Winter Returns

Chapter 6: Can we go back in time?
The classrooms were gradually filled.

There was a lot of chattering around.

In the monotonous campus life, even changing seats can become one of the few novel things.

We've been classmates for four years, a simple greeting would have been enough, but some people insisted on shaking hands, making it seem like we were establishing diplomatic relations.

In contrast, the atmosphere between Zhang Shutong and Gu Qiumian could only be described as awkward.

They were both engrossed in packing their schoolbags.

Leaving aside Gu Qiu Mian's situation for now, Zhang Shutong is genuinely busy trying to organize the materials from eight years ago, which is a very time-consuming task.

The next class is English. Just by glancing around, you can tell that someone has their English test paper on the table, probably to go over the questions.

He finally finished organizing his things and found his English test paper. He felt he had been very slow. His gaze fell on his deskmate, who was still tidying up.

Zhang Shutong smiled helplessly. She guessed that the girl didn't want to talk to her, but staying in her seat would make her look silly, so she found something to do to make herself look busy.

Although I can understand this line of thinking;

But aren't your arms tired?
During the break between classes, he took out the test paper and glanced at it.

I was worried that I would fall behind in class and forget everything I learned back then.

But upon closer inspection, it turns out to be quite simple. Of course, English is an exception. Geography, which was the most troublesome subject, has already been tested at the end of the semester. I'm not too worried about Chinese; it all depends on my accumulated knowledge.
As for math... I still remember the relevant knowledge of geometry and algebra, but I've forgotten the problem-solving strategies. Doing some practice problems might help.

Political history is a subject that relies entirely on memorization. He used to take notes diligently, and his teacher would always earnestly tell him, "If you memorize these notes carefully, you will definitely be able to use them in the future." In reality, he never used them in the future, but they came in handy when he went back to the past.

Moreover, he's always been quite bright, so rote memorization is a piece of cake for him. It just requires sacrificing some of his free time, and he focuses mainly on math.

Having a plan for his future studies, Zhang Shutong sat quietly in his seat, taking in all the scenes from his student days.

While listening to the conversations of the students around me, I belatedly realized that it was quite a coincidence that I had chosen this seat.

In front of me was Lu Qinglian, beside me was Gu Qiumian, and with myself added to the mix, all three victims were now present.

The feng shui of this place is really bad.

If we have the chance to have a class reunion eight years from now, and the class monitor says that it's been a long time since we've seen each other, and three people are missing today, can you guess who they are? But there's no prize for guessing correctly... Well, he doesn't have much of a sense of humor.

Zhang Shutong has gotten used to being alone over the years. If he has nothing to do, his thoughts easily wander. He thought that if there were study groups in the class, he could give them a banner that reads "Most Quiet Group".

Even when participating in the "Silent Challenge," he still managed to win first place:

Lu Qinglian has always been a quiet person, and at this moment she has no interaction with her new deskmate. She is in a similar situation. Gu Qiumian is fine, but who made it so that her enemy is sitting next to her?

He never minds awkward silences. He thinks it's nice to sit together, chin in hand, and look at the snow outside the teaching building. He might be a little silly, but he's happy. One of the main reasons he likes fishing is that it allows him to daydream and think.

He didn't mind, but Gu Qiumian did.

I glanced at her and saw that she was still busy with a frown on her face.

You've practically worn out my backpack from all that studying it.

Thinking this, a cookie whose brand I couldn't recognize was handed to me:

"Here, take this. I can borrow your English test paper later."

Gu Qiumian said with a stern face.

It turned out she really was looking for something, and after searching for a long time, she embarrassingly couldn't find it.

Most people would say, "Could I borrow your English test paper? I accidentally forgot to bring it." They would even politely add a thank you, but she didn't.

Zhang Shutong thought this sentence had the air of a young lady from a wealthy family. She nodded and took the cookies, then pushed the English test paper to the middle.

"Isn't the answer to this question B?" Gu Qiumian asked again after looking at it for a while, but she didn't look at Zhang Shutong. She just stared at the test paper, her expression very stream-of-consciousness.

