The school's surrounding walls are made of terrazzo bricks, extending endlessly into the dense fog. It seems that there is no other way to go except through the school. Alice looked up at the plaque on the school gate, which read "Excellent Comprehensive Education Technology Successful Vocational University" in Chinese characters. Alice found it strange herself, thinking, "I haven't learned Chinese, so why can I understand these characters? They look clear like English, but why do I know they are Chinese?"

Alice sat on the grass and asked her two companions, "Have you seen the school over there? I don't want to go to school."

Little Red Horse said, "We're just passing by to take a look. If you don't find it fun, we'll leave right away."

Alice smiled and said, "On my first day of school, my mom told me the same thing, but now I've been in school for three years, which has delayed a lot of my playtime."

Kang Kang said, "But this time is different. Look at the endless walls of this school. It must be a big university. How about we go inside and have an adventure?"

Alice became excited and said, "Great! That's settled. Let's go on an adventure!"

Just then, a little mouse came out of the school gate and waved at them. The three of them walked over the stone path, and strangely enough, the road that seemed far away, Alice and her companions reached in just a few steps, as if there was a camera pulling them over. Alice looked at the little mouse standing at the school gate and found that the mouse was not as big as it appeared before. The previous small mouse seemed as big as the stone lion at the gate, but up close, it was actually very small. The little mouse held a stack of papers and waved happily, as if Alice was an old friend he had known for a long time. Although Alice was curious and puzzled, she still walked over.

Just as she was about to speak, the little mouse in front of her spoke first, "Do you want to do some exercise?"

"Exercise?" Alice was surprised. She touched the head of the little mouse and asked, "Is it physical exercise? Is it a course at this school?"

"Yes, come and learn. Learning makes progress, and sports can change you. I guarantee that within two hours, your lovely chin will become sharper, your skin whiter, your eyes brighter, your eye bags smaller, your nose more prominent, and your lifespan longer."

"But... are you talking about how you little mice look? I don't want to turn into a little mouse. I still want to go home."

"No, no, dear princess, you misunderstood. These are all about making you beautiful, making you as beautiful as a fairy."

"Alright, my friends and I were originally planning to pass through the school and have an adventure. So let's try attending a class first. By the way, how should we address you?"

"You can temporarily call me Teacher Hu." For some reason, there was a hint of pride in Teacher Hu's tone.

Teacher Hu led them into the school. Alice noticed that some parts of the school were dilapidated while others were new. For example, the yellow flag they saw when they first entered was very new and eye-catching. The flag was embroidered with exquisite dragons and tigers, but the flagpole was old and fragile. Alice felt like it would break in strong winds. The teaching building was new, with British-style architecture and intricately carved arches adorned with sparkling diamonds. However, the playground was run-down, just a white sandy area with some poplar trees around it.

Teacher Hu arrived at the sandy area and asked the three of them to sit down. He said, "I can teach you a new skill, which is flying."

"That's great!" Alice exclaimed excitedly, sweeping away her previous dissatisfaction with Teacher Hu.

"Can we really learn to fly? I think it's more important for us to test if we can learn to fly. What is your definition of flying? How do you conclude that humans can fly? Is it based on reason or experience?" Kang Kang seemed a bit uneasy.

Alice also said, "Yeah, how can we fly without being birds and without wings?"

Teacher Hu nodded confidently and waved his hand, saying, "It's very simple. To fly, you need a few conditions. First, you need good cardiovascular capacity. Second, you need well-developed chest muscles. Third, you need strong balance. So, the first step is to do a lot of running and develop a strong cardiovascular system. The second step is to learn how to flap your arms, just like what I'm doing now. Yes... flap your arms like this... Alice is doing great... Let's stop here for now. I want to emphasize the arm flapping. It's quite challenging, and you need to push yourself to the limit so that your arm flapping generates enough upward force. At that point, you will be able to fly easily. Lastly, once you learn balance, you can be as free as a bird."

After listening to this, Kang Kang stopped flapping his arms. He asked, "Does flapping our arms really generate enough upward force? Not to mention light girls like Alice, can a person as heavy as Teacher Ma fly too?"

"Who is Teacher Ma?"

