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Chapter 3: His First Steps into College
2026/10/09 16:57
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Chapter 3: His First Steps into College
11. His Parents’ Argument
The old street in Neiwan grew lively again in the afternoon. Tourists passed the door of the lei cha shop from time to time, while bicycle bells mingled with the greetings exchanged among neighbors. Cai Tiansheng had only just returned to the shop, but his face remained dark and sullen. He did not say another word to his wife. Instead, he walked straight inside, picked up the newspaper on the table, and sat down in a traditional high-backed armchair. Although he held the newspaper open in his hands, his eyes remained fixed on the same spot for a long time. Clearly, he had not taken in a single word.
Qiu Manmei peered out from behind the counter. Seeing her husband acting so unusually, she could not help asking, “A-Sheng, what’s wrong? What’s gotten into you?”
Cai Tiansheng lowered the newspaper onto his lap, his frustration barely contained. “You’d better not ask me. I’m so mad right now, I don’t even know where to vent my anger!”
Qiu Manmei froze for a moment, then frowned. “Are you blaming me?”
“How would I dare?” Cai Tiansheng replied with a cold laugh. “I didn’t say a single word back there.”
Qiu Manmei stared at his face, her voice rising. “Just look at your expression! You’re obviously blaming me!”
Cai Tiansheng finally lost his temper and poured out everything he had been holding back all the way home. “Manzai, why should we spend money taking people to a restaurant, only to let them humiliate us? They obviously thought our son looked too old for his age, and then they started making all those ridiculous remarks about things he hasn’t even done his military service yet!” The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He slammed his palm against the armrest of the chair. In his heart, their son had always been a diligent student, filial and sensible since childhood. Yet today, in front of his own parents, the young man had been scrutinized and criticized from head to toe. Cai Tiansheng simply could not swallow that insult.
Qiu Manmei felt just as wronged. “How was I supposed to know they’d be so picky?” She planted her hands on her hips, defiance in her eyes. “I only wanted to find a good match for A-Nan. How was I supposed to know things would turn out like this?”
Their voices grew louder and louder. Just then, Cai Shinan came out of the back room. Seeing his parents arguing again, he hurried over and stepped between them.
“Dad, Mom, can’t you two stop blaming each other?” He raised his hands, signaling for both of them to calm down.
In fact, he understood better than anyone that his mother was not to blame for what had happened. She had simply been a little too enthusiastic, while his father, out of concern for him, had magnified the unpleasantness of the matchmaking dinner. But caught between them, he honestly had no idea whose side he should take.
Cai Tiansheng looked at his son, and his tone softened instead. “A-Nan, we’ve got to have some pride. Don’t let them look down on us!” He paused, then continued earnestly, “From now on, find someone on your own. As long as you like her, that’s what matters. Don’t let your mother make the decisions for you.”
At those words, Qiu Manmei’s expression changed immediately. “What? Are you saying your wife is a meddler?”
“I didn’t say that!” Cai Tiansheng hurriedly waved his hands. Looking at his wife, he sighed. “I just hope you’ll give our son some room to live his own life...”
His words only made Qiu Manmei angrier. Her eyes widened, and her chest rose and fell slightly. “What kind of thing is that to say? Are you saying that I, his own mother, would deliberately harm my own son?”
Cai Tiansheng was momentarily speechless. The two stood facing each other in a tense standoff, neither willing to back down first.
Standing nearby, Cai Aiyu watched her parents’ expressions and already understood what was going on. Her father did not truly resent her mother for meddling in other people’s affairs, and her mother had never deliberately intended to force her older brother into marriage. In the end, both of them were simply worried about him. They just had different ways of expressing their concern.
She stepped between her parents and deliberately put on a cheerful smile. “Dad, Mom, if you ask me, that young woman was the one who lacked good judgment. There’s no reason for us to get upset over her.”
Her words eased the tension in the room a little.
Qiu Manmei glanced at her daughter. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, as if she wanted to smile, but she was still angry with her husband. Cai Tiansheng, meanwhile, picked up the newspaper again and muttered, “Anyway, let’s not go through this nonsense again. What’s the point of matchmaking? We’re just wasting money so other people can humiliate us for no reason.”
