Chapter 9: Not as Good as Wen Xia?
Liu An’an playfully stuck out her tongue, then took a bite of a steamed bun. Remembering something, she handed her meal card to Liu Boyi while chewing and said, “Brother, help me top up my card. I’m out of money.”
“Okay,” he replied.
Liu Boyi glanced at Wen Xia and Jiang Yan, his gaze lingering more on Wen Xia. “Xia Xia, Yan Yan, do you need a top-up?”
Wen Xia swallowed her bun and said, “No, I topped up a thousand at the beginning of the semester. I still have over three hundred left.”
At the beginning of the semester, it was Wen De who had brought her here and topped up her card. Back then, she thought he didn’t care about her. But now, thinking back, he had always been the one to help her with school registrations ever since she was young.
Looking at it now, it was her who hadn’t cared about Wen De.
Jiang Yan shook her head and softly said, “I still have sixty on my card. It’s enough for this week.”
Liu Boyi didn’t say anything further.
At that moment, Jiang Xu walked over with a piece of bread and a box of milk. He raised an eyebrow at the boy sitting next to Jiang Yan and said, “Classmate, scoot over a bit.”
There wasn’t a single person in the grade who didn’t know Jiang Xu. The boy, who was a bit thin and weak, timidly moved one seat over.
After Jiang Xu sat down, he reached past Jiang Yan and placed a box of milk in front of Wen Xia. “Xia Xia, this is for you. Don’t worry about the thing with Yue Qiang. I’ve already given him a little ‘reminder.’”
This type of milk cost 3.5 yuan a bottle at the school shop, which for many students was equivalent to a decent lunch with one meat and one vegetable dish.
Wen Xia used to have a particular liking for this milk.
She pushed the milk back toward him. “I’m full. You drink it yourself.”
Jiang Xu handed it back to her again. “Then drink it later. I don’t like this stuff anyway. Throwing it away would just be a waste.” As he said this, he scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
Since he had said so, Wen Xia didn’t want to argue further. She couldn’t embarrass him in front of so many people. “Thank you,” she said.
Liu Boyi glanced at her, his grip on the spoon tightening slightly.
Seeing that she had finally accepted what he offered, Jiang Xu flashed a broad smile, revealing his white teeth. “No need to thank me,” he said cheerfully.
…
The first class was chemistry.
Xue Wenyan instructed the chemistry class representative, Zhou Jie, to distribute the chemistry workbooks. She slapped the podium, her tone laced with frustration. “Every time I tell you to do your homework, it’s a complete mess. Fine, I can overlook that, but how do more than a dozen of you make the same exact mistakes? Do you think I’m that easy to fool?”
“If you don’t want to study, quit now and go carry bricks—you’d still earn a few dozen yuan a day. In all my years of teaching, I’ve never seen a worse class than this one!”
The students kept their heads down, not daring to breathe too loudly. Liu An’an even stuck out her tongue guiltily.
She seemed to have forgotten to fix something in her homework.
Before long, the workbooks were all handed out.
However, Wen Xia didn’t receive one. She looked around at Liu An’an, Jiang Yan, and the students in the row ahead—all of them had their workbooks.
After hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand and said, “Teacher Xue, I don’t have a workbook.”
Xue Wenyan gave her a glance. “Your workbook is with me. I’m going to use it later for the lesson. For now, share with Liu An’an.”
The entire class assumed that her workbook was being used as an example of mistakes. They gave her sympathetic looks, all the while feeling relieved it wasn’t their workbook.
Liu An’an pushed her workbook to the middle of the desk and whispered, “Don’t worry, Xia Xia. Next time, I’ll borrow the class leader’s homework for you to copy.”
Wen Xia: “…”
Just then, Xue Wenyan added, “This time, Wen Xia’s homework was excellent. She’s the only one in the entire class who got everything correct.”
She opened the workbook to show the students. It was filled with densely written chemical symbols and notes. “You can all learn from Wen Xia. For concepts you’re unfamiliar with, write them out once while solving problems to reinforce your memory.”
