Chapter 39
During the evening study session at school, Beixia was looking at the math test paper seriously. The pen circled between her fingertips as she wrote with a rustling sound, not sleeping with her head covered as usual.
The classmate looked at Bexia curiously. Since this morning, Bexia seemed different from usual.
Perhaps it was because she rarely listened to the class seriously and did not sleep through the morning class, or maybe it was because she was dressed brand new today, no longer wearing the thin school uniform, but wrapped in a thick coat like them, fully armed herself, or maybe it was because she was a rare bit popular.
In the past, people said they disliked Beixia, but it would be more accurate to say they were afraid of her.
Because Beixia is always daydreaming, showing an indifference beyond her age, as if she doesn't care about anything in this world. No matter what happens, she will not show an expression other than world-weariness.
It was like Cui Lin hated Bei Xia and joined forces with her friends to isolate Bei Xia, but Bei Xia did not react.
When her homework was thrown away and the teacher made her stand in the corner as punishment, she did not protest; when the teacher teased her and hid her textbooks, she just fell asleep in class and did not care at all.
Sometimes when I wake up, I stare at the sky in a daze, wandering outside the classroom.
But today she suddenly got angry. When Cui Lin accused her of stealing money, she actually fought back. Her deskmate thought she would just silently let the dirty water be thrown on her head as usual.
The bright red countdown for the college entrance examination at the back of the classroom was getting shorter every day. Even the children in ordinary classes couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. Influenced by Bei Xia, his deskmate worked more seriously on the math test, which he was not very good at.
Looking at the test paper, my deskmate sighed with a headache.
She and Beixia were both at the bottom of the class, so they sat together. This test paper was the kind where she could recognize every word in the questions but couldn't understand the sentences when they were put together.
Her deskmate looked at Beixia again. While she was lost in thought, Beixia had almost finished half of her paper. Puzzled, she wondered, "She's at the bottom of the class, so how could she finish so quickly?" Even if she copied, she couldn't do it that fast. And she didn't even bother pretending, not even using scratch paper for her calculations.
After finishing half of the test paper, Bexia flicked the paper habitually, then she was stunned for a moment before turning over the test paper.
She hasn't done this in a long time.
In the first year of high school, before the classes were divided into arts and science, Beixia would tap the test paper to celebrate every time he finished it and was satisfied with the previous questions. I didn't expect that it would still be so easy to do it today. It's been a long time.
Bexia did a test paper to get a feel for it.
The classmate sitting next to her looked on anxiously. Although she wanted to borrow Bei Xia's paper to copy, what was the point of the second-to-last student borrowing the last-to-last student's paper?
She sighed and had to lower her head and write by herself.
Perhaps her random guesses were even more accurate than Bexia's. Aren't multiple-choice questions just three long and one short, picking the shortest? Feeling strangely confident, her deskmate continued working on the test.
When the head teacher Xu Chuntian arrived at the classroom, it was almost time for evening study.
She spent a long time talking to Cui Lin's parents, explaining the seriousness of the matter, and she and the principal separately persuaded Cui Lin's parents before they agreed to let Cui Lin return to school to apologize to Bei Xia in person.
Xu Chuntian held the eight hundred yuan that Cui Lin had snatched from Bei Xia and looked at the classroom in the dark. The classroom was quiet. Although there were some students whispering to each other, they were all very quiet.
Xu Chuntian turned to Cui Lin who was following behind her and said, "Wait for me here."
Xu Chuntian pushed open the door of the classroom. The iron door creaked and the door handle was so cold that it made her heart tremble.
Beixia sat in the last row near the door, which was always reserved for students who were not good at studying and did not like to attend classes. When the door opened, the biting cold wind blew into her neck.
Everyone looked towards the door, and Xu Chuntian said, "Bexia, come here."
What happened in the morning was spread around the class at noon. It was said that Cui Lin's money was not stolen by Bei Xia. Bei Xia's parents came to cause trouble for the school. She was a very beautiful woman. She was so willful and capricious that the teacher had no choice but to listen to her.
