Chapter 6 – Did the Teacher Assign Homework? Huh?

Half a month later

The weather in September was still hot, with the sunlight pouring down on the ground. The cicadas chirped intermittently, and the old man in the neighborhood walked slowly on the road in the early morning, taking his dog for a walk. Inside Jian mei’s home, Shen Meina kept on nagging.

“Is the water bottle packed?”

“What about the pillbox? It must be kept in your pocket.”

“And the face mask, I packed a pack in your backpack. You should wear it in crowded places.”

“And also…”

The mother kept on babbling endlessly, but Jian mei had heard these words many times before. After getting ready and wearing his school uniform, he turned around with his backpack on and said helplessly, “Mom, I know already.”

Perhaps seeing that his wife was still going to nag, Jian mei’s father, who came out of the wardrobe, intervened, “That’s enough, Jianmei is going to school, not going to war. Besides, there are teachers at school. Stop nagging.”

“What do you know?”

Shen Meina glared at her husband.

The woman checked her belongings again and said, “I need to talk to the teacher. Jian mei shouldn’t participate in too intense physical activities at school, and also…”

Jian mei’s father looked at his wife, who still couldn’t relax, and smiled helplessly. He glanced sideways at his son standing next to him, shrugged, and lowered his voice, “Don’t mind her too much, she’s just overly anxious.”

Jian mei’s eyebrows curved slightly, clearly not bothered by it. He moved closer to his father and spoke crisply, “I know.”

The father and son exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

On the first day of school in September, especially the road leading to the school district was crowded. A sudden storm came a couple of days ago, causing a drastic drop in temperature. As they arrived at the school gate, the crowd was bustling. Looking around, people were everywhere, parents leading their children, creating a lively atmosphere even more festive than a market.

Shen Meina took Jian mei upstairs to find the classroom, saying, “Go inside and find a seat first. I’ll go say hello to your homeroom teacher.”

Several people had already arrived in the classroom, and the sound of conversations could be heard from inside.

Jianmei stood at the doorway, feeling a bit hesitant and timid. It had been years since he last attended school, and now he was feeling social anxiety.

Jian mei’s father noticed this and said, “Let’s go together. Jianmei is in the second year of junior high, a transfer student. It’s a good opportunity to meet the homeroom teacher and understand the situation.”

Shen Meina nodded as she listened, agreeing, “That’s good.”

The homeroom teacher was a capable woman in her late thirties. She wore a beige professional suit and kept her office desk meticulously organized. When interacting with others, she maintained a professional demeanor. She was attentive and considerate when discussing sensitive matters with parents, exchanging WeChat contacts with them. Throughout the conversation, she showed no bias and did not display excessive enthusiasm upon learning about the affluence of the parents.

Towards the end, when it was almost over, Shen Meina wanted to accompany Jian Mei to the classroom but was stopped.

The homeroom teacher said, “Ms. Shen, it’s fine for me to take the child. Since you’ve brought your child to school and I am his homeroom teacher, it’s natural for me to take care of him. Once he’s here, he should learn to be independent and separate from his parents. Besides… your identity is not suitable for appearing in crowded places. I’m afraid it may cause unnecessary trouble.”

Shen Meina hesitated for a moment. She was exceptionally beautiful, with skin that appeared flawless even up close. Moreover, her appearance defied her age, still carrying the youthful charm that made her famous during her younger years. Now that she had passed the age of forty, she still looked like a young girl. She had been dubbed the eternal goddess by the entertainment industry and was considered a symbol of youth by many.

Jian’s father patted his wife’s shoulder and said, “Alright, don’t worry. Let’s trust the teacher.”

Shen Meina glanced at Jian Mei, who was standing next to the teacher. They had been conversing for over an hour, and throughout that time, the child had been obediently waiting without making a fuss. At this moment, Jian Mei seemed to notice her gaze. He raised his face, and his round, sparkling eyes fixed unwaveringly on her. Then, he smiled and said, “Mom, you can go back. I’ll be fine with the teacher.”

His smile was so pure, as if it could wash away all worries from one’s heart.

Shen Meina finally let go of her worries but secretly reddened her eyes. She nodded absentmindedly and, accompanied by her husband, left the office and returned home.

In the office, only Jian Mei and the teacher remained.

Teacher Wang said, “Follow me.”

The teaching building was a maze-like structure, and it was already time for the bell to ring. Since it was the second year of junior high school, the classes had been predetermined, and almost every classroom was filled with students. They walked past the staircase and arrived at a classroom. Teacher Wang stopped and lowered her head, asking, “Are you nervous?”

The young boy standing beside her, carrying his backpack, was tense all over. But when the teacher asked, he quickly shook his head and whispered, “Not nervous.”

“Take a few deep breaths, don’t be so tense,” Teacher Wang’s voice was always formal but detailed in many aspects. “When I comforted your mother in the office, I thought you wouldn’t be nervous.”

