A Book Dedicated to Our Youth - Tong Hua

Chapter 7: The Price of Youth

Chapter 7: The Price of Youth

I think this is one of the most (if not the most) evoking parts we've had so far. Although it is incredibly long, it is exremely sad but also very infuriating so do read it all, even if you read sections at a time.

Prepare tissues and pitchforks and read on!

1. An Injured Hand

When we are young, we lack fear for time and life. We behave recklessly without thinking about the results or understanding to fear the consequences. So, often during our youth, we only need a little more rationality and self control to avoid making mistakes. However, when we understand this idea, mistakes usually have already been made; when we haven't yet made any mistakes, we don't take in any well meaning advice.

Xiao Bo's mid-semester exam results were quite good, he was already in the top 80 of his year group so if he can reach top 50, with the school's past performance results in the province, he will definitely be able to get into a famous university. Although the competition became more and more fierce the higher in ranking you go, Xiao Bo was filled with confidence.

Brother Li and I were both very happy. Brother Li specially urged Wu Zei and other staff to go to him if there were any matters and to not disturb Xiao Bo to let him prepare well for the gao kao.

The weekend after the mid-semester exam finished, Brother Li invited me, Xiao Bo, Wu Zei and Enchantress out to eat. He said it was to congratulate Xiao Bo but actually, it was to find an opportunity to get together. Nowadays, it was hard to see Xiao Bo, even I have to run to the high school department to see him.

That guy was really going all out to get into a good university.

We chatted and ate, in the middle, I got up to go to the bathroom. When I came back, I passed a small room and hearing the name "Ge Xiao Fei", I couldn't help but stop in suspicion.

In the middle of the girls' laughter, I was able to hear parts of their conversation.

"Really? She got an abortion when she was only fifteen?"

"Really! Ge Xiao Fei, I heard that her grades are pretty good, she's a student in No.1"

"Eh? In No.1? That's one of the top schools in the province, what else did you hear, quickly tell, how did she get pregnant?"

"How did she get pregnant? Of course it's because she slept with a guy!"

Loud laughter ensued.

"I heard that she changed countless boyfriends when she's so young......"

My hands and feet went cold, didn't everything pass already? Why is it like this? The sound of their conversation still reached my ears. I suddenly felt violent resentment, why are there so many people in the world who like to discuss other people's rights and wrongs? Why do they like to use other people's wounds to entertain themselves with? Why can't they just care about their own things?

Without thinking, I walked inside and slapped the face of the girl who was sitting near the door and spreading the gossip.

After I slapped her, I realised it was Zhang Jun's girlfriend.

Everyone became speechless and the room was silent for a few seconds before she jumped up like an angry wild cat and started hitting me. Her girlfriends also reacted and started to hit me.

I was beaten to the floor and my glasses fell. Everything became fuzzy in front of my eyes, I felt my hair being yanked painfully and a few handfuls were probably yanked out. My legs were also being kicked by high heels and in numbing pain.