youth

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I wish to buy sweet scented osmanthus wine1

The osmanthus flowers in October had nearly all withered, and their petals covered the ground.
The autumn rain at night soaked the petals, causing them to be embedded into the cement ground of the courtyard, offering up the last of their delicate fragrance.

Despite missing the 16 bullfrog legs, he ultimately didn’t go to the store to settle the account, and in Shang Huai’s words, said he should save some character for the pursuit of his dream.

After playing around, eating and drinking their fill, the five boys carried five chairs and sat under the eaves of the roof in a single line, watching the most ordinary night rain in NanWu.

“After going to Beijing this time, do you guys think it’s possible for me to make it?” Shedding his usual foolishness, Shang Huai’s smile had a hint of melancholy, “Why do I always feel like I can’t make it.
I’m not as handsome as Lord Xia, and I’m not as tall as Zhou Ziqiu.
Other than singing some songs, there’s nothing else I can do, and I always feel that I’m going to Beijing for nothing.”

Song Yan didn’t know how to comfort others, and also didn’t know how to conceal his conscience and lie, so he only chose to remain quiet.

Yet Xia Zhiye leaned against the back of the bamboo chair, crossed his long legs, his tone both undisciplined and lazy: “It’s fine if you don’t make it.
If worst comes to worst, you can just wander around ***2 Plaza and take it as a day trip to Beijing, anyway, you’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future.”

It was such an ordinary sentence, yet it sounded very extravagant.

Only youths in their teens would arrogantly feel that life was still very long, that there would be many opportunities in the future, and that their dreams could still be realized.

Although they often seem to have nothing, and are helpless in the face of the obstacles brought by the world, one’s youth and arrogance was the most luxurious capital that could always be used to fight the adult world.

So at that moment, Shang Huai solemnly vowed: “You’re right! If not this time, there’s always a next time! Anyway, I’ll definitely become the most popular singer later!”

Shen Jiayan also believed without a doubt: “I’ll definitely be able to create the most outstanding gaming team in the future!”

Even Zhou Ziqiu believed it wasn’t impossible for him to become the world’s best game designer.

“Now that you mention it, Lord Xia, what’s your dream? We’ve known each other for so long but I’ve never heard you mention it before.” Shang Huai turned to look at Xia Zhiye sitting next to him.

Xia Zhiye didn’t think too much: “World peace.”

“……”

Everyone looked as if they didn’t believe it, and Xia Zhiye unhurriedly added: “I’m being serious.
I’ve never lacked anything since I was young, and there isn’t anything I particularly want.
If you really insist on asking about my dream, then it’s just world peace, that way at the very least I can live a bit longer.”

Saying it like that really was in accordance with Xia Zhiye’s character.

“Then Yan ge, what about you.”

Shang Huai asked again.

Song Yan coldly forced out: “Top scorer of the gaokao.”

“……”

Clearly, it was the most realistic wish, but they didn’t know why, hearing it seemed even more unreasonable than world peace.

After all, very few people would say their dream is to rank first in every exam, or that their dream is to be the top scorer in the gaokao.
Because for the vast majority of people, doing well in school or on their tests was a course of events that had been forced on them, and was not at all the result that they actually wanted.

Shang Huai felt Song Yan could have misunderstood the meaning of a ‘dream’, and inquired: “Other than that, is there anything else more long-term.”

Song Yan did not hesitate: “Nope.”

Everyone else: “……”

Shang Huai refused to give up: “You don’t want to be a scientist, or an astronaut, or an inventor, or something?”

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Song Yan inclined his eyes to look at the other, as if looking at an elementary student with learning difficulties that had yet to graduate.

Shang Huai: “……”

Fine.

Perhaps handsome second-generation learning tyrants were different from everyone else.

“Anyway, no matter what it is, I hope at present, everyone’s dreams can be achieved!” Shang Huai was also too lazy to care much, raised his beer high and shouted loudly.

Shen Jiayan immediately followed along, and raised his own bottle of Weiyi3 soy milk: “That’s right! Our dreams can all be achieved!”

Zhou Ziqiu scoffed with a ‘dumbass’, then raised the can of beer in his hand with ease.

That left Song Yan, who was truly unwilling to do something this stupid, and Xia Zhiye who lightly tapped his own can of Cola against the edge of the other’s pull-top can, smiling lazily and indulgently: “I hope our family’s Song Daxi’s dream can also be achieved soon.
At that time, I’ll take second place, and be the man behind the gaokao’s top scorer.”

