Chapter 16: I’ll F*ck Your Mother’s XX
Zhou Wanfeng rode her bicycle slowly past the group, even deliberately ringing her bell a few times as she passed.
The group glanced back, including Zhu Junling, but only for a second before ignoring her. The few of them, occupying half the road, didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with it.
She pedaled past, her peripheral vision catching Zhu Junling in the middle. He showed no unusual expression upon seeing her. Zhou Wanfeng could be certain that the person he had just mentioned who lived in South Lake Mansion was not her.
She pushed down hard on the pedals, and the bike shot forward. The lightness and anticipation she had felt leaving the house this morning were now replaced with disappointment. The terrible class made her feel like she was wading barefoot in filthy, stinking sewage. The garbage, feces, and maggots at the bottom felt like they would crawl up her legs and all over her body at any second, gnawing at her flesh until she too became a part of the stench.
Zhou Wanfeng’s heart pounded. She pedaled even harder, as if a force were choking her, making her feel suffocated, irritable, and deeply powerless.
It seemed that whether in her past life or now, she had always wanted to change her environment, but reality always went from a bad place to an even worse one.
In this life, she really just wanted to live a stable life, preferably with everyone ignoring her, letting her be in peace. When she woke up in her old home in Dongshan, her uncle Zhou Zhicheng’s greedy eyes had made her realize she couldn’t live peacefully there. She had thought she could relax when she came to Yunhai City.
After all, she wasn’t close to anyone. But instead, she had become an eyesore.
Now that she had finally returned to school, it was even more frustrating.
She quickly arrived home. The main gate of the house was open. She rode her bike all the way to the backyard. Old Dong was tidying up in the backyard. Seeing her, he happily came forward to greet her. “Miss Wanfeng, you’re back from school so early. Miss Jingya just got home too.”
Zhou Wanfeng smiled and nodded, and went into the house with her backpack.
In the first-floor living room, three generations were sitting together in a warm atmosphere. Zhou Wanfeng didn’t want to disturb them and was about to go upstairs quietly, but Yang Yijun saw her and enthusiastically called out, “Wanfeng, you’re back from school. Come and sit down. I have something to ask you.”
Seeing Zhou Wanfeng, Yun Jingya ran over and pulled her to the sofa. “Are you off this afternoon too? Classes officially start tomorrow morning.”
Zhou Wanfeng nodded.
“It seems all the elementary and middle school students in the city are like this. On the first day, you meet new classmates, see the new homeroom teacher, arrange seats, and get your books and clean the classroom,” Yun Jingya said, her bright eyes looking at Zhou Wanfeng with curiosity. “Was it the same for you?”
Zhou Wanfeng glanced at Yang Yijun, who was smiling at her. Yun Lan was looking down at her newly painted nails from different angles, clearly not interested in the first day of school.
“Yes, it was the same,” she said, though none of it had actually been accomplished.
Yang Yijun asked with a concerned expression, “How was your first day of school? Jiawen said the scenery at their school is very nice, the teaching buildings are new, the classrooms are spacious, and the desks and chairs were replaced the year before last.”
Zhou Wanfeng stared straight at Yang Yijun’s face. Seeing her calm and composed expression, she couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, her lips curling up in a smile. “The school is indeed beautiful, especially the plane tree-lined avenue leading from the main gate.”
Yun Jingya was a little envious. “Our school’s avenue only has flowerbeds on both sides, and they only grow evergreens. But there are a few tall, thick fir trees planted next to the school wall. I heard they were planted when the school was first built.”
Yang Yijun seemed more interested in Zhou Wanfeng’s first day of school. “Is your homeroom teacher a man or a woman? Are your new classmates easy to get along with?”
“The homeroom teacher is a serious and enthusiastic female teacher. The classmates are very interesting, with distinct personalities. My new deskmate is a cute girl with a round face. She shared her snacks as soon as she arrived. So, what else would you like to know? I’ll tell you everything.”
Yang Yijun smiled and shook her head. “Nothing else. I’m relieved to hear you’re adapting well. I was worried you wouldn’t.”
Zhou Wanfeng snorted coldly.
