Summer in Your Name - 8
Seat Change
Sheng Xia had a day off during the summer extra classes.
And Sheng Mingfeng finally carved out time from his impossibly busy schedule to take his three daughters to lunch.
She hadn't expected Zou Weiping to be there too.
"Say hello," Sheng Mingfeng prompted.
Zheng Dongning wasn't much for talking. No one expected any word from her.
Wu Qiuxuan, on the other hand, had plenty to say, just not with words. She shot Zou Weiping a glare and walked straight to the far side of the private room, settling into the seat farthest from everyone.
Wang Lianhua always said that of her three daughters, Wu Qiuxuan was the most like her. That was why, she claimed, Sheng Mingfeng never doted on Wu Qiuxuan. While Sheng Xia resembled him the most, so he favored her.
"Auntie Zou." Sheng Xia gave a small nod.
Zou Wei ping smiled gently. "Come, sit. Your dad ordered all your favorites."
Just as the food arrived, Sheng Mingfeng aimed his first comment at Wu Qiuxuan. "You're in ninth grade now. Keep up that attitude, and boarding in high school is going to be a wake-up call."
Wu Qiuxuan shrugged. "I'll go to Affiliated High. No boarding.”
Sheng Mingfeng let out a cold laugh. "You think your grades are getting you into Affiliated High? Not unless you spend the next year studying like your life depends on it.”
"You can pull strings to get me in, can't you? Why bother with the exam?"
At these words, Sheng Mingfeng's face shifted. So did Zou Weiping's.
"Who taught you that?" His voice dropped low. "Huh? Your mother?"
Wu Qiuxuan couldn't stand it when he criticized her mother in front of Zou Weiping. She shot to her feet. "Don't you dare badmouth my mom!"
Zou Weiping put a hand on Sheng Mingfeng's arm, then walked to Wu Qiuxuan, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, her voice soft and placating. "A-Xuan, that's not what your father meant. He really does care about you girls. He was supposed to visit the district office today, but he postponed it to—"
"Save the act." Wu Qiuxuan twisted away, shaking off Zou Weiping's hand. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "If he really cared, why'd he bring you?"
Zou Weiping's hand hung in the air. Her face was a careful mask of composure, but the embarrassment beneath it was visible.
"Wu Qiuxuan!" Sheng Mingfeng's hand slammed down toward the table.
But Sheng Xia's cold fingers covered his clenched fist. "Dad."
Then she tugged at Wu Qiuxuan's hand. "A-Xuan."
Wu Qiuxuan looked at her. "Sis!"
Sheng Xia shook her head slightly: Don’t.
In this family, Wu Qiuxuan listened to Sheng Xia more than anyone. She swallowed her anger and sat back down, seething.
Zou Weiping also returned to her seat.
Sheng Xia changed the subject. "Dad, next month is Ningning's birthday. She looks forward to your gift every year. What are you giving her this time?"
Sheng Mingfeng was hardly oblivious to her intention. He softened his tone and turned to Zheng Dongning. "Ningning, what do you want? Daddy will buy you anything."
Zheng Dongning pressed her lips together, looked at him with a wide, expectant eyes, and said nothing.
Knowing he wouldn't get an answer, he turned to Zou Weiping. "What do you think? What should we get her this year? Ningning's nine now. A big girl."
"Hmm." Zou Weiping propped her chin on her hand. "We'll have to think hard about this one."
"Ten."
A childish voice cut through the room.
Everyone froze.
Even Sheng Xia stared in shock.
Wang Lianhua had mentioned that Ningning had regressed lately, she hadn't spoken a word in over two weeks.
Zheng Dongning's round little lips moved again. "I'm ten."
Wu Qiuxuan, who'd been silently sipping her soup, let out a sneer. "Can't even remember your own kid's age. Unbelievable."
The sarcasm cut through the silence like a knife.
Sheng Xia lowered her head, an unconscious sigh escaped her.
Sheng Mingfeng, for once, was at a loss. The man who navigated political circles for a living had been rendered speechless by his youngest daughter.
Zou Weiping stepped in smoothly. "Ten is a milestone. You'll have to think hard about this gift. Don't ask Ningning. Pick it yourself. It'll mean more.”
"I will. I'll pick it myself." Sheng Mingfeng nodded.
---
That opening set the tone for the rest of the meal. The only safe topic was Sheng Xia.
It was basically, Sheng Mingfeng asked, Sheng Xia answered.
"Affiliated High really is different," Sheng Mingfeng pronounced. "Study hard. If you need anything, tell me. Or tell your auntie here. Same thing. Don't push yourself too hard. Ignore your mom’s constant nagging. At your age, enjoying your studies is what matters most.”
