After finishing his tasks, Gu Qin walked toward the classroom entrance with a steady stride, the students' clear and rhythmic reading-aloud echoing in his ears. Instead of rushing inside, he stood quietly by the window, carefully observing every single student's actions. Not until the very last word faded did he slowly step into the classroom.
Once inside, Gu Qin gently clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Everyone did a wonderful job today, and I am very pleased, especially our class monitor." With that, he cast an approving look at Shen Ruoning and nodded, signaling her to return to her seat.
Acknowledged by Gu Qin, Shen Ruoning beamed happily. Cradling her English textbook, she walked with a light step back to her seat and sat down.
Gu Qin continued, "Now please open your books to page one, and let's begin the lesson." Hearing his instruction, the students quickly opened their textbooks to the first page, their eyes fixed on him as they waited for his next direction.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Gu Qin smiled and said, "First, I'd like to supplement some important material for you. Please take careful notes and commit them to memory." With that, he picked up a piece of white chalk, turned around with effortless grace, and wrote on the blackboard: *"am, is, are. I, you, he."* Then, he began to explain the meaning and usage of each word in detail, giving examples for each to help the students better understand and remember them. Finally, he summed it all up with a simple and catchy rhyme: "I takes am, you takes are, and is goes with he."
When he finished his explanation, Gu Qin scanned the classroom and asked, "Are there any questions?" Hearing no response, he moved on to the textbook content. His explanation was meticulous, starting from the unit's title to dissect the key points before gradually expanding to explain each knowledge point one by one. The students listened with rapt attention, their pens flying across the paper as they diligently recorded every piece of crucial information. Gu Qin spoke at a moderate pace—neither too fast nor too slow—leaving just enough time for the students to take notes.
With the crisp ringing of the class-dismissal bell, the lesson finally came to an end. Clutching his English textbook in one hand and holding a cup in the other, Gu Qin walked out of the classroom at a leisurely pace.
By this time, the students were starting to head outside. Gu Sha, sitting in the front row, turned around and said with a smile to her desk mate, "Shen Ruoning, let's walk together."
Shen Ruoning looked at her in confusion and asked softly, "Where to?"
Gu Sha's lips curled into a bright smile as she explained, "The next class is P.E., we're going to the playground!"
Suddenly enlightened, Shen Ruoning let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Oh, I completely forgot." Then, a warm smile returned to her face. "Alright, let's go."
Shen Ruoning closed her textbook and placed it neatly on her desk. She slowly stood up and stepped out from her seat. Gu Sha walked ahead; since the classroom aisle was narrow and only wide enough for one person, they naturally fell into step side by side once they reached the podium and walked out of the classroom together.
Chatting and laughing, they walked briskly down the stairs and soon arrived at the playground. Shortly after they got there, the crisp bell for class rang punctually. The P.E. monitor quickly stepped up to organize the formation.
The P.E. teacher swept a sharp gaze across the group and announced, "Now, count off to check attendance." The moment the words fell, the students in the front row called out in unison: "One, two, three... fourteen!" The teacher carefully counted the columns and rows, nodded in satisfaction upon confirming everything was correct, and commanded, "Alright, run three laps first. The P.E. monitor will run alongside." At the order, the front row shot forward like arrows released from a bow, while the P.E. monitor blew a loud whistle and followed closely along the side of the formation to maintain order.
After finishing the three laps, Shen Ruoning stood panting, her hands on her hips.
Gu Sha asked with a smile, "Are you okay?"
Shen Ruoning replied with a grin, "I'm fine, just a little tired."
Once everyone finished running and gathered in the center of the playground, the P.E. teacher walked over and said, "Keep some distance between each other."
Following the teacher's instructions, the students spread out, and the teacher led them through some warm-up exercises.
When they finished, the P.E. teacher announced, "That's all for today. The rest of the time is yours for free activity."
Hearing this, the students were overjoyed. Once dismissed, some headed toward the small tuck shop, while others returned to the classroom to wait for the next period.
Gu Sha smiled and said, "Shen Ruoning, let's go to the tuck shop to get some ice lollies. I suddenly have a craving for one."
Shen Ruoning smiled and agreed, "Okay, let's go."
The two of them arrived at the tuck shop together. The freezer was crowded, so they waited a moment before stepping up to make their selections.
"What do you want?" Gu Sha asked with a smile.
It was Shen Ruoning's first time buying such things, so she hesitated, unsure of what to pick. Finally, she casually grabbed a Choleice bar and said with a smile, "I'll take this one, it looks pretty good." Gu Sha chose a fruit-flavored popsicle.
Shen Ruoning offered, "Let me pay for both of us."
Gu Sha shook her head with a smile. "No need, let's pay separately. After all, our weekly allowance isn't much, we still need to save a bit."
Hearing this, Shen Ruoning nodded. "Alright then."
The two of them queued up to check out. After waiting for a long time, it was finally their turn. Shen Ruoning showed the boss the popsicle in her hand, and the boss said, "Five yuan." Hearing the price, Shen Ruoning was shocked—how could it be this cheap? She pulled out a hundred-yuan note and handed it to the boss. The boss took the bill, checked it for authenticity, put it into the drawer, and handed ninety-five yuan in change back to Shen Ruoning. Shen Ruoning took the money, slipped it casually into her jacket pocket, and stood by the door waiting for Gu Sha.
Gu Sha looked at the boss and asked, "How much?"
