Hello, Old Times Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Spring Games (2)

“Coming up now is Class 6’s Parading Team. They are marching valiantly towards the podium in white shirts and blue jeans. Look! They are full of energy, their steps are in line and they are holding onto colourful sticks. Listen! Their slogans are loud and imposing, “Friendship first, competition second. Word hard and move forward bravely…”

Yu Zhou Zhou and the others marched forward behind the sports monitor’s chants of “Forward, one, two”. They turned their heads in the direction of the rostrum, stared at the row of school leaders sitting above the rostrum and walked in rhythm while shaking the ‘clattering sticks’, shouting uncreative slogans all the way.

“Chen An, I think we are too stupid.”

All the parading teams stood collectively on the grass court in the centre of the stadium and waited for the athlete representatives to speak, the referee representatives to speak, the principal and vice-principal to speak, the teaching director to speak, the sports teaching research team lead to speak…

“Chen An, starting from when I was small, the leaders would all have endless things to say. I know they actually don’t want to say all these and we don’t want to listen either. Who is it that makes us keep torturing each other like this?”

After the flag raising ceremony was over, the procession team left the stage and everyone ran back towards their class groups one after the other. The only ones who didn’t run back in a rush were the girls who held the placards for each class. They were all dressed up with short skirts on so naturally they weren’t able take off their costumes with no scruples like the other children.

Yu Zhou Zhou ran extremely fast because she was in a hurry to go to the bathroom, she was almost unable to hold back.

Before going out in the morning, her mum made her finish all her milk but because she always hated drinking water, drinking even just a bit more would make her want to immediately flush it out…

“Chen An, I have always had a problem that I haven’t been able to figure out, I’ve been thinking about it since little but I still have some doubts…don’t laugh at me…”

Yu Zhou Zhou’s letters had become more and more unscrupulous and she felt that the so called Chen An had become a meaningless title and the dense writing on the paper were more and more casual, like a sort of self-talk. She no longer found certain topics too retarded or embarrassing.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you, when someone wakes up in the middle of the night, should they first go to the toilet or drink water? If you drink water first, with my physique, it’ll probably…come out very quickly. But, if I go to the toilet first then drink water, I’ll always mentally want to go to the toilet again… It’s so hard to decide…”

After she finished writing, she giggled to herself.

However, she would never know what Chen An’s expression would be when he saw this question – whether or not the other party would read her letter was a question.

Yu Zhou Zhou ran to the position that her class was at on the stand, asked Zhang Min for leave then ran to the public toilet below the stand when she suddenly heard Zhang Min’s shrill voice behind her, “What are you doing?”

She hesitated for a second before turning her head to see Xin Mei Xiang standing red-faced in front of Zhang Min then embarrassedly turn around and go back up the steps to sit back in her seat.

When Yu Zhou Zhou came back from the toilet, she was pulled aside by the arts committee member to instruct everyone in waving their ‘clattering sticks’ together.

“I already said, eat later! Put all your food down, you can eat after we finish rehearsing. What are you all in a hurry for, when the school leads come to inspect in a while, it’ll be too late!”

The art committee member tried her best to stop them but everyone was still busy opening their school bags to take out the different packages of snacks to show off to each other and exchange. The sound of packages being teared open sounded all around the area.

“Let them eat first.” Yu Zhou Zhou yawned and dragged the art committee member up the stand. The art committee member sighed reluctantly but didn’t forget to point to a few boys and say, “Sit up straight. Align neatly to the classmates in the front row, look at how sloppy you are, it’s especially clear from the rostrum so pay attention!”

Yu Zhou Zhou softly laughed without realising. She seemed to have seen traces of Shan Jie Jie and Xu Yan Yan in the excessive acts for collective honor that the arts committee member showcased.

She had already lost contact with Shan Jie Jie and didn’t know whether Shan Jie Jie had gone to the Middle School Affiliated to Normal University or No. 13 Middle School. Every Saturday when she went to her grandma’s house to visit, it was very difficult to see Yu Ting Ting who was always in tutoring classes.

Her old friends disappeared one by one. However, listen to the arrangements of fate and be at ease, if they can’t stay then let them go. If they are still able to come back, then be grateful inside.

For instance, Ben Ben.

