81 Ah,Youth (1/2)

Chapter 81: Ah,Youth

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

Ning Que should not have felt cold, because the scholar wearing the cotton padded robe did not release any hostility and danger from head to toe and from inside to outside. Instead, he was as clean as a pure lotus and trustable as a relative.

However, he still felt cold, because the scholar saw his umbrella on his back with just a glance, which was so big and black and it was the most important thing for Sangsang and him. Besides, he wanted to exchange something for it.

Sunlight couldn't shine into the alley, so it was a little cold. Maybe that was one of the reasons he felt cold? Or it was his unexplained trust in the scholar made him fearful?

Ning Que was like an ice sculpture standing in the alley for a long time until he woke up. He looked back in disappointment, of course, he saw nothing. Then he thought it over, lowering his head, and he found that he had no idea what had happened. Therefore, he gave up thinking and shook his head, walking towards the crowd.

He didn't know that the legendary Headmaster of the Academy had already left in a carriage; he didn't know he had missed a historic moment; he didn't know his refusing to exchange with the scholar was also a miss; he didn't know that was his first real lesson. But, even if he knew, he still wouldn't made the exchange. Using what he had to trade for what he didn't have was not his style.

…

…

The first lesson at the Academy was a big lecture for a number of students. The students gathered on a bit cool stone ground, hopefully listening to some professor's speech from the Academy and imaging their life in two or three years.

The lessons of the Academy also consisted of six subjects, just like in the academy entrance exams. Two hundred students were divided into six study rooms. Their class time was from morning to noon, which didn't seem long, but they didn't have time to take a break.

The seven people that were lucky enough to enroll in the magic skills course would learn related knowledge from the Academy in the afternoon. And, the other ordinary students could enjoy some free time, staying at the Academy to learn themselves or they could go back to Chang'an City to have fun. However, the professor advised students mildly and sincerely to review lessons in the old library at the Academy.

The Academy's discipline was very loose. Students took the ringing from deep inside the Academy as the sign: the first ring was a warning; the second ring, they entered the classroom; the third ring, the class began; the fourth ring signaled the end of class. When the third bell rang, the students could learn in the study room. The Academy asked that the students listen to their teacher's attentively during class. They could ask questions, but they couldn't make noise. As for cleaning up, students didn't need to pay attention to that, because the imperial court spent a lot of money on the Academy, so they employed many cleaners and chefs.

The next was to divide students into different classes. The Academy did it in the simplest and fairest way, by randomly drawing names. The students' family background and their entrance scores were not considered. The children Xie Chengyun and Zhong Dajun were divided into Classroom One; Wang Ying from Linchuan, Classroom Four; Ning Que, Classroom Three.

After taking his own books and classics from the instructor's room near the stone ground, Ning Que followed the people to find the wooden sign hung in Yanyu hall, and found Classroom Three. Looking at the clean windows, like pictures, and the white walls, like paper, thinking he would spend the next few years here. He also thought he had finally taken his first steps onto the Tang's practicing road, his emotion was slightly in a trance. He took a deep breath to calm down and lifted his feet to stride over the high threshold.

”Ning Que! Here!”

Two surprising sounds rang out in the study room.

Ning Que looked up in astonishment. He saw Chu Youxian whose face looked a little pale excitedly waving to him from the spacious back seat of the study room, and in the front seat, Situ Yilan was seeing him excitedly as well. Today, the girl wore a suit of tight blue clothes with several embroidered plum blossoms on her chest, and peeking out from inside its slightly open collar was her white neck.

It was like a dream, and like a past life at the same time. In fact, it really was a past life. This was his most familiar memory. It seemed he could see this scene every year and every time there were more and more people shouting to him to come sit beside them.

Ning Que silently stood inside the door of the study room and closed his eyes forcibly to drive out the irritating memory from his head. Then he apologetically smiled at Situ Yilan, who was waiting with an expression of expectation and he walked towards her.

He hadn't known that Miss Situ was the daughter of a Yunhui general, but he had known that she must be from a noble family from Chang'an City. Although, students were equal in the Academy, and he heard that his Majesty came to study at the Academy wearing normal clothes and sat beside the ordinary students from poor families. Who knew what kind of trouble would be produced if he had too much contact with the noble girl.

After putting down the heavy books and classics, he watched Chu Youxian's pale and haggard face, and his blue lips, asking,”You came from the House of Red-Sleeves again, same as yesterday?”

”Stayed there for the whole night.” Chu Youxian sighed and said sadly without hiding, ”Ning Que, this world has a problem. I couldn't understand, so I stayed in House of Red-Sleeves for a whole night.”

Ning Que thought about the scholar that he had met before, then his body went a little stiff. He asked,” What's the problem?”

”My unexpectedly entering the Academy was the biggest problem in the world.”

Chu Youxian said sadly and with extream annoyance, ”You know that my father bought me a qualification to participate in the academy's entrance exams with 2000 silvers. I only came here to find a good wife. I randomly answered yesterday, I didn't even go to see the scores next to my name. However, my results are a B plus, in all four subjects.