The night school’s classes ended for the day, and Jiang Cheng undoubtedly became the favorite student of both teachers—no doubt about it.

After class, everyone began packing up their desks.

Zhang Cuijuan, who had the demeanor of a veteran cadre, walked over to Jiang Cheng with a duty roster in hand.

“Comrade Jiang Cheng, you’ll stay behind today to clean up.”

“No problem.”

Jiang Cheng agreed with a smile, showing no hesitation at all.

Her readiness made Zhang Cuijuan somewhat uncomfortable, but she couldn’t find any fault with it.

Was the other person being too enthusiastic? Too cooperative?

Jiang Cheng packed her bag and glanced at Zhang Cuijuan’s duty roster.

“Comrade Zhang, could you please write my name down? That way, you won’t have to remind me every time, and it won’t interfere with your studies.”

In other words, stop keeping an eye on me for no reason!

Zhang Cuijuan’s expression wasn’t great, but she prided herself on being fair and just, so she still added Jiang Cheng’s name to the roster.

After writing it down, Zhang Cuijuan spoke with a slightly superior tone, as if she enjoyed being in charge: “Make sure you clean well.”

“If Comrade Zhang isn’t confident, why not stay behind to supervise us?”

Zhang Cuijuan, who had a strong desire for authority, was actually somewhat tempted.

“But a progressive comrade like Comrade Zhang surely wouldn’t stand by and watch her like-minded classmates work while she does nothing. The instructors always say we should immerse ourselves among the masses…”

Jiang Cheng rambled on.

Zhang Cuijuan, however, didn’t dare to listen any further.

Jiang Cheng had already suggested that she voluntarily stay behind every day.

Who would want to stay behind every day?!

Not only did Zhang Cuijuan hit a soft wall, but she also ran off in a bit of a hurry.

Soon, only four people remained in the classroom, cleaning together.

As they neared the end, Sun Jiandong, who thought he was quite handsome, blocked Jiang Cheng’s path.

“Hello, Comrade Jiang Cheng. I’m Sun Jiandong. I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”

Jiang Cheng took three steps back, maintaining a safe distance of over one meter.

“Sun Jiandong? Are you our class monitor?”

Sun Jiandong replied irritably, “No!”

“Oh—are you the study committee member?”

“No!”

“The top student?”

“No!”

“The fastest runner?”

“No!”

“Then… do you eat the most?”

“Pfft!”

“Cough, cough!”

The three classmates cleaning the classroom couldn’t hold back their laughter.

Sun Jiandong’s face turned red, and he glared at Jiang Cheng with eyes that seemed ready to devour her.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Jiang Cheng took two more steps back. It was safer to keep some distance from an angry person.

“Comrade Sun, you said I should know you, but the fact is I don’t even know your name. I think instead of questioning me, you should reflect on why you don’t have a single redeeming quality.”

“We, the people of the new era, were born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze. We may not aspire to save the world or the nation, but we should at least strive to master a skill. The organization and the collective have invested heavily in your education, hoping you would use your knowledge to serve the country, improve your character, and take on responsibilities with integrity.”

“But you, a fully grown man, can’t even achieve the basics. When you die, your epitaph will only read ‘son of so-and-so.’ Is that really what you want?”

Jiang Cheng’s righteous words were deafening, awakening the others.

They even felt a slight surge of passion.

This was an era that didn’t lack passion!

It was also the best era for grandstanding!

Sun Jiandong felt a sense of shame, as if he were being lectured by his grandfather. His previously slouching posture unconsciously straightened.

But he was too stubborn to admit that Jiang Cheng was right, and his body twisted awkwardly as he blocked the doorway.

Jiang Cheng, with her backpack slung over her shoulder, looked at Sun Jiandong meaningfully and said, “If you need to go to the bathroom, just go.”

Sun Jiandong: ??

Sun Jiandong’s face burned with embarrassment. He had long forgotten why he had approached Jiang Cheng in the first place. Now, all he felt was that he had lost face.

“Jiang Cheng, I’ll remember you! Just you wait!”

Sun Jiandong ran off.

“Ah—look at how badly he needed to go.”

The mature and composed Jiang Cheng shook her head, then turned to the other three with a faint smile.