He had just said this when the neighboring Shang Huai immediately grew indignant: “Lord Xia, you’re biased! I also want your blessing!”

“You want a blessing, my ass.”

“I want it, I want it, I want what others have.” Shang Huai shamelessly came forward to hug Xia Zhiye’s thighs.

Xia Zhiye laughed while kicking the other: “Fuck off.”

“I’m not leaving.
Bless me.
You’re biased, ying ying ying……”

“Get off, don’t be disgusting.”

“I’m not leaving, I’m not leaving, I’m not leaving.”

“Fuck, Shang Huai, I’m gonna beat you up.”

The childishness of teenage boys was always unimaginable, and the yard grew noisy with the verbal abuse and amusement, and caused such a disturbance that others living in the alley opened their doors to scold them.

Song Yan scolded the others for being dumbasses in his heart, but couldn’t help himself from raising his head to take a sip of his drink in order to conceal the slightly raised corner of his mouth.

Later, Song Yan thought, his originally lonely and isolated path began to go towards an entirely different direction starting from this alley.

Because he turned into a courtyard that he shouldn’t have, he met someone who was unlike anyone else he had ever met, and was then taken into somewhere lively and exciting.

And it was only then that his dull youth became vivid.

Upon thinking back through the memories of many years to come, only his past ten years will be entrenched in silence and loneliness.

I wish to buy sweet-scented osmanthus wine.

Song Yan felt that this alley had been given a good name.

.

The day they sent Shen Jiayan and Shang Huai off, a heavy rain fell over NanWu, and the temperature dropped overnight.

Shen Jiayan pulled Xia Zhiye’s hand over to one side and chattered on for a while, and seemed to have no intention of stopping.
Finally, Song Yan truly could not stand it, pushed the other into the security check and only then did the other drop the subject.

These two people only met a few days ago, how could they have so much to say.

Song Yan thought this while expressionlessly turning to leave the airport.

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Once he left, he met the cold air head on.
It pierced through his thin sweater, forming a layer of goosebumps on Song Yan’s back, and he couldn’t help shivering.

Fortunately, in the next second, a familiar, warm body stuck itself onto him.

Xia Zhiye hugged Song Yan’s shoulder from behind, and lazily said: “Why are you so mean to Shen Jiayan, he was only just pressuring me to properly take care of you.”

Song Yan stuffed his hands into his pockets, and unhappily said: “Do I need you to take care of me?”

“Why not? Can’t you see me using my outstanding body to block you from the wind and rain?”

“Fuck off.”

Song Yan jabbed his elbow backwards in an attempt to push Xia Zhiye away, but Xia Zhiye merely smiled as he pulled the other backwards, embracing Song Yan even tighter.
When he felt Song Yan’s shoulder stiffen with discomfort, he asked: “You didn’t bring back any thicker clothes after going home to Beijing?”

It was because he simply hadn’t returned home at all.

But Song Yan didn’t want to say this to Xia Zhiye, so he casually replied: “Mm, I forgot.”

“Then you can wear mine?”

Song Yan thought back to the last time he wore Xia Zhiye’s clothes, and the group of girls with strange smiles, and rejected him firmly: “I’d rather freeze to death.”

If worst comes to worst, he can survive for two more days, and wait until Shen Jiayan visits his house and mail over some clothes for him.

Song Yan had already prepared to suffer through the cold, but upon returning to the dorms, the dorm aunty unexpectedly called out to him: “Aiyah, Song Yan ah, you finally came back.
Your packages have piled up over here for two days, and we can barely walk by.
Hurry and take them away.”

Song Yan turned to look, and sure enough, there were two large boxes in the corner of the office room.
Piled up together, it was nearly as tall as a person.

Who would suddenly mail him something?

Song Yan faintly knew the answer in his heart, walked over to check, and found the person who sent the packages was indeed Tan Qing, and the date the packages were mailed out had been the second day after he had left home.

Each person carried a box up the six flights, and upon opening the box, found it was filled with neatly folded autumn and winter clothing that had been separated into categories.
The dust covers had also thoughtfully been stuffed with desiccants, and there was even a supplementary box filled with medicines often used during the autumn and winter.

Tan Qing was probably concerned as he had blocked both her and Song Minghai’s phone numbers after leaving the Tan household, so he hadn’t received her messages.

