Chapter 20 There are mountains beyond mountains (Fast Class, Slow Class, Rocket Class)
"Liberation!" Jiang Yueming threw a few sheets of draft paper into the air. The draft paper floated in the air for a while like a fairy scattering flowers, and then slowly drifted to the ground. He was overjoyed.
Cool!
Summer vacation has finally arrived! Heaven knows how much he eagerly awaited this summer vacation.
“Hey, Jiang Yueming!” Yin Guiying saw everything. “You’re on summer vacation, not officially graduated. Pick up your trash.”
Yin Guiying's words brought him back to reality. Jiang Yueming bent down to pick up the draft paper from the ground. Actually, he hadn't checked many problems. He was sitting in the last row for the exam, and several extra sheets had been passed around, all ending up in Jiang Yueming's hands. He didn't need that many, so he just scribbled on them, drawing whatever came to mind—flowers, birds, fish, insects, whatever came to mind. In retrospect, it seemed a bit wasteful.
It's alright. Jiang Yueming held a few sheets of paper in his hand, thinking that he could use them to fold paper airplanes.
"Jiang Yueming, what did you choose for the third math question?" Cao Fan asked.
Jiang Yueming thought for a moment, then said, "I choose C."
"Really? Is it guaranteed?" Cao Fan was taken aback.
“No, if it’s one of the three short ones and one long one, choose the longest one,” Jiang Yueming said.
“But all four options, A, B, C, and D, are the same length,” Cao Fan said.
"If they're the same length, choose C. Have you memorized the formula? It works all over China," Jiang Yueming teased him. Cao Fan spends all his time trying to figure out how to solve problems; he'd be better off memorizing some guessing techniques.
"Ugh. I thought you really knew it." Cao Fan was speechless. Knowing that Jiang Yueming was unreliable, he went to find other people to check the answers with.
Jiang Yueming disagreed, and he criticized this kind of self-inflicted torment. Getting things right more often is fine, but even with his earnest efforts, he might not get more right by guessing. He figured it was better to stop torturing himself. If you're really looking for thrills, there's no need to torture yourself like this.
He's just looking forward to getting out of school quickly so he can have some fun and relax. He wants to escape the school gates and embrace freedom! The high-pressure environment he'd been in the past few days had made him feel stifled; he was constantly memorizing and doing exercises, which gave him a headache.
Yin Guiying spoke on the podium about holiday safety precautions, such as preventing drowning, fire and electrical hazards, theft, etc.
Jiang Yueming listened with unusual interest; usually, after explaining these things, school was over. He couldn't wait to grab his schoolbag and stride off with an air of nonchalance…
"By the way, on a side note, next year you will all be in sixth grade, which means you will be facing the transition from primary to junior high school. I know some of you want to get into No. 1 Middle School, some want to get into No. 2 Middle School, and some of you may not have thought about anything at all."
When she said "I didn't think about anything," Yin Guiying and Jiang Yueming made eye contact.
Jiang Yueming immediately felt resentful. Yin Guiying always thought of him this way, even though he was now a promising young man of the new era, ambitious, idealistic, and hardworking. His goal was in the top tier, so why did Yin Guiying automatically categorize him as the last tier?
"Sixth grade is a crucial time, so the teacher recommends that some students who want to get into a top-tier high school attend an after-school tutoring center..."
"Teacher Yin, can I get a discount if I mention your name?" a student asked from below the podium.
Jiang Yueming laughed along, feeling that none of this concerned her. What tutoring classes? Let whoever wants to go, go.
“Go ahead and give me a 20% discount,” Yin Guiying said.
A rustling sound of laughter suddenly rang out, and with the ringing of the school bell, summer vacation had officially begun.
Jiang Yueming had already packed his schoolbag and was just about to run when Yin Guiying called out to him before he could even step out the door. He wished he could run two seconds earlier or just pretend he didn't hear her and leave. What could it be?
"Why are you in such a hurry? Are you going to pick up your sister?" Yin Guiying walked towards the last row.
Jiang Yueming resignedly stopped, leaning against the wall next to the trash can, looking utterly innocent. What happened now? What did he do wrong this time?
