the afternoon. Hold on, I’ll take you to buy some glasses.”

In an instant, Zhou ZeYu realized that his eyesight had been insulted.

“Thanks, no need.” He didn’t stop looking at the other group of young people, who seemed extraordinary, but they were already walking down the hallway. He couldn’t see their faces

Probably, possibly… he saw wrong?

 

TL Notes:

٩(◕‿◕)۶

 

two hard-boiled eggs – In traditional Chinese culture, eggs symbolize new life, birth, or a new start. They’re eaten on a birthday to signify another year passing and a new year coming, and to hope that the recipient will have another good year (Wikipedia, google)

hidden dragons and crouching tigers – 藏龙卧虎 – lit. hidden dragon, crouching tiger (idiom) / fig. talented individuals in hiding

the garden must resemble Shao Ping melons – 园须似邵平瓜 – Yay more poetry. This is a line from the poem 《舍弟观赴蓝田取妻子到江陵，喜寄三首》 (roughly: “Younger brother went to Lantian to get his wife, sent three poems to Jiangling”). The poem was written in 767 AD by Du Fu (杜甫), who many people consider to be the greatest Chinese poet (Wikipedia)

Shao Ping melon – 邵平瓜 – Shao Ping (邵平) was a historical figure in the late Qin and early Han Dynasties. He became the Marquis of Dongling during the Qin Dynasty, but was abolished during the Han Dynasty and became a commoner. He planted melons outside the city gate in the southeast of ChangAn. The melons were delicious and had five-color skins. A ‘Shao Ping melon’ or ‘Dongling melon’ is a term now used to refer to any delicious melon (Baidu)

 

Transliterated names, places, and titles—new in this chapter:

Grand Heng Hotel – 恒宏酒店

Second Young Master Gu – 顾二少 – Gù èr shǎo

Young Master Liu – 刘少

‘Young Master’ Shen, Shen ‘Shao’ – 沈少 – The raw uses the hanzi for ‘Young Master’ instead of the hanzi for Shen Shao’s personal name (邵), which means the listener misunderstood

Lady Liu – 刘女侠

lady – 女侠 – female knight-errant. Alternatively: Dame

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