Zou Weiping added, "That's right, Xia Xia. Right now, the top priorities in the family are your college entrance exam and A-Xuan's high school entrance exam. Just give me a call if you need anything.”
Wu Qiuxuan muttered under her breath, “Hmph!”
Sheng Mingfeng shot her a look; exasperated and defeated. Too tired to bother, he turned back to Sheng Xia. "That phone I gave you, why don't you ever use it? I can never get through."
Sheng Xia wanted to say she didn't need such an expensive phone. But the eager look in his eyes stopped her. She nodded. "I thought Affiliated High didn't allow them. I'll bring it from now on."
Sheng Mingfeng nodded, satisfied. "Good. Keep me updated. School. Life. Everything."
"Mm."
---
After the meal, Brother Li drove them home. As they got out, he handed them three large shopping bags. The logos were high-end clothing brands.
One for each of them. The bag contained a dress, the fabric exquisite and undoubtedly expensive.
Wu Qiuxuan asked, "From my dad?"
Brother Li nodded.
"It was that woman, wasn't it? No way my dad goes shopping for clothes."
Brother Li scratched his head.
Wu Qiuxuan's lips curled. "Whatever. Free stuff is free stuff."
They carried the bags inside. Wang Lianhua was on duty tonight and wasn't home.
Wu Qiuxuan tried on her new dress, then helped Zheng Dongning into hers. Both fit perfectly.
Then, they ran to Sheng Xia's room. She was putting hers away in the closet, already turning back to her desk to study.
"Sis, you're not trying it on?"
Sheng Xia looked back, and said calmly. "The size looks fine. I won't bother. I have homework."
Wu Qiuxuan took her younger sister's hand and left, not wanting to disturb her.
Sheng Xia looked down at her own reflection.
This wasn't the first time that woman had bought them clothes. Come to think of it… she'd never worn any of it.
Sheng Xia rarely wore dresses. Wang Lianhua only ever bought them sportswear.
Back when she was Qiuxuan's age, just beginning to become aware of being "pretty," she envied classmates in their beautiful dresses. Her sportswear was baggy, repetitive, and boring.
One summer break, she spent a few days at Sheng Mingfeng's place and returned wearing a dress he had bought for her.
He wasn't as busy then. After every exam, he'd take her to the aquarium, the amusement park. Buy her snacks Wang Lianhua wouldn't allow. Play the games Wang Lianhua said weren't for girls. Buy the dresses Wang Lianhua wouldn't let her wear.
Childhood "happiness" doesn't come weighted with emotion and principles. The few happy memories Sheng Xia had were from those brief times with her father.
The dress wasn't flashy, a conservative length, showing only her calves. Maybe she was imagining it, but on the way home, people kept looking back at her.
In the elevator, she ran into the neighbor from across the hall, rode up together, got off on their floor, and went their separate ways.
However, just as the door was closing, the neighbor turned and gave Sheng Xia a once-over.
It was just a glance. There was no malice in it, but Sheng Xia felt her skin prickle with discomfort.
Inside, Wang Lianhua had obviously seen it too. She let out a cold ‘Hah,’ and remarked dryly, "A few days away, and you've learned to dress up. I guess I've been holding you back."
Sheng Xia cried herself to sleep that night.
In the middle of the night, Wang Lianhua lifted the covers and wiped her tears. Sheng Xia didn't know how to face her mother, she could only pretend to sleep.
Wang Lianhua's sigh was heavy as thunder. She sat on the edge of the bed and murmured to herself. All the hardship. All the bitterness. Then, her voice broke, she apologized to her daughter.
"You don't understand. Teenage girls like you, they attract unwanted attention. It's not that I don't want you to look pretty. It's just… we don't have a man in this house."
Four women living alone. No male presence. No one to deter ill intentions. Wang Lianhua's way of protecting them was fragile, as flimsy as it was desperate.
Sheng Xia slowly sat up and took her mother’s hand. Wang Lianhua pulled her close, and they cried together.
---
The first thing to do on Monday morning, before the reading period, was the seat change.
Weekly shuffle. One column right. One row back.
The single row on the far right moved to the far left.
Sheng Xia was now in the first seat in the single row, directly facing the front door.
She and Xin Xiaohe were separated, but only by the aisle.
Lu Youze, previously at the first desk, was now behind Xin Xiaohe, to Sheng Xia's left and back.
Zhang Shu had moved to the first group, first row, first desk, the northernmost spot in the classroom.
