Returning to Infancy with my Nemesis - Chapter 56

The first day of elementary school went very smoothly.

They were still too young to go to the school cafeteria for lunch, so their families picked them up and brought them back home for a nap before sending them back to school.

Today, they had lunch at Tang Mian’s house, and tomorrow they would go to Fu Shizhao’s house, taking turns.

In the evening, Tang Mian returned home and casually threw his small backpack on the sofa. Holding Shen Siwan’s hand, he went to the cabinet where they kept their felting tools and asked Shen Siwan to take them all out.

Shen Siwan was afraid that Tang Mian would secretly play with these things and get hurt, so they were usually locked in a high cabinet. Tang Mian, although a little helpless, cooperated obediently.

Shen Siwan had turned down work today, afraid that something unexpected might happen on Tang Mian’s first day of elementary school. Fortunately, the day had been peaceful.

Sitting next to the table, Shen Siwan supported his chin with one hand and watched as a pure white little dog gradually took shape in Tang Mian’s hands. She praised, “Mian Mian, you have such great hand skills.”

Tang Mian’s eyes curved as they glued a black half-bead in the position of the dog’s eyes.

Cotton Candy, the agile cat, jumped onto the table and sniffed the little dog felt in Tang Mian’s hands. Its big tail gently swept across, and Shen Siwan laughed and scooped it up into her arms, afraid that it might interfere with Tang Mian’s handicraft.

In his previous life, Tang Mian had never tried this kind of handicraft. It was actually Fu Shizhao who was more skilled at it, and Tang Mian had always been waiting for Fu Shizhao to make things for them.

But in this life, one day, they were taken to a DIY store in a mall and became curious, so they went in and tried it out. That’s when they developed an interest in it. In this life, it seemed that Fu Shizhao wasn’t very interested in handicrafts, always eagerly watching as Tang Mian made little things to give to him.

The main problem was that there were very few things that could be done at that age. It was so boring for him, trapped in that adult body. He was afraid of doing anything that didn’t match his age, fearing exposure. So he had to try hard to find something interesting that was suitable for his age.

Doing crafts was fun.

In addition to felting, he also learned some paper cutting. He made window decorations with paper cutting during last year’s Chinese New Year. He even gave some to close relatives and elderly neighbors, and received compliments for a long time. His tail was wagging with joy throughout the New Year period.

Children were easily satisfied, and Tang Mian was no exception. Tang Sheng came back when Tang Mian had already finished making a little dog out of felt.

Tang Sheng had started his first year of high school, and he had evening self-study sessions then. Normally, he didn’t come home for dinner in the evening because he was too busy. But that day was Tang Mian’s first day of elementary school, so he came back.

When he saw his older brother come back, Tang Mian casually said while trimming the edges of the little felt dog, “Brother, I’ll make a doll for Sister Tian Tian later, can you give it to her?”

He knew that his brother had summer tutoring classes with Jiang Tian, and they were in the same class in high school as well.

Tang Sheng reluctantly replied with a soft ‘Hmm’ and hurried upstairs.

Tang Mian’s eyes curved as he continued to focus on fixing the little felt dog in his hands.

Last time, he had made a little dog with a strawberry hat for Fu Shizhao. This time, he made a little dog holding a strawberry in its arms.

Fu Shizhao didn’t have any particular favorite food or things, so Tang Mian could only use his favorite little strawberry as decoration. Anyway, no matter what, Fu Shizhao would like it.

Elementary school life was not as carefree as kindergarten life. There were more courses, and during class, it was necessary to listen attentively because the teacher was watching from the podium.

In a past life, Tang Mian had stood on the podium to give a presentation.

He knew that when the teacher said, “I can see everything from down here,” it wasn’t a bluff, but they really could see everything clearly.

In addition, Tang Mian had been receiving special attention from the teacher because of his right ear. So, he had to obediently listen to these courses that were no different from “1+1=2” to him.

Tang Mian was getting sleepy from listening.

On the other hand, Fu Shizhao, who sat beside him, was listening very attentively, especially his posture. It was exactly the same as the teacher’s demonstration, very standard.

Tang Mian tried to imitate his posture, sitting up straight with both hands folded in front of him, keeping a fist-sized distance between his body and the desk. He tried hard to sit even more standardized than Fu Shizhao, silently engaging in a battle.

In the past life, he actually had a slight hunchback. His mom tried to correct it for a long time, but it didn’t have much effect. Later, a series of events and accumulated pressure also affected his cervical spine.

But this time, he could make some small improvements from a young age.

Tang Mian’s favorite subject was not art class, but physical education.

