The Price of Brilliance and High School Antics

Even after giving Yang Qichao several dumplings, Qin Zixin felt perfectly full from her small portion of soup dumplings. Yang Qichao, however, possessed a much larger appetite; he had only just begun to feel something in his stomach after finishing a large bowl of soup dumplings and three savory flatbreads with pickled vegetables.

Boys tend to develop later than girls, and with their vigorous metabolism, they could easily devour half a jin of rice in a single meal. There’s a saying that a growing boy can eat his father out of house and home, and Yang Qichao was at that awkward age of rapid growth. Despite eating prodigious amounts, and weighing twice as much as Qin Zixin, he still couldn’t seem to put on any fat.

Yang Qichao folded the last flatbread, which was larger than his face, three times before squeezing it tight and swallowing it in two large bites. Still not satisfied, he then lifted the bowl and drained the dumpling broth in one gulp.

Qin Zixin watched, secretly marveling. The last time she had eaten with Yang Qichao was during the summer holiday, and even then, she hadn’t witnessed him eat with such ferocity.

“Chaozi, are you full?”

“Not at all. I could easily eat another identical portion.”

Qin Zixin tallied on her fingers. A large bowl of soup dumplings cost ten yuan, and a flatbread with pickled vegetables was one yuan fifty. This didn’t even account for the small sweet drink typically enjoyed after a meal. According to Yang Qichao, a single meal out would now cost at least thirty yuan, a thought that sent a shiver down Qin Zixin’s spine.

Her small personal fund, painstakingly saved, amounted to less than two thousand yuan. While the primary reason for this was her inability to resist buying snacks, that was a ‘craving’ rather than merely eating to sate hunger.

“My goodness, if you eat out, fifty yuan a day wouldn’t even be enough to feed you?”

“My mom gives me plenty of money. The school also has scholarships; the top thirty students in the city’s high school entrance exam all get them. Zhou Xinshu, who was ranked first in the city, received a scholarship of 166,000 yuan.”

Qin Zixin’s charming almond eyes widened instantly, appearing somewhat dazed, and even her voice rose in pitch.

“How much did you say!?”

“188,000 yuan. That’s money contributed jointly by the school and the Municipal Education Bureau. As far as I know, South Shiga High’s contribution isn’t much; the Education Bureau takes the lead, and many entrepreneurs are eager to donate for a good reputation. You wouldn’t understand, but if Zhou Xinshu had gone to First Middle School, he could have gotten even more—at least this much.”

After wiping his greasy hands from the flatbread, Yang Qichao extended three fingers, leaving Qin Zixin utterly stunned.

“First Middle School is that rich? My sister never told me.”

“Their principal is highly capable and can secure sponsorships. Besides, someone like Zhou Xinshu, who is handsome, academically brilliant, and comes from an educated family, is a definite catch. Some bosses are particularly fond of such prospects and would eagerly marry off their daughters to him early on.”

“Oh, come on! How old are they to be thinking about arranged marriages already? You’re breaking the law, you know!” The mischievous girl declared righteously, yet her eyes flickered. “Chaozi, how much do you have? Give me the lowdown.”

“For South Shiga High, the top ten city-wide get 88,000 yuan, and those after that receive 18,800 yuan.”

Qin Zixin gasped, suddenly realizing that being academically excellent was truly incredibly lucrative. She, a shameless slacker, had been running a ‘color resource site’ for almost two years, yet the money she had handled hadn’t even reached 18,800 yuan—let alone that much, even 10,000 yuan was questionable. But Yang Qichao’s tone made it sound as if a few tens of thousands were nothing at all.

[What are you surprised about? Your ranking in Nanling City is already past four hundred. Forget Zhou Xinshu; even if Yang Qichao didn’t write his Chinese essay, his total score would still be higher than yours. It’s perfectly normal for exceptional people to earn so much. I saw in the news before that the top scorer in Maoming City, Guangdong Province, received 500,000 yuan for the high school entrance exam, and the rest of the top ten each got 300,000 yuan. South Shiga High only giving Zhou Xinshu 188,000 yuan is actually quite little. Your middle school grades were barely acceptable; here, you’d better behave, no one will coddle you.]

The system’s voice drifted eerily through her mind. Qin Zixin pursed her cherry lips, not daring to interject on that topic. If her cousin were sitting opposite her, she would have retorted to the system’s words. But facing Yang Qichao, whose academic prowess could easily crush a certain mischievous girl, she knew when to hold her tongue, no matter how much she loved to argue.

Tang Yuyu’s Great Wall H6 SUV had cost just over 120,000 yuan after tax when she bought it. Fifty thousand yuan would be enough to buy four such cars. No, wait, she was a woman of the world. Buying four Great Walls sounded so unambitious; fifty thousand yuan was enough to buy a luxury car! That’s what the mischievous girl thought, but when the words came out, they twisted into something else.

“Chaozi, does that mean you can eat at KFC and McDonald’s whenever you want now?”

“Western fast food is too greasy from all the frying. I prefer going for small hot pot; boiled food is healthier. My mom mostly manages my money, but I can spend freely on food. Next time we eat out, it’s on me.”