"Me," Little Red Horse stood up, flicked his tail, looked at Teacher Hu, and said, "You're a fraud."

Hearing this, Teacher Hu's face turned red in an instant and said, "You can't insult me like this. Where on my face does it say 'fraud'?"

Alice saw that the two were about to argue and quickly said, "We do want to learn how to fly, but we don't understand. We are not birds, and we don't have wings. How can we fly?"

Teacher Hu coughed a few times, paced in place, and asked, "Alice, let me ask you, are we fish?"

"Of course not, we don't have gills or fins, how could we be fish?" "Yes, we are not fish. My previous student also questioned me like this, saying that he couldn't learn to swim. But then I told him, a person must have dreams. It's okay if others say you can't do it, but you should never tell yourself that you can't. Eventually, he believed in me and became a swimming champion. So, don't always think about negative things. Be confident, be strong, give yourself positive energy, and also give positive energy to others!"

After Teacher Hu finished speaking, his face was flushed. He waved his hand and said, "Let's start practicing arm strokes and wrist movements."

Alice and the others had to start hitting their arms as the teacher instructed, left and right. After a while, they became exhausted. Xiao Hong, on the other hand, was full of energy. He practiced by running laps around the playground. After running two laps with great enthusiasm, he ran back to the starting point. Seeing that Alice was getting bored, he quietly said to her, "Since Teacher Hu has his back turned, let's sneak away and go listen to other classes."

So, Alice and Kang Kang quietly climbed onto the horse's back. The sound of horse hooves faded into the distance. When Teacher Hu turned around and found the three of them missing, he angrily chased after them, shouting, "There are gemstones under your feet, pick a few before you leave..." Alice turned back on the horse and shouted, "Leave the gemstones for the teacher—we don't like gemstones!"

Teacher Hu gradually became a black dot, blending into the sand on the playground. Alice couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and happiness on the horse's back. Kang Kang's courage also grew with the bumpy ride. He squatted on the horse's back, holding a tender willow branch in one hand and scratching his neck with the other hand.

Running past a grove of jujube trees along the wall, a tall building came into view. The plaque at the entrance was embossed with the golden words "Hall of Truth." Neat recitation could be heard from the classrooms. Alice could faintly hear them singing nursery rhymes, something like this:

Pulling radishes, pulling radishes,

Hey yo, hey yo, pulling radishes,

Hey yo, hey yo, can't pull them out,

Salute, shake hands,

You are my good radish,

Radish!

While Alice was wondering about this nursery rhyme, a middle-aged woman wearing a school teacher's uniform appeared beside her. She had a kind face, rosy lips, and eyebrows that showed wisdom gained from life's experiences. After stopping the three of them, she spoke in a pleasing tone, "Children, come and listen to the class. The knowledge you gain from these few hours of study will benefit you for a lifetime." Xiao Hong flicked his tail and brushed off the sand on his back, asking, "Is it free? Can all three of us go?" The woman shook her head disdainfully and said, "Oh dear, you are just a few children after all. You don't know the dangers of the world. You haven't experienced drowning in the society, and you don't know the benefits of reading. The lessons I teach you today will benefit you throughout your life. I came here to support the children in the western mountainous areas. When I saw the innocence in your eyes, my heart ached... What will happen to you when you grow up and remain so innocent? Sigh... But good habits are better than good luck... Although children are never at fault, it's the parents, guardians, and teachers who are to blame... But I genuinely want what's best for you..." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. Then, she quickly raised her eyelids and glanced at the expressions of the three. Seeing the puzzled look on Alice and her friends' faces, she hurriedly wiped away the tears and put on a face of guilt and kindness, asking, "I'm sorry, I lost control for a moment. I hope you don't mind." Kang Kang squatted on the ground and looked up, saying, "It depends on how you define 'minding'..."

Alice quickly interrupted Kang Kang and asked, "Can I go to class now?"

"Of course, this class costs 9.9 yuan. It is used to support the daily expenses of our charitable organization. We sincerely thank you for supporting our philanthropic cause and helping others... Sigh, that's how things are in the world." The woman said as she gestured with her hand, and the diamond ring on her ring finger reflected colorful sunlight.

