{"id":10397,"date":"2020-01-04T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2020-01-04T17:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=10397"},"modified":"2020-04-29T05:50:37","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T09:50:37","slug":"epiphanies-of-rebirth-26-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-26-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphanies of Rebirth 26.1"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"10397\" class=\"elementor elementor-10397\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f035568 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f035568\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column 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data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chapter 26.1<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67aa1986 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"67aa1986\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32971be7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"32971be7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe had said that the school\u2019s staff members would pick them up, but that hadn\u2019t exactly been the truth\u2014someone else was waiting for them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yan City\u2019s rail station was much more crowded than Qunnan City\u2019s, even more so at this time of year, when students were enrolling into new schools. As far as the eye could see, there were travellers with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/vhbnm.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">plastic tote bags<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rushing around.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe caught sight of a sign with his name on it in the distance, so he led his friends in that direction. As they approached, they saw a young man with the stick of the sign tucked into his elbow who was looking at his <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pager\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>pager<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He seemed to be in his early twenties. His face was classically handsome, but he slouched nonchalantly which gave him a rather mischievous air.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe asked, \u201cAre you Brother Fang Wenhao?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startled, the young man straightened and raised his head. Once his eyes fell on Lin Jingzhe, he promptly took off his sunglasses and pinned the pager back to his belt before holding out his hand. \u201cHello. Are you Lin Jingzhe?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes, nice to meet you.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The corners of the young man\u2019s mouth lifted in a happy smile. \u201cThat\u2019s great, then I don\u2019t have to wait any longer. My grandfather forced me to come here right after breakfast, can you imagine?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As he talked, he took the bags Lin Jingzhe was carrying, greeted Gao Sheng and the others by nodding to them, and turned around to lead them to the exit.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He clearly had a penchant for flamboyance\u2014the car he drove was big and bright red, a rare sight in those times, and was very conspicuous amongst the small, pale-colored cars filling the streets. After putting all the luggage in the trunk, he sat in the driver\u2019s seat and put on his seat belt. \u201cThe train from Qunnan takes about thirty hours to get here, you guys must be tired,\u201d he said casually as if he was already familiar with Lin Jingzhe and his friends. \u201cFirst, I\u2019ll take you home to eat and rest for a while. Don\u2019t refuse, you came early enough that you don\u2019t have to hurry to enroll, and my grandfather is looking forward to seeing you again. He\u2019s been talking about it for days.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acting as though he was unaware of the measuring gaze in the rearview mirror, Lin Jingzhe said, \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After Lin Jingzhe received his admission notice from Yan University, he mentioned it once over the phone while talking with Elder Fang who had then inquired about his schedule and travel arrangements in detail. He warned that there were many swindlers at the long-distance train station and said that it was easy for young people who were unfamiliar with Yan City to be cheated, so he would send his grandson Fang Wenhao to pick them up in person.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the donation of the antiques, the old man had treated Lin Jingzhe like a member of his family and called him every now and then, wanting updates on his life. Lin Jingzhe found it hard to turn him down. Besides, he knew that he and his friends would definitely bring a lot of luggage with them, so after thinking it over for a moment, he agreed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Fang Wenhao\u2019s temperament was different from his expectations. He\u2019d thought that with Elder Fang\u2019s upbringing, his grandson would be equally enlightened and self-possessed. Now that they had met, it turned out that Fang Wenhao was lively and outgoing, not much different from other young men. His family circumstances and education gave him poise and some diplomatic skills, but he was still too young and inexperienced to suppress the curiosity and speculation in his eyes.<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to guess, then guess to your heart\u2019s content<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Lin Jingzhe wasn\u2019t afraid of other people\u2019s speculations. The gaze in the rearview mirror was a bit rude, but not malicious. Considering his actual age, Lin Jingzhe was old enough to be Fang Wenhao\u2019s father, so he was extremely tolerant. He quietly leaned against the back seat of the car and looked out the window, watching the city he hadn\u2019t seen for a long time; it was both the same and very different from the city in his memory.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe couldn\u2019t remember what Yan City had looked like when he first came here. In fact, in his last life, he\u2019d arrived barely a year or two later, but these changes were always subtle\u2014today, foundations for a new building were being laid down; tomorrow, construction of a new subway line started, and before anyone had really noticed, the city was bustling with people.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suddenly thrown into the past, Lin Jingzhe was able to witness the city\u2019s transformation from a three-dimensional perspective, which naturally had much more impact than simply browsing through old photos. He was amazed to find that there were moments when the street they were driving on was completely devoid of traffic.