Jian Mei softly said, “If I show nervousness, my mom will become even more nervous.”

Teacher Wang, unexpectedly raised her gaze. This child looks quite cheerful, and there was no sign of discomfort when the parents were present. She thought the child was highly adaptable, but it turned out he was just pretending to be calm. It’s understandable though. I heard he has been unexpectedly ill since primary school, spending all these years in the hospital. Even if he has a lively personality, it’s natural to feel timid when interacting with a large group for a long time.

With these thoughts in mind, Teacher Wang softened her tone, saying, “You don’t have to be nervous. Come with me.”

The meek child obediently complied.

As the classroom door was pushed open, the previously noisy class instantly fell silent. All fifty or sixty students in the class turned their gazes in unison, creating an invisible pressure.

Teacher Wang led the newcomer inside and said, “We have a new student in our class this semester. I hope everyone can get along well.”

The timid child, Jian Mei, stood beside the teacher’s desk, feeling scrutinized by so many people. He bowed and spoke with restraint, “Hello, everyone. My name is Jian Mei.”

As Jian Mei nervously observed his classmates, the students below were also observing him. The boy on the platform, dressed in a black suit, had a clear and powerful voice. The classroom lights illuminated his fair skin, and his handsome face resembled that of a doll with round, glistening eyes like a little rabbit.

Teacher Wang said, “Jian Mei, please sit in the back row for now. I will rearrange your seat later.”

Jian Mei had no objections and replied, “Okay.”

Although Teacher Wang didn’t explicitly mention Jian Mei’s health to the class, students had their own sources of gossip. Even before the new student arrived, news about Jian Mei had already spread. Many knew that he had been hospitalized all this time, suffering from a disease as dreadful as cancer. As a result, they were particularly curious about this person.

This curiosity didn’t subside even after the first class ended. When the bell rang, students began their free activities, and many children gathered in groups of two or three, constantly peeking towards the back row.

“Hello.”

A student took the initiative to come over and greet Jian Mei.

Jian Mei looked up and met the face of a little girl. Although somewhat surprised, he remained polite and replied, “Hello.”

The little girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, “I’m Huang Jiajia. I sit in front of you.”

“I know,” Jian Mei nodded. “I saw you during class.”

Because one person took the lead, other curious individuals also gathered the courage to come closer. After a brief self-introduction, they started gossiping enthusiastically:

“Where did you transfer from?”

“I heard you had an illness. Is it true?”

“Did you undergo surgery?”

“You look quite healthy. Are you completely recovered?”

“Um…” Jian Mei’s hand, resting on the table, involuntarily curled up, but he still tried to maintain a smile. “I was sick before, so I can’t say I’m completely better now. The doctor said I need to be observed for a few more years and have regular check-ups.”

“Will you shave your head?”

“Is that hair wig you’re wearing?”

“Do you rely on self-study for your studies?”

His seat felt like a circle surrounded by people, with various questions being thrown at him. Although not ill-intentioned, it made him feel a bit overwhelmed. Jian Mei’s hand on the table curled up unconsciously, and he even felt somewhat helpless, wanting to escape. He had imagined that making friends at school might be challenging, but he didn’t expect it to be this difficult…

…

Evening

Exhausted after the first day of school, Jian Mei returned home, had dinner, took a shower, and prepared to do his homework while blow-drying his hair. He took out his phone from the drawer, habitually opened WeChat since there weren’t many apps on his phone. He instinctively clicked on an empty profile picture, belonging to Lu Xingwang, and sent a message:

“Are you there?”

He didn’t expect Lu Xingwang to reply. It was more like a small emotional outlet for him. He continued typing, “I started school today, but I’m not that happy.”

“I don’t know why, but it seems like I haven’t really fit in with my classmates.”

“I actually want to make friends, but it feels like everyone has already formed their own groups since the beginning of junior high.”

“I feel like a little monkey being observed.”

“Why is it so difficult to make friends…”

Finally letting out the thoughts that had been suppressed all day, Jian Mei suddenly felt much better. He took a deep breath and continued blow-drying his hair. When he was almost done, he conscientiously took out his textbook to do his homework. He didn’t expect Lu Xingwang to reply, but to his surprise, before he could even complete two questions, his phone rang. Jian Mei’s pen paused, and he hurriedly ran to the bed to grab his phone.

Lu Xingwang: “School started?”

Jian Mei’s eyebrows unconsciously curved with a smile. “Yeah!”

“Mm,” Lu Xingwang responded, but then asked an unexpected question that surprised Jian Mei: “Did the teacher assign any extracurricular homework?”

?

A question mark slowly formed above Jian Mei’s head.

He didn’t understand why, but he obediently answered, “Yes, they did.”

What… happened?