Once, on my way to school, I passed by a stationery shop and suddenly heard a weird question from a boy with thick glasses: “Excuse me, are there any ‘Li Bai’ ballpoint pens?”

    I couldn’t help laughing out loud, because I knew there was no such brand named after the famous Tang Dynasty poet. He then turned around angrily and yelled at me, “Have you all filled out your exam papers?” I was quite confused by his question. The shopkeeper told him in a lazy tone that there was no such ballpoint pen. The boy disappointedly went away, muttering: “I’m going to study some mathematical questions... But there’s no ‘Li Bai’ ballpoint pen...”

    What a strange boy! I expressed my confusion to the shopkeeper and he explained that the boy would take the National College Entrance Examinations soon. The reason why he asked about the pen was because he had forced himself to cram over 30 exercise books in one month, so his pens ran out very often. Unfortunately, the overwhelming schoolwork made him confused sometimes and he became forgetful. “What a pity! He was a smart boy two years ago when I first met him,” the shopkeeper added.

    Both of us have no idea where he thought such a brand came from, but I guess as a man who constantly appears on exam papers and was considered so smart, Li must have became one of his idols.

    What a pitiful boy he was! I think it’s better to relax ourselves first, and then bravely face our challenges. I hope there will be more ways to show off our talent in the future, not just through these rigorous college entrance examinations. I don’t know what Li in Heaven would think of this boy who mentioned him so often, but I suspect even Li would have to study in such an intense atmosphere if were alive today. It might even have been impossible for him to have become such a great poet.