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墨書 Inktalez
The wise may have their lapses, so how could Hu Ruoyun, who is no sage, be any different?
He never expected to find himself at the center of a scandal.
It was past seven on October 2nd when he returned to the dormitory. The other four occupants were already there, watching as Hu Ruoyun entered and turned their gazes toward the leader, Zhao Jinpu.
Zhao Jinpu surveyed the group and cautiously asked, “Third Sister, did you go home these past few days?”
Hu Ruoyun replied, “I did.”
Zhao Jinpu continued, “With the holiday, was it easy to get a ticket home?”
Hu Ruoyun responded, “A friend drove me…”
Cui Shuigen couldn’t contain himself any longer. “Boss, let me ask! Brother San, whose car did you take? Was it driven by a man or a woman? Who else went back with you?”
Hu Ruoyun was a bit taken aback. “It was a classmate from the Evening News department driving—sister Lai. My sister and I went back together. What’s going on with you all?”
Ignoring Zhao Jinpu’s warning glance, Cui Shuigen pressed on. “There are rumors from the journalism department saying you’re being supported by a wealthy woman. They say all your money comes from her, and she even came to pick you up yesterday…”
Only then did Hu Ruoyun recall that when he got into Liu Ru Yan’s car that day, he had seen Jie Bing and several guys walking by. Not wanting to acknowledge them, he had pretended not to see.
Damn it! How could such filth lie beneath such a polished exterior?
Hu Ruoyun cursed under his breath, “He’ll eventually pay for his character!”
He then pulled out some Niu Tun Da Huo Shao from his bag and distributed one to each person.
Niu Tun Da Huo Shao has a history of over 300 years and is renowned alongside Daokou Roast Chicken. “The dough weighs half a jin and has eighteen layers; filled with lard and brushed with soybean oil before baking; flipped eight times in the oven for perfect fusion; golden brown and crispy, a delightful treat for friends.”
In the area where Niu Tun Ji (now Niu Tun Town) borders Yuan, Fengqiu, and Yanjin counties, this anonymous little poem describing Niu Tun Da Huo Shao has long been used by storytellers as an opening line to attract audiences.
Niu Tun Da Huo Shao is a uniquely flavored local delicacy. Legend has it that two hundred years ago, because Niu Tun Ji served as an official post station on the route from Beijing to Kaifeng, officials passing through would dismount their carriages and request that shopkeepers prepare Niu Tun Da Huo Shao for them to enjoy before taking some along—this contributed to the prosperity of Niu Tun Ji.
Niu Tun Huo Shao is larger than regular baked cakes but smaller than meat pies; round like a pancake with a color resembling purple copper, it is puffed in the middle with distinct layers. Known for being large with generous meat filling, crispy on the outside yet tender inside, fragrant without being greasy, and easy to eat—this delicacy is favored by many diners.
That day, Hu Ruoyun and Mao Jie accompanied Liu Ru Yan to try Bailing Ying Zhuang Mo and Niu Tun Da Huo Shao. Liu Ru Yan particularly enjoyed the latter so much that she kept praising it. Not only did they eat there, but they also bought twenty more to take back to Jiangcheng for family and friends to taste.
After discovering that Mao Jie was Mao Na’s younger brother, they became quite close.
They didn’t return to Annan County City until late afternoon. Upon arriving at Mao Na’s home in Chengguan Town to pick her up, Mao Jie eagerly invited Liu Ru Yan upstairs. Mao Weiguo and Zhang Xiuzhen were both home; after chatting for a while and learning that Mao Weiguo was the county head of Annan County, Liu Ru Yan felt even more determined to do something in Annan.
This delay meant they returned to Jiangcheng quite late.
On Monday morning, it was Counselor Teacher Zhou's class. After the lesson, Teacher Zhou called out to him, "Hu Ruoyun, please come to my office for a moment."