“See you tomorrow night, comrades.”

The three of them waved stiffly, watching Jiang Cheng leave.

They all had the same thought: Who is this Jiang Cheng?

She—she—is so different.

As Jiang Cheng left the night school, she saw the gatekeeper, Old Wang, chatting with Granny Shen, Shen Xing, and Shen Yue before she even reached the gate.

The four of them waved and called out to her when they saw her.

Jiang Cheng flashed a bright smile and quickened her pace to run over.

“Uncle Wang, this is Granny Shen, this is Shen Xing, and this is Shen Yue.”

The gatekeeper, Old Wang, nodded with a smile. “I know. They’ve been here for a while. Why did you take so long to come out?”

“I volunteered to clean the classroom. I may not be able to do big things, but I can handle small tasks.”

Old Wang gave her a thumbs-up.

Jiang Cheng smiled modestly, without a hint of guilt. She had indeed done the work.

A certain registration clerk who was off duty glanced over at the familiar voice.

Jiang Cheng?

Zhao Na’s eyes sharpened, and she quickened her pace. With a leap, she mounted her bicycle and pedaled away in a flash.

Old Wang only felt a dark shadow whiz by.

“What was that? A big rat?!”

Jiang Cheng suppressed a laugh. She had seen who it was but didn’t say anything. After chatting with Old Wang for a few more moments, she walked home with Granny Shen and the two children.

The scene was the same as always: the dim beam of a flashlight and the four of them walking together.

They tacitly didn’t discuss why they had come to pick her up, simply accepting it as a given.

“Sister Jiang Cheng, I saw Auntie He from across the street coming out of the night school too.”

Shen Yue tilted her head to look up at Jiang Cheng. Although she didn’t fully understand the situation, she knew that Sister Jiang Cheng didn’t like the neighbor across the street.

So, she wouldn’t like her either!

“He Dan is also studying there. Don’t worry about her; I can handle it.”

Shen Yue, with her round, bun-like face, nodded and squeezed Jiang Cheng’s hand.

“Sister, you’re the best!”

Shen Yue clumsily tried to comfort her.

Jiang Cheng gave her a head pat, her confidence on full display.

“Of course! You never need to doubt that!”

Shen Xing, who had been about to offer some comfort, swallowed his words.

He had forgotten about Sister Jiang Cheng’s boundless self-confidence.

Granny Shen remained silent, simply watching the three of them chat back and forth.

The scene was peaceful and serene.

Just as Granny Shen was painting this beautiful picture in her mind, the topic suddenly shifted without her noticing.

Jiang Cheng began vividly telling a story—a scary one.

Shen Xing’s small body instinctively moved closer to Granny Shen, pretending to be concerned. “Granny, let me hold your arm. The road is uneven.”

Granny Shen thought to herself: I think it’s your heart that’s uneven.

She didn’t call him out, though, and listened as Jiang Cheng told a story about human traffickers.

The more she listened, the stranger it seemed.

Why did it feel like Jiang Cheng’s tactics were more advanced than those of the traffickers?

It was as if she could turn the tables and sell the traffickers themselves.

The trip home took ten minutes less than the day before. Once they entered the yard, Shen Xing and Shen Yue instinctively sought out the safest place—their beds.

Jiang Cheng shook her head and sighed, saying to Granny Shen, “They’re still a bit too timid.”

“I think with you around, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to toughen up.”

Granny Shen teased.

Jiang Cheng put on a look of reluctance and said, “Since you put it that way, I can’t let you down. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best.”

Granny Shen was both amused and exasperated.

This girl had a talent for talking nonsense with a straight face.

After washing up, Jiang Cheng continued her studies in bed.

Meanwhile, Shen Xing, unsurprisingly, dreamed that he had been kidnapped, his limbs broken, his eyes gouged out, forced to beg on the streets, emaciated, and fighting with rats for scraps in the garbage.

It was tragic!

So tragic!

The next day at school, Shen Xing and Shen Yue both had dark circles under their eyes, sticking close together and eyeing everyone around them with suspicion, convinced that no one could be trusted.

Jiang Cheng didn’t go with them. She had gone off to find food.