Chapter 12 The Gloomy Little Darling of the 1970s
"I don't want any reward, just your presence is enough."
As soon as he said those words, Zhou Huai felt a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe.
It turns out that getting first place in an exam is a perfectly legitimate reason to receive a reward, and that parent-teacher meetings really do require parents to attend seriously.
These rules, which he had never experienced and which belonged to normal children, were gradually eroding his preconceived notions.
"good."
Shen Ci responded gently and naturally inquired about the matter.
"Is studying tiring? Is the pressure high?"
Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Take a rest when you're tired; your health is the most important thing.
The boy's hard work made her feel a little sorry for him. According to Aunt Fan, he would go straight to his study when he got home every day and wouldn't rest until late at night. He was so self-disciplined that he was almost harsh.
"...No, I'm not tired."
Zhou Huai felt as if something had gently bumped into his heart, causing a sour feeling to rise within him. She asked him if he was tired.
In the past, everyone who cared about his studies would only ask, "How are you doing in your studies?" or "What rank did you get?"
The reason the Zhou family allowed him to finish junior high school was purely because he always ranked first in his class, which would earn him compliments from the villagers who would say that the Zhou family had produced a promising student. This empty vanity was his bargaining chip in exchange for the opportunity to study.
No one ever asked him if he was tired.
The Zhou family would only scold him for wasting money and warn him not to bring shame to the family.
In the past, Zhou Huai seemed to have been immersed in ice water, the cold biting to the bone, yet he had become numb to it.
Now, however, the care that Shen Ci is giving him is like a warm current, making him feel at a loss. Every direct expression of concern makes his cheeks flush and his heart race, and he almost wants to turn around and run away.
"Host, once the villain's salvation value exceeds 10%, the character information panel will be unlocked. Why haven't you unlocked it yet?"
The system's voice suddenly rang out.
Shen Ci was taken aback.
"What character panel? You didn't mention that."
System: "You didn't ask."
Shen Ci quickly explored her consciousness and indeed found a button to be unlocked. After clicking it, Zhou Huai's information was clearly displayed:
Name: Zhou Huai
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Personality: Melancholy, somber, steady, shrewd, intelligent
Hobbies: Learning
Salvage value: 10%
Darkening value: 90%
After looking at the panel, a huge question mark seemed to appear above Shen Ci's head.
A love of learning? This child genuinely loves learning? This hobby is almost unbelievably pure.
She was originally thinking about what gift to give him to improve her impression of him, but now it seems she should get him a few sets of "Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation" for him.
One day later.
Shen Ci, unusually, went to bed early and got up early, getting ready before ten o'clock and hurriedly riding her bicycle to school.
School classroom.
With less than an hour to go before the parent-teacher meeting, the students had already stopped class and were busy setting up the classroom, moving desks and chairs, and waiting for their parents to arrive.
The classroom was noisy and chaotic; almost no one was focused on studying, as they were all excitedly or nervously discussing the upcoming parent-teacher meeting.
Only Zhou Huai remained engrossed in his writing, making the most of every minute.
Today he wore a clean white sweater and black straight-leg pants, simple yet neat, his quiet appearance standing out from the surrounding noise.
"Hey, is your mom coming to the parent-teacher conference again? I wonder what gift she'll prepare for the teacher this time. I was hoping to ask the teacher to move me to the front row!"
"I don't know, but the teacher definitely wouldn't accept it in front of you. I'll ask when I get home."
Giving gifts to teachers has always been an open secret in any era. Even if it is explicitly forbidden, who can know about the private exchanges?
"Zhou Huai, who's coming to your parent-teacher conference?" a classmate asked curiously as they approached.
Zhou Huai paused for a moment.
She promised, she should come, he replied softly.
"My mom."
Zhou Huai had expectations in his heart, but he dared not expect too much, suppressing his longing.
He had never uttered this word to someone's face, but in front of outsiders, he acknowledged it in his heart. However, calling it to their face was still too unfamiliar and embarrassing for him. For fifteen years, he had never had the opportunity to use this title.
"I haven't met your parents yet! But Zhou Huai is so handsome, his mother must be very beautiful too!"
Several female classmates whispered among themselves, their voices filled with excitement.
Zhou Huai was the top scorer in this year's class. He was outstanding in appearance and had a cool temperament. He was the center of attention wherever he went. He was the teacher's favorite student and a genius that his classmates looked up to.
"Pshaw! Where did he get a mother? He doesn't even bother to think before he starts talking."
A sneer suddenly came from the back of the classroom, clearly carrying malice.
Zhou Huai's fingers tightened slightly as he held the pen. The speaker was Wang Jie, who had attended the same junior high school as him and came from a neighboring village.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
These words immediately piqued everyone's curiosity.
"What could it mean? It's the busy farming season now, how could his parents have time to attend a parent-teacher meeting?"
His father doesn't care about him at all, his stepmother is even less likely to come, and as for his biological mother..."
Wang Jie deliberately dragged out his words, whetting everyone's appetite.
"He was born without a mother; he ran off with someone long ago! Where would he get a mother?"
People who are too outstanding will inevitably attract envy, but also jealousy. They both came from rural junior high schools, but Zhou Huai always outperformed others, which naturally caused some people to feel unbalanced.
"Wang Jie, are you telling the truth?"
Zhou Huai doesn't have a mother? The teacher even asked his parent to speak—who's going to go? Did they hire someone to do it?
A boy named Chen Ziwei chimed in, his tone full of anticipation.
He had disliked Zhou Huai for a long time. How could a poor boy from the countryside steal the limelight in the city? He was handsome, good at studying, and had all the good things in life.
Seeing that someone was agreeing with him, and that it was Chen Ziwei from a wealthy family, Wang Jie became even more enthusiastic.
"That's hard to say!"
My second aunt's cousin's aunt is a relative of his stepmother's family. Anyway, I've never heard of him having a biological mother!
My relative has been married to his father for over ten years. Is he trying to create a mother out of thin air?
Many people were drawn by this sensational gossip and gathered around. Wang Jie became more and more excited as he talked, adding fuel to the fire. Seeing that Zhou Huai remained silent, he became even more convinced that Zhou Huai was guilty.
If they can't compete academically, they resort to slander.
"Don't be fooled by his presentable appearance. He probably sold a lot of grain from his family to afford this outfit!"
Back in school, every single one of his clothes was patched. He's just trying to show off now that he's in the big city!
"We'll find out whether his mother comes or not in a little while!"
"I'm not making this up. I saw it clearly when I helped the teacher organize the files last time. He lives in Zhoujia Village, a typical rural household registration."
The school also waived his tuition fees, making him a student from a poor family!
...
Zhou Huai paused for a moment when the discussion began.
But as his words became increasingly harsh, he wrote even faster, his strokes almost penetrating the paper.
He had heard these words countless times since he was a child. All he could do was transform all the ridicule, contempt, and slander into motivation to climb higher.
The more they belittled him and looked down on him, the more determined he became to stand out and outperform everyone else.
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