Having said that, he spread the newspaper open again and deliberately pretended to concentrate on reading it.
Standing to one side, Cai Shinan watched as his parents finally fell silent and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Yet he did not feel much better inside. The matchmaking dinner had made one thing even clearer to him: marriage could not be built simply by having his parents arrange a girl with the “right qualifications” for him.
The only person who had ever truly mattered to him was the red-haired girl who had once mended his torn trousers for him on a train. It was just that he still lacked the courage to tell anyone about his feelings.
12. His First Steps into College
The moment Cai Shinan walked out of Taipei Railway Station, one thought immediately struck him: there were simply too many people.
Outside the station, buses, taxis, and cars streamed along the roads, while pedestrians poured in from every direction. The noise of the city rose in layer upon layer. Standing amid the crowds, he could not help lifting his head to look at the towering buildings before him.
This was the first time he had ever spent an extended period in Taipei. Having grown up in Neiwan, Hsinchu, his daily life had revolved around the lei cha shop, the railway station, and school. Even an occasional trip into the city had felt like a journey far from home. Now, wearing the khaki uniform of Hsinchu Senior High School, carrying a large military-style backpack over his shoulder, and sporting the freshly shaved crew cut he had received after completing summer military training at Chenggongling, he stood on the busy streets of Taipei, looking conspicuously out of place.
After asking passersby for directions and checking the address, he finally found the bus stop for Route 299. Standing in the waiting line, he looked around with curiosity.
That was when he noticed a long-haired girl standing behind him. She wore a white tracksuit with the words “FU JEN” prominently displayed in blue across the chest. Her hair fell naturally over her shoulders, and she held a stuffed toy nearly half as large as her own body in her arms.
Shinan glanced at her several times, guessing that she must be a student at Fu Jen Catholic University.
Before long, the Route 299 bus slowly pulled up to the stop. The students at the front of the line boarded one after another. The girl carrying the stuffed toy followed them. With both hands occupied, she leaned forward as she stepped onto the bus, and her backside brushed against the card reader. The machine immediately emitted a clear beep.
Shinan stared in astonishment.
So that was how you took a bus in Taipei!
The method seemed simple enough to him. When his turn came, he imitated the girl’s movements, turned around, and pushed his backside against the card reader.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing happened.
The people waiting behind him began moving forward, but Shinan had no idea what he was doing wrong. He could only keep pressing his backside against the machine several more times.
The long-haired girl standing behind him finally could not hold back her laughter. She covered her mouth with one hand, her shoulders trembling as she struggled to keep from laughing out loud.
The driver, however, was not nearly as patient.
“Hey, soldier! Will you quit fooling around? Everyone’s in a hurry. Either swipe your card or pay with coins!”
Startled by the driver’s impatient voice, Shinan panicked. Thinking he must have been facing the wrong way, he turned around and pressed the front of his body against the card reader instead, thrusting himself forward several more times.
This time, the girl behind him was completely stunned. The driver’s eyes widened too, and then he shouted in exasperation, “What are you, some kind of pervert? What the hell are you doing? I’ll tell you one more time: either swipe your card or pay with coins, or get off the bus!”
Shinan’s entire face turned bright red in an instant. Standing helplessly at the bus entrance, he looked from the card reader to the driver, completely unable to understand what he had done wrong.
Just as he wished the ground would open up and swallow him, the girl behind him reached forward and gently placed her EasyCard against the reader.
Beep!
Only then did Shinan finally understand. You were not supposed to swipe the machine with your backside. You had to touch it with a card.
The girl smiled at him. “Soldier, you can go find a seat. I’ve already paid your fare.”
She spoke naturally, without the slightest trace of mockery.
Shinan nodded awkwardly and hurried toward the back of the bus. The girl found a seat a few rows ahead of him.
Once he had settled into his seat, Shinan immediately pulled a fifty-dollar bill from his pocket and leaned forward.
“Thank you for helping me out just now. Here’s the bus fare.”
The girl turned to look at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. “You don’t have to be so formal with me, soldier. Besides, I don’t have any change on me.”
“How can I let you pay for me?” Shinan insisted, still holding the bill in his hand. “Then I’ll get some change after we get off and give it to you.”
The girl shook her head. “Really, you don’t have to worry about it.”
