"Where is that garbage station, can I…" Zhi Ying's eyes lit up.
"Impossible." Qin Li interrupted her, "I have been paying attention there for more than half a year, and there are no new journals."
Zhi Ying showed a disappointed look in her eyes and replied coldly: "One copy, forty-five, no counter-offers."
Qin Li was so angry, but he couldn't accuse her. After all, he started it himself.
The business proposal failed, and the two parted ways.
Jiang Wei glanced around, trying to see what journal the two were talking about. However, he only saw a journal wrapped in a language arts cover, and the newly issued language arts book 'Face' had disappeared.
"…"
The people in the class were the best students in the school, and they studied with a fervor as if it was their life. Many students did not go back at noon to rest but came back to the classroom to read after having a meal outside the school.
Li Ge, Han Jiaojiao, and the other two didn't go back either. They had something better than other students. They had faculty cards in their hands and could go to the faculty cafeteria to eat instead.
"Are they all robots?" Zhao Qian was exhausted while chewing on the hamburger he bought from the faculty cafeteria. "How can they sit there and study all day long?"
Han Jiaojiao sometimes spent her time reading extracurricular books, so she was not as tired. Hearing Zhao Qian's words, she turned around and commented, "You can choose to do something else. Why do you have to oppress yourself so much?"
Zhi Ying was next to her with her head lowered, scrutinizing the two worn and old journals that Qin Li had picked up. She had exchanged one of her own books for Qin Li's, and if he wanted to read more, he would have to pay rent.
As she continued reading, her brows furrowed and wrinkled. How annoying were the children at the home of whoever bought this journal? THey not only tore up the journal, but also drew turtles on it!?
Several lines of important conclusions were drawn over, and Zhi Ying was sullen when she saw it.
"What are you looking at?" Zhao Qian finished chewing the hamburger, and curiously flipped to the cover of the book in Zhi Ying's hand.
"Huh?" Han Jiaojiao also saw the cover in Zhi Ying's hand, "Why does this look so familiar?"
Zhi Ying raised her eyes slowly, and she was still full of anger at the person who destroyed the journal.
Han Jiaojiao leaned over a bit, took the journal from Zhi Ying's hand, flipped through it, and saw a familiar turtle.
"No wonder it's so familiar. Isn't this the broken book that I sold? Ying Ying, how did it get into your hands?" Han Jiaojiao asked strangely.
"…Your book?" Zhi Ying was stunned.
"Yes, I sold all the informational books that were messed up at home after the middle school final exam. This is what I used to put under cups. Sometimes I tore pages out to clean the table." Han Jiaojiao flipped through it again, but she still couldn't understand what was on it.
"Why did you tear up the book? Did you not have any other paper?" Zhi Ying's heart was dripping blood.
Han Jiaojiao said, "Ah, this one was useless, so I tore it up. It was also convenient to draw turtles on it to relieve stress.
Zhi Ying suddenly approached Han Jiaojiao: "Do you still have any?"
"I, I don't know." Han Jiaojiao was taken aback. "These were useless books in my father's study."
Right, Lao Han was a special teacher of mathematics, so it was reasonable to have such a journal.
Zhi Ying gradually fell into contemplation, her eyes drifting towards Qin Li.
"However, Ying Ying, where did you get it from? I sold it to the uncle at the garbage station a long time ago... Ah, I remember!" Han Jiaojiao flipped through the book in her hand and said.
Li Ge finally figured out a physics problem and asked his fussy deskmate, "What do you remember?"
"Qin Li!" Han Jiaojiao approached the three of them and whispered, "Didn't I say his name was familiar? During the winter break, Uncle Yang suddenly came to ask me if I had used books for sale and mentioned that Qin Li wanted to buy them. However, I had forgotten.
"He bought this." Zhi Ying pointed to the tattered journals and made up her mind about an idea.
After school in the afternoon, Zhi Ying failed to block Qin Li because she was blocked by Jiang Wei.
"I have a question that I don't understand very well. Can you explain it to me?" Jiang Wei took the initiative to stop Zhi Ying and asked with a book in his hand.
Zhi Yingyi glanced at it and replied, "This question is very simple. If you didn't understand the question clearly, please read it again."
Qin Li had already gone out!
"I've read it several times, but I still can't understand it." Jiang Wei purposely moved a few steps back 'unintentionally', just blocking Zhi Ying's sight.
Zhi Ying's vision was blocked, so she could only give up. She sighed quietly, came back, and sat in Qin Li's seat to explain to Jiang Wei how to answer the question.
"Are you under too much pressure?" Zhi Ying frowned after explaining, "Why can't you answer such a simple question?"
In Zhi Ying's opinion, Jiang Wei was better than other classmates. How could he not even understand this?
"Maybe." Jiang Wei closed the book and stopped reading it. "Thank you for teaching me, I'll treat you to a meal."
"…It's just one question." Zhi Ying was taken aback for a while. "If I teach a question and someone will invite me to a meal, then I won't have to pay for any meals for the whole semester."
Jiang Wei replied calmly, "Someone else is someone else, or you can treat me to a meal. I've bought you so many books before."
The situation turned around too quickly, and Zhi Ying was once again caught off guard.
"I don't have money." Money couldn't be spent on food. She still had other uses for it.
"Then I'll pay for you first." Jiang Wei packed his things, stood up and motioned for Zhi Ying to go together.
After walking to the clean and bright restaurant, Zhi Ying looked at Jiang Wei's tall and straight back, and suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Everything went smoothly from the time Jiang Wei invited Zhi Ying to come to this restaurant for a meal. It seemed as if he had practiced it a hundred times.
