Chapter 28: Haven't I praised you yet?
Chapter 28: Haven't I praised you yet?
Fang Yuenian's story of taking the physical education exam with a broken head and getting a perfect score quickly spread throughout the school and the remote corner of Shuibiwan.
Actually, things were fine at school. After all, he was good at running and jumping and was always a minor celebrity. But when he returned to the village, every auntie he met asked him if he did well on his physical education test. Some even asked him if he was going to study sports in the future, as if they were already planning for him to participate in competitions and win glory for the country.
—Without a doubt, it must have been Old Lady Fang who went out and spread the word.
Fang Yuenian was never the kind of child who could smile and agree with elders since childhood, so he felt a lot of pressure. He wondered for no reason how Cheng Bing, who always got first place in her exams and was constantly asked about her grades and study methods, could always speak so politely. And Sister Xiaoxiao and Sister Jun were amazing. If it weren't for the fact that the school dormitory only opened at noon on Sundays, he would have wanted to run away early.
So on the way to school in the afternoon, Fang Yuenian expressed her troubles.
After listening, Cheng Bing looked a little confused and asked, "Am I bothering you with my questions?"
Fang Yuenian looked a little anxious and said, "Yes! They all came to ask me, and I said the same thing over and over again three or four times!"
Cheng Bing whispered, "It was just a sports game..."
Fang Yuenian slapped the handlebars: "Well, I've never gotten a perfect score before!"
Cheng Bing struggled to suppress the urge to smile.
Being recognized as a good student by the villagers requires a lot of wisdom; good grades alone are not enough.
Being too silent can easily make you a bookworm, while being too arrogant can make you an annoying person. Specifically, when neighbors or relatives ask about your grades, it's best to casually and subtly admit that "my grades are indeed good." You need to strike a delicate balance between "pretentiousness" and "naturalness," and always maintain an approachable and humble demeanor that makes people feel like they're basking in a spring breeze—even if you don't really want to be perfunctory.
This is a complex issue that determines how well-behaved the student is perceived by the villagers, and whether the family will become the object of envy because of their child's excellence.
The Cheng family is just that kind of family.
In Fang Yuenian's mind, Cheng Xiaoxiao was a perfect child. She could handle all sorts of people in the village, even the gossipy mother who was trying to probe her relationship with Cheng Junjun. Later, Cheng Junjun actually had this talent too. She had just gotten into a fight with the boy in the family the day before, and the next day, when the boy's sister came to ask about her homework, she actually taught her properly.
Later, Cheng Bing also developed this skill. Because he was a boy, his natural advantage was that he wouldn't be expected to be gentle and sweet-talking. As long as he was appropriately kind, considerate, and willing to explain problems to younger children, that was enough.
So the principle is simple: those with money shouldn't look down on others, and children with good grades shouldn't get arrogant.
However, not every family possesses this wisdom.
Grandma Fang's insults are always things like "a useless poor wretch who'll be a carpenter his whole life," "a worthless piece of trash who's stuck in the mud and won't get up," or "I don't think your family has any literary deities to support you and make a living through education." Her words are always full of arrogance and superiority, and I don't know what she's so proud of.
Teacher Fang was a cultured man who never swore. When he was in the village, he would always be holding a metal teacup, wearing shiny leather shoes, and speaking politely in front of people's doors. Whenever he had free time, he would offer some pointers on people's teaching methods.
As for Fang Wu, he was quite fashionable when he was young. He used fragrant paper handkerchiefs, wore a beautiful watch, and dressed in a trendy leather jacket. Once he returned from a trip away from home, his Mandarin accent would be slightly distorted.
Coming from a family with a strong tradition of learning, Fang Yuenian didn't understand the meaning of humility even as a child.
He proudly wore his new light-up shoes and arrogantly told his envious friends, "These were bought by my grandpa. None of you can wear them."
He didn't really understand what sharing meant; he just listened to his grandmother and kept his candy box safe, never letting anyone see him eat it.
So, apart from the times he got into fights as a child and was fawned over by some of his followers, he hadn't been praised much, let alone praised as a good kid to be a role model for his own children. These past few days, he's suddenly been praised a few times, and he doesn't know how to respond.
Cheng Bing, who had been riding behind Fang Yuenian watching him pedal wildly against the wind, deliberately sped up two laps and joined him.
"Fang Yuenian," he called him.
"Um?"
"You got a perfect score, haven't I praised you yet?" Cheng Bing's eyebrows relaxed as she looked directly at him. "You did very well."
Fang Yuenian paused briefly.
Then, his face flushed red.
In my excitement, my mind went blank, and two words popped out: "Holy shit..."
Cheng Bing's eyes turned cold.
Fang Yuenian immediately chickened out: "I...tsk, oh my god, how could you, how could you..."
Cheng Bing sighed, ignoring his stubborn refusal to correct his utterly uncivilized mouth, and turned her face away, saying clearly, "When you improve a little more, when you get into No. 1 High School, everyone will like you even more."
Fang Yuenian stared at his profile, completely stunned.
Is this... is this still Cheng Bing?
He was a bit lost, but what came out of his mouth was: "But this, this perfect score, wasn't it already a sure thing..."
Cheng Bing even chuckled softly, "Not everyone can do what they are confident about."
Fang Yuenian's heart skipped a beat, and she exclaimed: "Damn, that makes so much sense! What a wise saying!"
But he finally suppressed the words that were about to burst out, and after refining them, he said, "Cheng Bing, you really are my life mentor."
