The second elementary school is three kilometers away from the first high school. Every day after school, Yan Zizheng would run to the security room where Yan Ziqing would be waiting early, and then the two of them would take the No. 11 bus and get off at the ninth stop to reach their alleyway.

On a rainy day, the bus was crowded. After standing for the whole trip, Yan Ziqing was clearly tired and didn't feel like walking anymore. She stretched her arms out, waiting for her brother to carry her.

Yan Zizheng immediately picked up his little sister with his left arm and hurried home. His little sister loved being carried by her brother under his armpit and would laugh uncontrollably each time, as if she were about to take flight.

After arriving home, Yan Zizheng picked up two raincoats and crouched down to pat his little sister's head. "Xiao Qing, be a good girl and stay at home. I'm going to the market."

After he pushed open the door, he leaned on the window and earnestly watched the small figure inside the house. He said, "Focus on your homework, no TV allowed."

Yan Ziqing pouted and nodded her head.

This courtyard is surrounded by three houses. One of them is vacant. Besides the Yan family, there is another household consisting of a family of three. At this moment, a girl carrying a water basin comes out of that house. She sees Yan Zizheng, who is about to go out, and smiles as she asks, "Are you going to pick up Grandpa Yan?"

Yan Zizheng nodded continuously without stopping his steps.

Ma Liangli shouted to stop someone, saying, "Hey!"

"What's wrong?" Yan Zizheng turned around.

"I heard you got into a fight with that mixed-blood student from Class 18 today. What's that handsome guy's name?"

Yan Zizheng furrowed his brow at the mention of Lin Jinglei, continuing to stride purposefully. "I don't know," he replied curtly.

"How could you not know?" Ma Liangli glared at the closed iron door, "Tell me, or else I'll die next."

Last autumn, Yan Zizheng and his younger sister moved to their grandfather's house, and since then, the three of them have been living together. Grandfather Yan, who is nearly seventy years old, started selling fruits at the market only after the two children arrived. Despite his age, he is still in good health and does not need any assistance. Every day, he rides his tricycle to and from the market on time.

At this time of day, his grandfather would have already cooked dinner and be waiting for the two of them. Yan Zizheng speculated on his way to the market that his grandfather hadn't returned yet, most likely because he hadn't brought an umbrella and was waiting for the rain to stop.

Sure, here's the translation of the paragraph you provided:

"As expected, when he arrived at the vegetable market, he saw his grandfather playing chess with a few old men under the eaves of the house where fresh produce was being sold."

"Lao Yan, have you thought it through?" One of the old men urged the person who was seriously contemplating the next step.

Yan Guozhong looked up and saw Yan Zizheng wearing a raincoat. He put down the chess piece in his hand, stood up, and said with a smile, "You guys continue playing. My grandson is here to pick me up, so I have to go home."

Lin Jinglei was able to get into the top high school solely because his uncle was the principal. He was a perennial underachiever who was forced in through connections. At that time, his uncle made a deal with him: he could choose not to study, but he must not cause trouble.

Lin Guodong's nephew's eagerness to agree but failure to follow through was particularly vexing for him. Just as he returned home and intended to give the kid a lecture, his wife called him to peel garlic.

Lin Jinglei, who enjoyed observing Principal Lin's daily antics, watched as his wife, the epitome of a traditional housewife, hurriedly dashed towards the kitchen. Mischievously, he remarked, "The working class is truly honorable!"

Lin Guodong turned around and said, "If you cause any more trouble, I'll make sure to deal with you ruthlessly."

For over a decade, his uncle had been threatening him with these harsh words. Lin Jinglei had no choice but to produce his classic response. With insincerity in his heart, he extended his hand and swore, "I promise not to cause trouble anymore."

Due to the fight between classes 17 and 18, not only were both classes disqualified from the soccer competition, but all male students were also reported and criticized.

Lin Jinglei was called by their menopausal female homeroom teacher to the office and was made to stand in punishment for almost the whole morning. After hastily eating lunch in the cafeteria, he returned to the classroom and slept on the desk.

