Chapter 58: Exclusive to Jinjiang 2/2

The male teacher said that Teacher Wang was “fortunate” and asked if she wanted to go to the office to catch up. So, Mrs. Wang took Old Song away again, leaving the two kids in the middle of the playground.

“You two can stroll around. We’ll find you after our chat,” Mrs. Wang said.

Song Fuzhi chuckled, “We seem like those kids left in the children’s playground when the adults go shopping.”

Shi Zhang laughed unceremoniously.

The two walked along the open corridor, starting on the first floor.

Song Fuzhi reached the entrance of his former class. The lights were off inside, and students’ desks were scattered with books and papers.

Although the classroom door was open, he didn’t go inside; he just stood at the door and peered in.

“The blackboard has been replaced.” Song Fuzhi smiled, pointing inside. “Now it has a screen too.”

Shi Zhang also remarked, “The air conditioning has been changed, and the desks and podium too. It’s almost unrecognizable.”

“The recycling bin; this tradition unexpectedly continued; that’s good.” Song Fuzhi pointed at a large cardboard box next to the classroom door, filled with completed notebooks in disarray.

“Now thinking about it, our high school was quite advanced. We had environmental awareness even back then.” Song Fuzhi said, “In each class of our grade, there was a big cardboard box at the front. After using up draft books, papers, and waste paper, we would throw them in. It was collected once a month, and we made quite a bit of money for class funds. It was also a form of recycling.”

Song Fuzhi asked Shi Zhang, “Did your class have that too?”

Shi Zhang nodded. “Yes. We recycled every half month in our senior year because we went through draft paper too quickly.”

“Hahaha,” Song Fuzhi laughed. “Speaking of which, there’s something I still remember to this day that’s quite strange.”

“After my freshman year exams, I threw my used draft book into the recycling bin with my deskmate. The next day happened to be the recycling day, so the class committee placed the cardboard box outside the classroom for the staff’s convenience.”

Shi Zhang had a moment of stiffness but casually said, “And then…”

“Then the next day, I came over to argue with a classmate about a question. I had the solution to that problem written in my draft book, so I wanted to salvage it before the recycling team arrived. But, after turning the entire box upside down, I couldn’t find my draft book. My deskmate’s notebook was still neatly inside, but mine was gone.”

Professor Shi stroked his chin and said, “It’s really miraculous.”

“Indeed, quite miraculous. My deskmate and I searched for it for half a day but couldn’t find it; it just vanished like that.” Song Fuzhi smiled. “At that time, ghost stories were popular in our class, and it scared us. We even thought it was a spirit or some kind of monster that chose me.”

Professor Shi nodded in a serious manner. “I guess some monster took a liking to you and wanted to make you its wife in the mountain stronghold.”

Song Fuzhi joked, “If they wanted to make me their wife in the mountain stronghold, they could have just come and found me. Why bother taking my messy draft book?”

Professor Shi replied, “Maybe it was a kind-hearted monster, afraid that it would be too fierce and scare you.”

His tone was light, but inside, a fervent yet restrained wave surged within him.

He could confess to Song Fuzhi about his background, the mistakes he had made, and even some less common interests. However, this particular aspect, which he was unwilling to reveal to Song Fuzhi—

During his adolescence, where light and darkness intertwined, Song Fuzhi entered his life without any reason.

Like how Professor Shi fell in love with the sprawling Vallémais pine, when Song Fuzhi, wearing the red armband of a duty student, caught him smoking in a corner of the campus, he began following this young man with silent gazes.

Now, with fate turning and twisting, he was already married to Song Fuzhi. The unconventional way he followed her should be buried forever.

There was no monster; there was only a reckless and insecure senior student.

The two teachers chatted casually as they walked, strolling upstairs and then down the corridor.

“The blackboard behind the classroom has been replaced with a larger one,” Song Fuzhi said at the entrance of a class. “This class has done a good job with the blackboard.”

Professor Shi raised his eyebrows and said, “It’s skillfully done.”

The blackboard displayed an anime character, sharp-eyed and cool, holding a legendary magic sword that could shatter into countless pieces. The robe fluttered in the wind.

Next to it was written in vigorous brushstrokes, “Success in the Senior Year!”