"No, she started her summer vacation ages ago." Can kindergarten compare to primary school? It started hundreds of years ago, and there wasn't much homework. Unlike now, where you have three thick notebooks of summer homework in your bag.
“What’s the rush? It’s still congested outside the school gates, with parents everywhere,” Yin Guiying said.
Jiang Yueming chimed in, "Is there anything you need, Teacher Yin?"
“Cuiqin has already registered you for that tutoring class. Remember to come and report in five days.” Yin Guiying handed Jiang Yueming a colorful advertisement with the address of the tutoring class clearly written on it. “It’s quite close to your home, only a fifteen-minute walk round trip.”
Wh...what?!
Tutoring classes?
Jiang Yueming felt like the sky had fallen. He stared at the advertisement, utterly shocked, "My...my aunt..."
Good heavens, what exactly did Yin Guiying say to her aunt? What kind of bewitching drug did she give her aunt?
“I only have two months of vacation…” Jiang Yueming muttered.
His fish, his turtles, his loaches, and Li Leshan!
“No, no, Teacher Yin,” Jiang Yueming still couldn’t believe it, “I still have to stay home and take care of my little sister.”
“No rush to bring it, Cuiqin said she can manage.” Yin Guiying patted his shoulder and said earnestly, “Isn’t a two-month holiday enough? If you don’t learn anything, you’ll be back to the Stone Age. Won’t you fall behind when school starts? Cuiqin is doing this for your own good. You must study hard and get into a good junior high school, you know?”
"Then, how long do you study each day?" Jiang Yueming asked again.
"Four classes in the morning and four classes in the afternoon," Yin Guiying said with a smile. "It's the same as going to school."
Jiang Yueming felt even more desperate.
He left the classroom dejectedly. With this delay, he didn't know if Li Leshan was still in Class Two. He heard from Yin Guiying that school ended at 4:30 pm, so he could go to the Zhonghua Market with Li Leshan to buy turtles.
But his holiday dream was shattered... Jiang Yueming looked at the advertisement, and the four big characters "Jin Xing Education" made him grit his teeth in hatred. He squeezed it in his hand and rubbed it again and again, and finally stuffed it into his schoolbag.
Standing at the back door of Class Two, Jiang Yueming found Li Leshan was indeed not there. Jiang Yueming felt even more discouraged, but then she noticed his schoolbag was still on the table, indicating that Li Leshan hadn't left, but she didn't know where he'd gone—perhaps to the restroom or the office?
The office was stuffy and hot; the old fan whirred listlessly, stirring the thick air. Li Leshan stood quietly in front of his homeroom teacher, Tian Xiaoyun's, desk.
"Leshan, come here." Tian Xiaoyun waved to him, signaling him to stand a little further forward.
Li Leshan obediently took two steps forward.
"How did you do on the final exam? It was the same test as the one at Shishi Primary School, so it was a bit difficult," Tian Xiaoyun said with a smile. She was very pretty and had two shallow dimples when she smiled. Although her child was already two years old, she looked like she was only in her early twenties. Behind her back, her students said she was the most beautiful female teacher at Tieta Primary School.
Li Leshan nodded. Meaning, it's alright.
"What are your plans for summer vacation?" Tian Xiaoyun asked.
She asked the question quite tactfully. So much so that Li Leshan understood that she wasn't just there to chat and reminisce.
He communicated with the school teachers using paper and pen, because the teachers at the school basically didn't know sign language and couldn't understand what he was saying. However, Li Leshan was a very easy person for the teachers to deal with, and there was basically no need for complicated communication; it was usually just a matter of nodding or shaking his head.
Li Leshan skillfully took out paper and pen from his school uniform pocket, wrote a few words, and handed them to Tian Xiaoyun, "Teacher Xiaoyun, is there anything you need from me?"
Tian Xiaoyun seemed unsure of what to say. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Do you know that tutoring center outside of school? Many of the school's teachers teach there, and the quality is quite good. You're at a crucial time right now, and I was thinking..."
