For the students of the Four Pages Academy, the monthly examination was a significant affair. It tested not only the knowledge accumulated over the past month, but also one’s conduct and character. Those who fell short faced a fine.

Well — it was really only a fine. Very rarely was anyone expelled for poor conduct, since nearly all the students came from families of standing, and most people were mindful of their behavior because of it.

Since the academy’s founding, only three students had ever been expelled. Li Diudiu had heard vague accounts of this. The first had happened more than ten years ago — a student who killed someone inside the academy. The second was six or seven years ago — also a killing inside the academy.

The third had occurred just over half a year ago, involving a child roughly Li Diudiu’s age. The reason for the expulsion was that his father had been implicated in a conspiracy involving traitors. Headmaster Gao had initially wanted to protect him, saying that whatever the father had done had nothing to do with the child — but the military governor himself had intervened in the matter, and even Headmaster Gao had no choice but to let go. The child had been taken away by officials from Daizhou, and no one knew what had become of him. Even now, the case was occasionally brought up in conversation. The child’s surname was Tang, and he had once ranked first in the Academy’s top class.

For Li Diudiu and his classmates, this particular monthly examination seemed to carry special weight. Li Diudiu and Liu Shengying arrived at the classroom earlier than anyone else, and cleaned it even more thoroughly than usual — he felt it was a matter of ceremony, though using his left hand still felt awkward. It was about attitude. Liu Shengying asked him why he was still cleaning the classroom when he was injured, and Li Diudiu answered: because I said I would.

Those words seemed to steady something in Liu Shengying’s eyes, making them grow more resolute than before.

After waiting nearly a quarter of an hour, Teacher Yan Qingzhi walked in carrying a few examination sheets and swept the room with a glance before making his way to the lectern.

He set the papers down, paused in thought, then said: “Before this examination begins, I have a few words to say. Whether you remember them after hearing them is your own decision. I have been your teacher for one month, and even if I am no longer teaching you after today, I still want to give you this last measure of effort.”

“What kind of place is the academy? You may feel it is a place of many rules and constraints on every side. But in truth, once you leave the academy and step into the adult world, you will realize just how lenient the academy really was.”

“Every person in this academy may one day be your friend, your colleague, or perhaps a benefactor that fortune places in your path. What is not apparent now may become clear in time. So where you can get along with people, do not make enemies.”

As he spoke, his gaze passed briefly over Sun Rugong and Zhang Xiaolin. Zhang Xiaolin appeared thoughtful — but Sun Rugong’s face was utterly expressionless, as though not a single word had been meant for him.

What was remarkable was that Sun Rugong had actually dared to come. And he appeared as though nothing whatsoever had happened, as if he had no connection at all to yesterday’s events.

Whether he was frightened inside or not, only he could know — but his eyes kept drifting, again and again, toward Li Diudiu’s injured right arm.

Even Li Diudiu found himself begrudgingly impressed that this person had managed to walk in here and appear so composed.

“All right — that’s all I have to say.”

Yan Qingzhi distributed the examination sheets: one to Li Diudiu, one to Liu Shengying, one to Zhang Xiaolin. To Sun Rugong, he gave nothing.

“Teacher.”

Sun Rugong watched Yan Qingzhi turn to head back to the lectern, and stood up: “Why is there no examination sheet for me?”

Yan Qingzhi glanced back at him: “Because you have been expelled from the academy.”

The color drained instantly from Sun Rugong’s face. In that same instant, he cast a sidelong glance at Li Diudiu — a flash of venom in his eyes.

His gaze returned to Yan Qingzhi. After a moment of silence, he asked: “May I ask, on what grounds has the academy expelled me?”

Yan Qingzhi said: “If you wish to know, you may go home and have your father come to the academy to ask. The headmaster will explain the matter to your father.”

Sun Rugong said: “Why won’t Teacher explain it to me directly!”

Yan Qingzhi said mildly: “Because you are not worthy.”

Sun Rugong’s expression shifted again.

Yan Qingzhi continued at the same unhurried pace: “A student who has been expelled from the academy should not linger here. Since you are this clever, you naturally understand that every additional moment you remain here adds another measure of shame to yourself — that is, if you still have any sense of shame.”

Sun Rugong slammed his desk with a crack and strode to the doorway, where he stopped. He swept his gaze across every person in the room and said, one word at a time: “Every single one of you will regret this.”

Yan Qingzhi pointed toward the door: “Do not disturb my students’ examination.”

Sun Rugong gave a cold snort and walked swiftly out.

The instant he left the classroom, Zhang Xiaolin suddenly stood up and began clapping — loudly, forcefully, his palms already reddened and still he kept going.

Liu Shengying stood up and sat down, stood up and sat down, and on the third time finally remained standing, then timidly started clapping too. For some reason he grew more and more excited, the clapping louder and louder.

Li Diudiu, for his part, sat in his seat without moving — an image of composure and calm.

Mainly because he couldn’t clap.

Zhang Xiaolin extended his hand toward Li Diudiu with a meaningful look. Li Diudiu used his left hand to slap Zhang Xiaolin’s palm.

Zhang Xiaolin grinned: “Satisfying!”

Yan Qingzhi smiled: “Alright, that’s quite enough. Answer your papers.”

All three replied in unison, then bent their heads to begin. Their expressions could not have been more different. Zhang Xiaolin looked over the questions and sank into bewilderment, glancing back and forth between one question and the next.

