Everyone knew that Li Youcai's grandmother was the director.
Children of this age already understood who to curry favor with and who to stay away from.
Hearing this, they admired Li Youcai even more.
If only they had such an impressive grandmother too.
Zhou Zedong reached out to snatch it back: "Give that back to me!"
Li Youcai immediately raised his hand high.
He was taller than Zhou Zedong, who had to jump to reach it.
As Zhou Zedong jumped, Li Youcai stuck his foot out to trip him.
Sure enough, Zhou Zedong fell forward onto the ground, dizzy and seeing stars.
The group immediately burst into laughter.
"Look at him, he's so stupid!"
"Shorty, shorty!"
"What are you all doing! Didn't you hear the class has started?" the math teacher, Teacher Xu, scolded.
Everyone immediately quieted down and returned to their seats.
Li Youcai even played the victim and tattled: "Teacher Xu, Zhou Zedong stole my copybook."
Teacher Xu was a very strict teacher who hated evil.
She was usually very good to students with good grades, but looked at students with poor grades as if they were a piece of trash.
She found them utterly detestable.
Li Youcai was the math class representative and also Director Li's grandson.
She had always thought highly of him.
Hearing him say this, she basically didn't doubt it.
She considered herself principled and claimed not to take sides.
But she often curried favor with Director Li, frequently using Li Youcai's matters as an excuse to talk to her.
Director Li doted on her grandson and naturally gave Teacher Xu considerable support.
But recently, the atmosphere in the office had become very tense.
Ever since the incident between Director Li and that new teacher, Si Nian, her own situation had become somewhat awkward.
Those teachers who had previously been targeted by Director Li were now starting to act boldly.
In the past, it was she who looked down on them.
Now, this group was instead gathering together, making Teacher Xu feel deliberately isolated.
She had even less goodwill for Si Nian, who had made a big splash as soon as she arrived.
How come her two sons could enter the school,
while her own son couldn't get in?
She didn't believe Si Nian's two children were better than hers.
They must have connections, for sure.
"Student Zhou Zedong, who told you to steal? Answer me!"
"What a bad habit for a child to develop, how did the adults in your family raise you?"
Zhou Zedong stood up, fists clenched, back straight. "I didn't steal. That's my copybook."
Teacher Xu sneered, "Are you saying I'm falsely accusing you? I've heard about your family situation. From the countryside, right? Do you know how much this copybook costs?" She pointed at the book.
Zhou Zedong didn't know how much it cost, because his mother had bought it for him.
Seeing him speechless, Teacher Xu's expression turned colder.
She said sternly, "Your family's conditions couldn't possibly afford it, and you still want to argue? Apologize to classmate Li Youcai!"
Li Youcai put on a magnanimous attitude, "It's okay, Teacher Xu. I've already gotten the copybook back. No need for an apology. It's just that it's been dirtied by him, so I don't want it anymore."
After saying that, he walked to the trash bin at the back and threw it in.
Zhou Zedong instantly clenched his fists, his eyes wide with fury.
Just as he was about to run over, Teacher Xu shouted, "Stop! Haven't you caused enough trouble? I heard you injured your deskmate just a few days ago. Now you want to throw a tantrum right in front of me?"
"Take your book and go stand at the back. My classroom is no place for you to run wild." Teacher Xu looked down at Zhou Zedong.
Seeing him unmoving, she said coldly, "If you're unwilling, I'll have your parent come in."
Zhou Zedong didn't say a word, picked up his book, and went to stand at the back as punishment.
The surrounding classmates all cast glances at him.
Some were worried, some were snickering.
Li Youcai was so excited he almost laughed out loud.
Hah, you country bumpkin, trying to oppose me? No way.
His mother might act all high and mighty, even made his grandmother apologize to her, but he's nothing special.
Li Youcai smugly looked away.
Teacher Xu walked up to the podium and saw his silent, sullen appearance.
Instead of calming down, she felt even more repulsed. She slammed her book heavily on the desk. "I don't care what connection your family has with the deputy director that got a child from a remote rural area into our school, and even into our top class. But! I'm not like other teachers who are easily fooled. If something like this happens again in my class, don't bother coming to my lessons anymore!"
"Teacher... it wasn't Xiao Dong, he..." Wang Yuanyuan raised her hand with difficulty. She was also very afraid of the math teacher, but seeing Zhou Zedong standing at the back looked so pitiful, she couldn't help but explain.
But before she could finish, she was interrupted: "Student Wang Yuanyuan, you shut up too! Sneaking food in class all day, fat as a pig. If only you put this much effort into studying, would you still be dragging down our class average? Let me tell you, if you lower our class score again this year, I'll speak to the homeroom teacher about having you transferred out!"
