Parent-Teacher Meeting

The gray Mao suit looked exceptionally worn under the classroom's incandescent lights, the frayed cuffs resembling a ring of crushed, withered grass.

Li Zhiyi helped the old man sit down in her seat.

The old man sat very stiffly, only half of his bottom touching the chair. His hands gripped a deformed cloth hat tightly, and his legs were pressed closely together, as if he were terrified of taking up too much space and dirtying the glamorous air around him.

The surrounding parents, dressed in professional attire and wearing perfume, intentionally or unintentionally shifted their chairs away.

A noticeable vacuum appeared in the previously buzzing conversations within the classroom.

Chen Zhi watched this scene, the suffocating sense of guilt yet to dissipate, when a sudden, sharp pain shot through his right shin.

Hiss—

He gasped, nearly jumping out of his chair.

On his left, Lin Wanwan was retracting the offending sneaker. Her cheeks were puffed out even higher than before, and her large eyes glared at him, practically screaming the words, Are you out of your mind?

She leaned in, lowered her voice, and squeezed the words through gritted teeth.

Chen Zhi, did you leave your brain in the womb?

Chen Zhi rubbed his calf, not daring to make a sound.

If it were any other day, he would have definitely retorted or simply reached out to pull Lin Wanwan's pigtails.

But right now, he was in the wrong.

Not just in the wrong, but practically guilty of a heinous crime.

Seeing him stay silent, Lin Wanwan grew even angrier and reached out to pinch the soft flesh of his arm hard.

That's their sore spot, and you just had to broadcast it with a megaphone? Where did all that cleverness that usually gets you first place go?

The girl's chest heaved with anger, her lowered voice laced with the frustration of wishing iron could turn into steel.

If you don't know how to speak, you can just shut up! No one is going to sell you off as a mute!

Chen Zhi let her pinch him without even trying to dodge.

This physical pain actually made him feel a tiny bit better inside.

If he could travel back in time two minutes, he would sew his mouth shut without hesitation.

My fault.

Chen Zhi admitted dejectedly, completely lacking his usual arrogance as the top student in the school.

Lin Wanwan let go, scoffed, and turned her head to look at Li Zhiyi.

The quiet new classmate was squatting beside the old man, taking a chipped enamel cup out of her backpack, unscrewing the lid, and handing it over.

Grandpa, drink some water.

Li Zhiyi's voice was very soft, carrying a cautious tone of eagerness to please.

The old man took the cup, his hands, rough as tree bark, trembling slightly.

This posture, humble to the dust, was like a thorn that made Chen Zhi's eyelids twitch.

He had to do something.

If he didn't smooth things over, Chen Zhi's conscience would be restless for the rest of his life. He might even develop a mental block and calculate decimal points wrong in every math test from now on.

Just then, the front door of the classroom was pushed open forcefully again.

Oh my! I'm late, I'm late!

Her voice arrived before she did.

Zhang Guifang rushed in like a whirlwind, carrying her signature sequined handbag, her high heels clicking loudly against the floor.

Her bright red trench coat, as red as a walking flame, instantly ignited the dull atmosphere of the entire classroom.

Chen Zhi! You little brat, you didn't even think to wait at the door to welcome your own mother!

Zhang Guifang spotted her son sitting right in the middle of the first row at a glance.

Chen Zhi covered his forehead in pain.

His savior had arrived, but her entrance was a bit too hardcore.

Zhang Guifang rushed to the seat in a few steps, slammed her handbag on the desk, and was just about to continue scolding her son when her gaze was suddenly drawn to the dusty gray Mao suit nearby.

She paused.

As a bank teller, Zhang Guifang had seen countless people and could instantly see through the value of this outfit and the family situation it represented.

The air froze again.

Chen Zhi's heart leaped into his throat.

He knew his old mother too well; she was a typical working-class woman who loved face, loved to compare herself with others, and had no filter on her mouth.

Li Zhiyi clearly grew nervous too, subconsciously shielding her grandfather, her already lowered head sinking even deeper.

The old man became even more restless, shifting his bottom on the chair, seeming as though he wanted to stand up and offer his seat.

Mom.

Chen Zhi stood up abruptly, grabbing her arm before Zhang Guifang could speak.

He had to intercept any potential negative reactions from his mother.

This is the grandfather of my new desk-mate, Li Zhiyi.