"Can I exchange one class with a seashell I found at the beach? It's a very beautiful seashell, like a parrot shell. My dad said it's a conch shell." Alice looked at the woman and asked.

The woman smiled and said, "Actually, exchanging gifts between friends is a very elegant thing to do. But I don't really like seashells. How long have you been wearing that necklace around your neck? I particularly like the color of those beads."

"Can I give you one bead then?" Alice asked.

"Of course, but you still have two friends. I have to remember not only you but also your friends in the future." The woman looked at Alice sincerely and lovingly ruffled her hair.

Xiao Hong stamped his hoof, stopping Alice from taking off her necklace. He said, "I and Kang Kang won't go in. You go in and take a look, then come out quickly. I'll be waiting outside for you."

Alice smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's okay. I have many other necklaces. Aren't we here to have an adventure?" After saying that, Alice turned around and winked at Kang Kang.

Kang Kang seemed like he wanted to say something but remained silent. He obediently followed Alice into the classroom. The classroom was empty, and the woman in the blue dress at the podium stood out. She tapped her high-heeled shoe on the podium and held a chalk like a cigarette. When she saw the group entering, she spun around on one foot like drawing a circle, then scribbled "Establish Lifelong Reading Habits in Two Hours" on the blackboard behind her. Alice saw a mole rat sitting in the middle seat, so she and her group walked over and sat next to the mole rat.

Before they could even speak to the mole rat, the teacher started her lecture.

"Let me introduce myself. My surname is Wang, but you can call me Teacher Huang. Today, I'm here to teach you a class on genetic literature, which is very important. First, let me ask a question. We all know that failure is the mother of success, so who is the father of success? Does anyone know? Raise your hand and answer." Alice and her friends had never heard such a question before, so they shook their heads. Teacher Huang smiled satisfactorily and said, "It's okay, remember this: success is the father of success. Think about it, if both parents are failures, can they give birth to a successful child? Just like parents with blood types A and B, can they give birth to a child with blood type O? So, we know the child is successful, the mother is a failure, therefore, the father must be successful. Understand? Okay, let's continue. We know that success is the father of success. If we recursively apply this logic, it's easy to understand that the grandfather of success is also successful. Now, who is the grandmother of success?" Alice was stunned again after hearing this. She thought, "What a strange question." She leaned over to Kang Kang's ear and whispered, "I knew it, the things they teach in school are so boring and strange." Kang Kang didn't say anything, he just touched his non-existent beard and remained silent for a while. Meanwhile, Teacher Huang saw that no one knew the answer, so she sighed and said, "Oh, you students lack logical reasoning abilities. If success and failure give birth to success, what does that imply? It implies that success is a dominant gene. Therefore, only failure and failure can give birth to a failed child. So, the parents of failure are all failures. Following this reasoning, the grandparents of success are failures. Understand? Now, let me give you two homework questions. Take note." Teacher Huang assigned a piece of paper to each student and began reading the questions, "The first question is a basic one. Please write down the successful uncle, nephew, and sister-in-law. The second question is a thought-provoking one. We know that humility leads to success. Ignoring other conditions, assume humility is the teacher of success. Find the relationship between humility and the daughter of failure." After assigning the homework, Teacher Huang clapped her hands and said, "Do you know the significance of the first part of today's lesson? I can see the puzzled looks on your faces, which means you didn't come here for nothing today. Actually, the first part of the lesson was to introduce the theme of this class—how to establish a lifelong reading system that brings benefits. Reflect on the problems you have encountered recently, and you will find that they are closely related to your lack of reading. For example, why can't Mole Rat grow taller? It's because he doesn't read enough and lacks nutrition. Why can't Little Red Horse become a prince charming? It's because he reads too little, and his body lacks the accumulation of talent and charm, so he can't become a prince charming. And Kang Kang—you had the opportunity to become the Monkey King if you had read more books on organizational management. You see, all of you had the chance to progress or even evolve, but you didn't cherish it. However, it's not too late now. A stitch in time saves nine. Therefore, today I will say two things. First: You are what you read. Second: Reading is beneficial. Let's start with the first one. You are what you read. For example, if you read 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' you will tend to become petrified. If you read 'Theory of Evolution,' you will tend to progress. If you read 'Birds of Prey,' you will have the possibility of flying. If you read 'Ulysses,' you might become greasy. So, the books you read become a part of you. If you don't know who you are, then look at the books you have read recently. If you don't know what books you have read, then look in the mirror..."

