This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 34 Those who are too proud to admit they can't even get a piece of candy
Chen Shi'an finally understood why Wen Zhixia ate so slowly. She was talking non-stop while eating, so how could she eat quickly?
Rules like not speaking while eating or sleeping are not observed in Chen Shi'an's diet. He usually eats and chats with his master, Fei Mo.

Chen Shi'an doesn't eat quickly just because he's hungry at the beginning. He maintains a steady pace throughout his meal, and even though the food he eats is ordinary and his clothes are simple, he always exudes a very elegant air.

In the end, Wen Zhixia finished eating first. About two minutes after she finished, Chen Shi'an finished his meal at the same steady pace.

This pleased Wen Zhixia greatly. She was always embarrassed to make others wait for her, but she didn't mind waiting for others herself. Chen Shi'an was indeed a perfect dining buddy!

"Have you finished eating?"

"Well, I'm done eating."

Here's a tissue.

The girl took out a pack of tissues from her pocket. These small packs of tissues were much larger and thicker than regular tissues. She pulled out a sheet, tore it in half, and handed it to Chen Shi'an.

At school, tissues are incredibly valuable. If someone leaves ten yuan on their desk, no one will pick it up, but if someone has a pack of tissues on their desk, it's guaranteed to be snatched up within a day.

Such a gesture as Wen Zhixia sharing a tissue with you is a rare treat among students, usually reserved for close friends!

Chen Shi'an wanted to say that he had a handkerchief, but seeing the little hand holding the tissue already stretched out in front of him, he smiled and took it.

"Anyway, just follow the method I taught you to learn English first. My English wasn't very good when I was in junior high school either, but my grades gradually improved."

"Hmm, your method seems quite effective. I'll give it a try later."

During dinner, Wen Zhixia told him a lot of tips for learning English, mainly about memorization techniques, such as how to memorize words faster and how to memorize texts more firmly.

It is said that when poor, one should use tactical infiltration; when rich, one should use firepower coverage.

The struggles that ordinary students face with memorization are something Chen Shi'an, who has had a photographic memory since childhood, can hardly understand...

However, he listened very attentively, so that at least in the future, when others asked him how to improve his memory and memorization efficiency, he could simply apply the method Wen Zhixia taught him, instead of telling them, "Just read it a couple more times and you'll remember it."

"Then let's go."

Do you need to wash this dish yourself?

"No need, just put it in the recycling area. Come with me."

Wen Zhixia stood up with her tray, and Chen Shi'an followed with his tray as well.

The tableware recycling area was located at the back door of the cafeteria. The two poured their leftover food into the slop bucket, stacked their plates neatly, and walked together on the school path.

"Are you also going back to the classroom for lunch break?" Chen Shi'an asked.

"Yes, day students can only take a nap in the classroom now. It's almost 12:40, and class starts at 1:30, so they don't have time to nap at home. How many day students are in your class?"

"It seems like I'm the only one. What about your class?"

"It's just me!"

"Is it because everyone lives far away?"

"Not all of them. Some students may live at home because no one cooks for them or it's more convenient to study at school. The school assumes that all students live at school. Day students need to apply separately."

"Won't you be all alone in the classroom during lunch break?"

"How can it be!"

Wen Zhixia counted on her fingers, "In our class, there are at least seven or eight students who stay in the classroom at noon on weekdays. They are all boarding students who don't take a lunch break and study in the classroom. I don't know about your class, but there are definitely several of them as well."

"Studying outside of class?" Chen Shi'an was surprised. He had never heard the teacher mention this rule before, so it must be something everyone did on their own initiative.

"Yeah, our school is really competitive. Didn't you see the honor roll? You can't get into the top 100 without a score of 600. Classroom learning alone is definitely not enough. Many students hire private tutors for extra help."

After hearing Wen Zhixia's words, Chen Shi'an gained a new understanding of the "difficulty" of high school students. He had already thought that the school's class time was long enough, but he didn't expect it to be not enough.

"A balance between tension and relaxation is key; too much of a good thing is bad," Chen Shi'an commented.

"You have a good attitude. Anyway, whether it's teachers or parents, they all say that you have to study hard. If you don't study, your exam results will be bad. If you do badly on the exam, you won't get into a good university. If you don't get into a good university, you won't find a good job. If you don't find a good job, you won't make money. If you don't make money, your life is over."

