Shen Shao, who was the topic of gossip for a lot of the journey, returned to his rental house at 4 or 5 o’clock within the afternoon. The inside of the house was already neat and tidy. He did slightly cleansing, made the mattress with clear new sheets, and put away the issues he introduced. Then he may relaxation comfortable.

That night time he slept nicely. When he awoke the subsequent morning, he placed on exercise garments and ran a number of laps across the neighborhood. Then he went out to purchase breakfast and a few meal components. When he got here again, he helped an previous woman carry her groceries upstairs. After ending his breakfast at house, he started to assessment the research supplies for upcoming classes. After a number of days this turned a each day routine, though generally he helped an previous woman or previous man carry one thing upstairs, and generally he was empty-handed.

The textbooks for senior 12 months one have been supposed to put a basis for additional research. Shen Shao spent a number of days previewing the fabric for the principle topics.

Nonetheless, when he heard {that a} small new sizzling pot restaurant had opened close by, he was grasping and put away his books. He went out the door together with his pockets.

Furong Metropolis had plenty of greenery, and the banyan timber on either side of the road have been lush, giving individuals a sense of freshness and vitality. Though the solar was blazing down, pedestrians didn’t really feel the glare on the sidewalk.

Shen Shao walked leisurely to the door of the small sizzling pot store. Due to his skilled habits in his earlier life, he fastidiously appeared on the restaurant’s ornament. It had a little bit of an ethnic model, with shiny and glowing home windows and waiters carrying white uniforms. It gave diners the impression they didn’t have to fret about cleanliness points when consuming right here.

He walked into the restaurant, discovered a small desk for 2, and sat down. He ordered a mandarin duck sizzling pot and several other different dishes he preferred. The ready time for the pot was slightly lengthy. Shen Shao occurred to be sitting close to the window, and he started to watch the neighborhood exterior.

There are a number of workplace buildings close by with plenty of white-collar and gold-collar employees. There was additionally a public sq. with a cultural theme not far-off. Folks got here and went incessantly, so it was a sensible choice to open a store right here. No less than it had enough buyer movement.

After consuming the scrumptious meal, Shen Shao emerged from the restaurant smelling of sizzling pot. As quickly as he reached the nook, a person in a black swimsuit ran into him.

“Sorry.” The person within the swimsuit stepped apart, made a gesture of invitation, motioning for Shen Shao to go first.

Shen Shao didn’t thoughts and easily smiled at him. After strolling a number of extra steps, he appeared again. Three males all carrying the very same model of swimsuit have been standing with the person who’d ran into him, and in the course of the 4 was an adolescent. Shen Shao noticed solely the boy’s again, however there was the aura of a wealthy younger grasp throughout him, that’s, a form of legendary the Aristocracy.

Tsk, tsk. Shen Shao appeared away. He’d higher research laborious, make progress daily, and try to grow to be a self-made wealthy man like that.

“Second younger grasp?” The person within the swimsuit noticed that the second younger grasp had stopped in his tracks. He felt slightly puzzled and adopted the younger man’s line of sight. He instantly noticed {the teenager} he’d simply ran into. “Is there one thing fallacious with that particular person?”

{The teenager} averted his gaze, shook his head slowly, and continued ahead with out saying a phrase.

Seeing this, his bodyguards adopted him with out asking extra questions.

When the final day of August arrived, it was raining and the climate was a bit cool. Shen Shao wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a hat, denims, and sneakers. He appeared within the mirror and inwardly felt glad together with his look. He went downstairs, obtained on his new bike, and headed to highschool.

There have been fifteen courses in senior 12 months one. Class 13 by way of 15 have been the experimental courses with sixty college students every. Shen Shao was assigned to Class 15, and his classroom was on the third flooring of the second instructing constructing. When he walked into the room, about half of the scholars have been already current. The seats within the entrance row have been full. He appeared round and eventually discovered an empty seat within the fourth row.

His deskmate was a considerably skinny boy with glasses. After seeing Shen Shao sit down, he moved his chair again to make room. He was in all probability shy, as a result of he didn’t say a phrase regardless of glancing at Shen Shao a number of instances.

Shen Shao noticed his embarrassment and took the initiative to talk. “Hello, my title’s Shen Shao.” 

“H-Hiya.” The boy blushed. “My title’s Liang Cheng.” He took out an unopened bottle of Sprite from the desk drawer and handed it to Shen Shao. “Please have some.”

his deskmate’s nervous look, Shen Shao couldn’t bear to refuse. “Thanks.” He took a sip of the Sprite. Seeing that the opposite boy’s face had lastly relaxed, he put down the drink and stated softly, “Are you aware when the trainer will get right here?”