She was Li Leshan's homeroom teacher, so she naturally knew about Li Leshan's family background and that he and his grandmother depended on each other for survival and lived a very frugal life.
"You know that No. 1 Middle School has separate classes, right? Above the regular classes are accelerated classes, and above the accelerated classes are 'rocket classes' and 'gift classes'..." Although your teacher believes you can definitely get into the best class, but... Leshan..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Li Leshan knew what she wanted to say. Perhaps Teacher Tian wanted to say, "But Leshan, there are always higher levels, more capable people, and more powerful mountains. Being number one at Tieta Elementary School isn't necessarily number one in the city or district."
The pond at Tieta Elementary School is too small; once you swim out, you'll find yourself in a much wider and more turbulent sea.
Li Leshan was silent for a while, and then wrote in his notebook: "I can learn on my own."
Tian Xiaoyun pursed her lips, looking at the boy in front of her, her heart ached a little. He was always so obedient and sensible, taking on things that were not his age. "Teacher knows you are capable and believes you have self-control. I have also discussed it with your teacher, Ms. Yin. I know some people at the tutoring center. You can go and register when the time comes and study hard."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Leshan looked up and met Tian Xiaoyun's gaze. His eyes held an indescribable meaning, a mixture of urgency and panic. "Teacher, that tuition fee..."
He hadn't even considered attending tutoring classes. Even though he'd heard from Tian Xiaoyun that the school had elite classes and rocket classes—classes that sounded high-class—he didn't know how they differed from regular classes, perhaps in terms of teaching quality or something else. But regardless, Li Leshan felt that as long as he worked hard, studied more, and put in more effort, that would be enough.
And he really couldn't afford the tuition. After junior high school, he would have to figure out how to pay for high school. After nine years of compulsory education, he would have to pay for his own tuition. And then there's university. Li Leshan never thought of spending money on tutoring classes.
"You don't need to worry about that. The teacher has spoken with the tutoring center, and I told him you've been a good student." Tian Xiaoyun gestured for him to relax and not worry about the money.
However, these words only made Li Leshan's shoulders tense even more. He frowned, and almost subconsciously shook his head forcefully, his eyes filled with resistance and a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment. He just wanted to know, no, this can't be.
"Ah, no," Tian Xiaoyun quickly explained, seemingly knowing what he was worried about. "It's just that you'll have to work harder. After tutoring classes, you'll have to help clean the classrooms. That's tiring work. There are four classes in total, so you'll be tired every day. This is also helping the teacher, right?"
After she finished speaking, she was a little nervous. She couldn't tell what Li Leshan was thinking from his expression. She didn't know if the child could accept it. She really wanted to help Li Leshan from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to help him as much as she could. She and Yin Guiying had also gone to the tutoring center many times.
The only sound in the office was the monotonous hum of the fan.
After a long pause, Li Leshan nodded somewhat blankly; he understood.
Tian Xiaoyun finally felt relieved. She adjusted her glasses and wiped the sweat from her temples.
"This is the exact location of the tutoring center. You'll need to go to Class 1. I've already spoken to the teacher there beforehand." Tian Xiaoyun handed Li Leshan a piece of paper. "Then, if anything comes up, just ask her. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask. We've done a really good job."
Li Leshan gripped the paper in his hand tightly, as if he were holding a wad of cash; his palms were sweating. He could hear Tian Xiaoyun's incessant nagging, telling him to study hard and get into the best class at the high school, to eat more, and to tell her to talk to him if he had any difficulties…
He didn't know if he would ever keep in touch with Tian Xiaoyun after graduation, but he would never forget her. He felt lucky to have met so many good people.
Before leaving, Li Leshan bowed deeply and solemnly to Tian Xiaoyun, his waist bent very low. After standing there for ten or twenty minutes, he felt that the office was too hot, and sweat dripped down his bangs and from the corners of his eyes.
A note from the author:
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Hey baby, there are so many pre-orders on the homepage, could you please click on the ones you like? [Please!] It would be even better if you could click on the next one!
One or two prepayments are never too little, three or four are never too much; every prepayment is extremely important to me. [pity]
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