(6) A Real Man
Although I felt a strong connection with Zhuxiangxiang's mother as soon as I saw her, I didn't want her to treat me like a child. I had already grown out of that stage and could have an adult conversation with her, or at least, a mature attitude. However, I was so excited that my body couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably! I took a deep breath and tilted my head to the side. When I wanted to show my pride, my body language would naturally be like this. So, I saw the setting sun. The sun had turned bright red and looked more like a big fireball, but I couldn't feel its heat. The thick clouds surrounding the sun created a blurry redness, which made me understand why these clouds were described as "red clouds" in writing. Despite the high city walls and the howling north wind, I still felt a piercing pain all over my body. Due to my excitement, I was sweating profusely. When the cold wind blew, the sweat evaporated, taking away the heat and making me feel even colder. As a result, my body trembled more and more violently. I knew that I must have looked extremely embarrassed and wanted to run away to avoid further embarrassment. But at that moment, two hands rested on my shoulders, accompanied by a soft and pleasant voice: "Do you want to hear a true story?" I turned my head and saw Zhuxiangxiang's mother looking at me. I could feel that her gaze was friendly, and she didn't treat me like a child. I pursed my lips and nodded. She pointed to the base of the city wall and said, "It's less windy there, not as cold!" My body was still trembling, but I naturally resisted and said, "I'm not cold!" Zhuxiangxiang's mother smiled mischievously and raised her eyebrows. "Then why are you trembling? Are you afraid to hear the story I want to tell?" I raised my voice, "I'm not afraid of anything!" She laughed, "I believe you! You are brave...very brave. Your performance just now has proven your bravery!" Everyone likes to be praised, especially when it is sincere and heartfelt. It made me feel extremely comfortable, and naturally, I stopped trembling. I politely said, "Thank you. I think people should be brave to face life!" She nodded and walked towards the base of the city wall. I followed her and sat down on a large stone. It was much less windy there. After Zhuxiangxiang's mother sat down, she looked up at the sky, gazing at the gradually fading red clouds. I was waiting for her to start telling the story, but she suddenly said, "It's going to snow soon!" I didn't say anything, I just looked at her carefully. The more I looked, the more I felt that she resembled the woman who appeared on the "Ghost Bamboo." They were the same person! (At that time, and for a long time afterwards, I couldn't imagine why there would be a human figure on the "Ghost Bamboo." I couldn't even imagine what the "Ghost Bamboo" was!) (Of course, whenever I had the opportunity, I would mention this experience from my youth to people who could listen to my stories. Naturally, these people were also very imaginative, just like me. They couldn't explain it either, and most of them exclaimed, "There are so many wonderful and incredible things in the world!" Some people felt even more melancholic, "The level of human knowledge is still very low!") If she didn't speak up, I was about to ask her how her appearance ended up on the magical "Ghost Bamboo." She sighed softly, "Several years ago, two passionate young men, just like today before the snow, felt that the country was in trouble and needed their help. So they left school and joined the military, following the example of ancient heroes. These two young men had similar interests and became true friends, willing to live and die for each other." She spoke slowly. I was always impatient and liked to show off, so I could guess the identities of these "two young men." So, I said impolitely, "One of them is Zhuxiangxiang's father!" Zhuxiangxiang's mother wasn't surprised by how I guessed it, and she continued, "The reason they became good friends is quite interesting. Their names were the same, and their surnames were also half the same. After they entered middle school, they found a classmate with a name that was 84% similar to their own names on the student roster. They introduced themselves to each other and became instant friends. Their names were Zhiqiang, which is a very common boy's name. Zhuxiangxiang's surname is Zhu, as you know." With her last sentence, she admitted that I had guessed correctly. I then knew that Zhuxiangxiang's father's name was Zhu Zhiqiang, which was indeed a very common name. At this point, Zhuxiangxiang's mother's expression was obviously saying, "Can you guess the other young man's surname?" With so many surnames in China, it was difficult to guess. However, she had already given me a clue in her words: their names were 84% similar. Their names consisted of three characters, and