After a pause, Wen Zhixia turned to look at Chen Shi'an and said, "But you are indeed different from us."

"How to say?"

"Because you're the opposite of us. You already have a job. You're a Taoist priest. Whether you study well or not doesn't affect the fact that you're a Taoist priest."

"Are you envious of me again?" Chen Shi'an looked at her with amusement.

The girl took a deep breath, as if she was about to shout it out, but in the end she just clenched her little fists and said in a playful tone, "I'm so envious!"

Chen Shi'an laughed heartily at her joke. Chatting casually, the two walked towards the teaching building. There was a campus supermarket not far away. Wen Zhixia thought for a moment and said:
"Why don't you go up first? I'll go buy a box of pen refills; I'm just out."

Where can I buy it?

"Look—there's a small supermarket. You can just swipe your meal card to buy things."

"Let's go, together."

"what are you looking for?"

"I've never been inside before, but I'll go take a look."

"You're so bored!"

It would be better if someone accompanied him, so Wen Zhixia brought him to the campus supermarket.

The layout is no different from the supermarkets outside. The space isn't large; it's just a small convenience store, mainly selling snacks, bread, stationery, drinks, fruits, and the like. In the morning, they also sell tea eggs and steamed dumplings. The prices are similar to those outside. The owner is also from the same hometown as the forestry school...

Chen Shi'an found it quite novel. He had always thought that a school was simply a place to study, but he never expected that a modern campus would be equipped with all the facilities it could to enable students to learn better, such as a small supermarket, a medical room, a psychology room, and a gymnasium. It was like a small world that had been separated from the big city.

As for this little world, whether it's a paradise or a hell, students at different stages might have different feelings. Chen Shi'an has now learned to look at things dynamically, and at least from his current perspective, he thinks it's not bad.

Wen Zhixia selected a box of pen refills. Pens are the most consumed item during her daily studies, and adhering to the principle of thrift, she would replace the pen refills unless the pen barrel was broken.

The girl had a habit of twirling pens, and she rarely replaced a pen with a handle that was exceptionally smooth and easy to twirl.

Chen Shi'an didn't need to buy anything. When he saw that there were lollipops for sale at the cashier, he thought for a moment and bought a few. They cost 50 cents each, and the different colored wrappers represented different fruit flavors.

"You like lollipops?" Wen Zhixia asked him after they came out together.

"It's been a long time since I've had this, let's give it a try."

Chen Shi'an first ate a lollipop when he was three years old. It was given to him by an older sister when he went with his master to a family to perform a ritual.

He still remembers the older woman saying he was so cute and adorable, even though he was so young, he looked like a little adult in his Taoist robe.

The lollipops that time were apple-flavored, and even after you finished the candy, the white plastic stick could still be used to make a whistle.

He was very curious at the time why, even though it was the same as regular candy, it tasted different just because it had an extra stick.

He went to ask his master, who said, "Good disciple, are there any more? Give your master one to try; I haven't had any yet."
[Why didn't you eat the plenty I just gave you at your house?]
[As an old teacher, eating this would make me a laughing stock.]
So three-year-old Chen Shi'an learned a lesson: those who are too proud will never get a piece of candy.

Sugar tastes better when eaten in portions.

Chen Shi'an separated two sticks and handed them to Wen Zhixia, who was standing next to him.

"Here, let me pay your 'partner fee' and treat you to some candy."

"You learn so fast!"

This "partner fee" is exactly what she mentioned when she brought him soy milk this morning.

"Take it, hold it."

"No need, I'm on a diet and I don't eat sugar."

"Let's get fat together."

"..."

There is no reason more likely to shake someone's determination to lose weight than this.

Wen Zhixia finally took the two candies from his hand and unwrapped them just like him.

Hers was a strawberry-flavored pink candy ball, while Chen Shi'an's was a light green apple-flavored candy ball.

The two of them squeezed the sticks together and stuffed the candy balls into their mouths.

The candy ball rolled in my mouth, while the stick dangled around my lips.

The two exchanged a glance.

"How about it?"

"Hehe, it's delicious!"

(End of this chapter)