Chapter 181 It’s you
When the five-star red flag fluttered on the tall flagpole and the "March of the Volunteers" came to an abrupt end, the school leaders sat in front of the rostrum. With solemn expressions on their plump and clean faces, they began to speak one by one. Their long and eloquent mouths exuded the smell of steamed buns.

Then the first outstanding student representative gave a speech. It was quite standard, all about how to study hard and contribute to the motherland's modernization. The next few students who gave speeches also followed the rules, talking about the importance of learning and life ideals. According to Wang Xiaokai, they are all philosophers. Indeed, the group of 17 or 18-year-old rebellious teenagers in the audience were almost taking a nap while standing.

Of course, this is not their fault. As outstanding student representatives, they must have the ability. Compared with those guys who are picky, they can say more and have a bright future. However, the students' speeches are reviewed by the school in advance. Any heretical ideas will be castrated. It is dangerous to take an unconventional approach. The main theme is the correct route that school leaders want. Zhang Yunqi remembered that someone once commented on domestic schools: the temple of thought is filled with slaves of life, vulgar people are in power, and those who mess around have become the mainstream.

This statement is too extreme, but it is not without truth.

When it was our turn to meet for the first time, it was almost ten o'clock.

Fortunately, it had rained heavily a few days ago, which slightly relieved the heat of autumn. The temperature was just right at this time, there was wind, and the sun in the sky was not glaring. While Zhang Yunqi was chatting with Wang Xiaokai and his brothers, he saw Chu Jian, who walked to the front desk, with a piece of paper in her hand, which should be a speech, but she didn't seem to read it.

The football field was also quite quiet. Many students stared at Chu Jian. His pretty face became the focus of their attention. From the looks of many boys, Zhang Yunqi, an old hand, seemed to see himself as a student in his previous life.

I remember when I was studying in my previous life, sometimes I met a girl on a certain road in the school. Maybe it was because she was beautiful, maybe it was because of her hazy side profile, maybe it was because of a certain clear temperament, or maybe it was the girl's inexplicable smile when she walked towards me, a charming vortex appeared, and then I fell into the vortex, with palpitations, tossing and turning for many nights, trying every way to pay attention to her without making a sound, thinking about her when going to the toilet to pee or poop, even after many years, I have forgotten what the girl looked like, but I can still recall the feeling of palpitations in the dead of night when the lights are dim. It is a feeling that is really hard to describe, perhaps like when a child is very young, he uses the smell of gardenia to mark spring; the candy that he held in his hand until he sweated in his childhood and was reluctant to eat.

The feeling of youth.

Zhang Yunqi knew that it would be difficult for him to have another child, as his mental age could not be changed. However, this did not affect his ability to integrate into such a youthful atmosphere. He looked at Chu Jian on the rostrum with an appreciative eye, waiting for her speech.

Chu Jian's speech was different from the previous ones. She didn't read the speech script. She held the microphone and said, "I just stood in the back and listened to the speeches of the previous students. They were all very good. Here, I don't have more or better words to encourage everyone to study hard. However, people often ask me privately, Chu Jian, why are your grades so good?"

Chu Jian paused, her voice was not loud, but every word was clear: "Before, I would tell the other party that I got good grades because I worked hard. Now, what I want to say is that I got good grades because my stepfather is a gambler, my mother is a mute, and my sister is mentally retarded."

There was a commotion in the audience.

Zhang Yunqi was also stunned for a moment, looking at Chu Jian on the podium with a little surprise. She was slender, and her sky blue school uniform looked exceptionally clear under the sunlight, but her expression and tone seemed a little harder than that of the usual soft and quiet girl.

"You work hard in the hope of a good future, but I work hard because I am stuck in a bleak reality. This is different. So, I don't really know how to tell you how to study hard, and I don't really believe that those who play every day can easily get good grades. Perhaps real hard work is never cheesy. I study until 9:12 every evening, go home to review until o'clock in the middle of the night, set the alarm clock to sleep, get up at : in the morning to read, wash clothes, make breakfast, and then go to school to study, chase the teacher to ask questions, and pinch myself when I'm tired. This is my life. It's not good enough, boring, monotonous, and repetitive, but I hope it can help some people gain something."

"Clap, clap, clap..." Someone applauded at this time. Compared with the speeches of the previous outstanding student representatives, "If we want to study hard, we must establish lofty ideals and firm beliefs, and start from the little things...", perhaps this girl's words were more caring and human.

Chu Jian continued, "I don't know if I can get sympathy and pity from you if I reveal my family situation here. In fact, many people have done this to me. But I still want to say that I don't need this. Because someone once told me: There may be many misfortunes in life, but there is no need to magnify and indulge in them. Survival is one thing, and life is a poem. My family is not very good, but I love my family. They are my poem and the only reason why I became the first in the school and determined to enter Peking University!"

“How domineering.”

Wang Xiaokai, who was at the end of the team, was amazed.

Yang Wei added: "People have this capital when they first meet."

Tian Zhuangzhuang touched his chin innocently and said, "I feel that today's first meeting is a bit abnormal. She is usually such a quiet and gentle girl, but she is really sharp when she speaks. Tsk tsk, it seems that people who look weak on the outside are harder on the inside. But her face seems pale, is there something wrong?"

Wang Xiaokai smiled and hugged Zhang Yunqi's shoulders, saying meaningfully: "You'll have to ask our boss Zhang about this."

Zhang Yunqi said nothing.

Because he didn't know either. He looked at the girl on the stage, holding the microphone, with a pale face. She looked particularly thin under everyone's gazes, but his tone was still calm and steady: "Finally, I may have to waste some of your time, because I want to take this opportunity to say a few words to someone. He is among you. He may look very ordinary, because he is always calm and does things silently. He has also helped me a lot. He thinks I don't know, but in fact I know. I just don't know how to say it, because he never needs it."

When I first met you, I raised my head slightly and looked at the clear blue sky above. There was no building to block it. The pure blue was breathtaking. "You know what? I often think of April 4 this year. Maybe I will never forget it because it was the 9th anniversary of the school and my 88th birthday. I went through a lot, happy, joyful, painful, desperate... until you appeared. At that time, I wanted to tell you: In a person's life, there are always a few times when you feel that you see the door to heaven open. I struggled for so many years. At the moment when I was about to collapse, the door opened. Behind the door was an angel, it was you."

Chu Jian put down the microphone and bowed slightly.

There was silence on the football field for 2 seconds, and then applause broke out.

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(End of this chapter)