Chapter 33: Uprising (1)
Mi Yang walked for a while, then suddenly sighed. “I think this is really not right.”
He said it out of the blue, and Bai Luochuan didn’t understand. He subconsciously said, “If it’s not right, then change it.”
Mi Yang looked up at him for a while, then suddenly smiled and nodded. “You’re right.”
Bai Luochuan also looked at him, puzzled. “Why do you keep looking at me? What are you thinking?”
I’m starting to not want to skip a grade. I want to stay with you for a few more years. Mi Yang swallowed the words in his heart, rubbed the tip of his nose, and smiled. “Nothing, I just think you’re really great.”
Bai Luochuan’s little chin lifted a bit. “Of course. I’m the best to you.” He said as he slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and went to take Mi Yang’s hand. He said to him, “When I get to the third grade, I’ll protect you.”
Mi Yang chuckled but gave him a very respectful nod. “Okay!”
Mi Yang thought it was amazing that a child like the young master Bai could think of so much. But if they were to really investigate, they couldn’t just raid someone’s house. Even if they found it, Sun Qian’s family wouldn’t admit it for the sake of their child, let alone Teacher Wang.
Bai Luochuan also remembered the matter with Teacher Wang and asked him, “Should I go talk to Grandpa?”
Mi Yang shook his head. “Let’s wait a bit longer.”
Bai Luochuan was a little dissatisfied. A child’s world was black and white, and he didn’t know about the gray areas of adulthood. Mi Yang hadn’t been very angry before, also because he hadn’t planned on staying in elementary school for long. But seeing the young master Bai protecting him so fiercely, he also began to think.
Bai Luochuan kicked a small stone at his feet, a little unhappy but not insistent. After a long while, he furrowed his little brow and changed the condition. “Then you’ll stay and do homework with me on Sunday.”
Mi Yang said, “Alright.”
Bai Luochuan said again, “Bring your school uniform. We’ll go to school together tomorrow.”
Mi Yang nodded and agreed.
Bai Luochuan was still looking at him.
Mi Yang thought for a moment and immediately praised him, “You were really amazing today. I never would have thought to ask about those things. And it took me a long time to get to know my classmates after I came to the class, but you got to know them just by playing one game of soccer. That’s great!”
The little young master became proud again.
The two of them played video games a little late on the weekend, and they both had dark circles under their eyes when they woke up the next day. Mi Yang rubbed his eyes, and Bai Luochuan yawned beside him, only slowly regaining his energy after splashing his face with cold water. Perhaps because he was a little emotional from not getting enough sleep, Bai Luochuan started to be picky at breakfast again. He wouldn’t eat the mountain celery, the green onions, or the ginger, picking them out one by one, on the verge of throwing a little tantrum.
Mi Yang stuffed a fried dough stick into his hand, took his bowl of congee, picked out the things he didn’t like, and then placed it by his hand. “Drink up. We have to raise the flag on Monday morning, so we have to be there ten minutes early.”
Only then did the young master Bai drink it all in two gulps, wipe his mouth, pick up his schoolbag, and say to Mi Yang, “Alright.”
Mi Yang also slung his small satchel over his shoulder and ran to catch up. The slightly worn military satchel slapped against him as he ran. A red five-pointed star was pinned on it, which was very cute. After Bai Luochuan got in the car, he reached out and pulled Mi Yang in. The two of them squeezed into the back seat and went over their homework on the way to school. Although the first and third grades had different assignments, the two of them were basically at the same level in their tutoring. Wei Xian was a good teacher, and Bai Luochuan was smart, so he could completely keep up with Mi Yang’s schoolwork.
Mi Yang looked out the car window. There was already frost. When he breathed on the window, a white mist formed. The weather was gradually getting colder.
Bai Luochuan reached out and touched his little belly. Mi Yang looked at him with a puzzled expression. Bai Luochuan touched it, then pulled his hand to touch his own little belly, showing a little bit of pride that outsiders couldn’t see. “New sweater. We have the same one.”
Mi Yang also started to laugh.
After the flag-raising ceremony, the principal said a few simple words. The general idea was to organize everyone to donate money and goods to the children in poor mountainous areas.
“Classmates, some children in the big mountains have to save and use even a single pencil, and they use cigarette boxes to do their homework. Especially now that winter is approaching and the weather is cold, our school has decided to mobilize all the teachers and students to donate money and goods to support a Hope Primary School! After you go home, prepare for a few days, and report the items you want to donate to your homeroom teachers, and they will be collected uniformly. When you give a rose to others, the fragrance lingers on your hand. I believe that our love this time will definitely help more poor children!”
When Mi Yang was in university, he had also gone with his teacher to teach in a mountainous school. Hearing this, he was in a daze for a moment, a little nostalgic. He still remembered the children there calling him “Teacher Mi,” and when he was leaving, they had secretly stuffed his pockets full of luodu wild fruits. He didn’t know, and many of them were crushed on the way back, but they were just as sweet to eat.
Tang Xiao switched seats twice to come over and ask him, “Hey Mi Yang, what are you donating?”
Mi Yang said, “Paper, pens… stationery, I guess.” He was about to say books and clothes, but then he suddenly remembered that he didn’t have that much money to spend yet. But in this life, he could go to the mountains again and see those children.
