Chapter 9 School
"Here, you don't need to write your name on anything to prove it's yours." Jiang Congyue squatted down, her eyes level with Jiang Le's. Her eyes, subtly similar to hers, were filled with certainty and a reassuring promise. "Jiang Le, you're no longer in the welfare home. You're home. Everything here belongs to you. No more markings are needed."
Jiang Le tried to see some lies in eyes that looked like hers, but all she could see through those eyes was naked sincerity.
"Jiang Congyue," Jiang Le raised his stubborn little face slightly, "If I really am your illegitimate daughter or illegitimate granddaughter, just tell me directly. There's no need to be so pretentious!"
Jiang Congyue was obviously stunned for a moment, then she suddenly burst into laughter, with tears in the corners of her eyes, almost making her breathless.
"You're not my illegitimate granddaughter. I brought you home simply because of fate. I just like you, that's all."
Jiang Congyue looked at Jiang Le's little face which was full of seriousness and a hint of embarrassment at being ridiculed, and his tone was more relaxed and sincere than ever before.
Jiang Le was skeptical. Could someone really be so nice to a stranger for no reason?
"Okay, after saying so much, can you now take out the treasure in your little schoolbag and put it on the table?" Jiang Congyue held the edge of the table and slowly stood up. As she was old, her legs and feet were indeed a little numb after squatting for a long time. She moved them imperceptibly.
Jiang Le's fingers rubbed the seam of her pants unconsciously. Every time she was adopted, she was prepared to be sent back at any time.
Her belongings were always tucked away in that small schoolbag, like a snail shell ready to be carried away at any time, never dared to show them to anyone. Her possessions were pitifully few, easily visible at a glance, but precisely because of this, each one carried her entire sense of security, too precious to lose.
"The shoulder strap of your schoolbag is almost broken. I bought you a new one. You can carry that one to school tomorrow." Jiang Congyue leaned against the table to rest, watching Jiang Le slowly taking out things.
"Hmm..." Jiang Le pinched the shoulder strap and nodded slowly. She hesitated whether to take out the bank card left in her schoolbag.
Although Jiang Congyue might not be interested in her bank card, if she asked about the origin of the money in the card, she would have no way to explain to Jiang Congyue.
Just as she was at a stalemate, at a dilemma, Jiang Congyue seemed to see through her struggle. He suddenly yawned softly and said with a hint of fatigue: "Hey, I'm a little tired. You can take your time to sort it out. I'll go upstairs and rest for a while."
Watching the figure disappear behind the door, Jiang Le's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and he let out a long, silent breath. However, before he could finish his breath, a strong sense of shame and anger surged up again.
She rubbed the old schoolbag in her arms vigorously as if to vent her anger. She must have seen it!
How does she know everything? This person is simply a worm in her stomach!
Finally, she took out her bank card and carefully put it in the drawer. After doing all this, she threw herself into the overly soft bed and rolled around several times in frustration.
While tossing the pillow, I was thinking, is it true that there is telepathy in this world?
For the next half day, Jiang Congyue stayed upstairs to handle official business. But the amazing thing was that, whether it was lunch or dinner, the dishes on the table were all to Jiang Le's liking.
Because he had to face the horrific baptism of "getting up at six o'clock" the next day, Jiang Le finished washing up early, buried himself in the soft quilt, and tried to force himself to fall asleep.
Unfortunately, after a long time, Jiang Le still couldn't sleep and sat up and pounded the bed.
"Oh..." She scratched her hair in frustration. She had no other choice but to remember the folk remedies she often used at the orphanage. With a determined heart, she raised her hand and slapped herself on the forehead, neither too hard nor too light!
“Bang!”
A slight dizziness came over me.
The effect is outstanding.
She shook her head and fell back onto the pillow. This time, her heavy eyelids finally closed slowly and her consciousness sank into a sweet dream.
–
In the early morning, the sky is slightly bright and peaceful.
"Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!!!"
Jiang Le jumped up with a start, looked around blankly, touched the back of his head, and thought, "An earthquake?"
As if she heard the noise inside, Lin Qingyu still had a gentle and decent smile on her face, as if the violent maniac who wanted to tear down the door just now was not her.
"Miss Jiang, you're awake," she glanced down at her watch. "It's 6:05 now. You have 30 minutes to wash up and have breakfast. Your school uniform has been ironed and is on your desk. Please hurry."
Jiang Le looked over and saw the black and white school uniforms stacked on the table with sharp edges, as if with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
"I understand." Jiang Le rubbed her eyes, then tied her hair into a ponytail and got out of bed.
After rubbing his face again, he looked around expressionlessly.
Perfect.
Jiang Le was surprised to see Jiang Congyue already sitting at the table, wearing glasses and looking at her phone. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, her eyes curved behind her lenses, with the warmth of morning light.
