The night school's class ended today, and without a doubt, Jiang Cheng had become the teachers' favorite student, without exception.
After class, everyone packed up their desks.
Zhang Cuijuan, with the demeanor of an old cadre, walked over to Jiang Cheng holding a duty roster.
"Comrade Jiang Cheng, you're staying to clean today."
"No problem."
Jiang Cheng agreed with a smile, not a hint of reluctance.
This willingness made Zhang Cuijuan a bit uncomfortable, but she couldn't find any fault with it.
Should she say the other party was too eager? Too cooperative?
Jiang Cheng put away his backpack and looked at Zhang Cuijuan's duty roster.
"Comrade Zhang, could you write my name down? This way you won't have to keep reminding me, and it won't disrupt your study."
In other words, don't keep watching me for nothing!
Zhang Cuijuan's expression wasn't great, but she claimed to be doing things impartially, so she wrote Jiang Cheng's name down.
After writing it down, Zhang Cuijuan, slightly authoritarian and addicted to her official role, said, "Make sure you clean well."
"If Comrade Zhang is so concerned, why not stay and supervise us?"
Zhang Cuijuan, who enjoyed her authoritative role, was indeed a bit tempted.
"But like you, Comrade Zhang, a progressive comrade surely couldn't just watch her like-minded classmates work without doing anything. The instructors always say to be part of the mass populace..."
Jiang Cheng droned on.
Zhang Cuihua didn't dare to listen anymore.
Jiang Cheng had already suggested she stay voluntarily every day.
Who wants to stay every day!
Zhang Cuijuan hit a wall and then hurriedly ran off.
Very soon, there were only four people left in the classroom, and everyone cleaned together.
As they neared finishing, Sun Jiandong, who thought himself handsome, blocked Jiang Cheng's way.
"Hello, Comrade Jiang Cheng, I'm Sun Jiandong. You must have heard my name."
Jiang Cheng first stepped back three steps, maintaining a safe distance of more than a meter.
"Sun Jiandong? Could Comrade Sun be our class monitor?"
Sun Jiandong said irritably, "No!"
"Oh—-you must be the study committee member?"
"No!"
"The best student?"
"No!"
"The fastest runner?"
"No!"
"Could it be the one who eats the most?"
"Pfft!"
"Cough cough!"
The three classmates cleaning couldn't hold their laughter any longer.
Sun Jiandong's face turned red, eyes glaring daggers at Jiang Cheng.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
Jiang Cheng retreated two more steps, it's safer to stay further from angry people.
"Comrade Sun, you said I should know you, but the fact is I don't even know your name. I think you should self-reflect instead of confronting me, asking why you don't have a single shining attribute?"
"In our new era, born under the red flag and growing in the spring breeze, we might not aim to save the world, but we seek to develop a skill. The organization and the collective spent significant resources for your study, to allow you to learn and serve the motherland, to build character and responsibility, to be honest and uphold family values."
"But you, a fully capable man, can't even fulfill the basics. After death, the only thing your epitaph could read is 'son of so-and-so,' is this what you want?"
Jiang Cheng's righteous words struck a chord, awakening several people.
Even slightly filled them with a rush of blood.
This is an era filled with passion!
And also the best time to put up a big pretense!
Sun Jiandong felt the shame of being taught by his grandfather, and his initially casual stance subconsciously changed.
But awkwardly didn't want to admit Jiang Cheng was right, standing twisted blocking the door.
Jiang Cheng, with a backpack, looked at Sun Jiandong and said meaningfully, "If you need to go to the bathroom, just go."
Sun Jiandong: ??
Sun Jiandong's face burned, long having forgotten his original purpose, now only feeling like he lost face.
"Jiang Cheng, I've got my eyes on you! You wait and see!"
Sun Jiandong ran off.
"Ah—look at how this kid is holding it in."
Mature Jiang Cheng shook his head, then turned to the other three with a faint smile.
"See you tomorrow night, comrades."
The three of them waved in a daze, watching Jiang Cheng leave.
They had only one thought: This Jiang Cheng, what kind of person is she?
She—she—so different.
As Jiang Cheng left the night school, she saw at the gate Uncle Wang, Grandma Shen, Shen Xing, and Shen Yue talking.
The four saw Jiang Cheng come out and waved in unison, calling out.
Jiang Cheng waved a bright smile, speeding up to run over.
"Uncle Wang, this is Grandma Shen, this is Shen Xing, and this is Shen Yue."
The gatekeeper uncle nodded with a smile, "Got it, they've been here a while, why just coming out now?"
"I volunteered to clean the classroom, we can't accomplish big things, but small ones we can handle."
Uncle Wang gave a thumbs up.
Jiang Cheng smiled slightly, not feeling guilty, having done the work earnestly.
A certain off-duty registration worker glanced familiarly.
Big Hat Jiang?
Zhao Na's eyes narrowed, she quickened her pace, jumped on a bike and pedaled away quickly.
The gatekeeper uncle just felt a shadow flash by.
"What a big rat!!!"
Jiang Cheng suppressed a laugh. She saw who it was but didn't say more, chatting a bit more with the gatekeeper uncle, before walking home with Grandma Shen and the others.
The same dim flashlight beam, still four people.
None of them mentioned why they came to pick her up, just quietly accepted this routine.
"Sister Jiang Cheng, I saw Aunt He from across the street also came out from night school."
Shen Yue tilted her head up to look at Jiang Cheng. She didn't fully understand the situation, but she knew Sister Jiang Cheng didn't like the neighbor.
So she wouldn't like them either!
"He Dan also studies here, no need to mind it, I can handle it."
Shen Yue nodded her bun face, pinching Jiang Cheng's hand.
"Sister, you're the best!"
Shen Yue clumsily comforted.
Jiang Cheng patted her head, with unabashed confidence.
"Of course! On this matter, you need never have doubts!"
Next to her, Shen Xing, who had intended to comfort, swallowed his words back.
How could he forget Sister Jiang Cheng's boundless confidence?
Grandma Shen still didn't speak, just quietly watching the three of them talk.
Time was quiet, and the world was stable.
Just as Grandma Shen was picturing a beautiful scene, the topic unknowingly changed.
Jiang Cheng vividly told a story, a scary story.
The small figure of Shen Xing instinctively leaned closer to Granny Shen, pretending, "Granny, let me support you, the road is uneven."
Granny Shen: I think it's your heart that's uneven, right?
Granny Shen didn't expose him, listening to Jiang Cheng's story about traffickers.
The more she listened, the stranger it sounded.
Why did it seem Jiang Cheng's tricks were more cunning than the traffickers'??
It felt like if she took charge, the traffickers might be sold back by her instead.
The walk home was ten minutes quicker than yesterday; once inside the courtyard, Shen Xing and Shen Yue instinctively sought the safest place—the bed.
Jiang Cheng shook her head and sighed, looking at Grandma Shen, "Their courage is still a bit lacking."
"I think with you around, they have plenty of opportunities to build it."
Grandma Shen joked.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng looked troubled, "Since you said so, I shouldn't let you down. Rest assured, I'll do my utmost."
Grandma Shen was speechless and amused.
This girl, just good at lying with her eyes open.
After washing up, Jiang Cheng continued studying in bed.
As expected, Shen Xing dreamed of being kidnapped, having his limbs broken, eyes poked, begging on the street, emaciated, fighting rats for food from the trash.
Terrible!
So terrible!
The next day going to school, Shen Xing and Shen Yue had four panda eyes, sticking close to each other, eyes wary, suspecting everyone around.
Jiang Cheng didn't go with them; she went off to find food.