The entire class erupted in astonished “Wow!” sounds, their eyes all turning to Wen Xia.
Seizing the moment, Xue Wenyan continued, “Even Wen Xia has started taking her studies seriously. So why aren’t you all putting in the effort? Hmm? Or are you saying you’re not as good as Wen Xia?”
Wen Xia: “…”
Teacher Xue, are you praising me or roasting me?
Xue Wenyan went on, “If anyone dares to mess up their homework again, I’ll invite your parents to school to supervise you while you do it. Understood?”
“Yes, Teacher Xue!” the class responded, though not entirely in unison.
The lesson resumed as Xue Wenyan began explaining the homework.
Holding Wen Xia’s workbook, she said, “Silicon is one of the elements that has brought human civilization forward. Among the following substances, the main component of silicate is: Option A, ceramics. Option B, diamond, whose main component is carbon. Option C…”
…
After the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Xue Wenyan returned the workbook to Wen Xia, offering a few words of encouragement before leaving.
As soon as she was gone, Liu An’an and Jiang Yan crowded around Wen Xia—Liu An’an to her right, Jiang Yan behind her.
Liu An’an’s large eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, “Xia Xia, you’re amazing!”
Her next sentence came right on its heels: “Xia Xia, did your cousin teach you?”
Before Wen Xia could respond, Liu An’an continued, “Xia Xia, your cousin is so awesome. Ah, I wish I had a cousin like that too.” It was clear she didn’t believe Wen Xia had done it herself.
“I wish I had a cousin too! No matter what, I’m copying your homework from now on,” Jiang Yan declared as she grabbed Wen Xia’s shoulders and playfully shook them.
Wen Xia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She turned and gave Jiang Yan a light tap on the head. “Do it yourself. If you can’t figure it out, then ask me.”
“It’s too hard! Every time I try to do chemistry homework, I just want to sleep,” Jiang Yan complained, looking as if she were facing her worst nightmare.
Liu An’an nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Sure, you can copy it now, but how will you manage during the college entrance exams?” Wen Xia asked, laughing as she looked at the two of them.
At that, Liu An’an and Jiang Yan instantly deflated like popped balloons.
Before long, the bell rang again, signaling the start of math class.
Midway through his lecture, Liu Zhiwei suddenly paused and said, “I’ve been talking for a while and need a break. Let’s pick a student to come up and solve a problem. It’ll be the first question from the exercises at the end of the chapter.”
Some of the drowsy students immediately perked up, their heads lowering nervously as they hoped not to be chosen.
“Wen Xia, come up.”
Wen Xia had just finished jotting down her notes when she heard Liu Zhiwei call her name.
As she stood up, she heard Liu An’an whisper, “Xia Xia, why are you so unlucky today?”
Wen Xia walked up to the platform, picked up a piece of chalk, and after glancing at the question, began writing:
∵ x < 0, ∴ x + 1 < 1. When x + 1 > 0, ln(x + 1) < 0…
Liu Zhiwei nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad, Wen Xia. Your steps are all correct. However, the third step is a bit redundant; you could simplify it.”
…
After the second period, the school broadcast announced that all students and teachers should gather on the field. It was Monday, the day the school principal traditionally gave a speech summarizing the issues from the previous week.
As usual, the principal dragged on for seven or eight minutes before dismissing everyone to use the restroom or return to class.
Jiang Yan, suffering from an upset stomach, told Wen Xia and Liu An’an to head back to the classroom without her.
Just as they were about to leave the restroom, they overheard a girl’s voice saying, “Is Wen Xia dating Jiang Xu? I saw him give her milk this morning.”
Another girl chimed in, “Probably not. Just last week, I saw a different guy waiting for Wen Xia at the school gate.”
“Could Wen Xia be two-timing them?” the first girl speculated again.
They likely assumed no one else was around, so they spoke freely without lowering their voices.
“Two-time your sister! You’re always running your mouth about nonsense!”
Jiang Yan burst out of the last stall, her face furious as she glared at the two girls.