Zhang Shutong glanced at it, pointed to option A with his finger, and kept his mouth full while eating a cookie.

The cookies were quite delicious, they were cheese-flavored.

But why is it salty?

After swallowing it almost completely, he habitually explained, "This question tests the past progressive tense."

He used to tutor people in English online.

Gu Qiu Mian's strength is that she's never stubborn. If you tell her something, she'll think about it for a while, and nod when she understands, unlike some students who will raise an innocent face and ask, "Teacher, why do I feel this way..."

The teacher doesn't know either.

Is there anything else you don't understand?

"Gone."

Another bag of cookies was handed to him. Gu Qiuming said she didn't like owing people favors. Zhang Shutong asked if they could be sweet instead, as he couldn't eat salty ones.

"No," she refused decisively, adding, "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"That's not necessary."

"You came over here just to eat cookies?" Gu Qiumian's tone was calm, but it sounded sarcastic.

How did we end up back on this topic again?

Zhang Shutong simply praised her, "Your funny face is beautifully drawn," pointing to the glass, "You have a lot of artistic talent."

To everyone's surprise, she angrily retorted:

"That's a sheep!"

sheep?
Zhang Shutong was taken aback.

"Goats and sheep?"

It's not even related to Pleasant Goat.

Gu Qiu Mian completely ignored him, hastily wiped the glass, and then glared at him fiercely.
"What kind of look is that? Even my former deskmate could tell."

"Yes, yes." I'm so sorry for separating you two. "How about I switch with him?"

"Forget it, he's too annoying." She rolled her eyes. "You're annoying too, but talk less."

They seemed to become acquainted instantly, and Zhang Shutong decided to capitalize on this strength by decisively shutting up.

Speaking of which, that old classmate... I think his name was Zhou Ziheng, the slightly dark-skinned boy I saw not long ago.

Thinking of this, Zhang Shutong looked around the classroom, but unexpectedly the other person was staring at him. When their eyes met, the person quickly lowered his head.

Zhang Shutong looked away, feeling puzzled.

A moment later, Du Kang came running back, panting. The kid glanced at Lu Qinglian as soon as he entered the door, then frantically winked at him. Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "It's a pity our telepathic connection is long gone, I can't understand what you mean."

There were nearly sixty students in their class, and the seating arrangement hadn't been completed yet. The homeroom teacher told Du Kang to distribute the milk while they had the chance.

As they passed Zhang Shutong, the other person deliberately slowed down and lowered their voice:

"I'm dizzy."

Don't get dizzy, I feel dizzy just hearing these old jokes.

Zhang Shutong had assumed it was about Lu Qinglian's seat, pointing to the empty seat with the school uniform on it, indicating it was reserved for him. To everyone's surprise, Du Kang looked deeply moved.
"That's enough, that's enough. I never expected you to go to such lengths for me, buddy."

What are you talking about? I really don't understand. Let's stick to some old jokes.

Then Du Kang muttered:
"Although I did tell you that I wanted to sit behind Lu Qinglian, she happened to sit in front of Gu Qiumian, so there was nothing anyone could do, right? You really don't need to provoke Gu Qiumian for my sake. You can't get rid of her anyway, so you still failed."

"..."

As he spoke, he started throwing out idioms: "But I'm not saying this to criticize you, but it's wrong of you to offer yourself up to a tiger, Shutong. As the old saying goes, a wise man doesn't stand under a dangerous wall. Look, Gu Qiumian is glaring at us..."

After saying that, he was so frightened that he turned and ran away.

"What were you two talking about just now?" Sure enough, Miss Gu's voice came from beside her. She said with dissatisfaction, "What Gu Qiu Mian, Gu Qiu Mian."

“He originally wanted to sit next to you, but I took the seat, so he came to settle the score with me,” Zhang Shutong replied calmly.

This explanation is reasonable. It is common knowledge that Du Kang likes Lu Qinglian, and even he himself could discover it back then.

"cut."

