Chapter 56 - Standards
Bai YanZhu entered Cla.s.s 8 during their self-study for his usual morning patrol.
He noticed the atmosphere of Cla.s.s 8 to be a little different today. Cla.s.s 8 would usually be the loudest cla.s.s on the entire floor, but as he approached the door, he heard no sound or loud chatter inside. It made Bai YanZhu a little confused.
As soon as Bai YanZhu entered the cla.s.sroom, the cla.s.s that had been waiting for him for half a day burst into warm applause. Some of the students even whistled.
For a moment, Bai YanZhu was stupefied. He heard Lou XingGuang shout: “Teacher Bai, look over here!”
Bai YanZhu turned towards the voice and saw two students at the back of the cla.s.sroom unfurl a large red banner under Lou XingGuang’s command. As the red banner opened, the large white letters printed on it became clear– ‘Congratulations to Mr. Bai, delighted for you to get first place in the student satisfaction survey!’
Lou XingGuang simultaneously started his commentary: “Adding the word ‘delighted’ is really wonderful, ah. It makes such a rigid blessing to sound a lot livelier. Our Boss is so talented.”
Zheng PingQing didn’t say anything and simply chuckled. Where was he talented? It was the flourishing WeChat businessmen of the future that deserved all the credit.
Bai YanZhu: “….”
This scene in front of him was pretty hilarious. No student would make a banner for their teacher so solemnly, just to celebrate such a trivial manner.
But Bai YanZhu’s eyes began to involuntarily heat up. He awkwardly touched the back of his head, and not-so-firmly said: “Oh, you all, what’s with this nonsense….”
Dong MingEn jumped from the side and hooked an arm around Bai YanZhi’s shoulders. As if they were good brothers, he said: “Teacher Bai, I heard that you were bullied in the teacher’s office by that person surnamed Huo?”
“Don’t keep all your grievances bottled up, ah. Just let it all out.” Dong MingEn patted his chest. “You’re the homeroom teacher of Cla.s.s 8. We’re practically in a mother-daughter…ah, mother-son….cough, father-son relationship. Just say the word, and Brother Dong of No.12 High School will back you up.
Bai YanZhu: “….”
This small hoodlum, being so cheeky…
Bai YanZhu pulled Dong MingEn away, then half-angrily and half-jokingly said: “I got it. Hurry up and get back to your seat and study. The finals are just around the corner, make the most of the time you have left.”
“s.h.i.t.” Dong MingEn turned away, shaking his head and muttering, “Really like my mother. Every time she opens her mouth, it’s all study, study, study.”
Lou XingGuang rolled up the banner and gave it to Bai YanZhu, saying: “Teacher Bai, we’ll always have your back. You should believe in yourself, and in us. Don’t be defeated by such evil forces.”
Bai YanZhu accepted the banner with mixed feelings. Although these children were being supportive, making him feel touched, their behavior was really…Bai YanZhu didn’t know if he should cry or laugh.
Where did they learn how to do such things, ah!
Bai YanZhu thought for a moment, then finally found the courage to say: “Students, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” All the students of Cla.s.s 8 replied, waving their hands dismissively.
Bai YanZhu: “….”
It was then that Zheng PingQing said: “Teacher Bai, I don’t think the school will continue with the satisfaction survey. But no matter whether there’s a survey or not, you’ll always be number one in our hearts.”
Bai YanZhu looked at Zheng PingQing, this student with messy hair sitting at the back of the cla.s.s. Feeling deeply touched, he replied: “All you students are also first place in my heart.”
Dong MingEn said: “Teacher Bai, I think you’re exaggerating a little too much. Our cla.s.s can’t get first place, ah.”
Lou XingGuang nodded along with him. “Teacher Bai, a man needs to be humble, ah.”
Bai YanZhu: “….” He raised the rolled-up banner in his hand and banged their two heads. “Then why don’t you hurry up and study.”