Chen Zhi deliberately emphasized his tone, squeezing out an incredibly bright, even slightly flattering smile, and introduced them rapidly.

Li Zhiyi studies extremely hard, and her handwriting is even prettier than mine! The teachers all praise her!

This was pure fabrication.

Li Zhiyi's handwriting could only be described as neat, completely unrelated to pretty, and Lao Wang had never praised her.

But at a time like this, who cared about the truth?

As long as he could divert this big boss's attention to the safe topic of grades, it would be fine.

Zhang Guifang was taken aback by her son's sudden enthusiasm.

She gave Chen Zhi a suspicious look, then turned to look at the timid little girl and the restrained old man.

Chen Zhi's palms were sweaty as he gripped his mother's wrist tightly, frantically hinting with his eyes: Don't cause trouble! Please don't cause trouble!

Zhang Guifang stared at the old man and the young girl for a full three seconds.

To Chen Zhi, these three seconds felt longer than a century.

Suddenly, the expression on Zhang Guifang's face changed.

That street-smart shrewdness instantly vanished, replaced by an extremely warm, almost overly familiar smile.

Oh my! So you're the new classmate's parent!

Zhang Guifang shook off her son's hand, took a step toward the old man, and naturally extended both hands to grasp the old man's rough hands.

Uncle! Hello, hello! I'm Chen Zhi's mother! Our kids sitting together is just fate!

The old man was clearly stunned by this sudden enthusiasm. At a loss for what to do, he let Zhang Guifang hold his hands, his lips trembling for a long time without being able to speak.

Your granddaughter is so pretty! Her little face looks so gentle and quiet!

Zhang Guifang didn't mind the old man's silence at all. She continued praising on her own and even reached out to pat Li Zhiyi's head.

Unlike this little devil of mine who only knows how to make me mad all day! From now on, I'll have to trouble your girl to guide him more, so he can learn how to sit quietly!

Was this still the parent of the top student who always held her chin up to the sky at every parent-teacher meeting?

With this series of moves, Zhang Guifang not only resolved the awkwardness but directly pulled Li Zhiyi's family into her camp.

The surrounding parents, who had originally been looking at the old man with strange expressions, saw the top student's mother being so warm. Embarrassed to maintain their haughty attitudes, they withdrew their gazes, and some even chuckled in agreement.

The old man's tense body slowly relaxed. A glimmer of grateful tears appeared in his cloudy old eyes, and his mouth could only repeat, Thank you... thank you...

Li Zhiyi looked up, staring in disbelief at the fiery and vibrant aunt in front of her.

Zhang Guifang did not treat herself as an outsider at all. She plopped down in Chen Zhi's seat, making the barely warm chair creak under her weight, and then casually pulled a large handful of sunflower seeds from her bag, stuffing them into the old man's hands.

"Uncle, don't just sit there, have some sunflower seeds! I swi... ahem, brought these from work, they're five-spice flavored!"

Watching this scene, Chen Zhi suddenly felt that his mother's mouth, painted with bright red lipstick, looked exceptionally cute.

He let out a long breath, feeling as if the bones in his body were a few ounces lighter.

The situation was under control.

Lin Wanwan curled her lips to the side and muttered softly, "It's a pity Auntie doesn't act in comedy sketches with those acting skills."

Chen Zhi ignored her and just raised his eyebrows at her, meaning: See that? That's called genetics, that's called emotional intelligence.

Lin Wanwan rolled her eyes at him and turned her head to look at her own mother.

Ms. Lin Jing was sitting next to her, holding that math test paper with a score of seventy-eight, her smile so gentle that it gave people the creeps.

"Wanwan," Lin Jing folded the test paper neatly and put it in her bag, "what do you want to eat for dinner tonight?"

Lin Wanwan stiffened all over, her pleading eyes instantly shooting toward Chen Zhi.

This was the calm before the storm.

Before Chen Zhi had time to gloat, the homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, walked up to the podium with his lesson plans tucked under his arm.

"Good afternoon, parents!"

Lao Wang's signature balding head shone brightly under the lights as he tapped the blackboard with a pointer.

The classroom instantly fell silent.

"For today's parent-teacher meeting, we will mainly discuss three issues..."

Lao Wang cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the audience before precisely stopping at the front row.

"But before we begin, I want to specially commend one student."

Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, another public execution.