Only then did Shinan put the money back into his pocket.
After that embarrassing incident, his initially tense expression gradually relaxed. To cover up his embarrassment, he took the initiative to talk about himself.
“I just finished my summer military training at Chenggongling. I’m a freshman at Fu Jen.”
The girl raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then you’ll have to call me Senior! There are plenty of upperclassmen on this bus. What department are you in?”
“I’m in the Finance and Economics Division of the Law Department, Senior.”
“What a coincidence!” The girl laughed. “My boyfriend is in your division too. He’s going into his junior year, and his name is Yuan Benshan. You’re bound to meet him sooner or later. My name is Huang Aizhen, and I’m a sophomore in Accounting.”
“My name is Cai Shinan,” he introduced himself.
Huang Aizhen nodded, and the two began chatting.
The bus traveled along Taipei’s streets, carrying mostly students from Fu Jen Catholic University. Sitting in his seat, Shinan kept turning to look out the window and then back at the students around him. His clothing and appearance marked him as unmistakably provincial. Several young women occasionally glanced at him, but whenever their eyes landed on his crew cut and khaki uniform, they quickly looked away. Some even turned around to hide their laughter.
Shinan paid them no mind. To him, everything around him was new and fascinating. The unfamiliar students, the unfamiliar streets, and the college life that was about to begin filled him with anticipation.
At last, the bus arrived at Fu Jen. The students gradually got off, and Shinan hoisted his large military-style backpack onto his shoulders and followed the crowd through the university gates.
The moment he crossed the entrance, he involuntarily stopped for a moment. Before him stretched a broad, straight boulevard lined with trees. Orientation booths representing the various departments stood in neat rows along the avenue. Upperclassmen and upperclasswomen dressed in their respective departmental shirts busily welcomed the new students. The campus was filled with the youthful excitement of a new academic year.
Shinan gazed at the scene in wonder.
“This campus is really beautiful. It feels so peaceful and comfortable,” he murmured to himself.
Not far away, Huang Aizhen happened to turn around. She waved at him.
“Junior, I’ll be going now!”
“Goodbye, Senior!” Shinan waved back.
He watched Huang Aizhen disappear into the crowd before adjusting his backpack and heading toward the Law Department’s registration booth.
When he arrived, he took his university admission notice from his shirt pocket. Several upperclassmen and upperclasswomen wearing departmental shirts were busy helping the freshmen complete their registration.
One of the young women looked up and asked, “Which division are you in, and what’s your name?”
“The Finance and Economics Division. My name is Cai Shinan.”
Another young woman heard his name and raised her head.
“你的姓名 is Zai Shinan?”
Zhang Jialing stared at him for several seconds before finally covering her mouth and bursting into laughter.
“你的姓名 really is Zai Shinan? No way!”
Shinan had long grown accustomed to people mishearing his name. All he could do was scratch his head and offer a somewhat sheepish smile.
“Yes, Cai Shinan.”
Yuan Benshan, who was standing nearby, could no longer stand watching. He quickly intervened.
“Hey, young lady, could you show a little class? Don’t scare the junior!”
Zhang Jialing pursed her lips. “Fine! But his name really is hilarious!”
Xu Meiru looked down at the freshman records and quickly found his assigned senior.
“Let me check who your assigned senior is... Oh, it’s An Quanmao from the second-year Finance and Economics Division.”
The moment Zhang Jialing heard the name, her eyes widened.
“Your assigned senior is An Quanmao? Good grief! You two really are a perfect match—a pair of silly birds!”
Standing there, Shinan did not know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed.
Xu Meiru shot Jialing a disapproving look.
“Jialing, stop teasing him. Take him to the classroom to meet his assigned senior. Have Anzai help him complete his registration and dormitory paperwork.”
Zhang Jialing had no choice but to stand up.
“Fine! Junior, come with me.”
Carrying his heavy military-style backpack, Shinan obediently followed her. The two walked along the tree-lined campus avenue toward the College of Law.
After they had walked for a while, Zhang Jialing still could not stop thinking about his name.
“Junior, let me ask you something. How did you end up with a name like that?”
Shinan grinned. “All I know is that my dad gave it to me.”
Zhang Jialing laughed even harder.
