Chapter 37

Are there really that many people signing up?

Hu Zhenzhen really hadn't expected this.

After all, the night before, she had only seen twenty food carts on this street, and some of the people there seemed unwilling to participate in the plan.

Hu Zhenzhen estimated that it would be good if a dozen or so people signed up.

It's only morning, and the people who came to register have already trampled the house flat?

She just found it all bizarre.

The fact that no one was injured despite the house collapsing is a good thing, but it makes the whole thing seem even stranger.

The more Hu Zhenzhen thought about it, the stranger it seemed, so she simply asked Chen Kai to take her there so she could see for herself what was going on.

Upon arriving at the scene, Hu Zhenzhen could see the ruins of the house from afar without even getting out of the car.

Liu An was organizing order at the scene and didn't notice that the boss's car was nearby.

Chen Kai wanted to remind him, but Hu Zhenzhen stopped him.

"Never mind, he's busy right now, let's not make things worse, let's just stay here and watch."

Hu Zhenzhen's gaze fell on the ruins again.

The four pieces of sheet metal were all thick, and when they collapsed, they landed directly on the table inside the room. Fortunately, the table was sturdy enough to withstand the force of the sheet metal falling.

Liu An moved another table over and placed it on the open ground.

Construction on the unfinished building has resumed today, with workers coming and going, occasionally glancing curiously in this direction.

In the open square in front of the unfinished building, Liu An and his group of people were quite conspicuous.

With one or two hundred people crammed together, it's no wonder such a serious accident occurred.

Hu Zhenzhen sat in the car, holding a tablet in her hands, watching the surveillance footage that Chen Kai had pulled up.

The camera was only installed last night, and the footage it captured wasn't complete; it only showed the back of the tin-roofed house. But even that single shot was enough for Hu Zhenzhen to understand what had happened.

There were simply too many people, and Hu Zhenzhen only sent Liu An.

Without anyone to help, the order outside naturally fell into chaos.

Liu An's house was surrounded by the stall owners, with people crowding around the small windows and the doorway, all trying to squeeze to the front to get a look.

As people jostled around, the house naturally shook.

People were leaning against the walls and doorframes. There were so many of them, and they were so strong. How could this small house withstand so much force? It visibly swayed in the surveillance footage.

Liu An had a strong sense of crisis, and perhaps he realized it at this time.

Hu Zhenzhen zoomed out of the surveillance footage and soon saw him leading a group of people out of the house and into the wide square.

He gathered people in the square and put up a sign to make them line up.

Hu Zhenzhen watched his movements on the monitor and it seemed he wanted to go back to his room to move a table.

In just a few minutes, before Liu An could return to his room, the fragile tin house finally gave way, lost its balance, and collapsed with a crash.

Liu An was only a few steps away from the house when he jumped back in fright.

There was also a slow-moving stall owner near the house.

However, he wasn't as quick-witted as Liu An. Startled by the sound of the house collapsing, he tried to run but wasn't agile enough. He tripped over a brick on the ground and fell.

This may be the only person injured in the building collapse.

The injury was caused by a fall.

Hu Zhenzhen was both amused and exasperated.

After the building collapsed, the group of vendors who came to sign up became much easier to manage.

Liu An moved a table from elsewhere, took a new sheet of white paper, and began registering the people in front of him.

Although the people were not lined up neatly, at least they were lining up, which was much better than before.

Hu Zhenzhen turned off the surveillance video and looked up out the window.

There were still dozens of people queuing in front of Liu An, and new people would occasionally join the end of the line.

"Why are there so many people here?"

Chen Kai had just received a call from Liu An and had a slight understanding of the reason for the matter.

"It seems that the news that you were going to rent out your small stall for free for a quarter has leaked out, and these people are rushing to sign up, all for the free spot."

Hu Zhenzhen didn't post on her WeChat Moments or promote it through any other means, so she really didn't expect it to attract so much attention.

"So many people have found out in just one night. There will only be more people signing up within a week."

She was somewhat worried.

"The food court only has the first floor reserved for small stalls. If so many people sign up, there won't be enough space to go around."

Among them are people who genuinely want to run a food stall, and others who are just looking to take advantage of the situation, having never run a stall before and just wanting to have some fun.

Since it's a free spot, might as well take it.

Hu Zhenzhen is afraid of people who try to take advantage of the situation.

There are too many shameless people in this world. Maybe she gives her stall to someone for free today, and the next day you can see her subletting it online for a high price.

Her free stall rentals were purposeful; they were designed to select outstanding and hardworking businesses.

If too many troublemakers come to participate, the food court's reputation might be ruined before it can even be established.