Yun Lan, on the other hand, had finally finished admiring her nails and was now curious about Jingya’s new class. “Is your homeroom teacher a man or a woman? How old is he? Should we prepare some gifts for him at the beginning of the school year?” Yun Lan looked at Yang Yijun. She didn’t know much about these things, but she remembered giving gifts to the homeroom teacher and other teachers every year in elementary school. She remembered giving one when Chengbin started elementary school last year.
Yang Yijun was surprised that Yun Lan had remembered this and praised her for her good memory.
This made Yun Lan so happy that she snuggled up to her, acting coquettishly, not at all like a woman approaching forty.
“Alright, alright, stop it. I called Wanfeng over to talk about this. We’ll give the gifts for the start of the school year and Teachers’ Day together, to the homeroom teacher and the main subject teachers,” Yang Yijun said, looking at Zhou Wanfeng and Yun Jingya.
Yun Jingya was no stranger to giving gifts at the start of the school year. “My new homeroom teacher is a man, in his forties, named Tian Youye. He looks very serious. I haven’t seen him smile once all morning. He laid down the rules as soon as he came in. He said that when he’s talking, everyone has to put down what they’re doing and listen carefully. Anyone caught whispering will be called out and kicked out of the classroom. The whole class was so scared that no one dared to make a sound.”
Yun Lan exclaimed, “So strict.”
Yun Jingya nodded, as if still a little scared.
Yang Yijun laughed and explained, “It’s good to be strict. I heard that your experimental middle school has four key classes in the first grade this year. They definitely need to find some strict and experienced teachers to lead the key classes. These teachers will stay with the class from the beginning of junior high until graduation.”
“That’s what Teacher Tian told us too. He also said that there are four key classes this year, and there are many students with good grades. Grandma, you have no idea how terrifying our class is. My deskmate actually took tutoring classes during the summer vacation and has already learned the junior high curriculum. And many other students have signed up for Olympiad classes outside of school. On the first day of school, someone was already doing Olympiad math problems. It’s so scary.” Yun Jingya was familiar with many of the names in her class. They were all top students from various elementary schools.
Zhou Wanfeng lowered her eyes, her face expressionless as she stood up. “You guys can discuss it. You don’t have to consider me. I’m not planning to give any gifts.” With that, she went upstairs. After a few steps, she suddenly turned around, her gaze meeting Yang Yijun’s scrutinizing one.
“By the way, thank you for helping me find a school. You really went to a lot of trouble,” Zhou Wanfeng said with a half-smile, then turned and went upstairs.
Yun Jingya was in a key municipal experimental middle school, and in a key class at that. She had an experienced and strict homeroom teacher, and classmates who were diligent and hardworking. Just thinking about it, Zhou Wanfeng felt a twinge of envy.
Such a positive and proactive learning environment would surely foster a healthy competition of mutual pursuit, a learning atmosphere where everyone was striving to catch up.
She went upstairs to the study. She had brought her English and math textbooks with her. She pulled out a chair, opened her English textbook, and began to read silently. In her past life, she remembered her classmates saying that English required memorization and dictation.
She also needed this method to calm her turbulent emotions.
She was so focused on her studies that she didn’t notice when Yun Jingya came in.
When Zhou Wanfeng saw her, she was already engrossed in a book. When she looked down slightly, she saw a colorful sticker by her elbow.
“Keep it up! If there’s anything you don’t understand, we can study and discuss it together. Also, the best study group in the study is officially established today! You and me.”
It was written in Yun Jingya’s neat and beautiful handwriting, with a small smiley face at the end.
Zhou Wanfeng stared at the note for a moment, then picked up her fountain pen, a faint smile on her lips, and wrote “OK” before pushing it back.
The next day, the morning light was still dim when Zhou Wanfeng went out for her run. She jogged along the road near South Lake Mansion for about thirty minutes, covering about five kilometers.
On the way back, she stretched and slowly moved her joints.
Old Dong hadn’t come to work yet, so she was missing a spectator for her boxing practice today. She could feel that her body was gradually adapting to the exercise these days. Her punches were more flexible and powerful.
With two middle school students who had to attend morning self-study, the kitchen auntie had to prepare breakfast early. The first-floor dining room was quiet, with only Zhou Wanfeng and Yun Jingya eating breakfast.