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The complex spider web of viaducts and overpasses had not yet covered the sky. The high-end <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_business_district\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>central business district<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which in the future would house nearly a third of all elite white-collar workers in the city, was still a low-rise residential area, with elderly residents sitting under the shade of roadside trees, cooling themselves with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?biw=1536&amp;bih=754&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sxsrf=ACYBGNRwuDgevyExfRok5pGggtT_E9igOg%3A1577892645620&amp;sa=1&amp;ei=JbsMXt7GJZ6H1fAPysOc4A4&amp;q=%E8%92%B2%E6%89%87&amp;oq=%E8%92%B2%E6%89%87&amp;gs_l=img.3..35i39j0l2j0i24l7.0.0..5078...0.0..0.172.335.0j2......0......gws-wiz-img.MzRkxOjEojc&amp;ved=0ahUKEwie7YqV3OLmAhWeQxUIHcohB-wQ4dUDCAc&amp;uact=5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>palm-leaf fans<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and chatting leisurely. Off-duty workers still in uniform riding on bicycles turned into <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/holachina.com\/?p=8431\"><b>hutongs<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> off the main street, an old lady collected bedding hung out for an airing, a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Common_hill_myna\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>hill myna<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was calling out, imitating a human voice\u2026 Here was a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.szdaily.com\/content\/2018-08\/03\/content_21056579.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>street barber stall<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there was a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wonton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>wonton<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stall\u2026 An elementary schooler with his school bag was coming home from school, carrying a soccer ball\u2026<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe chatted with Fang Wenhao but focused on the sights beyond the car windows. This city had witnessed all his years since he was twenty; it was his youth.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fang Wenhao looked away from the rear mirror. He was a bit surprised.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019d heard his grandfather talk about this youth from a small southern town many times. The story made an even bigger impression on him because the selfless donation of a huge amount of cultural relics had been reported by the national newspaper and was loudly praised by various authorities.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d45ea7c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d45ea7c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019d lie if he said he didn\u2019t admire the young man\u2014after all, if he were the one who owned so many priceless antiques, he would almost certainly have cashed them out a long time ago\u2014but after listening to his grandfather\u2019s stories, the picture of a righteous, conservative country boy inadvertently appeared in his mind. Although Elder Fang always said that Lin Jingzhe was very good-looking, Fang Wenhao thought the old man must be biased because he was so fond of him. Besides, the elderly\u2019s taste typically ran towards hearty <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cstrong as a bear in the hips and with a back as supple as a tiger\u2019s\u201d<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> boys with large, squarish faces, no?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, when this <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.meiwen1314.com\/uploads\/allimg\/190313\/1-1Z31315042UE.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>\u201cUncle Lei Feng\u201d<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> deeply ingrained in his mind suddenly turned out to be a beautiful youth with an elegant temperament, Fang Wenhao was so shocked he\u2019d barely managed to greet him coherently.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The car smoothly turned into a secluded lane. Lin Jingzhe\u2019s eyes flicked to the two sentries standing on both sides of the entrance. Fang Wenhao, worried that he was scared, lied, \u201cOh, they\u2019re just security guards.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe just smiled slightly, but Gao Sheng and the others believed it. After getting out of the car, Deng Mai nudged Lin Jingzhe\u2019s shoulder. \u201cThe big city really is different from our little Liyun Town,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe patted this pure and honest child\u2019s head, soothing him, \u201cJust remember to be a little more restrained from now on and everything will be fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deng Mai nodded. He thought, sure enough, the capital was the capital\u2014the security guards were more imposing than the police uncles in Liyun Town. But Big Bro was still as impressive as always; he looked calm and collected as usual.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Elder Fang and his wife heard the movement at the front door, they immediately rushed to greet the guests. Upon seeing Lin Jingzhe, the old man\u2019s eyes brightened. He stepped forward to touch Lin Jingzhe\u2019s head and arms, announcing that he was too thin and that his complexion didn\u2019t look well, before shepherding the four youths inside to quickly have a meal. He even forgot about his grandson.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before entering the house, Lin Jingzhe glanced towards the far end of the small yard. Between the trees, he could make out the shapes of many partially-concealed houses, evoking some memories he wasn\u2019t keen on recalling.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his last life, he had lived in one of them for five years, but his stay there had been far from peaceful\u2014he\u2019d made too much of a mess of things for that to be the case.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He couldn\u2019t be considered unfamiliar with this area, but he\u2019d never met Elder Fang and Fang Wenhao before. Looking back on that period of his life, though he had seemed to be fairly popular, the more respectable children of upper-class families\u2014like the true heirs\u2014avoided associating with him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe remembered that he\u2019d been the leader of a bunch of second-rate wastrels. At that time, he was snooty and never satisfied, and hated his father. His mother always said that his father was \u201cgood-for-nothing,\u201d \u201cirresponsible,\u201d and that \u201che seduced her first, then abandoned her,\u201d so he\u2019d wanted to ruin his father\u2019s new family\u2014and in the end, he succeeded.