"Teacher Gao, this is Zhou Yuanyuan. From today on, she will be a student in your Class 1 of Grade 3. In June this year, she will take the college entrance examination together with the other students in Grade 3." Principal Xiao pointed at Zhou Yuanyuan who had stood up and said to Gao Yulan with a smile.
When Gao Yulan came in, she was so busy thinking about whether she had made any mistakes during this period that she didn't notice Zhou Yuanyuan sitting in the principal's office.
"Hello, Teacher Gao!" As Principal Xiao introduced her, Zhou Yuanyuan bowed appropriately to Teacher Gao.
"Hello, classmate Zhou." Gao Yulan thought the name Zhou Yuanyuan was familiar, but she couldn't remember it for a moment. It was no wonder, Gao Yulan was a bit dull, and usually worked all the time, rarely chatting with the teachers in the same office.
Gao Yulan hadn't really paid attention to any other students besides her own. Even someone as influential as Zhou Yuanyuan, Gao Yulan had only heard of her once or twice, and she didn't even equate her with the top student in Class 3, Grade 1. It was no wonder, then, that Zhou Yuanyuan had advanced two months earlier, not only improving her skills but also growing a few centimeters taller. If Principal Xiao hadn't told her, Gao Yulan would have thought Zhou Yuanyuan was a senior!
Gao Yulan's gaze was fixed on the black plastic bag in Zhou Yuanyuan's hand. After a few seconds, Gao Yulan looked away, and her face turned pale.
"Well... Principal Xiao, how are Zhou's grades? Can he keep up with the class?" Gao Yulan asked quietly. It was no wonder Gao Yulan asked this. The college entrance exam was only two months away, and most students wouldn't transfer schools at this time unless they'd made a serious mistake or had some unavoidable reason.
"She'll definitely catch up. Zhou Yuanyuan's grades have always been excellent, so don't worry, Teacher Gao." Seeing Gao Yulan asking about Zhou Yuanyuan's grades, Principal Xiao quickly endorsed her. He couldn't guarantee anything for others, but for Zhou Yuanyuan, he was reassured.
"Okay, Zhou Yuanyuan, come with me to the classroom first! After the morning exercise is over, it will be time for breakfast." After Gao Yulan understood why Principal Xiao wanted to see her, she greeted Principal Xiao and took Zhou Yuanyuan to the classroom.
There were fifty-one students in Class 1 of Senior 3, and with Zhou Yuanyuan arriving today, there were exactly fifty-two. Fortunately, Zhou Yuanyuan was tall, otherwise Gao Yulan would have had a real headache figuring out how to accommodate her.
Seeing that Zhou Yuanyuan was holding a black plastic bag in her hand, Gao Yulan couldn't help but look at her twice, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
"Teacher Gao, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with my bag?" Zhou Yuanyuan asked curiously, raising the plastic bag in her hand a little higher. Gao Yulan had been staring at Zhou Yuanyuan's black plastic bag when she first entered the principal's office, and now she was doing the same thing again, which made Zhou Yuanyuan feel a little uneasy. However, Zhou Yuanyuan had already used her spiritual sense to examine the black plastic bag many times along the way and didn't find anything wrong, so she couldn't help but ask.
"Classmate Zhou Yuanyuan, it's not easy for the adults in your family to earn money. You can't... you can't learn some bad habits in society!" Gao Yulan didn't want to say it at first, but after thinking about it, she spoke.
"Teacher, I don't understand." Zhou Yuanyuan felt a little dizzy. She could understand each word Gao Yulan said separately, but why couldn't she understand when they were put together?
"Well... I mean, studying requires your own hard work. Giving gifts to the principal... shouldn't be of any use." Gao Yulan had already spoken anyway, so she didn't mind making things clearer.
In recent years, with the reform and opening up policy, people have become more affluent, and correspondingly, some unconventional practices have become prevalent. Take Gao Yulan, for example! She is the homeroom teacher of the graduating class, and Class 1, Grade 3, is the top-performing class in the senior year. Parents of students who weren't in her class wanted their children transferred to Class 1 and came up with the idea of giving Gao Yulan gifts.
Gao Yulan always refused. School rules dictated that students in Class 1, Grade 3, were admitted based on their academic performance. Gao Yulan simply couldn't agree to admit any student or kick any out. So, no matter what the parents offered, Gao Yulan refused. Some parents, convinced they hadn't given enough, would return with even more generous gifts. This frightened Gao Yulan so much that she would hide in school on Sundays, afraid to go home.
Gao Yulan saw Zhou Yuanyuan carrying a black plastic bag in the principal's office. She thought Zhou Yuanyuan was going to give a gift to Principal Xiao, but was rejected by Principal Xiao.
Om~? How did I become the one giving gifts?
Zhou Yuanyuan looked at the plain black plastic bag in her hand, which didn't even have a single word on it, and then she realized that she had been misunderstood by Teacher Gao Yulan.
"Teacher Gao, I just returned to school today and found out about the new rule that we must wear school uniforms during the school day. These are the two sets of school uniforms I bought at the school office this morning, aren't they... hehe..." Zhou Yuanyuan didn't think Gao Yulan was meddling in her affairs. Instead, she felt grateful to her.
As a teacher, Gao Yulan was undoubtedly excellent. She saw her student suspected of "going astray," and instead of pretending to be blind, she tactfully pointed it out. Gift-giving is a millennia-old tradition in China. Zhou Yuanyuan didn't object to it, but she limited this "fine tradition" to only close friends and family. Giving gifts for personal gain was simply not something Zhou Yuanyuan could do.
So that's how it is! Gao Yulan breathed a sigh of relief.
Back then, when Gao Yulan was first transferred to Chaoyang Middle School, she was deceived and foolishly went to Principal Xiao's home to give her a gift. Gao Yulan remembered the embarrassment of being rejected by Principal Xiao.
Gao Yulan was really afraid that Zhou Yuanyuan would become as depressed as she was. In the past six months, she would carefully consider whether others meant to mock her when they spoke to her.
When Gao Yulan brought Zhou Yuanyuan into Class 1 of Grade 3, the students had just finished their morning exercises and were returning to the classroom in groups of three or four to get their plates to go to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Gao Yulan arranged for Zhou Yuanyuan to sit in an empty seat at the back of the classroom. There was no other choice; all the other seats were occupied. Zhou Yuanyuan was joining the class, so she couldn't act like a bigot and ask others to give up their seats for her, could she?
After Gao Yulan walked out of the classroom, Ren Zhongyuan, who had been eyeing Zhou Yuanyuan, immediately rushed over.
"Yuanyuan, will we be in the same class from now on? Are you finally willing to work hard?" As soon as Ren Zhongyuan opened his mouth, his words were similar to those of Principal Xiao.
Zhou Yuanyuan was sweating profusely. Was she always seen as lazy and carefree by outsiders?
"Ren Zhongyuan, has Aunt Qiuyu's facial injury healed?" When Zhou Yuanyuan saw Ren Zhongyuan, she immediately thought of Chen Qiuyu who had a facial injury.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