Although the class monitor didn't tell anyone when she returned from the office with the statistical sheet, the office was a public place, and students from other classes went to the office and saw it. They said that Cui Lin's mother chased her and beat her, calling her a little beast, while the "thief" originally caught by Cui Lin was taken away by the beautiful parents.
Then everyone's focus shifted to discussing how good-looking Bexia's parents were.
Some people say she is prettier than the stars on TV.
Then in the afternoon, Beixia went to school as usual, but Cui Lin was missing.
Everyone in the class was talking about it, but no one dared to ask Beixia.
Bei Xia stood up and was called out by her homeroom teacher, Xu Chuntian. Xu Chuntian glanced around the room seriously and said, "What are you looking at? Study hard!"
Everyone quickly turned around and pretended to study. As soon as the door was closed, the class started discussing in a low voice, wondering what the head teacher wanted to do by asking Bei Xia to go out?
After leaving the classroom, Bexia shrugged.
The winter in the north is still very cold. Her thin shoulders cast a frail silhouette on the ground. She saw Cui Lin behind her class teacher Xu Chuntian.
Xu Chuntian handed her the money and said in a serious tone, "This is your money. I begged for it for you. Beixia, this time it was my fault. I didn't discipline the students well enough, and they misunderstood you. I hope you won't be angry with them. It's all my fault. I apologize to you first."
Xu Chuntian patted Bei Xia's shoulder with a loving look on his face. "If you have any questions about study or life in the future, you are welcome to ask the teacher for help." Finally, he said, "Besides me, classmate Cui Lin also has something to say to you."
Xu Chuntian looked at Cui Lin sternly. Cui Lin's eyes were filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Bei Xia. I won't dare to do it again next time."
Besha held the money in his palm.
The eight hundred yuan bill looked thick when rolled up, but it felt light in Bexia's hand.
She looked at Xu Chuntian, pursed her lips and asked, "Teacher, what should I say?"
Xu Chuntian frowned.
Things were very different from what she expected.
She originally thought that a poor student like Beixia, whose parents had both passed away, must be very lacking in love. If she showed a little care and then Cui Lin apologized, she would accept it with fear and trepidation, instead of her current expression, as if it had nothing to do with her and Cui Lin was apologizing to the air.
This student is very unpleasant.
Xu Chuntian sighed again.
"Student Cui Lin apologizes to you again? What should you say, Student Beixia?" Xu Chuntian hinted. At the same time, she put her hand on Beixia's shoulder and squeezed her shoulder hard.
Besha felt some pain.
Unlike the warmth Zhou Li brought to her by holding her shoulders, Xu Chuntian's hands were more like oppression on her.
Bei Xia lowered her eyes. The cold wind in the corridor kept blowing. Her voice was as light as a ghost. "My parents said that they want to see Cui Lin apologize to me in front of the whole class. I, the teacher, don't have the final say."
The corners of Beixia's mouth suddenly lifted up, and a strange smile appeared on his face.
The lights in the corridor of the teaching building suddenly went out. Xu Chuntian was so startled that he took a step back and loosened his hand on Bei Xia's shoulder.
"Teacher..." Cui Lin's voice suddenly sounded, and the voice-controlled lights in the corridor lit up. Xu Chuntian looked at Bei Xia again, and she lowered her head obediently.
Xu Chuntian thought that she must have seen it wrong. Although Beixia was a loner, he was still an honest and simple child, otherwise he would not have been bullied.
Thinking of this, Xu Chuntian's eyelids twitched unnaturally. She said in a negotiating tone, "Go back and tell your parents that Cui Lin apologized to you, returned the money, and that the school is going to waive your textbook fees. Let's put an end to this matter. What do you think?"
Bei Xia lowered her head and said in a low voice: "Teacher, my words don't count."
Xu Chuntian was troubled. Why was this child so inflexible? Parents were often furious, and their words might have been spoken without much thought. Who knew the child would regret it afterward? If the child could go back and talk about it, perhaps the matter would be resolved. After all, they were adults with dignity, and a way out would be enough.
Xu Chuntian lowered his voice and advised more gently, "Go back and talk to your parents so you two can make peace. Cui Lin also wants to be your friend. We're in the same class, so why make things so unpleasant? Cui Lin promised me that she won't bully you again."