But since the message has already been given, we can't discriminate against those who sign up.

Hu Zhenzhen's head is a bit big.

The lower classes, from all walks of life, are the most difficult to manage, and there are quite a few unreasonable people among them.

We need to find a way to identify those who genuinely want to make a living through business and won't cause trouble.

She squinted, leaned against the car window, and looked at the long line in the distance.

It's actually not that difficult.

Anyway, the reconstruction of the unfinished building has only just begun, and there is still a long time before the food court officially opens. In the meantime, there is enough time to conduct a screening.

"Chen Kai, it's hot today, order five cases," Hu Zhenzhen said, seeing the workers sweating profusely in the distance. "No, order thirty cases of ice water instead, to help everyone cool down."

The boss has always treated his subordinates well. Chen Kai guessed what Hu Zhenzhen was going to say the moment she opened her mouth, and his hand was on his WeChat, ready to send a message at any time.

"Should I call Liu An over to report the situation to you?"

"Forget it," Hu Zhenzhen said, feeling tired after just one look at the long queue. "Let's get someone else to help Liu An. There are so many people, he can't handle it all by himself."

Chen Kai noted it down and called out Xiao Wang, who was idle in the villa, to assist Liu An.

Hu Zhenzhen stood there for a while, thinking through her future plans, before patting the driver's seat and saying, "Let's go, let's go to the school first."

To realize her idea, Hu Zhenzhen needs a large sum of money.

To keep her wallet from getting empty, she always finds a way to complete parent-child tasks.

"Call the principal and schedule a meeting for this morning."

Despite saying it was a reservation, the car had already set off for the school.

As long as the principal has time, he will never refuse a meeting with Hu Zhenzhen.

She's a big star at school now. The principal is eager for her to come more often. Every time Hu Zhenzhen appears at school, she brings something new to the school.

The first time it was a library, the second time it was milk, what will the third time be?

The principal, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, couldn't help but cross his arms when he heard the knock on the door. "Come in."

"Excuse me, Principal," Hu Zhenzhen said with a smile as she walked in, Chen Kai still following behind her.

This reminded the principal of their last meeting, and his smile became even more genuine.

"No problem, I'm not busy this morning and have plenty of time to meet."

This means letting Hu Zhenzhen speak freely, no matter how long it takes.

She donated so much money to the school and felt perfectly justified in enjoying the principal's special treatment. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'm afraid I'll have to take up a little more of your time today."

Hu Zhenzhen sat down in her familiar sofa spot.

Have you considered holding events at the school?

Hu Zhenzhen had no intention of beating around the bush; from the very beginning, she directly revealed her purpose.

"An event? What kind of event is it?"

The principal hadn't really considered these things before. Beiguan Elementary School is the best school in the vicinity, with the highest college entrance rate and high student quality, but that doesn't mean they are the best in everything.

In terms of entertainment and sports, Beiguan Primary School is much weaker compared to other primary schools.

When you focus on studying, you tend to neglect other things.

The weekly craft class at Beiguan Elementary School only teaches the simplest paper cutting and collage techniques.

Compared to craft classes at other schools, this one was much more boring.

"Moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education should be developed in an all-round way. I am willing to sponsor the school to organize an activity that can broaden students' horizons."

Broaden your horizons.

There are so many things that elementary school students have never seen before. The principal couldn't figure out what Hu Zhenzhen meant for a moment, so he could only continue asking questions.

"Ms. Hu, which specific aspect of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education does this activity involve?"

Hu Zhenzhen originally wanted the school to make the decision.

But then, a thought popped into my head, and I actually came up with a suitable activity.

"labor."

"labor?"

The principal frowned. "But they are still elementary school students. Regular cleaning is already considered labor. If we add more labor activities, won't it tire them out?"

“Principal, that’s not what I meant by labor.”

Hu Zhenzhen chuckled softly and slowly poured herself a glass of water.

"Life is better now. Everyone lives in the city, and the pampered children have never even seen the land."

"The labor I'm talking about is about this: farming. No, I can't say it on such a large scale, since the school doesn't have that much land for students to farm."

The principal's expression immediately relaxed; he understood what Hu Zhenzhen meant.

"Then, according to your explanation, how should this land be cultivated?"

Every inch of the school has its purpose, and the library donated by Hu Zhenzhen has already taken up the school's open space.

In reality, the school simply didn't have enough space to carry out Hu Zhenzhen's activity.

Farming does not necessarily require a whole piece of land.

Hu Zhenzhen raised her hand and pointed.

The principal looked in the direction she was pointing and saw the spider plant he kept on the windowsill.

He understood immediately.

