Chapter Sixteen: Three Letters

During the afternoon self-study session, Teacher Luo and another teacher from the academic affairs office, Teacher Wai Sun, arrived to announce that Class One would be holding a vote to elect a new class monitor.

This decision didn’t surprise Li Ye at all.

The top students from three classes had been merged into the repeating Class One, so it made sense to hold a new election for class monitor to minimize the negative impact of changing leadership.

Teacher Sun wrote the names of three candidates on the blackboard: Hu Man, the former monitor of repeating Class Two; Zheng Qiang, former study committee member of repeating Class Three; and the original monitor of Class One... Xia Yue.

Li Ye found this interesting.

Since repeating Class One was the advanced class, and over thirty students had been transferred into it during the reorganization—more than the combined total of students transferred from the other two classes—was there really any suspense about the election’s outcome?

Teacher Luo’s intention to maintain stability was understandable. Keeping Xia Yue as class monitor would indeed help foster unity and stability, but that was before Li Ye publicly questioned Xia Yue’s character.

How could Teacher Luo continue to convince everyone to support Xia Yue now?

If Xia Yue remained class monitor, wouldn’t Li Ye be constantly annoyed?

Teacher Luo was also quite displeased at the moment.

That morning, he had already spoken to Xia Yue about the "unauthorized opening of mail" incident, warning her that a change in class monitor was imminent.

But Xia Yue was bold and resourceful. At noon, she went straight to the principal’s office and insisted that she retained indisputable credibility in Class One, even accusing Li Ye of maliciously slandering her out of personal grudge.

Her justification for opening Li Ye’s mail was simply "helping a classmate," at worst an unintentional mistake.

Thus, this election was scheduled. However, Xia Yue wasn’t entirely spared; she was required to write an apology letter and read it aloud in class as a form of self-reflection.

Xia Yue readily agreed. Writing an apology letter was nothing; as long as she could remain class monitor, there would be plenty of chances for Li Ye to apologize to her in the future.

[Just wait—I’ll ruin your reputation, Li Ye, or my name isn’t Xia... As for joining the Youth League or the Communist Youth League? Dream on!]

Li Ye wrote Hu Man’s name on his ballot, folded it, and was about to hand it to the vote counter when his elbow was nudged by his deskmate.

Wen Leyu, who was mute, stretched her neck and puckered her lips toward Li Ye’s paper. Her expressive eyes clearly asked, “Who did you vote for? Show me.”

Li Ye unfolded the paper and showed it to her. Wen Leyu nodded and wrote Hu Man’s name on her own ballot.

Then she poked Li Ye’s arm again and slid over a note.

“Why did Xia Yue confiscate your letter? Was it from Lu Jingyao? What did it say?”

“...”

Li Ye tilted his head, staring at Wen Leyu’s clear, deep eyes thirty centimeters away, trying to figure out what she was implying.

Could this little girl have the potential to be a gossip queen?

That morning, when Li Ye argued with Xia Yue over Lu Jingyao’s letter, Wen Leyu hadn’t even entered the classroom! How could she have known about it?

The two stared at each other silently for nearly ten seconds. Li Ye detected no hint of gossip, only... concern.

...

“Zheng Qiang, one vote.”

“Hu Man, one vote.”

“Hu Man, one vote.”

“Xia Yue, one vote.”

Teacher Luo began calling out the votes. Three students marked tally marks on the blackboard. Xia Yue, standing beneath the podium, clenched her fingernails into her palms nervously.

“How come I’m getting fewer votes than Hu Man? Could it be that all Class One’s votes are in the back? It must be...”

But as the tallying continued, Xia Yue’s expression grew increasingly sour.

Five tally marks had already been drawn behind Hu Man’s name. There were only fifty students in the class total. No matter how optimistic Xia Yue was, she knew the end was near.

She couldn’t understand why over thirty students originally from her own Class One didn’t support her, instead voting for Hu Man, the “outsider.”

But Li Ye understood perfectly.

“Evil people do evil things but remain unaware of their own faults.”

Judging from Xia Yue’s attitude today, it was obvious how domineering she usually was. No doubt the students in the original Class One had long suffered under her psychological control.

Now, given the chance for re-election, how could a domineering, average-looking self-important woman like her compete with the gentle and beautiful Hu Man?

In the 1980s, were high school boys and girls equal in number?

Come on—the majority of girls, considered “worthless,” were sent home to work after middle school. High school girls were definitely fewer.

Seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boys were quite emotional. A strict monitor might get homework collected faster, but a pretty and kind monitor was the popular choice.

“All right, congratulations to Hu Man, who is now the new class monitor of Class One.”

“Also, another matter... Xia Yue has recognized her mistake and voluntarily apologized to Li Ye. Now, let’s invite Xia Yue to the stage...”

Teacher Luo glanced meaningfully at Xia Yue and stepped aside from the front desk.

Xia Yue didn’t know how she got onto the stage or how she managed to read her apology letter.

At that moment, all she could think was: utter humiliation, utter humiliation—absolutely humiliating.

...

Inside the academic affairs office of County No.1 High School, Lu Zixue’s eyes brimmed with tears as he wrote furiously.

After Li Ye confiscated his bicycle last week, he had been waiting for his sister to fix the matter.

But before his sister could take action, Director Yao from the academic affairs office summoned him to ask if he had brought the bicycle registration certificate for the Phoenix bicycle.

What bicycle certificate did Lu Zixue have?

Several days had passed, and he thought Director Yao had forgotten about it.

Director Yao had indeed “wanted to forget,” understanding from years of teaching experience that a student’s fragile heart needed protection.

But that morning, the Chengxi police station called directly to ask if a bicycle snatching had occurred at the school gate last Saturday.

This was embarrassing beyond measure. Unable to keep silent, Director Yao summoned Lu Zixue to vent.

Lu Zixue had no choice but to write a self-criticism on the spot, roaring silently in his heart.

“Utter humiliation, utter humiliation! Li Ye and I are sworn enemies!”

But revenge required strength, and neither Lu Zixue nor Xia Yue had it. So both thought of someone “powerful.”

That very night, two letters were separately dropped into mailboxes near County No.1 and County No.2 High Schools, then sped off straight toward the Capital Foreign Languages Institute.

Meanwhile, during the evening self-study session, Li Ye opened the letter Lu Jingyao had sent him.

“Li Ye, long time no see. You feel so unfamiliar to me now. Where has the kind, magnanimous, responsible man gone?”

“Return my brother’s bicycle... He’s still young and can’t bear the rumors and slander... Don’t worry, I will repay you the bicycle’s cost with interest.”

Li Ye finished reading Lu Jingyao’s letter in surprise, then shook his head vigorously to confirm he was still in 1981, not thrown back into the violent 2023.

He had originally intended to avoid further contact with Lu Jingyao, but now couldn’t help picking up a pen to write a reply on the back of the letter.

“Your brother can’t bear rumors and slander? What about me? What about my family?”

“Do you know what they call me at school because you sent money there? I was just reclaiming what was rightfully mine, and yet I’m branded a villain. Threaten to hold me responsible if I don’t repay? Do you really think I’m that naive?”

“When our family helped repair your house, did you call me a villain? When we helped your father get transferred at work, did you call me a landlord dog?”

“If you accept our family’s benefits with a clear conscience, why then twist the truth and play the innocent victim?”

“If you choose to pursue your freedom, why interfere with my life? Why expect me to be magnanimous and hand over the bicycle to your brother? Isn’t that shameless hypocrisy?”

“Don’t contact me again. A swan soaring in the sky, please stop harassing a frog at the bottom of the well. Even if one day he becomes a prince, it will no longer concern you.”