DBTHDCAR Chapter 67

“Is Gu Kaige crazy or what?”

The next morning, a group of students gathered at the school’s main gate, ready to head to the bus station together.

Before long, most of the boys and girls had arrived. But no matter how long they waited, there was still no sign of their homeroom teacher.

Just as they were starting to worry that something might have happened to him and considered going to his rented courtyard to check, Fan Xia’s phone buzzed with a message.

⟦ To make the spring outing more fun and strengthen the class’s unity, I strongly suggest everyone to walk there, it’ll be like a training march. I’ll head ahead; we’ll meet at the East Gate of the Botanical Garden.⟧

Putting down his phone, Fan Xia couldn’t help but curse out loud.

“What the heck? Walk there? By the time we get there, it’ll be who-knows-when! The sun’s blazing today. I’m not doing it, I’ll definitely get tanned.”

“Exactly! I wouldn’t dare either.”

Since it was the weekend, most of the students, except for a couple of boys who didn’t care about their looks, were in casual clothes. The girls were even more eager to show off, wearing all kinds of dresses and jeans, some even secretly wearing light makeup despite school rules.

Tan Ruirui, determined to outshine Chang Leyun, had put on a thin, pale yellow dress today. The skirt flared around her, making her look like a delicate winter jasmine.

Though it was spring, the temperature was still quite low, probably because they were in suburbs. With the strong rural wind, Tan Ruirui wrapped her thin shoulders with her arms, looking as if she might be blown over, which made her two flower-guarding escorts feel terribly worried.

“The problem is, the bus to the botanical garden only runs a few times a day, all on a fixed schedule. At this point, even if we rush to the station, the next bus has definitely already left,” Ning Xiaobei said, glancing at his watch and shaking his head helplessly.

“This Teacher Gu… he’s doing this on purpose. If he had sent the message earlier, maybe we’d all already be at the station by now.”

Having lived two lives, Ning Xiaobei had never encountered such an unreliable teacher before. He really wondered how the guy even managed to become a people’s teacher¹人民教师 (people’s teacher): Term for state-certified teachers in China.

The botanical garden wasn’t actually that far from their school; it’s about an hour’s walk along the main road. On a normal day, in sports uniforms and sneakers, young people joking and laughing would get there quickly.

But for the spring outing, most of the girls were wearing dresses and leather shoes.

They didn’t want to walk, and the boys weren’t about to leave them behind.

Besides, in this rural area, taxis almost never passed by, and private cars were scarce.

For a moment, a few students were ready to give up. They couldn’t make the bus back home now, but sleeping in the dorm for a day wasn’t so bad.

Just as everyone was at a loss, a tractor appeared, puffing black smoke, fitted with a passenger trailer, trrr-trrr-trrring its way to them.

“Where you kids headed?”

The old man driving the tractor showed them a row of yellow teeth and spoke in the local rural dialect.

“To the botanical garden,” Fan Xia said, hands on his hips.

The old man held up two brown fingers and named a price that could rival a taxi ride in the city.

“Gu Kaige, are you out of your mind? You dragged me out of the dorm this early just to make me walk under the blazing sun with you?”

Not far away, two young men were walking side by side along the trees lining the road.

One was Gu Kaige, who had been scolded countless times that morning and couldn’t stop sneezing. The other was a young teacher, Peng Yue, responsible for teaching art to the Affiliated High School students.

Peng Yue was the same age as Gu Kaige and lived in the young teachers’ dormitory. He was a millennial homebody, rarely leaving his room. After class, he either buried himself in art books working on his refined creations or played games in his dorm, living a semi-isolated life. His skin was so pale it almost looked colorless; even a vampire would look healthier.

Being socially awkward, he’d taught at the school for over four years, yet few colleagues knew him. Even at the annual year-end banquet, the principal would squint in confusion and ask, “Who is this young fellow, and why is he at our table?”

Yet somehow, he had caught Gu Kaige’s attention, who would invite him out every few weeks. Peng Yue always refused, but Gu Kaige would personally come to persuade him. One was a sedentary pale guy; the other a fitness-loving powerhouse. The outcome was inevitable.

But today was truly outrageous. This man actually expected him to walk five kilometers to the botanical garden!

Five kilometers!

Peng Yue could swear he hadn’t walked that far in the past three years combined.

“Ah, but you said yesterday that taking photos at the botanical garden in spring would be nice. Besides, I’ll chat with you along the way, it’ll be quick. And look, we’ve already walked this far; if you turn back now, the first two kilometers would be wasted, plus you’d have to walk another two kilometers, right?”

Gu Kaige, one shoulder carrying a backpack filled with water and snacks, the other holding Peng Yue’s drawing board, grinned.

“See? Just a bit more walking, and your color’s come back. Your face is even red now.”

“Shut up! I’m red from anger, not exercise!”

Peng Yue ground his teeth and shoved him away, unable to understand what karmic misfortune had brought him such a disaster of a man.