“Your dad must be a genius to come up with such a funny name!”
As she spoke, she remembered his assigned senior.
“Speaking of your assigned senior, An Quanmao, he’s such a lovable goofball. He’s practically the department’s resident comedian, and everyone likes him! The only problem is that being popular doesn’t necessarily get you anywhere romantically. He’s still single to this day.”
Shinan listened with growing curiosity.
“Oh? Then he must be easy to get along with, right, Senior?”
“Him? He gets along with everyone. He hardly ever loses his temper.”
“Oh? That sounds great.” Shinan nodded, feeling a little more eager to meet the senior he had not yet encountered.
As they walked, he tried to imagine what the man might look like. Someone who got along with everyone and rarely lost his temper—could he be like the comedian Xu Bule from the movies, looking perfectly serious on the outside yet somehow managing to make people laugh without even trying?
At the thought, Shinan could not help smiling.
He had no idea that this unfamiliar university was about to become another important starting point in his life. And the people he met that day had only just begun to enter the story of his youth.
13. The First Lesson in the Dorm
The campus gradually quieted down in the afternoon. Sunlight filtered through the crowns of the tall trees, casting dappled shadows across the ground in front of the men's dormitory.
With his backpack slung over his shoulder, An Quanmao led Cai Shinan down the dormitory corridor. “Junior, this is your room.” He stopped in front of a door marked 119 and pushed it open.
The room was not very large. Two single beds stood against opposite walls, with two desks in the middle and a wardrobe against the wall. The window was half open, and a gentle breeze stirred the curtains, carrying the faint scent of trees from the campus.
An Quanmao pointed to one of the beds. “This one's yours. You'll have another freshman as your roommate. He should be moving in soon.” As he spoke, he skillfully explained the dormitory rules to Shinan. “The dorm has a midnight curfew and lights-out policy after twelve. The internet gets disconnected at two in the morning, and the hot water supply also stops at two.”
Shinan placed his large military-style backpack beside the bed and nodded attentively. “Thank you, Senior An.”
An Quanmao suddenly turned around, his expression growing a little more serious. “You don't smoke, do you? Smoking is strictly prohibited throughout the dormitory.”
“No.” Shinan shook his head.
Only then did An Quanmao smile in relief. “I live in Room 219 on the second floor. If there's anything you don't understand or you need help from your senior, just call my room extension or come upstairs and find me.”
“Thank you, Senior An,” Shinan said again.
An Quanmao, however, did not leave immediately. Leaning against the desk, he suddenly lowered his voice and put on a mysterious expression.
“But don't assume that just because I usually act like a goofy idiot and play the fool in the department, I really am one. It's actually a form of self-protection.”
Shinan looked puzzled. “Self-protection? I don't get it...”
An Quanmao glanced down the corridor to make sure no one was approaching. Only then did he speak with a perfectly serious expression.
“There are two major types of students who enter law school: Epicureans and Stoics.”
Shinan stared at him blankly.
An Quanmao began to explain. “The former believe in enjoying the moment—eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow may never come. Most students belong to this group. They're busy tutoring, working part-time jobs, having fun, and dating every day. The latter live like Puritans, immersing themselves in the library every day and working hard to prepare for the advanced civil service examinations or study-abroad entrance exams.”
Shinan listened, only half understanding. “Oh? Then which group do you belong to, Senior?”
Without the slightest hesitation, An Quanmao puffed out his chest. “I'm a naturally optimistic Stoic.”
“An optimistic Stoic?” Shinan furrowed his brow slightly. The phrase sounded contradictory, yet he had a feeling that this senior really did have a philosophy of his own.
An Quanmao smiled. “This is the survival guide I developed for navigating the jungle of college life.” He sat down beside the desk, his tone turning serious. “Our law department at Fu Jen ranks somewhere in the middle nationally when it comes to the bar examination and the special judicial officer examination. We're not among the very best, but we're not at the bottom either. If you want to distinguish yourself in those examinations, you have to be the kind of Stoic who can discipline himself.”
He raised one finger and continued. “But when you consider that the annual pass rates for the bar examination and the special judicial officer examination are only around three percent, the competition is brutal. If all you do every day is push yourself relentlessly, sooner or later you'll break down. That's why maintaining an optimistic attitude can actually help you sustain your endurance over the long haul.”