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people had some period in their lives that they considered their dark history and would feel embarrassed or ashamed when remembering it. Lin Jingzhe paid a much more bitter price for his youth\u2019s stupidity\u2014a lifetime of endless, agonizing regret.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the table, Elder Fang showered the pickles Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang took out of their bags with praise. Lin Jingzhe woke from his daze, finding that without realizing it, he was eating nothing but plain rice.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-467bacf elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"467bacf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70ec29c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70ec29c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Department of Computer Science at Wutong University was not far from Yan University, so they headed there first. In the admissions office, Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang touched the fabled \u201ccomputer\u201d for the first time in their lives (or, in Gao Sheng\u2019s case, for the second).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two played <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">King\u2019s Quest<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a while, only letting go of the mouse after being urged to do so several times.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The simple and unsophisticated computer game was incredibly attractive to those who hadn\u2019t been exposed to this type of entertainment before, making a deep impression on the two youths\u2019 minds. His previous apprehension completely wiped out, Gao Sheng said happily, \u201cSo this is what we\u2019re going to learn? Computer science is so fun!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah!\u201d Zhou Haitang looked equally excited. \u201cI like this major very much!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The expression in Lin Jingzhe\u2019s eyes turned complicated, but upon noticing the sly smile on Fang Wenhao\u2019s face, he decided not to say anything.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhou Haitang and Gao Sheng were sharing the same dorm room, but since it was still a few days before the beginning of the school year, their other roommates hadn\u2019t arrived yet. Looking forward to a pleasant life of playing games, they quickly put away their luggage to accompany Lin Jingzhe to Yan University.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the car passed through the eye-catching main gate, Gao Sheng and the others\u2019 faces were filled with longing. Lin Jingzhe had already gotten used to the fact that he\u2019d be attending this school, so his attitude was quite calm. The only surprising thing was that the female student in charge of welcoming freshmen recognized Fang Wenhao and called him \u201cSenior Fang.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In front of the others, Fang Wenhao acted like a serious and respectable young man. After Lin Jingzhe\u2019s enrollment, he said, \u201cI\u2019m two<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grades above you. If you encounter any trouble in school, you can go to the Student Union\u2019s Publicity Department to find me.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe realized that some things were indeed more beautiful from a distance. Today, the halo of the glorious Yan University, which he hadn\u2019t dared to long for in his previous life, lost quite a bit of its lustre due to this lackadaisical \u201csenior.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yan University\u2019s dorm was much older, and as such, much shabbier than Wutong University\u2019s. At this moment, Lin Jingzhe truly felt that his life was entering an entirely new course, completely different from his past one.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His accommodation was a four-person room, and two out of his three roommates were already here. The pale-skinned, chubby, and friendly-looking one came from Shen City and his name was Lu Xiaojiang. The other one, called Wang Jun, was a Yan City native. He wore black, thick-framed glasses, had some acne on his face, and was so tall that Lin Jingzhe had to look up at him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the college entrance exam, Lu Xiaojiang had ranked fifth in Shen City, and Wang Jun\u2019s scores were also among the highest in Yan City. However, it was Chen Jiankang, who had yet to arrive, that was the most impressive\u2014he was the provincial champion! Lin Jingzhe\u2019s roommates turned out to be top students, and unlike him, they were all the real thing.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to his lack of education, Lin Jingzhe had experienced a lot of hardship in his last life, so he learned to respect knowledge and educated individuals. As such, his attitude towards Lu Xiaojiang and Wang Jun was quite gentle.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was good-looking, had an elegant temperament and good social skills\u2014if he put his mind to it, he could make friends with anyone. Initially, Lu Xiaojiang and Wang Jun were a bit shy, but after speaking with him for a bit, they relaxed and felt much closer with him. Since Deng Mai, who was blessed with the gift of gab, joined in as well, by the time the last roommate arrived, everyone had already become quite chummy.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chen Jiankang was skinny and even shorter than Lin Jingzhe. His complexion was dark but sallow, very different from Deng Mai\u2019s healthy bronze skin. He resembled Yu Zhiliang\u2019s father.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And he was just as reticent as the man; when he entered the room and faced everyone\u2019s gazes, he stopped, awkward and at a loss. It was only after a middle-aged woman, probably his mother, pushed his back and he stumbled, that he came back to himself.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The woman gave an embarrassed smile and asked, speaking with a rural accent, \u201cSchoolmates, is this room 305?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deng Mai rushed to take the large roll of bedding she was carrying on her thin shoulders. \u201cYes, it\u2019s here.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, thank you.