Gu Qiumian then made a cryptic "tsk" sound.

A little while later, Du Kang ran over again, waving a plastic bag in his hand. Inside were two cartons of milk. He handed it to Zhang Shutong, saying, "Strawberry."

"I don't want it, you decide for yourself," Zhang Shutong hinted.

"Hey, what's there to feel guilty about for just one seat? You love strawberry drinks the most."

...No, please stop talking, the tiger is already watching me.

He pretended to poke Lu Qinglian with his pen, meaning that if she gave it to him, he would give it to her. Du Kang then quieted down, took a step forward, stammered for a while, and finally said:
"Um, Lu, there's some milk left over today, do you want some...?"

"No, thank you."

A clear, crisp voice drifted over.

Then the kid was at a loss. Zhang Shutong was anxious for him, thinking to himself, "Hurry up and find a reason. It's just that the weather is nice. I'll offer you milk instead of saying nothing."

Du Kang didn't dare to look Lu Qinglian in the eye. Just then, the homeroom teacher finished arranging the seats, clapped his hands, and shooed the children away like chicks, "Hurry up and sit down, you've said enough."

Du Kang hurried back, afraid that Old Song would say, "Hey Du Kang, why didn't you give me the leftover milk?" That would be incredibly embarrassing.

At this moment, a girl who wanted to get water tried to act cute in a high-pitched voice:

"Oh dear, teacher, you forgot that the bell hasn't rung yet."

Song Nanshan revealed a cruel smile:
"You forgot that my class is next period."

The class erupted in groans.

It's a habit of every teacher to take up time during breaks, regardless of who they are or how they treat others.
But their homeroom teacher has one good point: they allow students to drink water during class.

Zhang Shutong didn't know where some teachers got so many rules from, not even allowing cups to be placed on the desk. But with Song Nanshan, as long as you don't eat during class, you can drink milk whenever you want.

Of course, many well-behaved students also have a habit of drinking after class—like Lu Qinglian;
When the teacher told her to go back and sit properly, she sat there with her back straight, like a swan gracefully stretching its neck, and carefully reviewed the test paper.
There are also "bad students".

For example, Zhang Shutong didn't stand on ceremony in front of Song Nanshan; he just casually tied up his straw as if nothing was wrong.

Of course, he can't eat the cookies anymore. People should respect each other. Old Song gave him face earlier. Since he's already said he'll be in class, he won't take advantage of his good relationship with the homeroom teacher to show off how special he is. That's something he wouldn't have done in his student days.

Take Zhang Shutong's deskmate, for example—no wonder Miss Gu's family is so rich. While others drink student milk, she calmly pulls out a box of Mengniu milk from her Doraemon-like backpack and inserts a straw.

How could there be heretics who like to drink pure milk?

Miss Gu didn't drink it immediately. As if she remembered something, she slapped her carton of student milk in front of Zhang Shutong and said casually:
"Here, here you go."

Is this also a perk of being deskmates?

Zhang Shutong thought with amusement that he now knew why his old classmate Gu Qiumian always stared at him, since he had snacks when he was hungry and milk when he was thirsty.

“This one is sweet too, so we’re even.” She added this explanation before holding the milk tea to her chest, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

"Thanks for that."

Next comes the enjoyable class time.

Their school doesn't have multimedia equipment yet; there's only a projector next to the podium. You just put the exam paper on the device and it will be projected onto the screen. When the sunlight is strong, you inevitably have to draw the curtains.

Then Song Nanshan took out his dirty briefcase, saying, "Quiet, quiet, you can look at it yourselves first," while searching for the exam papers inside. He kept muttering to himself, "Hey, I remember putting it here..."

Seeing this incredibly absurd scene, Zhang Shutong felt a sense of familiarity.

When he was a child, he seemed completely unlike an adult. He would smoke in front of them on weekends without any attempt to avoid suspicion. He also filled his drawer with lollipops because he wanted to quit smoking, and would give one to anyone who was wronged. He never called his students by their full names, but rather by names like Shutong, Ruoping, or Qinglian. Although he still couldn't define maturity, Zhang Shutong sincerely felt that Song Nanshan was an excellent teacher.