“This combination of text and image is quite fitting,” Song Fuzhi remarked.

In the morning, Professor Shi learned that Song Fuzhi also enjoyed watching anime, so he jokingly asked, “Have you seen this one?”

“I have.” Song Fuzhi nodded. “Two episodes during one meal.”

Professor Shi sighed. “We could have watched during dinner in the evenings. It’s a pity we didn’t do that before.”

Song Fuzhi smiled. “Having simple chats during dinner is also good.”

He then asked, “What about you? Did you ever draw on the blackboard in the class before?”

“Me?” Professor Shi pointed at himself and shook his head. “I’m okay with drawing flowers, leaves, and trees, but anything else is a mess. Moreover, at that time, only Ouyang Xixi and I liked watching anime in our class. It was quite niche back then.”

Professor Shi laughed, “I was quite a scoundrel back then. I secretly read comics during Teacher Wang’s class and got caught by her. She confiscated it and returned it after keeping it for a semester. She even scolded me, saying I was reading what she called ‘little people books,’ questioning why, as an adult, I read pictures and not words. I couldn’t explain to her that comics and ‘little people books’ are different.”

Song Fuzhi laughed for a while. “Actually, my mom still doesn’t know about my interest in these things. I never mentioned it, and she never asked.”

Professor Shi teased, “Uh-oh, when Teacher Wang goes back and discovers that her thirty-year-old son still loves reading ‘little people’s books.'”

“But things have changed a lot now.” Song Fuzhi smiled and said, “Students in the class openly discuss these things, and most teachers have some understanding. The number of people who like these things has increased a lot.”

Professor Shi was genuinely curious: “So, how did you get into it in the first place? When was it?”

Song Fuzhi didn’t mind mentioning it casually. He wasn’t embarrassed.

“It was in my freshman year. I happened to find a manga on my mom’s desk, and out of curiosity, I opened it and found it interesting.”

But halfway through her sentence, Song Fuzhi suddenly stopped. Professor Shi also froze.

Song Fuzhi’s eyes stared blankly. “Uh, you just said you were caught with a manga a few years ago.”

Professor Shi’s throat moved. “Senior year. I didn’t listen to Teacher Wang during the exam, so she got angry and confiscated it, keeping it for a semester.”

At this moment, Song Fuzhi was in his freshman year.

Song Fuzhi asked again, “Was it the first semester or the second semester?”

Professor Shi said, “First semester…”

By now, Song Fuzhi was having difficulty breathing. “Do you remember what manga you were caught with?”

Professor Shi supported his forehead, and his voice trembled. “I remember it very clearly. Do you remember what you read?”

“Of course, I remember.” Song Fuzhi widened her eyes. “That was the first manga I ever read!”

Professor Shi felt a layer of hot sweat racing down his back. “I was caught with a manga about a maritime adventure.”

 “With a loud bang, Song Fuzhi directly slammed his palm against the wall.

The two stood outside the classroom where they used to study in the past, one leaning against the wall with a bowed head, the bangs trembling to cover the expression, and the other looking up at the sky, the Adam’s apple not moving for a while.

It was unclear who let out a suppressed and sustained low laugh from their lungs, like a spark igniting a fuse. The laughter between the two gradually increased.

“Damn, I really can’t believe it.” Song Fuzhi wiped away the tears that came from laughter.

Shi Zhang laughed even more, unable to say anything.

When Teacher Wang and Doctor Song came to pick them up, they encountered this scene at the entrance of the high school classroom.

Two men in their thirties were laughing so hard at the entrance of the high school classroom that one was squatting and the other was bending over, very undignified.

“Are they crazy?”

Teacher Wang’s expression disappeared from her face. As soon as she spoke, she became the old head teacher for many years. “I walked up from below and heard you laughing. You two are the noisiest in the whole school. Where’s the discipline?”

Unexpectedly, when Teacher Wang came, these two big guys laughed even more joyfully.

Teacher Wang frowned, and after a long time, she slowly relaxed.

This scene was unusual. The two usually well-mannered adults had turned into this. It was probably because they really encountered something interesting.

Teacher Wang smiled helplessly. “I really don’t understand…”

Old Song sighed worriedly. “I said they sleep too much. It will make them stupid.”