Chapter 2, The First Outing
Chen Shihao took a breath, gently knocked on the door, and softly said, "Excuse me..." The young man did not turn around, but the young woman facing the door immediately noticed Chen Shihao. Her gaze first focused on Chen Shihao's wicker suitcase, then she scanned his clothes again. Seeing that he was also wearing a somewhat old-fashioned and plain outfit, she did not direct her gaze towards Chen Shihao's face.
Chen Shihao gazed at a construction site enclosed within the campus, noticing the large notice board indicating that a new teaching building was under construction. He couldn't help but sigh at the abundance of students in this academy, as new teaching buildings are only erected when the existing classrooms can no longer accommodate the students.
I called the school to inquire and found out that the total cost for one semester, including tuition, book fees, special teacher fees, and accommodation, amounts to over 10,000 yuan. I was stunned; this amount is enough for me to complete an ordinary three years of high school. I originally thought about backing out, but somehow my father found out about the tuition fees. Without saying a word, he handed me a savings book containing 20,000 yuan, which is universally accepted across the country. Of course, I couldn't take so much hard-earned money from my family, so I expressed that just over 10,000 yuan would be sufficient for one semester's expenses. I had initially considered backing out, but my father, somehow aware of the tuition situation, handed me the savings book without hesitation. I reiterated that I couldn't accept such a large sum of money from the family, insisting that just over 10,000 yuan would cover one semester's costs. However, my father sternly stated that this money was for the first semester's tuition and living expenses for the next three years. He made it clear that he would not provide any additional living expenses beyond the tuition fees, and if the living expenses were insufficient, I would have to find a way to manage on my own. He explained that all future earnings would be dedicated to preparing for my sister's future, and it was for this reason that I accepted the money.
The group of trendy young people behind the boy, after mocking the rural youth for a while, noticed that neither the boy nor the people around him paid any attention, and thus lost interest, beginning to take out their adorable phones to call their families
She said coldly, "Are you here to register for the new students? Come in." It was only when the woman spoke that the young man realized someone had entered. He turned to glance back and then turned back around, smiling as he quietly said to the woman, "Be a bit more enthusiastic; you should know that these are all our clients."
The young boy arrived at the duty room at the school gate in a daze. Before he could speak, a middle-aged man dressed in security uniform interjected, "What do you want?"
Chen Shihao carefully examined the notice, which was printed with text on the back. He discovered that it contained a bank account number, specifying the amount he needed to deposit into this account, indicating that this account would be used for paying his tuition fees in the future. He would simply need to deposit the money to complete the enrollment process. Finally, it stated that he was a student of Class 3, Year 1, and that there would be an assembly on the playground at 8 AM on September 1 for the opening ceremony.
As he was about to go outside to wait for the bus, he noticed that the people around him were covering their noses and moving away from him. It was then that he remembered he hadn't showered in two days, and the odor emanating from him was quite unpleasant. Flushing with embarrassment, he hurried to the station's inn and spent 10 yuan to clean himself up properly
Chen Shihao walked dazedly towards the school gate with his luggage in hand. He had no idea what to do now, as there were still more than 10 days until September 1. He had thought he could settle in early and familiarize himself with the campus, but now he was troubled by the issue of accommodation.
Chen Shihao was taken aback: "Going online?" He truly did not understand the connection between his accommodation issues and going online. Was the arrangement for the dormitory posted online? But he was unaware of any webpage. Although Chen Shihao did not have a computer at home, he had taken computer classes during middle school, so he was not completely ignorant of computers
The middle-aged security guard frowned and said, "Registration? What is the name of the book? Where did you come from? Let me see the notice." The middle-aged man suddenly took his duties seriously because he could tell at a glance that this young man was from the countryside, and of course, he wanted to use his authority to have a little fun.
Chen Shihao shook his head with a bitter smile. How could he have known that Nanda Affiliated High School had such an enrollment process? Moreover, he had spent the entire summer vacation in the village, so even if he wanted to know, he wouldn't have been able to. However, it was strange that the school hadn't mentioned this when he inquired initially. Perhaps he was so stunned by the exorbitant tuition fees that he didn't hear anything at all.
