Chapter 26: Exclusive to Jinjiang 1/2

The activity was scheduled for the first Friday of the new semester. The school arranged several buses, one for each class. The buses were filled with a lively atmosphere, as if the summer vacation were continuing.

Song Fuzhi and Lao Zhou sat in the front row. There were two kids who got carsick behind them, so Song Fuzhi and Lao Zhou gave up their seats.

Shi Yama sat in the last row, and the area around him immediately quieted down.

Soon, they arrived at their destination. The children got off the bus, and the entire grade-level students gathered at the entrance of the university, looking at the ancient, iconic university gate and exclaiming, “Wow.”

This was the dream of countless students.

The historically rich university campus immersed people as soon as they walked in.

Red brick buildings full of the precipitation of years, arranged flower gardens and ponds, the new teaching buildings were grand and bright, and the library was even more spectacular, making people hold their breath. New and old overlapped here, and among the passing university students, one could still see the shadows of the countless students who poured their youth into this place in the last century.

They toured the main teaching building, cafeteria, library, and playground with the admissions office teacher. At the school history museum, they talked about the history and changes of the university over nearly a century, as well as the countless outstanding talents who had walked out of here.

The children listened earnestly with their faces upturned, and Song Fuzhi gradually became fascinated.

In fact, this was the first time Song Fuzhi had taken this university so seriously. In the past, he had only entered when passing by. Now the university had a different meaning for Song Fuzhi—it was where his husband worked.

Lunch was eaten in the university cafeteria. Teachers sat together and exchanged some information.

In recent years, the affiliated high school has been doing well. Two years ago, they produced the city’s top scorer, but the student chose another prestigious university. Therefore, the university valued their high school and hoped to attract good students.

“Hey, the math teacher of that top scorer is sitting right here!”

Lao Zhou put down his chopsticks and patted Song Fuzhi on the shoulder.

The admissions office teacher, surnamed Wu, was a smart and lively lady.

When she heard this, Director Wu’s eyes narrowed with a smile, and she extended her hand. “Teacher Song, right? I’ve heard so much about you. Let’s skip the pleasantries. Just send us another top scorer next year, and we’ll be satisfied. We’ve already booked it!”

Song Fuzhi shook hands with her, smiling and shaking his head. “Director Wu is joking. It’s all the kids’ own efforts.”

Director Wu laughed heartily. “Let’s stick to the original plan this afternoon. We’ll continue touring the school and then go to the auditorium. Several senior students will share their university life.”

“Alright, thank you for your hard work.” The grade-level director also shook hands with Director Wu.

The university indeed deserved the title of the “most beautiful campus.” It was large in size, with tall trees along the roads, creating a lush greenery. Some even said that this university was built within a forest park, and that wasn’t an exaggeration.

Walking inside felt like strolling through a park. The students walked, stopped, and looked around, their eyes sparkling.

“This is one of the most beautiful places in our school, the Hundred Forest Garden. Small bridges, flowing water, lush greenery, right?” Director Wu smiled. “Many graduates come back here to take wedding photos.”

There were already some people in the Hundred Forest Garden, and Director Wu exclaimed, “There are so many people today. It’s usually quiet.”

Most of the people in the woods were university students. They held phones, taking pictures of plants, occasionally bending down to write something, and discussing things together.

Approaching them, Song Fuzhi saw a professor standing among the students. He wore a black coat that suited him for an outing, holding a roll of paper and a pen.

He began to say, “The essential elements needed for field plant observation notes include time, location, local topography, temperature, and weather.”

“Observing plants is similar to studying traditional Chinese medicine. Look, smell, ask, and touch. For ‘look,’ observe; you can use a camera to capture the different forms of various plant organs. Smell its scent—is it fragrant or somewhat pungent? Touch the leaves; do they have fuzz or fine thorns? As for ‘ask’… you can ask it if being a tree without having to attend an 8 a.m. class is enjoyable.”

The university students laughed, and a few bold high school kids also joined, listening with relish.

Most plants in the school were labeled with their types and characteristics.

A student pointed to the tooth-shaped leaves at the base of a large tree and asked, “Professor, what grass is this? I often see similar ones.”

The professor said, “This is a type of fern. They don’t flower or bear fruit; instead, they reproduce through spores. If you flip their leaves, you’ll see many small spots on the back—those are their spores.”

Many students gathered to look. Shi Zhang smiled and reminded them, “Be careful if you have trypophobia.”

Song Fuzhi didn’t expect them to run into Shi Zhang like this.

Professor Shi was patient and eloquent when lecturing, describing various plants as if introducing friends. He presented his friends to them.

Song Fuzhi had never seen Shi Zhang working before. This was the first time.

very professional and very serious. He knew a lot but didn’t show off; he answered questions willingly. Such a man was very charming.

Lao Zhou pulled the kids back, saying, “Don’t join the crowd; don’t disturb the older brothers and sisters in class.”

Director Wu waved her hand and said, “It’s okay. Let me ask Professor Shi; it’s a good opportunity to get to know him.”

“Professor Shi!”

Director Wu waved and shouted, “Is it time for our practical class?”

Shi Zhang called out “Director Wu” and glanced over the still-inexperienced high school students. Then his gaze fell on Song Fuzhi, and he paused.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Song Fuzhi saw the fleeting surprise in Shi Zhang’s eyes, followed by a layer of indescribable emotions.

“These are students from the Affiliated High School who came to visit our school. Is it convenient for them to listen as well? If it doesn’t disturb you,” Director Wu asked.

Shi Zhang withdrew his gaze from Song Fuzhi. “Mm,” he responded, “this is a general studies class, talking about botany in daily life. Today, I brought them out to learn about the plants on campus. The students can also listen.”

Director Wu smiled happily, then looked at the high school teachers and said, “Let me introduce you quickly.”

“This is Professor Shi Zhang, a renowned scholar in the field of botany. He has contributed a lot of research results and published papers in several well-known journals, gaining international fame.”

This was a genuinely influential researcher. Who knows, in a dozen years, he might be receiving a Nobel Prize. Lao Zhou and the grade-level director greeted him enthusiastically, expressing their admiration: “Too amazing,” “Hello, hello,” and “It’s an honor to meet such a heavyweight scholar.”

“Really, compared to scholars, I know too little,” Shi Zhang said. Compared to geniuses, there were far too many, and scientific research had no end. In the face of nature, people were as light as a feather; what weight was there to speak of?

Song Fuzhi had been standing on the side without speaking. Lao Zhou pushed him from behind, whispering, “Teacher Song, what are you dazing off for? Why not greet the professor?”

The gazes of the teachers from both sides fell on Song Fuzhi, and even Professor Shi looked at him lightly, seemingly without the intention to speak first.

Initially, Song Fuzhi had a slight hesitation—should he introduce their relationship in front of everyone? But now, it seemed inappropriate, and Professor Shi didn’t need that.