Tang Xiao nodded along. “I’m planning to donate those too.”
After returning to the classroom, Teacher Wang came in and said, “Everyone, go home today and tell your parents about the school’s donation drive. Report what you want to donate to the class monitor, and the class monitor will keep a record.”
The little class monitor—little Wang Yiyi—nodded to show that she understood and even took out the notebook specially for class affairs and placed it on the side, ready.
That afternoon, many children had already brought things. Some donated stationery, and some donated money directly, in denominations of five or ten yuan. Sun Qian brought the most, donating a fifty-yuan bill, which caused a small commotion.
The little class monitor carefully recorded it, not showing any favoritism based on who gave more or less, her handwriting particularly serious.
In the evening, just before school was over, Teacher Wang called a girl in the class out alone. Mi Yang looked up and saw that it was the girl from their group in the art class last time, the one with the stinky ink. Her name seemed to be Yu Tian.
After a short while, Yu Tian came back with red-rimmed eyes, looking like she was about to cry but didn’t dare to.
Teacher Wang also followed her in, holding a pencil case and placing it on the podium—it was a very clean pencil case. Although it was old, you could see that the owner had cherished it. Teacher Wang said, “When you donate things, you should pay attention. Used stationery like this, it’s too old. Don’t donate it.”
The whole class was silent. Some children’s gazes also fell on Yu Tian, who had just come in. The little girl sat at her desk with her head down, not saying a word, only her shoulders trembling slightly. In front of her was a small cloth bag, with an opening showing a pencil. She had donated her most treasured pencil case and was willingly using a small cloth bag herself.
A small flame of anger ignited in Mi Yang’s heart!
He had been in the same group as Yu Tian and had subconsciously included her and the little fatty and the others in his group of “little friends.” It was one thing for him to suffer a little unfair treatment. He had an adult’s mind inside and could laugh it off. But when it involved the children again and again, he couldn’t tolerate it!
Mi Yang raised his hand. “Report!”
Teacher Wang had just finished speaking and was about to leave. Hearing him, she couldn’t help but frown. “What is it?”
Mi Yang stood up. “Teacher, why can’t classmate Yu Tian’s pencil case be donated?”
Teacher Wang said, “I just said, it’s too old…”
The angrier Mi Yang was, the less temper he seemed to have. He smiled and said, “Teacher, then I think the children in the poor mountainous areas use things that are even better than what we use. We should be the ones receiving donations.”
Teacher Wang scolded, “Mi Yang!”
Mi Yang stood up straight, without any sign of backing down. “I believe the school’s original intention was to show love, but everyone’s family situation is different. Love cannot be directly linked to money.” He looked at the teacher calmly. “You’re not letting Yu Tian donate. Is it because the school doesn’t allow it? Or is it because you yourself feel that the things donated by the class are too few and not good, and you’ll lose face?”
The whole class immediately buzzed with noise, and Teacher Wang’s face also became much uglier.
Mi Yang said, “Actually, my family’s situation is not as good as the other classmates, but I believe our family won’t be like this forever. In the future, when I make a donation, the sentiment will be the same as it is now, which is to help others.”
Teacher Wang said, “You’re talking back again!”
Mi Yang quickly recited a passage, “True kindness comes from sincere sympathy and compassion from the bottom of one’s heart, selfless care and blessings. It is the most primitive, simple, and pure essence of human emotion.” He looked at Teacher Wang and blinked. “The answer to the second reading analysis question in the third lesson of Chinese yesterday. The Chinese teacher told us to memorize it.”
Teacher Wang’s face was ashen with anger. She slammed the desk a few times to get everyone to be quiet, but it had no effect. Just then, the bell for the end of school rang. She was so angry that she simply walked out first.
Mi Yang took a deep breath and walked to the podium. All the children looked at him.
Mi Yang was a bit short, but when he stood up, the class fell silent. Perhaps the words he had just said were too shocking for the children, and everyone was staring at him.
Mi Yang looked at everyone and said seriously, “Regarding our class’s donation drive, I have a proposal.”
It was Bai Luochuan’s turn to be on duty today. After he finished cleaning, he didn’t see Mi Yang, so he went to look for him.
The door to the first class of the third grade was closed, but not locked. Bai Luochuan found it a bit strange. He went forward, knocked on the door, and pushed it open a little. “Mi Yang, are you in there…”
The 40 children in the class all turned to look at him in unison. The little class monitor even let him in and then nimbly closed the door. Bai Luochuan was about to ask again when a child next to him tugged on his sleeve, made a “shh” gesture, and then looked back at the podium with sparkling eyes. “Don’t talk, Mi Yang isn’t finished yet!”
Bai Luochuan was a little puzzled. He glanced at Mi Yang standing on the podium, then at the strange diagram he had drawn on the blackboard behind him. It looked a bit like a formation, represented by small squares, and was divided into groups with markings.
Mi Yang had just finished the last point and said to everyone, “That’s about it. After school, we’ll set up stalls in this location, according to our previous groups. Everyone can bring old items, and the daily amount will be given to the class monitor to count. The estimated time is three days.”
Only then did Bai Luochuan see the line of words at the top, which read: Flea Market.
To be inclusive, Mi Yang had even thoughtfully added Pinyin above it.
