Chapter 91
◎Then Put It On for Me◎
“Then put it on for me.”
Hearing this, Zhou Shunian took the clip from her hand. He had never helped a girl with her hair before and was a little clumsy at first. He tried his best to control his strength so as not to pull her scalp.
Tangtang’s hair was very dark and soft. He first pressed her hair down with one hand and then clipped the gingko hairpin on.
“Is it pretty?”
He swallowed his throat and said truthfully, “It’s pretty.”
She was not only the girl with the best personality he had ever met, but also the most beautiful girl he had ever met. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like autumn water. When she spoke, her eyes would sparkle, and her face would be radiant, making people feel comfortable and pleasant.
Tangtang coughed twice, the smile on her lips almost uncontrollable. Just as she was about to say something, a gust of mountain wind blew over, and she couldn’t help but sneeze.
Zhou Shunian felt the clothes by the fire and they were already dry. He took them from the tree branch rack and draped them over her.
The temperature in the mountains in April was still quite low. The wind was also chilly. The dried coat was warm when draped over her. Tangtang looked at the time. It was already past nine in the evening. “By the way, I remember there should be some dry rations at the supply point.”
As she spoke, she went back to the tent to look and, sure enough, found two pieces of dry rations. They were probably from a few days ago, but they were not damp or spoiled and could still be eaten. She handed one of the pancakes to Zhou Shunian. “One for each of us.”
The dry rations were hard. Tangtang took a bite and held it in her mouth for a while before she started to chew and swallow.
The fire crackled softly, and sparks would occasionally shoot up, lick the damp firewood, and then fall back into the ashes with a rustle.
The orange-red light cast the shadows of the two of them on the tent cloth, swaying long and short, like two birds that were very close to each other. Half of Zhou Shunian’s face was bathed in the firelight, and the outline of his jawline softened a little.
“Brother Shunian,” Tangtang suddenly called out to him.
“Hmm?”
“Brother Shunian, it’s so good that in the end, it was you and I who ended up together.”
When Tangtang said this, she was still holding the dry ration pancake in her hand. Her throat felt a little tight, and the emotions in her eyes were complicated. There was pity, relief, and love, but more than anything, there was pity.
She pitied him for having to go to Wanqiu to work as an educated youth alone at the age of seventeen or eighteen. She pitied him for having to suffer the blow of his mother’s death from illness and his father’s remarriage in less than a year at the age of seventeen or eighteen. She pitied him for the lonely, desolate, sad, and confused path he had walked alone.
For many years, Tangtang would think of his lonely back as he left Yuanlin. If she had run up to him at that time and given him a hug, would he not have been so lonely?
Zhou Shunian was stunned for a long while before he ruffled her head. “Silly girl.”
“There are some things that I always find difficult to say, but I still feel that I must say them once.”
“What?” Tangtang asked.
He paused, his gaze falling on her eyelashes, which were made translucent by the firelight. He said each word very clearly, “I like you.”
Tangtang suddenly looked up, her eyes wet, and even her breathing slowed down.
“Thank you for being with me.”
After saying that, Zhou Shunian’s Adam’s apple rolled slightly. The firelight flickered in his eyes. He raised his hand and caressed her slightly cool and delicate cheek. His rough palm carried the slight warmth from the firewood.
There was no hasty probing, just a slow lowering of his head. Tangtang’s eyelashes trembled, but she did not refuse his approach.
It was very light, with the clear fragrance of pine and the warmth of the firewood, as if he were afraid of breaking something. It was not until Tangtang subconsciously leaned into his embrace that he slightly tightened his arms and deepened the kiss.
…
The jasmine essential oil research and development project had already progressed to the two-thirds stage. After finishing her Saturday morning classes, Tangtang went to the laboratory to sort out the data from the past two days in Jiexi Village.
Tangtang took a sip of warm water and saw a few group members sneakily gathering over, lowering their voices. “Have you guys heard? Si Junxiang was beaten up yesterday.”
Si Junxiang had often used his position as the group leader to do whatever he wanted. Everyone had long been resentful. It was only because he was in a higher grade that they gave him some face and didn’t tear off the facade.
Tangtang’s hand, which was copying the data, paused, and the ink from the fountain pen spread into a small ink dot on the paper. “Beaten up? What happened?”
One of the boys with glasses looked left and right and lowered his voice. “It seems to have happened in the alley behind the school last night. I don’t know who did it. I heard he was beaten up with a sack. There were several people, and they didn’t hold back. His eyes were all black and blue. I was eating in the canteen at noon today, and he was sitting across from me. I really couldn’t help it and spat out a mouthful of noodles.”
Another girl curled her lip. “He was still cursing when he came to the laboratory this morning, saying he wanted to find out who did it. Who knows? He’s offended so many people. There are many people who want to beat him up. I even want to beat him up.”
As she was speaking, she saw Si Junxiang walk in. The boy nudged the girl with his elbow, signaling her not to say any more.
As soon as Si Junxiang entered, a smell of medicinal oil rushed into everyone’s nasal passages. There was a crooked piece of gauze on his cheekbone, and his hair was as messy as a chicken’s nest. His left eye was as swollen as a purple eggplant, and his eye was narrowed into a thin line, looking both comical and funny.
Tangtang completed the data in her hand and gave it to Si Junxiang.
Si Junxiang wanted to put on his usual arrogant look, but as soon as he curled his lip, he immediately let out a “hiss” of pain, and his arrogance instantly deflated. “Damn it, these bastards are really ruthless…”
“Alright, I know.”
