Days of the May Day Holiday

This time, Bai Zongnan's name was Sun Wei. He was twenty-four years old, a top graduate who had just completed his studies in physics at a prestigious university. After ten arduous years spent poring over books, Bai Zongnan had only just stepped out of the ivory tower, full of ambition to carve out his own place in the world of physics. Of course, this was best left until two months later, for the hard-won holidays were the last chance to truly squander the fleeting days of youth.

But what could he do to make this leisure more meaningful? The library? The swimming pool? Movies? Travel? These were all popular choices among his peers, yet none of them sparked a flicker of interest in Bai Zongnan's heart.

Day after day, the holiday slipped quickly by, and Bai Zongnan himself could not say what it was he truly wanted to do.

He couldn't wait any longer. Bai Zongnan decided to seek advice from his uncle, who worked at a research institute. In recent years, his uncle had been working on the development of virtual environments. Perhaps there was some way he could lend a hand? Even if not, getting to know a few people at the C City Research Institute would be worthwhile... preferably women, he thought with a wry smile. After all, he'd spent his entire university life single-mindedly focused on study, never once falling in love—a regret, indeed.

With this in mind, Bai Zongnan dialed his uncle's number.

Over the phone, his uncle told him that it would be impossible for Bai Zongnan to gain entry to the research institute, but he could certainly participate in his uncle’s current project. The project had hit a snag during its closing phase, progress stalled, for it required an extremely rare element—Element LI. According to his uncle’s investigation, this element had only been found in trace amounts in one place in C City.

Jinxiu Manor? The name sent a tremor through Bai Zongnan's heart.

That was the home of Mr. Fei Hua, wasn't it? As he listened to his uncle, Bai Zongnan sifted through his memories.

Fei Hua was a genius entrepreneur who’d built his fortune from nothing a few years back, and just last year, he had come to give a lecture at Bai Zongnan’s university. At that time, Fei Hua was precisely the kind of person Bai Zongnan aspired to become; after the lecture, he had even approached Fei Hua for an autograph. To his surprise, Fei Hua had known about him, this so-called star student of the physics department, and had given him a business card, suggesting they might cooperate on a project after graduation.

"Who would have thought, Mr. Fei Hua has his own troubles after all. His child is struggling academically, failing in every subject. Just a few days ago, he came to me, hoping I could tutor his child in chemistry this Saturday. Since I have a favor to ask as well, I thought I might as well seize the opportunity—perhaps I can do a good turn for an adult, so to speak. Xiao Wei, Bai Zongnan, would you like to come with me?"

"Bai Zongnan, you still have some time left in your holidays, don’t you? Why not come along with your uncle and meet someone important? It’ll be good for you."

Bai Zongnan thought for a few seconds before replying, "Uncle, let me think about it. If I decide to go, I’ll let you know."

After hanging up, Bai Zongnan hurriedly found the business card in his notebook and dialed the number on it.

"Hello? Bai Zongnan speaking. May I ask who’s calling?" came a deep voice over the line, causing Bai Zongnan to swallow nervously.

"Hello, Mr. Fei, I am..."

...

After a conversation lasting more than ten minutes, Bai Zongnan was delighted to discover that Fei Hua still remembered him, and he received an invitation to visit Fei Hua’s home that Saturday morning to meet his son, Xiao Chai. If all went well, he would spend the next month tutoring the boy in physics, with a generous stipend as compensation.

It was settled! In his excitement, Bai Zongnan called his uncle again to say he would also be visiting Fei Hua’s home on Saturday, this time as a physics tutor. His uncle sounded a little surprised on the other end, but was nonetheless quite pleased.

On Saturday morning, as agreed, Bai Zongnan took a taxi to the address specified in the letter—Fei Hua’s manor.

The car sped along the road, eventually reaching Jinxiu Avenue. Traffic thinned, and the low buildings and apartment blocks on either side of the road gradually disappeared, replaced by clusters of villas and grand estates.

It seemed that everything Fei Hua had said over the phone was true. A faint anxiety stirred in Bai Zongnan’s chest.

The taxi stopped in front of a manor, where a middle-aged man in a tailcoat was already waiting by the gate. He opened the car door for Bai Zongnan, smiling and nodding in greeting.

