Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: The Teacher Hits Students

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After a week of classes, except for half-days on Wednesday and Friday afternoons when they had to go to Old Zhang’s House, He Wenyu learned cooking, while Luo Qianqian practiced calligraphy. Every day, He’s father picked up the two of them to go home, after much persuasion to dissuade the three adults from the idea of picking them up and dropping them off.

In a week’s time, the classmates and teachers in the class had all gotten to know the two of them. The teachers, seeing their young age, rarely called on them to answer questions, and gave them less homework. Plus, since they deliberately hid their talents, no special incidents occurred.

”Qianqian, I heard there’s a test today, and they’re selecting students for the math competition. Do you think we should participate?” He Wenyu was feeling a bit nervous on the way to school. While tests were certainly not a fear, a math competition was something they had never experienced before.

”Of course we should go. Why wouldn’t we? My brother was bragging last night about how he won the first prize in the citywide Olympic Math Competition when he was in elementary school. I refuse to be outdone by my smug brother.” Luo Qianqian was startled for a moment but then confidently said, adding a bit of confidence to her face, ”It’s just an elementary school math competition. What’s there to be afraid of?”

”Look who’s talking. You even persuaded your brother to become the student committee member and he ended up as the class monitor,” He Wenyu said gleefully as they walked, ”Your brother even said that if he can manage others, he can gain experience to manage you.”

”Humph, do you see my brother managing me? Aren’t you my foster sister? Can you manage me?” Luo Qianqian retorted rebelliously, ”Mom said age doesn’t matter. As long as you make sense, that’s fine.”

”Qianqian, what a coincidence, good morning.” Jiang An, Luo Qianqian’s deskmate, waved and greeted her at the school gate.

”Morning, Mr. Monitor,” He Wenyu casually greeted back with a sloppy demeanor.

”Good morning.” Luo Qianqian smiled and said hello when she saw her deskmate, ”Did you buy lollipops again today?”

”Yeah, the yogurt-flavored ones are really tasty.” Jiang An said with a sheepish smile, touching the bulging pocket of her school uniform, ”Are you two participating in the math competition?”

”Even if we don’t participate, don’t we still have to take the test? What’s the difference?” He Wenyu shrugged, ”Mr. Monitor, I didn’t do my math homework. Can I copy yours?”

Luo Qianqian saw Jiang An look towards her and waved her hand, ”Don’t look at me, I didn’t do it either. I was busy... practicing calligraphy last night.” Was she supposed to admit she was helping her brother with his punishment writing?

”You guys are still young, but homework still needs to be done. You can ask me if you don’t know how to do it, but don’t make a habit of it,” Jiang An lectured in a motherly manner.

She didn’t say she was going to copy it. Luo Qianqian felt upset inside but still maintained a foolishly happy exterior, ”You’re right, Mr. Monitor.” She actually did her homework in the morning at school every day. Was copying really needed for elementary homework? What a joke.

The first period was math, and it was a test, so as soon as they entered the classroom, He Wenyu returned to his seat with Jiang An’s homework. Luo Qianqian opened her workbook and began to write furiously.

”Put away your textbooks. It’s fine if you don’t, but for the next two periods, it’s the math test and no whispering allowed,” Geng Zhi entered the classroom holding the test papers with a look of expectation for Luo Qianqian, who had agreed to skip a grade on the condition he would teach her math, ”Anyone who needs to go to the bathroom should hurry, we won’t have a break. You can only go after the test is over and when you have handed in your papers. Put any unrelated items under your seat.”

”I wish I could stuff myself under the seat...” He Wenyu’s voice, not too loud or too soft, carried throughout the class.

”That desk of ours is a bit too small, but I’m pretty sure the trash can would fit you,” Geng Zhi said with a smile, ”Do you want to try it out for size?”

”Nevermind, I’m not trash...” He Wenyu quickly retorted with a flushed face.

The test began right after the papers were handed out.

This looks familiar... Luo Qianqian flipped through the test paper, glanced up at Geng Zhi. His interested gaze met Luo Qianqian’s suddenly raised head, causing him to awkwardly turn and look out the window.

As expected... Luo Qianqian bowed her head and continued working on the test. The math competition was something she had to participate in, since her brother was a notable figure at Bole Elementary School, she couldn’t tarnish his reputation, even if not for her own sake.

Looking at Luo Qianqian raising her head, she had already filled out the entire test paper. He glanced at his watch, and only half an hour had passed since the start of the test, even more outrageous than Luo Shufan, not even bothering to check her work as they stared at each other.

Luo Qianqian looked down and pulled out the homework assigned by Elder Zhang from under her seat: translate a fairy tale. She bowed down to translate, setting the test paper aside.

Geng Zhi was inwardly freaking out: This was a math test, and she was pulling out an English book, what did she consider him, the math teacher, to be???

