Chapter 106: Deepening Understanding

Liu Yunfei did not know whether the recent craze for donations was because he had money to burn or had become addicted to giving, but for no reason at all he had brought up donating again, and the moment it left his mouth he regretted it. It was not that he was unwilling to part with the money; the point was that even if one wanted to donate, one had to choose the right time. At a moment like this, a donation clearly looked like a way to strike back at Wang the Big-Bearded One with money. And what money could a student possibly have to donate? The school would not even dare accept it.

But Teacher Zhu had not thought that far. She took it seriously. Last time, a student’s family from another class had donated a huge sum, and that class’s homeroom teacher had immediately been promoted from deputy director to full director. She herself had been deputy director of the Chinese department for many years; it was about time she moved up a step. She quickly asked, "Oh? How much are you donating? Is this your parents’ idea? Your father must be a conscientious entrepreneur with a strong sense of social responsibility. There are far too few people like that in society today."

Teacher Zhu could not really remember what his parents did for a living. In any case, those who donated money were usually bosses. As for bureau chiefs and party secretaries, no matter how high their rank, they would never spend their own money.

"Ah? Yes, yes, my dad asked me to say it," Liu Yunfei said. He did not know how much money to mention, and after thinking about it with a furrowed brow, he decided the school building already had state funding. This was not a poor mountain district; there was no need for him to worry about that. It would be best to donate something to the teachers. He still had another year at school, so he had to get along well with them. At the very least, then he would not have to worry about skipping class. But teachers were already earning well enough now, and he was not about to pay their salaries for them. Then he saw the computer on a desk not far away and had an idea. "I’ll go home and tell my father that the teachers have to write lesson plans at home and still need flash drives to transfer them onto the computer. My father said he wants to buy a laptop for every teacher so it’ll be much more convenient."

"Thank you, thank you, and thank your father as well. I’ll go report this to the principal right away." Teacher Zhu beamed with delight. This time, her promotion was certain.

"Teacher Zhu, there’s something else. I actually finished all of the third-year high school courses during summer break. I can guarantee that I’ll rank first in every exam."

He had originally meant to say first in the whole school, but then he remembered that in Class Three of Senior Year One there was a terrifying girl nicknamed the Slayer, who was always first in the school, so he thought it safer to be modest.

"What?" Teacher Zhu also felt that Liu Yunfei had brought too many surprises today. Finishing the senior-year curriculum was not unusual, but she had never met a student who could guarantee first place in every exam. Still, she did not quite believe him. Even the Slayer from Class One would not dare make such a promise. "All right, go back to class."

When Teacher Zhu found the principal, he was sulking with frustration. Wang the Big-Bearded One was an obstinate mule. They had talked for a long time with no progress. His bonus could be docked, his work could be suspended, but he absolutely refused to apologize and absolutely refused to go to Class Three. The reason he would not teach Class Three was mainly because he was afraid Liu Yunfei would again start discussing French with him. That humiliation had already gone clear down to his heels.

After Teacher Zhu reported her conversation with Liu Yunfei, both of them felt that, compared with that, Liu Yunfei was simply too straightforward and even willing to donate money, while Wang the Big-Bearded One, as a teacher, was far too petty. But everyone knew what kind of temper Wang had.

"Tell them to continue the meeting this afternoon," the principal said.

The teachers had not expected another meeting so soon after arriving back at school. It was the first day of the semester, and they had not even had time to hold the usual settling-down meeting for their own classes. They almost wanted to jointly demand that the irritating Liu Yunfei be expelled. Yet when they heard they would receive computers for free, each of them forgot how troublesome Liu Yunfei was. They all gave a thumbs-up and praised him in unison.

"This kid is pretty good. From far away he’s already smiling and greeting the teachers."

"He’s quite clever too. Last time’s math competition, although he didn’t place, he was the only one in the whole school besides Zhong Liangying who could solve the final bonus problem."

"But who’s going to teach Class Three?" the principal asked, seeing how enthusiastic everyone was.

No sooner had he asked than the meeting room fell into a dead silence. No one spoke. Everyone looked at the head of the English teaching group. In fact, he had already asked several English teachers earlier. When they heard that troublesome student also knew several foreign languages, they all dodged the question as if it were a hot coal. A person has pride, and a tree has bark; if you lose face there, people will laugh at you for the rest of your life. The head of the English teaching group could only say awkwardly, "The English teachers are already short-handed, and the schedules are completely packed. If we make major adjustments, it would affect the whole school’s timetable."

The meeting room fell into silence again. Everyone turned to the principal, who was at a loss. Teacher Liu, the director of academic affairs, was spinning a ballpoint pen when he accidentally dropped it. With a snap, the sound drew everyone’s attention. The principal also looked up. "Director Liu, do you have a solution?"

