Chapter 76: Different Values, How Can We Be Friends ①
From elementary school to university, from postgraduate studies to doctoral studies, she had encountered many types of teachers, who could be described as diverse and varied. Before entering society, many teachers considered teaching their passion; they loved teaching and their profession. However, after experiencing the realities of society, many teachers would then only consider teaching a job. A job is something that must be done to earn a living, so many teachers would lose interest and passion for the profession they once found interesting and enjoyable.
In their eyes, teaching was just a job! And a job, of course, is closely related to livelihood and salary.
Nie Qiu actually didn’t blame Teacher Liu for being extremely utilitarian; this was reality, this was society. However, she didn’t particularly like Teacher Liu. This person was already the homeroom teacher for Class 1. Logically, regardless of whether she stayed in Class 1 or not, the school’s enrollment rate would still be the highest for Class 1, and her bonus would definitely be secure. Yet, she said such things to her, things that made it difficult for a student to make positive progress.
Therefore, she wanted to prove herself, to prove that she could do it, to prove Teacher Liu wrong, to prove that looking down on her was wrong! To prove that giving up on her would only be a loss! Nie Qiu recalled Teacher Liu’s relieved expression when she told her mom she wanted to stay in Class 1; she… wanted to see Teacher Liu’s regretful expression!
Yes, she wanted to let that Teacher Liu know that teaching students wasn’t done like that!
Nie Qiu’s fighting spirit soared, and she began to study even more seriously. Previously, she had only felt that she had learned it before, and could review and recall it after one or two readings, so she hadn’t paid too much attention. But starting from the first class of the day, Nie Qiu began to listen attentively.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t listened attentively before, but she had listened with a sense of ease and casualness. Compared to before, she was much more serious! Although most of what the teacher was lecturing on was basic knowledge, Nie Qiu listened attentively. For her, consolidating basic knowledge was not a bad thing.
Nie Qiu became serious, and all the classmates in the class became serious. The teacher lecturing from the lectern became even more enthusiastic, almost spitting with excitement, smiling earnestly, teaching earnestly. During class, he also called on a few students to answer questions.
Li Kai looked at Nie Qiu, who was sitting next to him, took out his notebook, tore off a piece of paper, cut it into a small square, took out a ballpoint pen, removed the cap, and wrote on the note: Why did you stay?
Then he neatly folded the note into a small square and gently flicked it towards Nie Qiu’s eyes.
Nie Qiu looked at the note on her book and then at Li Kai. Li Kai quickly picked up his pen, pretended to look seriously at the lectern, looking up and down occasionally. In between, he kept writing and drawing in his notebook, as if he were diligently copying notes.
Nie Qiu frowned, opened the note, and seeing the words on it, she was stunned. Did… he not want her to stay? But at the farewell party, the words Li Kai spoke while standing in the middle of the classroom were so sincere.
She picked up her pen and wrote on the back of the note: Because I’m reluctant to part with my classmates, reluctant to part with my friends, and also, we can’t pass notes during class. Then she placed the note on Li Kai’s notebook and turned back to listen to the lecture attentively.
Li Kai was stunned. He picked up the note and eagerly opened it. After reading the words on the note, Li Kai felt a bit disappointed. The phrase “reluctant to part with classmates” was a general statement, and although it included him, seeing the specific mention of “reluctant to part with friends” made him realize she was referring to Huang Yan and Peng Yu Yang. He suddenly felt a little disappointed that he wasn’t included among her friends.
Just as he was about to write back, he remembered the last sentence on the note. He took a deep breath, folded the note in half, and tucked it inside his notebook. Then he looked up and listened attentively to the lecture. Another problem had been solved on the blackboard. He… hadn’t been paying attention and couldn’t understand it at all. Annoyed, he tapped his head. Li Kai decided to copy the problem from the blackboard and ask Nie Qiu after class, ask… Nie Qiu?
That’s right! Why hadn’t he thought of that! Didn’t Huang Yan and Peng Yu Yang become friends with Nie Qiu because they didn’t understand problems and asked Nie Qiu? This way, he could also become friends with Nie Qiu, right? Li Kai smiled and quickly copied the problem.
Nie Qiu glanced at Li Kai and sighed. Although Li Kai’s grades had improved a lot, his attitude towards studying made her somewhat disagree. She always remembered Li Kai asking Zhang Haiyang to help him copy problems.
The bell rang, and the teacher finished the unfinished lesson, assigned a page from the workbook, and then left the classroom. As soon as Nie Qiu tidied up her things, Huang Yan came over with a notebook, placed it on Nie Qiu’s desk, and said with a smile, “Nie Qiu, let’s go to the toilet! I have a few math problems to ask you after we go.”
Nie Qiu stood up, smiled, and nodded, “I was planning to go to the toilet too. Let’s go! Together.” In her previous life, during junior high and high school, she always envied classmates who went to the toilet together after class. Going to the toilet together, this might sound crude, but two good friends going to the toilet together was actually a happy thing, wasn’t it? She had always watched those good friends go to the toilet, chatting and laughing, their smiling faces, that happiness, was something she had never experienced.
Li Kai had spent a long time psyching himself up. Just as he was about to ask Nie Qiu a question, he only saw Nie Qiu and Huang Yan’s backs. His mouth twitched. For some reason, he felt a sense of loss, but also a sense of relief.
Luo Xu walked over and said with a smile, “Ah Xu, how about it? Want to take a break?”
Li Kai looked at Luo Xu and stood up, “Let’s go!”
Zhang Haiyang, who was copying formulas, heard this and stood up, “Going to take a break? Wait for me, I’ll go too!” Saying that, he followed them.
“Hey, I say, shouldn’t we treat Nie Qiu to a meal?” Zhang Haiyang looked at Li Kai and Luo Xu and said, “I think, by holding this farewell party, we directly influenced Nie Qiu’s thoughts. Perhaps Nie Qiu didn’t want to stay in our class at all. After all, everyone knows Class 1 is better than our class. Before Nie Qiu was hospitalized, we weren’t very good to her, especially Chen Li. You know, because of Ah Kai, Chen Li had more than one physical altercation with Nie Qiu, and Nie Qiu was always on duty every day. I say, no wonder you suggested a farewell party; you actually wanted to move Nie Qiu, right?”
“I always feel like this is a bit unfair to Nie Qiu,” Zhang Haiyang thought for a moment. “Also, Wang Chao Lei and I, last time we also broke Nie Qiu’s schoolbag. I could see that Nie Qiu’s schoolbag was mended later and she still used that schoolbag. It was only much later that she bought a new one.”
Luo Xu and Li Kai walked into the toilet and unzipped their pants. They looked at Zhang Haiyang, who followed them in, and said in unison, “And then? What do you want to say?”
