Chapter 1, The Discontented Carp

However, unlike my father, my grandmother does not place much importance on the college entrance examination, or rather, she does not have a specific concept of it. She only cares about whether her grandson can eat well and if his nutrition is adequate. Therefore, even though my grandfather is allergic to fish, she still insists on buying it every time because it is believed to be beneficial for brain development.

The minibus entered Yulong Town and began to slow down. Jia Liyu leaned his head against the car window, watching the pedestrians coming and going outside, feeling an inexplicable envy. He particularly wished to become any one of them, whether selling baked pancakes or candied hawthorn, or even working as a cleaner; in short, he just did not want to be himself.

Ye Feng, as a captain of the basketball team with a strong background, tall stature, exceptional personal combat skills, and a girlfriend of outstanding beauty, is the widely recognized school bully at Bailu No. 1 High School. Now, having made such a statement about wanting to break Jiali Yu's leg so far in advance, he will inevitably have to follow through on his words, even if it is due to the pressure of public opinion.

Three years may seem neither long nor short, yet it is sufficient for many events to unfold, such as friends turning against each other, lovers losing affection, and grades declining. The complexities of life are intertwined, and it is said that in ten matters, eight or nine are unsatisfactory. Jia Liyu has unfortunately encountered several of these, and after yesterday, Jia Liyu must add another item to the list: offending the school bully

Jia Liyu questioned: "Did grandfather fish at sea before?"

After all, the decline in grades has already disappointed his father, who hopes for his success. If he continues to cause trouble and worries his mother, he will truly become an irredeemable failure in both respects

From this perspective, Jia Liyu has already become a "quasi-lame person"

You go take a look

However, during the break after the first evening class, someone from the basketball team came to deliver a message, stating that the team captain, Ye Feng, personally issued a statement that when the team returns from the match next week, he will personally bring people to Class 20 to break Jia Liyu's leg.

Jia Liyu was lost in thought when suddenly he heard a loud "bang". Turning his head, he saw his grandmother chopping fish. This reminded Jia Liyu of his nickname "Carp" and made him reflect on his current situation, which was akin to the real-life scenario of "being on the chopping block while I am the fish"

The metaphor of roasted sweet potatoes is quite vivid and timely, but in light of the current situation, that statement seems somewhat superfluous, and the flag was raised too impulsively. After getting off the car, Jiali Yu was still entangled in the contentious issue that felt like a thorn in her throat. Reflecting on the words she had said to Gao Pang in the heat of the moment, she couldn't help but exclaim: "Some pretenses are truly not to be taken lightly."

Speaking of which, what happened yesterday was quite unexpected. After finishing dinner, I went to the basketball court as usual to watch the athletes train and compete. Just as I was getting into it, suddenly a player hit the ball away, and it flew straight towards Jia Liyu. Jia Liyu instinctively dodged to the side, allowing the ball to go out of bounds. Unexpectedly, a tall and heavy athlete chasing the ball, for some unknown reason, pushed him hard and shouted, "Would it kill you to reach out and catch it, you idiot?" Jia Liyu instinctively dodged to the side, allowing the ball to go out of bounds. Unexpectedly, a tall and heavy athlete chasing the ball, for some unknown reason, pushed him hard and shouted, "Would it kill you to reach out and catch it, you idiot?"

Jia Liyu turned and went upstairs

Currently, Jia Liyu remains inconspicuous at Bailu No. 1 High School, possessing a presence that is slightly more noticeable than air and on par with that of pine trees. He does not curse, does not fight, is not outstanding, and is not eye-catching, embodying a sense of purity that is somewhat hidden within the school.

Logically speaking, as a graduating student about to face the college entrance examination, Jia Liyu, being young and vigorous, should not be so pessimistic. However, whenever he thinks of the pressure he is currently bearing and the crisis he may face next week, he is filled with thoughts of escape

Thus, Jia Liyu silently walked to the woods beside the court, found a wooden stick about 1.5 meters long and as thick as a baby's arm, and then, holding the stick, stealthily rushed towards the tall, overweight athlete. He struck the athlete's leg with the stick, causing him to jump up with a cry of "Ah!" He turned around, ready to curse, but was met with several more hard hits to his leg, making him jump around in pain, exclaiming "What the hell! What the hell!" The students witnessing this scene, not only those watching the game from the sidelines but also other athletes on the court, were momentarily stunned. A tall, thin athlete asked in confusion, "Who is this crazy person?"

Three years ago, Jia Liyu achieved the top score in the high school entrance examination in the entire town and was admitted to Bailu No. 1 Middle School, becoming a role model for his peers and a source of pride for his family. However, three years later, Jia Liyu was assigned to the worst class in the school, becoming an indistinguishable poor student. He was so ashamed of this news that he did not even dare to let his family know.

