Chapter 18: I Need Recognition
Chapter 18: I Need Recognition
This week at school was tough. There was an important exam: a physics and chemistry lab test. Although it only adds up to 20 points on the high school entrance exam, it still gave the ninth graders a lot of trouble.
On Tuesday, Cheng Bing took the unified exam at the town's No. 1 Middle School and unsurprisingly, she got a perfect score.
But he was very angry.
Fang Yuenian was well prepared, but he still lost 1 point due to a small oversight. Although it was only 1 point, other students cried when they lost one or two points, but he ran out happily and told them that he got 19.
Fang Yuenian was in a really good mood, satisfied with herself and even more satisfied with Cheng Bing.
On the way back to school, he excitedly calculated Cheng Bing's scores. This physics and chemistry experiment operation was worth 20 points, the computer operation test in the previous two months was also worth 20 points, plus the geography and biology exams in the second year of junior high school, the total score was 60 points, and Cheng Bing inhumanely scored 59 points, which has already earned her nearly 100 points for the high school entrance exam (Note 1). Once she gets the 50 points for the physical education exam next month, that will be 150 points!
—His own score? Hmm…a little over 80 so far, and with physical education, it's probably around 130.
“Just think of it this way,” he insisted, “just think of it as me getting 130 out of 150 on a test, isn’t that great! I’ve never gotten 130 before, right?”
“This 150-point test is the easiest one,” Cheng Bing said seriously, comparing himself to the top ten students, “who all got at least 140.”
"Who are you referring to when you say 'other people'?" Fang Yuenian had a broader perspective than him. "I don't believe that those top students in the city can get full marks in physical education."
Cheng Bing glanced at him.
Fang Yuenian quickly replied, "Okay, okay, I know. Our teacher said that we can't compete with others in other areas, but we must get the points we can get. That's why I've been preparing for the physical education exam very seriously. 50 points is a sure thing."
He can't afford not to be serious.
With all other exams over, the ninth graders have fully entered the physical education exam preparation period. Every afternoon after class, all students have to go to the playground to run and train in small events. The physical education teachers have finally found a way out after three years of frustration, and their presence has been fully exposed. Various activities such as sprinting, 10-lap endurance runs, and counting and evaluating each other are being carried out in turn, with all sorts of tricks.
Besides the fixed 1000-meter race, Fang Yuenian and Cheng Bing chose shot put and long jump for their smaller sports events. They jumped around every day, and after a week of this, they were inevitably tired. By Friday, when they rode their bikes home, their speed was visibly much slower.
Fang Yuenian was not only tired, but also a little uneasy. A week had passed, and he still hadn't given Cheng Bing a definite answer.
Although Cheng Bing didn't urge him, whether it was during physics and chemistry experiments or physical training, his eyes were fixed on Fang Yuenian, making Fang Yuenian feel uneasy and pressured. There weren't many people on the road today, and he shamelessly told several jokes, but Cheng Bing's response was lukewarm. So, as they rode their bikes, Fang Yuenian finally couldn't help but seriously protest to him.
He said out of the blue, "Cheng Bing, you're putting a lot of pressure on me."
Cheng Bing was slightly taken aback, then turned her head to look at him: "What did I do?"
Fang Yuenian avoided eye contact with him, her profile expression serious, but she muttered indignantly, "I got 19 points on my physics and chemistry experiment, 19 out of 20! Isn't that high? I didn't slack off at all in physical training, and you don't even praise me, not even give me a smile. Even if I really want to get into No. 1 High School, just thinking about how you'll treat me for the next three months is too unbearable."
His rant clearly shook Cheng Bing, who almost began to reflect on her own actions, pursing her lips, "I..."
“It’s not that I don’t want to study hard,” Fang Yuenian continued, “Today, our teacher even said that I wrote a pretty good Chinese composition. Do you know when was the last time he praised me?”
Without even thinking, Cheng Bing blurted out, "Last semester, you got 18 points on your English essay in the midterm exam."