Hu Ruoyun followed Teacher Zhou into the office. Once the door was closed, the usually amiable Teacher Zhou's expression turned icy. "You all are supposed to be adults now; normally, the school could turn a blind eye to such matters. But you are different—you are still the Secretary of the class's Youth League! What kind of influence is this?"
Regarding what his dormitory brothers had said yesterday, Hu Ruoyun had initially intended to ignore it, but he never expected it would reach Teacher Zhou.
This was truly a case of wanting peace but being caught in the storm.
Hu Ruoyun asked, "Teacher Zhou, may I ask where you heard those rumors about me?"
Teacher Zhou replied, "The student who transferred out of our class, Jie Bing, specifically came to report this matter to me. He claimed he saw a woman pick you up from downstairs your dormitory!"
Hu Ruoyun was almost amused by Jie Bing's foolishness. "Teacher Zhou, did you ask him how he determined that the woman who picked me up must have an improper relationship with me? First of all, the person who picked me up was Lai Wen, a reporter from Jiangcheng Evening News, who had just returned from abroad. Up until yesterday, we had hardly met more than a few times. Moreover, she wasn't the only one; my sister was also there, and we left together for Annan!
Secondly, you can call my dormitory roommates and ask why Jie Bing transferred majors and moved out of our dorm!
Thirdly, I didn't want to pursue this matter at first. However, since it has now reached you and likely spread to more people, affecting my reputation, I formally request that you and the school investigate this matter. If the investigation finds that I indeed behaved inappropriately and violated the university student code of conduct, I am willing to accept any punishment from the school.
However, if I am being maliciously slandered, I also request that the school take serious action against those spreading rumors. Isn't his mother in law? She should know what legal responsibilities his actions entail!"
Teacher Zhou had initially doubted such rumors but felt compelled to talk with Hu Ruoyun after Jie Bing's report. However, Hu Ruoyun's words did not seem like lies! If the rumors were false, then Jie Bing was indeed problematic.
Next, from the leader Zhao Jinpu to Cui Shuigen, Teacher Zhou summoned each one of them in turn. The truth became clearer and clearer. Teacher Zhou's anger grew: what kind of mentality did this Jie Bing have? To repay kindness with malice and fabricate lies!
Everyone has a protective instinct for their own; especially when it's someone like Hu Ruoyun—a good student in Teacher Zhou's eyes.
Teacher Zhou reported the situation directly to the Department Head Liu Mingzhi—a stern and traditional man who had experienced tumultuous times and despised deceitful behavior. He immediately arranged a meeting with Jie Bing's class counselor and demanded that they represent the Chinese Department in giving Jie Bing a severe reprimand and require him to write a formal apology as a warning to others!
Jie Bing's mother brought his father along for support when they were confronted by Zhao JiaqI from the Student Affairs Office and were met with resistance from a Teacher of Law: "You work in law; can you explain what legal responsibilities come with 'fabricating facts to defame others'?"
Mother Jie argued back, "Our son Jie Bing is still just a child!"
The Teacher of Law responded firmly: "According to his records, he is already over 18 years old and should bear civil legal responsibility!"
Reluctantly, Mother Jie had to accept the school's disciplinary decision against her son and formally apologize to Hu Ruoyun—the aggrieved party. This time, everyone including Zhao Jinpu did not offer any suggestions for leniency.
The ignorant may be fearless but must pay for their ignorance and audacity.
So children, remember that while the world is vast, only home has your parents...
The end of the universe is not something within your sight.
People are like this; once comparisons are made—whether they are in fire or boiling oil—if there is someone worse off than themselves, they find solace.
Some people eagerly await the moment when others stumble and fall, hoping they might even knock out a couple of front teeth in the process.
There are many paths to success: some come from strong families, some are self-made, and others simply have good luck. However, most of those who fail tend to have a loose tongue. As the saying goes, it takes three years to learn how to speak and thirty years to learn how to keep quiet, and there's not a shred of doubt about that.
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