Bai Zongnan stepped out, seeing the manor for the first time, and felt a little at a loss. He smiled politely, just about to introduce himself, when the man spoke first.

"You must be the guest invited by the master. I am the butler of this manor, you may call me A-Fu. Please, come with me."

Surprised, Bai Zongnan followed him inside.

Entering the estate felt like stepping into an ink painting. The entrance was a scene of mirrored mountains and water: stone sculptures framed verdant, dripping hills and crystal-clear streams; a pair of imposing bronze lions stood sentinel; and two grand copper doors loomed, majestic and awe-inspiring.

Riches and treasures beyond imagination—this was just the front courtyard... More than once along the way, Bai Zongnan marveled at how poverty had truly limited his imagination.

A quarter of an hour later, they arrived at a villa.

The building was steeped in traditional Chinese style, with bricks as red as fire, tiles as white as snow, intricately carved beams, and dragons and turtles entwined upon the eaves.

Bai Zongnan noticed several people standing outside the villa, including his own uncle, Duan Sheng.

The butler, A-Fu, stopped and nodded to Bai Zongnan, indicating they had arrived. He then turned to address the small group assembled at the door, including Bai Zongnan.

"Thank you all for accepting the invitation," he began. "On behalf of my master, I would like to extend our gratitude and welcome. You are all here as tutors, but please rest assured—your duties do not overlap, each of you will teach a different subject. It’s now 8:47, a little over ten minutes before the appointed time. Perhaps you can take this opportunity to get to know one another; you may well be working together for some time. And by the way, the master has asked me to give you this once everyone has arrived."

So Fei Hua had invited more than just one tutor. That made sense, given he’d mentioned in his letter that his son was struggling in all subjects. What a troublesome child, Bai Zongnan thought, as he watched the butler hand out several sheets of letter paper to each of the six people present.

Bai Zongnan took his sheet and read:

"Welcome to my home. Thank you for your hard work. Shortly, my servants will escort you to the sitting room, where you may enjoy coffee, milk, juice, tea, and an assortment of snacks.

Teachers, my son is truly disappointing. I’ve hired one tutor after another, yet his grades have not improved. You are my last hope.

Once, this child did well in his original class, but ever since he transferred schools, his grades have plummeted.

As the saying goes, to raise but not to teach is the father’s fault. The way my child has turned out is ultimately due to my own shortcomings as a parent.

Therefore, I implore the finest teachers in each subject to do their utmost to help my child improve. Rest assured, your reward will exceed your expectations. I beg you!"

After this exchange at the door, a head tutor was selected, and the tutors became better acquainted with one another.

At precisely nine o’clock, the villa’s doors opened. Guided by the butler, the tutors entered the house.

The main hall was circular, with two elevators and a sweeping staircase; a grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, spanning all three floors. The place resembled a palatial residence, resplendent and imposing.

A richly dressed, middle-aged man descended the staircase. His features were ordinary, but he exuded an unquestionable authority. Upon seeing the tutors, a smile broke across his face.

"I am Fei Hua," he announced. "Welcome to my humble home. Let us be frank—my son’s grades are abysmal, and you know the purpose of your visit. I have prepared a schedule; please, take a look."

Bai Zongnan was already familiar with this routine, knowing that what followed would be a series of similar cycles...

Once again, Bai Zongnan’s name was Sun Wei, a twenty-four-year-old physics prodigy fresh from a renowned university. Ten years of hard study behind him, he stood at the threshold of adulthood, eager to make his mark in the world of physics. But for now, with a precious holiday ahead, he was resolved to enjoy his youth while it lasted.

What could he do to make this idle time more meaningful? The usual pursuits—library, swimming, films, travel—failed to entice him.

Day after day, the holiday slipped by, and he still had no idea what he truly wanted.

He could wait no longer. He decided to call his uncle at the research institute, who had lately been studying the development of virtual spaces. Perhaps he could be of use? Even if not, meeting some people at the C City Research Institute—maybe even some women, after years of single-minded study—would be no bad thing.

With this hope, he called his uncle...

His uncle told him it was impossible for him to enter the institute, but he could participate in his uncle’s research. The project was stuck in its final stage, requiring a rare element—LI. According to his uncle’s investigation, traces of this element had been found only in one place in C City.

Jinxiu Manor? The name sent a jolt through him.

