(From a young age, I enjoyed reading novels, but unfortunately, paper books are not easy to carry and are prone to damage. Once a website closes or a computer is damaged, electronic books cannot be accessed. Fortunately, with the advent of blockchain technology, I no longer have to worry about this problem. Novels are for reference only, please support the original)
Preface
The origin of "Young Wei Si Li" was quite sudden. Ni Zhen published a youth magazine and asked me to write about Wei Si Li's youth. The idea was his. I declined several times but eventually picked up the pen, and the story flowed endlessly.
And so, "Young Wei Si Li" came into existence. The young Wei Si Li was already quite extraordinary! 1991, August 2nd, Hong Kong.
Chapter 1: KATSUTOXIN
I have a small box made of rattan, which was my school bag during my school days. At that time, almost every middle school student used it. Later, because more female students used it, male students abandoned it, considering it somewhat effeminate. I have always kept this small rattan box, filled with things that seem useless to others but hold certain significance to me. Each item can evoke memories and tell a story. One day, I opened the small rattan box and picked up a small piece of paper. On the paper was written a Western word: Katsutoxin. Next to the word was a symbol indicating correctness: "V."
This small piece of paper stirred up distant memories. I, Wei Si Li, was well-known in our class. Perhaps, one could even exaggerate and say that I had some reputation in the entire school. In any school, whether in ancient or modern times, students from lower grades must have some outstanding qualities to be noticed by students from higher grades. Although I was in a lower grade, I had already attracted a lot of attention.
On the day the incident happened, I entered the classroom and happened to witness the entire process of the drama. It started with laughter. A group of tall students held a palm-sized toad in their hands. It was grayish-white with numerous bumps on its skin, extremely ugly. This type of toad was poisonous, and its venom could cause the skin to become red and swollen. If it came into contact with the eyes, it could cause blindness. The nickname of these tall students was "Big Block." Not only were they physically strong, but they also came from wealthy and influential families in the county where the school was located. Big Block was arrogant and despicable, and he often caused trouble with a group of unruly students around him. My friends and I had conflicts with him, both openly and secretly. When I saw him holding the toad, I knew he was planning to play a prank on someone. He saw me enter and challenged me with a glare. He walked towards the front row of desks and placed his hand on a rattan school bag placed on one of the desks. Seeing this, I couldn't help but get angry. The desk belonged to a female classmate named Zhu Xiang Xiang. She was thin, quiet, and well-behaved, never causing trouble. She was so delicate and lovable. Big Block wanted to put such an ugly and poisonous thing in her school bag! I took a step forward and shouted, "Stop!"
Big Block seemed to have anticipated that I would intervene, so his actions became even more exaggerated. He lifted the toad high in the air, and his companions also shouted. I was about to take further action when I felt someone tug at my sleeve. I turned around and saw Zhu Xiang Xiang. Although her face was thin, she had a pair of beautiful and expressive eyes. When I made eye contact with her, I understood the meaning of "eyes can speak." Although she didn't say a word, she was clearly telling me, "Let him be, don't stop him!"
In her clear and distinct eyes, there was an irresistible force. At that moment, Big Block uncovered the rattan school bag, and instantly, everyone fell silent. The muscles on Big Block's face trembled in terror, and it was visible to everyone. When the bag was opened, a large scorpion, which had been hidden, suddenly stood upright. The scorpion was about seven to eight inches long, yellow and black, and although it was a small creature, its presence was as fierce as a tiger leaping up. Its tail was raised high, and its appearance was extremely menacing! Big Block finally reacted and let out a scream. He stumbled backward, knocking down several people and a desk. The toad he was holding slipped from his hand and fell towards the school bag. The scorpion's tail quickly stabbed it, and the toad leaped up in a desperate attempt, but before it hit the ground, it was already dead. It fell to the ground with its belly facing up, changing from a grayish-white color to a terrifying deep purple.