Yu Zhou Zhou sat back on her seat and stretched her neck out to look in the direction of Class 2 but wasn’t able to see anything clearly.

Actually, afterwards she rarely had the opportunity to meet and chat with Ben Ben. The only few times that she did, they chatted about Shen Qi and the preparations by each class for the sports festival but seemingly nothing about each other.

Every time Yu Zhou Zhou saw Ben Ben, he was always with a group of boys who were similar to Xu Zhi Qiang. She knew about his concern for reputation in front of these boys so she never glanced at them, pretending not to know them let alone call him “Ben Ben”. This type of situation made her a little annoyed. Sometimes, she would quietly observe Ben Ben while he was with the boys and secretly compare the current him with the previous him in her heart.

Actually, there was nothing really to compare.

The previous Ben Ben had only left a blurry shadow.

Yu Zhou Zhou sat at the stands in a daze for a while before suddenly realising a truth. Sometimes, what she remembered wasn’t the person themselves, what she remembered was always how she felt when she was with the person. Comfort, happiness, intimacy, friendship. Even if the other person changed, but she could follow course based on her memory of the bast.

Her natural ease and chatter when no one else was around was actually all towards the Ben Ben of the past – Yu Zhou Zhou deceived herself and pretended that the boy by her side was still only six years old and pretended that she didn’t know he didn’t actually like her calling him ‘Ben Ben’.

Holding onto something without letting go was sometimes considered valuing friendship.

Other times, it was only just considered valuing one’s own sentiments.

Yu Zhou Zhou suddenly felt stuffy without reason. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Xin Meixiang who was sitting on the lower left corner of the front row, looking towards her with a pained expression, as if asking for help.

 “What’s wrong?” Yu Zhou Zhou mouthed at her inquiringly. Xin Mei Xiang turned her head quickly, pretending that she didn’t just have an anxious expression.

Yu Zhou Zhou shrugged then flipped open her school bag and stared at all the snacks inside. Ater thinking about it, she pulled out a bag of Xizhilang fruit jelly. Opening the package, she distributed it to the classmates around her and received chocolate wafers and plum candies in return.

Quickly, only two bags of jelly were left. Suddenly, the classmates around her burst out into exclamation, the cans of coke that Xu Zhi Qiang and the others had been kicked over and the coke was flowing down the rows like a flood. Everyone panicked and picked up their chairs and cushions to dodge. The whole scene was a mess. The arts committee member looked towards the rostrum with a face of dismay, seemingly with a premonition that their class was already disqualified in advance for the ‘civilised spirit’ award.

Although the location of the incident was relatively far away from her, Yu Zhou Zhou still stoof up to make room for the panicked classmates. Taking advantage of the chaos, she rubbed her numb bottom after standing up then walked over to Xin Mei Xiang who was alone and opened her fist. Pointing at the last two jellies in her hand, she asked, “Feng li and mango, which flavor do you want?”

“What?”

“Jelly, there’s only two, one for you and one for me. Let’s divide it.”

Xin Mei Xiang’s expression was still a bit weird, as if she was enduring something. Xin Mei Xiang lowered her head and softly asked, “What’s a feng li?”

Yu Zhou Zhou patted her own head then laughed, “Ha, they like to call it feng li and I’ve become accustomed to it over time as well. Actually, they’re just pineapples.”

“I want mango,” Xin Mei Xiang reached her hand out and grabbed the orange yellow jelly from Yu Zhou Zhou’s palm. Yu Zhou Zhou could feel her icy cold fingertips and bent down to lightly ask, “Are you alright, are you very cold?”

Xin Mei Xiang finally raised her head and said awkwardly, “I want to go to the toilet, I can’t endure it anymore.”

“Go tell Teacher Zhang and get leave from her!”

“I told her…”

When Yu Zhou Zhou ran to the toilets, Xin Mei Xiang who didn’t participate in the parade and had been staying in the stands the whole time, summoned up the courage to tell Zhang Min that she wanted to go to the toilet too. Zhang Min didn’t like her to begin with so she scolded her for joining in the fun and told her that in order to make the audience stand look more orderly, they could only go to the toilets one by one. Only when the last person came back can the next go. Xin Mei Xiang who was scolded by Zhang Min could only wait for another opportunity but the other boys and girls ran to Zhang Min to ask to go. She was too cowardly so she could only hold it in.