After hearing this explanation, the confusion on Shinan's face gradually faded.
“Now that you've explained it that way, Senior, I understand.”
An Quanmao nodded with satisfaction. But the next second, a meaningful smile suddenly appeared on his face.
“There's one more thing I have to warn you about.”
Shinan looked up.
“Don't let the little favors the girls in our department give you get to your head.”
“Huh?”
An Quanmao suddenly adopted an extremely solemn expression.
“Basically, as long as they decide you're a blue-chip prospect or a promising investment, they'll treat you as prey and 个已启用ly go after you. First, they'll do everything they can to seduce you and give you a taste of the good life. Once you've fallen into their tender trap, they'll close the net and treat you as their private property and a future source of income.”
Shinan stared at him in astonishment. “Oh? Are the girls in our department really that scary?”
“Absolutely.” An Quanmao nodded, looking so serious that he might as well have been teaching a practical law course.
“Girls in law school are already at a disadvantage in the dating market. Guys from other departments tend to assume that law students are legally knowledgeable, sharp, and capable. They develop prejudices and become intimidated before they even get to know them. So, apart from a few couples who get together within the same class or department, the girls in law school often end up being overlooked, like merchandise that nobody wants to buy.”
He became more animated as he spoke, gesturing with both hands.
“Every department and every year has a group of single women who are like nuns from the Emei School of martial arts, with no boyfriends in sight. In the law department, the Emei School's forces are especially powerful.”
Shinan could not help laughing.
An Quanmao, however, grew even more enthusiastic.
“The Emei School nuns in our department often gather on a little hill between the College of Law and the College of Commerce, a place called Wangfu Slope. They eat, drink, sing, and comfort one another.”
“Oh? Wangfu Slope?” Shinan's curiosity was piqued. He had already begun imagining a group of female students sitting on a hillside, discussing the ins and outs of romance, talking about men, and even pouring out their romantic frustrations to one another.
An Quanmao patted him on the shoulder and spoke earnestly.
“So, if you're like me, a promising young man with ideals and ambitions who entered law school with the goal of passing the advanced civil service examinations, you'd be wise to avoid dating girls from the law department. And don't rush to earn credits in romance, either.”
He paused, a smug smile spreading across his face.
“As long as you pass those examinations and gain a competitive edge over your peers, once you enter the professional world, finding yourself a beautiful wife will be as easy as picking a tangerine off the table. As we say in Taiwanese, it'll be a piece of cake!”
Shinan gave a helpless, amused smile. “I understand, Senior An. Thank you for your earnest advice...”
An Quanmao patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction. “From what I can tell, you look like such a simple, honest fellow that you're probably a Stoic too. Am I right?”
Shinan scratched his head and gave a helpless, sheepish grin. “I guess so...”
An Quanmao stood up. “I'll head back upstairs now. Just call my room extension if you need anything.”
“Take care, Senior.”
After the door closed, the dormitory room suddenly fell silent. Shinan put away his belongings and was just about to sit down when he heard a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a short, stocky upperclassman wearing a college sweatshirt walked in, followed by a tall, thin young man. The newcomer wore a floral shirt and casual trousers, with sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. His hair was styled into a glossy pompadour, and he looked more flamboyant than anyone else in the dormitory.
The stocky senior pointed into the room. “This is your dorm room, Junsheng. Your roommate has already arrived.”
“Thank you, Senior.” The tall young man took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of smiling eyes.
The stocky senior gave him a few more instructions. “You already know the dormitory rules. If you need anything, just call my room extension. I'll head back upstairs now.”
“Take care, Senior.”
After the senior left, the tall young man immediately turned toward Shinan, his whole demeanor suddenly becoming animated.
“Hi! Nice to meet you, buddy! My name is Chen Junsheng. I'm from Kaohsiung, and I went to Kaohsiung Senior High School. Everyone calls me the Handsome Young Romeo. What about you?”
Shinan stared at his roommate, whose introduction was unlike anything he had ever heard before. After a brief pause, he replied, “I'm from Neiwan, Hsinchu. I went to Hsinchu Senior High School. My name is Cai Shinan.”