Liang Cheng glanced on the classroom. “Many of the college students have arrived. The trainer ought to be right here quickly. Um… what college did you go to earlier than?”

“I’m an exterior pupil. You in all probability by no means heard of the varsity I went to,” Shen Shao stated with a smile. “I’m not too accustomed to Furong Metropolis. If I am going to purchase research books sooner or later, can I ask you to come back with me?”

“No downside.” Liang Cheng nodded hurriedly. “I’m accustomed to the world. If you should purchase something sooner or later, simply let me know.”

“Thanks.” Shen Shao noticed the boy was lastly capable of speak to him simply, and the corners of his lips curved up.

Not lengthy after that, a middle-aged man with glasses got here in, adopted by one other man and a lady. From the way in which they have been dressed, they have been in all probability lecturers.

When the scholars noticed the lecturers stroll in, they instantly quieted down. The center-aged man stepped onto the rostrum. He noticed that each one the scholars have been sitting correctly, so he started to introduce himself. “Hiya, everybody. I’m your head trainer, Zhang JiaHe. I’m additionally your Chinese language trainer. Once we’re in school, I’m your trainer, and after class, I may also be your buddy. When you’ve got any difficulties, simply come to me and I’ll strive my greatest that will help you resolve them.” After this temporary speech, he launched the 2 lecturers behind him. “That is your English trainer, Liu Ling. That is your math trainer, Cai ShengSheng. Everybody, let’s applaud to welcome the 2 lecturers.”

The entire class applauded. After the opposite two lecturers launched themselves and left, Zhang JiaHe made some preliminary adjustments to the seat assignments, after which went over the same old college self-discipline and sophistication guidelines. After that, he stated, “There are sixty individuals assigned to our class, and there are sixty college students right here. It seems to be like everybody’s enthusiastic about highschool life. Proper now, let’s have everybody give a quick self-introduction in entrance of the category so we are able to get accustomed to one another. That is additionally a great way to start out your lives as highschool college students.”

That was when Shen Shao had his first probability to understand the excessive stage of those college students. Most of the youngsters who launched themselves spoke fluent Mandarin, they usually spoke vividly with none stammers or pauses. In a one minute-long self-introduction, a lot of them left a vivid impression. As anticipated of the strongest highschool within the province, these college students represented an all-around excessive stage of growth of morality, intelligence, physique, and look.

When it was Shen Shao’s flip, he attracted the eye of lots of the women as quickly as he stood on the rostrum. In spite of everything, he occurred to have an interesting face. Irrespective of the period, liking good-looking faces is a standard illness.

“Hiya everybody. My title is Shen Shao. Not the Shao meaning ‘younger grasp’, the Shao from the Hundred Household Surnames. When you suppose I’m profiting from you by asking you to name me Shen Shao sooner or later, you can too name me Xiao Shen or Xiao Shao. After all, Shao Ge works too.”

The scholars laughed loudly, and a boy known as out, “How is asking you Shao Ge not profiting from us!”

Shen Shao scratched his head and stated, “We have been all assigned to the identical class, which is a form of destiny. Sooner or later, please give me recommendation. Collectively we’ll make progress daily!”

Shen Shao stepped down from the rostrum amid the pleasant jokes and laughter of his classmates. Subsequent it was Liang Cheng’s activate stage, and he stammered and launched himself. When he returned to his seat with a pale face, he checked out Shen Shao and felt a way of admiration. How was Shen Shao capable of behave so confidently with so many individuals watching?

Zhang JiaHe, who was standing beside the rostrum, couldn’t assist however look over at Shen Shao a number of extra instances. As the category trainer of Class 15, he definitely knew which college students have been assigned to his class and already had an impression of Shen Shao, the exterior pupil with the very best rating on the admission check. Zhang JiaHe was a Chinese language trainer, however he understood how troublesome the examination questions have been. When the pc randomly assigned the scholars to every class, the lecturers of the opposite two experimental courses sighed with remorse for some time after Shen Shao wasn’t assigned to them.

“Hiya, my title is Zhou ZeYu….”

Shen Shao lastly remembered—that’s, Zhou ZeYu had additionally scored excessive sufficient to enter an experimental class. Because it turned out, the 2 have been assigned to the identical class.

After introducing himself, Zhou ZeYu winked in Shen Shao’s route earlier than returning to his seat and sitting down.

