Chapter 13: The Bicycle and the Girl

After school in the afternoon, Deng Chao and Jiang Wei gathered around Chen Xiao.

Deng Chao exclaimed, "Xiaozi, you're incredible! You helped me improve my scores so much!"

Jiang Wei handed Chen Xiao a bottle of Jianlibao, saying, "I didn't copy everything. If I had copied all of it, we would definitely have secured spots in the top 20."

Deng Chao sneered, "It's no surprise that you ranked fifth and sixth from the bottom in the test. If you were in the top 20, would Mr. Liao need to conduct an investigation?"

Jiang Wei chuckled and patted Chen Xiao on the shoulder, saying, "Xiaozi, don't worry. When I go home today, I'll tell my dad about the results of the first clinic. He'll definitely reward me with pocket money, and I'll cover your meals for a month."

Deng Chao chimed in, "Fifty yuan pocket money, I'll give it to you tomorrow!"

Chen Xiao responded earnestly, "Cheating in exams can only solve immediate problems. When it comes to the real college entrance examination, no one can help you. If you're serious about improving your studies, getting into a university, and joining a study group, then I'm here to help you. Let's make a strong push in the last six months."

"Getting into a university is not difficult with hard work."

Deng Chao and Jiang Wei had many friends, but their conversations usually revolved around finding fun places to play billiards or discussing the latest games at the arcade. They rarely engaged in meaningful conversations like this with Chen Xiao.

Chen Xiao continued thoughtfully, "I've heard that college girls are very beautiful. My brother said that talking to college girls feels great."

Deng Chao and Jiang Wei's ears perked up.

Deng Chao exclaimed, "What's so hard about getting into a university? If others can do it, so can we."

Jiang Wei, being more straightforward, said, "I want to go to college to meet girls and join the study group."

Indeed, the scent of hormones can ignite a man's fighting spirit.

Chen Xiao had initially planned to ask Shen Wei if he could borrow her computer. But considering that Deng Chao and Jiang Wei came from affluent backgrounds, he revealed his true intentions and said, "I need to prepare lessons to teach you the key concepts. Do you happen to have a laptop at home that I could borrow?"

Jiang Wei was perplexed, asking, "What's a laptop?"

Apparently, Jiang Wei had never even heard of one.

Deng Chao, on the other hand, knew what it was. He said, "My cousin in Yanjing seems to have one, but those things are very expensive! They cost tens of thousands of yuan. My dad wouldn't buy one for me."

Chen Xiao listened to their words and realized that he was being unrealistic.

In 1999, laptops did exist, but they were indeed expensive.

During this era, Lenovo's Tianlu series desktops, equipped with a Pentium III processor, 500MHz, 64MB RAM, and a 10GB hard drive, were sold for over 20,000 yuan. The price of a laptop was even higher, ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 yuan or more.

Even if Deng Chao and Jiang Wei came from wealthy families, their fathers wouldn't buy such an expensive item since it had no practical value.

Foreman was fond of Motorola's flip phones, not laptops.

Shen Wei's father worked at the Education Bureau, and her mother was a professor at Jiangcheng University of Science and Technology. Perhaps only Shen Wei, from an academic family like hers, would have a laptop.

Chen Xiao waved at Deng Chao and Jiang Wei, preparing to head home.

The 28th bar was parked near the school playground. During this era, the school didn't have a plastic playground. They used carbon ash and small stones, which were leveled with a road roller. As long as there hadn't been rain for a few days, the playground would remain dusty.

The teaching building, built in the 1980s, appeared relatively new now. It was made of large red bricks with pointed roofs, exuding a strong Soviet style.

As Chen Xiao walked out of the school, he found vendors lining up along the road. Tang monk meat, Hua Hua Dan, small watermelon bubble gum... These nostalgic snacks instantly transported Chen Xiao back to this era.

He took out two cents from his pocket, bought a small packet of shredded figs, and stuffed them into his mouth—full of nostalgia.

"Chen Xiao!" Someone shouted from behind at that moment.

Cao Cao's name had been called, and Chen Xiao was still contemplating how to ask Shen Wei about borrowing her computer. But now, Shen Wei had arrived.

"I want to join the study group," Shen Wei declared with determination.

"Really? With Miss Shen joining us, the struggling students in our class will be saved," Chen Xiao rejoiced internally.

Little did she know that Shen Wei shook her head and said, "No, I want to join the study group to discuss how to improve my math skills. Why are you so good at math? You always score above 140."

This... This was a difficult question for Chen Xiao to answer.

He couldn't reveal that his reborn knowledge overlapped with his original knowledge, resulting in a significant improvement in his grades, could he?

"Where's your bike? How will you get back home?" Chen Xiao asked.

He remembered that Shen Wei's family lived in the residential area of the Education Bureau, and she rode a bicycle to school every day.

Shen Wei hesitated and said embarrassedly, "I overslept today, and my dad lent me his bike. He has an event tonight..."

Suddenly, everything made sense to Chen Xiao.

He patted the back seat of the 28th bar and said, "Get on, I'll give you a ride."

As he said this, Chen Xiao couldn't help but chuckle.

Just a few days ago, he had let a beautiful woman ride in his Bentley, and now he was offering a ride on his old bike.

"What are you waiting for? It's getting late! We can continue talking in the car," Chen Xiao urged.

Blushing, Shen Wei mustered up her courage, hopped on the bike, and Chen Xiao pedaled towards her home.

The cold winter wind blew against them, its biting chill making Shen Wei unconsciously hug Chen Xiao's waist tightly...

The warmth of the boy's body and his rhythmic breathing caused Shen Wei's cheeks to grow warm.

While appreciating the scenery of Jiangcheng's old residential area in 1999, Chen Xiao engaged in conversation with Shen Wei about learning mathematics.

Chen Xiao listened to Shen Wei as she discussed the mistakes she made on her math test, realizing that her main obstacle in math was her inability to deduce solutions from different scenarios.

"I mentioned today that everyone should focus on the basics and practice more questions. Some question types require less knowledge, and if you're pressed for time during the exam, you won't be able to solve them. Do you ever feel like you're studying slowly, but something still feels off? It's not that difficult, is it?" Chen Xiao inquired.

Shen Wei quickly nodded, as Chen Xiao's words struck a chord within her.

Chen Xiao continued, "We have access to numerous math problem materials and tutorial resources. Considering the limited time available, we can't go through them all. In a few days, I'll get you a special training exercise set that should be helpful."

Shen Wei felt a sense of warmth in her heart. Even at this moment, Chen Xiao was still willing to help her. She was deeply moved.

"Thank you, Chen Xiao..."

Chen Xiao pedaled his bike, wearing a smile as he said, "I have a small request. Can you check if you have a laptop at home and lend it to me?"

As Shen Wei's residential area near the Education Bureau approached, she spotted her mother standing at the door. Fear gripped her, and she hurriedly said, "Chen Xiao, please hurry. My mother is at the door."

High school students in the 1990s weren't free from the scrutiny of their parents. If Shen Wei's mother discovered that she had ridden on a boy's bike, she would undoubtedly face criticism upon returning home.