The classroom fell silent. At that moment, Zhu Xiang Xiang walked forward and came to the desk. She extended her hand and lightly patted the back of the terrifying scorpion. The scorpion immediately crouched down, and she closed the school bag and sat down. In that instant, the classroom was filled with the sound of gasps. All the male and female students, including myself, were stunned, unable to believe that the quiet and gentle Zhu Xiang Xiang possessed such astonishing abilities! Big Block finally regained his senses and his voice trembled, "I was just... joking, don't be mad! Don't be mad!" Zhu Xiang Xiang didn't say anything, she just pointed at the dead toad. Big Block quickly used a branch to pick it up and hurriedly ran out of the classroom. I led the applause, and amidst the applause, Zhu Xiang Xiang calmly said, "My family is poor, so I have been raising centipedes and scorpions since I was young. I sell them to medicinal shops. Please don't laugh, classmates!" Everyone naturally didn't laugh at her, but many asked her about venomous creatures. Zhu Xiang Xiang still didn't think much of it and said, "I'm used to them since I was young, and I don't find them particularly scary!" Amidst the commotion, the teacher entered, and everything returned to normal.
On that day, during class, as the end of the school day approached, Zhu Xiang Xiang suddenly raised her hand and said, "Teacher, I don't feel well. Can I leave early?" The teacher nodded and asked if she could go home by herself or if she needed someone to accompany her. Zhu Xiang Xiang listened and turned to look at me. I immediately understood her meaning: she wanted me to accompany her! Although I was brave, my heart was filled with mixed emotions, and I didn't have the courage to agree. If I agreed, how could I face others? I wouldn't need to go to school anymore. My heart was pounding, and I knew I must have turned red. I avoided her gaze and heard her whisper, "It's okay!"
With her rattan school bag in hand, she left the classroom. My heart continued to race, and it felt like the whole classroom was staring at me. Of course, I was also curious. Why did she pretend to be sick and ask me to accompany her home? After Zhu Xiang Xiang left, I was restless and lost in thought. Suddenly, I remembered the phrase "a parting glance" from "The Romance of the Western Chamber," which I had secretly read and finished. So, naturally, I used a sentence from "The Romance of the Western Chamber" when I was lost in thought.
During the following class, the teacher was talking about something, but I only caught bits and pieces. The teacher was talking about the emergence of a "Blood and Iron Anti-Traitor Group" in our county and several neighboring counties. In recent years, they had been finding and executing traitors who had betrayed the country and its people during the Japanese invasion and had hidden themselves after the war. More than ten of these scum had been dealt with by the Blood and Iron Anti-Traitor Group. This was a very exciting event and a hot topic of conversation at the time. However, I was preoccupied with Zhu Xiang Xiang suddenly pretending to be sick and leaving, so I didn't pay much attention. The teacher had good knowledge and new insights. He explained that although the actions of the Anti-Traitor Group were applauded and well-received by everyone, and those who were executed deserved their punishment, their methods were considered "vigilante justice" and not the behavior expected in a civilized society. He mentioned that it would be better to follow the example of the Israelis, who, after the war, found and handed over hidden Nazi war criminals to the government for public trials and lawful punishment. When the teacher reached this point, I made a decision. I took a deep breath and held my breath until I couldn't bear it anymore. My face had turned red. I suddenly stood up, making a loud noise by moving the desk and chair. With one hand raised and the other clutching my stomach, I stumbled towards the teacher, my eyes fixed on the classroom door. I didn't need to say a word, just make a strange sound in my throat. This was a perfect way to leave the classroom during class, but it couldn't be used frequently. It was effective when used occasionally, and a kind-hearted teacher would hurry to open the classroom door for you. Because this form of body language was easily understood by everyone.