"Chicken with ginger and wine in a casserole is the specialty here." Jiang Wei pointed to the menu.
"...You order, I can eat whatever." Zhi Ying still hadn't reacted, and she looked a little dumbfounded.
At least in Zhi Ying's opinion, Jiang Wei today talked a lot.
Suddenly talking too much, it was very likely that there was a psychological problem. Zhi Ying stared at the water that Jiang Wei helped her pour, and then looked up at Jiang Wei again, thinking that she should take care of her classmate.
At least she had to check up on Jiang Wei more now.
"Actually, your grades are already so good. As long as you study like before, the people in the class are not your opponents." Zhi Ying put down what she was thinking about and began to clumsily comfort Jiang Wei.
"What about you?" Jiang Wei's eyes flashed with a smile.
Zhi Ying realized later: "Me? Your essay composition is better than mine."
Zhi Ying never thought about the fact that she would not be in first place, and she had no special feelings when Jiang Wei wanted to compare with her.
"Would you be sad if I got first place?" Jiang Wei asked suddenly.
Zhi Ying gazed at the hot dishes served by the waiter for a long time: "What's the matter with me if you get first place?" It wasn't like he hadn't gotten first place before.
Since she was a child, the first place was her fixed mindset. Second place had always been a blind spot for Zhi Ying, and she never even thought about it.
Jiang Wei pursed his lips and stopped talking about this topic. Some things, once it has happened, she would know.
This meal was very strange, and the atmosphere made Zhi Ying sluggish and silent throughout the whole process.
On the way back to the dormitory, Zhi Ying sometimes regretted wasting so much time on the meal and also worried about Jiang Wei's mental health.
She didn't realize that she was paying too much attention to Jiang Wei.
However, that amount of attention could only last for one night. When Zhi Ying woke up the next morning, Qin Li was the only thing in Zhi Ying's heart.
She wanted to discuss something with him.
At noon today, Zhi Ying finally blocked Qin Li at the restroom door.
"I have something to talk to you about." Zhi Ying also looked around, and found no one around.
This vigilant appearance made Qin Li nervous, and he looked around too, but found nothing.
The two went to the outdoor terrace. The wind was a bit strong, and Zhi Ying regretted it as soon as she came up.
"W-what's the matter?" Qin Li shivered, wondering how anyone could come here to confess to someone, the wind could blow people downstairs.
"I know who sold you those three journals." Zhi Ying said solemnly.
"Ah?" Qin Li was confused. "The uncle of the garbage station."
He didn't know what Zhi Ying meant at all, but he told her that he bought it at the garbage station.
"No, the original owner of the journal." Zhi Ying shook her head, unable to bear Qin Li's slowness.
"You mean..." Qin Li opened his eyes wide and asked cautiously, "Really?"
"Yes, it's Lao Han's." Zhi Ying said firmly.
"Teacher?" Qin Li was confused. "How do you know?"
Zhi Ying's face was hurt by the wind on the outdoor terrace, and she quickly said, "Anyway, I just want to ask you if you want to go to the teacher to order together, and we will each pay half the price."
Qin Li asked hesitantly, "Are you sure you can get it?"
"I haven't asked yet, so first say if you want to order together." Zhi Ying wrapped her clothes tighter around her and shivered.
"If the teacher can order it for us, I'll pay half of it." Qin Li nodded after a while.
"Then it's settled." After Zhi Ying finished speaking, she immediately ran out of the outdoor terrace, leaving Qin Li to bear the fierce wind outside.
"..." So why did she run up here to speak in the cold wind?
She said she would ask, and she did. After Lao Han's class, Zhi Ying dawdled, going into the teaching and research room.
"Zhi Ying, come in. What are you doing standing outside?" Lao Han had gotten up to get water, and when he saw his student, he waved quickly, "What's the matter? Is there anything this teacher can do for you?"
This was the first time Zhi Ying took the initiative to come to him, and Lao Han subconsciously thought that something had happened.
"Teacher, are you subscribed to this journal, Annals of Mathematics?" Zhi Ying took out a journal with a cover from behind, and she tore off half of it to reveal the words inside.
After pondering for a long time, Lao Han suddenly realized: "This book... how could it be in your hands? I remember that Jiaojiao, that child, sold it long ago."
"Mhm, it's a coincidence." After Zhi Ying explained briefly, she continued to ask, "This is what you ordered, teacher, right?"
Lao Han shook his head: "No, these journals were left at my house when a student of mine came to visit. Later, he went abroad and had to leave them."
Zhi Ying showed a regretful expression, and her heart became heavy.
"What's the matter?" Lao Han still didn't know the extent of Zhi Ying's obsession with mathematics. After all, except for language arts, Zhi Ying's grades in all subjects were outrageously exceptional.
"I want to order this journal, but I don't know where to order it." Zhi Ying said disappointedly.
"Is that so…" Lao Han thought about it for a moment, and was about to say that he could ask his student to order it.
The language arts teacher suddenly entered the room too, looking for Lao Han to discuss a matter.
"Hello, teacher." As soon as Zhi Ying saw the language arts teacher, her body immediately tensed up, fearing that the teacher would drag her away to practice essay composition again.
"Mhm." The language arts teacher also nodded. But before he could talk to Lao Han, he was attracted by the cover of the language arts textbook in Zhi Ying's hand.
"You tore up the new book and wrapped it..." The language arts teacher saw the calculation formulas and numbers in the journal, "Math?"
The language arts teacher suddenly felt infuriated.