“Teacher, we’re here to register.”

The six children approached the desk at the front of the classroom, where other children were also registering.

Teacher: “New students, line up and register, follow the rules.”

Ninety-nine percent of the students had come from the nursery, so they were very familiar with lining up to register and following the rules.

The registration process was quick, just paying the tuition and book fees, and soon it was Yi Bao’s turn.

Teacher: “What’s your name?”

Yi Bao: “Lin Haizhi.”

The teacher found Yi Bao’s name on the registration form. “Do you need to buy books?”

Yi Bao: “There are three of us. During the summer vacation, my mom already bought a set of books, including Chinese and math books. She said she would buy two more sets.”

Teacher: “Okay, three of you. Tuition is one yuan per person, book fees are ten cents per set, totaling 3 yuan and 20 cents. What are the names of the other two students?”

Er Bao: “It’s me, I’m Lin Hairui.”

San Bao: “And me, I’m Lin Haiyang.”

Yi Bao took out five yuan and gave it to the teacher.

The teacher gave him back 1 yuan and 80 cents. “Count the money to see if it’s correct. Can you count money? Can you write your name?”

Yi Bao: “Yes.”

He counted the change from the teacher, which was exactly 1 yuan and 80 cents.

Then he picked up the pen and signed his name where the teacher indicated: Lin Yi.

The teacher blinked, making sure she didn’t misread Yi Bao’s signature.

She said, “…you wrote Lin Yi here? Aren’t you Lin Haizhi?”

Before Yi Bao could speak, Er Bao explained, “Teacher, Lin Haizhi is also my brother’s name, but that name is too hard to write, so we changed our names. My brother is now called Lin Yi, I’m Lin Er, and my younger brother is Lin San.”

Teacher: “…”

She had seen students who wanted to change their names because they were hard to write, but she had never seen anyone change their names directly like this. “Ask your parents if you can change it later.” She couldn’t help but laugh.

Er Bao: “Okay, teacher.”

The teacher took out the ink pad. “Put a thumbprint here where you wrote Lin Yi.”

In those days, many people couldn’t read, so they used ink pads instead of signing.

“Um.” Yi Bao reached out his hand, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “Teacher, which finger should I use to press?”

The teacher smiled and said, “Any finger is fine.”

Yi Bao thought for a moment, extended his right hand, and then compared each finger from the thumb to the pinky, finally choosing his index finger.

His small index finger was quite round, a bit dark, but still clean, with no dirt on the finger and the nail trimmed very nicely.

Yi Bao pressed the ink pad cautiously.

It was his first time, so he was a bit nervous.

Er Bao and San Bao watched wide-eyed, curious about what Yi Bao was doing for the first time.

Yi Bao gently pressed his index finger on the ink pad, afraid of damaging the paper.

Even though he pressed lightly, the ink pad left a mark on the paper, showing the fingerprint.

“Teacher, is this okay?” Yi Bao’s face was tense, and even his voice sounded a bit different from usual.

“It’s fine, very good. Go sit down there and wait for the registration to finish so you can collect your books together,” the teacher said.

“Okay.”

The three of them found a place to sit.

After a while, He Jiaxing and his group also came over.

Children sitting together couldn’t help but chat, but it was different from meeting friends after the holidays in later years.

During the holidays, many parents would take their children out to play and travel, so when they returned from the holidays, they would have many topics to talk about.

But for the children in the residential area, who played together frequently, they didn’t have as many topics.

Most of their conversations revolved around food.

The teacher watched the children get along well and felt pleased, thinking that this group of children should be easy to teach.

After a while, the registration work was finished.

The teacher said, “Five children, come with me to help carry books. I need strong ones.”

Er Bao raised his hand. “Teacher, I’m strong.”

Among their peers, Yi Bao and Er Bao were indeed considered strong.

Yi Bao was sturdy and tall, and he had developed strength from carrying San Bao around since he was little.

The teacher said, “Then you can help with carrying books.”

He Jiaxing: “I’ll go too.”

Yang Wenjie: “Me too.”

Cheng Yingyong naturally joined as well.

Yi Bao originally wanted to go too, but he had to watch over San Bao, so he didn’t go.

The five children followed the teacher outside.

After a while, the teacher brought them back, each carrying a stack of books.

After putting away the books, the ones who helped carry them went back to their seats, waiting for the teacher to distribute the books.

The students sat down one by one, still looking quite excited.

Teacher: “Next, those who have reported their names, come to me to get your books… He An… Zhang Heping… Lin Haizhi…”

The students went to collect their books one by one.

Yi Bao gave the two sets of books he received to Er Bao and San Bao, using the set from home himself.

After the teacher finished distributing the books, she said, “Next, we will select class monitors. Do you know what class monitors do?”

Students: “Yes.”

Teacher: “Then tell me, what do class monitors do?”

Students: “They manage other students.”