“Zai Shinan?” Chen Junsheng looked him up and down, the corners of his mouth slowly lifting. “You've never had a girlfriend before, have you?”
Shinan looked utterly bewildered. “How did you know?”
Chen Junsheng patted him on the shoulder and laughed triumphantly. “Ha! 你的姓名 told me!”
Shinan stared at him blankly, then gave a wry smile.
It was only his first day at college, and he had already encountered two seniors with completely different personalities. Now he also had to share a dormitory room with this young man who called himself the Handsome Young Romeo.
He suddenly had a feeling that his college life was not going to be very peaceful.
14. The First Day of Military Training
The afternoon sun shone down on the plaza in front of Zhongmei Hall, its broad concrete surface gleaming in the heat.
The freshmen stood in neat military-training uniforms, arranged in a square formation under the direction of their class representative, Li Juliang. It was their first time attending military training at college. Most of them felt a certain sense of novelty, yet none dared to relax too much, afraid that even the slightest mistake might attract the drill instructor's attention.
Standing at the front of the formation, Li Juliang shouted, “Dress right! Align yourselves with the person at the head of the line!”
The students quickly adjusted their positions. Once Li Juliang confirmed that the formation was orderly, he turned and saluted Instructor Du Qi.
“Reporting to the instructor: formation complete!”
Instructor Du Qi nodded. “I'll take attendance first. Starting with the head of the first row, raise your hand and call out your number.”
He had barely finished speaking when several female students wearing tight-fitting aerobics outfits walked across the front of the formation. The girls chatted and laughed as they crossed the plaza, their youthful energy immediately attracting the attention of many male students.
Several boys in the first two rows, who had been standing perfectly straight moments earlier, were already sneaking glances in their direction.
“One!”
“Two!”
“Three!”
“Four!”
The numbers rang out in sequence. But when it was Cai Shinan's turn, he did not react at all. His attention had already been captured by the girls walking past. He stood perfectly straight, but his eyes followed the girls as they moved, and he completely forgot that he was in the middle of military training.
Chen Junsheng noticed something was wrong and quickly nudged him with an elbow.
“Shinan, the instructor's telling you to call out your number!”
As if he had suddenly heard a command, Shinan immediately stepped out of the formation without thinking. He broke into a brisk run and headed forward.
Before the class could react, they saw him run all the way to a bottle palm tree at the front of the plaza, spread his arms, and wrap them tightly around its thick trunk.
The entire area fell silent for several seconds.
Everyone was stunned. Some looked at Shinan, while others looked at the instructor, completely unable to figure out what their new classmate was doing.
The next second, an explosion of laughter erupted from the formation.
Chen Junsheng doubled over laughing, while several female classmates beside him covered their mouths and giggled.
Instructor Du Qi widened his eyes and walked to the front of the formation.
“Cai Shinan, what are you doing?”
Still hugging the tree trunk with both arms, Shinan turned his head with a completely earnest expression.
“Reporting to the instructor! I'm hugging a tree!”
The entire class burst into laughter again.
Du Qi stared at him, his expression gradually shifting from astonishment to helplessness.
“Oh, really? Looks to me like you're clowning around!”
He planted his hands on his hips.
“If you like hugging trees so much, then keep hugging that one until this class is over!”
Shinan had initially looked entirely justified in his actions, but at those words, his smile immediately froze. He turned to look at the bottle palm tree in his arms, then glanced at his classmates in the distance. At last, he began to realize that something might be wrong.
Several classmates in the formation began secretly signaling to him. One pointed at himself, then at the formation, and finally made a gesture for calling out numbers.
Shinan watched for a while before finally understanding.
The instructor had told him to call out his number, not to go and hug a tree.
His face turned red instantly. He slowly released his grip and turned around, standing awkwardly beside the tree.
“Reporting to the instructor! Hugging a tree is so boring!”
Du Qi nearly laughed in exasperation.
“You and this tree seem to have a real connection. How could you possibly be bored? Keep hugging it properly!”
Shinan opened his mouth to respond, but in the end, he could only put his arms back around the trunk.
A wave of suppressed laughter swept through the formation. Several classmates looked at him sympathetically. Chen Junsheng even waved at him, although a smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth.
