Chapter 9 Future Value Orientation

  When the music started, Xu Shaojie took Zheng Yuxin into the dance pool. Zheng Yuxin's dancing was very good, her movements were smooth and familiar, Xu Shaojie didn't have to exert himself at all. This is what happens when you dance with someone who has great technique - your own skills improve quickly. Xu Shaojie and Zheng Yuxin were the first to enter the dance pool, causing a stir of amazement among the onlookers. The two of them made a perfect pair, and Liu Hong, standing at the side, grew pale with anger. He had thought that by entering the dance pool first, he would be able to outdo Xu Shaojie, but instead, Xu Shaojie was still the center of attention.

  Xu Shaojie in the dance pool did not expect this, he was a bit awkward at first, after all, it was his first time dancing with a girl. However, Zheng Yuxin danced too well, Xu Shaojie quickly relaxed and coordinated with Zheng Yuxin, their dance moves were very standard, attracting many admiring glances, even some senior students had appreciative looks in their eyes.

  When the dance ended, Zheng Yuxin's face was slightly red and her palms were sweating. Xu Shaojie didn't notice these for the time being, his attention was all on how to dance, as a newcomer, this reaction is normal, Zheng Yuxin was different, her dancing skills were proficient, she could observe the surroundings at any time, she saw the gaze of her classmates, and she also understood the deep meaning behind it, so to say, Zheng Yuxin's mind was no longer on dancing afterwards.

  Next, Xu Shaojie and Zheng Yuxin danced together for three songs in a row. Gradually, they became the focus of everyone's attention. In the late 1980s, when the school was half-open, it was taboo to talk about having a boyfriend or girlfriend. It was usually the exclusive domain of fourth-year students, and freshmen would not be involved in this issue at all. Someone had already found out that Xu Shaojie and Zheng Yuxin were both first-year freshmen, and many students thought that Xu Shaojie and Zheng Yuxin might set a record for the school by starting to date in their first year.

  After three songs, Xu Shaojie stopped abruptly. He and Zheng Yuxin said goodbye to each other before leaving the cafeteria. Xu Shaojie was a man of great self-control. He had discovered that dancing could be addictive, and when men and women spent too much time together, it could lead to gossip. So, once he mastered something, he would stop, without getting carried away with it.

  "Xu Ban Zhang, the dance party hasn't ended yet, why are you leaving? Besides, you and Zheng Yu Xin coordinated so well, why not dance a few more songs to shock those upperclassmen?"

  "I can already jump, that's enough, and I'm not interested in comparing with higher grades."

  Xu Shaojie's answer left everyone stunned.

  The entire dormitory building was very quiet, most of the students had gone to the cafeteria. Today is Saturday, weekend, and there were no students going dancing, they all went out to have fun. Xu Shaojie returned to his dorm room, feeling very quiet, if not for Ma Jianhua and Du Yuxin accompanying him back, he really thought that there was nobody in the entire building.

  "Xu, I've figured it out. With your looks and physique, who knows how many girls will like you in the future? Our dormitory comrades are crippled compared to you, what a pity! And Sun Yong, with his good physique, is also a broken gong, alas, being in the same dorm as you is still very pitiful."

  "Du Yuxin, I just can't stand your Shanghainese confidence and fake profundity, you've put me on a pedestal, tossing me around, what's the benefit for you? What era is this now? You still think it's Dong Yong and the Seven Fairy Maidens? Now what matters is real ability, in the future when we graduate, you'll go back to Shanghai, Ma Jianhua will go back to Beijing, I'll go back to a small county town, at that time, the difference between us will be like heaven and earth, I'm afraid all the Seven Fairy Maidens will follow you guys."

  "Xu Ban Zhang, you're really straightforward. You're just a freshman and already know how things will develop in the future? Maybe you'll end up staying in Xilin City directly, and we may not necessarily be able to go back either."

  "Ma Jianhua, Du Yuxin, that's why I say you don't strengthen your studies, go to the library and take a look, I don't know how many messages are engraved on the table, I also asked indirectly, there is no special situation, generally it's where you come from and where you go back to, our Chinese department graduates, either teach or go to administrative organs, teaching leaves more opportunities in big cities, but do you think I look like a teacher? So, I've long been prepared to return to my hometown and dedicate my youth."

  "Xu, we really admire you. You're so down-to-earth and practical. I think everyone in our dormitory is learning from you. People say we're the cream of the crop, ivory tower dwellers, but with you around, it's like we're just ordinary folks without any airs, more like petty bourgeoisie calculating their future."