After all, the content taught in art class was too basic for him, and he didn’t find it enjoyable to draw.

Physical education class was different. He could wander around the campus and even play table tennis with Fu Shizhao.

In the past life, Fu Shizhao actually enjoyed playing basketball. After all, Tang Mian’s dad and his adoptive father both played basketball and taught them when they were young.

However, Tang Mian stopped playing basketball after getting hit by a basketball and his hearing aid fell to the ground.

Just starting out in table tennis, the “lethality” wasn’t that great. Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao would go to the table tennis table together during every physical education class, holding their paddles and rallying.

Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao each had their own table tennis ball, both of them in the standard yellow color.

To differentiate, Tang Mian used a marker to draw a little dog’s face on Fu Shizhao’s table tennis ball, while he drew a small strawberry on his own.

Once, Fu Shizhao’s table tennis ball fell into a drain with a damaged corner, and they couldn’t retrieve it no matter what they tried. He was sad for a long time until Tang Mian drew a new dog face on a new table tennis ball for him, and he became happy again.

Easy to please.

Although the courses in elementary school were simple, the homework was quite challenging for Tang Mian.

The challenge didn’t come from the homework itself, but from Tang Mian having to complete the assignments with the handwriting of a first-grade student.

Since the curriculum became more in-depth and the nightly homework increased, Tang Mian would spend every evening with Fu Shizhao, working on their assignments together.

Sometimes they would be at Tang Mian’s house, and other times at Fu Shizhao’s house.

Either way, they had their everyday items at both places. They had been visiting each other’s houses frequently since kindergarten.

Gradually, Tang Mian would secretly ask Fu Shizhao for help with his homework.

After all, spending so much time together, their handwriting naturally became quite similar—it was normal.

Even if Fu Shizhao didn’t help him with his homework, Tang Mian continued to imitate his handwriting to pass off as his own.

Most of the Chinese homework in first grade involved copying passages, while math was simple arithmetic where only the final answer mattered. Unlike in middle school, there was no need for comprehension or step-by-step problem solving. Even if someone else did the work for him, it wouldn’t be easily detected.

Consider it as Fu Shizhao “repaying his debt” from the previous life.

Anyway, Tang Mian’s grades wouldn’t be affected even if he didn’t do his homework. The curriculum in elementary school was a breeze for him.

Once he entered middle school, he would have to do his homework on his own. After graduating from the previous life’s middle school, he had forgotten almost all the content, so he had to work hard to prepare for the college entrance examination.

As a reward, Tang Mian would draw some pictures that Fu Shizhao wanted and give them to him. He wouldn’t let him work for nothing. It worked out well as he could do something he enjoyed while reciprocating.

When the two kids were doing their homework, family members wouldn’t disturb them. Even if there was something urgent, they would knock on the door in advance. Upon hearing the knocking, Tang Mian would quickly grab his own homework and pretend to be working on it, and Fu Shizhao was “on board” as well, cooperating with him.

This whole thing remained undiscovered.

Time flew by quickly.

Every weekend, Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao would continue to attend classes at the Youth Activity Center.

Fu Shizhao was learning a musical instrument and was always taking exams. Tang Mian even accompanied him to other cities for the exams. When he learned that Fu Shizhao had passed the exams, Tang Mian was happier than Fu Shizhao himself.

Mu Zichen didn’t continue “skipping school” for filming anymore. He only occasionally took on small roles during winter and summer vacations. On one hand, he continued to study dance and became much thinner, looking more handsome than before.

Fu Jiacao didn’t cause any trouble like in the previous life. He had good relationships with all of them.

It was probably because the Fu family didn’t underestimate Fu Shizhao anymore.

In their eyes, Fu Shizhao was just a child doted on by Grandma Fu, with a hobby in music. He couldn’t really make it big. Although his relationship with Mu Zichen seemed good, he might become just a mere actor in the future.

Fu Jiacao’s mother must have known about him and Fu Shizhao being in the same class. She would always have Fu Jiacao bring a lot of snacks to share with them in class.

Although it was a gesture of goodwill, she maintained a proper distance and didn’t make people feel uncomfortable. Additionally, Fu Jiacao no longer referred to Tang Mian as “gege” and Fu Shizhao didn’t have the initial wariness towards Fu Jiacao.

Although Fu Jiacao seemed weak and cried easily, always giving off the impression of needing protection, surprisingly, he had a “motherly” attribute.

During a school-organized spring outing and picnic, their class chose a grassy area near a clear stream in the suburbs.

The school didn’t strictly require every child in the class to participate in the picnic. Only about half of the children joined.

The teacher brought props for starting a fire, pots, and various condiments in bottles and jars. Each child prepared a dish brought from home for the picnic.

