Chapter 12

Every teacher hates students who don't follow the rules or play by the book, especially troublemakers who disrupt class order.

In Mr. Luo's eyes, Li Ye was exactly this kind of annoying "troublemaker" right now.

Adjusting students from three classes into one was already an unstable state; if the original Class One monitor, Xia Yue, wasn't fit to be monitor, then no matter who replaced her, it would make class order even more chaotic.

If it were normal times, Mr. Luo would have dragged Li Ye out alone to "have a good chat" by now, letting him know that the iron fist of an intellectual wasn't something to be trifled with.

But it wouldn't work now, because Li Ye had questioned Xia Yue's qualifications as monitor on the grounds of "insufficient character."

In this day and age, the two words "character" were an important standard that could be elevated to a political level, and could even be linked to being a "traitor."

Haven't you seen those villainous characters in movies? Aren't they all scoundrels with corrupt character?

"What evidence do you have to prove that Xia Yue's character does not meet the standards of a class monitor?"

Mr. Luo spoke coldly, giving Li Ye a chance to explain.

Li Ye said calmly, "Student Xia Yue used her status as a class cadre to take students' mail and letters without permission, and without the recipient's knowledge, privately opened students' mail and withheld students' letters."

"If there were urgent content in the letters, or if there were valuables in the packages, how much harm and loss would Student Xia Yue's actions cause to the recipient?"

"Doesn't she know that privately opening others' mail is illegal?"

"A student, why would she be so bold? Why would she be so casual?"

"I believe it is because Student Xia Yue, due to her status as class monitor, has a desire for power that places her above her classmates, resulting in a phenomenon of moral deficiency."

"........"

The whole class was collectively dumbfounded; they didn't quite understand how Li Ye could link a seemingly small matter to illegal acts and moral deficiency.

But thinking about it carefully, every word Li Ye said was reasonable and impeccable.

Xia Yue was anxious and argued with Li Ye, "I was just helping you take back your mail and letters. This is help between classmates; you are framing me."

"I'm framing you?"

Li Ye sneered and said, "Did you not open my package and look through the books others sent me?"

Xia Yue argued with an ugly expression, "I was helping you... and studying together with you. Helping each other as classmates is what should be done..."

Li Ye forcibly interrupted, "You just need to answer whether you opened my package or not. Any reason is just a lie imposed on the surface of the essence."

".........."

Xia Yue was speechless and couldn't say a word.

The evidence was as solid as a mountain; how could she quibble?

Mr. Luo glanced at Xia Yue and knew the gist of the matter.

This kind of thing could be big or small; to call it small, it was just curiosity between classmates, opening others' packages to satisfy one's own voyeurism; to call it big, it was... campus bullying.

Thinking of the recent rumors about "Huang Shiren" in the school, and the large batch of affordable grain that the school's logistics department had just obtained, Mr. Luo couldn't help but feel a headache.

Grain in this day and age was still under a supply system; if there was a big eater or a growing boy in the family, the grain was definitely not enough to eat. If you wanted to be full, you had to buy high-priced grain outside the plan.

Someone's grandfather just helped you solve a difficulty, and the grandson immediately encounters campus bullying—what are you trying to do?

Holding the Son of Heaven to command... holding the grandson to command the grandfather?

Damn, is that something a human would do?

"Both of you sit down! I will investigate this matter as soon as possible, but no matter what conflicts you have, you cannot delay the students' class."

Mr. Luo glared fiercely at Xia Yue and walked out the door.

And Xia Yue sat down, soul-lost; even though Mr. Ke had walked onto the podium, she didn't even call for "stand up."

Mr. Ke didn't mind either, picking up a piece of chalk and writing her name on the blackboard: Ke Zhiyu.

"Hello everyone, my name is Ke Zhiyu, and I will be teaching you English from now on... Please turn to page 18 and follow me to read it once."

Only then did Xia Yue wake up; besides being annoyed, a thought of defiance surged straight to the top of her head.

【A well-connected person who fails every subject also has the qualifications to question me? Do you think you can get into college by telling tales?

Do you know how to study? Do you understand what English is? You are just a poor student, always a poor student. The teacher will eventually understand who is the one who can bring glory to the school.】

Xia Yue turned her head, glared fiercely at Li Ye, then opened her book and sat up straight, preparing to show the teacher the strength of an honor student.

In this era with an ultra-low admission rate, every student who might get into college was a treasure of the school and had implicit privileges; even if Mr. Luo wanted to remove her as monitor, other subject teachers would help Xia Yue speak.

And in the subject of English, Xia Yue had absolute confidence.

After Lu Jingyao was admitted to the Beijing Foreign Studies University, Xia Yue, as her best friend, immediately found Lu Jingyao, got Lu Jingyao's English study notes, and humbly asked for all the "study tips."

Xia Yue had been studying quietly at home for several months, and her English level had improved by leaps and bounds; now, if she said she was second in English in Class One, no one dared to say they were first.

