Chapter Fourteen: Carried by the Winds of Time
Several students, including Su Xiang and Zhuang Sijing, raised their hands. When Xiao Rongbo noticed Lin Cheng had also raised his hand, he was surprised but chose to play it safe and called on Su Xiang.
Su Xiang stood up and answered, “The elegant name for the sky is Bilu.”
“What about the elegant name for the sea?”
“Cangyuan!”
“And for the wind?”
“Fuyao!”
“And the moon?”
“Wangshu.”
“Excellent, Wangshu. The poet Dai Wangshu’s name comes from this. No wonder you’re top of the grade,” Xiao Rongbo praised generously, which inspired others to participate eagerly.
“All right, several students still have their hands up. Lin Cheng, please name a few elegant names for animals.”
This open-ended question was a clever way for Xiao Rongbo to hand over the initiative to the students.
Lin Cheng stood and answered clearly, “The peacock’s elegant name is Nanke, the lion’s is Suanni, the rabbit’s is Yuebao, the tiger’s is Shanjun, and the deer’s is Yuanji!”
“Very good! Well done! Now that you’re in senior year, it’s time to cut down on online novels and focus. You have the potential to be one of ‘those kids’ everyone admires!”
Su Xiang, who usually never paid attention to others’ answers, turned her head about sixty degrees toward Lin Cheng. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and that cool aloofness seemed to melt away, like the spring waters of the Seine.
However, He Yueyue felt uneasy inside. Is this really Lin Cheng? He seems different! She glanced at Chen Zishi and saw the same disbelief in his eyes.
Xiao Rongbo, truly a top student from East China Normal University, quickly dispelled the awkward atmosphere and began serious instruction—covering key points, difficult concepts, and essential knowledge with ease.
Even Xiao Rongbo started to admire himself. “No wonder I’m a young and promising teacher.”
“Class dismissed!”
The students immediately stood and bowed to Xiao Rongbo, saying, “Respectful farewell to our honored teacher!”
Before Xiao Rongbo could react, the students turned and addressed the seniors behind him: “Respectful farewell to all our senior teachers!”
This was utterly embarrassing. Xiao Rongbo felt as if he fled the classroom.
On his way back, some junior teachers greeted him, saying, “Your students are so lively and well-mannered.”
After handling various compliments and polite remarks, Xiao Rongbo hurried to find Zhou Luoyao to demand an explanation.
Zhou Luoyao was happily chatting with several classmates, laughing, “Did you see Teacher Xiao’s expression? He was totally dumbfounded! What should we do to him next time...”
She spoke cheerfully, unaware that her homeroom teacher, Xiao Rongbo, was right behind her.
“Zhou Luoyao, it’s you again!”
Zhou Luoyao sprang up and turned around, “Teacher Xiao, I swear it wasn’t me!”
“Oh, save it... I’m not deaf or blind yet!”
Lin Cheng watched with amusement as the young teacher and the mischievous girl bickered.
Back in the classroom, Lin Cheng began tidying up his desk and reviewing his exam papers.
Eighty-eight in English? Damn, was he really that bad back then?
He recalled how, in later years when working in shipping and foreign trade, he handled emails and contract negotiations entirely in English. He even taught employees that merely understanding American or British accents wasn’t enough; true proficiency meant conversing with Russians, French, Japanese, Indians, Koreans, and others from Asia and Africa.
He then looked at his Chinese exam paper, and his expression darkened further.
Damn it... In any case, his performance in these two subjects couldn’t really be blamed on Lin Yueyue, who was quite strong academically in those areas.
Zhuang Sijing noticed Lin Cheng’s troubled expression as he stared at last semester’s exam papers. She turned her head to glance at him and patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t dwell on it. The provincial joint exam is coming soon. You’re good at math and science. Just follow my pace in Chinese—memorize what you need to, and work on your essay skills. I can help you break the 100-point barrier.”
Lin Cheng glanced at Zhuang Sijing but said nothing. After all, she was the class monitor and later got accepted to Shanghai Jiaotong University.
When evening self-study ended, the campus broadcast station played music. From the roadside speakers along Yongdao Road came Jay Chou’s “Hair Like Snow”:
Your hair, like snow, mournfully parts,
I burn incense, moved by whom?
Inviting the bright moon to make memories pure,
Love is perfect beneath the moonlight...
Under the soft moonlight and twinkling stars, students pushed their bicycles or carried backpacks in small groups along the tree-lined path. They radiated the vigor of youth, their smiles full of hope for the future.
This was true youth—innocent and sincere, unburdened by worldly knowledge.
For a fleeting moment, Lin Cheng felt the gentle breeze of time brush past him.
Yet no one can possess both youth and nostalgia for youth simultaneously.
“Why aren’t you leaving?” Chen Guangtao nudged Lin Cheng, who was standing under the streetlamp lost in thought.
“What?” Lin Cheng snatched the magazine from Chen Guangtao’s hand with a disdainful look.
“Science Fiction World? You read this?”
Chen Guangtao chuckled, “I like it! Recently, there’s a serialized story by Liu Cixin that’s really good.”
“What? The Three-Body Problem?”
“You read it too? Ha ha ha...” Chen Guangtao, as if finding a kindred spirit, launched into chatter. “It’s a serialized story! It’s about the Three-Body Problem but titled ‘Remembrance of Earth’s Past.’”
Damn! Liu Cixin hadn’t even finished writing The Three-Body Problem? It wasn’t published yet?
Years later, Liu sold the full rights to the Three-Body trilogy for 100,000 yuan. Within a decade, those rights fetched 300 million!
“Give me that book! Here’s 100 yuan—go buy yourself another copy.”
Lin Cheng said this and dashed off.
“Hey, hey, I finished reading it! Here, it’s yours. What 100 yuan? Don’t look down on me!”
“Bye then!” Lin Cheng started his scooter and sped away.
“Damn! Are you out of your mind? Curse you, Lin Junjie!” Chen Guangtao shouted after him.
“Why curse him? Damn you, Zhou Jielun!” Zhuang Sijing smiled warmly at the flustered Chen Guangtao.
“Uh...”
...