n

n

n

n

n

nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nWhen they went to school the next day, everything had indeed been reversed.

n

n

nZhang Fei’s eyes were bloodshot, and he looked very dispirited. His anger and shame had made him lose all his vigor and arrogance.

n

n

nAn impulsive moment had caused a disaster. Everyone in the village had seen him make a fool of himself.

n

n

nHe could totally imagine what the villagers were saying about him behind his back. Without dignity and respect, he wouldn’t be able to keep his head high as a teacher in the future. It could be said that those two cups of wine had made a serious impact on his career.

n

n

nIt would have been better if he could have gotten the girl he liked. However, when he had met Mu Xue just now, Mu Xue’s expression had changed slightly as soon as she had seen him, and she had turned her head and walked away without even looking at him. It was clear that she was avoiding him like the plague.

n

n

nZhang Fei’s heart sank.

n

n

nHe could only cling onto his job as a teacher. He made up his mind to never touch alcohol again.

n

n

nThe principal hadn’t expected Zhang Fei to get into such a mess. Seeing that Zhang Fei knew that he was wrong, he had no choice but to help them reconcile. He asked Zhang Fei to apologize and promise that he wouldn’t pick on the students anymore.

n

n

nMerely a day had passed, and their positions had already been swapped.

n

n

nZhang Fei endured this humiliation and frustration and apologized to his students and Mu Jingzhe, who he despised.

n

n

nShao Xi felt proud and elated upon seeing Zhang Fei apologize, and his earlier grievances were finally resolved.

n

n

nHe snorted softly and didn’t say anything. On the other hand, Shao Dong seemed very easygoing.

n

n

n“It’s okay.”

n

n

nNow that this storm was finally over, the principal heaved a sigh of relief. He also told Mu Jingzhe that Zhang Fei was still young, so he wouldn’t be the teacher in charge for the time being, and the role would be given to the mathematics teacher instead.

n

n

nHowever, Zhang Fei still continued teaching Chinese.

n

n

nIt was impossible to change this, as there weren’t many teachers at this school.

n

n

nMu Jingzhe was naturally dissatisfied. However, this was the best outcome they could have hoped for given the circumstances. She could only hope that Zhang Fei wouldn’t dare go overboard in the future. She would pay more attention and try her best to not let Shao Dong and Shao Xi suffer.

n

n

nMu Jingzhe had only thought of this. She didn’t expect Shao Dong to suddenly ask the principal if he could skip a grade after everything was settled.

n

n

n“Actually, I’ve already studied the second-grade textbooks with Shao Xi. It’d be a waste of time to continue attending second-grade classes. Can we go straight to the third grade?”

n

n

nThe principal naturally knew that Shao Dong and Shao Xi had good grades and that the children of the Shao Family were outstanding.

n

n

nBut… skip a grade?

n

n

n“Are you serious?” the principal asked in disbelief. Shao Dong nodded affirmatively. Shao Xi’s eyes lit up when he saw Shao Dong, and he also nodded affirmatively.

n

n

nThe reason why they had been able to learn the second-grade textbooks was Mu Jingzhe.

n

n

nIn the past, Shao Dong had worked hard to take care of his younger siblings. He’d also had to protect them from Fu, Lu, and Shou’s bullying. He’d had to worry about food and even dig for wild herbs in his free time.

n

n

nHe’d only had time to learn during class.

n

n

nHowever, ever since Mu Jingzhe had changed, he no longer had to worry about food. Every day, there was piping hot, delicious food waiting for them when they got home. Mu Jingzhe would also take care of their clothes and shoes.

n

n

nHe didn’t need to wash clothes or cook anymore, nor did he have to care about anything else. His only responsibility was to take care of his younger siblings.

n

n

nNow, he had a lot of time to learn. He would learn alongside Shao Xi and also teach his younger siblings.

n

n

nFor example, although Shao Zhong hadn’t started writing yet, he could already count to a hundred. He’d also mastered simple addition and subtraction.

n

n

nUnknowingly, he’d finished learning the second-grade textbooks.

n

n

n“Principal, can we skip a grade?” Shao Dong glanced at Mu Jingzhe. Upon seeing that she didn’t object, he asked again.

n

n

nThe children of the poor had to take charge of the household early. Shao Dong had been forced to become the head of the household long ago. His heart was filled with urgency. He knew that studying was good and that he had to study if he wanted to have a bright future. However, it was too time-consuming to study normally.