Liu Shengying hesitated briefly, but soon began writing — and wrote faster and faster.

Li Diudiu read through all the questions, then began writing, intentionally leaving one unanswered.

Students were given one full hour to complete the examination, and could submit early if satisfied with their answers. After roughly half an hour, Li Diudiu handed his paper in. He bowed to Yan Qingzhi: “Student will take his leave.”

Yan Qingzhi nodded. He saw at a glance that Li Diudiu had left one question blank, and wanted to ask why — but held himself back, trusting that a child like Li Diudiu always had reasons for what he did.

Li Diudiu left the classroom and headed straight for the grove in the back. Beside the grove was a small patch of slender bamboo — in the northern climate, only this fine variety could be grown, but it was doing quite well.

He studied the bamboo for a long while, then turned and walked back to the classroom. He stood in the doorway and addressed Yan Qingzhi: “Teacher, I have something I’d like to ask.”

Yan Qingzhi, in that moment, assumed Li Diudiu had remembered the unanswered question and immediately replied: “Is it about the examination paper?”

Li Diudiu shook his head and asked earnestly: “Is there a fine for cutting bamboo from the academy’s grounds?”

At this of all moments, asking this of all questions — Yan Qingzhi was left momentarily speechless.

“You… what do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said — is there a fine for cutting bamboo?”

“Yes there is!”

“A large fine?”

“That depends on how much you cut.”

“One or two stalks will do.”

Yan Qingzhi considered, then replied: “Do you really need to make it obvious? Do you have to cut from the ones outside?”

Li Diudiu grinned, turned, and ran.

He ran to the bamboo grove, closed his left hand around a slender stalk, lifted his foot and kicked hard near the base — crack — and snapped it clean through. That kick was fast and fierce.

He’d only gotten the first one when a shout came from behind him.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Li Diudiu startled, spinning around — and there was Gao Xining, laughing as she walked over, looking exceptionally pleased with herself for having given him a fright.

Li Diudiu said: “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Gao Xining shrugged, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked up to stand in front of him: “Oh, I have plenty to do. My job is to keep watch over petty thieves who steal bamboo from the academy.”

As she spoke, she rapped him once on the skull.

She pointed at the bamboo: “What do you want this stuff for?”

Li Diudiu said: “To weave a cricket cage.”

Gao Xining said: “How do you plan to weave with one hand? And why do you need a cricket cage?”

Li Diudiu very seriously explained: “You should know that the most fundamental aspect of martial arts training is training the hands. The more nimble the hands, the more smoothly techniques can be executed. The reason I am weaving a cricket cage is to train my fingers — to make them more agile and dexterous.”

Gao Xining: “Do you think I’m a ghost you can fool?”

Li Diudiu said: “Nonsense. If ghosts looked as lovely as you, how could they scare anyone?”

Gao Xining didn’t know quite why, but she felt oddly happy.

“Tell me what you’re actually doing, or I’ll drag you to see my grandfather and tell him you’ve cut down the entire bamboo grove — that you skipped out on your monthly examination to come here and play petty thief!”

Li Diudiu sighed: “What about the matter with your family’s ducks?”

Gao Xining: “You… shameless!”

Li Diudiu: “Likewise.”

Gao Xining widened her eyes and pretended to be furious, fixing her glare on him. Li Diudiu refused to back down and stared back. After a long while, Li Diudiu smiled and said: “I think if we weren’t both so good-looking, we couldn’t possibly hold this staring contest for so long.”

Gao Xining first glared at him — and then burst into laughter.

“What on earth do you need this bamboo for?”

Her voice had softened considerably.

Li Diudiu gave a brief account of the situation. Gao Xining thought it over and said: “You’re too easy to spot here — if people see you, word gets around and that’s bad. Come to my house — I have slender bamboo in my courtyard. Come steal mine instead.”

Li Diudiu gazed at her with something resembling reverence: “Noble character, admirable conduct — worthy of someone who keeps bamboo in their home.”

Gao Xining raised her foot to kick him. She actually had her foot in the air — then thought better of bullying an injured person and put it back down.

“Are you coming or not!”

“Of course I’m coming… First time I’ve ever seen someone insist a person come steal things from their own home…”

Gao Xining said: “Have you no shame?”

Li Diudiu asked: “What’s it selling for?”

Gao Xining: “…”

—

Two quarters of an hour later, on the steps in Gao Xining’s home courtyard, the two of them sat side by side. Li Diudiu gave directions while Gao Xining wove the bamboo strips — doing so with great concentration, working her hands while asking: “How do you think you’ll do in the exam?”

Li Diudiu answered: “Top three, no problem.”

Gao Xining narrowed her eyes to look at him. In that moment of distraction, her finger was pricked by a splinter on the bamboo strip. She let out a small cry of pain.

For some reason, Li Diudiu’s reaction was startled alarm. He immediately grabbed Gao Xining’s hand, peered at it, saw a bright bead of red on that porcelain-white finger — and without stopping to think, brought that finger to his lips and sucked at it.

Gao Xining was stunned.

“You… what are you doing…”

“Saliva is quite clean. My master said so.”

Li Diudiu released Gao Xining’s hand, raised his own hand, bit down on his sleeve, and yanked sharply — the sleeve tore and a strip of cloth came free.

Gao Xining stared at this foolish person before her and found herself thinking: this boy cares so much about his academy uniform — and he just tore it like that?

—