He slept through two classes with this nap. In the afternoon, during the break between classes, he was awakened by the noise in the room. Disappointed, he looked at the time and leaned back against the back of the chair, saying, "I thought it was already after school."

The red marks on his forehead looked particularly comical. The girl sitting in front of him was eating instant noodles, and when she saw him, she burst into laughter, causing a few of the noodles to spray onto his table. He disdainfully wiped them away with his school uniform sleeve and said, "You're always eating, Simi Qi, you should lose some weight!"

The chubby girl rolled her eyes at Lin Jing Lei and retorted, "Why should I care what you think!"

After stretching lazily, Lin Jinglei got up and headed to the restroom. As he passed by Tang Shan's seat, he casually dragged away the person who was engrossed in playing games on their phone with their desk mate.

"What are you doing?" Tang Shan pocketed his phone and squeezed his way out of the aisle.

"Toilet."

"Damn it, I'm not going. I just went."

Tang Shan struggled for a moment, and his arm swung back heavily, striking the person who was walking behind him. He turned around and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, Ban Dai."

Bai Xiuyuan looked at Tang Shanhao, who didn't say anything, and walked past him. Tang Shanhao was left there pretending to tremble and said, "You scared me."

Lin Jinglei continued to walk outside and said, "I'll go by myself."

"I'll go with you after all," Tang Shan followed closely.

Bai Xiuyuan was their class representative, and this person, regardless of height or appearance, possessed a handsomeness that could rival that of boys. In addition, they also possessed the elegance and delicacy commonly associated with girls, making them stand out in the crowd. Anyone who had not met them before would be puzzled about their gender upon their first encounter.

On the first day of school, Lin Jinglei and Tang Shan had this reaction. Unfortunately, they were overheard by Bai Xiuyuan while they were discussing the gender of Qiao Crazymind's appointed class representative. At that time, they were subjected to a quite piercing gaze, which didn't leave a good impression on Bai, the class representative.

As Lin Jing Lei walked, he watched the figure of Bai Xiu Yuan ahead and murmured, "What do you think it would feel like to be in a relationship with a girl like her?"

Tang Shan chuckled and said, "Forget about it. I bet fifty cents she definitely doesn't like boys."

Lin Jinglei nodded after pondering for a moment, "Very likely."

The two of them came back after using the restroom and, as they passed by class seventeen, they both looked at a few girls who were laughing and joking by the corridor window. Tang Shan whispered, "To tell the truth, the girls in class seventeen are generally much prettier than the ones in our class."

Lin Jinglei: "But our class has Gong Yue, who is worth ten of us."

"Unfortunately, even Gong Yue, was unable to bring up the overall average looks," Tang Shan lamented, "It's tragic."

As they were talking about the class flower, Gong Yue, they saw a male student wandering around outside the back door of their class. Lin Jinglei walked up to him and sneered, "Looking for Gong Yue?"

Lin Jing Lei, who always clashed with them, was met by Zhao Yu, who unfriendly retorted, "It's none of your damn business."

Lin Jinglei took one step inside the threshold, with one foot still outside, leaning against the door frame and smirking as he said, "Do you want me to call her for you?"

"Damn, why are you everywhere?" Yu Zhaoyu glared angrily.

Lin Jinglei's eyes are very unique. They can be described as brown yet resembling deep gray, with a hint of light blue. Tang Shan has grown up with him since childhood, and even now, he still can't quite understand what color they really are. He once described Lin Jinglei's eyes as resembling the starry sky and the vast sea. Obviously, now the starry sky has concealed and the sea is angry.

Lin Jinglei leaned forward and grabbed the door handle, saying, "Get up, we're closing the door."

However, Zhao Yu grabbed Lin Jinglei's arm and dragged him into the house.

A dispute was on the brink of erupting, Tang Shan shouted, "You want to fight?!"

Several boys from Class 18 immediately rushed out from the back entrance of the room upon hearing the sound, not showing any weakness. The boys from Class 17, led by Zhaoyu, also didn't waste any time.

Lin Jinglei stood up straight. As the classroom bell rang, he pointed at You Zhaoyu outside the door, narrowing his eyes and raising his eyebrows. He said in a resolute tone, "Don't leave after school."