Glancing at the time, Zhou Wanfeng quickly finished her meal, put her plate in the kitchen, and said to Yun Jingya, “It’s time for me to go. I’m leaving now.”
“Good luck.”
“Yeah.” Zhou Wanfeng ran to the backyard to get her bike. She wasn’t sure if she could be seen from the dining room window, but she waved and rode off.
It was a little chilly riding on an autumn morning. Morning self-study was at 7:20. Zhou Wanfeng entered the classroom at 7:11. As she had expected, there were only a few people in the classroom. She sat down, took out her English book, and continued to memorize English words.
When the bell for morning self-study rang at 7:20, only about twenty people had arrived, all of them yawning and lying on their desks. Those who hadn’t gotten their books yesterday were mostly sitting in their seats, staring into space.
After ten minutes, the classroom was finally full.
A moment later, the homeroom teacher, Sun Mulan, came in. In addition to her notebook, she was also holding a teaching stick. She stood at the podium with a stern face.
Bang, bang, bang. She rapped the podium hard a few times.
Zhou Wanfeng looked up. Her demeanor was completely different from yesterday. She must have gotten some advice after leaving in anger.
“Since you’ve come to school, you must abide by the school’s rules and regulations. You should actively respond to the teacher’s instructions. If you procrastinate, like with getting the books yesterday, and none of you are willing to go, then please stand up now. I will contact your parents right now and have them take you home.”
At the mention of contacting their parents, most of them lowered their heads in submission.
Seeing that no one was standing up, Sun Mulan took a deep breath and continued, “I’m young and can’t control you, but don’t forget that I have your parents’ contact information. I can ask them to come and personally instruct you to do things. Yesterday, all the other classes got their new books, cleaned up, and rearranged their seats. But we did nothing. We couldn’t even choose a temporary class committee. So, for the few students I called on yesterday, it’s fine if you’re not willing. I’ll call your parents. If they support you, I’ll pick someone else. I don’t mind the trouble. I will promptly report your various behaviors at school to your parents. It’s not that I’m not doing my job, it’s that you’re not cooperating.”
The students had various expressions. Some pouted, but no one dared to be openly defiant.
The threat was very effective. Sun Mulan scanned the students below and suddenly saw a girl in the second row who had been looking down at her book the whole time. In the entire classroom, only her desk had books on it. The others were all empty.
She remembered that in the office yesterday afternoon, a homeroom teacher had told her that a student from Class Nine had gone to the dean’s office to get her books by herself. Sun Mulan couldn’t help but look at her a few more times. The more she looked, the more she felt that this girl had an out-of-place aura about her.
She wasn’t listening to her carefully. She was holding a pen and constantly writing, her eyes on the textbook, her lips moving silently. Her focused and serious expression was very moving, especially for a teacher to see.
Bang, bang. She rapped the teaching stick twice. “Everyone, go out to the hallway and stand in two lines, in order of height.”
The students lazily got up and went outside to stand.
“Hurry up, form two lines and stand properly.”
They dragged their feet and reluctantly formed two crooked lines. Sun Mulan gestured in front, giving commands over and over again. When no one listened, she personally ran over and pulled people out, putting them in the right places.
She was very patient.
After they were more or less in order, they started to enter the classroom and sit down, from shortest to tallest.
Zhou Wanfeng was not tall, but she had moved from the second row to the third, still in the middle.
The only thing she was not satisfied with was that the fourth row behind her was all boys. After the seat change, their desks and chairs were scraping and constantly pushing forward.
Mai Jiaqi, on the other hand, was sitting in front of her. Her new deskmate was the girl who had been painting her nails yesterday. She said her name was Tang Yuqing. After introducing herself, she turned to greet her other deskmate and the four boys behind her.
She had a bold and familiar personality.
Sun Mulan stood at the podium and looked at the new seating arrangement with satisfaction. Then she rapped the teaching stick twice. “Now that the seats are changed, go and get your new books. Everyone, go to the dean’s office and get your own new textbooks.”
The eight classes of the first grade had all gotten theirs yesterday. She had also spoken to the teacher at the dean’s office.
With a whoosh, the students stood up and shouted, “Teacher Sun, where’s the dean’s office? I’ve never been there, I don’t know where it is.”
