Chapter 4, Remembering the Youth of Those Years (Part 1)

Speaking of which, you should know Captain Fu from the 'Three Musketeers' as well. " Mr. Zuo patted his forehead, " I remember he was a high school classmate of Senior Brother Mo.

Mo Jingyan could not understand and could not help but ask: "Is Mo Da my brother? What is the Three Musketeers? Also, what is glass?"

Momo also felt somewhat dejected, but for different reasons. She sat glumly by the flowerbed in front of the dormitory building, her newly bought strappy sandals leaving a red mark beside her little toe, causing some discomfort as she walked. In her backpack behind her were a portable cassette player and several tapes, a few novels to pass the time on the train, some leftover snacks, and a snowman doll that was too large to fit, its round head sticking out of the backpack. Her mother had previously reminded her that one should not carry a needle over a thousand miles, nor a light burden over ten thousand miles. Momo always felt that once she got off the train and took a taxi, there wouldn't be much distance left to cover, but now she realized that she had seriously underestimated the situation.

Are you referring to Brother Zhaoyang

Mo Jingyan encountered a setback on the day of her university enrollment

She stood in front of the student apartment building, bustling with new students and their parents, holding the dormitory allocation notice, momentarily at a loss for words.

The girls trained in the military camp for nearly twenty days and finally returned to campus, resembling free little birds, chattering and flitting about in the hallways. They were well acquainted with each other, and Mo Jingyan found it difficult to join the conversation as a new student in a lower grade, so she focused on organizing her luggage. She knew she would not be staying long, so she only took out a few simple changes of clothes, and remembering her mother's instructions, she took out a new bed sheet to spread on the borrowed bunk.

Mo Jingze and Fu Zhaoyang were admitted to the same university. After completing his undergraduate studies, Mo Jingze went to the United States for further education, while Fu Zhaoyang stayed at their alma mater to pursue a master's degree. Mo Mo followed her cousin's footsteps and applied to the same university. Initially, her family did not approve, believing that this school excelled in geology and energy majors, and that she was more suited to apply to institutions focused on economics and trade or foreign languages. Mo Jingze reassured his cousin, saying: "Our university is actually a comprehensive university, quite interesting, and the humanities and social sciences programs are also good. Besides, I have made good connections over the past four years, and I am familiar with many teachers and classmates at the school, so I can look out for Mo Mo in the future." Only then did the family nod in agreement.

"Don't they all have wheels?" Father Mo patted his daughter's shoulder, "Your mother is eloquent and more suited for soft persuasion with the dormitory supervisor; as for me, I will go find the teacher to explain the facts; the head of the building just said that the girls' dormitory is just around the next corner, I believe Mo Mo will be fine."

Afterwards, Mo Jing whispered to his younger sister, "I can help, but it is not just for you."

Mother was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "You really are quite knowledgeable!"

Before long, Mom and Dad also returned to the girls' dormitory. The teacher in charge of student affairs in the department intervened to coordinate with the dormitory management, promising to transfer Mo Jingyan to a dormitory near other girls in the same department as soon as possible. However, due to the busy schedule of welcoming new students in the past couple of days, this could not be arranged immediately. The department teacher contacted several senior student leaders; the second-year students had just finished their military training and would not officially start classes for a few more days. Some students from Beijing had gone home, thus freeing up a bed, which was temporarily lent to Mo Jingyan.

Mo's father attempted to argue logically: "Well, isn't there also a singer that Mo Mo likes named Wang Jingwen?"

Why are there only boys coming in and out

Indeed, just a couple of days ago, I was offering her advice and strategies, and it all came effortlessly

Now it is Mo Jingyan's turn to feel nervous and embarrassed: "We know each other... My brother also said that if there is anything, I can ask him for help"

Mo Jingyan harbored expectations in her heart, yet felt too shy to express her true feelings directly, so she hesitantly asked, "Then who did it help?"

Another thought surged in her mind, so she turned her head and looked at her father inquiringly. Just then, Mo's father also cast a similar gaze in her direction, and upon meeting his daughter's eyes, he glanced around awkwardly, pretending that nothing was amiss. It seems he dared not voice the doubts in his heart at that moment, fearing it would provoke his wife's fierce reprimand.

Mo Jingyan nodded: "Indeed."

What a beautifully extraordinary name... Mo Mo smiled radiantly, while Mo Jing whispered beside her: "Mo... Jing Yan, isn't that just not pretty?" Mo Mo pretended to be angry and threatened to flip the plate, seizing the opportunity to empty her cousin's lunchbox of its ribs.

She nodded

The girls gradually joined the conversation between Zuo Jun and Mo Jingyan, and as they chatted, they mentioned the title "Three Musketeers," saying: "Even according to the pigeonhole principle, among the Three Musketeers, there should always be one that is not glass, or at least one that is alone among the glass ones."