“A small flowerpot is lightweight, and when filled with soil, it can indeed be considered a small plot of land.”

Hu Zhenzhen immediately responded.

"That's my idea too. The lightest kind of plastic flower pot, even a first grader can lift it, and it's just the right size to plant one or two seeds."

Before Hu Zhenzhen spoke, the principal had never thought about this kind of activity.

The more he thought about it, the more engrossed he became, and the more excited he got.

There is competition and even rivalry between schools.

In the past, Beiguan Elementary School was always outdone by other schools in various extracurricular activities. This may be Beiguan's chance to win.

If a student achieves excellent grades in both academics and extracurricular activities, Beiguan Primary School will truly be the top primary school in S City.

As the principal, he also felt proud.

It's a commendable addition to any resume.

"This activity is excellent! It not only develops children's hands-on skills but also lets them understand how difficult it is for food to grow from the ground. Ms. Hu's suggestion of such an activity has given our school a great idea!"

The principal spoke with a radiant smile.

From the meaning behind his words, Hu Zhenzhen knew that the matter had been settled.

"It's thanks to a good principal like you who cares about the students that we have the opportunity to propose activities."

Hu Zhenzhen complimented him, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

"If there are no other issues, can the event be finalized?"

“Of course,” the principal paused for a moment, “What about funding?”

"Sponsored by Baihua Ranch"

A single activity was not enough, and the planting cycle was too long, so Hu Zhenzhen took the opportunity to suggest another activity.

"Summer vacation is almost here. Why not let parents and students exercise together after the final exams?"

The school does have sports meets, but they are usually not held in the summer.

When Hu Zhenzhen brought this up, the principal clearly had some reservations.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous to hold a sports meet in the summer? I'm still worried that the children will get heatstroke."

The sport Hu Zhenzhen was referring to was not a sports meet.

“I promised the parents that they could play in the dog castle for free on Saturdays and Sundays.”

"Now that students' summer vacation is shorter, they must cherish the days they have off even more. I would like to set aside one day to temporarily close the Dog Castle and invite all parents and children in the school who are willing to go to visit it."

This is great.

The principal looked very surprised.

Dog Castle is currently a hot topic online, with tickets originally priced at 1,500 yuan being sold for as much as 4,000 to 5,000 yuan by scalpers.

Hu Zhenzhen even closed the museum for a day to entertain all the parents.

The principal subconsciously calculated how much this would cost and gasped in shock.

This Ms. Hu truly deserves to be called one of the richest of the rich.

"Parents and children will love your suggestion."

Hu Zhenzhen smiled brightly, "That would be wonderful."

First, bring everyone to her territory, and she will set the rules for activities in the amusement park.

Hu Zhenzhen was very satisfied.

"The final exams will be over on a Saturday or Sunday, so how about we schedule it for that Saturday?"

For a large amusement park like this, it's not easy to find a day available. The principal had no objection to the date, so he said, "Let's do it on the Saturday after the final exams."

Once the agreement is reached, the date for the planting activity also needs to be determined.

Hu Zhenzhen was a sponsor, and the principal asked her a question.

"The holidays are coming up soon, so why not make it a summer activity and let the kids bring their little flowerpots back when school starts, and see who grows the strongest plant?"

That's a really good idea, and it saves us from wasting study time at school.

The principal is most afraid of students' academic performance declining, and he is hesitant to organize extracurricular activities for fear of wasting study time.

Hu Zhenzhen's suggestion hit the nail on the head.

These kinds of extracurricular activities are best done during the summer vacation.

Beiguan Elementary School only has a month and a half of summer vacation to avoid the hottest part of the summer.

It's hot now, and as is customary every year, primary schools are on holiday from August to late September.

This was different from the holiday schedule when Hu Zhenzhen was in school. She wasn't used to it at first and always thought that Jiang Chen was about to have summer vacation. Every time she asked, she was told that there was still more than a month to go.

After the parent-child task was announced, Hu Zhenzhen finally expressed her gratitude for the school holiday.

If it were summer vacation now, this task would probably take a long time to complete.

"Then I won't bother you any longer."

After saying goodbye to the principal, Hu Zhenzhen didn't intend to stay at the school and prepared to leave immediately.

She arrived at just the right time; the school bell had just rung a few minutes earlier, and the campus was quiet.

The main entrance of the Academic Affairs Office building faces the area where students have physical education classes.

Hu Zhenzhen came out and glanced around, spotting two familiar figures in the corner of the playground.

It was Jiang Chen and that boy.

Hu Zhenzhen subconsciously frowned and stopped in her tracks.

How did those two end up together again?

