The next day, while most students were already on break, Zhou Xiu was still up early, heading to Yu De Middle School for tutoring.
Although it wasn’t a full day of classes, having five back-to-back biology lessons in the morning was exhausting.
The biology competition covered a vast range of knowledge, seamlessly connecting with college-level biochemistry content. The students in the biology class were so overwhelmed they began to doubt their life choices.
Zhou Xiu flipped through the reference materials the teacher had handed out. The pages were filled with dense chemical formulas for sugars and proteins, making it look more like a chemistry textbook.
Zhou Xiu was decent at chemistry, but her classmates, upon opening the thick materials, were on the verge of questioning their existence.
In the morning, during the lab session, the teacher instructed the students to practice slicing tissue samples by hand until they could consistently cut thin layers of cells.
After completing the basic tasks, Zhou Xiu enthusiastically used the equipment to perform a small experiment related to a problem she encountered while studying.
Xu Qing handed Zhou Xiu a brand-new piece of gauze, saying, “Next time we have lab, bring more gauze so you don’t have to wash it.”
Zhou Xiu tossed her old, used gauze into the trash and started her experiment with the new one.
After class, Zhou Xiu followed her usual routine and spent an hour reading in the library.
On her way back, as she passed the basketball court, she spotted a familiar figure slowly collapsing to the ground, motionless.
Snapping back to reality, Zhou Xiu quickly dropped her book and sprinted over.
…
That morning, Tan Ming had arrived early at the school gym for training.
After the session, while the other team members dispersed to find food, Tan Ming headed to the outdoor court to shoot some hoops.
As he played, Tan Ming suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, followed by a sharp pain in his chest.
He slowly collapsed onto the ground.
Zhou Xiu quickly knelt beside Tan Ming, lightly slapping his face and leaning down to check his breathing. “Tan Ming, Tan Ming, can you hear me?”
She slapped his shoulder, but he didn’t respond. After checking his pulse, Zhou Xiu immediately took out her phone and dialled 120.
She calmly gave the address and then called Xu Qing.
Before the biology competition class ended, Xu Qing had mentioned to Zhou Xiu that he would be staying at school for lunch, so he should still be around.
The school grounds were quiet during the break, and the remote, spacious basketball court was nearly deserted during lunch.
Zhou Xiu called for help a few times, but when no one responded, she carefully laid Tan Ming’s head flat to keep his airway clear.
Xu Qing hadn’t left the school yet. When he received Zhou Xiu’s call, he was in the cafeteria eating with Xi Shaoyuan.
Upon hearing the situation, both boys immediately abandoned their meals and rushed to the basketball court.
Zhou Xiu was performing chest compressions at a rate of two per second and administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Xi Shaoyuan’s eye twitched as he saw Zhou Xiu giving Tan Ming mouth-to-mouth.
Xu Qing extended his hand. “Wait—let me do it.”
After all, a girl’s strength couldn’t compare to a boy’s.
Xu Qing took over, performing chest compressions at a standard rate of 100 per minute, following a 30:2 ratio of compressions to breaths for CPR.
When Xu Qing grew tired, Xi Shaoyuan took over.
The Tan family had only one male heir. If anything happened to Tan Ming at school today, it would be no small matter.
In the chaos, Zhou Xiu suddenly remembered something. She ran to the gym and retrieved an AED, efficiently using the defibrillator to continue resuscitating Tan Ming.
She unbuttoned Tan Ming’s shirt and placed the defibrillator pads on his chest. Two minutes later, Zhou Xiu was preparing to give him another breath when Tan Ming began to regain consciousness.
A bead of sweat from her forehead dripped onto Tan Ming’s chest.
Tan Ming slowly opened his eyes, seeing Zhou Xiu’s sweat-drenched face close to his, her slightly pouted lips a vivid pink. The warmth of her breath brushed against his face.
“You’re awake, and conscious—that’s good,” Zhou Xiu sighed in relief.
“Damn, that was scary,” Xu Qing remarked.
Tan Ming couldn’t speak, only feeling a sharp pain in his chest and difficulty breathing.
