Chapter 66: A Promising Student

These days, it’s become popular for students to call each other “brother” and “sister,” and some even go so far as to recognize people outside the school as their honorary siblings, as if knowing someone beyond the school walls makes them somehow extraordinary.

Hearing this, Qian Zihan nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Why do you ask?”

Shen Tingting frowned, her face full of puzzlement. “So, your honorary brother knows you’re being bullied at school and he’s not willing to help you? Don’t tell me your honorary brother has a bunch of other sisters outside and can’t be bothered with you?”

“That’s impossible. He cares about me the most. Just wait and see—I won’t let myself be bullied for nothing.”

A hint of sly satisfaction flashed across Shen Tingting’s eyes as she quickly returned to the class lineup.

After the recess exercises, everyone filed back into the classroom.

Lu Wendong couldn’t hold back. “Boss, how did we do?”

Shen Chutang nodded. “You’re teachable.”

Everyone’s faces lit up with joy. Shen Chutang glanced at the clock. “Next period is Chinese. Take out your Chinese textbooks.”

Lu Wendong piped up, “Boss, when are you going to teach us?”

“Yeah, boss, why don’t you become our subject teacher and homeroom teacher as well?”

Shen Chutang looked up at them. “Didn’t we invite a professional tutoring team for evening study? And besides, if you want me to teach, the tuition is very expensive.”

Luo Shencheng’s interest was piqued. “How much? I can afford it!”

Xu Gaoyuan raised his hand. “Me too!”

After all, every student in Class Z came from wealthy families.

Shen Chutang replied, “As I said before, let’s see how you do in the midterm exams first. If you haven’t even mastered one plus one, and you’re already thinking about advanced mathematics, you’re still a long way off.”

Luo Shencheng was unwilling to back down. “Boss, we’ll make you see us in a new light!”

Shen Chutang smiled. “Then I’ll wait and see.”

Lu Wendong chimed in, “Boss, so you’re agreeing to two things: to teach us things outside the curriculum and to teach us the regular subjects!”

Shen Chutang nodded. “Fine. If you really surpass Class F in the midterms, I’ll take you all out for a feast.”

“Alright!”

In an instant, the classroom buzzed with excitement.

Just then, the bell rang. The Chinese teacher walked in, smiling and greeting Shen Chutang. She couldn’t help but think how remarkable this young teacher was, managing to straighten out this group of little troublemakers so quickly. In the past, entering this classroom always made her nervous, but now the eager, hopeful looks in the students’ eyes filled her with passion for teaching. In other classes, the pressure to perform was so high that even when she tried to interact, the response was lukewarm at best. Only in Class Z could she feel such a lively learning atmosphere!

Back in the office, Shen Chutang pulled out last week’s test papers. The results were still… too miserable to look at.

But everything was just getting started; there was no need to rush.

At noon, Shen Chutang didn’t eat in the school cafeteria. Instead, she headed out beyond the school grounds. She’d read on the school forum that there was a small, unremarkable alley nearby with a beef noodle shop reputed to be extraordinarily delicious. Not only was there an abundance of beef, tender and flavorful, but the broth was made with the owner’s secret recipe. Every day at lunchtime, a long line would form outside. Most students, wanting more time to rest, just ate in the school cafeteria during the break.

But Shen Chutang had no such concern. She found the noodle shop just as described, already surrounded by a group of students.

The proprietress handed her a number tag. “Find any seat and share a table if you need to, dear. When your number is called, we’ll bring your noodles over.”

Shen Chutang nodded. Scanning the room, she saw that the only open seat was in the corner, where a boy sat alone. Everyone else wore short sleeves, but he was bundled up in long sleeves, gloves on his hands, and his cap pulled low over his face. Every other table was full, so without hesitation, Shen Chutang sat down across from him.

The boy seemed startled, immediately shrinking into himself and tugging his cap even lower.

A casual glance revealed clusters of red rashes peeking out from the cuffs of his sleeves, and his face was pitted and uneven—at first glance, one might think it was just acne.

“Look at him. He’s so weird. Why does he always wear long sleeves? Isn’t he hot?”

“You don’t know anything. He’s like this all year round. I heard he has loads of pimples, so he covers up. Probably doesn’t like to keep clean.”

The boy pressed his lips together, offering no retort.

He wanted to say he was actually very clean, but he still broke out in pimples. There was nothing he could do about it.

“People like that probably have psychological issues. I saw on TV that men who always wear hats like that usually have antisocial personalities—they go around killing and setting fires!”

“That’s scary. Let’s stay away from him.”

The boy in the hat twisted his hands helplessly, finally leaping to his feet to leave—startling the group of girls who had just been gossiping.

“He’s going to hit us!”

“If you dare touch me, I’ll tell the teacher!”

Nervously, the boy in the hat stammered, “I—I didn’t…”

Shen Chutang gently patted his shoulder. “Your noodles aren’t even here yet. Where are you off to?”

Then she glanced at the girls who had just spoken. “Don’t judge people by their appearance, and don’t talk about others behind their backs. Isn’t this something every elementary school student should understand? Also, I’m a teacher. If you have anything to say, you can come speak to me.”