Chapter 49: Sprinting Towards the Monthly Exam ①
“Good!” Teacher Yang called out ‘Good!’ and said with a smile, “Since no one wants to leave like this, will everyone study hard?”
“Yes!”
“Everyone knows that the grades of our classmates are not particularly ideal. I want to apply to the school for make-up classes on Saturdays and Sundays. Of course, the school will only approve the application if the number of participants is more than half of the class. Those who are willing to attend make-up classes on Saturdays and Sundays, please come to the front to sign.” Teacher Yang took out a notebook from below the lectern and sat down on a stool on the lectern.
Li Kai stood up first with a pen, then walked to the lectern and wrote his name on Teacher Yang’s notebook. Several of his good buddies naturally did not want to be outdone and walked to the lectern to write their names. Driven by them, most of the classmates went to the lectern and wrote their names.
The remaining few people looked at each other for a while, then also walked to the lectern and wrote their names on the teacher’s notebook.
Nie Qiu sat in her seat, restless.
She… didn’t not want to participate in the Saturday and Sunday make-up classes. She had thought before that, due to family and her cleanliness obsession, she didn’t get along very well with her classmates. Therefore, she also wanted to be more inclusive, and not participating in the make-up classes would be considered a sign of not being inclusive. After all… if all the classmates participated, and she didn’t, it would easily lead to criticism. She wondered what these classmates would say about her behind her back!
In this life, having family affection, she also wanted to have her own friendship. She didn’t want to give up such a hard-won opportunity.
Li Kai nudged Nie Qiu’s elbow, “Hey, Nie Qiu, don’t you want to do well in the monthly exam? Go up and write your name! We’re attending the make-up classes.”
Nie Qiu took a deep breath, stood up under the gaze of all her classmates, and walked to the aisle between the desks. She bowed deeply to her classmates, “I’m sorry, I cannot attend the make-up classes on Saturdays and Sundays. This is the only chance to rest each week, and I want to help my mom set up the stall so she isn’t so tired.” Actually, she had promised Li Mingxue that she would tutor her on Saturdays and Sundays.
Nie Qiu’s explanation was met with much understanding. Teacher Yang also smiled, “Since that’s the case, you must study hard on your own! Strive for good grades.”
Nie Qiu smiled, nodded, and returned to her seat, feeling slightly relieved.
After school in the afternoon, Nie Qiu returned home and made dumplings with Nie Aifang. Nie Aifang asked with a smile, “What did you eat at school today?”
“The usual, mashed potatoes and stir-fried long beans, and braised pork.” Nie Qiu also replied with a smile. Nie Aifang’s questions were always the same, but Nie Qiu answered them tirelessly. She knew this was Nie Aifang’s way of expressing her concern for her at school.
Nie Aifang never asked about her studies, how well she was learning, what she learned at school, or if she had homework. She knew this was because Nie Aifang didn’t want to discourage her, as the previous Nie Qiu’s grades were really not good, which was why she was in Class 10.
They both understood each other’s tenderness, so they avoided mentioning it.
It rained in the evening. They set up a large umbrella on the tricycle at their stall, but after two hours, there were only a few sporadic customers.
Nie Qiu tied the tables, chairs, and stools to the tricycle, then placed two stools under the umbrella and sat with Nie Aifang. “Mom, let’s go back! There probably won’t be many customers today.”
The rain was not heavy, but no one was willing to go out in such weather. Those passing by were either returning from work or had urgent matters to attend to. There would also be very few people buying barbecue. Many of the cooked food stalls around them had already closed.
“No! Our vegetables are fresh, that’s why people buy them. If they don’t sell today, except for the fish and meat, the vegetables won’t be usable tomorrow.” Nie Aifang looked at the gray sky with some worry. “We’ll wait here, and we’ll sell some. Didn’t a few people just buy a few dollars worth earlier?”
