Chapter 6 (Revised)

First day of school.

Lin Jiu woke up early before the alarm clock rang at seven o'clock.

She took a quick inventory of the bedding and items, made sure nothing was missing, then opened the bedroom door and went to wash up.

Twenty minutes later.

Lin Jiu and Yang Bing worked together to secure the snakeskin bag containing the quilt and the suitcase to the back seat of the electric scooter.

Yang Bing walked a few steps and got into the car, inserted the key, and waited for Lin Jiu to sit behind her. She asked, "Did you bring your admission letter and ID card?"

Lin Jiu put on her helmet and was about to reply, but stopped herself. Even though she'd already checked, just in case, she pulled her backpack toward her, unzipped it, and took a look inside before replying, "I've got everything."

The vehicle started, and in the morning light, surrounded by misty water vapor, it headed for an unknown destination——

Guicheng No. 4 Middle School.

Yang Bing's journey to school was not smooth.

She spent most of her time in the countryside and had no idea of ​​the routes to the various schools in Qingshan District. Village children who didn't get into No. 4 Middle School also had only a vague idea of ​​where the schools were located.

So, after arriving at the downtown area, she drove for a while and stopped every now and then, asking pedestrians or shop owners on the street, before she roughly knew the direction of No. 4 Middle School.

When Yang Bing was about to arrive at No. 4 Middle School, his electric scooter was stuck at the nearest intersection.

At the start of the school term, there is heavy traffic around the school, most of which are private cars and buses, with almost no gaps in passing.

Lin Jiu sat in the back seat, with nothing to do. Bored, she looked around, searching for landmarks to remember the way.

Looking around, I found that only the tall billboard standing on the side of the road was easier to remember.

The advertisement is simple, straightforward and easy to understand.

Where to go for infertility treatment? Come to Guicheng's accredited men's surgery hospital.

The entire intersection has no distinctive buildings, only low-rise shops, and this is the most conspicuous one...

Very high, big cards.

Lin Jiu silently memorized this sign in his heart.

In a few minutes, under the command of the traffic police, the congested traffic was finally cleared.

Yang Bing's car also started moving.

When the car passed by the traffic policemen in the same bright green uniform, Lin Jiu's heart tightened and he lowered his head and didn't dare to look at him.

The traffic police just glanced at them and then dispersed, striding away to direct other vehicles.

This year, Guicheng's control over electric scooters was not strict and there were no clear policies. They only focused on clearing traffic and did not check for overloading of electric vehicles.

Lin Jiu looked back and saw the traffic policemen gradually disappearing into the distance. His anxious heart finally relaxed.

She sat up straight, stretched her neck and looked forward, and suddenly saw the gate of No. 4 Middle School.

Guicheng No. 4 Middle School has two school gates: an outer gate and an inner gate.

There is no guard at the outer school gate. Instead, there is a rectangular gray-white stone with the words "No. 4 Middle School" written on it in a powerful stroke.

It's like a reminder—

We're at school now, slow down.

The two black tires of the electric scooter rolled over the asphalt road and approached the inner school gate.

On either side of the asphalt road stood a row of camphor trees, their trunks thick as a man's, their branches lush and lush, casting shadows.

Next to it, there were residential buildings arranged in an orderly manner. They were all 10 stories high and looked like they had been recently renovated.

There is a large area next to the residential building, which is full of parking spaces.

However, private cars occupy the entire space.

The distance was too short, and Yang Bing looked left and right but couldn't find an available parking space. She drove straight ahead, trying to enter the school, but was stopped by the broadcast.

The guard played loudly on a loud speaker -

Vehicles are not allowed to enter the school. Students and parents are requested to walk.

There is no way.

Yang Bing slowed down the car and drove slowly, looking for a vacant parking space in front of the residential building.

Seeing the car couldn't stop, Lin Jiu anxiously stretched his head to look out and found an empty space. In front of the residential building closest to the school gate, there were electric bikes parked densely.

She pointed out the approximate location to Yang Bing.

With his superb driving skills, Yang Bing grabbed an empty space and parked the car steadily.

The car just stopped.

Lin Jiu leaned over, one foot touching the ground for support, and swiftly got off the bike. She impatiently took off her helmet, hung it on the hook on the front of the bike, and quickly moved away from the electric scooter, keeping a few steps away.

Her movements were too quick, as if she was trying hard to break away from the electric scooter.

Before entering the outer school gate, Lin Jiu hadn't considered the luxury of private cars. They were simply windproof, sun-proof, fast, and had ample storage space.

