The Fading Away of Our Youth (So Young)

To Our Youth That is Fading Away: Chapter 1

September 10, in the blazing sun of the midsummer of Southern China

College freshmen Zheng Wei tried to contain her excitement as she half-dragged, half-pulled two suitcases out of the taxi trunk with the help of the taxi driver. As she lifted her hand to wipe away her sweat, a beam of sunlight pierced through the leaves, blinding her for a short moment. She dug through her pockets, as she found some spare money her mom had given her before she left home and gave it to the driver.

“Thanks, sir.” She said.

The driver, who looked almost thirty, observed the happy girl. He could not even think of accepting tips, in fear of spoiling her mood. Thus, he could  not accept her money.

Zheng Wei stood under the only tree that provided shade from the sun, fanning herself while also looking around the place where she would live for the next four years. She was sitting on a long trail of the school garden. Subtropical trees she couldn’t remember the names of were planted all along the sides of the long path. She could imagine that taking a walk at this garden at dusk would be a very insightful experience, with its beautiful scenery.

Currently, the whole street was filled with bustling students who squeezed into varying sized tables until the whole area was packed. Private cars and taxis drove by her on the path frequently, and thus she stayed where she was. At the school, numerous buses also dropped off new students in waves, with people almost like her, with their youthful faces, as they dragged heavy suitcases behind them. There were also parents who accompanied their children to registration. Without exception, all of the parents looked more nervous than their children.

Zheng Wei laughed when she saw them, thinking that if her mom also came, she would be just as anxious in completing her tasks. Her dad and mom both said that they would bring her to school, but she patted her chest and said to them, “There’s no need, no need. I’m an eighteen year old young lady. Do I seem like a person who cannot enroll myself? You guys always follow me around and watch me. Don’t forget that one time when I was eight, I rode a bus for three hours by myself to grandma’s house. Don’t worry, don’t worry! ”

They kept worrying, but in the end, they were busy with their jobs. She also emphasized that there were also three others from her high school who had tested into the same city. Thus, they could mutually care for one another. With further effort, her parents finally let her go after rambling about the topic a bit more. At the train station, Zheng Wei waved farewell to two of her classmates. Alone, she stood in G-City.

There was almost no time to take in the surroundings around her. As she looked outside again and again, four to five male students walked up, their faces full of passion as they smiled patronizingly. Among them, one asked, “Are you a new student? What are you majoring in?”

“Me? Civil engineering.” Zheng Wei replied honestly.

“Civil engineering?” The acne-faced male’s eyes lit up. “Then you can be considered our junior. We are responsible for welcoming new students in. Come with me, I shall take you to enroll.”

Without waiting for a reply, he took Zheng Wei’s suitcase and led her towards the registration area.

Zheng Wei’s impressions of boys came from high school when they always liked to nickname the girls and argue with the girls until they blushed. They never took the initiative to wipe the blackboard and she disdained associating with these kinds of boys and girls. She was not accustomed to the sudden change she perceived in the boys, as these university boys had become gracious gentlemen, attentive and caring.