"Le Le, come and have breakfast." Jiang Congyue waved at her.
Jiang Le had initially thought she wouldn't be there. Her outburst yesterday was a bit awkward. She shuffled over and sat down, then froze when her eyes fell on the dining table.
On the table was steaming white porridge, a few plates of refreshing pickles, and a basket of dumplings with an enticing meaty aroma.
Jiang Congyue took a sip of coffee and said with a smile: "Oh, I heard yesterday that you don't like to eat those. A forced melon is not sweet. Why don't you change to something you like." Her tone was a little mischievous, but also full of indulgence.
"Thank you..." Jiang Le took a bun and stuffed it into her mouth. The aroma of meat immediately exploded. The meat was fat and lean, and the taste was very much to her liking.
Seeing that she had eaten three buns in a row, Jiang Congyue was worried that she would choke, so he brought her a cup of hot milk and said, "Drink this, and then I'll ask the driver to take you to school."
Jiang Le drank it all in one gulp, took the new schoolbag from Jiang Congyue, put it on his back, and whispered to her: "I'm going to school, Boss Jiang..."
Because it was said very vaguely, Jiang Congyue didn't hear the latter part of the address. He waved happily and watched her get into the car.
Sitting comfortably in the train compartment, Jiang Le felt as if the seat cushions were covered in thorns. She fidgeted uncomfortably, zipping up her backpack. Few of her classmates at the special needs school were as healthy as she was; most had some sort of deformity. Even her former deskmate was born blind in one eye.
She had never interacted with normal people before and was a little nervous for a moment.
"Miss Jiang, relax a little," said the driver, Mr. Li, gently, noticing Jiang Le's tense face through the rearview mirror. "My daughter, Li Yan, is also in this school, in the same grade as you. Boss Jiang contacted the school and arranged for you to be in her class, so she can take good care of you."
Jiang Le didn't relax because of these words. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief when she arrived at the school gate. She was already there anyway.
After getting off the bus, the driver waved toward the school gate. A middle-aged man walked over quickly, holding the hand of a girl with pigtails. The girl, wearing the same school uniform, looked full of energy.
"Mom!" The girl rushed over happily and hugged the driver.
The driver gently pinched her face and said, "Yanyan, this is Jiang Le, your new student who transferred to your class today. Mom has to work in a hurry. Could you take Jiang Le to familiarize herself with the school first and then send her to Teacher Liu's office? Please!"
When Li Yan heard this, her eyes immediately turned to Jiang Le, who was standing behind her mother. Jiang Le's expressionless, even a little cool face instantly caught her attention.
"New classmate!" She cheered, completely ignoring her mother's advice about taking care of her, and walked around her mother and grabbed Jiang Le's hand in a familiar manner.
"Hi! My name is Li Yan! What's your name?" Her voice was clear and loud, like a lark in the early morning.
Jiang Le instinctively frowned when her hand was suddenly held, but the warmth and unreserved enthusiasm from the other person's palm made her suppress the urge to pull her hand back. She just replied slightly stiffly: "...Jiang Le."
"Hello, hello, I am the monitor of our class, I will protect you from now on!" She raised her chin high, with a bit of the aura of a gangster.
Then, this □□ boss was suppressed by the emperor.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" The driver hit her with a chestnut, making Li Yan see stars.
Looking at the intimate interaction between the mother and daughter as if no one was around, and Li Yan's funny and lively appearance, Jiang Le's tightly clenched mouth finally couldn't help but let out a short chuckle.
"Alright, alright, stop making trouble!" Mother Li handed them two school bags. "Go in quickly, don't be late! Yanyan, take good care of your new classmates!"
"Yes, sir! I guarantee to complete the mission!" Li Yan immediately stood up straight and saluted properly.
Then he grabbed Jiang Le, who was still a little unresponsive, and rushed into the school gate. "Come on, Jiang Le! I'll show you around our school! It's so big and so interesting!"
Pulled by Li Yan, the energetic little sun, I shuttled through the unfamiliar campus, listening to her chattering about the playground, the garden, the teaching building, the canteen...
Jiang Le felt that the thin layer of ice that enveloped her was quietly melting under this unreserved enthusiasm.
Jiang Le had never seen such an energetic child before.
Finally, just before the class bell rang, Li Yan brought Jiang Le to the door of the class teacher, Teacher Liu's office, panting.
Teacher Liu was a middle-aged woman in her forties, wearing a pair of black-framed glasses and with a serious expression. When she saw Jiang Le and Li Yan come in, she pointed to Li Yan to help her move the books.
"Jiang Le," Teacher Liu glanced at her, then at Jiang Le's old report card in his hand. "Well, your grades have always been good, but our progress is faster than your previous school. If you can't keep up, you can come to me after class."
Jiang Le met her gaze, nodded calmly, and replied with only one word: "Yeah." His attitude was cold and distant.