"Well, this..." Although Teacher Liu was fearless, and although he knew the principal was deliberately trying to embarrass him, under everyone’s gaze he still felt rather awkward. He thought: Why was I twirling the pen for no reason? Then an idea flashed through his mind. Fine, old fellow, I’ll show you I’m not to be underestimated. He straightened up and cleared his throat. "Ahem! I really do have a solution." He shot the principal a defiant glance from the corner of his eye. "This afternoon, a female student from a teachers’ college who has not yet graduated came to recommend herself. She’s from Nanjing Normal University and wants an internship, but I thought she hasn’t graduated yet and has no work experience, so I turned her down. How about I call her and let her take over for a few days first?"

"Good, good. At last this matter has been smoothly resolved. Teacher Zhu has truly made an immense contribution. As for the director of the Chinese group..." The principal was in a bad mood and did not bother with the director of academic affairs.

A teacher nearby interjected, "Teacher Hu is doing quite well."

Teacher Zhu wanted nothing more than to smash her water cup into his face.

The principal had no choice but to continue. "Then let Teacher Zhu enjoy the待遇 of a full director for now. Meeting adjourned."

Whenever evening came and the rosy clouds flamed across the horizon, the narrow street behind the school became busy. Faced with a large number of student customers, the small shops could not fit everyone inside, so the stalls spilled out into the street. It was an unnamed little street, the counterpart to the city’s famous food street, and the students called it the Little Food Street.

Senior year had already begun evening study sessions. After the last class of the afternoon, students usually did not have time to go home for dinner; instead, they bought some snacks, fast food, or noodles on Little Food Street, ate a simple meal, and then returned to the classroom for evening study.

From the back window of Class Three of Senior Year One, one could see the street clearly. After class, Liu Yunfei also called Zhang Xiaoli and walked into the crowd on Little Food Street. Holding Zhang Xiaoli’s hand, he led her to a fairly popular little restaurant. He was not putting on airs, nor did he order any liquor. He simply ordered two dishes, one soup, and two bowls of rice.

Surrounded by the noisy students eating all around them, the clatter and bustle made the air itself seem louder, yet that kind of environment somehow sharpened one’s appetite. "Here, this kung pao chicken tastes pretty good."

"I think it’s not as good as what my dad cooks," Zhang Xiaoli said. She picked up a peanut and slipped it into her small mouth, her cute lips moving softly as she chewed. After swallowing, she added, "These peanuts aren’t even crisp. They’re really far worse than the ones at our family restaurant."

"Your family runs a restaurant too?" Liu Yunfei asked in surprise, because he had imagined Zhang Xiaoli’s family must be in the kind of situation where both parents had been laid off.

"Ah, you didn’t even know that?" To his surprise, Zhang Xiaoli looked at him with even greater astonishment. Then her eyes suddenly dimmed, and she lowered her head to eat in silence.

Liu Yunfei immediately began blaming himself again. He had paid far too little attention to this girl. It seemed the whole class already knew about it, yet he had even said he wanted to be her boyfriend without understanding her at all. At once he said softly, "Xiaoli, I’m sorry. I haven’t cared about you enough before. It was all my fault. I didn’t cherish the person right in front of me."

Zhang Xiaoli was not moved, nor did she feel happy. The worries that had suddenly risen in her heart were far heavier than Liu Yunfei could imagine. What was she supposed to do if he spoke to her so warmly? That hoodlum was insisting that she date him, and her parents could do nothing about it. Besides, they did not care about her at all. She had already been preparing to give up on Liu Yunfei, yet now he was changing his mind again.

Seeing that Zhang Xiaoli did not respond, Liu Yunfei put down his chopsticks and took her cold little hand in his. "Xiaoli, are you angry? From now on I’ll be twice as good to you. I’ll never let you be wronged again, and I won’t keep you waiting anymore."

The pair had been in a good mood, but this little interruption drained their appetite. After they finished eating, Liu Yunfei suggested taking a stroll along the street. After all, girls felt better after shopping. Holding hands, they had the faint feeling of being a couple. Zhang Xiaoli said faintly, "Don’t be upset. It’s not your fault. I was just thinking of something else and felt a little uncomfortable. I’m sorry."

"Oh, it’s fine. Tell me what happened. If you have trouble, look for Yunfei."

"Shouldn’t it be, ‘If you have trouble, call the police’?" Zhang Xiaoli felt much better at his joke. Before Liu Yunfei could answer, she went on, "My parents lost their jobs several years ago. My dad used to be a cook, and they set up a stall on Food Street selling stir-fries and snacks. Even though they don’t rent a storefront, business is still pretty good, and they’re too busy to handle it all. I go help them every night."

"Oh, is it that place at the very end of Food Street with the Mongolian yurt made of plastic sheeting?" Liu Yunfei remembered it clearly. Most people in Yellow River City knew that spot well; the restaurants were all concentrated there, and everyone liked to head there for meals.

"Yes. Have you been there? Don’t be fooled because we don’t have a storefront—my dad’s cooking is excellent. The people who eat there are all regulars."

"I haven’t been there. But how does the urban management bureau let you occupy the road like that for so long? They’re pretty fierce now." He had heard they were very fierce indeed; some time ago, in Nanjing, the urban management officers had beaten someone so badly that the person lost control of both bodily functions.