Mo Jingyan knew that she was reminded of the engineering university where her cousin studied, where the number of male and female students was vastly imbalanced. As a result, only the top two floors of a dormitory building were occupied by female students, and there was an iron gate at the entrance of the floor that was locked at night. Her cousin referred to this as semi-prison management, and every time she mentioned it, her indignant expression resembled that of a revolutionary martyr confined in a garbage pit

"Your dormitory assignment is incorrect; this is the boys' building!" The uncle's voice boomed like a bell. Old Mo hurriedly interrupted the conversation and began to inquire about the correction procedures.

Only Mo's father occasionally shakes his head in helplessness when she chatters away on the phone, sighing that he chose the wrong name for her in the first place; with the surname included, isn't Mo Jingyan destined to be restless?

Indeed, the remaining two individuals are the most suspicious. Someone echoed, "Captain Fu and the young master are from the same academy; they are inseparable, just like the scale and the weight.

I was inevitably interrupted by my wife's incessant complaints: "It's all because of this character 'Jing'. I bet people immediately think of Guo Jing, right? And there's also Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King."

Upon entering middle school, Mo Jingyan, who began to read extensively and devour various romance novels, had some reservations about her name. She thought it would be more beautiful if it contained characters like Yu, Wei, or Xuan. Therefore, she carried a Xinhua Dictionary and the Three Hundred Poems of the Song Dynasty with her, hoping to find some inspiration to change her name when she entered high school.

The large suitcase that Momo could not lift with both hands, he effortlessly picked up with one hand and placed it on the tricycle. Momo hurriedly expressed her thanks repeatedly. The young man gestured with his mouth towards the back of the cart, indicating that Momo should also get in. She quickly shook her head and tugged at her short skirt, saying, "I will walk over."

"Do not speak carelessly." Left Jun pretended to strike her, interrupting the girl's second half of the sentence. Although her speech was slow, her attitude was quite resolute, "It is one thing for you to joke with me, but do not speak recklessly in front of the junior sister."

It is all your fault for choosing such a good name

Momo quickly flipped through the dictionary, finding the words "Jing" and "beautiful"

"Where's the glass..." The senior sister, who had been joking just a moment ago, leaned in and said, "Think about it, the consonant letters at the beginning of the pinyin, Bo! Li!"

But didn't we agree to look out for our own people

Mother Mo expressed her dissatisfaction: "Such a large box, how can Mo Mo carry it alone?"

When Mo Jingyan was born, according to the family genealogy, the names of children of the same generation were required to include the character "Jing". As she was a girl, there was no obligation to follow this rule; however, during the ten months of pregnancy, her father was eagerly anticipating a son and had already chosen a name. The characters "Jingyan" imply tranquility, with the hope that she would be cautious in her words and actions, and remain steady and composed. After the daughter was born, Mo's father felt that none of the newly chosen names sounded as pleasant as the name Mo Jingyan, which he had been calling her for several months, and thus he decided not to make any changes.

At that time, Mo Jingyan had not spent much time online, at most reading some romance novels, and even with Senior Sister Ren's inspiration, she could not have a sudden realization. She was only thinking that her older brother was truly someone who kept his thoughts to himself, not sharing anything with the family. All she knew was that he was a high-achieving student in the Physics Department, who received a full scholarship to study in the United States, yet he still turned out to be a figure of great interest among the girls.

The dormitory manager mentioned that once the dormitory assignments are finalized, the procedures for making changes become exceedingly complicated. Mo's father decided to split into three groups: he would go to the vicinity of the school gate to look for the orientation teachers, his wife would head to the dormitory management office to see if there was any possibility for temporary coordination, and their daughter would take her luggage to the girls' dormitory

We will help you as well," said Zuo Jun with a smile. "Senior Brother Fu has also gone to lead the military training, and he probably just returned today. He might not know that you have been assigned here. I will tell him right away.

Someone pushed Zuo Jun in front of Mo Jingyan and smiled, saying: "What is this called again, not a family..."

Momo reached behind her and touched something; the snow doll poked half of itself out of the bag, swaying precariously. She said "thank you" and quickly turned her backpack to the front to adjust it. When she looked up again, the young man had already ridden away on his bicycle

Mom just knocked on the glass window of the building manager's office. The uncle looked at the dormitory allocation list for a while, then took out his reading glasses and carefully examined Momo, asking: "Are you Mo Jingyan?"

Zuo Jun ignored their teasing, standing beside Mo Jingyan, unfolding the campus map, and pointing out the surrounding facilities. Mo Jingyan had already walked through the area with her parents during the day, but not wanting to offend Zuo Jun's goodwill, she listened attentively once more. In fact, she was somewhat curious; as a new student, she observed the excited expressions of the senior sisters and guessed that Zuo Jun had a close relationship with her brother. However, Mo Jing never mentioned female friends at home. Mo Jingyan recalled the playful banter with her friends, smiled gently, and decided not to ask too many questions.

Mo Jingyan was surprised: "My name is Mo Xiaomei?"

Soon, someone in the corridor shouted: "Mo Xiaomei is here!"

Mo Jing then teased, patting the little sister's head, "You should focus all your efforts on the college entrance examination! Once you get to university, there will definitely be someone to take good care of you, I am completely at ease!"