After entering the gate, cars crowded onto the asphalt road, most of them were parents of students driving private cars.

Electric cars and private cars driving side by side are like ants against elephants.

The contrast is too tragic.

She suddenly realized the gap between her family and other people's families, and suddenly developed a sense of inferiority, which prompted her to get off the bus immediately.

Lin Jiu’s idea was very simple.

After getting off the car, she stood on the ground like everyone else, without any external aids, relying solely on her own two feet.

Everyone is the same.

Only in this way can she alleviate the inferiority complex that transportation brings to her.

Yang Bing glanced at Lin Jiu, but didn't notice anything unusual about her. She just walked towards the school gate in silence.

Seeing this, Lin Jiu wanted to follow, but did not move.

She looked at the suitcase on the car and hesitated for a few seconds, worried that it might be stolen. But she felt relieved when she saw the other small scooters beside the car were also filled with large and small items.

She jogged a few steps, found Yang Bing's back in the crowd, and followed him.

Yang Bing glanced at her a few times and then looked at the surroundings.

Seeing that Yang Bing was not in a hurry to enter the school, Lin Jiu also slowed down and observed the school as he walked.

The school gate is very wide, about nine meters. An automatically retractable fence serves as a dividing line between inside and outside the school. Currently, the fence is tightly retracted, allowing students and parents to enter and exit freely.

On the right side of the school gate is the guard room with front and back doors, and two security guards in gray uniforms sitting inside.

On the left was an old wall, with an iron plaque beside it, inscribed in golden ink: "Guicheng No. 4 Middle School." Many parents of students lined up in front of it, smiling and taking photos.

The most eye-catching buildings on campus are two buildings that are some distance apart.

The building on the left has an artistic feel and is estimated to be three stories high. The one on the right back is a semi-circular teaching building. It is called one building, but it is actually three. The long corridor connects the three brick-red buildings, making the whole building look magnificent.

Lin Jiu looked at the teaching building with bright eyes and nodded repeatedly.

It really deserves to be a key middle school!

Before Lin Jiu could come to her senses, Yang Bing patted her and took bigger steps, as if to signal her to go inside.

Lin Jiu retracted his gaze and followed closely behind her.

A few steps after entering the door, Lin Jiu and Yang Bing saw a group of people gathered on the right almost at the same time. They were all surrounding the bulletin board.

There was a sign next to the bulletin board with black words on red paper that read: Check the class division here.

There are three bulletin boards, and there are people in front of them.

As Lin Jiu approached the crowd, he suggested to the person next to him, "Mom, let's watch it separately to save time."

"Yeah." Yang Bing nodded and walked towards the bulletin board in the middle.

Lin Jiu observed for a few seconds and found that there were few people at the bulletin board on the right. He walked over and squeezed in. Soon he reached the front row.

Fortunately, she saw her own name when she looked through the list of names.

Class 1402.

A very advanced class.

There is a class 1401 in front.

Logically speaking, she shouldn't be ranked so high, after all, her score was just passing.

When Lin Jiu knew that he was admitted, he was prepared to be assigned to a regular class.

After all, the classes in No. 4 Middle School are divided according to grades every year.

The class levels are clearly defined.

Honor students and honor students.

Poor students and poor students.

Scores determine everything.

But now... Lin Jiu couldn't understand this class arrangement.

After thinking for a few seconds, she stopped thinking because she would not get an answer even if she thought more.

Lin Jiu gave up his seat and left the crowd. He took some time to find Yang Bing and pulled her to a quiet place.

"I'm in Class 1402, reporting to Mingde Building."

Yang Bing looked at the teaching building next to him and said to himself, "Mingde Building."

Lin Jiu took out the cute version map that was specially included in the admission letter from his schoolbag, pointed at Mingde Building and said to Yang Bing, "This building."

There are three teaching buildings, from left to right: Mingde Building, Mingzhi Building, and Mingli Building. Just follow the corridor of the teaching buildings and turn left to reach them.

As per convention, Yang Bing walked in front and Lin Jiu walked behind.

Lin Jiu walked slowly along the corridor, passing many students and parents returning from Mingde Building. They occasionally exchanged a few words in the Guicheng dialect, not the Mandarin she had imagined.

Just as this thought crossed my mind, a boy and a girl who looked like students came towards me.

They speak standard Mandarin.

Just by listening to their conversation, Lin Jiu paid special attention to them, not to mention that they were also very good-looking.

The boy wore a white T-shirt and carried a black backpack. He had regular features and a cold expression, giving off a reserved vibe.