In the past, this kind of segment was his most enjoyable highlight, basking in the envious and jealous gazes of the whole class, and enjoying the radiant glory on his mother's face.

But today, sitting next to Li Zhiyi and her grandfather, he only felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

"Chen Zhi!"

Lao Wang's voice was loud and powerful.

"In this midterm exam, he got full marks in all subjects again! Let's give him a round of applause!"

Clap, clap, clap...

Thunderous applause echoed.

Zhang Guifang straightened her back, the smile on her face ten times brighter than before. She wished she could write the words "I am the top student's mother" on her face, and she didn't forget to nudge the old man next to her with her elbow.

"Uncle, did you hear that? That's my boy. Aside from being a bit good at studying, he doesn't have any other merits, hahahaha!"

The old man awkwardly clapped along. His rough, large hands clapped hard, and his face bore genuine envy and awe.

Li Zhiyi also clapped lightly, turning her head to glance at Chen Zhi.

There was no jealousy or envy in her eyes, only pure calmness.

Chen Zhi braced himself, stood up, and bowed in acknowledgment. His butt had barely touched the stool when he heard Lao Wang change the subject.

"In addition, the new transfer student in our class, Li Zhiyi..."

The eyes of the entire room swished and converged entirely on the girl shrinking in the corner.

Li Zhiyi shuddered violently, instinctively wanting to hide under the desk.

The old man's hands also stopped in mid-air, and the slight smile that had just appeared on his face instantly froze.

Chen Zhi's heart leaped into his throat again.

Lao Wang usually spoke without tact. If he blurted out some sensational nonsense like "we need to show more care for orphans," the fragile balance that had just been established would be completely ruined.

He stared fixedly at Lao Wang on the podium, wishing he could use telepathy to control that mouth.

"Li Zhiyi's Chinese essay this time was written exceptionally well!"

Lao Wang pulled a test paper from his lesson plans and unfolded it.

"Although she just transferred here not long ago, her writing is very powerful, and I was deeply moved. I have decided to post this essay on the blackboard at the back for everyone to learn from!"

Phew...

Chen Zhi breathed a sigh of relief again, feeling that his entire exercise quota for the day had been consumed by his racing heartbeat.

Fortunately, Lao Wang wasn't completely stupid.

Li Zhiyi was stunned.

She slowly raised her head and looked at the podium through her thick bangs.

This was the first time since she came to this school that she heard someone praise her in public.

The old man's hands trembled. He wiped the sweat off on his pant legs, then raised his hands again and clapped extremely hard.

Smack!

This single clap seemed particularly abrupt in the quiet classroom, yet it was unusually loud.

Immediately after, scattered applause rang out, then grew louder and louder, finally merging into a unified wave.

A very faint blush slowly crept up Li Zhiyi's constantly pale little face.

The parent-teacher meeting proceeded in this bizarre yet harmonious atmosphere.

Zhang Guifang dragged the old man into chatting the whole time, talking about everything from vegetable prices to housing prices, from bank interest rates to how to pickle vegetables. She managed to chat the old man into a relaxed state, to the point where he even voluntarily shared his experience in growing sweet potatoes.

Chen Zhi rolled his eyes as he listened beside them, thinking to himself that his mother's social butterfly syndrome was unmatched. An honest man who had spent his whole life facing the yellow earth with his back to the sky was actually turned into a village gossip hub by her.

By the time the meeting ended, the sky was already getting dark.

The parents walked out one after another.

"Uncle, let's keep in touch! If you have any difficulties, bring them up to the school, or to us!"

Zhang Guifang reluctantly bid farewell to the old man. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were long-lost relatives.

The old man expressed his endless gratitude, took Li Zhiyi's hand, bowed to Zhang Guifang, and then turned to leave.

Watching the backs of the old man and the young girl supporting each other as they walked into the twilight, the knot in Chen Zhi's heart finally loosened a bit.

"Alright, stop looking, they've already gone far."

Zhang Guifang slapped the back of her son's head with such force that Chen Zhi stumbled.

"Mom! You're going to smack the smarts right out of your top student!" Chen Zhi protested, clutching his head.

"It's better if you're stupid. If you're stupid, I won't have to worry about you having a puppy love."

Zhang Guifang rolled her eyes, picked up her handbag, and walked out.

