Winter Returns

Chapter 213 Giving Gifts is a Difficult Task
Monday.

When Zhang Shutong entered the classroom, the first thing she smelled was the fresh scent of apples.

This day is Christmas Eve, and the most distinctive activity is—

They exchanged "peace apples" as gifts.

He went to his seat and spotted Xiao Lu among a pile of apples.

"morning."

Lu Qinglian simply nodded her chin perfunctorily.

By now, Zhang Shutong has almost gotten used to this way of interacting.

"Why did you buy so many apples?"

“Zhang Shutong, could you use your brain a little more?” Lu Qinglian sighed softly, unusually helpless. “For example, these apples were given by other students, and they were like this when I arrived.”

Right now, she was packing beautifully packaged apples into a large plastic bag. Zhang Shutong glanced at it and saw that there were at least a dozen, with some chocolates mixed in as well.

"Anyway, you like to eat it." Zhang Shutong shrugged. Christmas Eve might be her favorite holiday.

"Accepting it will bring a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Well, that makes sense. Once this door is opened, there will be more and more "gifts" appearing on her desk in the future.

"Go back?"

"Just leave it on the podium. Someone will come and get it. That's how it's always been done."

Zhang Shutong had never really paid attention to this kind of thing before.

Lu Qinglian truly deserves to be one of the most popular girls in the entire school.

But now that he knows, it gives him a headache. He came here with a mission. His mother gave him those boots early in the morning, saying that he had to deliver them in one go. So the shoebox was lying in his schoolbag.

He had just put down his schoolbag when Lu Qinglian asked:
"How's the photo situation?"

"I've already asked someone to check."

"Ah."

The conversation between the two ended there.
It was morning reading time, so he obviously couldn't just take the thing out directly. Zhang Shutong moved closer to Lu Qinglian:

"Excuse me, I have something to tell you."

"Please take a step further," Lu Qinglian said casually, holding her textbook. "You're sweaty."

Zhang Shutong has been running to school lately.

"Your obsession with cleanliness is really a bit extreme."

“You can understand it that way,” she said casually, then asked, “What is it?”

"Oh, a Christmas present..."

"Zhang Shutong, Lu Qinglian, come out here for a moment." At this moment, the homeroom teacher walked in from the door.

Zhang Shutong thought to himself that this homeroom teacher was really doomed to jinx him and Lu Qinglian, how come every time he whispered something, she would notice him?

Surprisingly, there were two students, a male and a female, standing in the office.

One of them was the class monitor.

Teacher Xu cleared her throat:

"The class program for New Year's Day this year has already been decided. I've called you here to arrange the division of labor."

Zhang Shutong had already heard about the class's program. Although the students in Class One had argued for several days, the final decision was made by the homeroom teacher: a poetry recitation. However, the classic poem "Man Jiang Hong" was replaced with a slightly more vibrant modern poem.

The homeroom teacher is the type with an extremely strong desire for control; not only does she specify the programs, but she also has the same problem with the participants.
"We still need four more reciters. Shengyu and Shishi are class officers. You two have the best grades, so you're not afraid of neglecting your studies. You can set a good example and have a good image. Stay after lunch these next few days to rehearse quickly and don't waste too much time."

Zhang Shutong was about to decline when Lu Qinglian spoke up:

"I have to go back to the mountain on New Year's Day, so I won't be free that night."

Zhang Shutong can testify to this. Originally, there were two people in Class 1 who never attended the New Year's Eve party. One was Gu Qiumian, and the other was Lu Qinglian. He and a few close friends had even discussed before whether it was a rule of the temple.

Teacher Xu glanced at the others subconsciously, and the three of them nodded.

“Teacher, I don’t have the time either,” Zhang Shutong followed up. “I already have a performance to rehearse.”

Where did you get your program from?

"It was organized by Gu Qiumian from Class Two. We've already discussed it with the Dean of Students." Zhang Shutong had been a lackey for so long, but this was the first time he'd brought up the young lady, and it had a remarkable effect.

