10. Self-Study

Luo Mingxiu was busy tidying up the house, and Chen Ran, after a brief word, hurried out of the home. Stepping out of the stairwell, there were not many people in the courtyard. Only police officers in uniform were coming and going; when they saw Chen Ran, they would greet him.

"Xiao Ran, heading to school so early?"

"Yes, I'm going to check out the old bookstore outside the school."

"What a studious child."

Once Chen Ran stepped out of the courtyard and onto the road, cars whizzed past from time to time. The sky remained a dull, overcast grey. The road, perhaps recently washed by rain, looked surprisingly bright, yet the deep-autumn trees lacked the vibrant green of life, showing instead a deep, weary yellow that evoked a sense of helplessness.

When he reached the old bookstore, it was empty. The owner sat outside the shop door. Seeing Chen Ran, he stood up and asked with a smile, "Young student, what are you looking for? Martial arts novels or something else?"

Chen Ran was small and thin, appearing much like a primary school student.

At this time, martial arts novels were selling like hotcakes. Many students, lacking the money for new editions, would bring their pocket money to the second-hand shop to buy copies others had already read. Being near Ningchuan No. 5 Middle School, the owner naturally did not expect anyone to come here specifically for textbooks.

"Do you have textbooks for the second and third years of middle school?" Chen Ran’s bright eyes were constantly flickering. The owner paused, sizing him up, truly surprised that someone would come here for textbooks. However, he only hesitated for a moment before smiling, "I do have some."

Some unmotivated students disliked studying and would sell their textbooks to the shop as soon as they received them, gathering a little money to go out or buy cigarettes.

Chen Ran walked into the shop, and the owner asked, "Young student, which ones do you need?"

"Math," Chen Ran replied without hesitation. He was about to participate in a math competition and hoped to finish all the middle school math curriculum within this week.

"This one?" The owner handed a brand-new math textbook to Chen Ran—it was for the second year. Taking the book, Chen Ran pondered for a moment and asked, "How much for one?"

"Five yuan."

"Two yuan," Chen Ran said decisively. "For two yuan, I'll buy five."

The owner stared at Chen Ran, calculating whether the deal was worth it. He had bought them from students for fifty cents each, so selling them for two yuan was no loss.

"Fine. Young student, do you want five of the same?" The owner was unsure. Chen Ran shook his head and said, "I want the second semester of the first year, both semesters of the second year, and both semesters of the third year."

"Hold on." The owner gathered the books and handed them to Chen Ran. "There you go, kid. Here are your books."

"Thank you." Chen Ran pulled out a crumpled ten-yuan bill and handed it over. Having received the money, the owner sent Chen Ran off with a beaming smile. In truth, Chen Ran could have found these books in the school library, but time was pressing, and he feared he wouldn't finish them within the week, so he had to buy them. He could have borrowed them from a teacher, but Chen Ran felt he wasn't very good at socializing and wasn't in the habit of asking teachers for favors; buying them was better. Though, if he were to buy all the textbooks, it would cost a fortune, so he couldn't do that for everything. Anything he could study in the school library, he was determined not to buy.

Clutching the books, Chen Ran had nowhere else to go, so he headed straight to school and returned to his classroom. Since some students lived outside of Ningchuan city and others came from nearby villages to study at No. 5 Middle School, the classrooms were often left unlocked during lunch.

***

Chen Ran returned to his seat, and several classmates who were studying in the room looked at him. The class had students of various ages; though it was only the first year, the oldest students were nearly adults. Chen Ran was among the youngest at thirteen; the oldest in the class was four years his senior.

Seeing Chen Ran walk in from the classroom door, they wondered—they knew he lived in Ningchuan, so why was he here at school so early? Usually, unless it was the elite class, students in ordinary classes didn't arrive this early. Chen Ran hadn't done so before, either. It was not yet one o'clock. The boarding students were quite shocked, eyeing him curiously.

Chen Ran didn't say much, simply sitting at his desk and continuing to read his math textbook. He calculated that he could finish the first-year first-semester math by the afternoon, and the rest of the week would be used for the subsequent math books. However... he still had many other subjects to cover: history, geography, politics, biology, chemistry, and physics—all part of the middle school curriculum. Not to mention Chinese and English. To finish everything in half a month felt genuinely difficult. He rubbed his temples—he would see. He had to finish math first. Thinking this, Chen Ran focused intently on the math book.

Time passed quickly. After finishing the first-year first-semester book, Chen Ran began reading the second-semester book with great interest. Many students had arrived and were chatting in small groups. Since class started at 2:30 PM and ended at 5:30 PM, students would arrive one after another starting at 2:00 PM, aiming to be in their seats by 2:25 PM for the five-minute preparation time.