Aside from the two points of home and school, he only goes to the bookstore. Other than that, he has never even been to the city, let alone the province. This is also his first time taking a train. Although he initially did not know what to do, his intelligence allowed him to observe and listen carefully, enabling him to understand how to take the train without needing to ask. As a result, he was able to find the right place and is now waiting here to board the train
This originally self-satisfied fellow, upon seeing the appearance of our young man, realized he had been defeated, for he was not as handsome as this country boy! A hint of jealousy appeared in his eyes, and his air of superiority became even more absurd, as he prepared to catch up and mock that country boy.
The passengers waiting for the train all around were previously quite interested in the events unfolding here. They had originally hoped to see the rural boy display a look of shame, but upon realizing that the boy did not exhibit the expected reaction, they lost interest. However, those passengers who stood in front of our young man and turned around to watch displayed expressions of surprise, for the previously shy rural boy had unexpectedly taken on an air of superiority.
"Alright, enough said. Even if it's a sleeper, it's not exactly clean there. Let's get off the train and switch to a plane now," the girl said. Upon hearing this, the faces of several boys immediately turned ashen, as it seemed their hopes of taking advantage of the girls during the long train journey had been dashed.
After hearing these words, our young man revealed a hint of a mocking smile, slowly raised his head, and straightened his back. A young man would not feel ashamed about such matters, for he knows how hard his parents work to earn money. What right does he have to feel ashamed over these trivialities?
Chen Shihao, who was already standing with his head down in front of the desk, hurriedly announced his name while handing over the notification letter. The woman took it, entered the name from the notification letter into the computer, then placed the notification letter into a printer on a nearby desk, and after clicking the mouse, the printer began to print.
After changing into clean clothes, he finally arrived at Nanjing University Affiliated High School after transferring between several public buses. Upon getting off, he was taken aback by the sight of the school. Although there were people coming and going at the school gate as he had imagined, they were not students; instead, they were construction workers wearing safety helmets. Moreover, construction vehicles loaded with various materials stirred up a cloud of dust as they entered the campus
The two young people paused their conversation, and the woman waved her hand in dissatisfaction, saying: "You can go look it up online yourself; you can leave now"
At this moment, another girl complained to one of the boys, saying: "I already said not to take the train, yet you guys insisted on it, claiming it would be more interesting. Now, just look at what kind of interest this brings!" After she finished speaking, the other two girls also joined in to complain about the boys nearby.
Another girl continued, "It's not the train that stinks; if you want to blame someone, blame those workers who suddenly squeezed in. This foul smell comes from them." One could hear her voice reflecting her dissatisfaction with sitting in the same carriage as these workers
At that moment, a deliberately affected, delicate voice sounded from behind: "Why are you all going so far ahead? Don't you think it smells strange?" Upon hearing this, an image suddenly appeared in our youthful minds of a girl covering her nose with a handkerchief, showing a look of disgust, and stepping back. At that time, the trendy boy close to the youth quickly smiled at the girl and said: "Yes, it stinks, I want to move further away." Then came the sound of movement.
I... I am here to register," the young man said somewhat awkwardly
Chen Shihao stared blankly at the woman's actions. He did not expect that this school would use these computers to handle the enrollment process; it truly deserved its reputation as the top high school in the country. However, Chen Shihao was still puzzled as to why he was the only student here to enroll. Was he really the only new student this year? That seemed impossible. Although Chen Shihao found it strange, he was not accustomed to asking questions, and judging by the demeanor of the two people in front of him, even if he did ask, they would likely not respond.
The middle-aged man chuckled, "Haha, I am from Caikeng Village in Zhongyi Township. We are indeed fellow townsmen." Upon hearing that the youth was truly from the same hometown, the middle-aged man's demeanor became even more cordial. He handed back the notice that he had not read and patted Chen Shihao's shoulder, saying, "Haha, this notice is not something a gatekeeper like me is qualified to look at. You should go register first, and when you come back, we can have a good chat. I haven't been back in over ten years." As he spoke, he detailed the address of the registration office to Chen Shihao.