Sun Mulan subconsciously looked at the short-haired girl who had already gotten her books, thinking she would kindly tell her classmates. But she didn’t even look up.
Tang Yuqing went out and found that the desks of the boys in the back row were pushed forward very far. “Hey, hey, how can anyone get through here? Move back a little,” she muttered as she squeezed out.
By the time the students came back with their books, the bell for the end of morning self-study had rung. The classes upstairs were all lining up to go downstairs. Sun Mulan called for the students to line up in the open space. They were all going to the small playground for the morning assembly.
The small playground was divided into third grade, second grade, and first grade from south to north. A new semester, a new beginning. The principal of Shuangshu Model Middle School stood at the podium and gave a speech. He asked the students to abide by the school rules, and that there would be punishments for violating them. He also said that students should study hard and strive to improve their grades.
After the speech, they returned to the classroom. Zhu Junling in the back row was particularly loud. He put his arm around a tall boy’s shoulder. “Jiang Yi, does your family live in South Lake Mansion? Your monthly allowance must be more than ours, right?”
Many of the classmates turned to look at him with curiosity.
The residences built near South Lake were not cheap, and among them, South Lake Mansion was the most famous.
Zhou Wanfeng thought of what she had heard after school yesterday and couldn’t help but turn to look.
Jiang Yi? The tall, thin boy who had been sitting silently in front of her yesterday, blocking her view. He hadn’t said a word all morning, and she hadn’t even seen his face properly.
Now she could see that his features were very three-dimensional, his eye sockets deep. Coupled with his fair skin, his dark eyes looked even blacker. And in the face of the envious gazes from all around, he just pushed Zhu Junling’s hand away and didn’t respond.
Zhou Wanfeng sized him up and then sat back down.
“Hey, Jiang Yi, what does your family do? Do they own a company?” Zhu Junling was still not giving up. All his pocket money had been taken by the third years, and he didn’t have a single cent left. But they had also said that if he introduced someone who was easy to get money from, he could get a cut, and he wouldn’t have to do the cornering and intimidating himself.
Zhou Wanfeng was writing when suddenly, the ballpoint pen in her hand tore through the notebook. The desk of the boy behind her was suddenly pushed forward, hitting her in the back.
She turned around. The four boys in the back row were playing a boring game, putting the books they had just gotten under their feet and using their knees to prop up their desks, seeing who could hold it the longest without using their hands.
The one behind her was the first to lose. The whole desk slammed into her back. She turned around. “Move your desk back. It’s too far forward,” Zhou Wanfeng said calmly to the boy.
But the boy simply ignored her and excitedly discussed starting another round with the others.
As expected, the desk slammed into Zhou Wanfeng again with a crash.
Tang Yuqing looked down at her deskmate who had been hit. “Are you okay?” She then turned to the boys behind her. “Hey, are you still playing? You just hit someone. Hurry up and apologize.”
Zhou Wanfeng’s back ached from the impact. She hadn’t even stood up yet.
The boys in the back started another round with a laugh. The desk wobbled, and it looked like it was about to fall forward again. Tang Yuqing instinctively reached out to push it back, but her new deskmate was one step ahead of her.
The next second, the desk that was falling forward was slammed back with the force of a thunderbolt.
Tang Yuqing’s eyes widened in astonishment. All the classroom heard was a loud crash. The boy in the back row was pinned under his desk.
He let out a pained cry.
The desks and chairs in the back row all scraped and shifted backwards.
The students in the class only heard a crash and a cry. When they looked over, they saw a boy’s desk had fallen over, and he was lying underneath. They all thought he had just not been sitting properly.
“Still want to play?” Zhou Wanfeng stood there, her eyes dark, her voice cold.
Tang Yuqing covered her mouth, silently looking at her new deskmate. She felt that she was probably the only one in the whole class who had seen what had just happened.
No, the person involved probably knew too.
The boy got up, his eyes vicious, cursing “f*ck your mother xxx, you xxx” as he picked up his desk and prepared to pick up his books.
The next scene, the whole class saw.
The boy bent down to pick up his books, and the short-haired girl in front of him coldly raised her leg. The desk crashed down again.
All they heard was the boy’s furious roar, “I’ll f*ck your mother’s XX!”