Pei Chuan stopped trying to drive her away, and Bei Yao was overjoyed.
She carried a white cloth backpack behind her, which Zhao Zhilan had bought for her at the market yesterday for five yuan. A tiny panda doll dangled from it.
For two lifetimes, this was the backpack Bei Yao loved most. It was almost half her size, yet she carried it for a very, very long time.
At least in her memories of third grade, it was still with her.
Carefully, she placed the backpack inside her desk as Teacher Yu began distributing the books.
Teaching a preschool class was particularly challenging because it served as a transitional stage between kindergarten and elementary school. Kindergarten had loose discipline, with children mainly playing together. In preschool, they had to learn to follow rules. The teacher had to alternate between encouragement and strictness, balancing kindness and authority to manage the playful children.
Yu Qian asked, "Which little friend can help the teacher hand out the books?"
Many small hands shot up eagerly, with the chubby Chen Hu so enthusiastic he nearly jumped out of his seat. Smiling, Yu Qian selected Chen Hu, Li Da, and four other children to help distribute the books.
The preschool books were small textbooks with colorful illustrations. The brand-new books felt heavy in their hands, and the children could only carry five or six at a time. Since Yu Qian’s goal was to encourage their participation, she didn’t mind if the process was slow.
The children who received their preschool books for the first time couldn’t wait to flip through them.
Chen Hu’s eyes darted around. Spotting a math book at the bottom with a curled corner and covered in dust, he picked it up, walked over to the first desk by the window, and tossed it onto Pei Chuan’s desk.
The book stirred up a faint cloud of dust, its bent corner especially noticeable.
Pei Chuan expressionlessly took the dirtiest book and began writing his name. He held the pencil properly, writing "Preschool Class One, Pei Chuan" on the first page. When he turned his head, the little girl was staring at him.
Half of her hair bun had come loose, giving her a somewhat silly, adorable look, though she was unaware of it. The ribbon hung down, and she sat so close he could catch a faint, incredible milky scent. She was tiny, with clear, innocent eyes.
Seeing him look at her, she broke into a bright, delightful smile.
Chen Hu made another trip with the books. He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and handed Bei Yao a brand-new, clean textbook. Bei Yao said, "Thank you, Chen Hu."
Chen Hu snorted and moved on to the next person.
Although Chen Hu disliked Pei Chuan, he didn’t take it out on Bei Yao. But if Bei Yao continued playing with the little mute, that might change!
Bei Yao opened her new book, first curiously flipping through the content and colorful pictures, then neatly writing her name.
Pei Chuan kept his eyes forward, unconcerned with whether the little girl could write her name or what she might be writing.
As soon as book distribution started, the classroom grew noisy, with children chattering away. Yu Qian wasn’t rushed; with years of teaching experience, she knew how to manage this group. She first gave the children time to get to know their neighbors, and the classroom quickly became lively.
Bei Yao felt a tap on her clothes from a pencil tip. She turned around to see a very thin girl grinning at her: "I’m Ni Hui. What’s your name?"
"I’m Bei Yao."
Ni Hui glanced secretly at Pei Chuan in the front row but didn’t dare to speak to him.
Ni Hui’s deskmate, a boy with somewhat long hair and a few freckles on his face, leaned over and said, "I’m Gu Xinghua. I’m five years old."No one called for Pei Chuan, and he didn’t mind either. With his eyes lowered, he quietly flipped through his book.
After Bei Yao finished getting to know her new friends and turned back to look at him, for some reason, Pei Chuan’s inner calm was disrupted. He even felt an inexplicable urge to mess up her little flower-bud hairstyle and stop her from looking at him again.
Pei Chuan took a deep breath to calm himself and continued turning the pages of his book expressionlessly.
Preschool was different from kindergarten—classes didn’t end until 11 a.m. The children, who had just transitioned from kindergarten, eagerly looked forward to seeing their parents’ figures.
Yu Qian smiled and said, “Mom and Dad won’t come to the classroom door to pick you up. The teacher will take you to the school gate and line you up neatly. Starting with the first group, stand in an orderly line to meet your parents and grandparents!”
All the other children left this way, except for Pei Chuan. Because of his physical condition, Pei Haobin rode his motorcycle directly into the school grounds.
As Pei Haobin picked up his son and passed by the vehicle lane at the school gate, he spotted little Bei Yao standing obediently at the front of the line on the left.
Because of her young age, she was a short, chubby little figure.
Her round face and messy flower-bud hairstyle stood out.
Pei Haobin couldn’t help but smile. “Yao Yao is in preschool too, and she’s in the same class as you, Xiao Chuan. Let’s give her a ride home since it’s on the way.” Bei Yao’s family didn’t have a car, and the distance was quite far for such a small child to walk on her own. Even Pei Haobin felt a pang of sympathy.
But Pei Chuan still carried the lingering frustration from the classroom.
He said calmly, “Let’s go, Dad. What if her mother is already here to pick her up and gets worried when she can’t find her?”
Pei Haobin thought his son made a good point, so he rode the motorcycle forward.
Pei Chuan’s expression remained indifferent as he glanced sideways behind him.
At the front of the line, the little girl with big, clear eyes watched in amazement as the father and son sped past on their motorcycle. She recognized Uncle Pei’s vehicle. Bei Yao curved her eyes into a smile and waved enthusiastically—Goodbye, Pei Chuan!
Pei Chuan withdrew his gaze and pursed his lips.
~
Ever since Zhao Xiu found out that Bei Yao had started preschool, she had been feeling uneasy.