"What was that about just now? Don't think I couldn't tell. Since when do you care so much about a new classmate? You even actively introduced her parent?"

No one knows a son better than his mother. Although Zhang Guifang was careless and loud, her mind was as clear as a mirror.

"It's nothing, I just thought... we're all classmates, after all."

Chen Zhi spoke vaguely and quickly caught up with her, not wanting to dwell on this topic.

"Hmph, don't play dumb with me."

Zhang Guifang didn't press further, but just slowed her pace, waiting for her son to catch up.

"That little girl is quite pitiful."

She suddenly sighed, her tone becoming unusually serious.

"Her clothes are washed out, and her shoes are old. That uncle, his hands are full of cracks. At a glance, you can tell he's a hard-working man who toils in the fields for a living."

Chen Zhi looked at his mom in slight surprise.

"In the future at school, don't bully her, you hear me? If I find out you're leading the charge to ostracize her, I'll break your legs!"

Zhang Guifang waved her fist and threatened.

"I know, I know. Am I that kind of person?"

Chen Zhi's heart warmed. This was his mom, although vain and noisy, she had an incredibly kind heart.

Just as he walked out of the school gates, Chen Zhi saw Lin Wanwan trailing dejectedly behind Lin Jing, looking like a defeated rooster.

Lin Jing was carrying an exquisite cake box in her hand—Lin Wanwan's "last meal."

"Chen Zhi!"

Spotting her savior, Lin Wanwan's eyes lit up. She was just about to rush over when a light glance from Lin Jing pinned her to the spot.

"Chen Zhi, Auntie bought a cake. Do you want to come over and have some with us?"

Lin Jing asked with a smile, her tone dripping with gentleness.

Chen Zhi shuddered.

Only a fool would walk into that kind of bloodbath.

"Um... Auntie Lin, my mom said she made braised pork for dinner tonight, so I'll pass! Have a... nice meal, Wanwan!"

With that, Chen Zhi grabbed Zhang Guifang and bolted, fleeing the scene as fast as his legs could carry him.

From behind him came Lin Wanwan's desperate wail: "Chen Zhi, you disloyal traitor—"

On the way home, the streetlights stretched the mother and son's shadows long across the ground.

Chen Zhi kicked a pebble by the side of the road, but his mind kept replaying the image of Li Zhiyi wringing her fingers.

"I don't have a mom."

"Or a dad."

Those two sentences swirled in his mind like a curse.

"Mom."

"What is it?"

"I want to buy a new pencil case."

"Why? Didn't you just buy that one less than two months ago?" Zhang Guifang guarded her wallet warily.

"Well... I saw that Li Zhiyi's pencil case is broken. The lid won't even close."

Chen Zhi didn't dare look his mom in the eye, coming up with a random excuse.

The truth was, Li Zhiyi didn't even have a pencil case. Her pencils and eraser were just tied together with a rubber band.

Zhang Guifang stopped walking and turned her head to look at her son.

Under the dim yellow streetlights, her son's face was a little red, his gaze evasive.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"Alright."

Zhang Guifang started walking again, a barely noticeable smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"You can't save your allowance anyway, so buy whatever you want."

"Thanks, Mom! You're the best, Mom! You are simply the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Chen Zhi immediately laid on the flattery thick.

"Cut the crap! Hurry home and do your homework! If you get even one question wrong, don't even think about eating braised pork tonight!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Their figures gradually disappeared into the depths of the alley.

The night wind swept up the fallen leaves on the ground, twirled them around, and let them gently fall back down.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, in a dim and cramped rented room, a very low-wattage lightbulb flickered on.

Li Zhiyi sat at a desk that only had three legs and was propped up against the wall, holding a pencil stub so short it was hard to pinch.

Her grandfather was making the bed on the small cot nearby, rambling on about the kind-hearted auntie in red he had met today.

Li Zhiyi said nothing, just listening quietly.

She looked down at the composition notebook in front of her, which had a large "Excellent" drawn on it in red ink.

It was the essay that Lao Wang had posted on the blackboard.

She reached out a finger and gently stroked the bright red handwriting, her fingertips trembling slightly.

This was the first time someone had told her that her words had power.

It was also the first time someone had clumsily tried to protect her pitiful bit of pride in a situation where everyone else was avoiding her like the plague.

Even though that boy's way of speaking was really awful, making people really want to hit him.