They have quite a bit of influence in the education sector. Many of the organizers are familiar faces, and they can greet and chat with many of them. They are undoubtedly the most popular parents present.
The appearance of the Ruan family caused a small commotion, which displeased them.
Cheng Jiangkai said to Cheng Jingru, "Remember, you can't be so superficial and judge people by their appearance, you know? Our family values inner qualities."
Cheng Jingru nodded obediently, placing her hands on her knees without saying a word.
Liu Manling focused her gaze on the stage: "Standing there to receive the award is the real honor. Mom will be proud of you."
Those around them praised the Cheng family, saying they truly lived up to their reputation as a scholarly family and knew how to educate their children.
The couple also showed polite smiles. Their son had been cursed lately and had caused quite a few laughs, almost making him too ashamed to go out and see people. Fortunately, their daughter had done well.
Most importantly, the Ruan family also came.
How dare an illiterate village woman bring her powerful and influential eldest daughter to celebrate with her good-for-nothing younger daughter?
Liu Manling didn't even bother to glance in that direction, but simply straightened her back proudly, leaving the people behind her with a dignified and elegant silhouette.
After all, that family only deserves to look up to him for the rest of their lives.
Cheng Jiangkai, however, couldn't help but glance back several times.
Liu Manling frowned: "Why do you keep looking over there? Do you still care about your father-daughter relationship?"
Cheng Jiangkai awkwardly looked away without saying anything more.
Liu Manling sensed something was wrong and couldn't help but turn around to look.
She first noticed Mingzhuo. The girl had dyed her hair back to black, sat upright, and looked both obedient and gentle. This appearance was too deceptive, and Liu Manling couldn't help but show disgust when she thought of the girl's inherent unruliness.
Then she saw Ruan Mingying, a woman who was truly radiant and beautiful, every smile and frown captivating.
Suppressing her discomfort, Liu Manling casually remarked, "No wonder he was able to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy."
With looks like that, she certainly has the looks to sell herself.
She tried to comfort herself, but her husband probably wasn't interested in this woman, given the generational difference. He was likely just lamenting that she was so young and had led Zhuozhuo astray.
Finally, she turned her superior gaze to Ruan Mingxuan and her mother standing to the side.
"Is this the village woman from back then?" she couldn't help but exclaim.
People around them turned to look, wondering what kind of village woman she was.
Following Liu Manling's gaze, one could see a gentle and dignified noblewoman. Her age was hard to guess, but she was very well-maintained, and every move she made was elegant.
His clothes looked understated, but they were actually custom-made by a certain brand, showing that he was not only rich but also had good taste.
“What country bumpkin? She’s a lady of high society.” Someone couldn’t help but chime in. “Teacher Liu, do you know them? Why don’t you go and say hello and let them sit in front?”
This shows that she's considering befriending that family.
Liu Manling squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, "I don't know her." Her face was extremely pale.
She considered herself a cultured person and couldn't say anything harsh. Was she going to tell others that the woman was either a rich lady or a village woman who only wore gold and silver by selling her daughter?
It would be better to wait until my daughter wins the gold medal on stage, so that everyone can see who is truly worth befriending.
——
The Ruan family didn't even notice the Cheng family because there were too many people watching them.
A classmate who was also participating in the competition looked at Ruan Mingying for a long time and couldn't help but say, "Big sister, I think you look like a celebrity."
I just can't think of any celebrity he looks like right now.
Ruan Mingying smiled and said, "Really? Maybe it's because I have a common face."
Everyone: "..."
What the hell is this "average face"?! This truly redefines the "average face"! If you have an average face like this, how are we supposed to live?
This family member was easy to talk to, approachable with students and parents, and spoke in a very comfortable tone. Soon, the group was chatting away.
Nobody really paid attention to the stage; some knew they had no chance, while others were confident.
The cheerful laughter and chatter sounded particularly jarring to the Cheng family.
Liu Manling frowned: "This is a competition, not a vegetable market. Winning the gold medal is the most important thing..."
Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Jingru's name was announced on stage. Liu Manling's eyes widened, and she turned her head to stare intently at Cheng Jingru.
"Second prize, silver medal?" she asked, enunciating each word clearly.
Cheng Jingru's face turned deathly pale. How could this be? How could she only get a second prize?
Chu Yuqi clearly said she was a first-class gold medalist, so where did she go wrong?
She subconsciously turned her gaze to Chu Yuqi.
Chu Yuqi was also taken aback. The female lead only won a second prize?
"What happened? Why did Cheng Jingru only get a second prize?" This means she's completely out of the provincial competition.
Chu Yuqi was a little annoyed: "How should I know? Maybe she has a weak mentality, or maybe she doesn't want to decline in level with us."
As long as they can win the gold medal, that's all that matters.
Cheng Jiangkai was stunned for a long time before he found his voice to comfort his wife, "A silver medal is not bad either. Some people can't even get a medal."
As she spoke, she glanced at Mingzhuo a few times, but accidentally met his gaze, and felt a little awkward.
Liu Manling felt a little better after that.
Mingzhuo guessed that someone would definitely try to put him down, but couldn't this couple be less obvious about it?
Shen Xi heard her name called again and breathed a slight sigh of relief; this result was as expected.
Zhou Leyi, on the other hand, looked dejected. Her goal was the silver medal, but now that was out of the question. It seemed she would have to return empty-handed this year.
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