In front of the sewing machine at the garment factory, the machine whirred rhythmically as Zhao Xiu chatted with Zhao Zhilan. “Your Yao Yao is only four years old. Isn’t it too early to send her to preschool? What if she can’t keep up?”
Zhao Zhilan was inwardly bursting with pride, but after years of dealing with Zhao Xiu, she had mastered the art of hiding her true feelings. Without pausing her work on the sewing machine, she replied, “Yao Yao has a bit of a talent for studying. She can already solve arithmetic problems. She was the one who asked to go to preschool.”
The sewing machine next to her halted abruptly, and Zhao Xiu nearly pricked her finger with the needle.
Gritting her teeth, Zhao Xiu felt a sour taste in her heart. Fang Minjun was over half a month older than Bei Yao, yet she was still playing games in kindergarten while Bei Yao had already started preschool. Did that mean her daughter would always be a grade behind Zhao Zhilan’s daughter?
This wouldn’t do!
As soon as she got home, Zhao Xiu discussed it with her husband. “How about we send Minmin to preschool too? The elementary school is nearby. We can talk to the teacher and ask for a favor.”
Her husband, Fang Xin, disagreed. “Minmin is only four years old.”
“So what if she’s four? Even that silly girl Bei Yao is in preschool now!”
“Don’t call other people’s children silly.”Zhao Xiu disagreed, "Isn't she just silly? The kindergarten teacher said Bei Yao learns slower than others. Our Minmin is so clever—she'll definitely do well in preschool." She thought about it, growing more and more eager, pacing around the room and even pinching Fang Xin. "Are you just trying to avoid the trouble? I'm telling you, you must get this done. Our Minmin is going to preschool this year!"
Fang Xin had no choice. Unable to withstand Zhao Xiu's unreasonable demands and persistence, he went out to handle the matter. Being a teacher himself, it was much easier for him than for the Bei family.
Zhao Xiu pulled Fang Minjun over. "Minmin, listen to me. You'll be starting preschool soon. Study hard and obey the teachers, understand? You must do your best on exams and make sure to score higher than Bei Yao."
Fang Minjun, with her serious little face often called "Little Jade Maiden," nodded solemnly.
Zhao Xiu felt reassured.
That night, Zhao Xiu had a dream. It was the end-of-term exam, and the papers were being handed back. Her Minmin came home with a perfect score of 100, while the foolish girl Bei Yao downstairs only scored 50. Zhao Zhilan was so angry her nose was practically crooked.
Zhao Xiu couldn't help but laugh in her dream.
~
Because preschool was much farther away than kindergarten, Bei Yao now had to wake up at 6:30 every morning.
Every day, she would rub her sleepy eyes but be full of energy by the time she left the house.
Both Zhao Zhilan and Bei Licai's workplaces were out of the way from the kindergarten, but Zhao Zhilan's factory had less strict requirements and a later start time, so the task of taking Bei Yao to school fell on her.
Fang Minjun, on the other hand, was taken by her father, Fang Xin, since he was a teacher at Chaoyang Elementary School.
Bei Yao wore a green little coat, and since it wasn't raining today, her small flower-like bun hairstyle remained neat.
As Fang Xin walked along, children greeted him with "Good morning, Teacher Fang!" Fang Minjun, walking beside him, naturally became the center of attention.
"Wow, is that Teacher Fang's daughter?"
"They say she looks like Chang Xue. Seeing her today, she really does resemble her!"
"Haha, she's like a 'Little Jade Maiden' version of Chang Xue!"
Amid the chattering admiration, Fang Minjun straightened her back and walked proudly toward the school.
Being young, Fang Minjun couldn't hide her delight at being so well-liked. That year, being a teacher's child was undoubtedly a prestigious and flattering identity. Bei Yao, however, didn't seem envious. After all, Fang Minjun was naturally pretty!
Bei Yao clutched the only big red apple in her backpack, thinking about how to share it with Pei Chuan.
As per Zhao Xiu's request, Fang Minjun was also placed in Preschool Class One.
Teacher Yu Qian was a bit worried.
The class originally had 58 students, which was just right. But now, with the addition of Fang Minjun, the child of a colleague, where should she be placed?
When Teacher Zheng heard about this, his first thought was to have Pei Chuan sit alone.
Over the past few days, he had noticed that Pei Chuan was introverted and unwilling to interact with any of the other children. He often stayed in his own world and didn't pay attention to his deskmate, Bei Yao. If Bei Yao were to sit with Fang Minjun and Pei Chuan were to sit alone, it probably wouldn't affect Pei Chuan's life much.
Teacher Zheng shared his idea with Teacher Yu Qian.
Teacher Yu Qian frowned. "That doesn't seem right. I've heard that children with disabilities are already sensitive. If Bei Yao sits with Fang Minjun, how would Pei Chuan feel?"Teacher Zheng adjusted his glasses: "I've been paying close attention these past few days. Pei Chuan doesn't like to smile, while Bei Yao loves to laugh. This little girl is quite adorable and gets along well with others. But Pei Chuan won't even acknowledge her. I've seen many times when Bei Yao gets a bit too close, Pei Chuan would push her arm away, as if he can't tolerate anyone invading his personal space."
Pei Chuan had drawn clear boundaries in his heart, forbidding Bei Yao from crossing them. Yet the naive little girl seemed to lack awareness, repeatedly getting coldly pushed back beyond the line by Pei Chuan.
From Teacher Zheng's perspective, a boy like Pei Chuan was too selfish and cold-hearted. He wouldn't accept little Bei Yao - or any deskmate for that matter.
It would be better to let him sit alone.
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