Before Meng Yuxiu appeared, Han Shuo felt like he was living through years at school just to find the key person. But once Meng Yuxiu showed up, time seemed to fly for Han Shuo.
In the blink of an eye, it was Friday. From yesterday to today, Han Shuo and Meng Yuxiu barely wasted any rest time, except for sleeping. Now, their lips were more familiar with each other than they were themselves, automatically attracting and sticking together like magnets whenever they got close. The first time, Meng Yuxiu insisted on brushing his teeth before kissing, but later, to save time, he didn’t bother with such details.
However, Han Shuo felt a pang of regret for the time wasted in the past few days. If he had known he would end up having to coax Meng Yuxiu himself, he wouldn’t have bothered with the waiting game earlier.
Today, being Friday, school ended early. Considering many students lived far from school, classes ended at 3:30 in the afternoon. Han Shuo had arranged with Meng Yuxiu to meet after lunch for another round, so during the last self-study class in the morning, Han Shuo borrowed a storybook from Doufu and leisurely read it while waiting for class to end.
The pressure of senior year was intense, and students who loved studying were diligent even during self-study classes. However, those like Han Shuo, sitting in the last row, weren’t interested in studying. As soon as the teacher left, they started chatting enthusiastically.
Han Shuo felt a generation gap with these kids and wasn’t interested in the games they talked about. As the conversation in the back row shifted, someone suddenly suggested going to the county town after school and asked if Han Shuo wanted to join.
When Han Shuo first arrived in this world, aside from feeling depressed, he was also curious about it, so he had gone to the county town with them once. But the novelty wore off in just a few minutes. In the early 90s, even in big cities, the urban development was nothing to write home about for someone like Han Shuo, who had seen the prosperity of the 21st century.
The tallest building in the county town was only seven or eight stories high, with a facade made of some poor-quality dark green glass, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. Yet, Pidan, Doufu, and the other country bumpkins who came to the county town for school kept exclaiming how fancy it was.
Han Shuo regretted it immediately. His impression of the 90s was stuck in Hong Kong movies, with a retro vibe and neon lights flashing everywhere. But in this small county town, there were only one or two game arcades and video halls. For a group of 17 or 18-year-old students with no money in their pockets, they wandered from one end of the street to the other, wearing out their shoes without knowing what they were doing.
“What’s so fun about it?” Han Shuo said without even looking up, “I’m not going.”
Han Shuo was the leader of their little group. If he didn’t go, the others lost interest too. Disappointed, Pidan and Doufu started talking about something else, eventually discussing what to do after graduation.
“Are you going to college?” Doufu asked Pidan.
“College? How could I possibly get in?” Pidan said, curling his lips. “I’ll probably go back to the village to farm after graduation. What about you?”
Doufu said, confused, “I probably won’t get in either. My dad thinks that since I’m not good at studying, I might as well find a guy to marry after graduation.”
“A guy…” Han Shuo looked up from the storybook, unable to stop his eye from twitching at the words. He couldn’t understand how this world was so open. Being gay was one thing, but they could even get married and get a certificate. At this point, Han Shuo didn’t fully understand this world, or rather, he was so focused on returning to the 21st century that he didn’t bother to understand it. If he knew that men could have children here, his eyes would probably pop out in shock.
He frowned at Doufu’s innocent face, “What’s wrong with you? Why would you want to marry a guy? And why get married so early? You’ll only be eighteen after graduation, right?”
Doufu didn’t understand Han Shuo’s point and automatically answered the latter part, “Well, if I can’t get into college, I don’t know what else I can do.”
Pidan retorted to Han Shuo’s comment, “Isn’t getting married at eighteen normal? There’s someone in our village who got married at sixteen and became a dad at seventeen!”
Han Shuo smirked, “Great, a dad at seventeen, a grandpa at thirty-four.”
Doufu asked Han Shuo, “What about you, Han Shuo? You probably won’t get into college either. What do you plan to do after graduation?”
Han Shuo thought, what could he do after graduation? Wouldn’t it depend on how quickly he and Meng Yuxiu kissed? However, he did ponder what Meng Yuxiu said in the canteen yesterday. If he hadn’t completed the task by graduation…
Han Shuo thought for a moment and said, “Maybe I’ll go to Hecheng.”
Pidan and Doufu curiously asked, “What are you going to do in Hecheng, so far away?”
“Work, of course.”
Doufu said, “Actually, Han Shuo, you’re good-looking. You could find a decent guy to marry in the county town.”
“…” Han Shuo was speechless. He said, “Why do you keep talking about marrying a guy? Even if I wanted to marry a guy, my family is dirt poor. Would a guy from the county town marry me? Wouldn’t he demand a fortune? Where would I get the money to marry?”
Doufu was confused, “What money do you need? Your family just needs to prepare a few quilts for you.”
“What?” Han Shuo didn’t understand what that meant, but just as he was about to ask, the homeroom teacher appeared at the back door of the classroom.
