Chapter 66: Youthful Years
Chapter 66: Youthful Years
The autumn sky was clear and crisp, with a light breeze and thin clouds.
As the bell for the end of school rang, the campus quickly came alive with noise and excitement. Happy laughter filled the air, brimming with the vibrant energy and carefree joy of youth.
Compared with the noise and liveliness of other classes, Class One of Grade One was much quieter.
The students did not have the excitement and eagerness after school, nor were there any loud cries calling for friends. Most of them sat quietly at their desks, continuing to study. Those who were about to leave the classroom also packed their books unhurriedly and calmly, then stood up and walked quietly out of the silent classroom…
However, this kind of study atmosphere and environment, which was extremely pleasing to teachers and parents, made Su Chunfeng feel somewhat helpless and sigh—because he knew that under this seemingly good environment and atmosphere, there was immense pressure that tortured and damaged young minds, and it was also a cruel waste of youth.
In fact, even if these young people achieved excellent academic results, how many could truly complete their studies with a healthy mindset and leave behind beautiful, colorful memories of their youth?
Looking at his deskmate Cui Hao beside him, who wore thick glasses with over 500 degrees, was quiet and buried himself in studying, he was a typical example of someone who had become a bookworm. But Su Chunfeng could tell that Cui Hao actually longed to go outside with his classmates, jumping around, talking and laughing. Yet every time he showed a look of envy and longing, gazing at the joyful figures in the schoolyard outside the window, Cui Hao would quickly bite his lip, turn his head, and bury himself in his somewhat painful studying.
Was this really good?
Su Chunfeng gently shook his head, while packing his books, preparing to go for lunch, and then take a nap.
Just then, an excited and slightly anxious voice came from the doorway, breaking the quiet study environment in the classroom: “Chunfeng, come quick, hurry up…”
Su Chunfeng smiled and raised his index finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.
Li Zhichao quickly nodded, an eager expression appearing on his face.
However, Su Chunfeng did not pay much attention to Li Zhichao’s anxious expression. This guy had always been impulsive, sometimes rushing around for no particularly important reason.
Walking outside, Su Chunfeng asked with a smile, “What’s up?”
“Hurry up!” Li Zhichao dragged Su Chunfeng toward the school playground as he ran, saying, “I’ve got something cool to show you… Sun Lei and his crew from senior year arranged a negotiation with Qian Jingjiang’s people after school at noon today. They’ll probably end up fighting. Students from sophomore and freshman year are also involved, at least over a hundred people from both sides!”
“What’s so interesting about that?” Su Chunfeng said, both amused and exasperated.
“Oh, come on,” Li Zhichao said, sounding a bit frustrated, as if disappointed. “You haven’t been in Class One for too long and turned into a total bookworm, have you?”
Su Chunfeng did not say anything more.
Thinking about it, in this era and at this age, if high school students showed no interest in such things, they were easily labeled as odd examples of good students by other boys, who would then look down on them in certain aspects, even feeling like they had nothing in common to talk about—you didn’t have to participate, but you couldn’t avoid watching!
As they approached the edge of the basketball court, they saw that many people had already gathered on the playground.
In the middle, the two groups had already started their negotiation. To put it simply, it was one side pointing and yelling a few words, the other side pointing back and shouting even louder, then one side pushing, the other side shoving, and their supporters starting to make bold threats at each other, glaring fiercely with wide eyes, full of anger and menace, looking as if they would start fighting at the slightest disagreement.
All around the playground, many male and female students had gathered, all showing excited and expectant expressions as they watched the dozens of tough-looking boys in the middle, who held their heads high and exuded a fierce aura.
“Let’s watch from here,” Su Chunfeng pulled Li Zhichao and walked to the parallel bars. He jumped up and sat down, then said with a smile, “You need to have the sense to watch a spectacle from a distance. If you get too close, you might get caught up in the trouble.”
“Are you really that cautious?” Li Zhichao curled his lip as he grabbed the parallel bars and climbed up to sit.
“It’s not worth it if we get bumped into or hurt,” Su Chunfeng looked at the two groups arguing in the distance, their voices growing louder and more aggressive. He said, “Zhichao, let me tell you in advance: you usually hang out closely with people from our Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School and those from our Guanmiao Township, but it’s best not to get involved in such incidents.”
Li Zhichao said with some disappointment and confusion, “Chunfeng, why are you so afraid?”
“It’s not about being afraid. It’s just unnecessary to cause trouble. Didn’t I tell you before that we came here to study? Fighting and violence aren’t healthy!”
“But you also said that not causing trouble doesn’t mean others won’t cause trouble for you.” Li Zhichao raised his eyebrows and said, “I’ve already been in touch with a lot of students from our area, including seniors and sophomores. From what they’ve experienced, if you want to avoid being bullied, first you have to have a group of loyal, united friends. When something happens, everyone steps up together, and no one backs down! Otherwise, here you’ll just end up being bullied.”