After 2:25 PM, anyone arriving had to record their grade, class, and name, which would be reported to the teachers. The classroom was rowdy, but Chen Ran was able to keep studying. He discovered something miraculous: the noisy environment, which usually wouldn't be conducive to studying—especially since such noise usually scatters one’s focus—didn't affect him at all.

It was as if there was some sort of shield in his mind, blocking out all the clamor. He became even more engrossed in his studies, completely indifferent to the noise, as if it didn't exist at all. He didn't know if this was a function of some "study system."

By the time the bell rang, Chen Ran was in a state of intense desire and excitement for learning. Yes, excitement. The mere thought that he was learning made every cell in his body feel energized and deeply pleased.

While the teacher wasn't looking, Chen Ran quietly continued reading the second-semester math book, and to his surprise, his reading speed was increasing. In just one afternoon, he had almost self-taught the entire second-semester math curriculum. It was even faster than the first semester. Even Chen Ran himself was shocked; at this rate, he might actually be able to review the entire middle school curriculum in half a month.

He had learned this knowledge before, though it had long been cast to the back of his mind. Now, re-learning it—perhaps because he had once studied it—his speed grew faster and faster.

*This... I seem to remember some of it. Hmm, it should be done this way... Yes, that's it. Simple enough. And this next part... I remember this too, though it’s a bit blurry. Let me look closer... Yes... not particularly difficult either.*

Just like that, in one afternoon, he finished the entire second-semester math book.

Students began to pack their things and leave. Wang Weidong stood up and slowly packed his belongings. Chen Ran was also packing; he had intended to go home, but then he remembered that Teacher Gao had asked him to stay for tutoring. He had finished the last semester’s Chinese literature the night before, so he didn't really need the help. He would tell Teacher Gao later. After packing, he noticed Wang Weidong was still fumbling with his things.

Wang Weidong was tall, with a stern brow and handsome features. He was a good-looking guy, though he disliked studying and talking. Even though they lived in the same residential compound, they rarely crossed paths. Chen Ran's father and Wang's father were not close, as they were in different branches of the police force, so there wasn't much interaction.

"Wang Weidong." As Chen Ran looked at him, Wang turned his head slowly. "Something up?"

"Uh... can you hurry up?" Chen Ran sounded impatient. Wang Weidong threw his bag onto his desk and stood up. He was at least 1.75 meters tall. Even though he was only in his first year and not much older than Chen Ran, Chen Ran was only about 1.5 meters tall and hadn't hit his growth spurt yet. Wang, however, was tall and sturdy with well-defined muscles—the type who exercised often.

It was rumored that Wang’s father was a criminal investigator, but Chen Ran had only heard this; he had never actually seen the man.

"Let's go." Wang Weidong spoke with an indifferent expression. Chen Ran nodded at him. "Thanks."

"Yeah." After Chen Ran left, Wang Weidong continued sitting in his chair, slowly packing.

Chen Ran hurried to the office door and knocked.

***

"Come in."

Pushing the door open, Chen Ran saw Teacher Gao looking up from his desk.

"Reporting." Chen Ran stood outside the door and called out. The teacher smiled and said, "Chen Ran, come in."

"Teacher Gao." Chen Ran walked carefully to the teacher's side. Teacher Gao said with a smile, "Sit."

"About that..." Chen Ran didn't want to anger the teacher, but he wasn't a naturally eloquent person. Even with the experience of his previous life, Chen Ran had never had many friends; at work, he simply did his own job and never bothered to deliberately cultivate relationships with colleagues. Thus, even though Chen Ran was older, he still wasn't good with words. "Teacher Gao."

Seeing Chen Ran stammer, it was clear he had something to say. Teacher Gao continued preparing lesson plans as he asked, "Chen Ran, what is it you want to say?"

"Teacher Gao, may I go home to study on my own?"

"Study on your own at home?" Teacher Gao sized him up. "Student Chen Ran, are you certain you can keep up with the teacher's pace?"

"I can," Chen Ran said firmly.

"That's fine, then." Teacher Gao nodded slightly. "But Chen Ran, the monthly exams are coming up soon. If you don't do well, I will be holding you accountable."

"Don't worry, Teacher, I will definitely do well."

"So confident?" Teacher Gao looked him over and smiled. "Very well, you may go."

"Thank you, Teacher Gao." Chen Ran bowed and left the office. Walking to the classroom door, he noticed Wang Weidong slowly strolling out, alongside several students who had stayed behind to clean up.

Chen Ran walked ahead, while Wang Weidong followed behind like a hoodlum, his bag slung over one shoulder.

Chen Ran didn't pay him any mind. Although they weren't close, they at least knew each other from the compound. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Chen Ran exited the school gate. As he started walking down the path toward home, Sun Ze suddenly jumped out from somewhere, his eyes staring viciously at Chen Ran.

A cruel, mocking smile spread across his fleshy face. "Yo, Chen Ran, weren't you being pretty cocky before?"