  The loud gong outside the dormitory appeared, and Xu Shaojie, Ma Jianhua, and Du Yuxin looked at each other in dismay. Sun Yong, after getting drunk, seemed to have suddenly become enlightened, occasionally singing a few lines of his hometown's folk songs. These days, the comrades in the dormitory really couldn't bear it anymore, and people from other dormitories also commented that Sun Yong's voice made them feel anxious. However, as fellow dormitory mates, everyone still took care of Sun Yong's feelings, pretending to praise him a few times. Now, Sun Yong was even more energetic, often singing loudly, making everyone want to stuff their ears with cotton, lamenting that they were doomed.

  "Comrades, how was my singing? Ah, right, there's another folk song from my hometown that I just remembered. Everyone listen and give me some feedback. Let me tell you, the little ditty from my hometown is now a cultural heritage, both the county and region are rushing to collect it. If I sing it well, it'll be considered a contribution to my hometown."

  "Sun Yong, wait a minute, I'll tell you something, and after you hear it, then sing."

  Sun Yong's eyes widened as he stared at Xu Shaojie, unsure of what Xu Shaojie was going to say.

  "This singing is a matter of learning, you see those singers now, they all pay attention to protecting their vocal cords, like you who don't pay attention and sing non-stop, it's definitely not going to work. So, you need to pay attention to protecting your vocal cords. There are books in the school library about this, I remember it said that singing every day can't exceed one hour, otherwise, the vocal cords will be damaged and you won't be able to sing anymore, then you won't be able to make contributions for your hometown."

  "Xu Ban Zhang, how did you know?"

  "Sun Yong, look what you said, we are comrades in the same dormitory. These days, you suddenly have a passion for singing, I thought that you might make in-depth development or exploration in this aspect in the future. So I went to the library and specifically looked up materials on this aspect. Anyway, they were all said by experts, whether it's true or not, I don't know."

  Xu Shaojie said it very seriously, Ma Jianhua and Du Yuxin originally thought Xu Shaojie was joking, but later on, the two of them also stared with wide eyes at Xu Shaojie. Xu Shaojie's face was serious, but his belly was laughing with joy. However, he definitely couldn't reveal this, otherwise Sun Yong's singing would be torture for everyone.

  "Xu Ban Zhang, thank you so much! I'll definitely pay attention and go to the library sometime. By the way, do you still remember the name of that book?"

  "I don't remember this clearly, you go find it yourself, anyway it's related to vocal music."

  Xu Shaojie secretly delighted, waiting until Sun Yong had read most of the vocal music books and was about to graduate from college. It can finally reduce the suffering of his ears, one hour a day, during the day Sun Yong would finish using it, and at night it would be quiet.

  "What were you just talking about? You look so serious."

  "We were talking about our future plans, and Xu, the class leader, is a pragmatist, which has turned our entire dorm into pragmatists too. There's no more romance in our emotions. Students of Chinese literature have become like this, it's really pitiful."

  "Pitiful, I'm also a pragmatist. I grew up in a small county town. My greatest wish is to have a good job, teaching is fine too, having a stable income, getting married and having children, anyway that's just how life will be."

  Xu Shaojie, Ma Jianhua and Du Yuxin looked at Sun Yong, somewhat disbelieving that these words were spoken by Sun Yong. Xu Shaojie felt especially strange, still having dreams himself, how could this Sun Yong be so down-to-earth, even more realistic than himself.

  "Look at what I'm doing, my dad and mom are both teachers, don't know how many students they've taught. My mom teaches junior high, my dad teaches senior high. Watching so many students go to university, attend vocational school, in the end still just working, raising a family. When I was in senior high, don't know how many of dad's students came home, all university students, passionate and enthusiastic, discussing everything under the sun, but in the end still returning to our county town, diligently working. So that's life, nothing mysterious about it. I just have some dissatisfaction, my dad and others often can't get paid on time, sometimes delayed for a long time, salaries are already low. At home I'm the eldest of five siblings, so after graduating, I didn't want to think about other things, just wanted to start working early, reduce the burden on our family."

  Xu Shaojie fell silent, every family has its own difficulties, the well-off are in the minority after all. Many students come from difficult backgrounds, and those from rural areas are even more so.

  "Xu class monitor, I really admire you, you have money to spend and live a carefree life. The Red Tower Mountain cigarettes, I don't even dare to think about them. Ah, now that I've thought of it, Xu class monitor, share your cigarettes! Don't hide the good stuff!"