"One yuan," the boss replied.
Gu Sha took a coin from her pocket, paid the boss, and left.
Shen Ruoning and Gu Sha walked back to the classroom together. Shen Ruoning looked at the popsicle in her hand, hesitating whether she should eat it yet. At that moment, Gu Sha, already munching on her own popsicle, asked with a smile, "Why aren't you eating yours? It's going to melt soon."
Shen Ruoning smiled and tore open the wrapper. She took a gentle bite, and the icy-cool sensation instantly spread through her mouth. She couldn't help smiling, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "This is really good."
Gu Sha beamed. "On a hot day like this, you just have to eat a popsicle. It's so refreshing!"
Eating their ice lollies, the two returned to the classroom. Kong Zhe, seeing Shen Ruoning back, stood up to let her pass.
Shen Ruoning sat at her desk, eating her popsicle while reading a book.
At that moment, Gu Sha turned around and said, "Shen Ruoning, why are you reading again? It's break time, give yourself a rest!"
Hearing this, Shen Ruoning smiled and said, "Sitting here like this is pretty boring anyway, reading helps pass the time."
Gu Sha suggested, "Let's chat instead."
Shen Ruoning responded with a smile, "Sure, what do you want to talk about?"
Gu Sha said, "I heard the math teacher and the Chinese teacher are married. But why is the math teacher's temper so explosive while the Chinese teacher is so gentle?"
Kong Zhe chimed in, "That's why they're a couple! If both of them had the same fiery temper, this family would fall apart sooner or later."
Gu Sha laughed upon hearing this. Shen Ruoning put down her book and listened quietly to their conversation.
Shen Ruoning offered, "Actually, the math teacher is only strict during class; he's quite easygoing in private."
Gu Sha smiled and asked, "I wonder when our Mid-Autumn Festival break starts."
Shen Ruoning smiled. "We get off tomorrow morning after morning self-study, and the break lasts until Sunday evening."
Kong Zhe asked, "How do you know?"
Shen Ruoning's lips curved slightly into a soft smile as she replied in a gentle voice, "The head teacher said so. He'll probably announce it during tonight's evening self-study."
Gu Sha let out a soft sigh, her tone tinged with helplessness. "Ah, the holiday feels way too short. I'll have to go back to school before I've even had enough fun."
Shen Ruoning smiled and said nothing.
Gu Sha looked at her curiously and asked, "Shen Ruoning, how are you planning to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival? Are you going out somewhere?"
Shen Ruoning answered with a smile, "No, I'm staying home with my family."
A happy smile appeared on Gu Sha's face as well. "Me too, I'm spending it with my family."
As the two chatted happily, time flew by, and before they knew it, the class bell rang.
Zhang Xingda walked into the classroom with a stern expression, carrying a thick stack of notebooks. He strode to the podium, dropped the homework down heavily, and announced, "Out of today's noon assignment, Shen Ruoning was the only one who got every single question right."
At these words, an exclamation rippled through the classroom, and the students cast envious glances at Shen Ruoning. In the front row, Gu Sha turned around and shot Shen Ruoning a grinning look.
Faced with all the attention, Shen Ruoning merely offered a faint smile, as if the result was entirely within her expectations. Her expression remained calm and composed, as though she had long grown used to such praise.
Zhang Xingda divided the notebooks into small piles and handed them to the students in the front row, instructing, "Pass these down."
The students took the stacks and began searching for the owners scattered around the room. Zhang Xingda added, "If you can't find the person, call out their name, and whoever it is should raise their hand."
As the notebooks were distributed, the classroom filled with anticipation and nervous tension. Everyone's eyes flickered with a mix of expectation and unease, as if awaiting an unknown verdict.
Zhang Xingda stood on the podium with a stern expression, his gaze focused and resolute. He waited quietly, like a general bracing for a major battle. The air in the room grew thick with tension as students busily passed the notebooks around, eagerly awaiting the teacher's review.
Amidst the bustle, everyone eventually received their homework. The students immediately flipped open their copies, and soft murmurs filled the room.
Seeing that everyone had settled down with their assignments, Zhang Xingda took a deep breath and said, "Now that you have your homework, look it over carefully. I'm going to go over the problems now. Listen closely and see if they were really that difficult." His voice was deep and steady, instantly quieting the room and fixing all eyes on the blackboard.
With that, Zhang Xingda picked up a piece of chalk and walked up to the blackboard, writing out the problems neatly and legibly. Then, he turned around and began breaking down the problems step by step, his tone calm and confident. His explanation was extremely thorough—he not only explained what the questions meant but also introduced problem-solving approaches and methods to help the students grasp the underlying concepts. From time to time, he posed questions to guide their thinking and stimulate their minds. Patiently, he dissected each problem so the students could gain a deep understanding of the material and master the techniques.
The dismissal bell rang, but Zhang Xingda didn't stop. He kept right on explaining until every last problem was covered, only then putting down his chalk and saying, "Class dismissed." For Zhang Xingda, running overtime was nothing new, and the students seemed quite used to it.
As soon as Zhang Xingda stepped out of the classroom, the students eagerly grabbed their lunch boxes and headed toward the cafeteria.
True to her routine, Shen Ruoning stayed behind to review and organize the day's notes. It wasn't until six-thirty that she finally stepped out of the classroom, where Shen Xinning was waiting on the playground to take her home.