the two characters "Zhiqiang" were the same, accounting for 66.6%. If their surnames were half the same, it would be around 84%. I thought for a moment, starting with the radical, "Zhu" belonged to the "Shi" radical. I thought of "Qi," "Zu," and even the very rare surname "Xiang." Then suddenly, the character "Fu" popped into my mind, and I blurted out, "The surname is Fu!" Zhuxiangxiang's mother looked surprised, "Who has the surname Fu?" I confidently replied, "There is, General Fukang'an during the Qing Dynasty!" (This Fukang'an is an important character in legendary novels. It is said that he was the illegitimate son of Emperor Qianlong, so he appears in many novels. However, it was not until he was portrayed in Jin Yong's novels that he truly became famous. I love reading all kinds of novels, so subconsciously, I had a deep impression of him. Zhuxiangxiang's mother smiled, "Fukang'an was a Manchu. His surname is not Fu but Fuchai." Fortunately, it was already dark at this time, so she couldn't see if my face was red. I thought for a moment and gave up searching for the surname based on radicals. The other half of the "Zhu" character was "Xiong." It was not easy to find a surname by following this "Xiong" character. However, I suddenly thought of another person, giving me a glimmer of hope. I calmly asked, "When is the challenge?" Zhuxiangxiang's mother looked surprised, "Tonight, after the grand banquet at the county government. Will you be there on time?" I turned around, "I will be there!" Zhuxiangxiang's mother didn't stop me or try to persuade me to withdraw. I walked away, facing the cold wind. Do you remember one of my classmates who was nicknamed "Big Eyes"? He had the ability to hit targets with a slingshot every time. I called him out from his home and told him what had happened. After hearing it, he turned pale and shook his hands, saying, "We are good friends, but I can't let you shoot eggs at my head...I'm too scared!" I shook my head, "You shoot eggs at my head!" Big Eyes panicked and covered his head with his hands, spinning around in confusion, "If I make a mistake, your head will explode, and you will die!" I said firmly, "I would rather die by your hand than suffer such humiliation!" Saying that, I dragged Big Eyes and walked towards the location of the banquet. It was quite a distance, and it took us some time. By the time we arrived, the banquet had just ended. As I stepped into the hall, I heard Zhuxiangxiang laughing like an adult, "Wei Sili will come, even if he can't find a partner!" His words made me furious, but another girl's clear voice rang out, "Wei Sili will come, even if he can't find a partner!" It was Zhuxiangxiang's voice! In an instant, my blood boiled, and I pulled Big Eyes, raised my head high, and walked in with big strides. As soon as we entered, the hall was brightly lit, but I couldn't tell how many people were there. I only saw several imposing figures sitting at a table in the middle. Zhuxiangxiang and Kuan Yinhao were there, as well as two of my elders. In this situation, it would be abnormal not to feel nervous, but Big Eyes, who was standing next to me, also straightened up and had a pale but determined expression. When everyone saw the two of us, they fell silent. A dignified middle-aged man (he was wearing civilian clothes, but I believed he was General Kuan) asked, "Have you two practiced shooting?" I replied, "I have never seen a real gun!" General Kuan turned to Big Eyes, who answered without waiting for the question, "I have only shot slingshots!" The hall erupted in laughter, like an unstoppable flood. But despite the laughter, we persisted, and the challenge began. It turned out that Zhuxiangxiang was indeed Kuan Yinhao's partner. When we each placed a small ring on our heads, with an egg placed on top of the ring, hundreds of people fell silent. Kuan Yinhao came over with two guns and asked Big Eyes to choose one. Big Eyes randomly picked one. The distance was ten meters, and General Kuan signaled the start by raising his cup. Both guns fired simultaneously, and there was only one gunshot. After the gunshot, I felt a sticky liquid running down my face. At that moment, I truly believed it was egg and brain matter, but of course, it was only egg white and yolk! Big Eyes succeeded, and I wiped my face with my hand, seeing Zhuxiangxiang on the other side with egg white and yolk all over her face! The applause and cheers in the hall lasted for a long time. General Kuan stood up, and I could see that he was extremely excited. When the applause subsided, he loudly proclaimed, "Everyone, this is how a real man should be!" As he spoke, he pointed at me and Big Eyes. I had regained my composure and gave him my answer, "I dare not, but one of the three conditions of a real man is unwavering strength, and that I can do!" I looked at Kuan Yinhao, and he applauded me, his applause louder than anyone else's.