Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

After lunch, Li Baihui rode her Phoenix brand bicycle to school, thinking she would be the first one there, but unexpectedly bumped into Qin Yuechuan, who was engrossed in his studies.

"Qin Xiaochuan!" Li Baihui greeted him warmly, then asked with concern, "When were you discharged from the hospital? Is your injury any better? I was just saying I was going to visit you at the hospital, but I didn't know which one you were in?"

"No... I'm fine..." Yue Chuan glanced at Li Baihui, and his face flushed red.

The boy was indeed a little embarrassed. The news of him being beaten and hospitalized had spread like wildfire, and he wasn't mentally strong enough to remain unfazed.

"How could you be alright! I heard about it. Those thugs really went all out. Come on, let me see where you're hurt." As she spoke, Li Baihui moved closer to Yue Chuan and gently stroked the boy's hair with her slender fingers, clearly checking his injuries.

Yue Chuan immediately turned into a frightened kitten. He hurriedly dodged and said repeatedly, "I'm really fine! It was my cousin who insisted that I stay in the hospital for observation."

"Oh, so your cousin picked you up from the hospital?" Li Baihui turned into a curious child, wanting to know everything.

"Yes, that's right."

"This week is supposed to be a long week, you could have rested at home for a couple more days, why are you at school so early?"

After being discharged from the hospital, Yue Chuan didn't go home at all, and naturally didn't know how to respond to the other person. The boy scratched his head and said helplessly, "I haven't had class for almost a week, I need to catch up!"

Hearing this, Li Baihui smiled, her dimples immediately appearing on her rosy cheeks. The girl took out a neat notebook from her bag. "Here, I prepared it for you a long time ago. If you don't understand anything, just ask. Don't be shy!"

Li Baihui usually wears her hair in a ponytail, but today she took off her hair clip, and her long, flowing hair smelled of shampoo. Not to mention Yue Chuan, even Liu Xiahui, who could remain unmoved by a woman in his lap, would be confused.

At that moment, Yue Chuan was a little afraid to look directly at the other person, blushing and burying his head in his notebook. The boy felt warm inside and quickly adjusted his state and began to concentrate on studying. The efficiency of the top student was beyond the reach of ordinary people. He finished a week's worth of courses in half a day. However, this was also thanks to Li Baihui's notes, which really saved a lot of trouble!

Evening self-study time has arrived, and the classroom is full of people. In the back row, Aying pretends to stretch and takes the opportunity to steal a glance at Yue Chuan.

Yue Chuan was injured while standing up for his mother, so A Ying was naturally grateful. After thinking for a long time, she went to the county hospital over the weekend, only to find out that Yue Chuan had already been discharged and returned to school.

The classroom was packed with people, and Aying didn't know how to thank the other person. In desperation, she remembered her old routine and wrote a thank-you note:

Hello, Qin Yuechuan!

I am Zhao Sumei's daughter, Zhao Aying. Thank you for risking your own safety to help my mother. I am deeply sorry for your hospitalization due to your injuries!

I won't say more words of gratitude. I just want to say one thing: if those people cause you trouble again in the future, please let me know. Next time, I will definitely not let you be at the forefront.

Besides this matter, I also want to apologize to you. On the first day of school, Li Baihui cried during self-study. I didn't ask her why and questioned her in front of so many classmates. I shouldn't have done that. I hope you can forgive me.

Finally, I want to tell you that before school started, my mom had been talking about you a lot. Throughout the summer vacation, my mom used you to lecture me, saying that you are hardworking, ambitious, and that you paid your tuition through your own labor, and so on and so forth. At that time, I disliked you, but now I have to admit that you are indeed more outstanding and braver than me.

If it weren't for you, I probably would still be ashamed to admit that I am Zhao Sumei's daughter. If it weren't for you, I might still be vain. Fortunately, I have you, so I can face myself honestly and repair my relationship with my mother.

Regardless, I still want to thank you!

Zhao Aying's handwritten letter

December 1996, 11

Aying folded the letter and carefully tucked it into the book. Needless to say, the girl wanted to send the letter out when no one was around, but after observing for a long time, she still couldn't find a suitable opportunity.

At one point, Aying saw Baihui put the earphone into Yuechuan's ear. Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing, Aying felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, but this time it wasn't jealousy—who wouldn't envy two top students sitting side by side?

