Chapter 58: Exclusive to Jinjiang 1/2

The two of them stayed in the house for a while, and when it was almost time for dinner, they decided to leave.

Closing the door with a dull sound, the footsteps of Shi Zhang leaving were light.

Walking in the unfamiliar alley, Song Fuzhi didn’t dare to be too presumptuous, but he couldn’t help himself. He extended a finger and gently placed it on Shi Zhang’s hand.

Here, he didn’t want Shi Zhang to walk alone in loneliness.

Shi Zhang obediently let Teacher Song hold his hand, and the two of them passed by households in silence, not needing to say anything. The warmth of their fingertips was comforting.

After walking for a while, a crisp sound of glass shattering suddenly came from the front of the narrow path. Both of them stopped, furrowing their brows slightly.

Not far away, a man smashed a glass bottle on the ground, stiffly sat in a wooden chair, and raised his feet onto another stool.

“I’m just damn unlucky! One more number, and I could have won. If I lose, can you blame me, huh?”

He shouted angrily towards the house, his voice coarse and abrasive like a saw, making it uncomfortable to listen to.

Song Fuzhi frowned as soon as he heard it.

This person was gambling and drinking.

When they arrived earlier, the area they passed by was littered with glass bottle fragments, and it seemed to be in front of his house.

Song Fuzhi pulled Shi Zhang to the other side and quickened his pace.

Shi Zhang’s fingers seemed a bit stiff; Song Fuzhi had to exert a little more force to guide him.

A gray-haired woman came out of the house, pointing at the man and scolding, “Your father and I earn how much money is never enough for you to squander! You’re almost forty and don’t do anything decent. Get out today, get out, and play however you want. Having a son like you is truly a disaster.”

The man suddenly stood up from the chair, his entire body trembling and his eyes bloodshot, looking frightening and somewhat neurotic.

He stepped forward toward the woman like a terrifying mountain, causing her to take a few steps back.

The man cursed in a rough voice, spitting, “You only know how to curse me. Why didn’t you climb into a wealthy man’s bed back then? Then, I wouldn’t need to go out and earn money to help you repay debts. Even if I don’t have a father, I’d still accept it. I won’t be stuck in this damn place for a lifetime!”

Song Fuzhi’s eyes widened, and his face turned pale.

This was probably one of the neighbors’ kids who had bullied Shi Zhang in the past.

Song Fuzhi turned to look at Shi Zhang, meeting his indifferent gaze.

Shi Zhang lightly pursed his lips and silently tightened his grip on Song Fuzhi’s hand.

As they passed by this family’s doorstep, the man glared at them with a fierce look for several seconds.

After a few seconds, the man turned away, spat on the ground, and walked back to his seat.

Shi Zhang walked forward without looking aside, holding Song Fuzhi’s hand. They steadily left the shattered glass behind.

By the time they left the alley, everything was far away, and the sunlight peacefully spilled onto the spacious street.

“He’s the one who burned my clothes with a cigarette butt before,” Shi Zhang said. “But it seems like he doesn’t recognize me anymore.”

The man didn’t like studying when he was young. After junior high school, he dropped out and engaged in various dubious businesses with his uncle. He hasn’t been to school since.

Song Fuzhi sighed deeply, unsure whether to feel pity or relief.

Shi Zhang lowered his head and said, “He’s not entirely wrong. Although I lived in a bad environment before, money was never an issue. At least, Shi Zhenglin let me go to college and study abroad.”

Song Fuzhi shook his head. “But you achieved that through your own efforts. Walking out of here, it’s all because of you.”

Shi Zhang smiled silently. “Shall we go? Have lunch with my parents.”

They walked side by side towards the center of the town, and Song Fuzhi asked Shi Zhang, “Have you let go?”

“In fact, I feel just the opposite.”

Shi Zhang smiled and squinted his eyes. “For so many years, I didn’t dare to come back because I was afraid of getting involved with this place again. My parents, my childhood, were not very glorious, so I wanted to cut myself off from the past. But…”

He touched Song Fuzhi’s fingertips. “Teacher Song gave me the courage to come back here. No matter what happened before, I was born here.”