You have to know that it is 1981 now; a few years ago, there were no English classes in junior high or high school, and English had never been counted in the total college entrance exam score, so small places like Qingshui County didn't value English at all.

It wasn't until this year that there was a notice that next year's college entrance exam English scores would be included in the total score at a 50% ratio that various schools began to value it.

County Second High School's teaching staff was weak; there had never been a dedicated English teacher before, and English classes were taught by two other teachers, whose earthy English sounded quite comical.

And by comparison, Xia Yue's English level at this moment was unique; she believed that Mr. Ke on the podium would be able to spot her, this "thousand-mile horse," at a glance.

"the monkey and the crocodile"

"one day a little monkey was lying in.........."

As soon as Mr. Ke on the podium opened her mouth, Li Ye was surprised.

This Mr. Ke, she's got something!

In his previous life, Li Ye had really struggled with English and had listened to countless original English materials.

Although he couldn't say he could appreciate the mysterious "beauty of English," he could tell whether the pronunciation was beautiful or not.

This Mr. Ke's pronunciation level felt a notch better than his English teacher's when he was in college.

Compared to the pronunciation of those two English teachers at County Second High School a few days ago, it was truly the difference between a national broadcaster and a village committee loudspeaker.

"the monkey and the crocodile"

"one day a little monkey was lying in.........."

The students of Class One began to read along, among whom Xia Yue's reading voice was especially loud, while compared to her, the voices of the other students seemed so "weak."

Li Ye didn't mean to mock them; after all, their level of English education was not even as good as that of fourth-grade elementary school students in later generations. Mute English was a common phenomenon, and those who dared to read aloud were in the minority.

Li Ye read the text along with Mr. Ke in a low voice, neither showing off nor standing out, but he couldn't help the difference being too great, which still attracted the gaze of his new deskmate.

Watching Wen Leyu quietly glanced at Li Ye, her autumn-water-like eyes filled with hidden astonishment.

More than a year ago, she and her mother were squeezed into that dilapidated house at Liu Qiao Township Elementary School, living a poor and leisurely life, until one day, a Mr. Lu brought gifts to their door and asked her mother to teach his daughter English.

Actually, her mother didn't want to at first; she didn't want to cause extra trouble, but Watching Wen Leyu just looked at the bag of White Rabbit Creamy Candies and swallowed a few times, and after quietly eating one, her mother immediately agreed.

The next day, Watching Wen Leyu saw Lu Jingyao, and also an unexpected person—Li Ye, who had brought Lu Jingyao over.

Lu Jingyao had a very kind personality and studied very hard, winning her mother's affection in just a short time.

And this Li Ye was a bit lacking; he looked a bit simple, and most of the time he was staring blankly at Lu Jingyao instead of putting his heart into studying.

Later, her mother said that this boy wasn't here to study, but to accompany Lu Jingyao, and it was very likely he wouldn't get into college.

However, Watching Wen Leyu and her mother didn't dislike Li Ye, because every few days Li Ye would bring some scarce items like sugar, meat, rice, and flour, and very understandingly indicated that according to country customs, students should provide for the teacher's meals.

Although after the meal was cooked, Li Ye would also eat with Lu Jingyao, actually, they basically couldn't finish it, and most of it was passed on to Watching Wen Leyu and her mother.

Later, perhaps because Li Ye didn't make much progress in English, he turned his energy to those subjects that counted toward the college entrance exam score and didn't go to Watching Wen Leyu's house for tutoring much.

But various daily necessities never stopped coming.

Until one day, Watching Wen Leyu's mother quietly asked Li Ye, "If Lu Jingyao gets into college and you don't, what will you do?"

At the time, Li Ye smiled and said, "We're engaged! What else can we do?"

Watching Wen Leyu still remembers Li Ye's expression at that time; it wasn't the domineering kind of a big man, but a kind of indescribable, calm satisfaction.

Watching Wen Leyu's mother said that was the expectation of happiness.

But this expectation might not have a result.

Watching Wen Leyu didn't know exactly what happened later; her mother said it was hard to say who was right or wrong in such matters, but she believed that the boy in front of her had been let down by Lu Jingyao.

Especially after having a deep understanding of the college entrance exam, she felt even more sorrowful for Li Ye's infatuation.

The college entrance exam was getting harder and harder; it seemed the admission rate hadn't changed much, but for Li Ye, who had average talent, the possibility of getting into Beijing to find Lu Jingyao was getting smaller and smaller, more and more remote.

But just now, when Watching Wen Leyu heard Li Ye reading the text, she subconsciously had a thought.

【So he was also studying English properly? For the sake of his beloved lover, he actually changed so much?】

Watching Wen Leyu read the text along while her thoughts drifted, occasionally glancing at Li Ye without realizing it.

But when she glanced for the third time, she found that Li Ye was quietly looking at her.