Chapter 84: Why Don't You Eat Wavy Snacks!

Parting with Lu Lu Siwen and returning to the classroom, his deskmate Lin Lin Shuyao had been lying on the desk.

And many boys in the class were looking at Zhai Da; there was no emotion in their eyes, only jealousy.

But one person was different.

Zhai Da was preparing to continue studying when Chu Xiang behind him suddenly said: "Zhai Da, why don't you eat wavy snacks? Do you not like it?"

Zhai Da turned his head and looked at him suspiciously: "What wavy snacks, how 'wavy' is it?"

Chu Xiang: "It's... it's just puffed food!"

Lin Lin Shuyao, who was lying down, was as quiet as if she had been dead for three days.

Zhai Da was baffled: "Do you know why Laozi wanted to write the 'Tao Te Ching'?"

"What do you mean? Why?"

"Because Laozi wants to! Do I need your permission if I don't like puffed food?"

Chu Xiang keenly captured the keyword: "Then what do you like?"

I'll buy it for Lin Shuyao, let Lin Shuyao win back this face!

Zhai Da teased: "I like thin legs."

Chu Xiang:...

Lin Lin Shuyao suddenly kicked her legs, changing from sitting upright to stretching her legs.

Zhai Da quickly added: "But it must be on the right person."

Lin Lin Shuyao pulled her legs back.

The whole person was like the Twin Towers in 2001, seemingly still standing, but actually already smoking!

Chu Xiang:...

Did you adjust my goddess's key bindings?

And in the back row of the classroom, Fan Junwei was holding a shiny razor.

Just now, when Zhai Da asked him to help buy snacks, he had handed this razor to him.

It didn't count as a gift, because it was borrowed and had to be returned later.

Zhai Da told Fan Junwei to pay attention to his image, shave his beard every day, and he would look more spirited. He didn't say anything more.

Fan Junwei subconsciously touched the beard on his chubby face. Few boys at this age had stubble, but everyone's constitution was different. Some would grow a thick layer of fuzz, which didn't look good.

He usually looked a bit slovenly, and the beard on his face was a big reason.

Fan Junwei took it that Zhai Da hoped he could look better at school, so he accepted this little suggestion from a friend.

However, he didn't recognize that this was the one Zhai Da had picked up right in front of him that day. After all, Zhai Da had been searching for several hours that day, and he didn't remember clearly.

The afternoon study went on as usual, but before the evening self-study, the head teacher Ding Rong issued a "Third Mock Exam" notice.

This would be the last major exam before the college entrance exam. The time had actually been set long ago, but school life always makes people forget the urgency.

Unlike the subject level tests coordinated by the whole province, all students took them at their own school, and the first and second years were given two days off.

According to the conventional rules, after the third mock exam, all schools would no longer arrange unified exams to avoid affecting students' mentality. And for ordinary students, the third mock exam scores wouldn't differ much from the college entrance exam scores.

And because it was organized by each school, it meant this would be Zhai Da's solo battle; Lu Wei wouldn't have the opportunity to participate.

On the podium, Ding Rong said: "Everyone, adjust your mentality, don't be nervous. You'll have a day off after the exam."

Zhai Da thought to himself that Maofang Middle School was still not good enough... a trash school, it was the third mock exam, and they were still giving a day off like the second mock exam.

Those top-tier high schools wished they could weld the school gates shut.

Hmm... the windows might be welded shut too.

The polarization in the class was more serious. The happy brother who had completely given up didn't care about a few mock exams at all. Even if he mocked to the sky, it was still that score. Instead, he looked forward to that day off even more.

And those who were still studying were restless, worrying about gains and losses for a few points.

In fact, today... the class of 58 people only had 53 left. Two more students had recognized reality after the subject level tests and completely gave up on their studies.

By the time the third mock exam ended, there would be even fewer people. In Zhai Da's memory, on the eve of the college entrance exam, there were only forty-something people in the class.

This is a regular high school.

The divergence of fate had actually begun long ago.

To be precise, human fate is diverging all the time, with passive acceptance and active reconciliation.

After Ding Rong left, the classroom returned to noise again.

Zhai Da took out the 【High School Math Book (Lu Wei Edition)】 and continued to study.

No need to say more, just do it!

————

At night, in the only villa residential area in Wang Dongyang County.

