Chapter 40: Rose Handbook

After pondering overnight, Su Ziceng and Yan Wuxu had both selected their courses. When Miss Lin received their schedules, she approved of their choice to concentrate on French classes in the first month. However, she was somewhat surprised by the courses they had selected for the following month. Kelly Women’s College adopts an academic-year system without a hierarchy of course levels; students can choose any course they are capable of, as long as it fits into the teacher’s schedule. Since the school uses small class teaching, as long as there are two or more students, which meets the basic requirement for interactive learning, the class can be opened. "You’ve also chosen Horse Classics?" Besides that course, Su Ziceng was careful to include Literature, Mathematics, Economics, Logic, and other subjects. He even chose Fencing, Jewelry Appraisal, Classical Music, and Dining Etiquette from different countries, all of which Wen Maixue had selected the day before. As for Horse Classics, it was Yan Wuxu’s suggestion. Kelly Women’s College had some horses, and they were both interested in learning to ride. "Truly... special students," Miss Lin took their course schedules and suddenly remembered a problem: "Regarding the equestrian course, the internal course arranged by Kelly Women’s College is already full. If you really want to take equestrian classes, you’ll have to choose to attend with students from Daoquan University. This year, there are quite a few cooperative education projects between our two schools." Miss Lin was somewhat indignant when she mentioned this, asserting that the cooperative education was merely a pretext. In recent years, due to the need for certain courses, Kelly Women’s College also opened some computer classes. But few students chose them, making the direct purchase of related hardware somewhat costly. Thus, they had to request to rent facilities from the wealthier Daoquan University, which then proposed using Daoquan’s teaching resources to offer open courses. Kelly Women’s College’s teachers were not under the Z country’s establishment, and the academic and teaching culture has always been relaxed and free. After cooperating with Daoquan University, they had to pay attention to Z country’s policies and teaching regulations, which many teachers disagreed with. "That would be excellent," said Yan Wuxu with unusual enthusiasm, and Su Ziceng also showed a happy expression. "However, you need to be prepared for the French examination before participating. You might need extra guidance from an equestrian teacher to keep up with the progress," Miss Lin instructed, then announced in class that Wen Maixue, as the class leader, would take over all responsibility for daily class affairs and attendance. After joining Kelly Women’s College, Su Ziceng was not inclined to stir up trouble, but just the thought of having to be under Wen Maixue’s supervision all day made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Everyone should copy their schedules again to keep as a backup. The school’s normal class time is from 8 am to 11 am, and from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Apart from theoretical classes, all practice and outdoor course locations will be posted on the bulletin board of the academic building one week in advance. If anything urgent comes up, you can find me in the sixth building of the senior apartments, room A-507. Additionally, here is the Rose Handbook for freshmen, one for each person. After enrollment, you must write in it for four academic years. Please take good care of it. At the end of the fourth year, everyone will hand in their diaries to the school library," Class Leader Wen spoke at a volume just right to ensure that everyone in the class could hear her clearly. Miss Lin’s decision to appoint her as the class leader was not without reason; apart from Su Zi, everyone in the class regarded her words as commands from God. No sooner had she finished speaking than the girls stood by the podium to receive their diaries. "Rose Handbook?" Su Zi heard a new term and held back Yan Wuxu, who was about to step forward, muttering, "What’s that? Don’t tell me we have to write a daily diary like elementary students." "You can use the Rose Handbook to record Kelly’s regulations, or your exam notes, or even your daily gains," Wen Maixue’s voice seemed omnipresent, "Please maintain silence in the classroom." Su Ziceng felt as if she had been hit by a sneak attack, glaring irritably at the "newly appointed" Wen Maixue as she took the black notebook from her hands. It was a very ordinary notebook, with a cover featuring a black background and embossed golden rose patterns, heavy in her hands. Flipping through it, she saw that it astonishingly had over a thousand pages. On the title page, there was a section for students to fill in their personal information. Beyond that were blank pages for writing, and in the middle of the book, there was a tassel that served as a bookmark. Watching Yan Wuxu finish writing her personal information card on the first page and then mysteriously jot down some words before swiftly slipping it into the textbook, Su Ziceng felt somewhat surprised. "You’re actually writing in it, these trifles? Kelly Women’s College really likes such antiquated stuff. First, it’s French, now it’s the Rose Handbook." "The school is always considering our future," Yan Wuxu, sensing Wen Maixue’s gaze falling on them again, hastily replied with seriousness, "This is a tradition since the founding of Kelly Women’s School. The school library holds over ten thousand volumes of Rose Handbooks, all left by past students upon their departure, which is one of the school’s most valuable treasures." Typical official rhetoric. Su Ziceng had become accustomed to Yan Wuxu placing Kelly Women’s School on a pedestal, so she chuckled disdainfully and saw that Class Leader Wen was about to leave the classroom, so she rushed over to her. "Class Leader, I have a question now." As Su Ziceng ran over, she casually stuffed her class schedule into the Rose Handbook. A page densely filled with her class schedule compared to the blank diary looked somewhat peculiar. Upon hearing the call, Wen Maixue still politely stood her ground, merely leaning back at a 30° angle to make way. Su Ziceng caught her reaction and mimicked it by leaning her upper body back 60° disdainfully. "I’d like to ask how I can do well in French?" Su Ziceng had done her homework; she had been able to recite French poetry since she was five. Wen Maixue had to be either a poetic genius or a hard worker, and either way, those were qualities Su Ziceng lacked. "Stupidity, error, sin, and stinginess pervade our souls and our flesh," Wen Maixue straightened up, "I really like Baudelaire’s poetry. At least this is something I can choose to like." She gave an off-topic answer, dropped the remark, and left. "What does that mean?" Su Ziceng stomped her foot, "Shouldn’t she be telling me how to differentiate French grammar, how to memorize vocabulary, etc.? Stupidity? Error? I don’t need any of these," lamentably, Yan Wuxu hadn’t studied French either; otherwise, she could have kindly explained to Su Ziceng that what Wen Maixue said was a line from the representative work "Flowers of Evil" by the great French poet Baudelaire. What followed was a full day of French classes, with only Su Ziceng and Yan Wuxu sitting in the vast classroom. Yan Wuxu sat upright throughout, like a venerable bodhisattva statue, whereas Su Ziceng was more like a shoddily installed clay bodhisattva statue. From start to finish, whether sitting or sprawling, she was inattentive. Only after three consecutive class bells of forty-five minutes each in the afternoon did she snap out of it, realizing the day’s classes were over. In her mind, neither more nor less, were still only the twenty letters common to both English and French.