Who got first place in this month's exam?
"Shut up, we're still watching!"
"Place your bet and it's over, Xi Ang or Xia Minmin!"
"Last time it was Xi Ang, this time it should be the class monitor's turn, right?"
"Those two are really interesting, taking turns getting first place in the exam."
"But the class monitor is really hardworking. He took the summer tutoring and got third place in the exam, and he caught up in less than a semester."
After the fourth monthly exam of the first semester of the second year of high school, the ranking list of grades was posted on the blackboard at the back of Class 1's classroom.
"There really is a pattern. Does that mean Xi Ang will be number one again next time?"
"Who knows?"
"How about we make a bet? The loser treats us to dinner."
"OK!"
Ring ring...
When the bell rang, the students who had been standing at the back of the classroom looking at the ranking list sprinted back to their seats with agile movements.
With a face as black as ink, Teacher Chen walked into the classroom and slammed the textbook he was holding onto the podium.
The students, who had been laughing and joking, suddenly became anxious, their smiles fading. "Oh no," they thought, "it seems the whole class's exam results were just so-so, otherwise Old Chen wouldn't be acting like this."
"Some students in our class have regressed significantly this time, so I won't name names one by one. If you still do this in the final exam, don't blame me for giving you extra homework during the winter break."
"The top five students in the grade in the final exam do not need to do winter break homework. From now on, we will use this standard for winter and summer vacation homework. Take out the test paper and start explaining the test paper."
Xia Minmin didn't know whether the other students were happy or not, but she was quite happy. Most of the questions in the winter and summer vacation homework were basic types, which were not targeted at students with good foundations and were a pure waste of time.
After class, the student finally couldn't hold back any longer and burst out.
"The top five are so lucky, they won't have to do homework during winter and summer vacations anymore. Old Chen! I was wrong in the end. Couldn't the conditions be relaxed? The top twenty would be fine too!"
"You're overthinking it! Top 20? There are only 30 students in our class. The top five are all thanks to Old Chen's mercy."
There's a huge gap between first and second place and third place. We mere mortals shouldn't even dream about it. But we can still work hard at the bottom three; the difference isn't that big.
"Hey, look, Gu Fei is offering dark chocolate to the class monitor again. I wonder if he'll refuse it this time. What's going on between those two?"
"I don't know. I remember that after the start of the second year of high school, the relationship between the two of them deteriorated. It should be said that the class monitor unilaterally blocked Gu Fei. From the start of the school year, Gu Fei brought different snacks to the class monitor every day, and without exception, they were all rejected."
"I reckon it was Gu Fei's mouth that offended the class monitor."
Everyone in the class knew about Gu Fei's foul mouth; almost every student had been attacked by him. He toned it down considerably after the start of the second year of high school.
Gossip is practically in the nature of Chinese people. Regardless of age or gender, everyone loves to listen to gossip and watch the excitement. As Gu Fei left his seat with the chocolate, his classmates followed him closely.
Gu Fei took a bar of dark chocolate, walked around to Xia Minmin's desk, and placed the chocolate on it. "Class monitor, this is for you."
"Thank you, but I don't want it!" Xia Minmin replied without a trace of emotion.
Gu Fei felt a chill in his heart. It had been almost half a year since the two of them had reconciled, and there had been no progress whatsoever. Judging from the situation, they might be planning to officially break off their friendship.
"Failed again!"
"Gu Fei is such a loser, he can't even handle a little girl."
Don't forget to treat us to lunch today.
"I know! I won't back out."
"Shall we continue?"
"continue!"
Since Gu Fei and Xia Minmin stopped talking, betting games like this were happening almost every day in the class.
Even Teacher Chen knew about it and had spoken with two people, telling them not to let these things affect their grades.
He ignored the harmless betting in the class. He had been a student himself and had accumulated many years of teaching experience. High school students, especially those in top classes, were under a lot of pressure, and proper relaxation was good for their physical and mental health.
After Gu Fei left, Lin Lanzhi turned around and asked, "Class monitor, did you and Gu Fei really have a falling out? What heinous thing did he do?"
The students sitting nearby overheard their conversation and unconsciously moved closer to them, eager to hear the latest gossip.
Xia Minmin nudged Lin Lanzhi, who was leaning on her desk with her elbows propped up, "Stop gossiping about me, I still have to do my homework."
Lin Lanzhi pursed her lips, shrugged, and turned away. Seeing that there was no new gossip to hear, the surrounding classmates went to do other things.
With the New Year's Day holiday coming up and the final exams not far off, the learning atmosphere in Class 1 has been exceptionally good lately, with everyone vying for one of the other three spots where they don't have to do winter break homework.
Teacher Chen was extremely satisfied to see that there was no noise of students playing around in their classroom after class. She didn't expect this method to be so effective and regretted not using it sooner.
The other homeroom teachers who shared the same office with Teacher Chen always envied the learning atmosphere of Class 1 whenever they passed by. There was a reason why their students achieved such good grades.
"Old Chen, I followed your method, but why is there no effect at all in our class?"
"Can they be the same? There's a big difference between the top classes and the regular classes. And the students in the top classes are basically all directly promoted from the neighboring No. 5 Middle School. They've been classmates since junior high, so they know each other very well. The results will definitely be different."
"Old Chen should invite their junior high school homeroom teacher to dinner to thank her for cultivating such good study habits in them."
"I'm so envious. Those awful kids in my class have absolutely no motivation."
"That's normal. The students in the top class don't have much difference in grades except for the top one or two. With some effort, they still have a good chance."
Teacher Chen listened to her colleagues' praise with a smile, feeling very satisfied.
...
"The top five students in our class who are exempt from winter break homework are Xi Ang, Xia Minmin, and..."
Just as the students had guessed, the top two spots were filled by the last three, but Mr. Chen was like a playful old man.
It has to be said that after spending a lot of time with the students in Class 1, Mr. Chen has also become more mischievous and his personality has changed from when he first started high school. His family and friends often tease him that he has become a child again.
"Gu Fei, what about the other two?" Teacher Chen paused for a moment, feigning mystery, and looked at the students below the podium.
"Congratulations, Lin Lanzhi! There's one last spot left. Who will it go to?"
Anxious students below the stage urged, "Old Chen, hurry up! If it were me, I would just say it. I can handle it."
Teacher Chen sneered, "Heh, you? Forget it! You're far from good enough!"
"Then I'll be frank, Tang Meng! Tang Meng's grades have been steadily improving, and this is the first time she's entered the top five. Let's all give her a round of applause and congratulations."
Xia Minmin clapped enthusiastically, watching her best friend with tears in her eyes. She knew how hard her best friend had worked these past few years, and that her current achievements were all due to hard work.
"The remaining 25 students should go home and reflect on their performance. Those who have regressed should remember to pick up their exam papers from my office before going home."
On the way home, Xia Minmin saw her best friend's relieved smile for the first time. It was so nice.
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