"Uh..." Fang Yuenian was stunned for a moment because she didn't expect him to actually say it. "Anyway, I did so-so before, but if I get a perfect score in PE, it's also worth praising. From now on, you have to acknowledge my progress, okay?"
Cheng Bing's face was tense, and it took her a while to say, "I understand."
Fang Yuenian was completely satisfied.
He whistled triumphantly, feeling a surge of energy in his legs.
Because Grandma Fang had asked her grandson to pass on messages several times, Teacher Fang, who had become increasingly enthusiastic about dedicating all her time to the school in recent years, finally had to go home once—on Saturday noon.
So early Saturday morning, Wang Jing busied herself cooking, while Fang Yuenian stayed in her room doing her homework, never venturing out of the house.
Today must be a really good day, there are quite a lot of people coming back.
Lin Guohui and Cheng Jiagong returned from their outing. The two men had finished their work and brought back bags full of things, including Cheng Qiuyan's favorite foods and a new tracksuit for Cheng Bing to wear for her physical education exam. In the afternoon, Cheng Junjun, who had been away from home for several months, also returned. She said that there was some paperwork at school that needed the village's signature, so she made a special trip back.
As soon as he finished speaking, he was scolded by Cheng Qiuyan.
Why didn't you call if you said you had something to do? Why didn't you just have your dad go to the city to get the documents, sign them, and then send them over? Why make a special trip when you're so busy with your studies?
After scolding her, she quickly prepared her favorite dishes with her mother-in-law and packed a few spring and summer clothes for her to take with her.
That evening, both families enjoyed a lively and satisfying dinner.
The two Cheng children were busy preparing for their exams and had both lost weight. Cheng Qiuyan was busy taking care of them, urging them to eat at the dinner table until her mouth was dry. Lin Guohui, who hadn't been home for more than half a month, was neglected. Cheng's father-in-law secretly made a dressing box for Cheng Junjun. Before it was polished and glazed, he proudly told Cheng Bing that when the girl went to college and wanted to be pretty, she would need this. He also told her not to tell his second sister yet.
The Fang family's dishes were plentiful. Wang Jing always respected her intellectual father-in-law, calling him "Dad" repeatedly. Fang Wu's forehead injury had long since healed, and the matter was put behind them. The atmosphere at the dinner table was very peaceful, and Teacher Fang was very satisfied to see the family in harmony.
However, this rare reunion lasted only half a day, as something came up on Sunday morning.
First, Fang Yuenian heard that Cheng's father-in-law had returned, so he rushed to the carpenter's shop early Sunday morning. After seeing the two boys' work, Cheng's father-in-law also felt that they should catch up on the progress. The three of them immediately started the machine and got to work seriously, preparing to cut out all the remaining small partitions at once.
This wouldn't have been a problem in itself, but Fang Yuenian got too cocky and forgot that his grandfather was at home. When Teacher Fang returned from his early morning walk and chat, he was about to call his grandson over for a lecture when he discovered that his grandfather was nowhere to be found.
Grandma Fang also had chores to do today. Last night, Teacher Fang said she wanted to eat two kinds of vegetables, so after breakfast she went to the vegetable garden and happened to run into Grandma Hongmei, who was there to tend to the garden. The two old sisters always greet each other warmly, and Grandma Hongmei inadvertently started talking about Cheng Junjun.
"Oh dear, what a pity. This girl is so strong-willed. She never comes home when she goes to school. It seems she rushed back this time because she needed to get some kind of certificate from the village. Otherwise, how could Xiao Chengbing have come back so quickly after delivering something to the city just last week!"
Whether she wanted to hear it or not, Old Mrs. Fang replied, "Being too strong and ruthless is no good."
Grandma Hongmei said, "Who says otherwise! Oh, old sister, you are blessed. Actually, Junjun's good grades are all thanks to your family! I see that Yuenian and his sister are quite close. Last week, he and Chengbing went to the city to deliver things to Junjun. They were very affectionate."
