The call came from an old classmate I hadn't heard from in a long time. His name was Zhou Xi.
I had run into Zhou Xi earlier this year, around the time I was still working at the factory. It was on my way to town to buy some daily necessities after finishing a night shift.
At the time, after a few words, the guy asked for my phone number, saying it would be convenient for future contact.
Like Wang Yu, Zhou Xi had been in the same class as me from primary school all the way through junior high.
In our nine years of schooling, if I was the most peculiar and unsociable among all my classmates, then Zhou Xi... was the one who received the most disdainful glances and mockery!
This was because Zhou Xi had a very catchy nickname: "Snow Mountain Flying Fox."
The reason Zhou Xi was called "Snow Mountain Flying Fox" was that, ever since primary school, there was an inexplicable, persistent odor about him.
This strange smell only became clear to us in junior high, after we entered puberty and had biology class... it turned out to be body odor.
During those three years of junior high, whenever it was late spring or early summer, the entire classroom would be filled with an indescribable, pungent odor.
As far as I recall, from the first year of junior high, due to his body odor, Zhou Xi was frequently moved by teachers to different seats.
Every morning when he entered the classroom, Zhou Xi's first task was to gather his books and then move his desk.
Throughout junior high, until I dropped out, Zhou Xi was the only person in the entire class who never had a fixed deskmate!
Never!
Here today, there tomorrow.
Coming without a shadow, leaving without a trace.
Except for leaving a faint scent in the surrounding air when he departed!
The nickname "Snow Mountain Flying Fox" originated from this...
Because of his body odor, Zhou Xi was not only scolded by Wang Yu, but also beaten and extorted.
Each time, Zhou Xi would be bruised and battered, covered in scars, and even emotionally and mentally scarred!
However, back then, I paid no attention to what happened in the class and had no interest in it.
Thinking about it now, I was just too naive.
Wang Yu's wickedness was truly ingrained.
When Zhou Xi hadn't provoked him in any way, and he acted so unreasonably and violently simply because of the other person's physical condition, how could he have treated me well for no reason?
Alas... I realized it too late!
Enough digression, let's get back to the point.
The call from my old classmate Zhou Xi didn't elicit an overly enthusiastic or cold response from me. Instead, I chatted calmly with him.
Not too passive, not too proactive.
After a bit of aimless conversation, perhaps because he had a purpose in calling me, or perhaps because he grew impatient hearing me not ask the reason, Zhou Xi suddenly changed the subject and got straight to the point.
"Hey Xiangzi! We're having a junior high class reunion this Saturday afternoon! Are... are you free?"
As expected, I knew it!
Under normal circumstances, when a classmate you haven't contacted for a long time suddenly calls, it's always for one of the usual three reasons.
Borrowing money, a reunion, or a wedding!
Beyond that, there are no other reasons.
When someone is doing better than you, they will never proactively contact you.
Especially old classmates you haven't seen for several years. If such a person contacts you, it must be for one of those three reasons.
"I'm busy on Saturday. You guys go ahead and have your reunion."
"Oh, by the way, do you have anything else going on? If not, I'll hang up."
Once I understood his intention, I rejected him quite decisively.
Heh. What kind of damn class reunion?
Isn't it just an excuse to reconnect, while openly showing off in various ways?!
Comparing jobs if you have one, if not, comparing backgrounds...
Comparing backgrounds if you have them, if not, comparing family status...
Comparing family status if you have it, if not, comparing connections...
Besides these aspects that can maximize the factors reflecting how well or poorly a person is doing, things like partners, quality of life, etc., as long as they can be used for comparison, there will naturally be people who deliberately steer the conversation in that direction.
In short, the so-called class reunion is nothing more than a blatant display of wealth under the guise of rekindling friendships, and a free-for-all mingling session!
Why go? What the hell for!
Just as I was about to hang up, Zhou Xi suddenly said, "Don't! It's rare for all of us old classmates to finally get in touch. Even those who were busy have rescheduled. Don't spoil everyone's fun!"
Hearing this, I remained unmoved and replied, "I'm not going!"
But Zhou Xi was still persistent, saying in a rather angry tone, "Xiangzi! Have you gotten too big for your britches now? Old classmates' faces don't matter anymore?"
"No wonder when I ran into Wang Yu last time, he said you don't even look at people directly anymore."
"At first, I thought Wang Yu was just badmouthing you. But looking at it now, it seems you really don't take us old classmates seriously!"
"In one word... will you give me face, or not!?"
Upon hearing Zhou Xi's words, I immediately realized that there must be something going on at this reunion!
As the saying goes: when something is out of the ordinary, there must be a reason.
Among the usual three reasons for classmates contacting each other, I've seen people eagerly lining up to borrow money from classmates, and I've seen people calling and pressuring others to attend their weddings.
But honestly, this is the first time I've ever seen someone use moral coercion to force others to attend a class reunion!
Heh. Face?
Face is always earned, not given!
You want me to give you face?! I wish I could slap you twice!!!
However, since Zhou Xi had pushed it this far, whether out of curiosity or for some other reason, I decided... to go and witness this so-called "class reunion!"
After a moment of silence, I replied, "Send me the time and location to my phone. If I'm free, I'll come. I'm busy, I'm hanging up now!"
With that, I hung up the phone.
After hanging up, I sat up and leaned against the headboard. I picked up the cigarette pack from the bedside table, lit a Hong Nanjing, and smoked in silence.
My mind was filled with curiosity. What exactly did this Zhou Xi want? And what was his true intention in asking me to meet?
Class reunion? Don't be ridiculous!
As the only one in the class who dropped out of school without even taking the high school entrance exams, I had long become a laughingstock in their eyes, and an embodiment of "unsuccessful" and "not doing proper work."
During my six years working at the textile factory in the neighboring town, I hadn't failed to encounter other classmates.
But the first reaction of most of them upon seeing me was usually to pretend not to know me and hurry past.
Only Zhou Xi, every time he met me, would stop and chat for a few sentences.
It was precisely because of this detail that, during our last encounter, I ended up giving him my phone number under his persistent questioning.
I thought Zhou Xi was like me.
In our youthful, ignorant, yet prideful adolescent years, Zhou Xi would remember the series of harms inflicted upon him by Wang Yu.
But I forgot, people are inherently different!