I rushed out of the classroom and headed towards the school gate. I was frustrated that I had wasted so much time. Suddenly, I saw a slender figure in front of me, slowly moving forward. The wind blew her loose, wide-sleeved gown, making it even more elegant. It was Zhu Xiang Xiang! She was walking so slowly, clearly waiting for me! But as soon as I saw her, I suddenly froze in place. I desperately wanted to catch up to her, appear by her side, and even hoped to hold her hand. But for some reason, my feet refused to move, as if they were rooted to the ground. After a while, I became anxious and broke out in a sweat. Zhu Xiang Xiang had already turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Only then did I regain the ability to move and hurriedly chased after her. However, as soon as I caught sight of her figure, my feet seemed to be rooted again, and I couldn't take another step. It became a strange situation where I was uncontrollably following Zhu Xiang Xiang! It wasn't until we reached a square filled with people that I realized she had been waiting for me all along. But when I saw her, I suddenly stood still, torn between the desire to catch up to her and be by her side, and the inexplicable feeling that my feet refused to obey my brain's commands and remained firmly planted on the ground. After a while, I was finally able to move again, but as soon as I saw her back, my feet seemed to be rooted once more, making it impossible to take another step. It created a peculiar situation where, in an uncontrollable state, I was trailing behind Zhu Xiang Xiang! Until we reached a square, where people of all kinds were gathered, I suddenly lost sight of her slender figure amidst the crowd, despite seeing her darting left and right. In an instant, she disappeared from my view. I couldn't help but feel anxious and quickly climbed onto a large rock, scanning the area. However, the square had many paths, and I had no idea where she had gone. I felt frustrated and climbed down from the rock, stomping my feet repeatedly.
I don't know how long I stood on that rock, but suddenly, I heard a commotion coming from a nearby alley. A fat man rushed out, shouting in a hoarse voice, "I deserve to die! Please spare me!" As he ran, he vigorously tore at his clothes, ripping them apart to reveal his fat and round belly. His expression was filled with indescribable terror, and his face contorted in agony. He continued to scream, "I deserve to die! I was a traitor, I helped the Japanese soldiers kill Chinese people, I deserve to die!" The gazes directed at the fat man changed from shock to disdain. Suddenly, the fat man let out a piercing scream, fell backward, and began convulsing. He lay motionless on the ground. Many people in the crowd shouted, "Blood and Iron Anti-Traitor Group!" I immediately understood that it was another successful execution by the Blood and Iron Anti-Traitor Group, punishing a traitor who deserved to die. Standing on the large rock, I looked down from above, and amidst the gasps of the crowd, I saw the fat man's body rapidly turning blue, and his protruding belly quickly turned deep purple! Suddenly, I remembered the image of the toad that had died instantly, its grayish-white belly turning into a deep purple after death.
I understood! My heart raced, but I understood!
The next day, everything was normal in the classroom. I glanced at Zhu Xiang Xiang several times, but she avoided my gaze. I was still restless. When the teacher entered, he pointed at me and said, "Wei, you witnessed the actions of the Blood and Iron Anti-Traitor Group yesterday. Please tell your classmates what happened..." I walked to the podium and recounted the fat man's dying moments. I had a talent for storytelling, and everyone in the class was captivated by my words. As I spoke, I kept an eye on Zhu Xiang Xiang. I saw her lower her eyes, and her long eyelashes trembled. She didn't show any special reaction, but I could tell she was suppressing herself. My final sentence was, "The Anti-Traitor Group clearly used poison to execute the traitors." The teacher agreed with my assessment, and he added, "Yes, they used poison, but no one knows what kind of poison it is. It's truly mysterious!"
Amidst the applause, I bowed and stepped down from the stage. As I passed by Zhu Xiang Xiang, I secretly handed her a small piece of paper that I had prepared in advance. On the paper was written the word "KATSUTOXIN."
During the second class, I saw the paper on my desk again, but this time, there was an additional symbol indicating "correct": "V."
On the day I witnessed the "anti-traitor" incident, I spent the entire night researching in books to find out about this word. Its Chinese translation was "scorpion venom." It is a toxic protein containing elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. I wrote down this word to indicate that I understood her secret, and Zhu Xiang Xiang's response was that I was correct. I lifted my gaze from the paper and met Zhu Xiang Xiang's clear and deep eyes. After sharing such a secret, the exchange of messages in that moment of eye contact was enough to make one think for several days and nights. As for why I didn't simply write in Chinese? Hmph! That would be too uneducated! And if she couldn't understand that word, it didn't seem worth it to be co-owners of the secret!
Correct or not