Grandma Fang paused, her eyebrows twitching: "What?!"
Grandma Hongmei, her back turned to the weeding, didn't notice her expression. She continued, "Don't the two of them often go to Master Cheng's carpentry shop to play? Doing their homework together? That's nice. I heard they're going to make a cabinet for Xiao Junjun? That's great, really great. I think Wang Jing still cares about Xiao Junjun; after all, she's her own daughter..."
Grandma Fang threw down her vegetable basket and hurried away, her feet covered in mud.
Grandma Hongmei seemed completely oblivious, continuing, "Children are all predestined. Your Xiaowusheng's three children are all successful, although... Hey, old sister? Are you leaving? Aren't you taking your shopping basket?"
Grandma Fang rushed back home and went to find Fang Yuenian first.
As Teacher Fang sipped her tea, she slowly said, "There's no one here early in the morning."
When they looked for Wang Jing again, she was still busy in the kitchen, preparing to steam some freshly picked corn for everyone to eat. The water for steaming the corn had just boiled when Old Mrs. Fang suddenly appeared and questioned her sternly: "Wang Jing! I'm asking you, have you been sending things to Fang Junjun every year?"
These words struck Wang Jing like a thunderbolt. She was initially startled, but when she understood, her face immediately flushed red.
This matter was a source of deep concern for her, and in another sense, it was also a source of deep concern for Old Mrs. Fang.
Back then, Fang Junjun was pushed into the river by Old Mrs. Fang herself, who also shouted "Go to hell!" At such a young age, she swam to the Cheng family's house like a madwoman. It was the most resounding slap Old Mrs. Fang had ever received in her life. More than ten years have passed, and anyone with eyes can see that she made the right choice in choosing this child.
As for Wang Jing? She only dared to secretly allow Fang Yuenian to get closer to Cheng Bing and Cheng Junjun. If she could do something insignificant for Cheng Junjun, it would be enough to make her so happy that she couldn't sleep at night.
She just couldn't tell anyone, because she, as a mother, was no match for Cheng Qiuyan at all.
Teacher Fang was engrossed in drinking tea outside and didn't hear what they were saying.
Looking at her mother-in-law's fierce expression and mindful of her father-in-law outside, Wang Jing held back and said, "Every year I buy books for myself, and I haven't spent any extra money."
Grandma Fang was taken aback by her daughter-in-law's gentle demeanor. Her anger subsided considerably, and she looked on with a mixture of belief and doubt, muttering, "Really?"
Wang Jing sighed, "Who's stirring things up in front of you again? Grandma Hongmei, right? Give me a rest. How could I take your family's money and give it away to someone else?"
Grandma Fang was stunned for a moment.
Her temper has clearly softened over the years, and Wang Jing has become much more restrained. They haven't done those hair-pulling and fighting things for a long time. If Fang Wu were to behave himself, perhaps the house would be more peaceful. This is probably thanks to Fang Yue Nian being in the house.
"Hmph," although her arrogance had subsided, Old Mrs. Fang still kept talking, "How would I know you?"
Wang Jing shook her head and went back to her work.
(Note 1: The rules for the high school entrance examination varied greatly in different places in earlier years. This article is based on the actual rules of a certain place in a certain year. Chinese, mathematics, and English were each worth 150 points, physics and chemistry were worth 150 points, and history and politics were open-book and worth 150 points. In addition to these five subjects in the high school entrance examination, students in the second year of junior high school had to take geography and biology theory courses, and in the third year of junior high school, they would take physics and chemistry experimental operations, computer operation, and physical education. The above four items were converted into a total of 150 points in the high school entrance examination score. And all of them were very strict. They would move between different designated examination venues. For example, they took physical education at the No. 2 Middle School in the city, geography and biology theory and physics and chemistry experimental operations at the No. 1 Middle School in the town, and computer operation at their own school (with external supervision). Therefore, Cheng Bing and Fang Yuenian's final high school entrance examination score was 900 points. I can't fit it all in the author's notes, so I'll put it here.)
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