“We’re not waiting for the ambulance,” Xi Shaoyuan said, spotting his family’s car approaching in the distance. He decisively helped Tan Ming to his feet.
The Xi family’s driver had already driven into the school grounds. Together, they managed to get the semi-conscious Tan Ming into the car, and the driver sped through red lights all the way to the hospital.
Shortly after Tan Ming was admitted to the hospital, his family arrived in a rush.
They expressed their gratitude to Xi Shaoyuan, but he coldly replied, “It wasn’t us. Zhou Xiu found him.”
Tan Ming’s parents turned to the slender Zhou Xiu standing in the corner and thanked her profusely. “Thank you so much. You saved Ming Ming’s life.”
After a full morning of intense classes, an hour in the library, and the chaos of the past hour, Zhou Xiu was exhausted.
She waved her hand, “No need to thank me. I’m going home to eat. You should go check on Tan Ming.”
Xi Shaoyuan added, “I’m leaving too.”
He glanced at Xu Qing, “You don’t need me to give you a ride, right?”
Xu Qing chuckled, “Why wouldn’t I? My driver didn’t come today. You can give me a ride.”
Xi Shaoyuan said, “There’s no room in my car for you. Find your own way.”
Zhou Xiu shook her head and pulled out her bus card from her backpack, waving it in front of him. “No need.”
Xu Qing smiled, unable to hold back a laugh.
Xi Shaoyuan followed Zhou Xiu down the stairs.
As they descended, he grabbed her hand. “Get in the car. Stop being stubborn. You’re as pale as a sheet. I’m worried you’ll faint on the bus like Tan Ming.”
He handed her a box of milk and a pack of wet wipes from the car.
“Wipe yourself down.”
Zhou Xiu got in the car and realized that all three of them had performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Tan Ming earlier.
Her gaze drifted to Xi Shaoyuan’s lips, and suddenly, she lost her appetite for the milk.
He had used up an entire pack of wet wipes to clean his mouth and even rinsed it with mineral water.
Curious, Xi Shaoyuan asked, “How did you know there was an AED in the gym?”
Zhou Xiu replied, “It was a topic covered in the biology competition questions, so I paid attention. These basic life skills are essential.”
Half an hour later, the car arrived at the bumpy, dusty alley of the urban village.
From upstairs, Liu Mei spotted Xi Shaoyuan and waved warmly:
“Shaoyuan, come on up and have a meal with us!”
An enticing aroma wafted from the window of Zhou Xiu’s house.
Xi Shaoyuan nodded and walked up the stairs, entering Zhou Xiu’s home for the first time. Zhou Cheng was sitting on a high stool, diligently cutting yellow dough. He was rolling the dough as thin as paper.
The knife sliced through the dough with a swift motion, cutting it into noodles finer than thread.
In the blink of an eye, the noodles were boiled in hot water, then served with mushroom sauce and sprinkled with green onions. Liu Mei brought two large bowls to the table, wiping her apron and warmly saying:
“Shaoyuan, give it a try.”
“Xiu’er, time to eat.”
The first thing Zhou Xiu did when she got home was rinse her mouth, scrubbing until it was sore before she sat down to eat.
Shaoyuan took a sip of the broth, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes as he quickly finished the noodles.
Liu Mei smiled and said, “The broth is good, right? That’s how it should be. It’s been simmering with a Sanhuang chicken since Xiu’er left for school this morning.”
Zhou Cheng beamed at Xi Shaoyuan, explaining, “This is called Golden Thread Noodles, made from a pound of flour and half a pound of eggs. Back in the day, only the wealthy could afford to eat this. It was served at high-end banquets.”
The noodles were as thin as silk and as light as cicada wings. They would burn when exposed to fire. The broth was clear, and the noodles were smooth and translucent.
Zhou Xiu listened to her father’s words and said, “Dad, don’t talk so much. Just have a bowl. He’s had all kinds of fancy food.”
Zhou Cheng chuckled, “I just wanted to ask if Shaoyuan likes this. If it’s good, we’re thinking of setting up a breakfast stall to sell it.”
Xi Shaoyuan calmly said, “It’s good. You can sell it.” This bowl of noodles had a warmth that tasted like home.
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