As the two continued their idle chatter, a sudden clamor came from behind, someone shouting names.

“Affiliated High! Affiliated High! Who’s the worst? Kai Ge! Kai Ge, you bastard!”

The boys and girls, riding the tractor’s trailer and catching up from behind, shouted at Gu Kaige along the roadside in unison.

“Bastard Gu Kaige! No wife, no car!”

Fan Xia stood at the front, pointing his right index finger at Gu Kaige as he shouted.

He shouted once, and the students behind him echoed back in unison.

It was perfectly synchronized, loud enough to shake mountains and rivers; inside and out, everyone was cursing Kai Ge together.

Even the old tractor driver joined in, repeating the insults in the local dialect.

Ning Xiaobei clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he leaned back and forth. Fan Xia, as always, had somehow activated his quirky skill points in this weird little moment.

At Fan Xia’s command, the tractor came to a stop in front of the two men.

“Fan Xia, you guys are so cool.”

Gu Kaige wasn’t the petty type; students composing a silly couplet at him was nothing. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the obviously capable farm tractor in front of him, his desire clear as day.

Even though ten kilometers would be a piece of cake for him, who could resist the convenience of a ride? Especially with the sun blazing down today.

Fan Xia waved his hand and sneered, “Sorry, this ride’s already been fully booked by me. We’re just here to say hi to the teacher. Uncle, let’s go.”

The old man, who had pocketed fifty yuan from Fan Xia, nodded and pressed the accelerator.

The students let out a chorus of shrieks, as if they weren’t riding a tractor at all but a stretched Rolls-Royce.

“Wait, wait for me!”

Teacher Peng raised his hands high and hurried after them. “Take me too. He goes his way, I go mine. We’re not on the same team.”

“Teacher Peng bravely draws a line with Kai Ge, cutting ties with the dark forces. This is highly commendable,” Fan Xia joked, clearly enjoying watching Gu Kaige flounder.

Fan Xia had the tractor stop and, together with Ning Xiaobei, helped pull Peng Yue onto the tractor. The students erupted in cheers again, almost tipping the trailer over.

The tractor clattered off, leaving a trail of smoke behind, much to Gu Kaige’s dismay.

Five minutes later, the tractor stopped outside the East Gate of the Botanical Garden. The students jumped off, while Fan Xia and Ning Xiaobei went to buy tickets. With their student IDs, they got half-price entry.

Once inside, the kids scattered in all directions.

Tan Ruirui naturally took her two little tagalongs with her, and the other boys and girls split into small groups to explore.

“Are we really not waiting for Teacher Gu?”

Holding his ticket stub, Ning Xiaobei looked at Fan Xia with some concern.

“What’s there to worry about? We agreed to meet back at the East Gate at 2 p.m.. They all have watches and money. They’re grown-ups, they won’t get lost. Besides, if even Teacher Peng isn’t worried, why should you be?”

Truth be told, the fastest to disappear earlier was Teacher Peng; now he was gone without a trace.

“I saw on the map at the entrance that there’s a lake inside the garden. Let’s go boating. I also brought badminton rackets. After we eat, we can find a patch of grass and play.”

At the end of the day, he had little interest in the plants themselves; he just wanted to get some fresh air.

Ding Zheyang wanted to pair off with Chang Leyun, but she insisted that their relationship remain a secret until graduation. Reluctantly, he had no choice but to join the usual four-person group activity.

Right at the park entrance was a bike rental spot. The four of them rented bicycles and pedaled toward the lake dock.

“Jian Guo, the wind’s calm today. How about we go boating?”

Early in the morning they drove to the Botanical Garden. Because it was the weekend, the road was a bit congested. Zhao Jingwen circled the garden once by car before finally finding a parking lot at the West Gate. The two bought their tickets and entered.

As soon as they passed the West Gate, they were greeted by a shimmering expanse of water, and Zhao Jingwen felt his heart stir. Last time he had gone boating with Ning Jianguo, Fan Xia was just in elementary school. Back then, their factory had organized a spring outing for the most diligent workers to row on Yinchu Lake at Changfeng Park.

“Boating? No way, I don’t have the strength,” Ning Jianguo said, his waist still aching, waving his hands hurriedly.

“Oh, don’t worry. you don’t have to row, I’ll do it.”

Zhao Jingwen’s sunglasses glinted over a dazzling smile.

Now something of a figure in the fashion world, he was dressed in the latest pale blue spring casual shirt, tight washed jeans, and a white wool sweater draped over his shoulders, loosely knotted at the collar like in a Japanese drama. Walking from the parking lot, he drew many glances; some even mistook him for a minor celebrity.

Ning Jianguo, working at the school, was dressed much more plainly. Standing side by side, he looked somewhat ordinary, but as the saying goes, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” Even in rags, Zhao Jingwen would see him as the sexiest man alive.