Song Yan also wasn’t someone who didn’t understand good from bad, so he opened up WeChat, unblocked her contact, deliberated for a moment, before finally sending out: [Thank you, Aunt Tan]

Tan Qing replied very quickly: [No problem, are you doing well? Do you still have money? If you need anything, tell Aunt Tan, okay?]

Song Yan didn’t know how much of this message was said out of guilt, or concern, and his fingertips hesitated slightly before he replied: [I’m fine, not missing anything.
I still have something to do]

Then ended the conversation.

He was still unused to this warmth that exceeded the scope of duty, and had always dealt with it clumsily and indifferently.

Meanwhile, Xia Zhiye had already helped take out his clothes, and couldn’t help clicking his tongue: “Our Yan ge is quite finicky, huh.”

The clothes and shoes spread throughout the room were all either luxury brands or expensive fashion brands.
The combined price of the two boxes of goods was enough to buy a small house in the suburbs of NanWu.

“Later if you’re ever desperate, you can sell some of these goods online and you could probably still be a rich first generation4.” Xia Zhiye casually joked.

Song Yan felt that with the total of 2518 yuan he had on himself now, he was probably as desperate as one could be: “It’s not impossible.”

Seeing as he really was thinking about it, Xia Zhiye laughed: “Don’t worry, even if you’re in a tough spot, you still have me to raise you.
We can’t let our little young master sell his clothes.”

Depending on you to raise me, who knows which one of us would starve to death first.

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Song Yan was too lazy to bother with Xia Zhiye, and began tidying up his clothes on his own.

Actually, the two had quite a number of clothes between the two of them, but fortunately, they were the only people in the four person dorm.
Song Yan could just barely store all of his items, and only needed to move some of Xia Zhiye’s things aside.

Compared to Song Yan’s pile of expensive clothing, Xia Zhiye’s clothes were basically from miscellaneous brands that one couldn’t name, and at first glance, it was obvious they were bought off Taobao with the deal of ’99 yuan for 3 items’.

Amongst them was a pair of inexpensive basketball shoes that were even stained with paint.
The stain seemed to have dried several days ago, and it was likely not easy to wash it off now.

Song Yan just wanted to ask Xia Zhiye if he wanted to send that pair of shoes along with Song Yan’s clothes to the dry cleaners, when Xia Zhiye’s phone rang.

“I’ll go take this call.” Xia Zhiye glanced at the caller ID, put down the items in his hands, and walked towards the window, “Hello, Liu Yue.”

Hearing the name Liu Yue, Song Yan stopped the movement of his hands, originally believing Liu Yue had called to bother Xia Zhiye.

Instead, Xia Zhiye silently held the phone in his hands for a moment, then lazily replied: “Sure, I’ll think of a way.”

After he said this, he hung up.

Once he turned his head, he just happened to meet Song Yan’s eyes, and a hint of roguishness flit through his eyes.
He raised his lips in a smile: “Classmate Song Daxi, I heard from classmate Shen Jiayan that you play basketball quite well?”

Song Yan was on guard: “So?”

“So, after the midterms is the sports competition.
Our school will have a friendly competition with ShiWai at that time, but Shang Huai went to Beijing, and now we’re missing a person.
I don’t know whether our Yan ge is interested in fighting shoulder to shoulder with me.”

“Not interested.”

Extremely decisive.

Xia Zhiye: “……”

Once again proving himself to be Song Yan.

Seems he can only soften the other up.

Xia Zhiye sighed softly: “That’s fine, it’s not that serious if you’re not interested.
It’s just that the chance for us to take revenge and wipe out a grudge will be lost.”

He feigned a lightness in his tone of voice, and seemed to have a sense of sadness in his facial expression.

Song Yan furrowed his brows a bit: “What do you mean ‘take revenge and wipe out a grudge’?”

“It’s nothing, just that the midterm and final exams after second year are all joint district exams.
ShiWai always scores better than us, so they love to ridicule us, but that’s all.”

That is to say, in the past, they were ridiculed in the joint examination, and then during the basketball game, No.3 Middle High fought back their reputation.

Originally, such a senseless competition had nothing to do with Song Yan, but Song Yan suddenly remembered the words that Zhao Yu had said before in the flower shop.