Teacher Xu hated students with poor grades. Wang Yuanyuan's grades were average or above in other subjects, but her math was particularly bad, only slightly better than the lower-tier classes.
This made Teacher Xu very uncomfortable.
A flash of contempt and disgust crossed her eyes.
She believed these students shouldn't be coddled. Other teachers, thinking these students came from wealthy families, would fawn over them like dogs.
Teacher Xu felt disdainful in her heart.
It was precisely their behavior that spoiled these students. When she was a child studying, teachers would hit them with rulers.
Only strict teachers produce outstanding students!
Why should these students have it so easy?
Students who have never been beaten, would they know to study hard?
She already disliked Wang Yuanyuan, and now the girl dared to speak up for Zhou Zedong.
Standing high on the podium, she stared down at Wang Yuanyuan with a mean, sarcastic expression.
Wang Yuanyuan hung her head in shame, tears pattering onto her desk.
No one else dared to speak.
The class was extremely oppressive.
Only after Teacher Xu left, head held high, did everyone become lively again.
They instinctively looked towards Zhou Zedong.
They saw him expressionlessly fish the copybook out of the trash bin.
Their smiles froze once more.
This person was really too strange.
Last time, he ate something that fell on the ground.
This time, he was picking things out of the trash. They had never seen anyone like him.
Everyone instinctively moved a little further away from him.
Only one very pretty girl walked up to comfort him, "Classmate Zhou, if there's something upsetting you, you can tell me. Don't keep it bottled up."
She smiled kindly and gently, "Although I heard you're from the countryside, since you can get into our class, you must have your own strengths, right?"
The surrounding students who saw this immediately looked at him with envy, wishing they could take his place.
The speaker was their class monitor, Chu Xiang'er, the goddess of all the boys in the class.
Her family was wealthy, her grades were excellent, and she was beautiful.
Her grandfather was the school principal. She won championships every year in competitions—basically the "other people's child" mothers talked about.
Usually, she only focused seriously on studying. She was gentle to everyone but never took the initiative to approach anyone.
This scene also made Li Youcai, who had been feeling triumphant, instantly darken with anger.
That dead country bumpkin, short and dark, why would Xiang'er even talk to him!
Zhou Zedong was cleaning his soiled calligraphy copybook, not even looking up, his voice cold. "Go away."
Chu Xiang'er's smile froze, her pretty face visibly flushing red.
"I, I was just trying to be nice..."
Before she could finish, Zhou Zedong suddenly stood up and walked out of the classroom.
The classroom instantly erupted in murmurs.
Chu Xiang'er, the class goddess, was actually ignored by that country bumpkin Zhou Zedong?
Was he crazy?
Chu Xiang'er was also filled with disbelief.
Others might not know Zhou Zedong, but she remembered him vividly.
When Zhou Zedong first joined their class, she felt there was something different about him.
He just seemed much more mature than the other classmates, like a little adult.
He showed no interest in anything daily and never volunteered to answer questions. But during his time at school, he would study quietly.
She had only meant to ask her grandpa which school this person had transferred from.
But she never expected to see Zhou Zedong's test papers in her grandpa's office.
At that moment, Chu Xiang'er was stunned!
She hadn't realized this Zhou Zedong was so capable.
Two problems she got wrong on last year's exam, he hadn't made a single mistake in the steps.
This shocked her greatly.
But later, she heard he was from the countryside, so although curious, Chu Xiang'er hadn't dared to approach him.
Today, seeing him look so pitiful, she came over to comfort him!
Who knew he would show no gratitude at all and even told her to leave.
It really made her furious!
...
Afternoon classes ended.
Zhou Zehan and Jiang Jiu, holding their stomachs, stared drooling at the fried potato vendor outside the school gate.
Seeing Zhou Zedong come out, Zhou Zehan hurriedly wiped his drool, pulled Zhou Zedong over, and said, "Brother, do you smell something really delicious?"
Zhou Zedong replied expressionlessly, "No."
Zhou Zehan knew his older brother must have savings. Recently, Mom had been giving them pocket money. Because he went out to play every day and got too tired, he couldn't resist spending his.
But his brother never went out, so his money must be safely saved.
He said very loudly, "Could I be so hungry I'm hallucinating? I'm so hungry. It would be great if I could have a bowl of little potatoes right now."
Jiang Jiu swallowed his saliva and said, "So hungry. It would be great if I could have a bowl of little potatoes right now."
Before, his grandma never let him eat these fried foods outside.
So Jiang Jiu never paid much attention.
But this afternoon, they had a P.E. class. Second Brother ran especially fast, the fastest in the whole class.
