Chapter 125 2/2

As soon as she introduced herself, the principal recognized her and shook her hand warmly, “Welcome, welcome. It’s an honor for the second primary school that Director Qiao’s child has chosen our school.”

People’s attitudes had changed.

Before, when Qiao Wei worked in the County Committee office and interacted with many people under Secretary Meng’s guidance, she could share some of Secretary Meng’s power, but even then, people’s attitudes weren’t like they were now.

Even if there were attempts to please her, they was driven by interests, without fear or apprehension.

But now people were trying to please her carefully, with uneasy glances.

In the eyes of the principal, anyone rising up during this period was not to be offended.

Qiao Wei chatted with the principal to put him at ease.

Qiao Wei said, “The primary school should be fine; after all, they’re young.”

The principal sighed, “Yes, the middle school… sigh, let’s not talk about it.”

Qiao Wei sighed too.

“I don’t expect my child to learn much at school,” she said. “After all, they can’t be groomed as successors to capitalism.”

“I just hope my child can learn to interact with people and things at school.”

So, she arranged for Yan Xiang to attend the second primary school, which was closest to the library.

Yan Xiang’s father specially prepared a brand new military shoulder bag for him.

He even stitched a five-pointed star onto it.

But he still felt Yan Xiang was a bit young because he wasn’t even six yet. Most children entered primary school at six or seven, and some even at eight. Plus, there were those who repeated a grade because they couldn’t memorize the quotations, so there could be a wide range of ages and heights in one class.

“It’s time to step up your training,” his father said.

Qiao Wei: “…”

Since Yingzi bravely repelled the young ruffians, Yan Lei felt it was time to start training Yan Xiang too.

Yan Xiang was very eager to learn.

When he heard his dad say they were going to “intensify” the training, his eyes lit up.

With one willing to teach and the other eager to learn, the mother could only lie on the cool bed, eating melon while watching them with her legs crossed.

In September, Yan Xiang went to school with his military shoulder bag.

Due to the central government’s call to reduce the academic burden, schools no longer held exams or assigned homework. They only attended school in the morning, spending the afternoons learning crafts and agriculture.

But first graders were too young; they couldn’t do much, and there was fear they might get lost or injured, so they were let out directly in the afternoon.

Qiao Wei picked up Yan Xiang from school every afternoon.

She asked Yan Xiang, “How’s school?”

Yan Xiang replied, “It’s pretty good. During breaks, I play soccer and games with my classmates, which is a lot of fun.”

After a few days, when picking up her child, Qiao Wei deliberately asked the homeroom teacher, “How’s Yan Xiang doing?”

The homeroom teacher hesitated for a moment and said, “He’s doing fine, he’s doing fine.”

But what did that hesitation mean?

Qiao Wei was particularly gentle, “If there’s anything about him, you must tell me. A child’s growth needs parents’ help, but it also needs the teacher’s.”

The teacher felt that Yan Xiang’s parents were sincere, so he tried to communicate, “Yan Xiang seems… um, well… have you noticed… his mind… um um, it’s not a big problem, right?”

Qiao Wei: “…”

Qiao Wei pressed for more information. Her attitude was patient and gentle, unlike that of some parents who managed their children harshly. Finally, the teacher said, “He daydreams in class, for the entire period, his eyes are vacant, and sometimes I have to call his name several times to snap him out of it. I’m a bit worried about him.”

I was worried he might be intellectually disabled.

While typical children might also daydream and not pay attention, it usually isn’t as deep as this.

If Yan Xiang could really daydream for the entire class, then his gaze wouldn’t even be focused on the blackboard, only on the air.

Yan Xiang seemed to want to say something.

Qiao Wei subtly restrained him and asked the teacher, “What about during breaks?”

The teacher said, “During breaks, he’s completely normal, playing well with his classmates. Even the older students like to play with him.”

So the teacher was also puzzled.

Qiao Wei thanked the teacher and left with Yan Xiang.

When they were far away, she quietly asked, “What were you doing when you daydreamed in class?”

Sure enough, Yan Xiang said, “I was memorizing things and working out equations.”

He couldn’t really be learning 1+1=2 with everyone else.

Qiao Wei: “Alright. I’ll talk to the teacher later. You just continue like this, so she won’t worry, and you don’t need to worry either.”

Because Yan Xiang still enjoyed playing with his classmates. He was gradually reaching the age where he liked running and jumping.

His intelligence was certainly superior to that of his peers, but his physique wasn’t. Kids like Guanzi and Yingzi wouldn’t play with him. Only Huazi, who was also an elementary student, reluctantly played with him.

Qiao Wei picked up Yan Xiang every lunchtime to eat at her workplace.

The library staff was small, so they didn’t have their own cafeteria. They shared a unit with the Agricultural Bureau, so the library staff had lunch together with them in the agricultural bureau’s cafeteria every day.

Qiao Wei took Yan Xiang back to the library, grabbed their lunch boxes, and together with her subordinates, they passed through a connecting door and went to the Agricultural Bureau next door.

Previously, the librarians from the library would quietly come over for lunch.

But now, there was always someone greeting them in the cafeteria.

“Director Qiao.”

“Qiao.”

“Comrade Qiao Wei.”

So, during lunchtime every day, you could see the new head of the library, along with a string of her socially awkward librarians, entering the cafeteria.

The director of Sheniu greeted people all the way.

The socially anxious librarians huddled up like quails and followed behind the director.

And there was also a bouncing little tail, Yan Xiang.

Yan Xiang felt even happier after entering elementary school.

During class time, the teacher taught, and the classmates learned, but he, he learned on his own in his mind.

The toys he played with during recess were much better than those in kindergarten. Because he was the youngest in the class, all the other kids were older than him.

At this age, children half a year or a year older than others had much stronger physical development and could run much faster.

The games Yan Xiang played with his classmates consumed twice as much energy as those in kindergarten.

Happiness doubled.

But human joy and sorrow never intersect.

When Sister Yang heard that Yan Xiang was going to elementary school, she thought, “If Jun Jun is a year older than Yan Xiang, then he should also go to elementary school.”

Originally, children in the countryside started school later, so she hadn’t planned to send him so early.

Now that little Yan Xiang had gone to school, whenever she saw Jun Jun playing outside all day, getting dirty every day, Sister Yang couldn’t stand him anymore and sent him to the elementary school in the Xiahekou district.

Although both were entering elementary school, Yan Xiang felt doubly happy.

But Jun Jun was miserable.

In the evening, Qiao Wei stood by the window, eavesdropping on the two little friends on the cool bed outside, eating milk biscuits and chatting.

Jun Jun complained, “We have to sit for so long, we’re not allowed to drink water, go to the bathroom, stand up casually, or talk casually.”

“I just walked around the classroom during class, and the teacher made me stand at the door as punishment.”

“My second brother goes home and tells my older brother and sister about it.”

“My older brother said my older sister’s hands were light, so he let my older sister beat me. But are my older sister’s hands light? She’s someone who can take on three people at once!”

“Sob, why do people have to grow up? Why do we have to go to school when we grow up? Sob sob sob…”

Yan Xiang comforted him gently, “Don’t cry, here, have some candy.”

“Sob sob sob, is there more?”

“Alright, here’s another piece for you.”

“Sob sob sob, is there more?”

“This is the last piece!”

“Sob~”