Everyone cooked together and shared the food.

Children of this age could indeed try their hand at cooking, but under the supervision of adults. After all, although cooking may seem optional, learning some basic skills is quite important – like making simple noodles, boiling dumplings, or cooking porridge.

Tang Mian brought a bowl of pre-cut cucumbers, planning to mix them and eat them directly. A simplified version of cucumber salad… still considered a dish.

Tang Mian couldn’t cook.

He was aware of his own abilities.

He admitted that he was a bit picky because of his hearing impairment in his right ear. He paid extra attention to his other organs.

In the previous life, during high school, due to studying art, the pressure of the college entrance examination, and family changes, he was very concerned about his hands. It reached a point of slight obsession. He wouldn’t use his hands for unnecessary tasks, even simple ones like cutting vegetables – he was afraid of injuring his hands. Even if it was just a small cut, he would feel anxious.

However, this situation improved a lot after he entered university, almost to the point of disappearing. He just never learned to cook again.

During his four years of university, Tang Mian mainly ate at the cafeteria or nearby snack streets and ordered takeout. After graduating, there were times when he was too busy to even remember to eat, let alone cook for himself.

Fu Shizhao brought a plate of braised beef.

Just like Tang Mian, he couldn’t cook either.

Actually, in this life, he wanted to learn how to cook. After all, Tang Mian couldn’t cook either, and it would be better if at least one of them knew how. But there were too many things to learn, and his body couldn’t handle it all, so he could only wait for the future.

“Which little friend wants to try it first?” the teacher asked with a smile. “Me!” a somewhat unbelievable little hand suddenly shot up. good.

Fu Jiacao skillfully prepared the sauce, lit the fire, blanched the prepared ribs, fished them out, added rock sugar to caramelize, poured in the pre-made sauce, added water to simmer, and sprinkled white sesame seeds before serving.

The fragrant sweet and sour ribs appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Tang Mian was stunned as he watched from the side.

Although Fu Shizhao was also surprised, he could understand after the initial shock.

For Fu Jiacao, being part of the Fu family was nothing more than a useless burden. The ones with real power were those who controlled the shares of the Fu family. His family’s conditions couldn’t even compare to Tang Wei’s family.

His mother probably started teaching him some life skills at a young age and didn’t want him to get involved in all the mess. As long as he took care of himself, it was enough.

Everyone has their own areas of expertise and interests. Fu Jiacao was indeed good at taking care of others, which could be seen in their daily interactions.

Although he was fragile, sensitive, and prone to tears, it was because of this that he was able to keenly perceive the emotional changes of those around him. Several times, when the children in the class who were closer to him were feeling down, he was the first to comfort them and solve their problems.

The girls in the class also enjoyed playing with Fu Jia Cao and Tang Mian. They liked playing with Fu Jia Cao because of his personality, and they liked playing with Tang Mian because of his beautiful drawings. The girls always begged Tang Mian to draw cute little animals on their book covers.

During that picnic, Tang Mian’s favorite dish was the sweet and sour ribs made by Fu Jia Cao. Seeing this, Fu Shizhao gave Tang Mian the piece of rib from his own bowl, and he ate the cucumber salad that Tang Mian had prepared. This strengthened his desire to learn cooking.

After all, if you want to win someone’s heart, you have to start with their stomach.

Mu Zichen, on the other hand, had a bit of a miserable time. He had already made an appointment to participate in a photo shoot for one of his mom’s friends on the weekend and couldn’t join the picnic, which he regretted for a long time.

It wasn’t until a few days later when Fu Jia Cao secretly brought him a box of sweet and sour ribs that his mood improved.

When the picnic ended, the teacher set up the camera and took a group photo of the children who participated in the picnic, standing by the grass along the river.

[T/N: Below is a little glimpse of the future, I was just grumbling about how they weren’t growing up but now that they did, I suddenly feel a bit sentimental lol. It’s probably the hormones but it still feels weird sigh]

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Many years later, in a springtime, Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao returned to this place.

It was Tang Mian’s sudden idea to come here for a sketching session.

Fu Shizhao was too busy with work, and although they stuck together every day, they didn’t have many opportunities to spend a whole day on a date.

They had been to all the possible date spots, and Fu Shizhao didn’t know where else to go. But in reality, as long as Tang Mian was there, anywhere would be fine.

When Fu Shizhao suddenly had the idea of going on a spring outing and asked if they should go, Tang Mian thought of this place. Tang Mian set up his easel and asked Fu Shizhao how the cucumber salad he made tasted back then.

