CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

On the school opening day at the Sixth Elementary, the weather was sunny and cloudless.

Liu Xiue personally gave Zhao Meimei a ride, cycling side by side with Shi Yang towards the school.

Zhao Meimei sat on the back seat of her mother’s bicycle, reaching out from time to time to touch Shi Yang who was close by, and whenever she touched the edge of his clothes, she would beam with joy, having a lot of fun.

Shi Yang said to Liu Xiue, "Aunt, after registering later, you don’t need to bother picking up Meimei. Today is just the first day of school, we’ll just be collecting homework and doing some cleaning, and I’ll give her a ride home after school."

Liu Xiue was delighted to hear this, as the Sixth Elementary was quite far from home, and having to leave at noon to pick up Zhao Meimei would happen to miss her selling time.

Liu Xiue dropped Zhao Meimei off at the school gate of the Sixth Elementary, and Zhao Meimei immediately nimbly climbed onto the front beam of her Brother Yangyang’s bicycle, waving to her mother, "Bye, Mom."

Liu Xiue was used to this, and in front of the many parents dropping off their kids, she didn’t scold Zhao Meimei, but instead reminded her with some concern, "Meimei, listen to the teachers at school, don’t fight with other kids, and after school, don’t run around and wait in the classroom for Brother Yangyang to come and pick you up, okay?"

Zhao Meimei agreed with a single word, and playfully rang the bicycle bell a couple of times, producing a crisp "ding-ding-ding" sound.

Liu Xiue stood at the school gate, watching Shi Yang push the bicycle and take Zhao Meimei into the campus.

Shi Yang parked the bicycle, and Zhao Meimei turned her head to look around; she had never been to the Sixth Elementary before, so everything seemed new to her.

The Sixth Elementary was much bigger than the kindergarten primary school she attended before, with a spacious playground and a blue and white painted school building that looked very impressive.

Shi Yang parked the bicycle, turned around, and saw Zhao Meimei with her mouth open in the shape of an "O", looking around curiously.

Shi Yang picked up both of their backpacks, walked over, and ruffled Zhao Meimei’s hair, "What are you staring at? Let’s go!"

As they walked, Zhao Meimei hugged Shi Yang’s waist, letting him drag her forward, sticking close, and playfully chatting with him as they went.

"Shi Yang!" someone called from behind.

Shi Yang turned around, and Zhao Meimei twisted her head as well, still holding onto his waist tightly.

A tall boy in a Sixth Middle School uniform caught up to them, glanced at Zhao Meimei, and asked, "Who’s this little girl?"

Shi Yang put on a confident look and said, "My sister!"

The boy was taken aback, "Where did this sister come from? You’ve never mentioned her before."

Shi Yang continued walking alongside him, still dragging Zhao Meimei forward, "Do I have to report everything to you guys?"

The boy asked Zhao Meimei, "Are you really his sister?"

Zhao Meimei quickly released her brother Yangyang’s leg, obediently looked at him, and confidently replied, "Ah, I really am." Then she didn’t forget to greet, "Hello, brother."

The boy burst out laughing, his eyes filled with envy and jealousy, "Wow, impressive, your sister is quite polite."

Shi Yang escorted Zhao Meimei all the way to the classroom door and reminded her, "After school, wait in the classroom for me, don’t run around, got it?"

Zhao Meimei held onto Shi Yang, unwilling to let go, "What if you guys finish especially late, how will I find you?"

Shi Yang glanced at his own school building—it wasn’t that far away—and pointed it out to Zhao Meimei, "See that? That’s where I have classes, second floor, Class 1 of the third year."

Zhao Meimei repeated to herself, second floor, Class 1 of the third year, memorized it, then nodded, "Okay, you better come get me early, if you’re late, I’ll come find you."

Shi Yang ruffled her hair again, a little worried, "When you see the teacher later, be polite, get along well with your classmates, and if anyone dares to bully you, just mention me, I’ll sort them out for you."

Zhao Meimei nodded in agreement, waved goodbye to Shi Yang, and didn’t forget to say goodbye to Shi Yang’s classmate, "Goodbye, brother."

Shi Yang stood at the classroom door, watching Zhao Meimei enter, find a seat, then he turned around and followed his classmates to his own school building.

"Wow! That really looks like your own sister." The male classmate smirked.

Shi Yang chuckled confidently, "Of course she’s my sister." After saying that, he couldn’t help but looking back at the door of Zhao Meimei’s classroom again.

Zhao Meimei’s homeroom teacher was a young woman with big eyes, double eyelid, and fair skin. She introduced herself with the last name Wang and asked the students to call her Teacher Wang.

Zhao Meimei thought Teacher Wang seemed to have a good temper because she was smiling gently.

After having the whole class introduce themselves, Teacher Wang randomly picked two students as class officers; they both seemed well-behaved and attractive at first glance.

Zhao Meimei wasn’t chosen. Along with other students, she watched the few who were called up to be introduced as class officers with envy.

After looking twice, Zhao Meimei lost interest. She always adapted to new environments faster than most kids, quickly forming friendships with the students sitting nearby.

While Teacher Wang was talking on the podium, Zhao Meimei was showing off her new pencil case to her desk mate, the kind with a button and two layers. She popped out the magnifying glass, put her finger behind it, and let her desk mate see her magnified fingerprint, and the two of them giggled with their heads close together.

"Hey! You! The girl in the second row!" Teacher Wang pointed at Zhao Meimei and called her out.

Zhao Meimei looked up upon hearing the call, meeting Teacher Wang’s gaze, froze for a moment, and then realized it was her being called.

Seated, Zhao Meimei looked at Teacher Wang with a puzzled expression.

Teacher Wang frowned and asked her, "What’s your name?"

Zhao Meimei quickly stood up and replied, "Reporting, teacher, my name is Zhao Meimei."

Zhao Meimei had a flat nose and small eyes, not particularly good-looking, but she was dressed in this year’s most popular floral print T-shirt and cotton shorts.

This outfit was bought by Shi Yang’s mother when she knew Zhao Meimei was going to elementary school, she specially went to the department store to buy it for her. It’s a branded piece with a small square metal plate on the chest, clearly displaying the brand, recognizable to anyone in the know.

Teacher Wang recognized the brand because she had a child about the same age as the students in the class, also bought children’s clothes, and loved shopping at the department store. Zhao Meimei’s outfit was a featured brand’s summer new release displayed in the cabinet that she had seen before but didn’t spend the money to buy it.

Teacher Wang glanced at Zhao Meimei and advised her, "When the teacher is speaking, you shouldn’t be whispering, got it?"

Zhao Meimei responded with exceptional attitude, "Teacher, I know I was wrong."

Teacher Wang nodded and let her sit down.

On the first day of school, Teacher Wang remembered only two students distinctly—one was Zhao Meimei, not very attractive looking but seemed to come from a well-off family, and the other was Xu Xu, resembling a doll with his particularly striking looks, a boy who was hard to forget.

On the first day of school, two new books were handed out, Teacher Wang went over the school’s rules and regulations, and then dismissed the students.

Upon hearing it was dismissal time, Zhao Meimei hurriedly grabbed her backpack, turned around, and dashed towards the classroom door, eagerly rushing to find her Brother Yangyang.