"Who told you to participate..." Teacher Xu frowned, then waved her hand, "Never mind, you know what you're doing."

She was also a pragmatist; for graduating students, grades were the most important thing, not any performances. Therefore, she didn't pressure them with a sense of collective honor. Xu Aiping only pondered for a moment before instructing:
"You two go back to your morning reading first, and I'll find the others."

Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief.

Don't say he's too busy; even if he had time, he wouldn't want to rehearse any poetry recitations. As he walked out of the office, Zhang Shutong asked:
"Was something happen at the temple that day?"

"More or less." Lu Qinglian neither confirmed nor denied it. "What happened just now?"

"A Christmas present..."

"No, thanks."

"I haven't even said I'd give it to you yet." Zhang Shutong thought she was really a bit narcissistic.

“Zhang Shutong, you’d better remember that I’m the class monitor.” Lu Qinglian turned her head. “Since we started sitting together, you’ve only handed in your homework three times.”

"Thank you."

As partners, helping teammates who don't do their homework get away with it from the teacher's inspection is also part of the cooperation.

"What are you thinking about again?" she said helplessly. "I mean, someone who almost never carries a backpack suddenly brought a box over and mentioned Christmas twice. Do you think that's hard to guess?"

Yes, yes, you're the smartest, so please accept it, okay? Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "If you accept it, I can at least say I've done my job."

"Then I'll go back and get it for you?"

"No thanks. Or is there some unspoken rule at Christmas, like the supermarket tasting area?" She said casually, tilting her high ponytail slightly. "If you bring a gift, Santa will force it into your stocking?"

"...No, that's not available."

"That's good."

The woman nodded politely and strode off with her long, slender legs.

"correct."

Lu Qinglian suddenly stopped.

"what?"

"It's best to cancel it as soon as possible."

She even remembered to give a word of advice.

A bad start.

This shows that Lu Qinglian really hasn't bought many things and is still in the era of being able to return goods. Not to mention that she bought those boots a long time ago, even if she had just bought them this morning, she could only exchange them if she took them back to the mall.

It was noon, and Zhang Shutong was still thinking about how to deliver the items.

Should I just stuff it into her desk?

That probably won't work either.

This was the first time Zhang Shutong had encountered such a situation. Some people find it difficult to choose a gift, while others find it difficult to give a gift.

The surrounding noise brought him back to his senses; it was rehearsal time again, and all four classes were busy.

Zhang Shutong also had something to do today. He said that the reason he gave to the homeroom teacher was not entirely an excuse. The jokes he made that night had come true. In Gu Qiumian's words, since this was the first time they were spending New Year's Day on the island, they should make it more lively.

Zhang Shutong didn't care. In the past, when Ruoping made a decision, the three of them didn't have much room to object. Now that Gu Qiumian and Ruoping had both made a decision, he could only do whatever he wanted.

The final program chosen was an original stage play.

Qingyi wrote two scripts, but Gu Qiumian rejected them. She absolutely refused to write a story about a princess and a prince, saying that it would clash with the scripts of Class Three.

Qingyi is currently writing his third one. Zhang Shutong learned about this on Saturday and didn't know if he had finished it yet. He calculated the time and realized it was quite tight.

In short, the script is yet to be finalized.

There were only six actors. Besides the three boys, Gu Qiu Mian was definitely going to participate, and Ruo Ping was a bit short on time, so she could only make a cameo appearance and couldn't act in too many scenes. Therefore, she called a close friend to help out. In her words, it was just a few of them having fun, so there was no need to make a big fuss.

This was their entire plan for their small group.

Zhang Shutong didn't have high expectations for the show's effect; he just hoped everyone had fun.

He went to the corridor to wait for the third shift to clear the area, when someone tapped him on the shoulder:
"Something on your mind?" Qingyi has been popping up all the time lately.

"Is the script finished?"

“I got it sorted out when I got home yesterday,” he said, waving a stack of papers. “It was a piece of cake.”

"Isn't this going to be another story about Princess A and Princess B...?"