Jiang Chen had suffered hardships in the Jiang family. Even though Hu Zhenzhen raised the child well, he gained some weight, but his height didn't increase immediately, leaving him a head shorter than the boys in the grade above him.

Hu Zhenzhen was far away, and in her eyes, the height difference seemed even greater.

Fortunately, there were two boys from Hu Zhenzhen's class who were with her son, so it didn't seem like any argument was about to break out.

Otherwise, Hu Zhenzhen would really be worried about whether Jiang Chen would get hurt.

The actual situation was somewhat different from what Hu Zhenzhen had worried about.

Jiang Chen had the upper hand.

He was already annoyed by Tong Shuai's persistent behavior, but Tong Shuai seemed unable to understand rejection. No matter what he said, it kept buzzing in his ear, determined to say those unpleasant things.

Jiang Chen had tolerated him for a long time, until this morning when he saw how his mother dealt with it.

It was as if he had suddenly unlocked his full potential, and he immediately understood how to deal with Tong Shuai.

Unfortunately, today's PE class was a combined class for second and third graders.

When Jiang Chen saw Tong Shuai in the line of the class next door, he had a feeling that Tong Shuai would come over.

He was right.

Tong Shuai felt he had lost face after being persuaded by Hu Zhenzhen in the morning, using both gentle and forceful methods.

Unable to deal with the adults, he decided to regain his lost face by taking it out on Jiang Chen, a child.

As soon as the PE teacher announced that everyone was free to move around, Tong Shuai slipped into the group of second-grade students and called out Jiang Chen's name.

"Jiang Chen, come here for a second!"

Tong Shuai had good nutrition from a young age and was much taller than his peers.

Now, arriving in second grade with great fanfare, it instantly attracted the attention of most people.

Xu Jiayi's heart jumped, and he and Jiang Chen stood up abruptly.

He pulled Jiang Chen behind him like a mother hen protecting her chicks, before Jiang Chen could do anything. "What do you need Jiang Chen for?"

"What's it to you?"

Tong Shuai frowned, startling the little girl nearby. She threw down the sandbag in her arms and ran away, tripping and falling without looking back.

Tong Shuai was also startled by the little girl. He looked around and noticed that the PE teacher was staring at him, so he became a little more reserved.

"I know Jiang Chen, and I just wanted to talk to him for a bit."

Tong Shuai softened his tone, trying to sound more friendly.

But his expression made his words unconvincing.

Xu Jiayi was still worried, and Jiang Chen, whom he had pulled behind him, patted him on the shoulder.

"It's okay, it's just a few words."

He walked forward, out of Xu Jiayi's protective circle, and Wang Hao, who had been standing silently nearby, was the first to follow.

Jiang Chen turned to look at him.

The little boy, who had a tough exterior but a soft heart, turned his head away. "What, can't I listen?"

Xu Jiayi, for some unknown reason, had tears welling up in his eyes as he followed behind Wang Hao.

The two of them followed Jiang Chen and Tong Shuai like little shadows as they walked towards the corner.

Jiang Chen scratched his head, feeling that there was really nothing he couldn't tell others, so he simply let the two of them come along.

The four of them walked to a deserted corner of the playground.

Jiang Chen spoke first, "Speak, what do you want to tell me this time?"

Jiang Chen usually gave in to his provocations, keeping his head down in silence, seemingly having taken it all in.

Tong Shuai thought he had him figured out, but was suddenly stunned by his questioning.

However, Tong Shuai quickly regained his usual form.

He smiled and said, "I'm telling you these things because I want to be your friend. I wouldn't usually tell this to just anyone."

Yeah, right.

Tong Shuai and Jiang Chen both understood how false that statement was.

Tong Shuai clearly didn't want Jiang Chen to feel good.

He had this idea ever since Wu Qiao rejected his suggestion to go out and have fun that day.

Tong Shuai knew that Wu Qiao had been playing with him because of Uncle Wu, but deep down he still liked this pretty and talkative playmate.

Suddenly realizing that she didn't want to play with him anymore and was turning to go near the second-grade boy, Tong Shuai felt a pang of resentment.

Why did this little brat so easily steal his playmate?

Tong Shuai felt bad and didn't want Jiang Chen to have an easy time either.

From that day on, he started clinging to them, mimicking the adults by saying things that seemed like concern but were actually hurtful.

"It seems your stepmother misunderstood me when I waited for you at the school gate this morning."

As soon as Tong Shuai spoke, the two children behind Jiang Chen couldn't help but get nervous.

Jiang Chen, standing at the front, remained completely unchanged in expression.

Tong Shuai kept staring at him and continued, "I just want to be friends with you. Does your stepmother even interfere with which friends you make? She's too controlling."