Soon, with a long whistle of the steam horn, the train began to move
The young man might not want Chen Shihau to disturb his world of two. He said, "The school will no longer provide dormitories starting this semester. The students who originally lived on campus have all gone to rent apartments outside. You should solve your accommodation problem yourself." With that, he pushed the dazed Chen Shihau out of the room
The young man sighed; if it weren't for the fact that he had to sit for two days and two nights, he would have also bought a standing ticket. After placing his luggage, he offered his seat to a middle-aged woman who was accompanied by several children. Although the woman cheerfully said, "How can I accept this, big brother?" she still sat down without hesitation. The young man simply shook his head in a simple-minded manner, said nothing, and quietly stood by the back of the chair.
Daddy, um, I haven't gotten in the car yet. Yes, Daddy, my friend already has the latest model of the phone, and I want to buy one too. I don't care, hurry and transfer the money to my card, or else I will... um, still, Daddy is the best, thank you, Daddy
At this moment, discontented voices from six young boys and girls could be heard, with one girl covering her nose with a handkerchief saying, "Is this for real! Why does this train smell so bad!"
Chen Shihao arrived at a teaching building located in the center of the campus, where the entrance to the freshman registration office was posted on the door of a room on the first floor. A young man dressed in a stylish suit was chatting with a young woman sitting at a table.
At that moment, the young man was suddenly bumped into by someone. He turned around and discovered that it was three fairly attractive young women and three reasonably handsome young men. All six of them were dressed very stylishly, even to the point of being somewhat avant-garde and eccentric. Of course, this was from the young man's perspective; he found it strange that the young women were dressed so scantily, with outfits that barely covered their navels. Weren't they afraid of getting cold? The young men were even more peculiar, wearing clothes that were absurdly oversized, and their pants seemed as if they might fall down. Of course, this was from the young man's perspective; he found it strange that the young women were dressed so scantily, with outfits that barely covered their navels. Weren't they afraid of getting cold? The young men were even more peculiar, wearing clothes that were absurdly oversized, and their pants seemed as if they might fall down.
However, when the young man noticed everyone staring at him, his face flushed, and he revealed a shy smile before lowering his head, the crowd returned to normal. Those with insight nodded in agreement, as it seemed this rural youth possessed a strong sense of pride.
The young boy sighed and thought to himself: "Alas, the children of the wealthy."
I am from Ziyin Village in Zhongyi Township," said the shy young man named Chen Shihao as he lowered his head
Alright, Mom, I will take care of myself. I will eat three meals a day. By the way, I just thought about it; the money you gave is not enough. 10,000? No, that's too little. It needs to be at least 30,000. Hmm, transfer it to my card. Okay, I will call you when I arrive. Bye
The middle-aged security guard at the school gate, upon seeing Chen Shihao's expression, immediately understood the situation. He stepped forward and patted Chen Shihao on the shoulder, saying, "Young man, I forgot to tell you that the school has demolished the dormitory; it was just torn down this summer."
The woman did not say anything, only snorted through her nose. Then, without raising her head, she opened the laptop on the table, clicked the mouse, and coldly said, "Bring me the notification letter. What is your name?"
The young boy quietly observed the scene before him, finding the words of these people quite strange. If they had money, why didn't they take a plane from the very beginning? Instead, it was only after seeing the people working outside the car that they decided to fly. Did they not understand the value of time? The boy shook his head as he watched the six individuals crowding towards the car door, then opened the book he had taken out while arranging his luggage and leaned back against the seat to read.
The young man hurriedly took out a well-folded piece of paper from his pocket and respectfully said, "My name is Chen Shihao, and I come from Kai'an."
The young man merely raised his head slightly to take a look before lowering it again. At that moment, he noticed that several people were dragging a beautiful space suitcase. He observed that the suitcase was designed with great consideration for the person carrying it, and he couldn't help but examine it closely. Suddenly, at that moment, a cold and arrogant voice rang in his ear: "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen one before?"