This group of freshmen seems to bring with them the domineering attitude from their junior high school days. Once they enter a new environment, it's as if their influence expands. It's like they always have to get into a fight before saying anything else, as if that's the only way to prove their mettle.

This is the style of Lin Jinglei. If anyone doesn't submit, he'll beat them until they do. It's simple and straightforward. It's much more satisfying than arguing and bringing up one's ancestors to berate them.

Yan Zizheng and You Zhaoyu are sworn brothers. Lin Jinglei was certain that after school, Yan Zizheng would definitely show up and support You Zhaoyu. This was the perfect opportunity to settle their past grievances, and nobody would be able to escape.

After finishing class, Lin Jinglei waited for school to be over. He didn't even sleep during the last boring study session and instead sat there, poking at his phone with his head down. When he heard someone calling his name, he thought it was Qiao Fengzi returning, and he panicked, almost dropping his phone.

"Someone is looking for Lin Jinglei!" Bai Xiuyuan, sitting on the platform, repeated.

After Lin Jinglei arrived at First High School, this was the first time someone directly called him by his full name and asked him to go out. When he went outside, he saw three girls standing by the gate, one in front and two behind, all looking at him in a well-organized formation. He didn't recognize any of them.

The girl at the very front smiled and said, "I've been looking for you all day. You weren't in class in the morning, and in the afternoon, I saw you sleeping twice, but I couldn't bear to wake you up."

Lin Jinglei didn't like unnecessary words. He got straight to the point as soon as he opened the door and asked, "What do you want?"

"Oh," the girl reached into her clothes pocket and handed something over, "it's your key, right? I found it under the school bus seat."

The key did not have his name marked on it. Lin Jinglei was puzzled, "How did you know it was my key?"

The girl smiled mysteriously, "It's a secret."

Lin Jinglei took the keys casually and raised his hand, saying, "Thanks."

The girl tilted her head and smiled even more playfully, saying, "How do you want to show your gratitude?"

Lin Jinglei thought to himself, "A bunch of broken keys, if they get lost, I can get them replaced. When I said thank you, that was just a diplomatic platitude. There's no need for you to take it so seriously, miss." After glancing at the two girls behind him who were still laughing and enjoying the spectacle, he raised his eyebrows and looked at the girl in front of him, asking, "So, how do you want me to thank you then?"

The girl blurted out, "Give me your phone number."

Many people asked for his phone number, but Lin Jinglei, out of habit, didn't give anyone a face even if they came with their own entourage. He turned around coldly and said, "No."

Class 17 of the first year of high school was very quiet. In the back row, on the south side, a young male teacher was preparing his lesson while the wind blew gently through the window, lightly rustling the pages of his book. Suddenly, a crazy vibrating sound came from the single desk at the back row on the north side, causing a slight disturbance in the whole class. The young man, who was hunched over the desk with a sleepy expression, reached his hand into the drawer. The male teacher stood up and walked over to him.

Yu Zhaoyu was still half asleep when he suddenly wanted to check who was calling. But before he could even do so, he felt a heavy blow on his back.

"I never said you couldn't bring your cellphone, stand up."

The stern reprimand from the class teacher.

Yu Zhaoyu lazily stood up and reluctantly handed over his cellphone. He glanced at the teacher's other hand, which held the lesson plan with a light blue cover, and saw the name column written with two beautiful characters, Zou Jing. It was a bit surprising as he had always thought it would be Zhou Jing.

After confiscating Zou Jing's cell phone, the room returned to tranquility following his brief instructions to kill a chicken to intimidate a monkey.

Yu Zhaoyu sighed and stood up when school was over. He looked up and saw Yan Zizheng sitting next to the front row teacher's desk, cleared his throat, and coughed softly.

Yan Zizheng received a signal and turned around. First, he glanced at the teacher who was reading a book with his head down behind him, and then he looked towards You Zhaoyu.

Holding up his hand, Zhaoyu made a gesture that none of his classmates understood. However, Zhong Yanzheng nodded in response.

During a break from class, Yan Zizheng went to the playground to play ball. When he returned, he caught the tail end of a conflict and only saw Zhang Zhaoyu and Lin Jinglei locked in a tense standoff, so he didn't know what the two of them were fighting about.

