The confusion on Bei Yao's face was too obvious, leaving Teacher Yu Qian momentarily stunned. She had intended to ask Bei Yao about her preference that morning, but first, little Bei Yao lived far away and always arrived just before class started. Second, most people's instinctive reaction would be that sitting with Fang Minjun was better than sitting with Pei Chuan.
Pei Chuan had drawn a "demarcation line" on the desk and didn’t speak to Bei Yao either. To protect Bei Yao, it seemed best to let her sit with Fang Minjun. With that thought, Teacher Yu directly announced the seat change after class.
Bei Yao glanced at the indifferent Pei Chuan. Her thinking wasn’t fully mature yet, and although reluctant, she had always been an obedient child who listened to her teachers.
She rubbed her eyes with her small hands, packed her textbooks and water cup into her backpack, and gathered her belongings. Pei Chuan didn’t even look at her, keeping his eyes fixed on the illustrations in his Chinese textbook.
Afraid he might feel lonely, Bei Yao thought it over and decided to untie the little panda from her backpack.
She nuzzled it affectionately with her soft cheek, then placed it on Pei Chuan’s desk.
Pei Chuan’s gaze shifted from his book to the panda. The round, chubby little panda sat blankly in front of him.
He knew how much she loved this toy. Sometimes during class, she would unconsciously tug at its ears, and every morning, she made sure the panda was settled before anything else.
Finally, he lifted his eyes to look at her. She seemed deeply reluctant, her pitiful expression making it unclear whether she was unwilling to part with him or the panda.
Wordlessly, he pushed her beloved panda back toward her.
What she couldn’t bear to part with was most likely not him.
Bei Yao hugged the panda sadly. He didn’t like her, and he didn’t like her toy either.
Carrying her backpack, Bei Yao walked over to Fang Minjun, who gave her a haughty glance before turning to chat with the student behind her.
Five-year-old Pei Chuan used every ounce of his willpower not to turn and watch her walk away.
Bei Yao sat bathed in brilliant sunlight, golden rays gently touching her small head. On the opposite side, where the sunlight didn’t reach, he tucked a bamboo dragonfly into his backpack.
～
The children who had been watching the excitement soon forgot about the seat change.
Bei Yao and Fang Minjun became desk mates.
If Bei Yao had memories of high school, she would have found it awkward and strange. Fortunately, with her childlike mindset, she thought the pretty Minjun was quite lovely.
Throughout the autumn, the first thing Bei Yao learned was to drink less water, because Fang Minjun wouldn’t share her water with her like Pei Chuan used to.
Fang Minjun was exceptionally competitive. If Bei Yao’s hair was styled nicely, she would be in a bad mood all day, unconsciously smoothing her princess dress. Still, being just a child, although her mother’s teachings were deeply ingrained, she didn’t harbor much hostility toward Bei Yao.
After all, little Bei Yao wasn’t as slender or delicate as her, and Bei Yao was easy to bully.
She could make little Bei Yao take out the trash, have Bei Yao hand in homework to the group leader—little Bei Yao was obedient and well-behaved.
Pei Chuan watched all of this, his expression growing increasingly grim.
Yet, this was the path he had chosen. Bei Yao was no longer his desk mate.
After autumn ended, the weather turned cold. Zhao Zhilan dressed Bei Yao like a lucky doll—a thick, festive red padded jacket.
The jacket wasn’t new; Zhao Zhilan had altered it from old clothes. Though a bit tacky, it was very warm. Under the red padded jacket, Bei Yao wore an undershirt and two sweaters. Even her short legs were bundled up thickly.Coincidentally, Zhao Xiu came downstairs holding Fang Minjun to visit. Bei Yao called out in her baby voice, "Auntie Xiu, Minmin."
Zhao Xiu nearly laughed herself breathless: "Zhilan, from a distance I thought Yaoyao was a ball of fire."
Hearing this, Zhao Zhilan instinctively glanced at Fang Minjun. The little girl was dressed neatly and beautifully, wearing a brand new pink cotton coat with a matching pink scarf - stylish yet not bulky. Fang Minjun clung to Zhao Xiu's embrace, and Zhao Xiu indulged her.
Zhao Zhilan rolled her eyes inwardly. On such a cold day, who cared about looking pretty? Staying warm was what really mattered. But she had to make polite conversation: "Oh, that outfit of Minmin's must have cost quite a bit."