Beixia's wandering soul flew back and looked down at the teacher from a third-person perspective. She thought that the teacher knew everything but did nothing and just protected his accomplices.
She just repeated once more: "I have no say."
It sounds so dull.
Xu Chuntian was getting anxious. Zhou Li looked difficult to deal with. She was not a parent that the school could easily fool around with. It would be best if Bei Xia agreed to stop this matter. She wanted to say a few more words, but the bell rang for the end of evening self-study. Bei Xia reflexively glanced outside the school, and the corners of her lips curled slightly: "Teacher, my parents are here to pick me up."
Xu Chuntian was startled, but Bei Xia had already bowed and said, "Teacher, the get out of class is over. I'm going home first. I'll tell my parents when I get back."
There were classmates who packed their bags and rushed out of the classroom first. Bei Xia bowed to the teacher again, and Cui Lin was standing behind the teacher. Because of the teacher, everyone gathered at the classroom door and didn't dare to go out. Bei Xia walked back and met many eager eyes. At this time, classmates from other classes came out of the classroom one after another. Bei Xia pushed away the people at the door and packed his bag on his own.
Xu Chuntian swallowed the anger in her stomach. Although the process was not satisfactory, Bei Xia finally agreed. She curled her lips and said, "Why are you blocking here if you're not going home?"
Everyone cheered and walked out, and when they passed Xu Chuntian, everyone said "Hello, teacher."
Today was not Xu Chuntian's evening study session. She had gone to Cui Lin's house in the middle of the night to pick her up and send her back. She was worried that Cui Lin's pride would be hurt and something would happen. Seeing Bei Xia slowly packing her bag and leaving, Xu Chuntian asked reluctantly, "Teacher, are you going with you?"
Cui Lin muttered something behind her, but Xu Chuntian pretended not to hear.
Beixia looked up. She came out slowly because she was wrapped very tightly.
She was wearing neither scarf nor coat, and her schoolbag was stuffed to the brim. She looked like a little penguin. Her voice muffled through her scarf, "Hmm."
Xu Chuntian wondered again, is this student usually like this?
However, there is no memory of Bei Xia at all. After the class division in the second year of high school, Xu Chuntian has been in charge of the ordinary science class 12. There are too many students in the class. Xu Chuntian has no other impression of Bei Xia except that he has a lonely and unpleasant personality.
However, children without parents will definitely have some personality problems.
Xu Chuntian always focused his attention on the students who studied well in the class. Now they were in their third year of high school, and the students who should have given up were also given up on by the teachers imperceptibly. All they had to do was stay well in school and not cause trouble in their last year.
The three of them went downstairs and walked out of the school. At this time, most of the students had left, and only a few students were left at the school gate, walking out in groups.
Zhou Li hesitated at the school gate. She had been standing there waiting to pick up Beixia from school.
I felt dizzy from reading books at home. The book said that the last year of the college entrance examination is the most critical. It is the year for students to make a breakthrough and also the year for parents to fight. We must provide good logistical support for students, ensure their lives, and let them devote all their body and mind to studying and go all out.
Zhou Li thought about it and felt a little uneasy. He couldn't sit still at home, so he simply drove to pick up Bei Xia.
The weather was cold, and the snow that had fallen during the day soon froze to ice. This time, she dutifully installed snow chains on her car tires and arrived early to wait for her at the entrance of Bexia School. But the students were almost all gone, so why was there still no sign of Bexia? Could they have missed her?
That shouldn't be the case, Zhou Li thought. How could someone as conspicuous as her, standing at the school gate, get separated from Bei Xia? Zhou Li sighed, "It's not easy to be a good parent."
With his hands in his pockets and his mind wandering, Zhou Li finally saw Bei Xia's chubby figure.
She was wearing thick clothes and swayed like a little penguin when she walked. Looking at her side, Zhou Li narrowed his eyes.
Bei Xia walked up to Zhou Li and said, "Let's go." He didn't even look behind him, nor did he show any intention of introducing the teacher. Xu Chuntian wanted to say hello to Zhou Li and say a few words, but he didn't expect that the two of them were like cut from the same mold, both very unmannerly.
