People sitting around Chen Bing turned around to talk to him, their mouths chattering, their admiration overflowing from their lips.

Chen Bing had experienced countless instances of children's adoration throughout her life. So she remained quite calm for a moment, making small talk with them while her mind wandered back to the identity of the little old man she had just met.

Although Chen Bing remained calm, Shang Yunmiao beside him clenched her small hands tightly, appearing very happy.

On one hand, she was happy for Chen Bing because the bad teacher who wanted to call Chen Bing's parents had been driven away by the kind grandfather. On the other hand, Chen Bing was surrounded by people praising her, and she inexplicably felt a sense of pride.

The noisy chatter didn't last long. As the classroom door was gently pushed open, everyone stopped talking at the same time.

The person who pushed open the classroom door was not the red-glasses-wearing Principal Lin who had returned, but their music teacher, Du Meiling.

Not knowing what had happened, she pushed open the classroom door, glanced at the podium, and seeing no teacher behind her, waved to Chen Bing.

"Chen Bing, come here quickly, the rehearsal has started."

"Okay, teacher, I'm here." Chen Bing picked up her violin case and was about to get up.

Before he could lift his butt, he suddenly realized that he definitely wouldn't be able to leave school on time, which meant his little follower would have to be alone.

"Do you want to come with me?" Chen Bing asked Shang Yunmiao, extending her hand.

The little girl clearly wanted to go, but hesitated because she wasn't sure if she could go with them.

Seeing through her thoughts, Chen Bing immediately took her hand and pulled her along to skip class together.

"Let's go, it's okay. The teacher will call Aunt Xuan later and tell her."

"Um!"

Shang Yunmiao mustered her courage and obediently followed Chen Bing out of the classroom.

"Teacher, can I bring a friend?" To put Xiao Shang at ease, Chen Bing asked Du Meiling directly in front of her after leaving the room.

After hearing Chen Bing's words, the other party immediately nodded and said no problem.

"Sure, bring your girlfriend along."

Little girl... really, what are you talking about... what girlfriend? Stop it, don't be like this, teacher.

Seeing Chen Bing's uncomfortable expression after those words, Du Meiling covered her mouth and smiled happily. Then, she took one child in each hand and led them towards the small auditorium.

On the way, Shang Yunmiao fell into deep thought, recalling what the teacher had just said about "little girlfriend." What does "little girlfriend" mean? Does it mean friend? Then I must be Chen Bing's "little girlfriend," right? But why does he seem so shy?

Filled with questions, Shang Yunmiao followed the two to a small room inside the auditorium. This room was where the performances were prepared and where the performers would rest before their shows.

When Chen Bing and his two companions arrived, there were already a few older students scattered around. Judging from their simple clothing and the things they were carrying, it was easy to tell that they were all going to perform on stage.

Although it was just a primary school New Year's Eve party and not very formal, but...

After all, a school has nearly two thousand students, so they all have some talent. It's not a problem to find some students who can perform, but those at Chen Bing's level are definitely a minority.

After chatting with Shang Yunmiao for a while, as the school bell rang, more and more teachers, older students, and parents entered the small auditorium.

Because they had only rehearsed the entrance order and exit procedures briefly before the official start, and the students who hadn't actually performed on stage seemed a bit nervous. Most remained silent, and only a few, like Chen Bing, chatted openly with others.

As dusk settled, the New Year's Eve party officially began with opening remarks from the young hosts on the small auditorium stage.

Because the evening's program included more than just student performances, and Chen Bing's performance order wasn't the first, he chatted with Shang Yunmiao for a full hour before it was finally his turn.

At Du Meiling's prompting, Chen Bing opened the violin case, took out the violin, and stood at the entrance to wait. As for Xiao Shang, he followed behind Du Meiling, quietly watching Chen Bing.

"Wait for me, I'll be right back." After saying this to Shang Yunmiao, Chen Bing turned around and slowly walked onto the stage, introduced by the young host.

Facing hundreds of spectators watching her in the small auditorium, Chen Bing felt slightly nervous. But this scene was nothing compared to the solemnity of her violin exam.

After taking a deep breath, Chen Bing relaxed and slowly began playing her piece.

The moment the melody of "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Trend" began, it immediately caught the attention of the audience. They weren't musicians, nor could they appreciate a particularly high level of performance.

However, amidst a sea of ​​unfamiliar and low-quality performances, this violin version of "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Trend" was undoubtedly a display of exceptional skill. Coupled with the inherent popularity of the piece, the atmosphere in the venue was quickly enlivened, creating a lively and joyful ambiance.

"This child plays very well; I really enjoy listening to him."

Does anyone know him? I've never seen him at school before.

"Oh, this child's name is Chen Bing. I remember she was in Teacher Wang Xiayu's class."

"That student in Teacher Wang's class, isn't he only in first grade? He's so amazing!"

"Huh? Isn't this the child I was praising in the classroom just now?" Principal Lin, who was sitting in the center of the audience, naturally noticed Chen Bing as well. After a slight pause, he immediately began praising the child's deeds to the teacher next to him, drawing continuous praise from those around him.

Although no specific evaluation can be heard, anyone who sees the performance at a glance can surely tell the overall effect.

A child, on the last day of his sixth birthday, played the violin, enlivening the entire evening's atmosphere. His image and his performance will surely be remembered by those present for a long time to come.

Shang Yunmiao would certainly remember that she stood next to a beautiful teacher and looked towards the center of the stage through a dimly lit corridor. When the boy next door was playing the violin, he was wielding his bow and standing straight. The lights focused on him, reflecting his handsome figure, like a pine tree in the snow.

After the song ended, Chen Bing bowed in thanks and, amidst the applause in the small auditorium, returned to the preparation room.

"That was a great pull!"

"Thanks."

After casually thanking Ms. Du Meiling for the compliment, Chen Bing asked her if it was possible for her parents to pick her up now.

After receiving an affirmative answer, Chen Bing, under the teacher's surprised gaze, took out her smartphone from her schoolbag and called Liu Yue, asking her to come pick her up and Xiao Shang.

Unlike later years, the penetration rate of smartphones was still very low in 2011 and 2012. Let alone children, even many adults probably didn't own one.

Therefore, there is no rule prohibiting elementary schools from having smartphones.