Yang Qichao spoke with a certain bravado, trying to express his goodwill towards Qin Zixin. However, his overly straightforward male thinking made his words inadvertently amusing to girls. Qin Zixin’s own thought process, though, was equally unconventional; she felt a peculiar sense of internal conflict. Mistakenly believing herself to be a reincarnated adult man, she absolutely could not bring herself to freeload off a younger boy.

Even though this ‘younger boy’ had probably used countless tissues while looking at her photos, and even though this ‘younger boy’ could pick her up and spank her, Qin Zixin’s convoluted sense of honor dictated that she could never bow her head before Yang Qichao.

“Hmph, I have money too; I don’t need you to treat me. I’ve saved more than that amount!”

Qin Zixin extended her delicate hand, two slender fingers as smooth as silken tofu reaching out. Perhaps feeling she lacked sufficient conviction, she then added two more fingers to the count.

Qin Zixin’s sidelong glance held a peculiar childishness that Yang Qichao found amusing. Was this girl overly competitive? From his understanding of the stubborn girl, she definitely couldn’t save her pocket money; she was a true spendthrift. If Aunt Tang gave her pocket money, she’d spend half of it on snacks that very day. Yet, he didn’t want to dampen Qin Zixin’s good intentions, so after a long pause, he finally managed to say:

“You have four hundred? You’re quite good at saving, then.”

As soon as Yang Qichao said this, it was as if he had stepped on the mischievous girl’s tail.

“You’re talking nonsense! I’ve saved four thousand!”

Yang Qichao remained silent, simply staring at Qin Zixin’s face. Based on his understanding of her, whenever Qin Zixin was spinning a tall tale, her little eyes would betray her, often darting to the side. Now, sure enough, she lacked the confidence to meet his gaze.

****

At South Shiga High at that moment, Qiao Hua, Fang Bixian, Zhou Dahong, and Ma Lisheng had just finished their meal in the cafeteria. Unwilling to return to their classroom immediately, they opted to stroll around the old school building behind the athletic field to aid digestion, only heading back to class after a full circuit.

They shared a dormitory; South Shiga High’s dorms were eight-person rooms, yet Dorm 313 only housed six. Their other roommates were Feng Yizhong and Yan Wangfei.

Feng Yizhong was far too pretentious, and Yan Wangfei always had his nose in a book, muttering to himself. These two never really blended into their quartet’s circle, though, to be fair, they probably had no desire to join it in the first place.

The old school building at South Shiga High was constructed from cinder blocks, its walls draped in creeping vines—yellow and green—intertwined with gnarled old trees. The sun, filtered through the canopy, cast sparse, shimmering patches of light onto the ground, creating a strangely beautiful scene.

Ma Lisheng walked backward at the front of the group, mimicking Zhao Jiajun’s self-introduction with extreme sarcasm.

“Mina-san ohayo, watashi wa Soukyoku-kun desu wa, potato wa ichi madai desu wa.” [“Everyone, good morning. I am Soukyoku-kun, and potatoes are one sack.”]

He spoke in a pinched voice, his squeaky falsetto sharp, like a eunuch who had just been castrated. Zhou Dahong, being hot-headed, found Ma Lisheng’s imitation utterly vulgar. Or perhaps, as someone who also considered himself part of the ‘two-dimensional’ world, he felt Ma Lisheng’s mockery was a subtle jab at him.

“Stop being disgusting! You try that crap again, you bastard!”

Ma Lisheng ignored him, continuing his “Mina-san ohayo” squawking. Zhou Dahong, unable to tolerate it any longer, stepped forward, wrapped an arm around Ma Lisheng’s waist, and made to grab at his groin.

Qiao Hua, at the back of the group, was lost in thought. He would usually join in, but now his mind was entirely consumed by Qin Zixin’s every gesture and expression. Qin Zixin sat in front of him, so whenever Qiao Hua looked up, he saw the back of her head, her delicate, swan-like neck, and her skin, glowing like lustrous white jade against the dark backdrop of the classroom, beneath her dark, smooth hair.

“Great Immortal, tell me, if I confessed to Qin Zixin, would she agree? My home is very close to Lianhu District, only a half-hour drive. I feel this is my chance.”

Qiao Hua was somewhat impulsive. Although he hadn’t exchanged a single word with Qin Zixin, he had already woven many elaborate scenarios around her in his mind, even deciding on his future son’s name.

Fang Bixian remained silent, but the two bickering boys in front stopped. Zhou Dahong and Ma Lisheng had also seen Qin Zixin for the first time, though they were too far from her. Even though she was as beautiful as a descended fairy, they had both snuck glances at Qin Zixin repeatedly that morning.

Ma Lisheng had just had his groin poked by Zhou Dahong, making him suck in a sharp breath in pain, but his mouth was still loose.

“Huazi, you didn’t even know her before. You’re already head over heels after just one meeting?”

“I’m not like you; you have strange tastes, liking old ladies.”

