Chapter 155: The Gaokao Mutual Aid Group's Brawl

The weld spot emitted its last wisp of blue smoke; Zhao Jianguo set the soldering iron down and casually placed the repaired speaker on the stone table. The electric wire was connected tightly, and the casing was wrapped with two loops of tape. It didn't look very good, but as long as it could sound, it was fine.

He straightened his back, and immediately heard a commotion in the courtyard.

"I've taught Chinese Language Corner all my life, overseen three graduating classes; who dares challenge me?" Yanbugui stood in the middle of the crowd, one hand on his waist, the other pointing at Liu Haizhong, "You, a middle‑school teacher who was once reassigned, have only been back a few days, and you want to be the leader?"

Liu Haizhong was not to be outdone; crossing his arms, he sneered, "Old Yan, seniority is not a universal key. The current exams use new question types; reciting the Yueyang Tower Record won't earn points. I have participated in test‑making seminars in the education group; you claim to understand teaching, so tell me how to draw the 'force analysis diagram' on a physics paper?"

"That..." Yanbugui choked, "That's a science matter! We liberal arts students don't touch that!"

"Exactly, so you can't oversee all subjects!" Liu Haizhong raised his voice, "If you ask me, the Mutual Aid Group should split into specialties, each handling its own area; whoever is expert should take charge!"

"Specialize? That's an easy way to say it!" Yanbugui rolled his eyes, "So you also want to assign seats by height?"

A few children nearby didn't understand what the adults were arguing about, but seeing the atmosphere they knew it was lively, and they gathered around, standing on tiptoe to look.

Zhao Jianguo didn't rush to speak; instead he stepped back to the edge of the stone table and took a sip from his water cup. The farce from last night had just been suppressed, and today another internal clash erupted, the rhythm surprisingly on point. Watching the two men with flushed faces and thick necks, he understood—this wasn't a power struggle, but a genuine belief in one's own ability, with neither willing to concede.

Just as he was thinking, Jia Dongxu squeezed in from outside the crowd. He clutched a wooden box in his hand, placed it on the table, and slapped it open.

"Stop the arguing."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was steady.

Everyone turned their heads to look at him.

Inside the box lay a ruler, made of yellow poplar wood, one side marked with graduations, the other side recessed with several grooves—triangular, semicircular, parabolic—clearly defined.

"This is what I've been tinkering with these past few days, called the 'College Entrance Exam Special Ruler'." Jia Dongxu said, pulling out a sheet of paper onto the table, inserting a pencil into the parabolic groove, and with a light wrist stroke a standard curve formed instantly.

"It can be drawn in three seconds with an error of no more than one millimeter," he looked up, "Who do you think should be group leader? Let's compare practicality. Whoever can produce something that boosts the kids' scores should take the lead."

The scene fell silent for a few seconds.

Sha Zhu peeked in and muttered, "Whoa, this thing is finer than the cutting board at my house."

Liu Haizhong frowned and leaned closer, "Can you even plot function graphs with this?"

"Not only can it draw, it can also teach students to quickly recognize shape features," Jia Dongxu said, pointing to the tiny markings on the ruler's edge. "Here is a vertex position hint, here is an arrow indicating the opening direction; memorizing mnemonics is less effective than hands‑on practice."

Yanbugui hummed, "Flashy nonsense! Back then we had a piece of chalk and a book, and we still produced talent!"

"But exams are different now," Zhao Jianguo finally spoke, walking over to pick up the ruler and flip through it. "The questions test details, and graders follow standards. If you draw a diagram crooked, even if the answer is correct, points will be deducted."

He handed the ruler back to Jia Dongxu, "You, this thing, can help students avoid losing undeserved points."

Jia Dongxu nodded, put the ruler away, and pulled out several sheets from under his notebook. "I've also prepared three sets of templates—geometry, algebra, and physics drawing—that can be mimeographed tomorrow and distributed."

Now even Liu Haizhong fell silent.

Zhao Jianguo looked around, saw the timing was right, and walked to the blackboard, picking up chalk and beginning to write:

"Mathematics Group One, Physics Group Two, Chinese Language Corner Group Three. Each group appoints one person in charge, rotates regularly, and the Teaching Evaluation Committee supervises implementation. Does anyone have any objections?"

No one spoke.

"Then it's decided," he turned, "Mathematics Group led by Jia Dongxu, after all the tool is innovative; Physics Group handled by Liu Haizhong, you have experience; as for the Chinese Language Corner..." He paused, "Teacher Yan, you have the longest seniority, so this part is yours, how about it?"