“Rough words, but not wrong in meaning.” Su Chunfeng nodded and said, “Making many good friends and buddies is not a bad thing. Helping each other and growing together in future life is great. But your idea is a bit extreme. Having many friends can be for not getting bullied—strength in numbers, right? But it shouldn’t be for showing off, flaunting power, or fighting for meaningless reputation… You have to know, group fights and brawls are most likely to lead to accidents. Like that time with the Ten Brothers at Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School—what if someone had died? Could we have handled that? So, it’s better to avoid trouble whenever possible.”
“This…” Li Zhichao didn’t know how to respond for a moment, but in his heart he did not fully agree with Su Chunfeng’s words.
As they were talking, the two groups over there started fighting.
“Damn it!”
“Hit them, beat them up…”
“Who’s afraid of who? Damn it!”
In a rush, dozens of hot-blooded, spirited young students started brawling on the playground. Angry curses and shouts for fighting echoed across the entire campus, as if they wanted to flip the playground over. Soon, the two groups scattered, chasing and hitting each other, turning the huge playground into a battlefield for these passionate youths.
Most of the students watching from the sides and further away started to step back or move aside to avoid getting hurt.
A few bolder boys, who also wanted to show off their courage and status, stood still in small groups or even alone, looking proudly, coldly, or with disdain and scorn at their classmates fighting each other, as if hoping for some trouble to break out so they could have an excuse to join the intense fight. Even when the fighting broke out right next to them, they didn’t care, just watching from a safe distance, their faces saying, “Don’t touch me, or you’ll regret it!”
Soon, school security guards and some teachers hurried over, chasing around the playground to stop the fiercely fighting students.
Sitting on the parallel bars, Li Zhichao looked excited and eager, saying, “So cool! Damn, if the students from our Guanmiao Township and Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School could unite and work together, I bet we could sweep everyone at County No.1 High School, unbeatable!”
Su Chunfeng shook his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation, but said nothing.
With a mature mind, he strongly disapproved of such wrong behavior and thinking. Yet, while rejecting it, he also felt a faint envy and sigh for the youth of this adolescent period.
Who wasn’t reckless in their youth?
And how many people, as adults, would deeply miss the recklessness of their younger years?
In fact, what they missed wasn’t the mistakes made in recklessness, but the purity, loyalty, and innocence of that time, free from too many complicated thoughts.
Su Chunfeng knew that teenagers at this age were so enthusiastic about group fights and showing off in crowds because, ultimately, their rebellious physiological phase stirred up their youthful spirits, making them blindly flaunt their maturity, and then use wrong actions to carry out the correct and beautiful sense of brotherhood. Years later, when they passed through their youth and entered the complex society, entangled by various factors and reasons, how many would still have this beautiful, pure, and selfless willingness to risk everything for their brothers?
Thinking back to the reunion of his junior high classmates over a decade later in his previous life, beneath the luxury and noise, there was nothing but the hypocrisy and affectation of a cold-hearted world…
Su Chunfeng couldn’t help but feel a bit lost and sigh deeply.
Was it right or wrong?
Who could really say?
When the group fight finally settled down, Su Chunfeng was thoughtfully staring into the clear, high autumn sky, lost in thought—if one day, Li Zhichao and the others were to get into a similar conflict or fight with someone in this high school, as a friend and companion, what should I do?
“Chunfeng, look who that is?” Li Zhichao suddenly said beside him.
“Hmm?” Su Chunfeng snapped out of his thoughts and followed Li Zhichao’s gaze. He saw Wang Qimin, the politics teacher from Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School, pacing and looking around near the teaching building not far away.
Zhang Lifei, her face full of pleasant surprise, skipped out of the classroom of Class Three and went up to Wang Qimin, greeting him actively.
Soon, Zhang Lifei looked around and spotted Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao. She raised her little finger, pointing toward the basketball court, and called out, “Su Chunfeng, come quick! Teacher Wang is looking for you.”
“Hey.” Su Chunfeng waved in response and jumped down from the parallel bars.
Li Zhichao also jumped down and followed, puzzled. “Hey, what does Wang Qimin want with you? This old guy is interesting. In junior high, he never looked for anyone else, only you, several times.”
“Who knows,” Su Chunfeng shook his head.
“You don’t know what he wants with you?”
Su Chunfeng smiled and said, “Back in middle school, whenever he looked for me, it was to help him copy teaching materials. Now that I’m in high school, how could he still ask for my help?”
“This old guy, really something,” Li Zhichao curled his lip and said, “Then you go ahead. I need to go find out how this group fight ended.”
“Okay.” Su Chunfeng nodded.
Li Zhichao waved toward Wang Qimin and called out, “Hello, Teacher Wang.” Then he turned and hurried off toward the group of students being controlled by teachers and security guards on the playground, as if afraid of missing out on something great.
Su Chunfeng calmly walked to the teaching building. He slightly bowed and said politely, “Hello, Teacher Wang.”
Wang Qimin looked somewhat tired, but said kindly, “Come on, let’s have a meal together. There are some things I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Okay.” Su Chunfeng did not refuse.
As the old teacher and the young student walked toward the school gate, Zhang Lifei and Wang Haifei, who had arrived later, both looked somewhat puzzled at their backs.
What did Wang Qimin want with Su Chunfeng?