Having been accustomed to the name since childhood, she does not find it inappropriate. However, when friends and family first heard it, they occasionally asked, "Is it a girl named Jiayan?" Once, a new teacher in elementary school made a mistake, looking at the roster and saying, "Let's have a boy answer this question, how about Mo Jingyan?" Such remarks would make the children laugh, but none of this caused her any distress during her childhood. Instead, she often brought it up as a joke, feeling a certain pride akin to the saying, "The male rabbit's feet are elusive, while the female rabbit's eyes are dreamy." As for her family, her mother calls her father Old Mo and refers to her as Momo, and over time, her classmates began to call her the same.

Indeed, Brother Fu is now the captain, and everyone calls him Captain Fu

The girls responded in a whisper, and then could not help but burst into a fit of laughter

The girls laughed heartily. Zuo Jun shook her head and said, "I knew you wouldn't teach well." She patiently explained to Mo Jingyan, "Because the school has a geology and mining program, there has always been a tradition of mountaineering and scientific expeditions. In the past two years, a rock climbing team has also been established. Among them, Mo Shixiong and his two companions climb the best. I wrote an article for the school magazine, calling them the 'Three Musketeers of the Rock Wall,' and unexpectedly, it became widely known afterward.

It is truly a case of one misfortune after another, with everything going awry

My mother nearby is also puzzled: "Does your school assign dormitories by major? Are the top two floors for female dormitories?"

Momo is talkative with acquaintances, but inevitably feels a bit reserved when meeting strangers. Upon arriving in front of the girls' dormitory, the young man had already set down his luggage, and she expressed her gratitude repeatedly. The young man waved his hand, raised his eyebrows, and said with a smile: "No need to thank me, quickly find some shade under a tree, or your snowman will melt in the sun"

The person riding the bicycle is a young man with bronze skin, standing tall, with very short hair, dressed in military green long pants, liberation shoes, and a white tank top that reads "The Bond Between the Military and the People." He nodded slightly and took over Momo's suitcase.

Momo lowered her head to look at her red and white checkered skirt, not worried about having no place to stay tonight. The new teachers and enthusiastic senior students would surely help her make proper arrangements. If all else fails, she could just stay at a hotel with her parents. She was simply frustrated that the person she wanted to see first had not shown up. Did he not tell her cousin that he would be waiting at the entrance the moment she arrived at school? How could he have broken his promise?

A girl sighed softly: "Even if there is, it must be something significant, but he has gone to America now; even if he doesn't go, there is still A-Jun here."

Fu Zhaoyang, a close friend of Mo Jingze, intervened between the two who were arguing incessantly and said with a smile, "Actually, Mo Mo's own name is quite good; I always thought it was these two characters." He took out a pen and paper and wrote two elegant characters: Jingyan

The girls laughed mysteriously: "Senior Sister Zuo is particularly helpful"

Cousin Mo Jing is four years older than her and attends the same high school. While having lunch together in the cafeteria, he scoffed at his younger cousin's childish idea, stating that a name reflects the parents' hopes for their child and cannot be changed at will. Mo Mo replied that those were her father's hopes for a nonexistent son and had nothing to do with her. Her older brother then remarked that the names Mo Mo had chosen were overly pretentious. The two siblings engaged in a heated debate, neglecting their meal.

Zuo Jun has a delicate appearance, with finely shaped eyebrows and eyes. When she smiles with her lips pressed together, her demeanor is graceful, and she speaks in a slow and gentle manner. She is majoring in finance, which is in the same college as Mo Jingyan's management major, so most of the girls in the dormitory are familiar with Zuo Jun. When they see her, they tease her, saying: "A couple of days ago, we were saying that we would notify you as soon as Mo Xiaomei reported in. Look, she has come directly to your door."

The senior students in their second year excitedly discussed their plans for the coming days. In the midst of the commotion, they noticed a shy junior sitting by the bed, and they all gathered around to chat with her. Upon learning that her cousin also graduated from the same school, one of the girls' eyes lit up: "I thought your name sounded familiar; is your brother Mo Jingze?"

The young man smiled brightly and said, "Then I will take the luggage over first." He rode away on a tricycle, the gray body of which was painted with three large red characters: "Security Office." Faintly, Mo Mo heard him humming, "The sunset over the western mountains glows red, the soldiers return to the camp after target practice," and thought to himself that he might have just been discharged from the military and come to the school to work as a security guard.

A family of three agreed to meet in front of the girls' dormitory and then went their separate ways. The dormitory supervisor was quite helpful; upon seeing Momo dragging her suitcase, he waved to a tricycle that was helping new students with their luggage, saying, "Young man, come here, please help this new student get to the girls' dormitory."

Indeed, the father and daughter both thought of the same place, this dormitory, which was assigned incorrectly

The girls suddenly burst into laughter for some unknown reason, and everyone began to chatter and push each other, saying: "Hurry, call Zuo Jun over."

Mo Jingyan does not wish to live in a cage