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Chapter 25: Wolf Cub

After Mi Yang left with his pillow, Bai Luochuan was willing to come downstairs for breakfast.

Although Mrs. Bai didn’t find out what had happened at school, she was relieved to see him eating. She was still worried about her son having some kind of accident at school and had planned to wait a couple of days before calling the teacher. But by dinnertime that evening, the entire military compound knew about Mi Yang skipping a grade.

Especially among the children in Mi Yang’s grade, Mi Yang instantly became the prime example of “other people’s children” in the mothers’ mouths.

Mrs. Bai also figured out why her son had suddenly thrown a tantrum the day before. That evening, she specially had the nanny auntie make a few more of Bai Luochuan’s favorite dishes and even bought a small cake to cheer him up.

Bai Luochuan didn’t have much of an appetite, but after eating most of a bowl of rice, he put down his small bowl and said, “Mom, I want to go to a tutoring class.”

Mrs. Bai was taken aback. “What?”

Bai Luochuan said, “I asked Mi Yang. He said that to improve your grades, you usually have to go to a tutoring class.”

Mrs. Bai said carefully, “Luochuan, you don’t have to worry too much. It’s fine to take it slow. You’ve only just started the first grade…”

Bai Luochuan shook his head. “I don’t want to. I want to skip a grade too.”

Mrs. Bai said, “For that, you have to study hard and learn a lot of things.”

Bai Luochuan looked at her and said stubbornly, “Then I’ll study.”

Since he was so insistent, Mrs. Bai didn’t have the heart to refuse. But the area was quite remote, and there weren’t any tutoring classes. At most, the teachers would hold a one or two-week session during the winter and summer breaks as a form of tutoring. Mrs. Bai was not satisfied. She had her family specially hire a private tutor from Shanghai to teach her son.

The private tutor was a retired provincial-level outstanding teacher named Wei Xian. His own two children had already immigrated and were living abroad. He was reluctant to leave the country and had originally planned to enjoy a peaceful retirement, even turning down offers to return to his former key middle school. But he owed the Luo family a favor, and when the Luo family came to ask, he readily packed his bags and came over.

When the old Mr. Bai heard about this, he even made a special call to encourage his grandson, promising him many gifts. The old chief himself hadn’t had much education, but he hoped that the younger generation would be skilled in both literary and martial arts. Especially since Bai Luochuan was the only male heir in the family and had a personality and temper most like his own, he doted on him more and more, wishing he could hold him in the palm of his hand and spoil him.

Mr. Wei was staying at the Bai’s house. The other empty suite on the second floor was given to him, also for the convenience of tutoring Bai Luochuan in the study across the hall. Every day after school, he would have to teach him for several hours.

It was only after he arrived that he realized he was teaching an elementary school student, which he found rather amusing. But he still patiently gave Bai Luochuan a few problems as a test. Bai Luochuan did them seriously but still got a few wrong. Mr. Wei patiently taught him for two days, and when he tested him again, the results were vastly different. The young master Bai was just playful, but when he got serious, his learning speed was like a sponge absorbing water, which even surprised Mr. Wei. Gradually, he began to increase the difficulty for him.

After hearing this from Mr. Wei, Mrs. Bai was secretly delighted and took the opportunity to add a few more subjects, including a foreign language.

When Bai Luochuan was learning, he just looked up at her and asked, “Is Little Good Boy learning this too?”

Mrs. Bai said seriously, “Yes, he’s learning this too.”

Bai Luochuan then began to study diligently without a word, working extremely hard. The little child seemed to be fiercely studying as if he wanted to devour the thick stack of books on his desk. After just two days, Mrs. Bai couldn’t bear to watch anymore and had the teacher reduce his lessons by two. Bai Luochuan even threw a tantrum over this, pursing his lips and looking up at his mother, his eyes very stubborn. “I want to study.”

Mrs. Bai had no choice but to add them back for him.

As a result, Mr. Wei, who had initially been uninterested, became serious about teaching the child, and his teaching became more and more earnest.

On the other side, Mi Yang went to the first class of the third grade with his small schoolbag on his back.