Alice listened to these words and felt uncomfortable, but she couldn't pinpoint why. She turned to Kang Kang and asked, "Did you feel uncomfortable in your stomach just now? It's strange, it feels like when I used to have an upset stomach. Why is all of this happening?" Kang Kang scratched his head and said, "First of all, that teacher needed to explain several concepts when she talked about how what I read becomes a part of me, what 'I' means, what reading means..." "So, is it because of what she said that made me feel upset?" Alice interrupted Kang Kang, "It's strange how words can make you feel sick. So, why is it happening to me? Everyone else seems fine, Kang Kang." Kang Kang blushed a little and rubbed his non-existent beard, remaining silent for a while. At this moment, the mole rat sitting on the horse's back timidly said, "Over there, there's a cave where a king lives. He keeps talking about 'me' and 'my soul' every day. When no one listens, he tells us rats. I know him. Shall we go and take a look?" After hearing this, Alice jumped up and said excitedly, "Great! Mole Rat, you're amazing. We have a new destination." The mole rat hadn't finished speaking yet when it hid deep in the horse's mane. Alice smiled and climbed onto the horse's back with Kang Kang. They set off, leaving the mole rat hiding behind the horse's mane.

The cement road gradually turned into a dirt road, and a trail of dust rose behind the horse's hooves. Drops of sweat from Little Red Horse fell into the dust. 

Alice asked Kang Kang, "Did you feel uncomfortable in your stomach just now? It's strange, it felt like when I used to have an upset stomach. Why is all of this happening?" Kang Kang scratched his head and said, "First of all, that teacher needed to explain several concepts when she talked about how what I read becomes a part of me, what 'I' means, what reading means..." "So, is it because of what she said that made me feel upset?" Alice interrupted Kang Kang, "It's strange how words can make you feel sick. So, why is it happening to me? Everyone else seems fine, Kang Kang." Kang Kang blushed a little and rubbed his non-existent beard, remaining silent for a while. At this moment, the mole rat sitting on the horse's back timidly said, "Over there, there's a cave where a king lives. He keeps talking about 'me' and 'my soul' every day. When no one listens, he tells us rats. I know him. Shall we go and take a look?" After hearing this, Alice jumped up and said excitedly, "Great! Mole Rat, you're amazing. We have a new destination." The mole rat hadn't finished speaking yet when it hid deep in the horse's mane. Alice smiled and climbed onto the horse's back with Kang Kang. They set off, leaving the mole rat hiding behind the horse's mane.

Alice asked Kang Kang, "Did you feel uncomfortable in your stomach just now? It's strange, it felt like when I used to have an upset stomach. Why is all of this happening?" Kang Kang scratched his head and said, "First of all, that teacher needed to explain several concepts when she talked about how what I read becomes a part of me, what 'I' means, what reading means..." "So, is it because of what she said that made me feel upset?" Alice interrupted Kang Kang, "It's strange how words can make you feel sick. So, why is it happening to me? Everyone else seems fine, Kang Kang." Kang Kang blushed a little and rubbed his non-existent beard, remaining silent for a while. At this moment, the mole rat sitting on the horse's back timidly said, "Over there, there's a cave where a king lives. He keeps talking about 'me' and 'my soul' every day. When no one listens, he tells us rats. I know him. Shall we go and take a look?" After hearing this, Alice jumped up and said excitedly, "Great! Mole Rat, you're amazing. We have a new destination." The mole rat hadn't finished speaking yet when it hid deep in the horse's mane. Alice smiled and climbed onto the horse's back with Kang Kang. They set off, leaving the mole rat hiding behind the horse's mane.

The cement road gradually turned into a dirt road, and a trail of yellow dust rose behind the horse's hooves. Drops of sweat from Little Red Horse fell into the dust.