Uneasy daily life

[I once expressed this hope in my writing.]

I want to be the hope for children, and I want children to be the hope for the future.

Now, I don't know if I've paved a path for the children. Compared to my vague thoughts back then, my hope is clearer now. Perhaps in the world of the living, my hope has already come true. The children of the past, following the path of the adults, have paved the way for their hopes step by step. The new children live in a world I can't even imagine, a world full of hope.

I can freely imagine things; after all, they're all dead, so no one will jump out to argue with me anymore.

People today no longer need to toil and struggle for a living, never having a moment's rest, nor needing to work day and night to make ends meet, or even worry about it. They only need to be busy for a short period to sustain themselves, leaving plenty of time for their children, families, and ideals. Once people have leisure time, with no beasts chasing them and no heavy burdens in their hearts, they naturally won't become numb, nor will they need to bow down to life or be addressed with titles like "master." People who share similar interests can be friends, and those with different tastes can coexist. A broad life doesn't breed narrow-minded resentment; even the biggest conflicts can be resolved like children arguing and fighting—after a moment of anger, they can happily continue playing.

In my hazy vision, a vibrant, flat road unfolded before me, where adults and children walked happily, heading towards a brand new world I could never have imagined.

I thought: This is wonderful.

I pretended to be Lu Xun, and after finishing the last stroke, I felt my article was exceptionally correct and its theme positive, so I was sure I would get a high score. But when I turned around, I realized the exam time was almost up, and I hurriedly filled in the correct answers on the exam paper as if I were being chased by a wild boar.

[My score needs to be higher, definitely higher, to surpass others and make my hard work of studying day and night worthwhile.]

[You need to do well on the exam to get into a good, high-paying job.]

Ok? !

The Chinese language teacher, who was gradually immersing herself in reading, reflected on Lu Xun's life and then on her own situation of having elderly parents to support and no plans to have children. A sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, including sadness and reflection) welled up in her heart. Although times have changed, people's troubles are largely the same; it's all about making a living...

As a Mandarin teacher, he knew roughly about Zhou Feng'er's story: his father had an affair, his parents divorced, he severed all ties with his father for life, and later became a teacher. It is said that he was not talkative; when there were many people around, he would always find a quiet corner to sit down and remain silent. If someone noticed him, he would give a restrained or even forced smile.

This is far removed from Mr. Lu Xun's blessings and expectations.

The Chinese language teacher was feeling conflicted when he suddenly saw the last few sentences. He stared at the last few paragraphs, his eyebrows twitching, and he took a deep breath.

They mercilessly deducted a large number of points.

……

……

"Ah—! Why did I lose so many points?! I answered the questions according to the standard format, and they still deducted so many points! Was my answer not correct enough?!"

In the activity room, Bai Ying held the test paper, unable to accept it.

Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at it and could only say, "Good riddance."

Yui Yuigahama couldn't quite grasp this complex game of strategy, and could only offer a sympathetic look... Sigh? Why would I sympathize with a novice? What's his ranking in the grade? What's mine?!

So they stopped sympathizing.

"It's normal to lose points, right?" Yukino Yukinoshita pointed and said, "First of all, it's about writing essays while impersonating famous people..."

Bai Ying said in a booming voice, "Lu Xun once said, everything is what he said! I did this to reflect the characteristic of students making up famous quotes, and to integrate into the group!"

Yukino Yukinoshita said calmly, "If that doesn't count as a problem, what about the last few paragraphs? From an essay writing perspective, they're completely disjointed, aren't they? I asked you to write an essay, not to record how you wrote it."

Bai Ying: "Through the portrayal of the conflict between myself and my impersonation of Lu Xun, the article vividly highlights the discrepancy between reality and fantasy. It expresses the fact that life's problems remain life's problems, and that the social reality has not changed with the passing of famous figures. It not only depicts the predicament of reality, but also, through Lu Xun's words, embodies the idea of ​​striving to resist and holding onto hope..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Yui Yuigahama felt her exam PTSD kicking in and quickly said, "No matter what I think, the score is still the same... Uh, should Shiro go and protest to the teacher?"

"Need not."

Bai Ying's expression suddenly changed. She sat down thoughtfully, looked at the score on the test paper, and sighed, "My honest essay got a low score, which is perhaps a kind of truth... Oh right! I can add a few lines at the end to supplement this DLC where the essay score is not high!"

When Bai Ying got excited, she picked up a pen and started writing on the back of the test paper.

"Low score?"

Angelina peeked out and was instantly stung by the sight, exclaiming, "This is clearly a good score!"