As Dong MingEn and Lou XingGuan ran away, the other students applauded. “Good fight! Teacher Bai, filial daughter…no, filial sons need to be beaten into shape!”
Dong MingEn threatened: “Keep cheering! But just remember, Brother Dong isn’t someone to be messed with!”
……
What all the teachers and students of No.12 High School didn’t know, was that Huo PingChuan’s arrest was just the beginning. What followed next was a jolt to their entire city’s education system. Huo PingChuan’s corruption and bribery case led to the exposure of a major leader in the Munic.i.p.al Bureau, and soon, more and more corrupt officials were being brought to light. A few teachers were even taken away from their schools for further questioning. But teachers had limited power in the first place, so most of them didn’t know much. After determining that they weren’t involved, they were released.
In the days after Huo Pingchuan’s arrest, the school was filled with voices discussing the matter. Rumors flew all over the place, with everyone abuzz with curiosity.
Some people described an ugly scene of Huo PingChuan kicking and screaming as he was taken away. Some students had also been told to spread all kinds of gossip-some true, some false-in the name of their ‘friends and relatives working in the bureau’.
The incident ended with the Munic.i.p.al Bureau removing several people, with most of them going to jail. Huo PingChuan was sentenced to four years, and in the end, the entire city’s education department was completely shuffled around. This impact lasted for several years.
And the one most affected was No.12 High School. After Princ.i.p.al Qiu retired, another officer from a different area was appointed princ.i.p.al by the Munic.i.p.al Bureau. This new princ.i.p.al was young and ambitious, and he worked hard during his term. In the following years, the campus atmosphere and teaching standards of No.12 would rapidly improve, and in the end, the school would be at the forefront of Rong City’s best schools. After Lin Qian left for college, F University would end up offering the school another guaranteed spot.
But this was something that happened in the future. At this very moment, the teachers and students of No. 12 High School only knew that Huo Pingchuan got arrested and that their princ.i.p.al might be replaced. They had no thoughts about what might happen in the coming years.
The discussions gradually died down after the initial heat. After all, for the students, the arrest of their Vice-Princ.i.p.al wasn’t as important as the upcoming finals.
Surprisingly, Lin YaZhi talked about the incident several times at home. When Huo PingChuan was being investigated, the team of officers handling the case found the complaint letters Lin YaZhi had previously sent to the Education Bureau. This led the officers to call Lin YaZhi several times, as it looked like he knew more about the incident that others.
“I heard that the leader involved with Huo PingChuan was deeply entrenched in Rong City’s education system and that no one could touch him. No wonder Huo PingChuan was so unbridled.” Lin YaZhi gossiped while he ate with his son.
However, Lin Qian’s response wasn’t what he expected. There was no interest in his son’s expression, and he replied with only a light ‘I see.’
Lin YaZhi redoubled his efforts: “Do you know how such a powerful leader got pulled off his high horse?”
Lin Qian really wasn’t interested. No one knew better than him on how that particular leader got kicked out.
But then Lin Qian saw his father’s eager expression and didn’t have the heart to refuse him. So, in the end, he allowed Lin YaZhi to continue and asked: “Why?”
Lin YaZhi leaned towards him and acted a little mysteriously as he said: “They say that the informant provided very detailed evidence, and they did it in the most brutal way. Not only did the informant send it to the anti-corruption department, but they also sent it to that leader’s compet.i.tor, someone who desperately wanted to pull the leader down. This completely annihilated him.”
Lin Qian pretended to act surprised. “So, that’s how.”
“But I heard that the anonymous reporting was just a pretext for something else. Some people suspect this whole situation to be some sort of secret compet.i.tion done by the insiders. Otherwise, how could the informant gather so much evidence?” Lin YaZhi nodded and said: “I personally think things to be like this.”
“….oh.” Lin Qian could only nod along.
Having finished his gossip, the two finally managed to finish their meal. When they finished cleaning the table, Lin YaZhi suddenly called out: “By the way, your step-mother’s return is finally set. She’ll be coming back next weekend.