As Si Junxiang spoke, he casually placed the data in his hand on a nearby table.
Tangtang saw that the table was not tidy. Besides the data she had filled in, there were also several previous incorrect data. A few messy papers were stacked together. She couldn’t help but remind him, “Remember to check it when you’re organizing it. Don’t make a mistake.”
Si Junxiang waved his hand impatiently. “Alright, I know.”
…
On Saturday night, the research and development group had a meeting, and the group leader, Si Junxiang, reported the periodic data.
“The average oil content of the jasmine petals in Jiexi Village is stable at… the distillation extraction rate has increased compared to last week…” Si Junxiang read from the paper, his voice muffled and unclear, and he would occasionally look down to find the next page.
Professor Ruan was sitting in the first row. He had a pair of reading glasses on his nose. He suddenly raised his hand and interrupted him. “Wait, did you compile all this data?”
“This data is all wrong. Didn’t you notice?” Professor Ruan asked sharply, his face already showing anger.
“Professor, I…” Hearing this, Si Junxiang’s heart skipped a beat. He fumbled to find the materials in his hand.
Tangtang was standing in the back row. Seeing this situation, she immediately realized that Si Junxiang had taken the wrong materials. She walked to the table where the materials had been placed in the afternoon and, sure enough, found the correct data. “Professor, the data in Senior Si Junxiang’s hand is wrong. This is the correct data.”
Si Junxiang stood on the stage, his face flushed red. He couldn’t help but glare at Tangtang, thinking that it was all her fault that he had lost face in front of the professor.
Professor Ruan’s voice grew even heavier. “As the group leader of the research and development group, didn’t you notice at all that the data was wrong? How much have you actually participated in this project?!”
Professor Ruan looked at Si Junxiang with disappointment. “The research and development group is not a place for you to gain experience! As a group leader, how can you set a good example for your juniors?! I don’t think you need to continue as this group leader. You should go back to being a group member! If this happens again, you don’t have to come to the laboratory anymore!”
Professor Ruan rarely lost his temper like this. It seemed that he was really angry.
Si Junxiang was scolded harshly. His face turned red and then white. His swollen eyes were full of panic. Besides Professor Ruan, there were also two factory liaison staff and a few young teachers from the school sitting below. He was holding the materials in his hand, frozen in place, at a loss for what to do. It was not right to continue speaking, nor was it right to step down.
Professor Ruan took a sip of water from his thermos and calmed down a little. “Su Xintang, you can continue.”
Tangtang was suddenly called by name. She subconsciously glanced in Si Junxiang’s direction and happened to see his eyes, which were like ice-cold needles, filled with shame, anger, and resentment.
Tangtang only glanced at him and then indifferently withdrew her gaze. She used a little force with her fingers and pulled the materials back into her own hands.
Looking at the teachers and staff below, she took a deep breath, straightened the corners of the materials with her fingertips, and when she looked up again, a steady smile was already on her face. “The oil content of the jasmine petals in Jiexi Village has been stable at an average of 0.25% in the continuous monitoring for three days, which is an increase compared to last week… This is due to our adjustment of the picking time… As for the distillation extraction rate, we have tested seven temperature gradients…”
Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear, with the unique seriousness of a young person.
Tangtang did not mention Si Junxiang’s mistake, nor did she deliberately emphasize her own contribution. She just explained the logic of the data and the basis for the adjustments.
The originally tense atmosphere below the stage gradually relaxed, and Professor Ruan nodded with approval.
…
It was already past nine in the evening when the meeting was over. There was still more than an hour before the curfew. Chen Xiaohui suggested going out for a late-night snack. Tangtang happened to be a little hungry, so she nodded and agreed to the suggestion.
So they went back to the dormitory to call Dong Shuqing and went to a congee shop on the street behind the school.
A steaming bowl of beef and mustard green congee was served. Every grain of the white rice was cooked until it bloomed. The beef was minced, and the mustard green shreds were bright green. It was also sprinkled with pepper. Just by looking at it, it was very appetizing.
Tangtang took a sip of the congee. The fresh beef was very fresh and sweet. The congee was cooked until it was thick. The mustard green shreds added a fresh taste to the beef congee. The hot congee went from the tip of her tongue to her stomach, and she felt her internal organs all settled.
“This is so satisfying. The wicked get their just deserts!” Chen Xiaohui thought of the meeting at the laboratory in the evening and felt refreshed.
“I don’t know which great hero stood up for justice. It’s simply amazing! Getting rid of a public menace! Si Junxiang has also taken a fall. First, he was beaten up, and then he lost his position as the group leader. His good days are over.”
Si Junxiang didn’t dare to make things difficult for Chen Xiaohui, but she just didn’t like this person. He would do whatever he wanted with a little bit of power, and his ugly face was annoying to look at.
Tangtang remembered what Zhou Shunian had said about letting him handle it. She guessed that the person who had beaten Si Junxiang was probably Zhou Shunian.
She was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. She hadn’t expected it to be such a simple and crude method.
Chen Xiaohui added a little pepper to her congee. “But, even if the professor hadn’t canceled his position as the group leader, he wouldn’t have been able to stay in the research and development group for long.”
“Why?” Tangtang asked.
Chen Xiaohui spread her hands. “Si Junxiang is already a senior this year and will be graduating in less than two months. He was recruited as a worker-peasant-soldier. He will most likely be assigned back to his household registration location. He must want to fight for a chance to stay at the school and teach, but I’ve seen his report card. It’s very mediocre. He won’t be able to stay.”