Zhou Li pretended not to see Xu Chuntian, glanced at Xu Chuntian and Cui Lin beside her, then turned and left with Bei Xia.
Zhou Li had a lot of questions in her mind, but she obviously knew that this was not the time to ask Bei Xia.
She hurried a few steps, caught up with the waddling little penguin, and whispered, "You're walking so fast, do you know where my car is?"
Bei Xia stopped and looked at Zhou Li hesitantly. Zhou Li raised her arm, motioning her to take it, and smiled: "Why don't you come with me?"
Bei Xia stretched out her hand, and four slender white fingertips emerged from her sleeve. The small dots slowly placed on Zhou Li's arm. Zhou Li directly took her hand and held it, smiling at her, "Let's go."
The backs of the two people walking hand in hand swayed in the cold wind along with the shadows of the roadside branches. Xu Chuntian's frown never relaxed as he watched the two people walk away.
Cui Lin shivered in the cold wind and asked softly, "Is the teacher leaving?"
"Let's go." Xu Chuntian had a bad feeling. Looking at the expressions of Beixia's parents, he didn't know if Beixia could explain things clearly when he returned home tonight.
However, as long as the child agrees, parents will generally keep quiet.
Xu Chuntian put his heart back into his stomach.
After getting in the car, Zhou Li rubbed his hands.
Her car was parked on the side of the road with the engine running, and the heater came on as soon as she got in.
She started the car, drove onto the main road, turned on the low beam, and while driving, paying attention to the road conditions, she asked, "What happened just now? Why did you come out with them? Did your class teacher give you a hard time?"
Beixia moved her little face and emerged from the soft scarf. She yawned delicately, the heating suffocating her, and whispered, "No."
"Then why did you come out so late? Were you stopped by the teacher?" Zhou Li asked again, worried that the head teacher would make things difficult for Bei Xia. Bei Xia's personality made it look like he was easy to bully.
"Yeah." Bexia was a little sleepy, and she leaned her head back on the seat.
Zhou Li glanced at her in the rearview mirror, feeling helpless. Who on earth had she learned this personality type from? Couldn't she just finish her words? She had no choice but to continue asking, "Did I say anything to you?"
Bei Xia truthfully conveyed what Xu Chuntian had just asked her to say.
"She told me to come back and tell you that Cui Lin apologized to me, and the school waived the 250 yuan textbook fee. She told us to shake hands and make peace. She also said that Cui Lin wanted to be friends with me and would not bully me anymore."
This passage gives us a glimpse into what kind of life Beshay lived in the past.
Zhou Li's grip on the steering wheel tightened, her heart exploding with rage. She barked like a machine gun, "Great! After all this time, your teacher knows everything! You're just biased, right? We don't want the 250 yuan textbook fee! It's not like my family can't afford it! This apology doesn't count privately; she must clear your name in front of the whole class!"
"No! When I get back, I'll write a letter to the Education Bureau! Report her for poor teacher conduct!"
Zhou Li drove and cursed all the way.
Bei Xia was no longer sleepy and looked out the car window. The street lights made the window slightly brighter, and a half silhouette was faintly reflected on the window. It was Zhou Li.
Bei Xia pursed her lips, feeling an indescribable joy in her heart.
Because Zhou Li used the word "home".
Did she also include her in the category of home?
When she got home, Zhou Li was still very angry. She didn't care about the midnight snack she prepared for Beixia. She took out a notebook and pen and wrote a letter of complaint. She wrote more than a thousand words, talking about the importance of teachers influencing children, and how children's fragile hearts needed care. Finally, she changed the subject and talked about Beixia. She said that it was Xu Chuntian's constant neglect that led to this incident. If the school, or even the Education Bureau, did not care, it would be neglecting the teacher. The child's young heart had been hurt. She hoped that the Education Bureau would give an explanation to the parents!
Zhou Li directly raised the level of the incident in the letter, characterizing it as harming the country and endangering society. Anyone who reads this letter would be shocked.
After finishing writing, Zhou Li was very proud and thankful for his identity this time. He was a very good writer.
