Read The Backbone of Rose - 45. My future is not a dream

45. My future is not a dream

Lin Tong reminded her: "Do you remember those little notes you received? I heard that some people in our class regard you as 'Akagi Haruko', and some regard you as an idol. That's why they want to elect you as a class committee member."

"Give me a break!" Xu Wenqiang leaned over the table and yawned. "There are so many people who can play basketball. Is it really that serious?"

"There are many people who can play basketball, but there are very few girls who can play basketball. And I think they regard you as an idol not just because you can play basketball," said Lin Tong.

"Why is that?" Xu Wenqiang closed her eyes, intending to take a nap before the class bell rang.

"Because you..."

Lin Tong stopped because Xu Wenqiang seemed to have fallen asleep.

"Because you single-handedly withstood all the rumors, which is even more impressive than Akagi Haruko!" Lin Tong murmured, then looked down at Xu Wenqiang, suddenly felt his face flush and his heart beat fast, so he stood up and left the classroom.

Xu Wenqiang was not actually asleep.

She was thinking about what to give Xing Jiaqi as a birthday present tomorrow, and then she was thinking about who to choose between Xiao Cheng and Su Xiaoshan... Neither of the two questions was easy, especially the last one, which was really annoying.

In fact, she could also follow the method she told Ning Yi, listing the advantages and disadvantages of Xiao Cheng and Su Xiaoshan in detail, and then draw a conclusion. But Xu Wenqiang felt that other people could use that method, but she couldn't. Because to her, Su Xiaoshan was incomparable to anyone, and Xiao Cheng, it seemed, was also incomparable to anyone...

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. Xu Wenqiang couldn't help but kick under the table.

Xiao Cheng came to find Xu Wenqiang with Xing Jiaqi's birthday invitation, and just saw that the person who was originally lying quietly on the table suddenly started to flutter around like a wound-up spring.

It was like a mischievous kitten whose fur suddenly stood up, making his palms itchy and wanting to grab it and stroke it.

"Xu Wenqiang, what kind of kung fu are you practicing?" Xiao Cheng walked over and patted Xu Wenqiang on the head with the invitation.

Xu Wenqiang looked up and saw that it was Xiao Cheng, so she sat up straight and asked, "What's the matter?"

Xiao Cheng handed the invitation to Xu Wenqiang, "Xing Jiaqi asked me to bring it to you, and she also asked you to go there early tomorrow."

Xu Wenqiang took the invitation and looked at it. It was decorated with lace and rhinestones. She sighed, "It's so grand."

"This is already considered simple," Xiao Cheng said. "Last year's invitation had music on it when you opened it."

Xu Wenqiang took another look at the invitation in her hand, which had nothing to do with simplicity, and could only say, "It's still quite nice."

Looking at Xu Wenqiang's insincere words, Xiao Cheng saw through it but did not point it out.

"Xing Jiaqi's home address is written in the invitation. But her house is hard to find, so I thought I would pick you up tomorrow and then we will go to her house together." Xiao Cheng said.

Xu Wenqiang glanced at the address on Xing Jiaqi's invitation. Although it was a bit far from their home, it wasn't too far from where they couldn't find it. Furthermore, Xiao Cheng's presence made her feel like she was being taken care of. While that feeling was nice, she didn't feel she needed it.

"Xiao Cheng, this is too much trouble." Xu Wenqiang said, "I think I can get there by myself, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, you can do it yourself." Xiao Cheng didn't insist.

He casually picked up a pen from Xu Wenqiang's desk, turned it around twice, and asked two questions, "Xu Wenqiang, have you decided what gift to buy for Xing Jiaqi? You don't know Xing Jiaqi very well, do you know her preferences?"

These two questions left Xu Wenqiang speechless.

She looked at Xiao Cheng, who was spinning a pen with a focused expression.

Xu Wenqiang then told herself that it would be nice to experience the feeling of being taken care of occasionally. So she said to Xiao Cheng, "How about you pick me up tomorrow and help me pick a gift for Xing Jiaqi?"

Xiao Cheng stopped writing and nodded, "That's fine too."

"Then I'll wait for you at the entrance of the farmers' market at nine o'clock tomorrow morning," said Xu Wenqiang.

"Okay." Xiao Cheng said.

The matter was settled, but Xiao Cheng still didn't leave. He kept turning Xu Wenqiang's pen, looking very fond of it. "Your pen feels really good when you turn it."

Xu Wenqiang said, "Because it's heavier than other pens," so it can be used as a knife. That pen was the one Xu Wenqiang used to scare Yu Yong.

"No wonder." Xiao Cheng weighed it in his hand, then looked up at Xu Wenqiang, "Since it's so heavy, why not carry it with you?"

Xu Wenqiang was stunned. She'd been feeling uneasy about Yu Yong's situation, so she'd always carried the pen with her. Xiao Cheng had accidentally seen her that day, but he hadn't said much, simply telling her to rest assured. Now that Yu Yong's situation was resolved, he'd brought up the pen again.