Aying shook her head and smiled bitterly. To dispel her negative emotions, she simply took Qin Yuechuan and Li Baihui as her role models. Since she couldn't compete with them in terms of family background and appearance, she couldn't fall too far behind academically; otherwise, Aying would really look down on herself.

At this moment, the girl secretly made up her mind that she would do whatever it took to improve her grades, and this would be her only obsession for the next three years.

Of course, Aying also had her own little scheme. Having never paid attention to boys before, she suddenly wanted to be Yue Chuan's deskmate recently. To achieve this small goal, she decided to work hard to become stronger; perhaps, only in this way could she turn the tide.

Compared to her past self, who was always comparing herself to others, Aying has finally found the right direction. This transformation is certainly a form of progress. Growth is truly magical; a single person or event can lead to sudden enlightenment and rebirth. Let's see if this impulsive and strong-willed girl can break free of her cocoon and become a butterfly!

After the "Chonggang Incident," not only did Aying discover Yuechuan's shining qualities, but most of the classmates also gained a new understanding of this poor boy from the mountains. Even though he had an ordinary appearance and his clothes were not very nice, no one thought of him as an easy-to-bully "bookworm" anymore.

Zhou Wenyao already favored Yue Chuan, constantly monitoring his learning progress in class and the Olympiad class. In addition, Teacher Zhou also helped Yue Chuan in his daily life, buying him school supplies and nutritional supplements out of his own pocket, practically treating him as his last disciple.

Despite being fawned over by so many people, Yue Chuan's deep-seated inferiority complex remained. To be honest, the boy was somewhat resistant to others being kind to him; that unconditional kindness made him feel immense pressure. He was afraid that he wouldn't do enough and would let others down, so he became even more taciturn. Only when he retreated into his shell did he feel somewhat safe.

More than anything, Yue Chuan was afraid of people mentioning the "Chonggang" incident. Although it was his battle that made him famous, every time he woke up in the middle of the night, that fat-headed, big-eared "pockmarked nose" would pop up from the depths of his memory, scaring him into a cold sweat and making him feel nauseous.

Yue Chuan is indeed highly intelligent, but he is a late bloomer. He lacks Li Baihui's cheerfulness and A Ying's emotional regulation skills. In terms of mentality, he is even worse than his cousin. At least Qin Shoufeng knows how to confide in others. When he encounters troubles, he will try his best to find someone to talk to. But what about him? He habitually puts himself in a shell and tries to block out all external "interference" as much as possible.

This personality is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows him to focus on his studies; on the other hand, he is completely unable to interact with people. When he encounters strangers, Yue Chuan can't even speak properly, almost like an idiot.

Previously, Yue Chuan could achieve positive results, but as the pressure of studying increased, his shortcomings gradually became apparent. Immersed in a self-imposed pressure, without external intervention, the psychological strain alone could wear him down.

When Yue Chuan reached puberty, his body underwent tremendous changes, but his mindset failed to keep up. He was like a string that was stretched tighter and tighter, and he was at risk of breaking at any moment.

Over time, the boy's personality became increasingly twisted. Whenever he encountered something completely unexpected, he would go crazy. When his emotions accumulated to a certain point, his sudden outburst could be quite startling.

Qin Shuangling knew best about his son's changes. In the past, Yue Chuan would at most bicker with him, but he would still do the chores he was supposed to do. But lately, his son's temper had grown, and as soon as he was caught talking, he would immediately retort until his father's face turned red, making the father have to think twice before speaking.

After several arguments, the father and son disliked each other more and more. If it weren't for Ding Lingfang trying to put out the fires from both sides, the two firecrackers could have blown the roof off.

Even so, there are always times when persuasion fails. In such cases, Ding Lingfang can only call Aimin to her home. With this peacemaker, the father and son don't completely break off their relationship.

Qin Aimin, Yuechuan's true mentor, had a profound influence on him. They spent three years of junior high school together, becoming closer than family. They often worked together on advanced math problems, and this teacher-student/friend relationship became Yuechuan's warmest support during his adolescence.

The road to education is not always smooth, especially for a mountain boy like Yue Chuan. The hardships and difficulties he faces are unimaginable to ordinary people. Fortunately, he has classmates by his side and teachers and elders to protect him. These will be his greatest support in breaking out of the mountains.

Growing up in adversity and overcoming difficulties, this will be his high school years!