Sheng Xia was in the southernmost spot. For the first time in days, she felt like she could breathe easy.
Living while knowing someone's secret had been exhausting.
But then she remembered, next week, they'd rotate again, and she'd be Zhang Shu's desk mate.
The anxiety came flooding back.
She could only wish this week would be longer.
---
Being first seat by the door was its own kind of torture. Between classes, people streamed past constantly. Young, full of energy, walking like they owned the hallways. She caught at least five different kinds of body odor, especially in the afternoon. Sweaty, smelly, and dizzying.
Some guys liked to jump and grab the doorframe on their way in, pretending to dunk. The thud when they landed made her jump every time.
Some girls were friendly, greeting the new student as they passed. But she had a hard time keeping up with the small talk.
So between classes, she either refilled her water or went to the bathroom.
However, she couldn't do anything during the long breaks. She didn't want to wander, so she buried herself in practice problems instead.
"Sheng Xia, how are you settling in at the Affiliated High?" Lu Youze asked from across the aisle.
"It's alright. Just that the pace is a little fast. I can't finish the assignments."
Lu Youze reassured. "The assignments are just guidelines. You don't have to finish everything. Don't stress."
"Mm."
Based on seating, Lu Youze should rank around fifteenth or sixteenth last semester. Sheng Xia wanted to know what that level represented, whether she could reach it. "What about you? How much of the assignments do you finish? Can you do it all?"
Lu Youze paused, not answering directly. "Only a few can finish all the assignments."
Sheng Xia wasn’t one to press. She just pursed her lips and nodded.
Another breeze swept past her desk. This one carried the clean scent of sun-baked grass.
Then, a voice cut in: "It's not ‘a few’ who can finish assignments; it's Zhang Shu.”
The voice was deep, brimming with arrogance.
Sheng Xia turned.
Zhang Shu and Hou Junqi were walking in from the hallway, one after the other. Hou Junqi was doubled over, laughing. "HAHAHAHA. Brilliant!"
It was Zhang Shu who'd spoken. He strode past the podium toward his seat, a soda can in hand. As he spoke, he glanced over his shoulder toward Sheng Xia's side, or more precisely, toward Lu Youze.
Dismissive. Provocative. Arrogant.
Rhyming to praise himself. How bold could one person be?
Lu Youze didn't rise to it. His face showed only a flicker of discomfort, yet quickly masked.
Sheng Xia turned back to her practice problems, steering clear of the crossfire between love rivals.
---
Wang Wei was on duty for Friday evening study. He had a habit of pulling students aside for little chats. He called it "Big Brother Confidant Time." The first time Sheng Xia heard this, she had to bite back a smile.
For all his old-fashioned vibe and prematurely aged appearance, Wang Wei was only a little past thirty and still single. In his own words: "By the laws of science, you have to be sixteen years older to be 'aunt' or 'uncle.' I'm barely past thirty. Call me 'brother.'"
What "laws of science" dictated this remained unclear.
As a transfer student, Sheng Xia was the first target of the semester.
The opening was predictable: "How are you adjusting?" "Any difficulties?" Sheng Xia didn't say much, simply replying that everything was fine.
Wang Wei got to the point. "Your mom says your physics and chemistry foundations are weak. Are you having trouble keeping up in class?"
Sheng Xia nodded honestly, then added, "I'm also struggling with math."
Wang Wei: “Your Chinese and English scores are good. You should be strong in humanities. Why didn't you choose the humanities track?"
Wang Lianhua had decided it for her back then. Science meant more majors to choose from and better job prospects. In Wang Lianhua's rigid worldview, only those who couldn’t handle sciences chose humanities, a last resort for the less clever. Never mind that Wang Lianhua herself had been a humanities student.
"Family decision."
Wang Wei wasn't surprised. Kids this obedient rarely get much say. "I'm just trying to understand your situation. You've chosen science now, let's focus on doing our best. A year is not long, but it's long enough to change a lot. Work hard won't betray you."
Sheng Xia nodded. "Thank you, Teacher."
"What for?" He smiled at her earnest, obedient expression. "Next week, you'll be sitting with Zhang Shu. Zhang Shu's a strong learner. Observe him, learn more, and don’t hesitate to ask questions.”
Sheng Xia nodded again, but inside, she was thinking about how this week had passed too quickly. The inevitable was here.
She wondered: with a brain that good, did he have a good memory? Would he hold a grudge?
But Wang Wei misinterpreted her hesitation. He added reassuringly, "He doesn't come off as warm, but he answers anyone who asks. Don't worry about that."
"Mm."
"Alright, go on in. Help me call Zhang Shu outside.”
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