"The cotton coat was over thirty yuan, and the scarf was a gift from her aunt."
The mention of over thirty yuan silenced the cash-strapped Zhao Zhilan, while Zhao Xiu's eyes sparkled with pleasure.
When Zhao Xiu carried Fang Minjun home, the little girl said, "Daddy said the coat was twenty-six yuan."
Zhao Xiu glared at her daughter: "Mom says thirty, so it's thirty. Your final exams are coming up soon, right? You must do well, understand? If you get good grades, Mom will reward you." The thirty-yuan coat had pained her too, but when she thought about comparing exam results with the other family after finals, Zhao Xiu felt pleased.
Eager for the "reward," Fang Minjun nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick.
With the children facing their first final exams in winter, even Zhao Zhilan felt somewhat nervous. She worried that sending Bei Yao to preschool early might have been a mistake. Looking at little Bei Yao's innocent face, Zhao Zhilan sighed - never mind, grades weren't important. The child growing up healthy and safe was the greatest blessing.
On exam day, Zhao Zhlan sent Bei Yao to school early.
Unlike elementary school exams where seating was randomized, preschool exams had everyone sitting in their usual spots.
Bei Yao wasn't nervous at all - her knowledge level reached third grade.
"Rebirth" was too abstract a concept for a child. She sometimes felt confused herself - why did she already know all this, and how could she predict what would happen? Yet an inner urgency told Bei Yao this was an important secret, not even to be shared with her mother.
Teacher Yu Qian distributed the test papers, then supervised everyone while they worked. Teacher Zheng came to help too. That year, preschool exams didn't separate Chinese and math - basic knowledge was tested in this single paper.
With it being the children's first exam, various situations arose - some needed bathroom breaks, others had pencil issues requiring constant sharpening, and teachers had to assist and watch over them.
Fang Minjun curved her hand around her paper, shielding it as she wrote. Zhao Xiu had warned her not to let Bei Yao copy.
Bei Yao looked at the test questions asking to count flowers and children.
Bei Yao: "..."
Before starting to write, Pei Chuan tilted his head slightly. His dark pupils focused on the sunny spot where the little girl was seriously writing her name.
He couldn't tell if she knew the answers or not. Pei Chuan turned back - whether she could do it or not was none of his business.
Bei Yao finished quickly. She thought it was so easy!
~
Children's exams were graded quickly, with results available just two days later. Parents held high expectations for their children's first exams.
In 1996, preschools in C City used a single hundred-point scoring system.The children sat in their seats as the teacher called out names one by one, and they went up to the podium to collect their test papers. Teacher Yu Qian didn’t rank them by scores—to her, academic results weren’t the most important aspect of teaching, especially since preschool was just a transitional stage. What surprised her, however, were the scores of two children—Bei Yao and Pei Chuan.
Fang Minjun received her paper first. A bright red "90" was marked on it, and she couldn’t help but curve her lips in delight. Remembering the image of "Chang Xue," she suppressed her smile, though the joy in her eyes was unmistakable.
Next was Pei Chuan’s paper. He glanced at it and immediately tucked it into his backpack.
Bei Yao was the second-to-last in the class to get her paper. When she saw the cheerful number on it, her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents of happiness.
Fang Minjun thought to herself, Even if she scored 70, my deskmate would probably still be grinning.
She covered her own score to keep Bei Yao from seeing it and asked, "Yao Yao, how many points did you get?"
Bei Yao spread her paper open for Fang Minjun to see. At the top was a red-inked "99"—Bei Yao had lost one point because her drawing wasn’t straight; otherwise, it would have been a perfect score.
Fang Minjun stared at that vivid "99" as if struck by a thunderbolt on a clear day. In the dead of winter, her joy evaporated completely, as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over her.
It’s over!
If Zhao Xiu found out when she got home…
After receiving their test papers, the children were about to go home for the New Year holiday. Pei Haobin came to pick up Pei Chuan, and as usual, they drove past the school gate.
Pei Chuan looked back and saw that little red ball standing in the front row, waving vigorously at him, her eyes curved like two crescent moons.
She held no grudges and was utterly well-behaved.
Pei Chuan tightened his grip on the motorcycle’s cold metal handlebar. "Dad, let’s take Bei Yao with us."