Zhou Li suddenly thought, could she possibly work part-time as a columnist? If she hadn't studied today, she wouldn't have known. Once she did, she was shocked. Being a good parent requires ensuring everything from physical and mental well-being to providing for her family. At the very least, she needs to feed and clothe Beixia well, and ensure a balanced diet of meat and vegetables for a healthy and nutritious life.
After seeing the recipes of the top-scoring mothers in the book, Zhou Li realized that although she couldn’t make them herself, she could hire a nanny!
But hiring a nanny is very expensive. The monthly salary of a nanny here starts at at least four thousand. Zhou Li feels that she has to make money quickly. Raising a child is not easy, and she feels very oppressed.
Zhou Li took the letter to Bei Xia to admire. Bei Xia came back and was still awake and doing homework. Zhou Li slapped the letter on her desk and said proudly, "I'll deliver the letter tomorrow!"
Bei Xia stopped writing, picked it up and took a look, then put it down without any reaction, as if she was not the person in the letter. She did not express any opinion on Zhou Li's letter or words, and continued to concentrate on doing her homework.
Zhou Li felt embarrassed, she felt that she had disturbed Beixia's studies.
She lightly stepped, picked up the letter, and walked out the door. It occurred to her that she had considered everything except Beixia's studies. Should she hire a tutor, or give her extra lessons? Should she also buy some supplementary materials? She was already in her third year of high school, so she had to study harder.
Zhou Li felt an even greater sense of urgency, feeling that his family assets were simply not enough.
She went to the kitchen and cut the fruit she had bought into pieces so Beixia could eat it with toothpicks, saving time. She also brought out the old hen soup. Of course, she didn't make it, but Zhou Li ordered it for takeout. She filled a bowl and handed it to Beixia, saying softly, "Go to bed early after you finish studying. I'll leave the food here for you. Don't eat the fruit in a hurry. Drink some soup first to warm yourself up so you'll have energy to study tonight."
Bexia paused, looked at the food on the table, and said "thank you" for the first time.
Zhou Li now really felt like she was raising a child. She rubbed Bei Xia's head and said, "I'll be with you outside. Call me if you need anything."
Then Zhou Li went out and lay on the sofa. She didn't dare turn on the TV for fear of disturbing Beixia's studies. She picked up a book from the bedroom and read it.
When Bei Xia finished his homework and came out to deliver the bowls, he found that Zhou Li had fallen asleep with his head propped up on his chest and covered with a blanket. The sofa in the living room was just as Bei Xia had expected, very soft and comfortable to lie on. Otherwise, why would Zhou Li fall asleep every time he lay on it?
It was late at night, Bei Xia gently patted Zhou Li's shoulder and woke her up.
"Zhou Li, go to bed."
Zhou Li opened her eyes dazedly and smiled at Bei Xia: "Call me sister."
Beixia pursed her lips, but ultimately didn't scream.
Zhou Li yawned and didn't notice. She went to the bathroom to wash up. Bei Xia touched the place where Zhou Li had just slept. The bed was soft and warm, still with the temperature from Zhou Li's sleep, the same warmth as when he hugged her. Suddenly, Bei Xia's palm trembled and she retracted her hand.
She didn't understand why she was like this, but she was a little greedy for the warmth this person brought her.
Zhou Li finished washing up, yawned and came out and said, "I'm going to bed first. You should also get ready and go to bed early. I'll take you to school tomorrow. Good night."
After saying that, Zhou Li no longer cared about Bei Xia. He turned around and went back to his room and fell asleep.
She was so sleepy. It was so tiring to take care of a child!
Zhou Li sighed, turned over, rolled up the quilt, and fell into a deep sleep.
The wind outside the window began to howl again. Bei Xia turned off all the lights in the house. She stood at the door of her bedroom, turned around and looked back at Zhou Li's bedroom across the street, and whispered, "Good night, Zhou Li."
If you don't call me sister when you are younger, you are a little wild
Author: I couldn't sleep last night, so I got up in the early morning to write. It was just dawn when I finished. Hahahaha, I wrote from night to day. I'm going to lie down for a while. Good morning.
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