Shinan reluctantly continued hugging the tree, deeply regretting what he had done.
He had barely begun college, yet he had already made an unforgettable impression on the law department. And this time, there was little chance anyone in the class would forget him.
Cai Shinan was the freshman who had mistaken “call out your number” for “hug a tree” on the very first day of military training.
15. Laughter in Civil Law Class
Inside a classroom in the Matteo Ricci Building, the afternoon sunlight slanted in through the windows, casting bright patches of light across the rows of desks.
It was a civil law class. At the front of the room, Professor Zheng Yubo sat in his chair, opened his thick civil law textbook, adjusted his glasses, and began lecturing in his strong regional accent.
“Legal entities can be classified into public-law entities and private-law entities. Government agencies belong to the category of public-law entities, while nongovernmental legal entities belong to the category of private-law entities. Private-law entities can further be divided into associations, which are organized around people, and foundations, which are organized around property...”
Professor Zheng lectured earnestly, but the students below him were each absorbed in their own little worlds.
In the first two rows, some students wore headphones and listened to their portable music players, with a few even humming softly along to the music. In the middle rows, students chatted quietly, exchanging news about the club activities they had just attended. As for the back rows, several students were already fast asleep with their heads on their desks, and some even swayed slightly with each breath.
Halfway through the lecture, Professor Zheng looked up and surveyed the entire classroom. The scene before him caused his brows to draw together slowly.
He remained silent for a moment before suddenly speaking.
“Would the students listening to music in the front please tell the students talking in the middle to lower their voices, so they don't wake up the students sleeping in the back...”
His tone remained calm and even, and he sounded entirely serious.
Zhou Cuihua, who was sitting in the first row, froze for a moment after hearing this. She then turned to glance at Cai Shinan.
Shinan happened to look at her at the same time.
The moment their eyes met, they almost simultaneously understood the meaning behind Professor Zheng's words.
Cuihua was the first to lose control. A sudden burst of laughter escaped her.
The next second, she could no longer contain herself. Covering her mouth, she burst into loud laughter.
Cai Shinan began laughing along with her.
“Professor, wahahahaha! You're so funny!” Cuihua laughed so hard that her shoulders shook, completely forgetting that she was sitting in the front row.
Her laughter quickly attracted the attention of the entire class. The students who had been chatting fell silent. Those listening to music removed one earbud, and even several sleepy students in the back rows raised their heads.
Within moments, dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on Zhou Cuihua and Cai Shinan.
Yu Xiaoshan quietly reached out and nudged Cuihua's elbow.
Cuihua turned to her in confusion. When she saw that everyone in the class was staring at her, the smile on her face instantly froze.
“Why... is everyone looking at me?”
Only then did she realize that she had been laughing far too loudly.
Someone in the back could not resist calling out with a laugh, “Zhou Cuihua, your laugh is so brainless! It sounds like a turkey from Turkey!”
The entire classroom erupted in laughter.
Cuihua's face turned bright red. She quickly lowered her head and gripped the edge of her desk with both hands, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
“Oh, no... How did I end up laughing like that?” She felt both embarrassed and annoyed, yet as she listened to the laughter around her, the corners of her mouth stubbornly began to curl upward again.
Even Professor Zheng Yubo could not help laughing.
Looking at Zhou Cuihua, who had her head lowered, he spoke slowly and deliberately.
“Young lady, your laughter is more effective than an alarm clock. The next time anyone falls asleep in class, I'll have you laugh out loud three hundred times, just as you did a moment ago.”
As soon as he finished speaking, laughter erupted throughout the classroom once more. Even Cai Shinan was bent over his desk, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Cuihua raised her head and glared at him, trying to look angry, but she could not help laughing again herself.
Seeing that the class had finally become more alert, Professor Zheng picked up his textbook again.
“All right! Now that everyone is wide awake, let's pay attention to the lecture.”
The laughter gradually subsided. The students settled back into their seats, and the classroom returned to silence.
Zhou Cuihua touched her burning cheeks and secretly let out a sigh of relief. Although she had thoroughly embarrassed herself just moments earlier, she was not truly angry.
College life, she realized, was not just about the legal provisions printed in textbooks. It also included these little episodes that, even years later, would still make people burst out laughing whenever they remembered them.
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