Pei Haobin was surprised. "What if her mom comes to pick her up?"
"If we run into her on the way, we can let her know, or we could tell the teacher."
Pei Haobin couldn’t help but glance at his son. Since losing his leg, Pei Chuan had become quiet and rarely spoke this much. He agreed with Pei Chuan’s suggestion—a four-year-old girl walking nearly two kilometers to and from school every day. Even though he wasn’t her father, it pained him a little.
Pei Haobin turned the motorcycle around and asked little Bei Yao, "Uncle will give you a ride home, okay?"
Bei Yao wanted to ride on the motorcycle. In her memory, Bei Licai didn’t buy a motorcycle until she was in third grade. Riding on it felt like soaring with the wind, and it only took five minutes to get home. However, Bei Yao was a bit shy around strangers when she was young. She glanced timidly at Pei Chuan, who looked back at her with no trace of rejection in his eyes.
She nodded shyly, her soft, milky voice saying, "Thank you, Uncle Pei."
"Yu Qian, I’ll take Bei Yao home on the way. If her mom comes by, please let her know."
Yu Qian, of course, trusted her old classmate and nodded with a smile.
Pei Haobin asked Yu Qian to help lift little Bei Yao onto the back seat and used a leather strap to secure her in place, ensuring the small child wouldn’t fall off due to her lack of strength.
The children waiting in line watched with envy. Fang Minjun couldn’t help but pout. Her father had a large bicycle and took her home every day, but she had never ridden a motorcycle home. Fang Minjun felt a bit wronged. We all live in the same neighborhood—why does Pei Chuan’s dad only take Bei Yao and not me?
Since changing seats, this was the first time Pei Chuan had been so close to Bei Yao.
It felt as if the very air carried the milky scent of her.Pei Haobin started the car and asked Bei Yao in a gentle voice, "What score did Bei Yao get?"
Pei Chuan also unconsciously focused to listen.
Her voice rang like a little bell: "Ninety-nine points."
Pei Haobin knew she was young, probably the smallest child in the class. He had only asked Bei Yao to tease her a bit, never expecting such a young child to score so well.
He praised sincerely, "Bei Yao is truly amazing, so smart."
Bei Yao knew she should be polite: "Thank you, Uncle."
Pei Chuan sat in the front seat, the winter breeze brushing through the boy's short hair. He remained silent the entire time, unaware that the corners of his lips had curved into a faint smile.
~
Fang Minjun was riding home on Teacher Fang Xin's bicycle, her small face pale with fear of returning home.
What would she do if her mother asked about her grades?
Before the exam, she never imagined she would score lower than Bei Yao, but when the papers were handed back, it became a reality. Sitting on the crossbar of her father's bicycle, she felt like crying.
Though Fang Minjun was young, she could still sense her parents' emotions.
Zhao Xiu cared most about two things: first, Fang Minjun's delicate beauty resembling the "Jade Girl" Chang Xue, and second, outperforming Zhao Zhilan.
The second matter had been Zhao Xiu's clear advantage for over twenty years—Zhao Zhilan could never surpass her in anything. But now, she had unexpectedly lost in their daughters' academic performance.
Fang Minjun held back her tears; she couldn't let her mother know.
She felt both terrified and ashamed.
Bei Yao was so foolish—why hadn't she scored higher than her? Next time, she would definitely outperform Bei Yao; this was just a mistake.
In her dazed state, father and daughter arrived home.
Zhao Xiu had been waiting and immediately came forward: "How did it go, Minmin? Let Mom see your test paper."
Fang Minjun had no choice but to take the paper out of her backpack. Seeing the ninety points, Zhao Xiu beamed with joy: "My Minmin is so brilliant!" She gave Fang Minjun a firm kiss on the cheek.
Zhao Xiu then asked Fang Minjun, "What about that girl Bei Yao? What score did she get?" Zhao Xiu shared her daughter's belief—Fang Minjun was too outstanding to be outperformed by Bei Yao.
Fang Minjun's face instantly paled. She clenched her small hands, lowered her head, and said, "Sixty-six points."
Lying made her extremely uneasy.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiu nearly laughed aloud—just as she thought, how impressive could Zhao Zhilan's daughter be? She kissed Fang Minjun again: "Mommy's good girl!"
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