The woman picked up the printed notice, glanced at the computer, then threw the notice to Chen Shihao and said coldly: "According to the account number above, transfer the registration fee before the start of the semester, otherwise your degree will be canceled. Alright, you can leave now." After saying this, she began to laugh and joke with the young man.
When the young man turned to go inside, Chen Shihao heard the woman say something he did not understand: "It's these country folks who made me start work a week early. What bad luck." The young man replied with a grin, "I knew you were feeling bored all by yourself, so I came specially to keep you company." Then there was a flurry of flirtatious banter.
His poor social skills are largely related to his personality, but more so to the fact that his classmates from the city, while envious of his achievements, are also unwilling to engage with him due to his less favorable family background
He is now standing there quietly with his head lowered, holding that wicker suitcase and gripping the train ticket. If it weren't for his rustic appearance, his honest expression, his dark complexion, and especially that flat-top hairstyle symbolic of men, his obedient demeanor would surely lead others to believe he is a shy, pure beauty from the countryside.
He is now lost in thought, recalling that he originally intended to bring a bucket, toothbrush, pillow, bedding, and mosquito net to www.hetushu.com, but his father firmly forbade him from bringing these items, arguing that it would be a burden to carry such things over such a long distance. Instead, his father generously gave him an additional 1,000 yuan to buy them once he arrived.
Our young boy shyly squeezed into the crowd waiting for the train, not embarrassed by the old wicker suitcase he carried, which had long been unused, nor by his clothes that had faded from washing and were torn at the collar. He was shy because he was unaccustomed to being packed in with so many people
The young man felt a pang of sorrow in his heart: "This 20,000 yuan, I wonder how long my parents worked hard to save it. It was given to me all at once, and in the future, there will be over 10,000 yuan in tuition fees every semester. Won't my parents have to work even harder? Sigh, after enrolling, I should quickly find some odd jobs to help out. However, I heard that big cities don't really hire child laborers. What should I do if that's the case? I still have two years until I reach adulthood?" The young man frowned at this thought.
The expression of mockery and disdain was something the young man had encountered too often. He had learned to face such individuals with a calm demeanor. Thus, he remained silent, lowered his head, and took a step forward
The young man raised his head upon hearing the sound and noticed one of the boys among them. That boy's eyes revealed a look of disdain, his chin held high, and the lines of his mouth curved tightly downward. This expression clearly conveyed a sense of contempt and disgust.
Before long, the loudspeaker announced: "Train 234 will be arriving at the station. Passengers waiting are requested to stand behind the yellow line." The young man knew the train was coming, glanced at the ticket in his hand, tightened his grip on his suitcase, and took a small step forward. The trendy youths, however, had no time to chat and immediately pushed forward, disregarding the rules. Fortunately, a few middle-aged men, who had long found them displeasing, shouted at them, which made the youths obediently line up. However, one could hear them cursing those who scolded them, wishing that they would be hit by the train.
Chen Shihao took the tea handed to him by the middle-aged man, thanked him, and then asked in confusion, "Uncle Li, why does it seem like I am the only one signing up today?"
After Chen Shihao expressed his gratitude and left, the middle-aged man watched his retreating figure, smiling and shaking his head as he murmured to himself: "Hehe, the shy and simple country boy, I wonder if he can adapt to life in this big city? ... ... Ah, what a pity, I forgot to tell him ... ... " Just as the middle-aged man was about to call out to Chen Shihao, he realized that Chen Shihao had already walked far away, so he gave up and shook his head: "Forget it, those teachers will inform him."
Chen Shihao walked while surveying the campus, discovering that it was quite large, though filled with teaching buildings. Aside from the flowerbeds along the walkway and a not very large sports field in the distance, there was hardly any extra open space.
The middle-aged man, while boasting, welcomed Chen Shih-hao into the duty room. Chen Shih-hao now understands that he must resolve his accommodation issue on his own, as he is simply incomparable to one million. Even if he were to protest, it would be futile; besides, he is not someone who enjoys resistance.
While walking and looking around, Chen Shihao noticed that there was no mention of accommodation. He hurriedly turned back and anxiously asked, "Teacher, I apologize, but there is no arrangement for my dormitory. May I ask where I should stay?"