Shi Zhang smiled a bit awkwardly. “It seems that after meeting you, I truly accepted myself.”

Song Fuzhi lightly leaned against him and turned her head to the side. “Why so sentimental all of a sudden?”

At noon, they had lunch with Teacher Wang and Doctor Song in a local restaurant.

Old Song asked them where they went in the morning, wondering if they returned to the hotel to catch some more sleep.

Song Fuzhi didn’t want to reveal too much and replied vaguely, “Well, we didn’t sleep for too long…”

Old Song sighed, clearly remembering the last time the two kids slept until noon at his place.

“One shouldn’t sleep too much. It’s good for the body to wake up early and exercise,” Old Song advised.

Song Fuzhi nodded in agreement.

After finishing lunch, the family accompanied Teacher Wang to their former high school. Song Fuzhi and Shi Zhang were back at their alma mater.

It was the weekend, and the school was quiet.

Teacher Wang had already informed the school, so the gatekeeper quickly let them in.

The high school had indeed changed a lot, with a renovated plastic track, taller trees beside the teaching building, and a fresh coat of paint on the building.

The last time Song Fuzhi returned to high school was almost ten years ago, when their family moved away from the town. He and Teacher Wang had come back to bid farewell.

Returning here felt magical for Song Fuzhi. He pointed to a classroom on the first floor, his voice slightly raised. “I used to be in this class.”

Shi Zhang followed Song Fuzhi’s gesture and pointed two floors above, saying, “I was in the class closest to the third floor.”

Song Fuzhi laughed. “So, you climbed stairs for three years!”

Shi Zhang shrugged. “Yeah.”

Mrs. Wang casually mentioned, “I taught three classes on the third floor and climbed stairs for nine years.”

After a brief silence, Shi Zhang diplomatically said, “Teacher Wang, you’ve worked hard.”

Song Fuzhi made a massage motion and joined in the laughter. “Blame the school’s policy. They don’t rotate classrooms. It’s unfair.”

That’s how it was in their high school. One classroom for three years; from the first year to the third year, they never changed rooms, only the class sign at the door.

In the first and second years, Shi Zhang usually left the school directly after descending the stairs. However, in the third year, he always took a longer route down another staircase to pass by Song Fuzhi’s class openly. If lucky, he could catch a glimpse of his junior through the window.

At that time, Shi Zhang had collected many images of the young Song Fuzhi by this window.

Many times, Song Fuzhi sat quietly at his desk, doing homework and occasionally participating in discussions during breaks. Among the chattering high school students, he was usually the quietest.

But back then, Shi Zhang only dared to glance quickly when passing by, not slowing down, not turning his face, just stealing a glance with his peripheral vision.

Years later, today, Shi Zhang turned his head without reservation, looking at Song Fuzhi’s profile. His high nose and beautiful eyes seemed unchanged from their youth.

Sensitively, Song Fuzhi looked at Shi Zhang and whispered, “What’s up?”

Shi Zhang just smiled, shook his head, and said, “Nothing, just looking at you.”

The former teacher and students strolled leisurely on the campus. An older male teacher walked towards them, locking eyes with Teacher Wang. They laughed together after a few seconds.

“Teacher Wang, why are you back? You didn’t even notify me!” The male teacher exclaimed.

“I didn’t want to bother you. Who knew you’d still be at school on the weekend?” Teacher Wang replied with a smile.

The male teacher, once Teacher Wang’s junior colleague, had learned a lot from her. Since he was a fresh graduate, he has now become the grade director of the school.

The male teacher looked at Song Fuzhi and Shi Zhang. Squinting his eyes, he smiled. “Oh, Doctor Song is here too. Little Song has grown so tall and handsome—this beside you is?”

“Shi Zhang is a professor and also a former student here,” Mrs. Wang explained. “They got married, a couple.”

Though her tone was calm, the wrinkles on her face couldn’t hide the joy.