But you couldn't have actually lost the exam paper, could you?
Fortunately, Song Nanshan finally found it after searching for a long time and projected it onto the big screen. Some questions were marked with numbers, probably to count how many students got them wrong. You could also see some red oil stains in the lower left corner.

This is the tragedy of single men.

The reason I understand is because Zhang Shutong used to eat and work at the same time quite often.

But as soon as Song Nanshan started talking about knowledge points, that unreliable air suddenly disappeared, and he became like a commander-in-chief in front of a thousand troops, confident and prepared.

"This question looks complicated, but as long as you pay attention to the tense..."

"And this one, although it has a very obscure word, it doesn't matter if you don't understand it. I'll teach you a trick: when 'but' indicates a change of direction, you can treat everything that came before as... cough, ignore it all."

He described the exam paper in a structured, fast, and detailed manner, but for Zhang Shutong, these questions were all rather child's play.

So instead of attending the class, he took the opportunity to mentally work through the test paper.

Another person who wasn't paying attention was Lu Qinglian. She had her head down and was writing something with a pen.

"Look at this one, a typical question. I'm too lazy to go over it anymore. Didn't I emphasize it countless times before the exam? This is the last time I'm saying it." Don't take the teacher's "last time" too seriously. "By the way, this type of question was also in this week's homework. Those who did it carefully should have noticed it. I'll just go over it together."

After finishing speaking, Song Nanshan started rummaging through his briefcase again. He had been talking enthusiastically, but as he searched, he became impatient and simply picked up the top book from the stack of "53" textbooks on the podium:
"Alright, let's look at other people's work first. I already wrote down my annotations, I'll write them on the blackboard later, everyone stay focused..."

Zhang Shutong had just finished drinking the first carton of student milk and was about to drink the second one. He tore open the plastic wrap and put the straw in his mouth, which made the person watching laugh.

The same recipe, the same taste, the same unreliability.

Song Nanshan was unaware that his "favorite general" was secretly criticizing him. He quickly returned to the instrument, turned his back, opened the cover, and was quite satisfied:

“It happens to be Shutong’s. Let him come up and tell you about it in a bit.”

Zhang Shutong paused upon hearing this.

Although he doesn't remember anything about the English homework, given his English level, if he were to stand up and explain it on the spot, he would definitely be able to explain it in more detail than the homeroom teacher.

Therefore, explaining the questions has never been a problem.

The question is... why is that "53" textbook his own?
Wu San was sent to the projector like a prisoner bound hand and foot being led to the guillotine, awaiting the moment the blade would fall and his head would roll to the ground.

Zhang Shutong suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. He always trusted his intuition and instinctively stood up.
"Wait--"

Unfortunately it was too late.

The room was quiet at this moment. Some students were staring intently at the blank projector, while others were whispering to each other.
The teacher, Song Nanshan, hurriedly turned to the homework page of the "53" textbook; the boy, Zhang Shutong, quickly stood up; the girl in front of him, who had been looking down, happened to look up at this moment; and the girl sitting next to him was startled and turned her face in surprise.

The scene seemed to freeze.

Immediately afterward, under the watchful eyes of countless people, the image that appeared on the projector was not yesterday's homework, but a piece of scrap paper.

Three names were written on the scrap paper: Zhang Shutong, Lu Qinglian, and Gu Qiumian.

The three names were even linked together to form a triangle.

All eyes turned to Zhang Shutong.

Gu Qiu Mian's surprised expression seemed to freeze on her face, but her entire face had visibly turned red, and then she glared at him fiercely:
"Bring it!"

Without a word, the girl reached out and snatched the unopened milk from the student.

Zhang Shutong bit the soft flesh in her mouth, and it hurt.

He slowly sat down, a light straw in his mouth, and unconsciously gasped for breath, his mind filled with only one thought.

Is it possible to go back in time?
(End of this chapter)