Bai Ying casually remarked, "Oh, looks like I'm taller than you."

puff!

Angelina covered her chest in sorrow.

"What a pity, Shiro-kun has dug his own grave; he's second in the grade again," Yukino Yukinoshita said casually. "Do you remember what Shiro-kun suggested before?"

“Of course I remember, whoever gets first place in the grade wins—but you didn’t agree to that.” The white figure said meaningfully, “Hmm? Could it be that the hero wants to go back on his word after everything is settled, and slap himself in the face?”

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled and said, "Although Shiraki-kun lacks self-awareness, he's quite lucky."

"Don't even think about fooling me! That's exactly what you were thinking, wasn't it?! Heh heh heh! Are you so afraid of losing to me, hero?!"

"Bai Jun should be thinking about how to address the minister from now on. The third semester will be over after today..."

The two of them kept arguing back and forth.

They're flirting again; it's best not to get involved.

Angelina picked up her schoolbag, mentally complaining, and glanced at the time... There was still a while before school ended.

She took out her phone to read a light novel, but suddenly noticed that Hachiman Hikigaya was also reading a light novel, which made her eager to try it herself.

"Hachigaya-kun reads light novels too."

"I watch it occasionally."

Hachiman Hikigaya responded, "If you're bored, you don't need to look for me. Why don't you go find Yuihama instead?"

Have you heard of "I Don't Want to Go to Another World"?!

Angelina asked excitedly.

Hikigaya Hachiman: “?”

Hmm? This book title sounds familiar...

"You should check out 'I Don't Want to Go to Another World,' it's really fun and interesting... oh! I almost spoiled it, but anyway it's great, the writing is excellent, and the plot is interesting..."

Bai Ying realized that things were not simple, and Lang Gu looked back.

Isn't that the name of Bai Jun's light novel?

Yukino Yukinoshita was stunned for a moment, and was about to speak when she suddenly noticed the white shadow's hand under the table making a grotesque kneading motion towards her.

"?"

Yukino's eyes twitched slightly, but she remained silent for the time being.

Never mind, Bai Jun probably found something fun and excitedly went over to it.

Does Anxinyuan not know that Baijun is writing a light novel?

Chapter Ten: See You at the Start of School

"Ahem, actually, the minister also writes light novels."

Hachiman Hikigaya coughed slightly and suddenly interrupted.

Angelina, who was about to recommend the book to her fellow readers, paused for a moment: "White Shadow? A light novel?"

"That's right, I'm taking on the light novel genre and preparing to become a master of it!"

Bai Ying made a peace sign.

Angelina nodded and said perfunctorily, "Okay, good luck, Bai Ying."

"What do you mean by 'keep it up'?!" Bai Ying slammed her hand on the table, displeased. "Shouldn't you have said it's definitely a great light novel?!"

A light novel written by Bai Ying...

Angelina paused for a moment, and a series of images flashed through her mind.

Life and death are commonplace, even the end of time can be forgotten. A sugar-coated blade hides a sharp edge, piercing the heart to reveal desolation. Sweet romances always have hidden secrets, ultimately hopeless; passionate love is often fiery in its early stages, ending in madness and recklessness; a pot of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness becomes poison, piercing the heart and breaking the soul…

The message is clear: I don't care, I'm going to hurt everyone, and blood will flow like a river!

Angelina gave a perfunctory smile: "Yeah, Bai Ying's light novels must be amazing."

Bai Ying said with dissatisfaction, "It's too long to read aloud. Your praise seems a bit insincere."

Angelina: "Oh."

"Sigh..." Bai Ying sat down wearily, letting out a weary sigh, "The child has grown up, gone through a rebellious phase, and I'm too lazy to talk about my feelings anymore..."

"Don't talk like a father!" Angelina shouted. "I don't like reading tragic light novels!"

Bai Ying immediately retorted in a stern voice, "You don't understand art at all! The reason a tragedy is a tragedy is because it can touch people's hearts. If a story can't even touch people's hearts, what's the difference between it and the air filling a bag of potato chips?!"

"At least it doesn't smell bad! Light novels are supposed to be light and fun stories. Tragic light novels have no future. As a reader, my advice is to switch careers!"

Angelina has hardened up! She's hardened up! She's determined not to back down in her areas of interest!

Bai Ying frowned: "You mean that 'I Don't Want to Go to Another World' is an excellent light novel?"

“Of course!” Angelina declared confidently. “It’s much more interesting than what Bai Ying wrote!”