Nie Qiu tenderly smoothed Nie Aifang’s furrowed brow, “Mom, in business, there are naturally profits and losses. Where is there a business that only makes money? If there were businesses that only made money, wouldn’t everyone rush to do them? With more competition, you’ll also lose! It’s raining now, and there’s wind. If we don’t go back soon, and the rain gets heavier, we’ll get sick and catch a cold, which would be a loss.”
Nie Aifang knew Nie Qiu was making sense, but if they went back now, it would mean that many of the vegetables they bought would not be sold tomorrow.
Nie Qiu looked at the vegetables wrapped in plastic wrap on the tricycle and said to Nie Aifang with a smile, “Since we can’t sell them, we’ll take them home and eat them ourselves. We’ll use these vegetables to stir-fry and eat. As long as they haven’t gone bad, we can eat them for several days!”
Nie Aifang stood up, smiled reluctantly, and patted Nie Qiu’s head, “You’re right, let’s go back now! Anyway, not many people come to buy barbecue.”
Nie Qiu smiled, put on her raincoat with Nie Aifang, and began to pack things in the rain. Just as she was halfway through, she heard people outside the stall talking and laughing as they approached.
“Boss, ten skewers of konjac, ten skewers of dried tofu, and ten skewers of chives. Ten skewers of each item.” a boy said to Nie Aifang.
Nie Aifang’s eyes lit up when she heard this, and she became much more energetic. She quickly opened the plug of the honeycomb briquette stove and smiled as she made barbecue for them. “It’s raining now, so eating barbecue is warming. Charcoal grills don’t get hot enough, and the food is full of oily residue.”
“We’ll eat whatever the boss makes,” the boy replied with a smile.
Nie Qiu asked with some surprise, “Why are you guys here?” These people were clearly classmates from Class 1. The boy who ordered the barbecue, she remembered him clearly.
“Didn’t you say your family runs a barbecue stall in the night market? We just finished our evening self-study session and came to take a look. And to patronize your business,” the boy said with a smile. “By the way, Nie Qiu, you still don’t know my name, do you? My name is Zhang Qidi.”
“Does Class 1 have evening self-study sessions at night?” Nie Qiu’s eyes widened in surprise. She thought that Classes 1 to 5 only had make-up classes on Saturdays and Sundays, which was different from Classes 6 to 10.
“Classes 1 to 5 all have evening self-study sessions at night,” a boy following Zhang Qidi also said with a smile. Clearly, he was also from Class 1. “Nie Qiu, I finally understand the feeling of ‘listening to a wise person speak is better than reading ten years of books.’ We are really looking forward to you transferring to our class after the monthly exam.”
Hearing their conversation, Nie Aifang realized that her daughter knew these students. “Qiu Qiu, are they your classmates?”
Nie Qiu smiled and introduced, “Mom, they are my classmates at school, but they are not in our class. They are in Class 1.”
Nie Aifang looked at these students. None of them wore heavy makeup, nor were they dressed strangely. They were all properly dressed in school uniforms. Only one or two were wearing their own clothes, and they were all clean and neat. Nie Aifang suddenly smiled. If Qiu Qiu could make friends like these, she would be much more at ease. “Hello, I am Nie Qiu’s mom. Since you came all the way to eat barbecue, I’ll grill more for you, free of charge.”
Upon hearing Nie Aifang’s words, the boys and girls eagerly and politely greeted Nie Aifang, “Hello, Auntie.” “Hello, Auntie.” “Auntie, your Nie Qiu is amazing.” “Auntie, in the next monthly exam, your Nie Qiu will definitely be able to study in our Class 1.”
“Class 1! You guys are really amazing! I wish my Nie Qiu could also study in your Class 1.”
“You definitely can, you definitely will,” Zhang Qidi said with a smile. “Teacher Yang said that as long as you do well in the next monthly exam, he will apply for a class transfer for Nie Qiu.”
Nie Aifang looked at Nie Qiu and smiled, nodding. “Then you guys will have to take good care of her in the future.”
“Of course! We will definitely take good care of Nie Qiu!” After saying that, Zhang Qidi bowed to Nie Qiu with a smile and joked, “Please also take good care of us, Nie Qiu classmate, haha…”