“Shen Shao, do you two know one another?” Liang Cheng observed Zhou ZeYu’s motion and requested curiously.

“Yeah.” Shen Shao nodded. “We occurred to fulfill once I went to examine the admission check outcomes.”

“It’s good to have already got a brand new buddy.” Liang Cheng was slightly envious. He’d by no means been good at socializing. In junior highschool he obtained good grades, however the college students within the class used to name him a nerd, and he didn’t have many associates. When he noticed Shen Shao talking to him in such a pleasant manner, he instantly labeled Shen Shao an excellent classmate.

Listening to this, Shen Shao smiled and didn’t say something.

After the scholars completed introducing themselves, they started at hand out textbooks and workbooks. When he held the ink-scented books in his palms, Shen Shao felt much more pleasure than he confirmed on his face. In his final life, he by no means had the possibility to sit down in a highschool classroom and research. On this life, he was lastly capable of understand his dream.

After the trainer handed out the books, everybody was allowed to go house. When Shen Shao left the classroom, somebody patted him on the shoulder. He appeared round, and as anticipated, it was Zhou ZeYu.

“Man, we’re actually fortunate to be assigned to the identical class,” Zhou ZeYu stated. He was holding a number of textbooks he was going to take house to review. His different hand was on Shen Shao’s shoulder. “Do you reside on campus or exterior?”

Shen Shao stated the title of the neighborhood he lived in. Liang Cheng, who occurred to be strolling subsequent to them, appeared slightly excited and stated, “Shen Shao, I stay in the identical neighborhood as you. Sooner or later, we are able to go to highschool collectively.”

Zhou ZeYu appeared on the considerably skinny Liang Cheng and smiled. “I stay within the neighborhood close by. Why don’t we go to highschool collectively sooner or later?”

Liang Cheng nodded vigorously.

Shen Shao checked out them and eventually understood these on-line jokes in his earlier life about “making an appointment to go to highschool” and “being so shut they go to the toilet collectively”. Though it was a bit infantile, he couldn’t deny it felt good.

“OK, let’s meet in entrance of our neighborhood at 6:50 within the morning.” Shen Shao patted Liang Cheng and Zhou ZeYu on the shoulder. “Anybody who’s late has to deal with the others to a drink.”

“No downside!” Zhou ZeYu breathed an internal sigh of reduction. He simply got here to class and already made two associates. That was an excellent begin.

Subsequently, their blissful highschool life started with the pleasant environment of constructing an appointment to go to highschool collectively.

TL Notes:

mandarin duck sizzling pot – 鸳鸯锅 – A two-flavor sizzling pot. The pot is split down the center so the diners can get pleasure from two totally different flavors of broth. “Mandarin geese” a standard reference to an affectionate or fortunately married couple

gold-collar employees – 金领 – gold collar employee; highly-skilled employee

self-made wealthy man – 富一代 – wealthy first era (versus a wealthy second era)

fluent Mandarin – 流利的普通话 – I believe this implies the scholars weren’t talking the native dialect of the world, or it may imply they spoke customary Mandarin with out a lot of an accent. It may additionally imply they have been talking in a assured, outgoing manner

Hundred Household Surnames – 百家姓 – A basic Chinese language textual content composed of frequent Chinese language surnames, initially compiled throughout the Tune dynasty (960-1279). The e-book lists 507 surnames (Wikipedia)

nerd – 书呆子 – Alternatively: bookworm, pedant, bookish

Transliterated names, locations, and titles—new on this chapter:

second younger grasp – 二少 – Èr shào

younger grasp – 少 – shào – This is also translated “Childe”, however that’s a bit old style. It means “the son of a wealthy household”. It has the identical pronunciation as Shen Shao’s private title (邵 – Shào). When individuals hear his title, they may suppose he’s being addressed as “Younger Grasp Shen”, therefore the joke about “profiting from you”

Liang Cheng – 梁城

Sprite – 雪碧 – A lemon-lime flavored soda

Zhang JiaHe – 张家和

Liu Ling – 刘玲

Cai ShengSheng – 蔡胜生 – Cài Shèngshēng

Xiao Shen – 小沈 – Little/Younger Shen

Shao Ge – 邵哥 – Older brother Shao. Since all the scholars are in the identical grade and roughly the identical age, in the event that they name him this as a substitute of Xiao Shen or Xiao Shao, it’d sign they give the impression of being as much as, admire, or are taken with him

ge – 哥 – Older brother. Additionally a standard strategy to discuss with an older man of the identical era as your self