During that period of time, I must have been perceived by my classmates as a very reclusive person.

  For so long, I had been used to a world where there was just the two of us. I was probably used to spending time alone with Dongyu since I was young. Without him around, I’d be on the alert once any strangers intruded.

  During those tender years, I was overly quiet in class. During class, I would lower my head to look at my textbooks. After class, I would raise my head to look out of the window. Amidst the din, I would silently stare out of the window in a daze. Dongyu’s classroom was on the second floor of the block opposite, it was right across from my class. Dongyu would also lean against the window sill and quietly look at me. Even if we couldn’t talk, it kept us happy.

  Thus, those few minutes of break between classes became the times of the day that I most looked forward to. A day of classes was the hardest part of my life, so when the bell rang for the end of the day, I would suddenly feel alive and bright all of a sudden. Classes often ran very late in the fourth grade, and I would be let out earlier, so I liked to tiptoe at the windowsill and look around as I waited for him. Over time, Dongyu’s classmates became familiar with me and even teased me.

  Sometimes, when I got bored of waiting, I would perform somersaults along the corridor outside the classroom and even do handstands. I would often fall and knock myself about, but I was never tired of it. However, I didn’t want to make Dongyu anxious. Every time I fell doing handstands, he would stand up. One time, when the commotion was too much, the teacher aggressively rushed out with a ruler and pointed at me as he lectured, “Which class is this restless child from? We’re still having lessons. Go home quickly!”
I was stunned from the scolding. I pinched the corner of my shirt and said, “Teacher, I’m waiting for my brother to come home with me……”
The teacher turned around to look inside the classroom and asked angrily: “What is your brother’s name?”
I immediately shut my mouth, not wanting to betray Dongyu. However, a thin figure seated by the window quietly stood up.

  “Teacher Xue, she’s my sister.”
Dongyu’s tone was calm.

  Teacher Xue’s teaching style was well known in town for being strict and dignified. At that time, he didn’t care about the harmony between teachers and students. Physical punishment was a common thing, so Dongyu naturally didn’t face a good outcome with this admission. Teacher Xue swung the ruler and gave him a few hard hits on the shoulder, then punished him by making him stand at the classroom door. His school bag was also mercilessly thrown out, but he wasn’t allowed to pick it up.

  I had never seen such a hateful teacher before. I was dumbfounded. I stared blankly at the books on the floor and cried sadly.

  Dongyu looked at me and laughed helplessly. He pretended that it was nothing.

  “I was bored during class.”
“Your form teacher is so fierce!” I secretly badmouthed his teacher.

  He smiled and said, “Even the seniors are asking for a change of form teacher. They get slapped on the palms of their hands when they make minor mistakes in class.”
I hunched my shoulders and shrank back in fear.

  After the lesson ended, the students filed out. Having not paid attention to the ground, they stepped on Dongyu’s textbook until its pages were tattered. Only a few girls carefully moved the textbook out of the way when the teacher wasn’t looking.

  Without Old Xue’s approval, no one dared to help.

  Old Xue didn’t ask us to leave. He sat calmly in the classroom, marking homework. Dongyu leaned against the wall with a calm expression, but there was a sprinkling of perspiration across his forehead.

  #