\u201d After the heavy burden was removed, the middle-aged woman let out a sigh of relief, then squatted down and anxiously rummaged through the bags. After a moment, she pulled out a large glass jar, opened it eagerly and set it on the table, then added some cloth bags filled with peanuts and sunflower seeds. \u201cHave a taste, have a taste, I specially brought this from our hometown. This is the first time Chen Jiankang has traveled away from home, and he knows nothing but studying. I hope you can help me look after him from now on&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As soon as she opened the lid of the jar, the crisp scent of chopped peppers wafted throughout the room. Lu Xiaojiang and Wang Jun looked at the jar filled with large chunks of smoked fish, unsure of how to react. Chen Jiankang stood in place, his head hanging low as his ears turned red because of his mother\u2019s ill-timed actions. However, since young people usually cover up their embarrassment with anger, his brows were furrowed and the expression on his face didn\u2019t look good.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing no one respond to her greeting, Mother Chen also froze. She hunched and looked around at the young people in the room, her hands nervously tightening on the sides of her cloth pants.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scene was about to plunge into complete embarrassment when Lin Jingzhe suddenly reached out, grabbed a piece of smoked fish from the jar, and took a bite.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All eyes turned to him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s delicious.\u201d Lin Jingzhe unhurriedly finished eating and said calmly, \u201cYou guys try it too, it\u2019s delicious.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He leaned over and took out a pickle jar, half-emptied by Elder Fang, and opened it, placing it on the table next to the jar of smoked fish.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The uncomfortable silence was dispelled by his actions. His three friends instantly rushed to eat, and Lu Xiaojun and Wang Jun subconsciously followed them, conforming to the general trend. Mother Chen smiled widely and pulled her son to the corridor to reluctantly bid him farewell.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guiltily arranging his too-big shirt, she said, \u201cThe boys in your room are all good kids. You don\u2019t have to be afraid that they will bully you like your high school classmates.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chen Jiankang had also thought that his roommates would scorn and ridicule him for his humble origins, but his vigilance dissipated the moment Lin Jingzhe ate the smoked fish. He saw his mother off, returned to the room, and stood in the door watching everyone devote their full attention to the jar of pickles.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When one of his roommates saw him, he raised his hand and called him over in a natural manner, \u201cWhy are you just standing there? Come here and try the pickles Lin Jingzhe brought, they\u2019re too damn good!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chen Jiankang hesitated for a moment, swallowed his saliva, and walked into the room with slightly stiff steps.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-042c569 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"042c569\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11cc40a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"11cc40a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Translator&#8217;s Notes:<\/h2><ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong>\u201cStrong as a bear in the hips and with a back as supple as a tiger\u2019s\u201d<\/strong><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> [\u864e\u80cc\u718a\u8170] &#8211; lit. <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018tiger back bear waist\u2019<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; an idiom often used when describing burly, physically strong people.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3d76eae5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3d76eae5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-38674ce8\" data-id=\"38674ce8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50b5930 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"50b5930\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cd91a0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cd91a0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Translator: Eques<\/em><br \/><em>Editor: Luoshenhua<br \/>Proofreader: Austera<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d65fd52 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"2d65fd52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd8331f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cd8331f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Eques:<\/h2><p>Happy New Year, everyone!\u00a0<\/p><p>\uff61*\uff9f\u2732*\u2606(\u0e51\u00f2\u11ba\u00f3\u0e51)\uff61*\uff9f\u2732*\u2606<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7c14d728 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7c14d728\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7544ad7c\" data-id=\"7544ad7c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47abfc44 elementor-button-info elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"47abfc44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-25-2\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-left\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Previous<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1f737a4a\" data-id=\"1f737a4a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-339fa6f elementor-button-info elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"339fa6f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Project Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f12f416\" data-id=\"4f12f416\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70cf5ebc elementor-align-right elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"70cf5ebc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-26-2\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Next<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c545038 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c545038\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b58f857\" data-id=\"b58f857\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[35,39,68,41],"class_list":["post-10397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eor","tag-bl","tag-modern","tag-power-couple","tag-second-chance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10397"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11745,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10397\/revisions\/11745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}