Xin Mei Xiang didn’t say anything, she only stared anxiously at Yu Zhou Zhou. Baffled, Yu Zhou Zhou’s chest filled with the heroic spirit of a heroine. She pulled Xin Mei Xiang’s hand and said, “Come, we’ll tell Teacher Zhang that you have a bit of a stomach ache. I’ll accompany you.”

Xin Mei Xiang was so frightened that she wanted to break free but Yu Zhou Zhou was like a bull that couldn’t be pulled back. This kind of momentum also startled Zhang Min who was busy struggling with the purple umbrella she was using as sunshade. She nodded blankly and Yu Zhou Zhou shot off like a rocket.

She charged forward without turning back and hence didn’t see Xin Mei Xiang’s complicated expression behind her.

—

Finally, Xin Mei Xiang who had an expression of relief, walked back to Yu Zhou Zhou who was waiting for her at the door.

“A living person can’t be… suffocated to death. Don’t be like this next time.” Yu Zhou Zhou tugged Xin Mei Xiang’s sleeve.

“Sorry.”

“What?”

“When I was in the toilet just now, the jelly in my hand fell into the pit*.”
[*The toilets in the school are the squatting types]

Yu Zhou Zhou smiled and gave her the remaining one in her hand, “Then I’ll give this one to you, it’s pineapple flavor.”

Xin Mei Xiang took it and rubbed the top film on the jelly on her nose and finally smiled.

“I drank too much water in the morning. This always happens when I drink too much water,” Xin Mei Xiang said slowly.

Yu Zhou Zhou’s eyes widened then curved into a crescent moon with her smile, “Hey, let me ask you, when you wake up in the middle of the night, do you drink water first or go to the toilet first?”

Xin Mei Xiang paused for a while before slowly responding, “Every time I wake up at night, I have to think about this problem for a long time.”

—

“You’ve also seen Tsai Chih Chung’s ‘Zhangzi Speaks’? I think he draws really well!”

“Mhm, I also like Japanese manga and anime.”

“Do you watch ‘Shaman King’?”

“I do but I still like ‘Slam Dunk’ the most.”

“Have you watched the national competition part?”

Xin Mei Xiang nodded lightly.

Yu Zhou Zhou always used “Have you watched the national competition part” as a childish standard to categorize people. She almost leaped over to hug Xin Mei Xiang.

Xin Mei Xiang had also read the ‘Dayu Mysterious Surprise’ series and also felt that Liu Chang and Da Yu were a couple but she also felt that the foreign Bantam Books’ ‘Choose Your Own Nightmare series with multiple mysteries and endings was more interesting, especially ‘Risk Your Life Arcade’. Xin Mei Xiang also liked to catch caterpillars when she was little, squeeze them into sections then squat on the side and carefully observe as the sticky green liquid flowed out. She also liked to roast ants using a magnifying glass out in the sun, she also liked peach flavored bayberries, Lang Wei Xian chips*, Wa Wa Tou iceblocks*, plus, she also liked to eat milk powder dry…
*[Popular snacks in the 90’s]

Be my friend.

Yu Zhou Zhou couldn’t help but tighten Xin Mei Xiang’s ice cold hand.

“Did you ever buy those colouring books when you were a kid? It’s a Sailor Moon colouring book. Yesterday, I suddenly remembered and decided to go buy one but it’s not available anywhere. Sigh, I feel like I’m old.”

Yu Zhou Zhou frowned deeply, she only wanted to make Xin Mei Xiang smile but the other party barely showed any expression from beginning to end and only gave a brief smile. Her eyes though, carried a fiery and enthusiastic light all the way though which made Yu Zhou Zhou certain that she was also very happy to chat about this.

When Xin Mei Xiang heard Yu Zhou Zhou’s feigned distressed, she didn’t have any reaction. After a few seconds, she whispered, If I just grow old like this, I won’t be reconciled.”

Many years later, Yu Zhou Zhou could no longer remember whether it was a somewhat out of place, odd remark or whether her memory had fabricated these words for Xin Mei Xiang after everything that had happened later.

What she definitely remembered was the unreconciled look in Xin Mei Xiang’s eyes.

It was like a young volcano, waiting to erupt.