Lu Lu Siwen returned home and was still devoted to the unavoidable "TOEFL course." The fashionable female teacher was picked up by a special car again.

And in the tea room belonging to Lu Zetao on the first floor, this handsome old man had been sitting for a whole night alone, with a cup of tea and a book.

He possessed a successful family, but he didn't play a major role in the business. His wife, Qian Yarong, who was decisive and swift, had been a person with a strong sense of career and control since she was young.

To be precise, her sense of control was strong, and her sense of career had to be strong as well. After the two started a business together and gradually improved, it evolved bit by bit from "man strong, woman weak" to "equal strength" and then to "woman strong, man weak."

Of course, Lu Zetao had also let go. People value self-consistency, so over the years, his energy and focus gradually shifted toward another identity: "writer."

Essentially, it was the same as those wealthy middle-aged people who suddenly started tinkering with strange things.

Raising flowers, raising fish, raising dogs, raising people.

The door of the tea room was pushed open. Qian Yarong saw her husband's appearance and knew he had been reading all afternoon.

She could still accept Lu Zetao's current state. After all, business matters had been taken over by her, so he had to have hobbies to pass the time.

Immersing himself in the writer's dream of "feeling good about himself" was better than going out to clubs for young girls, right?

As for herself? She did admire the "literary atmosphere" when she was young, and the two came together because of it, but now it had long faded. As she got older, she only felt that those were all uninteresting and meaningless things.

"What are you looking at?"

Lu Zetao didn't even raise his head: "Lu Siwen's classmate's novel."

Qian Yarong sat opposite Lu Zetao and frowned: "That boy with the surname Zhai? You met him?"

Lu Zetao nodded: "He has great literary talent, no... calling him a genius wouldn't be an exaggeration. I was originally going to mail it to the publisher today, but I couldn't bear to part with it yet. I wanted to read it one more time and study why he writes so well... to soak up some of his literary star power."

Qian Yarong said with some helplessness: "I'm asking you how you met that young boy."

"Your precious daughter begged me this morning, didn't she? She said Zhai Da wrote a long novel and wanted me to help recommend it to a publisher. I said let me see it, and she actually said I couldn't see it yet..."

Speaking of this, Lu Zetao even laughed: "I was just wondering what kind of person could make Lu Siwen care so much for him, so I decided to just go along with her wishes and chat with him in person."

Although Lu Zetao isn't exactly busy, it depends on who is asking for his time. If he weren't slightly curious about the relationship between Zhai Da and Lu Lu Siwen, he wouldn't have made the trip.

Fathers are all the same.

Afraid of thieves targeting them, yet also afraid of no thieves targeting them.

"And then?"

"At first I thought it was very ordinary... now, I find it quite stunning..."

Lu Zetao poured a cup of kung fu tea for his wife and himself: "To be honest, if I were at that age, even without considering the gender issue, if a friend of mine wrote something like this, I would also find a way to help him get it published. I feel that such gold deserves to be seen by more people."

Qian Yarong was clearly unconvinced... after all, when Lu Zetao describes his own work, he is also extremely hyperbolic; he might as well claim to be the contemporary Zhou Shuren.

The delicate teacup was drained in one gulp, leaving a faint lipstick mark: "Don't you think that as a father, your focus should be on the relationship between the two of them?"

Lu Zetao recalled the "intimate interaction" between the two young people on the pedestrian bridge. He felt a bit uncomfortable at the time, but he still shook his head and said: "Actually, it's fine. My judgment is that there are no such signs..."

"Besides, there's nothing wrong with having more exchanges with such an outstanding young person. His writing style is indeed excellent..."

Qian Yarong laughed mockingly: "Good writing style... what's the use of that..."

"Lu Siwen is going abroad to study finance; that is the future trend. Let me make this clear to you: the general direction must not change. You should let her spend more time on TOEFL instead of playing some writing game with her peers... What's the use of Chinese? English is the international language!"

Lu Zetao raised his head and looked at his wife calmly, many thoughts flashing through his mind.

But in the end, he only said:

"If you think this is right, then do it yourself. However, I warn you: be careful of the counterproductive results."

Qian Yarong stopped arguing.

A large part of the reason this family can maintain harmony lies in Lu Zetao's forbearance.

And the fact that when he is occasionally serious, he can keep his wife in check.

"I know my daughter very well; she will make the right choice."

"And she must make the right choice."