He has been in the same class as You Zhaoyu since junior high school. From observing the reasons for You Zhaoyu's fights with others over the past few years, it can be seen that they are mostly about Gong Yue.

Gong Yue was once the school belle of their No. 16 High School. Because Gong Yue mistook Zhao Yu for someone else and smiled at him, Zhao Yu fell in love and couldn't extricate himself from it. He pursued her throughout junior high school with no progress, and even in high school, he still couldn't let go.

The gesture given by Zhao Yu to Yan Zizheng meant for him to not get involved in the fight and to go pick up Yan Ziqing after school as usual.

Yan Zizheng knew that You Zhaoyu had a game plan in mind and could handle it, so he didn't really get involved and left directly after school.

Located two streets away from Yizhong, Qingmu Street is renowned as the gathering place for unruly youth in the eastern part of the city. It is filled with various internet cafes, pool halls, and video game arcades. Choosing this location as a meeting point for confrontations always gives people the unsettling feeling that violence is justified and morally acceptable.

Lin Jinglei rode his bicycle with a few boys from the back row of the class and arrived in less than two minutes. However, they had waited for over ten minutes before seeing Zhao Yu arriving late all by himself.

Tang Shan, who was squatting in the shade, stood up and sarcastically said, "Your people skills aren't really that impressive."

Yao Zhaoyu leisurely walked over, scanning the ten or so people in front of him before looking at Lin Jinglei and saying, "I didn't expect you to be so weak that you need so many people to support you. How about we settle this one-on-one?"

Lin Jinglei spat out the tasteless gum in his mouth and said, "Am I supposed to be afraid of you?"

After throwing the school uniform jacket he had draped over his shoulders aside, Zhaoyu stretched his shoulder joints and started moving around.

Lin Jinglei waved his hand at the others, saying, "Alright, everyone, let's all retreat. I'll stay with him alone..."

Lin Jinglei had barely finished speaking when he was immediately attacked by Zhao Yu. A heavy punch landed squarely on his lower left rib, but he swiftly retaliated.

The outbreak of war expanded into an open space, surrounded by the students of Class 18. Despite knowing it was a one-on-one match, none of them left. They all nervously stared at the two individuals in the middle, determined to fight until the bitter end.

In terms of speed, Lin Jinglei is no slower than Yu Zhaoyu, who is three centimeters taller than him. However, in terms of strength, he does pale in comparison to Yu Zhaoyu, who is more robust in physique. They have had several encounters in the past, but they were always chaotic brawls. Now, in a one-on-one match, the advantages and disadvantages are clear.

After several offensive and defensive exchanges, he was left with only the role of defense. He found it increasingly difficult to cope with Zhao Yu's punches and kicks.

Tang Shan scrutinized Lin Jinglei as he steadily crumbled. As Lin stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a stone, Tang rushed over and raised his hand, shouting, "Damn it, I don't care anymore, someone beat him up!"

Other people immediately rushed into the chaotic battlefield, pulling and kicking, tightly surrounding You Zhaoyu. The ground was covered in a cloud of dust, and curses filled the air.

It was especially hot today, and Yan Ziqing wanted to eat ice cream but didn't dare to say it. However, her longing for the cold drinks stand on the side of the road betrayed her hidden thoughts. Yan Zizheng didn't want his sister, who was in the stage of changing teeth, to eat sweets, but he couldn't bear to let her feel left out. So, he stopped and bought one for her.

Basically, this ice cream wasn't eaten much at all and mostly melted. After getting home, Yan Ziqing's clothes were stained with cream, even smearing all over Yan Zizheng's school uniform's short sleeves.

Yan Zizheng walked into the room and raised his arms to remove the short sleeves, throwing them into the laundry basin. With his upper body bare, he went to the cabinet to find clean clothes. That's when he noticed the cowhide paper envelope on the table. He paused and spoke with certainty, saying, "He has been here."

Yan Guozhong nodded and said, "Just leave the money and go."

"Who cares about his measly money!" the young man shouted angrily.

"Don't speak like that. After all, he is still your father."