Qiao Hua looked at Ma Lisheng with disdain. This guy had said during the summer holiday that an auntie serving food in the cafeteria was exceptionally beautiful, but when they went to see, they found her quite ordinary. Ma Lisheng, however, insisted she had a ‘womanly charm.’ Now, whenever Ma Lisheng got food in the cafeteria, he only chose her serving window; others looked at the dishes, he only looked at the person.

Zhou Dahong, meanwhile, was quite indifferent. Although he found Qin Zixin beautiful, he knew his own limits very well; he would never have the guts to pursue her.

“Qiao Hua, just give up. She’s walking with someone from Class 4, and even the last-place student in Class 4 is more impressive than our class’s top student. If you have the ability, get into the ‘Rocket Class’ after the reshuffle.”

Fang Bixian had intended to say something encouraging, but the words that came out were, inexplicably, discouraging.

“What ‘someone from Class 4’? That person was from my junior high. His grades are indeed good, but how can feelings be tied to grades? If you ask me, it’s all about feeling. Once you feel it, everything else falls into place.”

Qiao Hua was utterly unconvinced by Yang Qichao, his blood rushing to his head, his face flushing crimson, and the several large pimples on his face turning a reddish-black.

“By the way, has anyone seen what Qin Zixin’s mother looks like? Is she pretty?”

Ma Lisheng’s face was alight with gossip, while Fang Bixian’s cheek twitched slightly.

“What? Do you want to be her father?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

The group bantered and laughed their way back. By the time they returned, a good portion of the students had already arrived in the Class 1.2 classroom, many of them gathered around Lu Zude and Deng Lanying’s desks.

From a distance, Fang Bixian could hear Deng Lanying’s hoarse, smoky voice. It was quite sharp, so sharp that it made him uncomfortable, like the sound of sharp fingernails scraping a blackboard.

Deng Lanying usually walked with Lu Zude. Their junior high was the South Polytechnic Affiliated Middle School, definitely a key middle school in Nanling. A single advanced class there could send over a dozen students to South Shiga High, and the high school section of South Polytechnic Affiliated Middle School itself wasn’t bad, with its overall teaching quality ranking among the top five, aspiring for top four, in Nanling.

Deng Lanying was quite tall, over 1.7 meters. Her skin was a bit dark, and she had a rather fiery temper. With an oval face and a rounded nose, she wasn’t ugly, but certainly not beautiful either; at most, her appearance was proper. During summer remedial classes, she and Lu Zude would discuss challenging problems daily, and the ‘good students’ from Class 2 often went to them for guidance. Consequently, during breaks, their desks were always surrounded by people.

However, Fang Bixian didn’t particularly like Deng Lanying; he always felt she was too overbearing.

Just like now.

“How could the answer to this question possibly be D? It’s C! The teacher just went over a very similar one a few days ago, only the numbers were different.”

Deng Lanying’s voice came in snatches. Fang Bixian craned his neck to look over. She was speaking to Zhang Wanbai, and after finishing, she tossed the handout she was holding into Zhang Wanbai’s hand.

“Here, give me a pen; I’ll prove it to you.”

Deng Lanying continued, and Zhang Wanbai quickly handed her pen over. But after writing only a few characters, Deng Lanying lost her temper again.

“What brand pen is this? Why is it so difficult to write with?”

Zhang Wanbai stood frozen, at a loss. She didn’t understand what was wrong with Deng Lanying; she had always used Deli rollerball pens, and a box of refills only cost a little over ten yuan. She had always found them perfectly fine. Zhang Wanbai mumbled something that Fang Bixian couldn’t make out due to the distance, but Deng Lanying quickly spoke up again.

“Don’t you know I’ve always used a specific pen, a Japanese Zebra brand ballpoint pen? That brand is incredibly, incredibly, incredibly good to use. I used it in my class at South Polytechnic Affiliated Middle School, and it writes so much better than this crappy pen of yours. It is a bit expensive, though, about ten-odd yuan per pen.”

Deng Lanying turned and retrieved a plastic-cased rollerball pen from her own pencil case, continuing to write the problem while speaking.

“But I highly recommend you buy one and try it. Just watch, alright? Oh, look carefully, this is a complex number…”

Deng Lanying’s voice faded. Fang Bixian pouted, while his deskmate, Qiao Hua, was still craning his neck to look at Deng Lanying.

“Huazi, stop staring. Be careful, Dr. Deng might come over to recommend some Japanese pen to you later.”

Qiao Hua pulled his head back, making a face.

“Geez, I wasn’t staring! I was just watching Zhang Wanbai suffer, wasn’t I? Why would she pick her of all people to ask? Why not ask Lu Zude? His temper is infinitely better than Deng Lanying’s.”

“What, you feel sorry for Zhang Wanbai suffering?” Fang Bixian said with a sneer. “I tried to talk to Zhang Wanbai during summer vacation, and she wouldn’t say a single word to me. I even thought she was mute.”

“Huh? Great Immortal, did you upset Zhang Wanbai? She seems so quiet and gentle; I thought she had a good temper.”

“Maybe she’s crazy. Have you ever seen Zhang Wanbai talk to a boy?”

Fang Bixian was about to say more when their class teacher, Zhang Wei, entered from the front door.