Chapter 008: Weakness?

"Yang Tian, stop right there!" The autumn air was crisp and fresh as school let out. Yang Tian was walking home with Huang Juan and Yang Xueling when Chen Xiaogui, accompanied by three boys, blocked their path. These boys were also from Hong Village, the same as Chen Xiaogui, and to any adult’s eye, they were his little henchmen.

"Chen Xiaogui, what do you want?" Huang Juan stepped in front of Yang Tian and spoke loudly. She knew Yang Tian was introverted and a bit timid, and she feared he’d be bullied by Chen Xiaogui.

"Huang Juan, this has nothing to do with you. This is a conversation between men!" Chen Xiaogui mimicked the tone of his father, the village chief, and shouted loudly.

"Chen Xiaogui, don’t you dare bully my brother, or I’ll tell the teacher!" Yang Xueling also stepped in front of Yang Tian, her little fists clenched, and her furious expression was utterly adorable.

Yang Tian stood quietly behind them, outwardly calm and unmoved.

"Yang Tian, what kind of hero hides behind girls? Tell me, was it you who told the teacher to have me and Huang Juan separated?" Chen Xiaogui stood with hands on hips and asked. The chubby boy was not only fat but also tall—probably thanks to the better meals at the village chief’s house.

"It wasn’t his idea; I asked the teacher to separate us. Who told you to be so annoying?" Huang Juan hurried to defend Yang Tian, her face flushing bright red with anxiety.

"I don’t care, it’s still his fault! Coward! If you’ve got guts, come face me. Hiding behind girls? Coward, coward..." Chen Xiaogui jeered and stuck his tongue out at Yang Tian, his three companions echoing his mockery. They jumped around the group a few times before running off, hooting with laughter.

"Xiao Tian, you don’t need to stoop to his level. With me here, they won’t dare bully you!" Huang Juan smiled, trying to comfort Yang Tian when he said nothing.

"That’s right, brother. If he tries to bully you, I’ll go straight to the teacher!" Yang Xueling took Yang Tian’s hand, and Huang Juan took the other, leading him home at a leisurely pace.

Yang Tian remained silent, but inwardly he was tranquil. He hadn’t come back to life just to get caught up in childish spats, so he paid Chen Xiaogui no mind.

Compared to kindergarten, third grade was far more demanding. Besides language and math, there were art, music, and physical education—subjects not much valued in the countryside, but the children adored these freer lessons.

Having skipped from kindergarten to third grade, Yang Tian no longer sought to stand out. He kept his test scores around seventy or eighty, his other subjects always above average but never at the top. In secret, he began reviewing middle school material; his foundation was solid enough for that. Most of his energy was focused on physical training and practicing martial arts, and at school, he remained quietly in the background.

"Xiao Tian, let’s play ping-pong!" During PE, seeing Yang Tian standing quietly aside, Huang Juan ran over and dragged him to the ping-pong table.

Huang Juan had become the class monitor. Leading Yang Tian to the table, she found plenty of children willing to give up their spot. Soon, a crowd of laughing, playing kids gathered around them.

The table was built of red bricks and stone slabs, a few bricks laid sideways to mark the net. The paddles were homemade by village carpenters, simple wooden boards brought from home. Huang Juan had a better one—a birthday present from her aunt in the city, who’d spent three yuan on it.

She handed the good paddle to Yang Tian, taking another wooden one from a classmate for herself.

They started to play. The crisp sound of the ball was pleasing to the ear. Huang Juan’s skills were not great—she wasn’t even nine yet and hardly had practice—but Yang Tian quietly returned every ball, always giving her an easy shot. Back and forth, they could play seven or eight volleys at a time.

Huang Juan was delighted, nearly dancing with joy. The children watching cheered and applauded for them both.

"Get off, it’s my turn!" Suddenly, Chen Xiaogui pushed through the crowd, grabbing the paddle from Huang Juan to challenge Yang Tian.

"Chen Xiaogui, what are you doing?" Huang Juan tried to snatch the paddle back, but she was no match for his strength. Red-faced and close to tears, she stood aside—though she was tough enough not to actually cry.

"Come on, coward, play with me!" Chen Xiaogui’s laughter was especially grating, and the other children started to protest, but he stubbornly refused to give up his spot.

"Chen Xiaogui, if you keep this up, I’ll tell the teacher!" Huang Juan threatened through pursed lips.

"Go ahead, tell the teacher! What’s the worst that could happen? I’m just playing. Are they going to make me copy lines or stand in the corner for playing ping-pong?" Chen Xiaogui was smug, and his three Hong Village lackeys grinned wickedly behind him.

Huang Juan was so angry she stood frozen, while Chen Xiaogui started the game. Yang Tian intended to quietly play along to diffuse the tension, but Chen Xiaogui deliberately sent the ball wild, obviously not interested in a real match.

With his skill, Yang Tian could have returned any shot, even a spinning ball, but seeing Huang Juan on the verge of tears, his patience snapped. He put down his paddle and headed for the classroom.

"Coward, don’t you walk away! I’m playing with you out of kindness—do you think I’m invisible?" Chen Xiaogui was out to make trouble and wouldn’t let Yang Tian go so easily. He and his three little henchmen blocked Yang Tian’s path again.

"Chen Xiaogui, you’re going too far!" Huang Juan hurriedly stood between them, arms spread protectively in front of Yang Tian.

"Oh, what’s it to you if I’m talking to him? Aren’t you ashamed? You two are just engaged, not married, and you already rush to protect him? Shameless!" Chen Xiaogui made a mocking gesture, rubbing his chubby hand across his face. His three followers started jeering too, and Huang Juan burst into tears.

"Chen Xiaogui, come with me! Didn’t you say this was a conversation between men? Follow me, then!" Yang Tian patted Huang Juan’s shoulder and turned to Chen Xiaogui with a cold smile.

"Fine, let’s go. Do you think I’m scared of you, coward?" Chen Xiaogui was taken aback—he hadn’t expected Yang Tian, usually so meek, to challenge him. Still, he swaggered after Yang Tian toward the restrooms.

"Chen Xiaogui, don’t do anything stupid! I’m telling the teacher!" Huang Juan, more anxious than ever, ran straight for the third-grade teacher’s office.

Since the boys went into the restroom, she couldn’t follow. The other children crowded around outside, eager to see what would happen.