Ning Jianguo cast a cold eye on Zhao Jingwen, who had been excited since leaving home, and felt he resembled one of those male birds in 《Animal World》 desperately strutting in front of females in spring. In his mind, he could almost hear Zhao Zhongxiang’s deep narration:

⟦ Spring has arrived, and all life awakens. It is the season of reproduction. Let us enter Shanghai Botanical Garden and observe this male citizen surnamed Zhao…⟧

The male citizen, Zhao Jingwen, pushed Ning Jianguo to the West-side boat dock to buy tickets. Once on board, they fitted bright orange life jackets, and Zhao Jingwen rolled up his sleeves, huffing and puffing, rowing toward the center of the lake.

Because it was still early, there weren’t many boats on the lake. The surface looked like a vast silver mirror, smooth and undisturbed by the gentle breeze. Weeping willows and peach trees lined the shore, their supple branches drooping toward the water. Long branches brushed the surface, sending golden ripples outward, encircling the small boats. Peach blossoms fluttered in the spring wind, drifting onto the lake.

“Fan Xia, do you even know how to row?”

Ning Xiaobei propped his chin on his hand, watching Ding Zheyang and the others in their rented electric swan boat steadily pull fifty meters ahead. Meanwhile, his and Fan Xia’s small hand-cranked boat was still circling at the dock.

He frowned, feeling a ticklish sensation around his eyebrows, and instinctively scratched. After a while, he noticed his cheeks were starting to feel warm.

“Of course I can! How could I not? I’m just warming up, testing the feel. In a bit, I’ll pass those two in front, just wait and see.”

Fan Xia’s pride was bigger than a duck’s stubbornness. Even though he was already drenched in sweat, he refused to switch to an electric boat.

He had just been mocking Ding Zheyang for only turning the rudder without any real manly spirit, and now he couldn’t possibly follow in his footsteps.

“Then get used to it quickly. We only rented the boat for thirty minutes total, and we’ve already wasted five minutes standing still.”

Ning Xiaobei sighed helplessly, opening a magazine to shield his head from the sun, glancing enviously at Ding Zheyang’s boat.

The big white swan boat had already reached the middle of the lake. Chang Leyun had brought a pale blue parasol and opened it as soon as she got on. From this angle, the white hull was capped with a small blue cover, like a delicate lily of the valley.

On their side, Zhao Jingwen and Ning Jianguo had also reached the center of the lake. He set down the oars and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“How’s that? My arm strength hasn’t faded a bit since back in the day!”

Zhao Jingwen said, flexing his biceps with a proud grin.

“Real men row their own boats. Look at those love-struck kids, so boring, all riding electric boats. You can’t even hear them talk over the ‘vroom vroom vroom’ of the motors, not a bit romantic.”

“Yeah, sure, you’re the romantic one.”

Ning Jianguo reached over and hooked Zhao’s sunglasses off his nose, putting them on himself.

“How boring? Look over there, two boys and a girl, sharing one boat. That’s fun!”

Ning Jianguo watched Tan Ruirui and the others in their motorboat. Since all three were in casual clothes, he didn’t realize they were students from the affiliated high school, and though just ordinary young people from the community.

Despite being three people, Tan Ruirui’s group looked happy, rowing and singing. Not the old-school 《Let’s Row the Boat》, but 《The Water of West Lake, My Tears》.

They started, and a few nearby students joined in, creating a chorus of young voices across the lake singing 《Waiting for a Thousand Years²The line “the water of West Lake, my tears” is known from the 1992 TV drama 《New Legend of Madame White Snake》‘s theme song《Waiting for a Thousand Years》, originally sung by Sammi Kao》— quite amusing in its own way.

“Hmm… I think I just heard Lele’s voice?”

Zhao Jingwen squinted and looked around.

But with the sun high overhead and his sunglasses in Jianguo’s hands, all he could see were glaring silver reflections on the water.

A big white swan boat passed by, making their little wooden boat rock and splash water everywhere.

“I must be imagining things.”

Meanwhile, the small wooden boat that had been circling the dock for ten minutes finally left the dock. Fan Xia shouted in excitement to celebrate.

“Boss, let’s head to the island in the middle of the lake! I heard the view there is amazing.”

Now that he’d gotten the hang of rowing, Fan Xia pumped all his strength into it, and their boat shot toward the east like an arrow.

“Jianguo, let’s go to the island. The sun’s too strong; let’s find some shade there.”

Zhao Jingwen shaded his eyes with one hand, squinting.

……………… 

Author’s Note:

Fan Xia and Zhao Jingwen: I look the coolest when I row!

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• 1
  人民教师 (people’s teacher): Term for state-certified teachers in China
• 2
  The line “the water of West Lake, my tears” is known from the 1992 TV drama 《New Legend of Madame White Snake》‘s theme song《Waiting for a Thousand Years》, originally sung by Sammi Kao