青雀的傳奇故事始於黌學。
自青雀入學算起,到她畢業為止,凡有考試成績記錄在冊,「青雀」二字身後必隨一大寫數字「陸拾」——雷打不動,絕無例外。
起初,黌學導師只覺青雀不過天資平平,大抵不是做學問的料,便未有過多追究。然而,隨著那醒目的數字陸續填滿黌門成績冊,導師們終於意識到此事恐怕並非巧合。
很快地,與導師們促膝長談便成了青雀的家常便飯。聽多了也便知道,這些個大儒們翻來覆去也不過幾種腔調——起手言必稱她「文靜乖巧」、「天資聰穎」,後復又帶些埋怨「可惜好腦瓜用錯了地方」,末了再畫一大餅「若是能將這股巧勁專用在學問上,那必能怎怎怎」……
可自己究竟想要什麼生活,青雀心裡比導師們更清楚。談心時不停復讀「啊對對對」、「嗯好好好」,轉頭便又上課伏案睡大覺,然後在考試中低空飛過——這就是青雀面對導師們威逼利誘時給出的答覆。
先生們終於磨沒了耐心。最後,他們只能在青雀的畢業評價一欄恨恨留下一筆:
Character Story: Part I
The legend of Qingque begins at the lyceum.
From the time of Qingque's freshman year right through to her graduation, whenever exam grades were announced, the word Qingque was always followed by a number written out in full: 60, with no exception.
At first, her tutors thought that Qingque was just an average talent unsuitable for academia, so they didn't really look into things. However, as the same number kept turning up in the examination records, her tutors began to suspect that this wasn't a coincidence at all.
Very soon, having long conversations with the tutors became a common occurrence for Qingque. Anyone familiar with this kind of sophistry will recognize that handful of sayings: at first, she's "quiet and well-behaved," or "gifted." Then, later on the tone will shift to blame, "A pity that big brain of yours is going to waste," before the grand finale:"If only you could dedicate such ingenuity to your studies, then blah blah blah..."
But Qingque knew the kind of life she wanted far better than her tutors do. She kept repeating "Oh, yes yes yes," and "Mmm sure sure sure," before turning straight around to fall asleep at her desk, and just scraping by during the next exam — this was how Qingque responded to the coercion and threats of her tutors.
They finally ran out of patience with her. In the end, they could only leave behind a resentful message in her yearbook:
"It'd be difficult for her to achieve greatness"