I have to give him an explanation, Xu Wenqiang thought.

"I don't have it with me anymore, don't worry." After Xu Wenqiang finished speaking, she added, as if possessed by some unknown force, "If you like that pen, I can give it to you."

The pen stopped in Xiao Cheng's hand and then went into Xiao Cheng's pocket.

"Thank you very much." Xiao Cheng smiled brightly at Xu Wenqiang, "See you tomorrow."

"See you there."

Xu Wenqiang was dazzled by Xiao Cheng's smile.

Xiao Cheng usually smiled all the time at school. A gentle smile, a kind smile, a polite smile, a courteous smile... He had all sorts of smiles, but they were all bland. But just now, that unbridled, exuberant smile was like a new dish, appearing to be a feast for the eyes, the palate, the flavor, and the senses.

Xu Wenqiang swallowed her saliva and was distracted for half the class thinking about Xiao Cheng's smile.

Because of the class committee election, the atmosphere in the class was still tense in the morning, but by the afternoon, everyone was open and honest.

Those participating in the election joked with each other and paved the way for themselves.

"I'm just participating and joining in the fun."

"Me too. The important thing is to participate."

…

There is no pressure on those waiting to vote. Those who like the hustle and bustle can gather together to discuss, while those who don’t like the hustle and bustle can just watch others discuss lively.

Ning Yi turned around during the second class break in the afternoon and said, "Xu Wenqiang, I want to choose——"

"Ning Yi, don't tell me." Xu Wenqiang interrupted Xiao Yi.

"Do you think it's troublesome?" Xiao Yi lowered his head, a look of embarrassment flashing across his face.

"I'm not bothered by the hassle, I'm just afraid it would be unfair to you," Xu Wenqiang said. "If you tell me who you vote for, I have to tell you who I vote for. But I don't know who I'm going to vote for yet. So you can't tell me who you vote for, do you understand?"

After hearing the word "fairness", Xiao Yi raised his head and looked at Xu Wenqiang again. After Xu Wenqiang finished speaking, he nodded and said, "Xu Wenqiang, I didn't expect that besides being good at basketball, you are also so good at tongue twisters."

Xu Wenqiang spoke until her mouth was dry and she chuckled twice.

After Ning Yi turned around, Xu Wenqiang glanced at Lin Tong. Her deskmate was currently covering a romance novel with her Chinese textbook, reading with gusto. Xu Wenqiang was most thankful that Lin Tong had never discussed these matters with her.

Lin Tong turned a page of the book without even looking at Xu Wenqiang. "Why, do you want to tell me another tongue twister?"

Xu Wenqiang immediately admitted defeat and said, "I won't say anymore."

There was a subtle tension in the classroom until the last class meeting in the afternoon, when Fu Dongqing walked into the classroom as the bell rang.

"Today's class meeting is about electing class committee members. Please stop what you are doing and we will begin now."

The election process is actually quite simple. First, the candidate goes on stage to deliver a campaign speech, and then the whole class votes. After the votes are cast, the votes are publicly counted, and the candidate with the most votes is elected.

The first few elections were exciting, and everyone kept an eye on the candidates' vote counts. But later on, the process became the same, and even the content of the candidates' speeches seemed largely the same. So, everyone started to lose interest, and after voting, they all started doing their homework and reviewing.

The last person to run for election is class monitor.

Su Xiaoshan took the stage first. His speech was meticulously prepared, and his delivery was sincere. Every word came from the heart, and his delivery was captivating and moving. The previously absent-minded audience at the podium suddenly raised their heads and gazed silently at him.

After Su Xiaoshan finished speaking, the classroom became quiet for a moment.

No one knew who started the applause for Su Xiaoshan, but then the applause filled the entire Class 4 of Grade 1.

Xiao Cheng and Su Xiaoshan passed each other amid Su Xiaoshan's applause. One of them walked down the podium and the other walked up to the podium.

Xiao Cheng looked at everyone on the podium. They were still immersed in Su Xiaoshan's influence and had not come back to their senses.

With Su Xiaoshan already taking the lead, Xiao Cheng knew that no matter how well-prepared his speech was or how eloquent his delivery was, he was destined to be Su Xiaoshan's foil today.

If he still wants to win, he can only use a completely different approach from Su Xiaoshan.

First, put aside the manuscript that you have memorized.

Then, like old friends, I said to the whole class, "Dear classmates, I want to give you a song, 'My Future Is Not a Dream' by Zhang Yusheng. I hope that in three years, we can all have a future where our dreams come true."

Are you like me bowing my head in the sun?

Working hard and sweating silently

Are you like me, even if you are ignored

Don't give up the life you want

…

Because I don't care what others say

I never forget me

Commitment to yourself

Persistence in love

…

My future is not a dream, I live every minute seriously

My future is not a dream, my heart moves with hope