She came to check on them. The other students were quietly studying, but the ones in the back row were chatting with their heads down. Based on past experience, it was definitely Han Shuo leading the conversation.
So she sternly called out, “Han Shuo, come to the office with me.”
Pidan, Doufu, and the other students quickly sat up straight, pretending to read.
Han Shuo wasn’t afraid of being taken to the office; he’d been lectured before. He was just worried that the homeroom teacher would talk for half an hour, cutting into his time with Meng Yuxiu after lunch.
The homeroom teacher called Han Shuo to the office for the usual lecture, first showing him the freshly graded test scores, then earnestly reminding him that there was only a semester and a half left in senior year, asking what his plans were.
Han Shuo didn’t expect to have to deal with teachers in both his lives. He could only let it go in one ear and out the other, nodding repeatedly.
As he expected, the bell rang, but the homeroom teacher wasn’t finished.
Seeing him fidgeting, the homeroom teacher asked, “What are you doing, Han Shuo? Are you listening to what I’m saying?”
Han Shuo was eager to finish lunch and get to his task. He pleaded, “Teacher Yu, I heard you, I really did! I’m starving, can I go eat lunch?”
“A young man can handle being hungry for a while.”
Seeing the homeroom teacher about to continue, Han Shuo quickly said, “Teacher Yu, I arranged with Meng Yuxiu from Class 1 to have lunch, and he’s going to help me with my studies afterward!”
Teacher Yu was surprised, “Meng Yuxiu from Class 1 is helping you with your studies? Weren’t you two fighting before?”
Han Shuo made up a story, “We got to know each other through fighting. I keep failing exams, so I asked Meng Yuxiu for help.”
Another teacher in the office overheard and said to the homeroom teacher, “That’s true. I’ve seen them sitting on the dormitory steps, seriously reading a book together.”
The homeroom teacher looked at Han Shuo with satisfaction, “It’s good that you’re studying hard. Keep communicating with Meng Yuxiu.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Han Shuo nodded eagerly, “So, Teacher Yu, can I go eat now?”
“Go ahead.”
Han Shuo practically sprinted to the canteen. The homeroom teacher had held him up for so long that most students had already left, and Meng Yuxiu had just finished eating, coming out with his washed lunchbox and teacup.
Han Shuo, panting, ran up to him and grabbed his arm, “I just got called to the office by the homeroom teacher. Wait for me, I’ll finish eating quickly!”
Meng Yuxiu stopped, “I was going to tell you, maybe we should skip it this afternoon.”
Han Shuo asked, “Why skip it?”
Meng Yuxiu said, “The sun is too strong at noon, and there are people in the dormitory. We have nowhere to go.”
“Wait for me to finish eating, and I’ll figure something out.” Han Shuo said, pulling Meng Yuxiu along as he hurried to the boiler room to get his lunchbox.
Meng Yuxiu had no choice but to put his lunchbox and teacup on the counter and stand by, watching Han Shuo devour his food. Seeing Han Shuo like this, Meng Yuxiu realized how much he wanted to return to the 21st century.
Han Shuo finished his meal in just five minutes, not even bothering to wash his lunchbox and teacup, just stuffing them into a bag.
“You’re just going to put them in like that?” Meng Yuxiu couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose in disdain.
Han Shuo didn’t care, “It’s fine. School ends at 3:30, and I don’t need to steam rice tonight. I can wash them at home.”
With that, he went to the sink, turned on the tap, and rinsed his mouth, “Alright, let’s go.”
Meng Yuxiu asked where they were going.
Han Shuo walked out of the canteen and looked around. As Meng Yuxiu said, students were coming and going from the dormitory, and some boys were playing basketball on the playground, unfazed by the heat.
Just as he was fretting, his gaze inadvertently fell on the fields behind the teaching building, and he suddenly had an idea, “Let’s go, let’s head over there.”
Behind the teaching building was a field of rice paddies. Early October was harvest time, and the waist-high rice stalks were heavy with grain, the paths between them hidden in a sea of golden rice.
Han Shuo told Meng Yuxiu that they would squat on the path between the fields, using the rice as cover.
Meng Yuxiu followed Han Shuo through the rice paddies, crouching down and looking around furtively.
Han Shuo reassured him, “Don’t worry, why are you as timid as a mouse? And even if we’re caught, what can they do? In this world, there are plenty of gay people.”
Meng Yuxiu said, “They are them, I am me. I’m not gay, and besides…”
He frowned and corrected, “We’re not being gay.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Han Shuo nodded to comfort him, “Don’t worry, no one comes here at noon. Even if farmers come to work, it won’t be until after two.”
As Han Shuo spoke, he reached out to turn Meng Yuxiu’s face, “It’s fine, just turn your face over, we’re going to kiss now.”
After one last check of their surroundings, Meng Yuxiu reluctantly turned his face, and Han Shuo pressed his lips against his.