Chapter 14 The Gloomy Little Poor Boy of the 1970s

Zhou Huai's homeroom teacher, Ms. Liu, had fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

On his way to the classroom, he happened to meet the lady who was asking for the location of Class 3, Grade 1. She had an outstanding temperament and was dressed elegantly. When he struck up a conversation, he discovered that she was Zhou Huai's mother.

He had originally paid great attention to the parents of this top student in the class, but he never expected that the mother of this poor student would be dressed so well.

His fine gray woolen overcoat, shiny leather shoes, and even the gold necklace that was inadvertently revealed made him, as a teacher, feel somewhat ashamed.

He wondered to himself, "These days, do rich people like to pretend to be poor to experience life? Could Zhou Huai be some young master sent here for training?"

“Zhou Huai’s mother, please don’t panic. Please don’t get agitated. Be careful not to frighten the children.”

Teacher Liu tried to ease the tension, but saw that Shen Ci's almond eyes were wide open and one hand was clenched into a fist in front of her. Her posture clearly indicated that if she didn't give a clear explanation today, this matter would not be over!

That's just right.

Teacher Liu's heart skipped a beat. This domineering and protective behavior was indeed typical of a wealthy family.

"Teacher Liu, it's Zhou Huai! He came up here and tried to hit someone!"

Wang Jie preemptively filed the complaint, raising his voice, which had a somewhat villainous feel to it.

In contrast, Zhou Huai simply lowered his head, his long, thick eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes. The sunlight outlined his slightly pale profile, making him look somewhat resentful and unwilling to defend himself.

Teacher Liu's heart unconsciously leaned towards this student he considered his favorite.

"Zhou Huai, you speak." He softened his tone.

With the teacher's permission, Zhou Huai slowly raised his head, his voice clear yet carrying a perfectly measured sadness.

"Teacher Liu, I'm sorry, I was too impulsive, I shouldn't have hit first."

But there was a reason for it; Wang Jie had been... had been insulting my mother.

He said I was a child without a mother, asserted that I would definitely hire an actress to impersonate my mother today, and said many other offensive and insulting things about my mother's character.

He paused, straightened his posture, and his tone became firm.

“As a son, if I were to remain unmoved upon hearing such words, it would be utterly unacceptable. I would be failing your teachings and my mother’s kindness in raising me.”

Zhou Huai was popular in class, especially among the female students. As soon as he finished speaking, several classmates immediately spoke up to testify.

"Wang Jie! Apologize to Zhou Huai immediately!"

With only one minute left before the parent-teacher meeting started, Ms. Liu didn't want to argue any further. Whoever was wrong should accept the punishment. It was simple and clear, especially since the parents were watching!

"I'm sorry." Wang Jie admitted defeat quickly, offering a vague apology, mainly because he had no chance of winning.

Zhou Huai then smiled gently, a smile that was both tolerant and carried a subtle hint of aloofness.

"It's okay, I forgive Wang Jie for his... foul-mouthed and reckless behavior."

The parent-teacher meeting is about to start, teacher. Let's go inside first, so as not to delay the important matters.

Look! This is what other people's children are like! Smart, sensible, considerate of the big picture, upright in character, kind and generous! Teacher Liu is increasingly satisfied with him, and the scales in her heart have completely tipped in her favor.

[Ding! Villain rescue value +5, current progress 15%.]

The system notification sounded, but Shen Ci remained expressionless. She had just felt Zhou Huai's fingers quietly pinching the corner of her coat.

She felt a surge of relief; this child was finally starting to rely on her a little!

Don't underestimate this subtle action. For Zhou Huai, it's a small step in his emotions, but for the mission's progress, it's a huge leap!

As soon as the group entered the classroom, the students in the hallway erupted in excitement.

"What's going on? Wasn't it said that Zhou Huai only had a stepmother?"

"Isn't he a student from a poor family? How can a student from a poor family afford the latest wool coat and leather shoes? I just saw a bit of his mother's necklace sticking out, it was shiny gold!"

"Wang Jie, how can you talk such nonsense if you don't know any better? This is spreading rumors!"

"Exactly! I think he's just jealous of Zhou Huai's good looks, good grades, and intelligence!"

The chatter of his classmates made Wang Jie feel ashamed, and his resentment towards Zhou Huai deepened.

Chen Ziwei approached him and questioned him in a low voice.

"Wang Jie, what exactly is going on? Didn't you swear that Zhou Huai was a poor boy from the village and that no one would come to his parent-teacher conference?"

Who was that just now? Teacher Liu admitted it herself, how could it be false?

Wang Jie's face turned pale and then flushed. He suddenly turned and ran towards the toilet, stubbornly continuing to argue as he ran.

"I...I don't know! But everything I said is true! If you don't believe me, go ask around in the village yourselves! I think she's a fake mother he paid someone to hire!"

Watching him flee in disarray, no one believed him anymore.

In the classroom, Shen Ci, the mother of the top student in the grade, went on stage and gave a presentation in a very professional manner.

Her core educational philosophy is very simple: a child's intelligence is innate! Take her son Zhou Huai, for example; she never had to worry about him at all!

"System, what's going on with these parents? Why are so many of them carrying big bags and bundles?"

Standing on the podium, with a clear view of the activity below, Shen Ci noticed that at least 60% of the parents had various bags placed at their feet or on their tables.

"Quickly scan it, what's inside?"

"Host, scan complete."

The aunt in black had a live old hen in her bag, the woman in red had a whole pig's trotter, and the bamboo basket contained dried mountain produce and mushrooms.

"Hmm, the teacher can probably make a pot of chicken stew with mushrooms tonight. Oh, and there's someone carrying a big radish, and someone who just stuffed a red envelope in their pocket..."

It turns out it was a gift for the teacher.

Shen Ci looked at herself, her hands empty, not even a bag to show off. Bribing the teacher to get more attention for her child? But her Zhou Huai was naturally outstanding, his talent alone was enough to make the teacher favor him, did he need these things?

[Ding! Special limited-time mission triggered!]

Please spend 50,000 yuan within 30 minutes.

Reward: One identity card of your choice.

I had barely stepped off the podium and hadn't even gotten my footing when the system's task came crashing down on me unexpectedly.

She spent 50,000 yuan in 30 minutes! And all the cash she had on hand was about that amount.

If she had been a little more extravagant these past few days, she probably wouldn't have been able to gather the money by now. This system's task is really designed to keep things at the absolute limit!

What specific functions does the self-selection identity card have?

While quickly thinking about how to spend the money, Shen Ci kept asking herself questions.

"If I'm not satisfied with the rewards for the tasks offered by the system, can I refuse to accept them? Will there be any penalties?"

Although the system tasks are basically a way to get money back and make a profit without any risk, Shen Ci noticed that special tasks seem to only be triggered after the rescue value has changed significantly.

If I refuse, will the rewards refresh, or will I miss out entirely?

"Identity Selection Card: Allows you to set and refine the host's background identity in this world. It will be automatically generated and made reasonable after use."

There is no penalty for refusing a task, but the reward will not be refreshed; you will have to wait for the next task to trigger.