Chapter 4: The Night of Madness (Part 4)
Xiaojia’s tears fell like roasted peas, crisp and sharp, hitting the ground with a distinct plip-plop sound. A sudden anxiety gripped Hou Weidong. On the mountain, he had definitely stabbed someone, but he had no idea where the wound was or how severe it might be. If he had killed the person, the trouble would be immense. This thought haunted him, leaving his heart hollow and making it impossible to comfort the sobbing Xiaojia.
The two sat there in silence. Just then, a cry came from the north end of the Lotus Pond. A woman, clearly drunk, grabbed onto a tall man, weeping with snot and tears, wailing, “You have to go with me.” Hou Weidong recognized the man; he was a handsome student from the Media Department, famous as a heartthrob. He appeared sober, looking awkward as he tried to lead his girlfriend away, but failed.
On the night of parting, a few tears were normal. Most of the couples sitting by the Lotus Pond were preparing to go their separate ways. Seeing this scene, they offered no advice, each lost in their own sorrow. Happy lives may be similar, but the pain of breaking up is unique to each person.
Though Shazhou College claimed to be full of love, it was filled with rules that punished human nature. At eleven o’clock, the lights in all dormitories went out simultaneously. Teachers, appearing as if facing a major crisis, searched the playgrounds and woods in pairs or threes, persuading inseparable couples to return to their rooms.
Seeing that no one from the mountain appeared, Hou Weidong felt slightly relieved. He could judge that the young man on the mountain was not seriously injured. He tightened his grip on Xiaojia’s hand and said, “The lights are out. Let’s go back.”
After the lights in the dormitories went out, Vice Dean Ji Daolin, who was standing outside the volleyball court, instinctively checked his watch. He turned to Director Hu of the Security Office and said, “Are your people ready? Remember, this is a critical moment. Education should be the primary approach. For those who cause serious trouble, remember their names. We will withhold their graduation certificates tomorrow.” Director Hu knew that the night of parting would see many graduates venting their emotions wildly, which was also a test of the Security Office’s capabilities. Therefore, he had specially proposed a security plan, mobilizing respected teachers from various departments to form groups dispersed across different floors to control the situation.
Vice Dean Ji Daolin checked the time and had just lowered his hand when the first trouble started. The men’s dormitories of the Law and Politics Department and the Media Department, located east of the volleyball court, were the first to react. A water bottle, thrown from an unknown window, hit the ground with a loud bang. The sound of the breaking bottle served as a signal. The graduating male students of the Law and Politics and Media Departments had been fully prepared for this final carnival of the night of parting.
There were five people in Hou Weidong’s dormitory: Jiang Dali, Chen Shu, Liu Kun, Qian Haiyang, and Hou Weidong. Jiang Dali and the others held items that could make loud noises, such as broken buckets and ink bottles. Upon hearing the sound of the water bottle bursting, they acted as if they had taken stimulants, smashing things fiercely out the window.
Hou Weidong was still thinking about the incident on the mountain. If he had killed someone, what would the consequences be? For students of the Law and Politics Department, this was very clear. Even if it was considered self-defense and did not require criminal responsibility, it would still affect their job assignments, perhaps severely impacting their future prospects. He watched Chen Shu throw down a water bottle that had been used for four years and never kept water warm, feeling indifferent. He had no mood to throw the large bucket at his feet.
Director Hu’s shrill voice rang out from below the building, “Who threw that? Do you not want your graduation certificate?” This threat from Director Hu sounded every year. Its emptiness and helplessness were well understood by the students. In response, various miscellaneous items flew out of almost every window.
Soon, the women’s dormitory on the other side of the volleyball court also responded, but their enthusiasm was far less than that of the men’s dormitory. Only some small objects clattered to the ground. However, the women had another ultimate weapon: their screams were like Japanese planes bombing Pearl Harbor, piercing the sky of Shazhou College with countless holes.
The explosive noise of the riot lasted for a few minutes. As the voices of teachers from various departments, either kind or strict, rang out from all directions, the miscellaneous items thrown from the windows gradually decreased. Department heads, along with cadres and teachers, began moving through the rooms in the corridors, painstakingly doing their work and occasionally handing out cigarettes to familiar students.
The first wave of carnival was thus over.
Jiang Dali was still unsatisfied. As soon as the civil law teacher guarding the dormitory left, he said to Hou Weidong, “Melon, what are you staring at? You haven’t thrown your bucket yet.” Hou Weidong did not want anyone to notice anything unusual, so he smiled and said, “Wait until the teachers leave, and I’ll be the initiator.” Chen Shu, who was short but had the most tricks, slipped out of the dormitory and soon returned with two water bottles. Upon entering, he laughed loudly and said, “Fatty saved two water bottles, planning to throw them later. I stole them back.”
The teachers stayed in the building for more than half an hour. Seeing that the students had quieted down, they left the student dormitory.
Ji Daolin was a teacher who stayed at the college. He had some affection for this graduation carnival. He had participated in such carnivals in his own day, and his level of madness was no less than that of the naughtiest students. Now, representing the college, although he understood the students’ behavior, he still did not want things to get too out of hand. If something went wrong, a comedy could easily turn into a tragedy. He watched the teachers quickly retreat from the building to the volleyball court, checked his watch, and calculated the duration of the night’s madness.
Director Hu stood beside Ji Daolin and said, “Vice Dean Ji, you should go back and rest early. It seems there won’t be any major issues tonight.” Director Hu and Ji Daolin were the same age, both thirty-three, and had stayed at the college together. However, Ji Daolin had already become a vice dean, while he was still a mediocre Security Office Director. He harbored resentment in his heart but dared not show it on his face. Ji Daolin shook his head and said, “Wait a bit longer.”
Since Ji Daolin did not leave, the other teachers felt it inappropriate to leave either, so they all waited at the volleyball court.
Hou Weidong stuck his head out. By the light of the streetlamp, he saw a mess below the building, filled with broken buckets and bottles. He picked up the lunch box he had used for four years and threw it out with all his might. Seeing Hou Weidong take action, Jiang Dali jumped up, grabbed the water bottle Chen Shu had stolen from Fatty, and threw it out the window. Chen Shu, though small, was not one to suffer a loss. He cursed, “Baldy Jiang, save one for me.”
The second wave of carnival was ignited again.
From the next room came Fatty’s pig-like roar, “Damn it, who stole my water bottle?”
When the clatter finally stopped, Ji Daolin’s tense face relaxed. He raised his hand to check his watch again. He wore an extremely expensive luxury watch, which complemented his calm demeanor, giving him an aristocratic air. He said calmly, “It ended at 12:15, about the same as last year. Teachers can go home and rest.”
The next morning, after waking up, the five heroes of Dormitory 509, who had experienced the madness, silently packed their belongings. They had lived together for four years. Although there had been minor disagreements, there were no conflicts of interest, and their friendship was still good. Although they did not cry over the parting, they felt a lump in their throats.
Carrying their belongings, they left the men’s dormitory, stepping on the scattered fragments, and arrived at the volleyball court. Many large trucks were parked outside the court, marked with names of cities such as Dongyang and Shahe. Hou Weidong saw Xiaojia coming out of the women’s dormitory with a small bag and hurried to meet her. All the students were looking for the buses they needed to take, so there was no time for farewells.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. This seemed to describe the scene of leaving school perfectly.