In conclusion, both everyone else and Jiali Yu himself believe that he is truly beyond redemption.

Upon hearing this, Grandma laughed and finally revealed the truth to Jia Liyu: "Your grandfather cannot eat fish, not because he fears that the fish will come back to life in his stomach, but because he once went out to sea with your great-grandfather and ate raw fish. He remembered that taste, and from that day on, he could no longer touch either raw or cooked fish."

After studying at Bailu No. 1 High School for more than two years, Jia Liyu has never been as eye-catching as today, nor has he ever been as popular as today, especially with the remark he left before leaving the court, which was particularly impressive

Jia Liyu let out a gentle sigh, then went to answer the phone. Sure enough, it was her mother calling back. As soon as the call was connected, her mother asked directly: "Did your grandmother buy groceries?"

Crossing the long Bai Lu Bridge leads to Yulong Town. It is early spring, with a lingering chill in the air; all things are yet to awaken. The trees on either side of the asphalt road remain bare and withered, while wild grass grows rampant by the roadside. Under the slanting rays of the setting sun, the scene appears even more desolate, mirroring the current mood of classmate Jia Liyu.

When he scored 470 points in the monthly exam, Jia Liyu never considered dropping out of school. Now, however, he is very much inclined to drop out and go to Zhejiang to work with his parents. Where is there still a place for him at the First High School?

Although regret cannot be said to exist, fear is indeed present—more than just a little

Then, mother habitually reminded him a few more times to eat well and dress warmly, and not to tire himself too much. Jia Liyu responded to each of her remarks without a hint of impatience, until his father's voice sounded from the side: "Ask him how he did on this month's exam?" Jia Liyu felt a sinking sensation in his heart, and then hurriedly said: "Mom, I need to go fetch water for my grandmother, I will hang up now"

Jia Liyu hung up the phone, staring blankly at it for a while, feeling a mix of emotions akin to a spilled jar of flavors, all unpleasant. He had delayed his studies due to personal issues, disappointing his father. In a moment of impulse, he had provoked a thug, causing his mother to worry. I truly am not a good son

Due to both his father and mother working outside, Jia Liyu goes directly to his grandparents' house on weekends. His grandmother, counting the days, prepares chicken, fish, meat, and eggs in advance for him whenever she calculates which week Jia Liyu will return.

Go

However, as the saying goes, what one fears will come to pass. Just when Jia Liyu was determined to be a quiet underachiever, he happened to encounter such an incident where someone insulted his mother right in front of him

Jia Liyu has become accustomed to the kind of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law power struggles with her mother and grandmother, and she responds with a smile, asking, "What do you think? Of course, I will buy it, rest assured."

Jia Liyu has a gentle temperament, with kind eyes and a benevolent expression. He is indifferent to many matters, but there is one thing that he cannot tolerate, even when faced with an athlete who stands at the top of the campus food chain

Indeed, the saying goes that three people can create a tiger; as a statement is passed around, it is inevitable that it will become somewhat distorted. Given Ye Feng's robust physique, simplistic mindset, and his seasoned yet juvenile disposition, it is highly likely that his original words were "break two legs"

Jia Liyu, driven by a moment of curiosity, said: "I will go take a look"

"Indeed not." Grandmother pointed upstairs and said, "In the pantry of the small room upstairs, there are still a few items he used for fishing."

"One cannot sit idly by and wait for disaster to strike." Jia Liyu muttered to herself, then said to her grandmother: "Grandma, I am going upstairs to take a look"

After Jiali Yu finished smashing, he took a few steps back, holding a wooden stick, maintaining a certain distance from the chubby Gao. With a blank expression, he said: "If you insult me again next time, I will smash your head into pieces, just like a roasted sweet potato." After saying this, he turned and returned to the classroom. Everyone on and off the court looked at his back in astonishment, no one stopped him from leaving, and no one knew what was going through the mind of that chubby basketball player.

The matter of grandfather's allergy to fish has always been a mystery in the family. When I was young, I heard the explanation that grandfather was afraid that if he ate fish, they would come back to life in his stomach and lay eggs, producing baby fish. However, now that Jiali Yu has grown up, he certainly no longer believes such claims. Therefore, to divert his attention, he once again sought confirmation from his grandmother: "If grandfather is afraid of fish coming back to life, why is it that he doesn't even dare to smell them?"

Jia Liyugang was about to go upstairs when he heard the phone ring. His grandmother said, "It must be your mother calling, you should answer it."

Preparing for exams has never been a solitary battle