  Xu Shaojie was out of breath, and after all the talk, he still missed his few packs of Hongtashan cigarettes. After everyone lit up their cigarettes, they continued chatting. Perhaps the conversation in this dorm room was one-of-a-kind at Xilin University, because most college students were very proud and thought they could change the world. Xu Shaojie and Sun Yong, as pragmatic freshmen, were also a wonder of Xilin University.

  "To be honest with you, my hometown in Shaanxi is very poor. My relatives in the countryside can barely afford to eat their fill, and they don't even have enough money to buy a new set of clothes for the year. They've never seen Red Tower cigarettes in their lives. The pigs we raise ourselves are sold for money because we can't bear to eat them. Children need money to go to school, and we also have to pay taxes, so where's the extra money? There are many young people at home, most of whom have gone to work in the south. Many of them left after graduating from junior high. I often hear my dad say that farmers really suffer. Although I don't fully understand, one time I said that if I studied hard and got into college, I could change the fate of being a farmer. My dad slapped me on the ear and told me I didn't know how big the sky was or how thick the earth was. Now that I'm in school, I've come to realize that those who talk big are not necessarily capable. We're all studying Chinese, and we know that it's better to take action than just sit around talking about it. I don't believe we can change our fate no matter how talented we are - after all, we still need to eat. Ma Jianhua, Du Yuxin, I'm actually very envious of you guys from the big cities. You'll definitely have a good life in the future."

  Xu Shaojie shook his head, feeling that Sun Yong was a bit too pessimistic and had gone to the other extreme.

  "Sun Yong, you're being too pessimistic. We all know that knowledge changes one's fate, and isn't there another saying: 'The heavens are resilient, the gentleman strives unceasingly.' We are all gentlemen, so of course we must strive. Maybe the outcome won't be very good in the end, but at least we'll have tried our best and fought hard, and we won't regret it. Listening to you talk, it sounds like you've given up on everything and are just resigned to fate. I don't agree with this way of thinking. What I'm saying is practical, not what you're implying."

  At this moment, Ma Jianhua, Du Yuxin and Sun Yong's eyes turned to Xu Shaojie again.

  "Look at what I do, I don't talk big, what I say is practical, it's based on my own reality. For example, if I'm a farmer, I think about growing good crops, and then making money to live a better life. If I'm an official, I think about doing a good job, at least earning my salary, the goal is also to live a good life. If I'm a teacher, I focus on teaching well, with students all over the world."

  The three of them all showed contemptuous expressions on their faces.

  "Xu Ban Zhang, this is nonsense, everyone knows that these words are deceiving elementary school students."

  "Listen to me finish, the key point is at the back, the front is just a setup."

  Sun Yong reluctantly spoke up.

  "Xu, we're university students, no need to teach us elementary school knowledge, what's with the lengthy introduction? Hurry up and speak, oh, out of cigarettes, quickly take some out, why hide them in your pocket? Don't be too stingy."

  Xu Shaojie had no choice but to take out a pack of cigarettes.

  "In that case, I won't say more. My main point is that our future is in our own hands. As first-year students, we still have a few years to think about how to design our own futures. For example, if you want to be a teacher, study Chinese well; if you want to be an official, study philosophy well. Of course, if you want something else, I don't know what else to say."

  Ma Jianhua nodded, seemingly understanding, and began to speak.

  "These words make sense, I want to be the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Xu class leader, what should I learn?"

  "Get out of here, I don't know, go ask the Secretary-General of the United Nations and see what he has learned."

  Everyone burst out laughing, ending the discussion about the future. However, when it was time to sleep, Xu Shaojie fell into deep thought. He somewhat agreed with Sun Yong's words - people must face reality. Anyone can talk big, and the principles they speak of may sound great, but real life is cruel. His father's experiences constantly reminded Xu Shaojie, pulling him out of his fantasies. Xu Shaojie believed that being a university student wasn't anything special. Back in their hometown, whenever people mentioned his father, they would all praise him, saying he was highly capable and a university graduate. However, what people said and their actual actions were completely different. Xu Shaojie often saw his father working overtime because he was a university graduate with abilities - the more capable you are, the more work you have to do. But when it came to treatment, things weren't that simple. People would soon forget that you're a university graduate, and treatment is tied to your position. So, anyone can talk, but the key is whether they can put their words into action.

  In a daze, Xu Shaojie fell asleep. He dreamed of his father, whose appearance was particularly clear. He and his father were walking slowly on the street. His father was still silent and melancholic, muttering something in his mouth that he couldn't hear. Watching his father walk faster and faster, he became very anxious, wanting to catch up with him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move his feet.

  When he woke up, Xu Shaojie found that his pillow was wet. He knew that he must have shed a lot of tears, tears of sadness and nostalgia.