Fu Shizhao smiled and said it was delicious, although there was a piece of salt that didn’t mix well, making it overly salty. He chugged a bottle of water to alleviate the taste.

Tang Mian’s ears turned slightly red, and he turned away, avoiding looking at him. His gaze fell on the gentle flowing water of the small river. The spring breeze lifted his slightly long hair, and Fu Shizhao couldn’t help but reach up and rub it.

“What are you thinking about?” Fu Shizhao asked.

“Memories always fade too quickly. I can hardly remember things from elementary school,” Tang Mian said, securing the paper on the easel. “But there are some things I remember very clearly.” Fu Shizhao let go of his hand and took the tape from him.

“Mhm,” Tang Mian tilted his head slightly, looking at him.

“There was one year when we got new textbooks at the beginning of the school year, and Mu Zichen asked you to draw a puppy on the first page of his textbook, and you didn’t refuse.”

“There was a time during recess when Fu Jia Cao said he was cold, and you gave him your jacket to sleep in. That jacket was the one I carefully picked out for you with my New Year’s money.”

“There was a time during a physical education class when we were lining up according to height, and you and Fu Jia Cao were in the front, joking and laughing, completely ignoring me when I called you.”

Tang Mian hurriedly lowered his lashes and continued to take out the paints from his bag.

How could Fu Shizhao always remember these things?

Fu Shizhao continued to say some things on his own. After a pause, he continued, “That’s about it for elementary school. Then we moved on to junior high school, which was even more eventful. There was this stupid idiot with blonde hair who confessed to you. You said mhm…”

Tang Mian quickly covered his mouth, giving him a dangerous look. “Don’t say any more,” he said.

Fu Shizhao smiled and kissed the palm of his hand.

Tang Mian said, “He’s not even comparable to my little brother, yet he wanted to confess to me.” Tang Mian thought he wasn’t around, but he was actually not far away, overhearing everything.

*************

After successfully graduating from elementary school, Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao both enrolled in Tang Sheng’s former junior high school.

Another six years passed. Tang Sheng had already graduated from high school and was currently in his third year of university.

He and Jiang Tian had also successfully become a couple. Their schools were very close to each other, and Tang Mian often saw their dating photos on Jiang Tian’s social media.

During the summer vacation when Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao were preparing to enter junior high school, the two of them took their two semi-grown-up children on a trip together. They became a third wheel once again.

When they returned, Tang Mian didn’t take a plane but insisted on taking the high-speed train.

In the previous life, they had taken a plane back. The plane was too fast, and he wanted to see the scenery along the way and spend more time with his brother and sister-in-law. After returning in the previous life, their family went through some changes, and his brother and sister-in-law never went on such a carefree trip again.

 However, at that time, Tang Mian was still young and unaware of the changes happening at home. Everyone kept it from him until he couldn’t be kept in the dark during his senior year of high school.

It was said that there was a long stretch of beautiful scenery along this railway, and many people intentionally took the high-speed train just to capture it on camera.

However, Tang Mian stayed up late last night playing games with Fu Shizhao, and he fell asleep on the train due to fatigue. He barely had a chance to appreciate the scenery…

When Tang Mian woke up, Fu Shizhao draped a thin jacket over him. The temperature inside the high-speed train was indeed a bit low due to the air conditioning.

Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Tang Mian squinted and casually glanced at the password book that Fu Shizhao was holding. He asked, “Are you writing in your diary again?”

He couldn’t remember exactly which grade of elementary school it started, but Fu Shizhao developed a habit of writing in his diary.

Although Tang Mian was curious about what he wrote in his diary, he didn’t have the inclination to pry into other people’s habits. Fu Shizhao was no longer the child in kindergarten.

“Yeah, almost finished,” Fu Shizhao replied. The content on this page wasn’t something he couldn’t show Tang Mian. It was just a record of their trip, so he didn’t hide anything.

Ever since he grew older and became aware, and after the surveillance cameras in the room were removed, he openly started writing in his diary in the bedroom. He no longer hid in the corner of the bathroom like before.

Later, he changed to a new notebook with loose sheets, which was very convenient. He kept the old pages inside and continued writing until today.

It was his habit and also one of his “trump cards.” He was about to enter junior high school, and after three years of junior high, it would be high school. Although early relationships were not encouraged, they could start being ambiguous.

His young master was quite clueless when it came to matters of the heart. He couldn’t be as subtle as he was in the previous life. Middle school was a stage of hormonal outbursts, and he didn’t want others to get ahead of him. However, he hadn’t figured out how to handle his relationship with Tang Mian yet. He also hadn’t decided how to confess his reincarnation to Tang Mian.

If possible, the words in the diary could give him a helping hand.