Qi Tongwei glanced at the time—nearly five o'clock. He tidied up his things and prepared to head off.
As for how things stood with Hou Liangping, anyone who had lived at the bottom of the social ladder understood that gossip and perceived differences were the sharpest blades. Back in the day, Qi Tongwei had been looked down upon by his classmates simply because he wore tattered clothes. That was a feeling that those who had never struggled in the mud could never truly understand.
The incident Qi remembered most clearly was a day in the cafeteria. He hadn't tasted meat in a month, so he gritted his teeth and spent fifty cents on a portion of braised pork. His classmates teased him for "pretending to be poor," asking how he could afford meat but not new clothes. The classmate had said it with a smile, but after finishing his meal, Qi Tongwei had hidden in a corner to wipe away his tears. The bitterness of it was something he didn't care to share with outsiders.
Chapter 245