n

n

nHe wanted to finish his studies as soon as possible. While Mu Jingzhe was still taking care of them and he was young, he wanted to learn everything he could.

n

n

nBy the time Mu Jingzhe got married in the future, he would have gained a lot of knowledge and skills that would allow him to help his younger siblings study.

n

n

nThe principal didn’t know about Shao Dong’s long-term plans and couldn’t help but look at Mu Jingzhe.

n

n

nMu Jingzhe agreed.

n

n

nThe children were smart, so she wasn’t surprised that they had learned all this in advance. If they wanted to skip a grade, they could make the decision themselves.

n

n

nThe principal understood and could also see why Mu Jingzhe would give such a response. He said that he would think about this and reply after some discussion.

n

n

nDuring dinner, Shao Dong specifically explained to Mu Jingzhe why he wanted to skip a grade.

n

n

nHe didn’t tell her about those thoughts, only that he didn’t want a teacher like Zhang Fei to continue teaching them. He didn’t want to see Zhang Fei’s fake smile, nor did he want to be hated by him.

n

n

n“I know, I know what you mean. As long as he continues teaching you, I’ll always feel uneasy.” Who knew if he would secretly make things difficult for Shao Dong and Shao Xi.

n

n

nShao Dong nodded.

n

n

nPreviously, Zhang Fei had deliberately humiliated him. He hadn’t had much of a reaction, but at the time, he hadn’t known that Zhang Fei was picking on them. Furthermore, no one had been speaking up for them, so he’d had to endure it.

n

n

nNow that everything was clear, he naturally wouldn’t tolerate it anymore.

n

n

nIt was fine if he was targeted, but he had taken note of everything Zhang Fei had done to Shao Xi.

n

n

nZhang Fei didn’t know that Shao Dong was famous for being protective of his own people and holding grudges.

n

n

nOf course, he also remembered kindness. A drop of water should be repaid with a spring, but what he had done warranted revenge.

n

n

nSince Zhang Fei had done something like that, he would have to bear everyone’s criticism. If he couldn’t take it, he could leave on his own and stop teaching.

n

n

nThe corners of Shao Dong’s mouth curled up for a moment, but his eyes revealed a coldness that didn’t match his age.

n

n

nAfter he finished speaking, Mu Jingzhe suddenly thought of something. “Oh right, did your father always teach you that it was fine to shed blood and sweat but never tears?”

n

n

nShe recalled Zhang Fei’s words.

n

n

nShao Xi nodded. “Yes, my dad didn’t like us crying. If we cried, he’d get angry and say that we’re not acting like men. It was the same for Little Bei. We had an agreement with him about not crying.”

n

n

nAfter Shao Qihai was gone, this promise had taken root in the hearts of the children.

n

n

nMu Jingzhe: “…”

n

n

nThere was nothing wrong with Shao Qihai’s teachings. It wasn’t good for a child to cry all the time, but how could a child not cry at all? It wasn’t suitable for Shao Dong and the others to strictly stick to this teaching in such a situation either.

n

n

nNo wonder Zhao Lan had done whatever she’d wanted previously. It turned out that it was because the children wouldn’t cry or shout, so she wasn’t afraid that everyone would know how she treated them.

n

n

nHowever, children who knew how to cry had sweets to eat. They still had to learn whatever needed to be learned.

n

n

nMu Jingzhe pondered this for a moment. “It’s not good to cry all the time, but have you heard of the saying that ‘it’s not a sin for a man to cry1‘? Besides, you’re still young. It’s normal for you to cry when you’re bullied or you’re hurting.”

n

n

nShao Xi and Shao Dong looked at each other and shook their heads. “No, we’ve never heard of that saying.”

n

n

nMu Jingzhe: “…”

n

n

nWell, the song wasn’t out yet.

n

n

n“In any case, don’t hold in all your grievances in the future. If you don’t tell us, we won’t know. We’ll only know when you cry and shout in pain.”

n

n

nShao Dong and the others had conflicted expressions on their faces. They were probably used to it. They still felt that men should sweat blood and sweat rather than tears.

n

n

nMu Jingzhe was in no hurry to continue speaking. Shao Qihai, as their father, had been too assertive with his teachings, causing the few of them to suffer in secret.

n

n

nMeanwhile, in the basement of a house in the suburbs of the neighboring province, a sound rang out. “Achoo!”

n

n

n