The girl was wearing a light yellow dress. Her pretty oval face was smiling, and she looked bright and dazzling.

The man is handsome and the woman is beautiful, and they give people a strong impact when standing together.

Lin hadn't seen such dazzling people for a long time, and couldn't help but focus his attention on the two of them.

The girl didn't have a backpack and her hands were empty, and she looked like she was just strolling around.

However, Lin Jiu thought she was here to report and guessed that the admission information was in the boy's bag.

Brother and sister?

They don't look alike.

What's the relationship?

Lin Jiu thought for a moment and then turned his attention back to the two of them.

The girl was a talkative person, and she was talking to the boy as they walked. Although the boy had a blank expression on his face, he listened to her patiently and nodded in response occasionally.

The school is very noisy, with the sounds of other students' parents talking, sirens honking, and broadcasts.

Lin Jiu didn't know what they were talking about until she passed by them and she could barely hear what they were saying.

"The head teacher seems easy to get along with. The class atmosphere will definitely be good in the future." The voice was cheerful.

"Well, walk faster." The tone was cold.

"From the school gate to the classroom, and then from the classroom to the cafeteria, and then back here, it's such a long way... My feet are so tired, please go slower..." The voice gradually became smaller until it disappeared.

Lin Jiu looked back a few times as he walked.

The girl stopped where she was, stood with her hands on her hips, and looked angrily at the back of the boy in front of her.

The boy noticed that there was someone missing, so he went back the way he came, stood in front of her, and said something.

The girl's anger had mostly subsided, and she reluctantly took a step forward and continued walking.

This time, the boy deliberately slowed down.

The two walked side by side.

Lin Jiu watched the two people walk away, turned back and calmed down, continuing to follow Yang Bing closely.

Yang Bing had just noticed her frequent turns of head. Seeing her approach, he asked, "Do you know them?"

Lin Jiu shook his head, "I don't know them."

"Then let's walk faster. We've wasted a lot of time." Yang Bing quickened his pace.

"Okay." Lin Jiu trotted after him.

......

Class 1402 is on the second floor, next to the stairs.

Seeing that people were gathered around the front door, Yang Bing and Lin Jiu abandoned the open back door and walked a dozen steps in the corridor to the front door.

The names of the class members and the reporting procedures are posted on the door.

The first step in the reporting process is to find the class teacher to complete the formalities.

It’s easy to find a class teacher.

In the classroom, a group of students' parents gathered around a table and could be seen at a glance.

Lin Jiu didn't rush to report, but leaned over to take a few glances.

The homeroom teacher was a middle-aged man with a shaved head, a kind face, and seemed easy to get along with. While he was checking in the students, he patiently answered the parents' questions.

The teacher was very organized and could finish one task in five minutes.

After a while, the parents of the students who had completed the formalities dispersed.

There weren't as many people around the table anymore.

Seeing this, Lin Jiu put down his schoolbag, took out all the materials, and waited in line. Yang Bing found a seat and sat down, waiting to pay.

In front of Lin Jiu's team was a beautiful girl with long hair and a white dress.

As soon as he entered the classroom, Lin Jiu saw her at a glance.

At that time, she was standing at the back of the classroom with her bag in her hand, chatting with two girls. Judging from the familiarity of their conversation, they were probably classmates.

Many boys in the classroom were looking at her. She seemed accustomed to such gazes, without any restraint or unnaturalness, not even glancing at any of them, not even looking at them at all.

At that moment, her father stood with her, going through the enrollment process. He wasn't a very handsome man, but he was well-dressed, like a respectable man. He spoke in a down-to-earth manner, speaking to the homeroom teacher in Guicheng dialect, sounding very friendly.

From their conversation, Lin Jiu also learned the name of the head teacher, Yuan Hui.

Lin Jiu has a good impression of Yuan Hui and thinks he is a down-to-earth teacher.

If the parents speak Mandarin, he speaks Mandarin; if the parents speak a dialect, he speaks a dialect. No matter what kind of parents he is talking to, he has a way of chatting that makes people relax.

After filling out the information, the girl walked straight out the door.

When Lin Jiu was filling out the information, he paid special attention to the information filled out earlier and found out her name——

Zhuo Ling.

Lin Jiu needed to apply for accommodation, so he had to fill out more information than day students and pause for a while.

After finishing the materials, when she was about to leave, Yuan Hui stopped her and said, "Remember to come to the evening study session at 7 o'clock in the evening."

It is normal for boarding students to attend evening self-study classes.

Lin Jiu was used to this and nodded, saying, "I'll remember that, Teacher Yuan."