Chapter Twenty: Youth in Its Prime

After a while, everyone had eaten enough to fill their stomachs. Zhou Xuan paused, looking at the youthful faces in the dormitory, and a line of verse came to his mind: “How splendid is youth among classmates, in the prime of life; full of scholarly passion, eager to change the world. Pointing to the vast land, stirring words, dismissing those with power as nothing. Do you remember, braving the currents midstream, where the waves seemed to halt the speeding boat?”

In the prime of our youth, we are all still young, truly in our best years. Everyone is working hard, striving to get into No. 1 High School through the entrance exam, then later, striving for a good university. After starting work, we continue striving for a house, for a life.

Life itself is a long journey; whether one is a nobody or a success, at least we have all struggled along the way.

Zhou Xuan had thought that after being reborn, aside from his love for his family and his pursuit of a career, little else could draw his attention. Anyone who has experienced decades of life’s ups and downs and then returns to their youth would likely feel moved only by the chance to make up for past regrets.

But now, Zhou Xuan felt a twinge of emotion, because he knew what the next decades would hold for all of them.

Some would fare well, others not so much.

“Brother Xuan, let me toast you!” Zhou Lin’s invitation interrupted Zhou Xuan’s reverie.

Zhou Xuan filled his glass. “Zhou Lin, why so formal?”

“Brother Xuan, we’re from the same village. Ever since we were little, I’ve been running after you. From primary school until now, you’ve always been the one I admired most. By middle school, it wasn’t just admiration—it was worship. You even helped me study, taught me good methods, made it possible for me to dream of getting into No. 1 High School. I have to toast you today!” Zhou Lin, overcome with emotion, poured out his feelings all at once.

“Yeah! Zhou Xuan, I really admire you too! Everything you’ve done since the start of school has changed how we see you. You’ve accomplished things we couldn’t even imagine at our age.”

“Zhou Xuan, we’re all so curious. How do you do it?”

“Yeah! You’re so good at everything! How did you learn it all?”

“That’s right. We even asked Zhou Lin, since he’s your neighbor, but even he doesn’t know how you study.”

His friends, full of curiosity, all pressed him for answers.

Zhou Xuan had long expected these questions, and knew that the other classmates probably had their doubts as well—how could he be so good at so many things? Fortunately, he had already thought of an excuse. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “With so many questions, who should I answer first?”

“Come on, Zhou Lin, let’s finish this drink!” he said, clinking glasses with Zhou Lin and downing his drink.

Zhou Xuan looked at them and continued, “You want to know how I study? Let me tell you!”

“Great! We’re all ears. Here, Brother Xuan, have a drumstick first.” Zhou Lin pushed a piece of chicken over.

Zhou Xuan laughed, finished the drumstick, wiped his mouth, and, seeing their curious faces, went on, “Do you know what the countryside looks like at four in the morning?”

Zhou Lin shook his head, puzzled. “No. Do you? Tell us, what’s it like in the mountains at four?”

With a meaningful smile, Zhou Xuan replied, “The sky is full of stars, the mountain silhouettes are deep and shadowy, and there’s the occasional crowing of a rooster and barking of a dog.”

Seeing their surprise and confusion, Zhou Xuan wondered if it was really right to mislead them like this. But with so much attention, he had to come up with a good explanation.

“I’m telling you this because success is one percent talent and ninety-nine percent hard work. Without getting up at four every morning to study, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today. Of course, I’m not successful yet—just a bit ahead in my studies. But without taking small steps, you can never travel a thousand miles; without little streams, there can be no great river. We are still young; we have plenty of time to work hard, plenty to spare. Ten years from now, we won’t regret the effort we put in today.” Zhou Xuan spoke as if giving a speech, perhaps drawing from his decades of life experience.

He hadn’t worked hard enough in his previous life, passing his days in mediocrity, missing many opportunities and wasting precious time.

“Wow, Zhou Xuan, I didn’t expect your grades came from such hard work. How do you keep it up, working so hard every day?” Zhuo Lian asked, disbelief on her face.

Zhou Xuan answered modestly, “It’s not so bad. Whenever I think about how I want to earn lots and lots of money in the future, I feel motivated. If you don’t feel like studying, just think about all the delicious food you want to buy, the beautiful clothes you want to wear, all the places you want to travel. That’ll give you the drive to keep going—work hard now, and you’ll have money later. Or a few years down the line, when you have your own bank card, take your books with you to the ATM. If you can’t concentrate, just check your balance—maybe that’ll give you the strength to keep studying!”

“Pfft, Zhou Xuan, that’s hilarious.” He had just lightened the heavy atmosphere with that joke; now everyone was laughing again.

Whether his friends took his advice to heart or not, Zhou Xuan hoped it would help. With his guidance and study methods, perhaps their futures would be brighter than before.

After Zhou Lin started, the rest of the guys in the dormitory all took turns toasting Zhou Xuan. By the end, he’d had quite a bit to drink and soon felt the urge to use the bathroom.

After coming back from the restroom, they continued eating, and the atmosphere became lively again. Zhou Xuan suggested a game, which everyone enthusiastically agreed to. Starting with Zhou Lin, each person took turns as the host. Whether it was rock-paper-scissors, guessing which hand held the peanut, playing “fifteen-twenty,” or any other game, the loser had to drink half a glass, and then the next person would take over as host.

“Rock-paper-scissors!”

“Fifteen-twenty!”

“Guess—left hand or right?”

“Are you sure? No changes?”

“…”

They played for two hours, with Zhou Lin and Chen Yang losing and drinking the most.

When it came time to pay, the bill came to only thirty yuan. Zhou Xuan found it very cheap—nine people had eaten so many skewers and drunk so much for just thirty yuan.

They strolled back slowly, and Zhou Xuan went to buy some oranges for everyone to help them sober up.

Zhuo Lian was flushed from eating, joking that she’d gain weight and promising to treat Zhou Xuan next time.

Zhou Xuan told her to rest well that afternoon since they’d have evening study later.

Back in the dorm, everyone lay down to rest, and soon the room was filled with the sounds of snoring.