"That was rejected by Gu Qiumian; it was the princess who saved the prince."

“Wait a minute,” Zhang Shutong complained, “is there any fundamental difference between this and the prince saving the princess?”
"Gu Qiumin has agreed."

"Fine……"

"But let's make this clear first, I'm playing the villain, so don't try to steal it."

"Nobody's going to take it from you."

Zhang Shutong knew that Qingyi always had the heart of a villain. From the very beginning, the lines were tailor-made for him, and he had to shout out every move he made.

In addition, each of them made a small request.

“The roles are assigned like this,” Qingyi said, “I’m the main villain, and Du Kang is the second main villain…”

“Wait a minute,” Zhang Shutong interrupted again, “Why are there two villains?”

“The script is too simple, so I had to add a few more villains to make up the numbers. Let me finish,” Qingyi said again. “Gu Qiumian is a princess, Ruoping is the goddess who guides the princess, and you, Shutong, your task is the easiest.”

"Tree?"

"Pretty much, Sleeping Prince."

"What is a Sleeping Prince?" Zhang Shutong had only heard of Sleeping Beauty and the Little Prince.

"It's about a prince who falls into a deep sleep after being cursed by a witch at the beginning, and he only wakes up at the end. Anyway, I wrote it according to your request, so I try to speak as little as possible."

Zhang Shutong opened his mouth silently.

"By the way, where's that best friend?"

"My best friend is a witch," Qingyi said listlessly. "She's suspected of stealing my spotlight."

"Why isn't the witch the villain?" Zhang Shutong's mind was a bit confused.

"Because I want to be the villain."

Zhang Shutong was speechless:

"……it is good."

The script has been finalized for now, but since they are the fifth program separate from the four classes, and Gu Qiu Mian and Ruo Ping both have their own things to do, they can only rehearse after lunch.

On his way to dinner, Zhang Shutong made a phone call to his mentor.

"Shutong," Old Song was in a good mood today, "Have you eaten?"

Zhang Shutong said he was about to go. Recently, he and his apprentice had been talking on the phone frequently. Old Song was responsible for recalling the strange things that he felt were not right back then, while Zhang Shutong was responsible for picking out clues.

"How are things on your end, teacher?"

"My mom eats early, so I just finished serving her and then washed the dishes. I only had a little free time now." The man was panting heavily as he said this, even though he had only done a few ordinary chores. Zhang Shutong felt a little sad.

They chatted for a bit, and then Lao Song asked about school life. Zhang Shutong only shared the good news and not the bad, saying that Christmas was coming soon and everyone was very excited.

"Hey, what kind of program is our class rehearsing this year?" Old Song asked curiously.

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "The original Class One is long gone, only you still subconsciously say that."

He suggested reciting poetry, but Old Song smiled and shook his head.
"Your teacher Xu was just worried that you would get distracted. Besides, poetry recitation is quite good. You were just too wild a few years ago, so it's my fault."

Zhang Shutong then recounted how the group of them had gotten together, and even went over the script again. Old Song listened with genuine laughter, a laugh that came from the bottom of his heart.
"What about Qinglian?"

"She has something to do on New Year's Day."

"Oh dear, look at my brain..."

While chatting with him, Zhang Shutong sat down at a rice bowl restaurant near the school gate and ordered a green pepper and shredded pork rice bowl as usual.

Old Song loves to nag. As soon as he heard that he was eating a rice bowl with green peppers and shredded pork, he said, "My disciple, why do I feel like you have something on your mind today? Even the green peppers don't taste good to you."
Zhang Shutong didn't deny it; he thought about it for a moment:

"I have a question for you. What if someone doesn't accept a gift you give them?"

"Let's make it a fait accompli," Old Song said, as always, uttering a surprising statement.

"Uh, how do I cook it?"

"Shove it to her and run?"

"They'll catch up..."

"Then should we secretly put it in her desk drawer?"

"It will be taken to the podium..."

"What exactly are you planning to give Qinglian?" Old Song asked, puzzled.

"How did you know it was Lu Qinglian?" Zhang Shutong asked in surprise.