Students: “They set an example.”

Students: “…”

Seeing the students answering enthusiastically, the teacher felt pleased.

This group of students seemed more enthusiastic and well-behaved than any other group she had taught before.

Teacher: “Yes, you’re all very smart, and you answered correctly. Now, let’s start selecting class monitors.

First, we will choose the class president.

You can recommend someone you think would be a good class president, or you can recommend yourself if you want to be the class president.”

Many lively students raised their hands.

The teacher, pleased to see several students raising their hands, asked, “Zhang Heping, are you recommending yourself or someone else?”

Zhang Heping is a chubby boy with a round face.

He’s not only chubby but also quite tall among his peers.

He said, “Teacher, I recommend myself. I want to be the class monitor.”

The teacher wrote Zhang Heping’s name on the blackboard and then asked, “Zhang Heping, please sit down. Do any other students have someone else to recommend?”

He Jiaxing raised his hand and said, “Teacher, I also want to recommend someone.”

The teacher asked, “He Jiaxing, who do you want to recommend?”

He Jiaxing stood up and said, “Teacher, I recommend Lin Haizhi.” He Jiaxing thought that the class leaders must stick together.

Yang Wenjie and others also echoed, “Teacher, we also recommend Lin Haizhi.”

Er Bao said, “My brother is the best. It would be great if my brother could be the class monitor.”

Yi Bao pursed his lips, feeling a bit nervous.

The teacher said, “Everyone can make a recommendation. Besides Zhang Heping and Lin Haizhi, does anyone else want to recommend someone else as class monitor?”

Seeing no more hands raised, the teacher continued, “Now we have two candidates for class monitor. Let’s vote by raising hands.

Each person can only raise their hand once.

Whoever has more votes will be the class monitor.

If you can’t decide, you don’t have to raise your hand. Now, those who agree with Zhang Heping being the class monitor, please raise your hands.”

The teacher counted the number of hands raised below. “There are a total of 8.”

There are 48 students in Class 2 of the first grade, and 8 of them agree that Zhang Heping should be the class monitor.

The teacher already knew the result.

“Next, those who agree with Lin Haizhi being the class monitor, please raise your hands.”

As the teacher expected, the situation was one-sided. “There are 22 votes for Lin Haizhi to be the class monitor. Now, I announce that Lin Haizhi will be the class monitor of our Class 2 of the first grade. Let’s applaud and welcome him.”

The applause was quite loud, and Er Bao, San Bao, and He Jiaxing were the most delighted.

The teacher beckoned to Yi Bao, “Lin Haizhi, come up and say a few words. Let our other classmates get to know you.”

Yi Bao’s originally tense face turned a bit red.

He walked to the front of the podium.

It was his first time experiencing something like this, and he didn’t know what to do, so he just looked at the teacher.

The teacher said, “Introduce yourself. What’s your name? What do you like? What are your dreams?”

Yi Bao thought for a moment.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Lin Haizhi.

I like to help my mom with chores and make her happy.

My dream… my dream is to study hard, find a good job in the future, and earn money to support my mom.”

The teacher thought to herself, in the future, there may be few people who are as filial and devoted as Yi Bao.

“Very good. Our Lin Haizhi is a filial and ambitious child. I hope you all can be as filial as Lin Haizhi, study hard, and strive to find good jobs to contribute to the country and the people…

Lin Haizhi, you can sit down now.

Next, we have the Chinese class monitor, the math class monitor… Zhang Heping, since you weren’t selected as the class monitor, how about being the math class monitor? Zhang Heping, are you willing?”

Zhang Heping felt a bit embarrassed at first.

He was worried that people would look down on him for not being chosen as the class monitor.

Unexpectedly, the teacher chose him to be the math class monitor.

Of course, he was willing.

Zhang Heping nodded happily and excitedly, “Teacher, I’m willing.”

The teacher asked, “Which subject do you like, Chinese or math?”

Huh? Zhang Heping thought for a moment and honestly replied, “Teacher, I haven’t studied either Chinese or math. I don’t know which subject I like.”

The teacher smiled, “Then you can be the math class monitor. Boys usually prefer math.”

Zhang Heping nodded, “Okay, teacher.”

The teacher reminded him, “As the math class monitor, you need to be at the top of the class in math. Understand?”

Zhang Heping blinked, “Teacher, what does ‘at the top of the class’ mean?”

He is a big child who has just graduated from a kindergarten and has not yet learned idioms.

How could he know what “at the top of the class” means?

The teacher said, “…’at the top of the class’ means to be far ahead, that is to say, your math grades should be in the top five of the class. If you don’t achieve that, we’ll have to find a new math class monitor.”

Zhang Heping had finally become an official in the class with great difficulty.

He didn’t want to be replaced.

It’s so prestigious to be an official in the class.

So, he nodded vigorously and said, “Teacher, I understand. I promise I’ll do it!”