As soon as Lin Qian heard this, he understood. Next weekend was just after the final exams. Chen ShiYi’s return had previously been delayed repeatedly. In the end, her arrival was set to next weekend, presumably out of fear that their first family meeting would affect Lin Qian’s and Zheng PingQing’s exams.
Lin Qian nodded. “Alright.”
Lin YaZhi thought for a while, then said: “And about her, child…have you seriously thought about it? If you don’t want to see him, just say the word, and I’ll turn ShiYi down. You don’t have to force yourself.”
Lin Qian smiled. “No, I want to see him.”
Lin YaZhi sigh in relief. “Alright.”
“You’re about the same age, maybe you’ll end up being good friends.” Lin YaZhi said optimistically.
……
……
Chen ShiYi was standing on the balcony as she called Zheng PingQing. “PingQing, do you really want to come? If you don’t want to meet them, just say the word, and I’ll turn YaZhi down. You don’t have to make things hard on yourself.”
“What are you saying?” Zheng PingQing had no words for this mother of his. “I’m almost at the entrance of the building, hurry down and pick me up.”
Chen ShiYi let out a surprised ‘ah.’ Before she could even react, Zheng PingQing had already hung up.
“YaZhi, he’s almost here. I’ll go downstairs first….” Chen ShiYi called out as she walked back into the living room.
Lin Qian, who had just stepped into the room, heard this. Without an ounce of hesitation, he said: “He’s arrived? I’ll pick him up.”
Chen ShiYi hadn’t been paying attention to surroundings, so she hadn’t noticed Lin Qian. But when she heard his words and turned towards him, her head promptly exploded.
Lin Qian was wearing simple but chic clothing, with a casual coat carelessly thrown over. This set off his formerly elegant temperament and made him feel a lot more clean and transparent. This striking change in Lin Qian was enough to raise eyebrows.
But to Chen ShiYi, this outfit was tantamount to a bolt from the blue. This was because her son, Zheng PingQing, had the exact same outfit.
When she had previously asked Zheng PingQing to meet her in the restaurant ‘Little Pea,’ he was wearing the exact same combination of clothes.
Chen ShiYi had such a great impression of this particular set of clothes because Zheng PingQing had b.u.mped into a waiter in the restaurant and ended up covered in fried noodle sauce.
She remembered Zheng PingQing being very nervous and upset at the time.
Zheng PingQing had grown in a lavish lifestyle and usually didn’t care about his clothes or his worldly possessions. That was the first time Chen ShiYi had seen Zheng PingQing care so much for his clothes. She distinctly remembered thinking that he must have liked that particular outfit very much.
But how could such an unfortunate event happen, ah. Unexpectedly, Lin Qian had the same shirt.
Her son had never cared about his clothes growing up, but he absolutely hated b.u.mping into people that had the same outfit as him.
He would surely loathe Lin Qian the moment he set his eyes on him. Argh, they would definitely end up fighting when they go back home!
Chen ShiYi desperately wanted to hold Lin Qian back, but she didn’t dare. She could only solemnly ask: “Lin Qian, don’t you want to change clothes?”
Lin Qian was baffled. “Why?”
Chen ShiYi’s brain raced as she said: “The clothes you’re wearing are a bit too grand, don’t you think? This is just a small family gathering, you don’t need to be overly conscious of what you’re wearing. Feel free to change into something more comfortable.”
Before Lin Qian could reply, Lin YaZhi came into the room and happily commented: “It’s not too grand, I think you look great Ah Qian.”
Chen ShiYi: “……”
Lin Qian: “……”
In the end, Chen ShiYi looked back towards Lin Qian, her tumultuous mind quieting down into a defeated sort of calm. “Right, it looks just right. I also think you look good.”
In any case, it was much better than Lin YaZhi’s exaggerated three-piece suit and tie.
Meanwhile, Lin Qian was silently thinking: It seems that Dad’s standards for meeting his son-in-law are pretty good.
Chen ShiYi: I want to faint