“That’s normal. She saved you during the avalanche, it hasn’t been that long, right? Knowing your personality, you’d definitely want to thank her. Besides, I just thought about it, and she’s not the only one who fits the criteria.” Old Song chuckled. “Shutong, tell me, was my guess right or wrong?”

"Pretty much, actually my mom bought them, the boots." Zhang Shutong wondered to herself, was she being that obvious?
"You should have called me sooner! How come I couldn't even give her a gift after I left?" Old Song said, exasperated. "If you had called me earlier, she would have already been wearing them."

Zhang Shutong asked, "Are you really capable? So I'm giving you an idea?"

"Boots, huh?" A lighter clicked on the other end of the phone. "Just let her put them on, we can't exactly put them on and then return them, can we?"

Zhang Shutong thought there was some truth to it.

Old Song further analyzed:

"Three key points for giving holiday gifts: First, even though it's a task assigned to you by your mother, you absolutely cannot say that your mother bought it. Remember, don't let it slip. Second, don't have any ulterior motives, like deliberately getting their shoes wet and having them change. Qinglian can see through that immediately. Finally, you have to make sure the recipient accepts it willingly. You can't force them to accept it by saying things like, 'I've already bought it, if you don't want it, I'll just have to throw it away.'"

Zhang Shutong found this to be very reasonable:

"and then?"

"Then... let me think about it."

Zhang Shutong had almost finished eating the green peppers when Old Song slapped his thigh:
"Aren't you rehearsing a play? Why don't you just have her wear the boots as a costume prop?"

Zhang Shutong always felt that his mentor was wasting his talents as a teacher:
"But she doesn't participate."

"Can't you come up with an excuse to get her involved?" Old Song said disdainfully. "I know you're going to say she's busy on New Year's Day, but that's a different matter. Alright, do I need to teach you the specific excuse? Figure it out yourself. Bye, bye..."

Zhang Shutong looked at her ringing phone and really wanted to say, "Could you teach me one more sentence?"

He paid the bill and was a little worried. Putting aside the fact that Lu Qinglian's personality didn't like noisy group activities, she had no intention of attending the party, so why would she agree to join the play? That's why Ruoping, who always liked to hang out with Lu Qinglian, didn't invite her in the first place.

When they returned to school, almost everyone had arrived, except for Gu Qiu Mian, who had a problem. One of the girls had a sore throat and kept singing off-key. By the time Zhang Shutong finished eating, Class 2 was still not finished. The rehearsal wasn't too urgent, so Zhang Shutong didn't rush her. They just agreed to meet at the library later.

The four people, carrying large and small bags filled with costumes and props, headed towards the library.

On the way, Du Kang said that his dog seemed to have been frightened yesterday and didn't even eat dinner; Qing Yi said helplessly that of course, since you carried it around all day; Ruo Ping felt sorry for missing yesterday's good show and kept asking who Zhang Shutong was.

Zhang Shutong pretended not to hear, still wondering what excuse Lao Song had given him. When the four of them pushed open the library door, they were surprised to find someone already inside—

Lu Qinglian sat quietly at one corner of the table, reading a book.

"We're just getting ready to rehearse a play, Qinglian, what are you doing here?" Ruoping asked in surprise. "No wonder I didn't see you earlier."

Zhang Shutong could guess why she was here. It was because the classes were too noisy during rehearsals. It was like this when she was waiting for that man at school last time. She was forced to go from Class 1 to Class 3. Xiao Lu learned her lesson and simply left the teaching building. But she didn't expect that the others would follow her.

She glanced at him expressionlessly.

Zhang Shutong spread his hands, indicating that he did not bring the person here on purpose.

Lu Qinglian rubbed her nose, and just as she closed her book and prepared to get up, Zhang Shutong was about to make up an excuse to keep her there when Ruoping suddenly received a phone call. She spoke a few words and said pitifully:

"Qinglian, could you fill in for me later? My friend got a flat tire on his bike and can't make it at noon today..."

(End of this chapter)