Yanbugui touched his nose, stubbornly saying, "What if I don't do it?"

"Then I'll let San Daye take it," Zhao Jianguo said with a smile.

When he said that, everyone nearby burst into laughter.

San Daye was squatting under the Wall Base, smoking; as soon as he heard it, he stood up immediately, "Don't drag me into this! I don't even know all the pinyin!"

"Exactly," Zhao Jianguo patted the blackboard, "Everyone has strengths; why must we fight over a single 'chief'? Split by specialty, each showcases their talent, and the kids' scores are the real bottom line."

The crowd gradually dispersed, some nodding, some murmuring, but the argument had effectively ceased.

Jia Dongxu carefully placed the ruler back into the box and suddenly asked, "Can this thing... be patented?"

"Of course it can," Zhao Jianguo said with a smile, "Not only can it be patented, it can also be mass‑produced later, giving each examinee a ruler of their own."

"Then... does the neighborhood science and technology station accept blueprints?" Jia Dongxu scratched his head, "I've drafted several versions and want to add an angle‑measurement feature."

"Leave it to me; I'll help you compile and submit it," Zhao Jianguo declared, "If it gets approved, you'll be the first inventor from our Siheyuan."

With those words, even Yanbugui's expression softened considerably. He coughed twice, pulled a worn‑edge notebook from his pocket, and said, "Since the groups are set, I can't fall behind. Tonight I'll compile a 'College Entrance Exam Chinese Required Passages Outline' and distribute it to everyone tomorrow morning for reference."

Liu Haizhong gave him a glance and snorted, "Fine, Old Yan, then you must explain the 'Memorial on the Dispatch of Troops' thoroughly, not just recite the characters without interpretation."

"Rest assured," Yanbugui lifted the notebook, "I'll not only give the lecture, but also prepared dictation practice questions."

Seeing the atmosphere shift back on track, Zhao Jianguo exhaled. He was about to say some concluding words when someone patted his shoulder.

Turning around, it was San Daye.

The old man asked in a low voice, "Can this ruler really be filed with the bureau?"

"Yes," Zhao Jianguo nodded, "What is it, you also have an idea?"

San Daye rubbed his hands, a bit embarrassed, "Yesterday I saw my grandson doing homework and realized his eraser was so poor that it tore the paper with one rub. I tried at home, cutting pieces from an old tire tread; it erases cleanly without damaging the notebook... Do you think that's a small invention?"

Zhao Jianguo paused, then laughed, "It counts! It counts a lot! Bring it next time, and we'll submit it together."

San Daye grinned, turned to leave, but after two steps stopped, "Then... can I write a manual?"

"It must be written," Zhao Jianguo said seriously, "The title should be 'A Preliminary Study on a Writing Correction Tool Based on Reuse of Waste Rubber'."

San Daye looked stunned, "That long?"

"The longer, the more respectable," Zhao Jianguo winked, "When the review committee sees it, they'll know you're serious."

The people around burst into another round of loud laughter.

The children listened at the side, their eyes shining. A little boy raised his hand and asked, "Teacher Zhao, does memorizing vocabulary count as a contribution?"

"Of course it does," Zhao Jianguo nodded, "Whoever memorizes a high‑frequency word earns one point, which can be exchanged for stationery at the end of the month."

"Then I've already collected five today!" a little girl hopped up, "ABANDON, ABILITY, ABOUT, ABOVE, ABSOLUTE!"

Everyone laughed again.

Zhao Jianguo looked at the children and felt much more reassured. The speaker was smashed last night, a system was set up today; chaos remains chaos, but the people's hearts haven't scattered.

He walked to the blackboard, picked up chalk, and wrote the schedule for tomorrow's first class at the top of the Lesson Plan.

Jia Dongxu came over and whispered, "Is the English class still on as usual?"

Zhao Jianguo nodded: "As usual. And we need to speak louder, so the whole courtyard can hear."

He had just finished writing the last character when suddenly he heard Footsteps behind him.

Turning his head, he saw Xu Da Mao standing at the Courtyard Gate, staring from afar at this side, his face showing no expression. He didn't come in, didn't speak, just stood there looking for a few seconds, then turned and left.

Zhao Jianguo didn't chase, nor did he shout.

He put the Chalk back into the box, and said to Dong Xu:

"Tomorrow morning at six, gather on the rooftop."