Even to tell a tiny tale, some brief introduction of the background is still necessary. So we can certainly expect the relatively bigger sized story to have a more complete background. You are right. I don't know whether I am worse or better than the person, who is actually myself, but the timeline should be rolled back to the point when he was not entering the campus. But one thing is definite, that I am no longer to be that person. But, if I am going to write about "him", who is the main role playing in my "background", I have to leap back and forth between he and I. You see, it is sometimes extremely difficult. Anyway, it is so lucky that, he is myself. This reduces most friction in recognition, and many things can be digged out from very deeply buried memories.

 

I was born in a family constructed in an educational way. Both of my parents works in school, as educators. So it should be assumed that I must be very used to the life in the campus. That was what in my mind some years ago, that is, the life in the campus is no more than the extension cord of the life in the high school, which proved soon after, to be totally, terribly wrong.

 

The first guy I came to know as the schoolmate, of course, who turned out to be my classmate, is Jùnjié Zhāng. What a coincidence! From 1998 Jan., I started to write for a newspaper, titled Student Computer World. This newpaper is issued by China Welfare Institute, and Jùnjié's mother is working for the CWI. One day I was invited to the newsroom to discuss about the publishing plan of my series, and my parents would like to go with me and by the way have a meal outside, spending a happy weekend together. So my parents had the chance to run into Jùnjié's mother. She is a very kind woman, and was dressed in purple that day, smiling in a professional way.

 

"I heard your son have achieved the entrance qualification of the ShanghaiJiaotongUniversity," she said in a clear and gentle sound, "what is his major?"

 

"Oh, he studies computer science." My mother replied with obvious pride, "That's his dream."

 

"Aha, how can it be so lucky! My son is also following that major." Jùnjié's mother became also a bit delighted. She showed us the admission note granted by ShanghaiJiaotongUniversity, which Jùnjié's name is printed on it, which is different from mine. Mine is written by hand.

 

It is nothing unexpected that we two families invited each other to pay a visit, and soon after that, time for school again. 2000 Sep. Jùnjié's father has a car to fetch us two to the campus. On the car, Jùnjié's mother said to us, "You two, should not only have a good grade in your study, but you'd better to have a secondary major. I hope it to be management."

 

I replied in no time, "Management! I have no interest in the subject. I am planning to learn foreign languages." Jùnjié's mother looked at me, and politely kept silent. I felt my gaffe, long after that, maybe a year later. When one day this affair reflected suddenly into my mind, I became very sorry about my behavior then. This is as an signal, Jùnjié was following his mother's instructions, and completes the four-year-long campus life very smoothly. But I was sure to pay for my personality.