If Luo Qianqian knew his thoughts, she would surely reply, ”I consider you the proctor.”

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After the exam time was over, Luo Qianqian didn’t leave early to submit her paper like those few people; she quietly waited for the last row to collect the papers. She confirmed her name wasn’t written incorrectly and obediently packed up her English notebook, then followed He Wenyu to the bathroom. There was still a long break to come, and there was usually little time for the restroom.

”Little girl, I’m waiting for you to bring me back an award,” Geng Zhi couldn’t help teasing Qianqian, who was keeping a low profile.

Luo Qianqian stuck out her tongue and pretended not to hear.

”How many times have I said that homework must be finished?!” Qianqian had just finished in the bathroom and was about to go downstairs when she heard a voice coming from the stairwell. By now, most people had gone to the playground for the long break exercises, and only a few were dawdling around. Why such harsh scolding? Judging by the sound, it seemed to be coming from the floor above.

”Qianqian, let’s go take a look,” He Wenyu said, pulling Luo Qianqian along, eager to stir up trouble.

”Sure,” Luo Qianqian, with mischief in her heart, thought: My brother managed to drive away a Qian Xinxin in elementary school; I wonder what kind of teacher I’ll run into now.

The two girls sneaked up the stairs carefully, afraid that even the slightest noise would disrupt the scolding teacher and turn the wrath onto them.

As they reached the middle of the stairs between the third and fourth floors, they saw someone and quickly ducked their heads, afraid of being discovered: the teacher in black clothing seemed very stern, his face an iron shade as he pulled at the ear of the little girl in front of him, loudly berating her. The little girl bit her lower lip, trying not to cry out loud, only letting her tears fall drop by drop. She seemed to be only about ten years old, her short sleeves revealing bruises on her arms.

”It’s him!” He Wenyu exclaimed in Luo Qianqian’s ear.

”You know him?” Luo Qianqian raised an eyebrow, curious.

”Remember our first day of school when I took the skip-grade test? He was the one who walked past me and snorted. That look he gave me was full of disdain, as if I’d eaten the rice from his family’s fields.” He Wenyu’s words were learned from Luo Qianqian; she found them quite reasonable and often used them herself.

”Oh?” Luo Qianqian, seeing the annoyance on He Wenyu’s face, knew her good friend wasn’t lying.

”Really, I was thinking at the time, how could there be such an unpleasant person, and to think he’s a teacher. He looks like someone who doesn’t like children; how can he be a teacher?” He Wenyu continued to mutter softly to Luo Qianqian, as the music for the long break exercises had already started. It was too late to go down now.

With a ’smack,’ Luo Qianqian and He Wenyu were startled. They saw the black-clothed teacher’s hand raised high and then realized, he was hitting someone! Looking at the swelling on the girl’s face, Luo Qianqian also became afraid. Why hadn’t any parents reported such a teacher, allowing him to continue to teach?

”What use is there for trash like you to attend school? A whore’s child is just a whore! What are you trying to tempt by dressing like that to school?!” With ’smack smack,’ two more slaps landed on the girl’s face, and Luo Qianqian could tell that the girl’s reddened face must be swollen.

”Damn it!” He Wenyu immediately stood up to go forward, bypassing Luo Qianqian, but was pulled back by her.

”What are you doing?!”

”The teacher is hitting someone, look how badly she’s being beaten! Can such a person even be a teacher?!” He Wenyu’s voice rose slightly, and Luo Qianqian, afraid of being noticed by the people above, quickly pulled her into a blind spot upstairs.

”Have you lost your mind? What can you do by going up there now? Can you stop it once, twice, three times? The fact that he’s still teaching means the parents haven’t complained about him hitting students. Who will believe you if you speak up? What evidence do you have? Maybe after you leave, that girl... that sister will get beaten again. Are you saving her or harming her then? And... you sure he won’t whack you too?” Luo Qianqian, with a grave look in her eyes, spoke in a hushed voice, holding He Wenyu back.

”I...,” hadn’t thought that much. He Wenyu sulked.

”What you... Do you think you can play the hero with just passion and impulsiveness? Think! Even in saving someone, you shouldn’t put yourself in jeopardy. If you give someone a chance to retaliate against you, are you helping or just finding trouble for yourself? Heroes like you prefer to do good deeds in anonymity, so why stay anonymous? If they find out who the hero is, wouldn’t those wronged by the heroic acts seek revenge?” Luo Qianqian didn’t pay attention to He Wenyu’s grievances but continued with an uneasy expression.

”You...”

”What you... If you keep acting so impulsively, you might as well go to Grandpa Zhang to get your papers!”

”There’s someone behind you...”

At that moment, the man in black clothing was standing behind the two girls, watching them with interest.