Days have passed since that splendid meal. It’s finally the occasion to liberate myself from?its lasting recollection and jot down what I saw and felt in that very place, with all of you being?so kind and lovely.

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Before locating the spot of Tongheju, I was, as usual, imparting mathematics to Wu, neglecting the raspy train of Line 8 and the rattling crowds on the bank of Houhai. It didn’t take?us long to discern the expressly inscribed?"Tongheju" in the midst of layers of panes when it was?still half an hour before the scheduled time. The great hall was almost void of customers, and?Wu headed straight for his ordered compartment on the left. Fifteen glossy wooden chairs were?evenly set around the table, and a trio of stools with superb workmanship were placed at the?north end of the compartment, above which hung a mighty traditional Chinese painting of pines. Wu trotted to the nearest seat and snatched the exquisite menu in the middle of the table. Ordering dishes is way beyond my expertise, so I simply waggled around the compartment,?listening to his rumbling calculation of expenditure. The expected cost was 100 yuan per capita, and there were 15 people about to arrive.

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The traffic must have let everybody down, as nearly no one arrived on time. The first swarm?of people arrived, with one of them wearing a merry smile, poised to embrace me. Wang, my?fellow classmate in junior high five years ago, darted straight towards me. Both of us seemed to?have loads to say, but not a word leaked out of our mouths for a minute, during which we sized?each other up thoroughly. As other participants arrived at the compartment with the ticking of?the clock, it appeared to me and possibly to him that two of us had grown the least. It struck me?that Wang looked just the same, gangly built but a bit more emaciated than in the old days. I was quite solicitous about his quitting SIT during the pandemic, so I inquired into this at length, but was jaw-droppingly informed that he was about to go to college here in Beijing, majoring in?mathematics, the same major as mine. My tutoring him on math has commenced since seventh?grade, so this message evinced my success as a peer mentor and returned me the favor as well.

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Such a skyrocketing mood absented me from receiving many former classmates, until I?noticed two unexpected figures, Du and Sun, returning from the other hemisphere of the globe. While Du was identical in terms of demeanor as before, his limbs were much sturdier, courtesy?of his constant training in the gym and sparring practices. Sun was dressed in a tight garment, which I could hardly tell, but her elegant curve, rendered conspicuous by her attire, denoted the?rise of a newborn supermodel. Having been isolated from us for ages, they didn’t appear to be?estranged at all. The legacy of C1511 is so imperishable that it always brings us together, no?matter how far we have set ourselves apart. Even introverts poured their hearts out on the?scene, as?everyone had myriad memories to reflect upon and personal experiences since the?day we parted to share and enjoy.

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The dishes were ready and set on the rotating glass in succession. This was the spotlight?moment for Wu. For those participants who had not been in touch with him for the past few?years, I formally introduced his specialty in cooking and extraordinary knowledge in Chinese?food culture, with Wu commenting on the upcoming dishes like a gourmet. Unfortunately, we?were so busy in conversation that hardly anyone cast much attention on what was stuffed in?their mouths, so Wu immediately diverted his elaborate remark on the recipe to perspectives on recent news about normal-temperature superconductors. Our topics soon focused on our?majors and future careers. Only Teng studied law in CUPL. Others were all majoring in science?and engineering. As I had expected, most of them were to find a lucrative job and lead a?wealthy life. Passion for further academic research was still and only blazing in Wu's heart and?mine. Such fire in heart should not be extinguished, or else it can hardly be rekindled again. We?two comrades in scientific exploration will stick to our initial thoughts and never falter in the days to come.

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Sometime, Wu took out a stack of cards, arousing a fit of exclamation among us. This is a?management strategy contrived by himself at that time, simulating the process of money?storage in banks, to spur our classmates to behave themselves. Each person, students and?teachers, is portrayed on three different cards of nominal values: 2 yuan, 5 yuan, and 10 yuan. The mechanism is efficient and advanced, bringing about a more progressive and cohesive?unity in C1511. As the gathering was drawing to a close, two group photographs were?anticipated. One is traditional, and the other is a bird’s-eye view of cards held by corresponding?people standing in a circle. Everyone wore a broad, fat smile on their face in front of the camera. Just imagine that half of C1511 has come to the same spot, retrospecting the past and?envisaging the future—a sprightly bunch of youngsters ready to live their lives to the fullest, in?various sectors, in different nations. Our legacy will remain for eons, impervious to any?thunderstorm. I guarantee that.

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I will forever bear in mind the pure and sincere gathering of C1511 in Tongheju that day.

2023.8.10