Wasn’t that Mr. Fei Hua’s residence? The memory came to him at once.

Fei Hua, the self-made entrepreneur, had given a lecture at his university a year ago. To Bai Zongnan back then, Fei Hua was the very model he aspired to become; after the lecture, he had even requested an autograph. To his astonishment, Fei Hua knew of him, this so-called star physics student, and gave him a business card, hinting at future collaboration after graduation.

"Who would have thought? Even Mr. Fei Hua has his troubles. His child’s grades are poor in every subject. He asked me to tutor the boy in chemistry this Saturday. Since I have a favor to ask, I might as well take the chance—Xiao Wei, Bai Zongnan, would you like to come along?"

"You still have time in your holidays, right? Why not meet someone important with your uncle? It’ll be good for you."

Bai Zongnan considered for a moment before agreeing to think it over. "Uncle, I’ll let you know if I decide to go."

After hanging up, he hurriedly found Fei Hua’s business card and dialed the number.

"Hello? Bai Zongnan speaking. Who is this?" came a deep voice.

"Hello, Mr. Fei, I am..."

...

After more than ten minutes of conversation, he was thrilled to learn that Fei Hua remembered him and invited him to his home that Saturday. If all went well, he would spend the next month tutoring Fei Hua’s son in physics, with a generous payment.

It was settled! Excited, he called his uncle again to say he would also go to Fei Hua’s home as a physics tutor. His uncle sounded surprised but pleased.

On Saturday morning, Bai Zongnan took a cab to the address—Fei Hua’s manor.

The car sped along until it reached Jinxiu Avenue. Fewer and fewer cars, the low buildings and apartments giving way to clusters of villas and manors.

Everything Fei Hua had said seemed true. Bai Zongnan felt a touch of unease.

Arriving at the manor, he saw a middle-aged man in a tailcoat waiting at the gate. The man opened the door and smiled at him.

Bai Zongnan got out, a little overwhelmed by the sight. He smiled politely, about to introduce himself, but the man spoke first.

"You must be the master’s guest. I am the butler, A-Fu. Please, come with me."

Surprised, Bai Zongnan followed him inside.

The manor was like a painting—mountains and water at the entrance, stone carvings framing lush hills, crystal-clear waters, bronze lions, and majestic copper doors.

Such wealth and treasures—it was only the outer courtyard... More than once, Bai Zongnan found himself thinking that poverty had truly limited his imagination.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a villa with a deeply traditional Chinese style: bricks red as fire, tiles white as snow, carved beams, dragons, and turtles entwined.

He saw several people at the door, including his uncle, Duan Sheng.

The butler stopped, nodded to Bai Zongnan, and then addressed the group.

"Thank you all for accepting the invitation. On behalf of my master, I welcome you. You are all teachers, but your subjects do not overlap. It is now 8:47, a little before the appointed time. Take this chance to get to know each other; you may be working together for some time. The master also asked me to give you this once everyone arrived."

So Fei Hua had hired more than one tutor. Understandable, given his son’s difficulties. As Bai Zongnan pondered this, the butler handed out sheets of paper to each of the six gathered.

The note read:

"Welcome to my home, teachers. Thank you for your efforts. Soon, my servants will escort you to the salon, where you may enjoy coffee, milk, juice, tea, and an array of snacks.

Teachers, my son is truly disappointing. Tutor after tutor has failed to help his grades. You are my last hope.

Once, he did well in his original class, but since transferring, his grades have plummeted.

As the saying goes, to raise but not to teach is the father’s fault. My child’s failures are my own fault as a parent.

So I implore the finest teachers to play their part and help my child improve. Your rewards will exceed your expectations. Please, I beg you!"

After this exchange, a homeroom teacher was chosen, and the tutors got to know each other.

At nine, the villa’s doors opened. Led by the butler, the tutors entered.

The hall was circular, with two elevators, a sweeping staircase, and a grand chandelier spanning three stories. It was a palace in all but name.

A richly dressed, middle-aged man descended the stairs. His features were unremarkable, but he exuded authority. When he saw the tutors, he smiled.

"I am Fei Hua. Welcome to my home. Let’s get straight to the point: my son’s grades are abysmal, and you know your purpose here. I have prepared a schedule—please take a look."

Surely there could be no more surprises, Bai Zongnan thought to himself.