As soon as he entered the teachers’ office on the second floor, he ran into a familiar face. The teacher in charge of the third grade, who was taking over from his previous teacher, was a woman in her fifties with short, permed hair and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on her nose. Just from her appearance, she seemed very strict and not one to smile, a bit like a dean of discipline.

The young teacher who had brought Mi Yang over said with a smile, “Here, Teacher Wang, this is the student. The principal has already agreed for him to come to the third grade. We’ll have to trouble you to take good care of him in the future.”

Teacher Wang looked down at Mi Yang and couldn’t help but frown at the sight of this little kid. “How old is he? Isn’t sending him here now just adding to our burden?”

The young teacher was a bit embarrassed and quickly explained, “But he’s really smart. He hasn’t made a single mistake on the problems he’s done…”

Teacher Wang waved her hand, looking impatient. “Being smart is one thing, age is another. A few years ago, the TV was reporting on the junior class, and there were even twelve-year-olds going to university. Weren’t they all expelled? They couldn’t take care of themselves. This has nothing to do with intelligence. He’s young. What if he cries and makes a fuss in class? Do I call his parents to send him back to the first grade? You’re just making trouble for the higher grades.”

The young teacher was berated by her and her face turned red and white. She didn’t say anything more.

That Teacher Wang was just venting her anger. She couldn’t say anything to the school leadership, so she just took it out on the young teacher. She didn’t dare to actually push Mi Yang away. After all, he had been sent over with the principal’s personal signature of approval. She could only reluctantly accept this student.

Mi Yang looked at her and thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered who she was.

On his first day of school, he had been scolded by this teacher for eating a sesame seed cake. He didn’t expect to run into her again.

Teacher Wang led Mi Yang in, and the classroom immediately erupted in a commotion. Many curious gazes were fixed on Mi Yang, and someone even said, “He’s so small,” which caused a burst of laughter.

Teacher Wang tapped the desk with the blackboard eraser. “Quiet!”

When the class slowly quieted down, she said, “You’ve probably all heard. This is a new transfer student in our class. Now, let him introduce himself.”

Mi Yang stood on the podium and, trying his best to think of an elementary school student’s self-introduction, began, “Hello everyone, my name is Mi Yang. I’m seven years old this year. My hobbies are handicrafts and writing. I’m very happy to be able to study in the same class as everyone. I hope you will all take good care of me!”

The students in the class were all nine-year-old big kids. Although they were curious about him, they were also very polite and applauded. The atmosphere was quite good.

Teacher Wang didn’t give Mi Yang any special treatment. When assigning seats, she treated him like any other transfer student, having him sit in an empty seat by the window in the fifth row. She bent down and said to him, “In our class, seats are assigned based on test rankings. It’s different from the first grade. You’re a transfer student and came late, so just find an empty seat for now. After the next test, we’ll reassign the seats.”

Mi Yang sat inside with his schoolbag on his back and nodded repeatedly.

He didn’t want to sit in the first row at all. Although the front row seemed to be where the good students gathered, especially the first row, which was always the spot the teacher reserved for her favorite students, sitting in the first row meant eating chalk dust with every meal! After a class, your face would be covered in chalk dust.

Teacher Wang was slightly more satisfied with his sensible behavior and turned to leave.

After Teacher Wang had gone far, his new deskmate turned his head and looked him up and down curiously, his eyes sparkling.

Mi Yang also looked up at him. This boy, who was two years older than him, had sparkling black pupils and particularly thick hair and eyebrows. Even on his yet-to-mature little face, one could see a heroic air, like a budding poplar tree. Like the local children of the border town, this child also had a very healthy, wheat-colored skin. When he smiled, he revealed a set of neat little white teeth, his canines peeking out, making him look just like a little wolf cub with smooth fur.

It was just that his behavior was not as upright as his appearance. He reached out and tentatively poked Mi Yang. “Hey, kid!”

Mi Yang: “?”

“You said your hobby is writing? Write something for me to see,” the boy’s fingers then landed on Mi Yang’s face, gently pinching his soft, chubby cheek with a mischievous grin. “If you write well, you can do all my homework for me in the future.”

Mi Yang: “…!!”