"Huh?" Bai Ying asked curiously, "How is it good?"

"The writing is excellent, the plot is superb, and the style is light and enjoyable. You'll feel like you want more after you finish reading it..."

"anything else?"

"Anything else? Uh, the story is very interesting, the characters are very vivid, and it's also very... in short, it's amazing!"

"anything else?"

"?"

Angelina puffed out her cheeks and grinned, "There are so many better ones than your light novels! Humph!"

Hachiman Hikigaya listened to their conversation speechlessly... If he remembered correctly, the club president's light novel was the one Anshinin recommended, right? It was too late; Anshinin had already aggressively created a huge black history.

"Is that all the words you have to praise the ideas you advocate and the things you like?" Bai Ying shook her head regretfully. "Besides some superficial praise, don't you have any real analysis? It sounds like third-rate advertising content, empty and not interesting at all—Amway level, bottom grade."

Angelina rolled her eyes: "You're not going to watch it anyway."

"How do you know I won't watch it?" Bai Ying clenched her fist and said, "Successful works each have their own characteristics. It could be a good beginning, a good process, good description, good sales, or good at stirring emotions. As the saying goes, understand your peers, surpass your peers, and discredit your peers. That's the way to win!"

Angelina replied with a perfunctory expression, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh..."

"If you don't believe me, let's take a subordinate general as an example." Bai Ying turned her head and asked, "Do you think that reading all those words of praise she just gave you will make you read the light novel she recommended?"

Hikigaya Hachiman temporarily set aside his compassion and pondered, "From a generally rational perspective, it's like watching Anshinin pour out her emotions in a state of bewilderment, like she thinks I like her and then excitedly confesses..."

"Goo!"

Angelina was hit hard in every sense of the word; she was cold and composed! This refers to her taking the initiative to confess, not actively rejecting the confession!

Let me show you what Amway is all about!

The white figure stood up abruptly, his eyes shining brightly. He looked at Hachiman Hikigaya and pointed at him, saying, "Show me 'I Don't Want to Go to Another World'!"

"I've already been convinced!" Hachiman Hikigaya exclaimed immediately. "I'll go read the light novel recommended by the club president right away and write a review after school starts!"

Now he has mastered the art of surrendering even faster than France—the enemy has barely declared war before he receives their surrender document!

Angelina was dumbfounded: "What kind of promotion is this? You guys are obviously acting, you've all planned this!"

“In that case, let’s try someone else.” Hachiman Hikigaya shifted the focus of the conversation. “I remember Yui Hama doesn’t read light novels much. It would be quite an achievement if you could successfully recommend them to her.”

"well--?!"

Yui Yuigahama was taken aback, noticing that the white figure was looking over. She quickly said, "If it's a light novel written by Shiro, I'll definitely check it out..."

Yukino Yukinoshita hesitated to speak. Is it possible that this is Haku-kun's light novel?

"No way! Is this what you call liking light novels and reading them seriously? Reading should be an experience and a process of gaining something, but you've turned it into an effort to maintain relationships!" Bai Ying said, heartbroken. "I sincerely hoped you could appreciate my joy, but the Deadly Chef treated me with such a perfunctory attitude..."

Yui Yuigahama: "Then I won't watch?"

"Listen to my recommendation, and then go watch it."

Bai Ying stroked his chin and described in a serious tone: "The beginning of this light novel is very interesting and unconventional, and it states the title right from the start. At the same time, its biggest feature is that it's erotic!"

Yui Yuigahama: "Huh?!"

“You heard me right! Lewd!” Bai Ying described vividly, “Some lewd scenes, depicted in a way that makes one’s imagination run wild: the dim corner at the alley entrance, the bra strap slipping down when waking up in the morning, the stockings being torn by tree branches and revealing the flesh of the legs…”

Angelina was stunned for a moment. Weren't these scenes from the novel?

"No need to say anything more!"

Yui Yuigahama waved her hands wildly in front of her, her face tense, and shouted.

“This is definitely a highlight.” The white figure glanced back at Hachiman Hikigaya. “Look, even his subordinates are giving him a ‘me too’ look!”

Yui Yuigahama's eye twitched, but she said nothing. Her gaze held a faint disdain and sorrow, as if a thick barrier had already separated them...

"Ahem, I guess that's the tragedy of being a guy. But when all light novels are skirting the line, those that stand out must have something unique about them," Hachiman Hikigaya quickly defended himself. "In terms of character development, this light novel is different, and it also planted a lot of foreshadowing, such as why the protagonist doesn't want to go to another world..."