Not wanting to be outdone, he ran too, and now his stomach was completely empty.
Last time they went out to play, Second Brother bought potatoes for them to share.
Jiang Jiu knew this was really delicious stuff.
Feeling a craving too, he pulled on Zhou Zedong's hand, acting coquettishly like he did with his grandma. "Big Brother, I really want to eat these potatoes. Could you buy some for me, please, pretty please, Brother?"
Jiang Jiu knew that if he acted like this, his grandma would give him anything.
Big Brother must be the same.
Zhou Zehan was just about to say this was useless, that his brother wasn't the soft-hearted type, and secretly reached for his brother's pants pocket.
But then he saw Zhou Zedong close the book in his hand and walk over.
He stared dumbfounded as his brother, expressionless, bought a bowl of potatoes for Jiang Jiu.
Jiang Jiu looked up sweetly at him and said, "Thank you, Big Brother. Big Brother is the best~"
Zhou Zehan: "..."
So all those times before when his brother didn't buy him snacks, it was because he hadn't acted coquettishly?
Zhou Zehan felt as if suddenly enlightened. He immediately ran over, imitating Jiang Jiu's manner, wiggling his butt and saying, "Brother, I want to eat little potatoes too~"
Zhou Zedong: "You look like a potato yourself."
Zhou Zehan: "..."
"Second Brother, don't cry. I'll share with you." A piece of potato was stuffed into the mouth of Zhou Zehan, who was on the verge of tears.
He instinctively started chewing, but in his heart, he was still grumbling. Big Brother definitely can't be my real brother, right?
Maybe Little Jiang is actually my long-lost biological younger brother.
So I'm actually the eldest child in the family?
Zhou Zedong ignored him, turned, and headed towards home.
When he reached the tube apartment building outside the residential area, he glanced over there.
Outside the tube apartments, there was a deserted garbage dump, scribbled with graffiti, and often noisy sounds could be heard.
People went there to scavenge through the trash; collecting scrap could earn money.
He would pass by when he went to find his younger brother to bring him home.
Zhou Zedong withdrew his gaze, his eyes dark and unreadable.
Si Nian noticed her eldest son seemed somewhat gloomy today.
He spoke even less than usual.
Normally, he didn't talk much, but today he hardly opened his mouth at all.
She couldn't help but take a closer look. Thinking about the classmate who had snatched his things before, she asked, "Xiao Dong, is Yuanyuan not snatching your things anymore?"
Zhou Zedong was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "Mm."
Si Nian felt a bit puzzled. Then she noticed the calligraphy copybook he was practicing on and exclaimed, "How did it get dirty?"
Zhou Zedong's hand tightened.
He said he accidentally got it dirty himself.
But Si Nian felt something was off.
Because usually, Zhou Zedong took great care of these things.
Even Zhou Zehan couldn't touch them, for fear he'd dirty them.
Today, he himself got it dirty?
That was truly rare.
Could something have happened again?
Si Nian was worried. Although she didn't want to interact too much with Wu Ren'ai,
Zhou Zedong's psychological state was inherently not healthy. She didn't want any problems to arise in the child because of her neglect.
After class, seeing Wu Ren'ai return, she went up and asked, "Teacher Wu, how is my Xiao Dong doing in class? Nothing happened, right?"
Wu Ren'ai had just taken a sip of tea. Seeing her, he immediately swallowed it, almost burning himself to death.
He gasped and hissed a couple of times, mumbling, "Nothing, nothing. He's very serious about his studies."
"It's just that he's a bit quiet and withdrawn, doesn't like to talk, never volunteers to answer questions. Sigh..." Wu Ren'ai seemed to have a headache.
Teacher Xu, who had just walked in, heard this and sneered, saying leisurely, "Isn't that just a problem child? The school too, sending anyone into the class."
Hearing this, Si Nian turned to look at her.
"And you are?"
Wu Ren'ai said, "Our class's math teacher, Teacher Xu."
Then, frowning, he added, "Teacher Xu, don't say that. The child just doesn't like to talk."
Seeing him still defending the other side, Teacher Xu said haughtily, "If that's not a problem child, then what is? Teacher Si, you're a student's parent. What your own child is like, surely you know, don't you?"
Si Nian looked at her for a moment and said, "What my child is like, I naturally know. It's not something that can be smeared by a few words from others. I hope this Teacher Xu won't make a mountain out of a molehill over a minor issue with a child."
Teacher Xu scoffed disdainfully. "Hah, easy for you to say. Nowadays, all mothers think their own child is the best in the world and can't bear to hear a single word from the teacher. But that doesn't work with me. If the grades are poor and drag down our class average, I don't care what connections or background you have, or who you're close to—I won't keep him!"