Cheng Bing remained calm and said, "I don't dare to accept that title yet. Let's wait until you finish your second mock exam."
Mentioning the second mock exam, Fang Yuenian's eyes lit up, and she pressed her advantage: "If you're quite satisfied with the results of the second mock exam, can I ask for a reward? My mom always rewards me when I improve on my exams since I was little."
What do you want?
"Well," Fang Yuenian cleared her throat, "I hope that after we finish the high school entrance exam, you can work with me to finish that bookshelf properly."
After saying that, he quickly added, "Regardless of what our middle school entrance exam results are!"
The first half of the sentence was normal, but the supplementary part was obviously spoken in a low voice.
Cheng Bing seemed to think for a moment, but quickly said, "Okay."
"real?"
"real."
"Thank you, Brother Cheng!"
Fang Yuenian shouted and sped up, riding forward at breakneck speed.
As a result, Fang Yuenian, who was preparing for the second mock exam, was full of energy every day. He was truly eager to learn and neglected to eat and sleep. He even brought a small notebook of words with him when he went to the cafeteria to eat. English vocabulary has always been his weakness. Recently, he has been memorizing words like crazy. Once, when he went to the water room to get hot water, he reached out to turn on the tap while looking at his notebook. He was burned but did not feel the pain. When he returned to the dormitory, he found that he had a big blister.
Fang Yuenian's only comment on this was: "Luckily, it's not a hand for writing."
Cheng Bing had to take on the mundane daily tasks of getting him hot water and meals. Sometimes, simply placing the food in front of this eccentric junior high student wasn't enough; she had to urge him three or four times before he would pick up his chopsticks.
"You have to bear the consequences of the seeds you sow," Cheng Bing told herself helplessly.
In short, the second mock exam arrived amidst everyone's anxiety.
Because the school built a new teaching building with a large conference room on the top floor, which has been used as an examination room for the ninth graders for the past six months, the previous task of clearing out the classrooms a day in advance for the exams is no longer necessary, and everyone can study in peace. The night before the exam, most students were memorizing the last few points of knowledge, frantically filling their brains with temporary memory, and Fang Yuenian was no exception.
He painstakingly memorized the Chinese language content, mainly because his foundation was too weak. He stumbled over many ancient poems and classical Chinese texts that others could recite effortlessly. There were no learning tips for this part of the test; it was all about memorization. Although he couldn't memorize it perfectly right now, he would just memorize it temporarily and try to get the points first.
Cheng Bing is working on a knowledge index of political history.
Open-book exams are just as daunting. The vast amount of knowledge is scattered across countless textbooks, workbooks, and comprehensive guides, requiring skill to find what you need; otherwise, all your time is wasted flipping through the pages. He had personally witnessed Fang Yuenian taking an open-book exam; her books were scattered all over the table and floor, a truly horrifying sight.
But memorizing was really a headache. After several evening self-study sessions, everyone was exhausted. When Cheng Bing handed the index to Fang Yuenian, he was dizzy and repeatedly reciting: "High mountains on both banks, all covered with cold-weather trees... striving to reach the top, forming thousands of peaks... Wait, it seems like two lines are missing. Please don't remind me...High mountains on both banks, all covered with cold-weather trees...High mountains on both banks, all covered with cold-weather trees..."
Cheng Bing stood beside his seat, just looking at him, and unconsciously raised her chin slightly, as if waiting for his next words.
Fang Yuenian seemed to be encouraged as well, and with renewed vigor, wrote: "High mountains on both banks are covered with cold-weather trees, which rise up in competition, towering and lofty!"
"Fang Yuenian is amazing!" his deskmate exclaimed loudly in agreement. "Awesome, awesome!"
Cheng Bing slightly raised the corners of her lips and handed him a sheet of paper filled with writing. "Here you go."
My deskmate leaned over and asked, "What? A martial arts manual?"
Fang Yuenian glanced at it and immediately snapped out of her daze, saying gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Cheng!"
His deskmate seized the opportunity to fawn over him: "Top student~ Brother Cheng~ I want to see it too—"
Cheng Bing said, "Then you can print one yourself."
"Thank you, brother!"
Then came the two-day exam.
The entire school was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. As usual, the exam paper would be a bit more difficult this time, to see if everyone could answer the so-called "point-earning" questions. Generally speaking, the overall score would be lower than the mock exam, but there would still be some high scores.
Fang Yuenian even avoided checking answers, an activity he used to enjoy. After finishing one exam, he would focus on studying for the next one and concentrate on the exam.
After the last English exam was over and the papers were handed in, everyone slowly dragged their weary feet out of the exam hall—regardless of who was happy, everyone could only wait for the results.
Fang Yue Nian's roommates all complained about their poor exam results, sighing as they packed their bags and went home, each saying they'd be fine in a couple of days. Fang Yue Nian, on the other hand, lay on his bed in the dorm, lost in thought. Cheng Bing had been called to the homeroom teacher's office after leaving the exam hall and hadn't returned yet, so he wasn't in a hurry to pack.
Lying down with my eyes closed, I let my mind wander.
This time, I think I'll improve a bit, right?
I wonder if Cheng Bing will be satisfied with how much progress he has made.
After quite a while, Cheng Bing finally returned.
All of Fang Yuenian's roommates had left, leaving only him. When Cheng Bing entered the room and saw him lying stiffly, she thought he was feeling unwell and came over to ask him, "What's wrong?"
Fang Yuenian suddenly opened her eyes and sat up abruptly: "So, so, did the teacher call you to talk about the results of the direct-entry class exam?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