After a journey of two days and two nights, the train that the young man was on finally arrived at its destination—He Yuan City
A few young men, with sorrowful expressions, helplessly said: "We all said we wanted to buy sleeper tickets, but you suspected our intentions were not good, so we changed to soft seats. Shall we go change to sleeper tickets now?"
The middle-aged man, who had originally shown no expression, smiled upon hearing this: "Hehe, I am also from An, which town are you from? Perhaps we are fellow townsmen." The middle-aged man had now also abandoned the thought of joking, as it is quite rare to encounter someone from the same city a thousand miles away, especially when the other party is an underage boy; how could he bear to make things difficult for him
The young man squeezed onto the train, found his seat, and soon the six boys and girls boarded as well, taking seats right beside him. Before he could place his suitcase on the luggage rack, a large group of passengers suddenly crowded into the carriage. Judging by their attire, it was clear they were a group of people going out to work. They did not compete for seats but simply stood obediently in the aisle chatting. It seemed they had all purchased standing tickets. Judging by their attire, it was clear they were a group of people going out to work. They did not compete for seats but simply stood obediently in the aisle chatting. It seemed they had all purchased standing tickets.
The crowd around them secretly shook their heads, once again encountering a group of wealthy young masters and young ladies. Our young man also heard these words but paid them no mind. After charming their families, those fellows began to boast about their summer vacations in various countries, the expensive gifts they had purchased, and how they organized extravagant birthday parties for their friends. In short, they started to flaunt how unique they were. At that moment, the crowd compared them to the silent country boy and couldn't help but realize that the country boy was indeed better.
The young man exited the train station, holding his suitcase and gazing blankly at the bustling scene before him. Although he had long known that Gohara City was one of the largest cities in the country, he did not expect the flow of people at the station to be so overwhelming. He took out the tourist map he had just purchased and found the bus number that would take him to Nanda Secondary School.
"Why? Do you know how many boarding students there are at the school?" Before Chen Shihau could respond, the middle-aged man answered himself: "There are 100 people; only 100 are boarding on campus. The others either live locally or rent houses outside. Moreover, the current principal is very focused on finances and has decided to demolish the dormitory to build a teaching building. You must understand that this way, they can enroll over 1,000 more students, which would generate over 10 million in tuition fees each semester. And again, the current principal is very focused on finances and has decided to demolish the dormitory to build a teaching building. You must understand that this way, they can enroll over 1,000 more students, which would generate over 10 million in tuition fees each semester. Over 10 million compared to 100 boarding students, which one do you think the school will choose?"
"Torn down? Why?" Chen Shihao asked in confusion
In addition to his inherent nature, he is more so not adept at interacting with others. He cannot recall how he was during his early childhood. However, during elementary school, aside from studying diligently, he spent most of his time taking care of his younger sister and helping with household chores, rarely playing with classmates. Upon entering middle school, aside from studying hard, he was busy working odd jobs to earn pocket money to support his family, let alone socializing with others. Although he has a charming appearance, his classmates nicknamed him a reclusive bookworm. Upon entering middle school, aside from studying hard, he was busy working odd jobs to earn pocket money to support his family, let alone socializing with others. Although he has a charming appearance, his classmates nicknamed him a reclusive bookworm.
The middle-aged man surnamed Li chuckled and said, "It seems you are still unaware that Nanjing University Affiliated High School implements an online registration system. New students only need to enter the admission notice number on the Nanjing University Affiliated High School website to obtain a dedicated bank account for tuition payment. At the same time, they will also receive information about their assigned class and the start date of the school year. Finally, as long as the money is transferred to that account, the registration process is considered complete. As for returning students, as long as there is enough tuition in the account, it is regarded as automatic registration. Generally speaking, students come to school only before the start of the term; who comes more than 10 days in advance like you?" After finishing, Uncle Li looked at the dazed Chen Shihua with a grin and continued, "Nowadays, fewer and fewer students come to register in person. Don't you know anything about Nanjing University Affiliated High School?"