The general meaning was that Xia Zhiye seemed to have attended ShiWai during middle school, but then for some unknown reason, he had been kicked out of ShiWai and had then transferred to No.3 Middle High.

The words Zhao Yu had used at that time was that he ‘couldn’t stay in ShiWai’.

Song Yan couldn’t believe that someone like Xia Zhiye would ever be unable to get along with someone, and if there was such a situation, then it was likely not a problem with Xia Zhiye.

So even though Song Yan didn’t know anything about ShiWai, he had already automatically given the school the title of an enemy, and he expressionlessly lowered his head as he continued tidying up his clothes: “If you really can’t find someone, then you can count me in, but I can’t guarantee a great performance.”

Xia Zhiye exposed an expectant smile.

As expected, his Song Daxi was amenable to coaxing, but not coercion.
As long as you follow a set of tricks, then the other will follow in accordance.

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Fortunately, this person usually looks cold on the outside.
What would he do if someone else found out this person was actually so soft?

Thinking this, he leaned against Song Yan’s shoulder: “Don’t worry, there’s still me, your Ye gege, we won’t lose.”

“What fucking Ye gege, have a little shame.”

“Aiyah, it’s true.
If you don’t believe me, you can see for yourself.
We were the champions in last year’s district basketball competition, as well as the city’s basketball competition.” Xia Zhiye said while passing his cell phone over to Song Yan.

He swiped the screen with his fingertips, and indeed found it was all photos of winning the basketball competition’s award.

It had to be said that amongst a group of energetic, and tall teenagers, the lazily standing Xia Zhiye in the crowd attracted the most attention.

The kind of innate eye grabbing behavior that was quite fitting.

However, Song Yan’s eyes fell to the bottom of the competition photo —— amidst the team’s expensive basketball equipment, Xia Zhiye’s old basketball shoes covered in paint appeared somewhat out of place.

Although his dazzling self-confidence was enough to make others ignore such details, Song Yan thought of how Zhao Yu had previously said Xia Zhiye couldn’t pay ShiWai’s school fees which was why he had been transferred to No.3 Middle High, and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable in his heart.

He didn’t want Xia Zhiye to endure any embarrassment at any place, or under any circumstances.

He coldly looked away: “That’s that, stop chattering.
Go ask the aunty for some moth balls.”

Little tsundere Song Yan saying this was already very amazing.

Xia Zhiye ‘aye’d, then left while smiling.

Song Yan was left alone in the room, and opened up his Alipay to check the balance of his account.
Then he once again turned to look at Xia Zhiye’s pair of old basketball shoes left in the corner.

He pursed his lips, still resolutely decided on something, opened up his browser, found a pair of basketball shoes that he felt suited Xia Zhiye the most and just happened to have one in the size 45, and paid for it.

1399.

Compared with his other shoes it wasn’t expensive at all, but it cost more than half of his current assets.

And with Xia Zhiye’s character, upon getting a gift of any price, he would definitely return something of similar value, but Song Yan didn’t want to add any burden onto Xia Zhiye.

As a result, when filling out the address for delivery, Song Yan directly typed in NanWu No.3 Middle High, and that it was for Xia Zhiye, and also typed in a note: [You absolutely cannot disclose any information about the payer to anyone]

Thus, on the day they returned to school, Xia Zhiye stared at the pair of brand new basketball shoes of unknown origin that suddenly appeared at his desk, completely baffled: “Where did this come from?”

Song Yan lowered his head to work on problems, and with no change in expression nor any change in his heartbeat: “I guess someone who has a crush on you sent it.”

Xia Zhiye seriously considered this for a moment, and felt that according to his level of charisma, this wasn’t impossible.

.

The author has something to say:
Xia Zhiye who later found out exactly who sent this gift: He really does love me!

notes:

1.
This is a line from a famous poem ‘Tang Duo Ling’ by Liu Guo.
The following line is ‘traveling as a youth’ which is why the title of the chapter is youth.
The phrase as a whole refers to revisiting different sites once you’ve grown old, drinking osmanthus wine, just as one did as a youth.

2.
Raws are censored.
It’s likely meant to be Tiananmen Plaza, which is a highly ?controversial topic.

3.
A brand of soymilk beverages

4.
A pun on rich second generation.
XZY is saying if SY sells his clothing, then he won’t be as rich as a second generation (who revels in the wealth that the ‘first generation’ made), but will still be as rich as a first generation rich kid.