Jiang Chen remained expressionless. "Are you finished?"

"I haven't finished yet," Tong Shuai said, his smile laced with malice. "You know, she's a young woman; if she wanted a child, why wouldn't she just have one herself? Why would she raise her dead husband's child? Is there something wrong with her health...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Chen interrupted her.

It means to hit in the literal sense.

Jiang Chen punched Tong Shuai squarely in the nose, personally making him close his grinning mouth.

Jiang Chen was one of the thinnest among his peers, and being quiet and well-behaved, he rarely had any conflicts with others.

No one expected him to make a move so suddenly.

Including Hu Zhenzhen in the distance.

She paused for a few seconds before realizing what was happening and hurried toward the playground.

Jiang Chen was very decisive. As soon as Tong Shuai covered his nose and bent down, he stopped.

"Who are you calling sick?"

Xu Jiayi, who was standing behind him, finally understood why he had taken action. He didn't know what had gotten into him, but he grabbed Wang Hao's arm, moved by the gesture.

"Waaah, I knew he and his mother had a really good relationship now."

Wang Hao wiped away Xu Jiayi's tears, slightly speechless. The shock he had felt earlier was mostly gone because of Xu Jiayi's tears.

Tong Shuai wiped the blood from his nose and burst out laughing.

"Seriously? You're not related to her by blood, yet you actually treat her like your mother?"

"That's true. If I had a stepmother that rich, I would definitely cling to her leg and never let go."

Tong Shuai thought Jiang Chen would be provoked by these words and attack again. He clenched his hand, which was bleeding from his nose, and was ready to fight back.

But in reality, Jiang Chen only asked him one question, "Are you finished?"

Tong Shuai had already heard him say this before, but he found it uninteresting.

"Can't you say something else?"

"That's all for now. It's my turn to speak."

After saying this, Jiang Chen fell backward and sat down on the ground with a thud, then burst into tears, all in Tong Shuai's disbelief.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm the one who got hit, why are you crying?"

When Tong Shuai saw the PE teacher running over, he couldn't help but shout loudly.

With a blood trickling down his face, his words still held some weight. The PE teacher couldn't immediately figure out what was wrong, so he pulled Jiang Chen up and tried to comfort him.

"Jiang Chen, don't cry. Tell the teacher what happened?"

Hu Zhenzhen, who had just arrived near the playground, was also stunned by this development. Seeing that the teacher had already gone, she stopped in her tracks.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Chen immediately began to explain what he had just done.

"I, I hit his nose."

The PE teacher was stunned. "You hit him, so why are you crying?"

Jiang Chen cried even louder and suddenly threw himself into the arms of the PE teacher, "Teacher, I shouldn't have hit him."

After his confession, the PE teacher was even more at a loss for words.

"Jiang Chen, it's good that you realize your mistake. Please apologize to this student..."

The seemingly well-behaved child in his arms rejected his offer.

"Teacher, I won't apologize to him. He said I'm shameless, that I only stay at my mom's house because she's rich, that my mom is sick, and that I'll definitely be abandoned and end up homeless and alone on the streets. Teacher, sob sob—"

Jiang Chen was a quiet child in everyone's impression, and he usually spoke in single digits.

This long string of words left everyone present speechless with astonishment.

"No, I didn't!"

Tong Shuai instinctively retorted, glancing at the two children standing beside him, still clinging to a sliver of hope, "I really didn't say that, you can ask those two if you don't believe me, teacher."

Xu Jiayi's tears were all frightened back by this series of events.

When the PE teacher looked over, his well-developed tear ducts started working again, and two lines of tears fell straight down.

"I don't know, teacher. I was too busy crying to hear anything."

With that, Wang Hao was the only eyewitness left.

Wang Hao felt a chill run down his spine. Seeing everyone's eyes on him, he forced a smile and said, "It seems I did say that."

Jiang Chen remained completely calm, feigning a heartbroken expression.

He didn't tell a single lie.

These are indeed things that Tong Shuai said, but not today.

The PE teacher was at his wit's end; he was terrible at handling these kinds of conflicts. He could only take the two kids with him and head to their homeroom teacher.

Hu Zhenzhen, who was standing by the playground, watched the whole thing and a smile played on her lips.

"Let's go back to the car and wait for a while."

Chen Kai's tone was somewhat anxious, "Aren't we going over now? The young master seems very sad."

Hu Zhenzhen had already turned and walked a distance away. "No need to go over there. Going over now will only affect Xiao Chen's performance."

Xiao Chen is usually so well-behaved that even she almost forgot.

Her son is a future movie star.

Her crying scenes are top-notch.