"Hey, Teacher Liu, the books have been moved!" Li Yan came over with two stacks of new textbooks, smiling. She was born with the ability to have fun even in serious situations.
Teacher Liu was just fooled by this. Although he still didn't laugh, his tone softened. "You always complain that your deskmate disturbs you during class. Perfect, let Jiang Le sit next to you."
"Wow! Really? Teacher Liu, you're the best!" Li Yan immediately smiled and moved closer to Teacher Liu with the book in his arms, praising her like crazy.
With Li Yan chattering around, Jiang Le's discomfort with the new environment was much alleviated. She sat down in her new seat, opened her brand new textbook, and a long-lost sense of calmness came over her.
However, this peace lasted less than five minutes.
"Why did you suddenly come here?" Li Yan held up the book to cover his face, and quietly leaned closer to ask curiously.
Jiang Le glanced at the teacher in front of them, pursed her lips and said nothing, then kicked Li Yan, trying to remind her.
"Hey, why did you kick me? Tell me!" Li Yan hissed, but still not giving up and moved closer.
She didn't notice that the sounds of reading around her had become a little quieter, and she was curious about the reason why this new student transferred here.
"Li, Yan." Teacher Liu's gritted voice came from behind the book, and his eyes shot like knives at the restless little head behind the book.
Li Yan shuddered all over, like a cat whose tail was stepped on. He sat up straight, hurriedly put the book flat, and started to recite in a loud voice like reciting revolutionary poetry: "A! B! C! D!..."
"..." Jiang Le looked at the Chinese textbook in her hand and fell into deep thought.
"Hey, hey, hey, Teacher Liu," Li Yan tilted his head and covered his ears, "Everything wrong is my fault! It has nothing to do with Jiang Le! I was the one who insisted on talking to her! If you want to punish me, punish me!"
I don’t know what TV show Li Yan watched last night. The show was so moving and heart-wrenching that it seemed like a touching drama of self-sacrifice to save others.
Jiang Le looked at Li Yan's exaggerated performance and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
This chuckle was particularly clear in the silent classroom.
Originally intending to catch Li Yan as a typical teacher, Mr. Liu's sharp eyes instantly locked onto the extremely innocent Jiang Le.
then.
It was a beautiful morning with a gentle breeze and rising sun.
However, what was not pleasant was that at the classroom door, one on the left and one on the right, there were two figures standing upright, like two newly-promoted door gods.
One is Li Yan, who is listless but his eyes are still rolling around; the other is Jiang Le, who has no expression on his face and a blank look, as if he has already entered a Buddhist monastery.
"..." Jiang Le looked at the end of the corridor, speechless, feeling that life was full of meaningless absurdity. Why was she standing here?
Li Yan scratched his head with a wry smile. "Hey, well... standing alone is not as good as standing with others! Look at this beautiful scenery, the sun is shining, the breeze is not too hot, it would be a shame for me to enjoy it all by myself! Right?"
"Watch less stupid TV." Jiang Le glanced at her coldly, then retracted his pity-filled gaze.
Li Yan yelled a few times, "What are you talking about? What are you talking about? This is art! Do you understand art? That monologue of self-sacrifice just now was so touching and full of power! I think it can definitely be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor! My dream is to become a great actor!"
"Haha," Jiang Le sneered, "Did you see that dead pool?"
Li Yan followed her finger, leaned over the railing and looked down, blinking: "I see it, hey, there are still fish! What's going on?"
The water in that small pond was turbid due to neglect, and only a few half-dead fish were still struggling.
"Yeah," Jiang Le nodded, his tone calm, "The fish is finished."
Li Yan was stunned, her big eyes filled with confusion. She looked at the pond, then at Jiang Le's enigmatic face, frowning and thinking hard.
Jiang Le had already finished reciting a whole text when she suddenly slammed the railing. She suddenly realized something and turned around excitedly, her eyes brightening with astonishing clarity: "I understand! I understand! Jiang Le! Are you the legendary hermit master? You were just trying to enlighten me, weren't you?!"
"You're telling me!" Li Yan danced with excitement. "To become a great actor, you must go through hardships that ordinary people can hardly imagine! You must hone your will as strong as steel! It's like... it's like bringing the stagnant water in the pond back to life! You must make the turbid water clear! You must let those dying fish come back to life! Right?! This is my 'Fish Leaping Over the Dragon Gate'! Right?!" She looked excited as if she had understood the secret.
"..." Jiang Le took a deep breath, "Haha, I'm glad you understand."
She closed her eyes resignedly, and when she opened them again, there was only the calmness of seeing through the world and the relief of giving up struggling.
Forget it, forget it. What Li Yan has learned is really diverse. She can't compare with him in terms of thinking process.
——
Jiang Congyue:17
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
