CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 74: FOR ANITAQING AND HE’S JADE + UPDATE 2

Shi Yang was keenly observant from a young age.

When he was in elementary school, he witnessed his mom privately giving gifts to teachers, sometimes it was two cans of cookies his dad brought back from Shanghai, or money slipped to teachers during the holidays.

Through this exposure, Shi Yang became very clear about the benefits that come from currying favor with superiors and the advantages for subordinates.

Shi Yang himself always disdained such flattery; his academic performance was excellent, and he was good-looking, so teachers naturally viewed him favorably. He always felt that even without his mother’s behind-the-scenes efforts, he could still manage splendidly on his own.

This was all for Zhao Meimei; he was afraid she might be mischievous and the teacher would not favor her, making her time in class difficult, causing her grievances or bullying.

Middle school teachers were very different from elementary school teachers; their tempers were more explosive, and they tended to handle matters solely based on academic performance. It was common for teachers to deal with disobedient students by a couple of whacks with a stick or by serving a little stir-fried pork. Zhao Meimei had been used to a more rugged upbringing, and suddenly entering such a learning environment, Shi Yang was worried she would not adapt.

He understood too well how a teacher’s attitude towards a student could greatly affect that student.

Zhao Dazhuang was honest and upright, and whenever he heard about someone secretly giving gifts to factory leaders, he always scoffed. Liu Xiue was more experienced in this area, but Zhao Meimei had been thriving since preschool, and gradually, she grew negligent regarding these matters.

What Zhao Meimei’s parents failed to consider, Shi Yang thought of and took steps to address, proving that Zhao Meimei held a deep-rooted and unshakable position in his heart.

As soon as Shi Yang returned home for summer vacation, the first thing he did was use his connections with former teachers to find out who the well-performing first-year middle school teacher was, and then promptly carried a box of canned goods and a box of drinks from home, taking a taxi directly to Teacher Wu’s house.

Teacher Wu had taught Shi Yang before and had a good impression of him. Unexpectedly, despite being in college now, Shi Yang still thought to visit. Surprised and happy, they had a warm conversation, during which Shi Yang casually mentioned Zhao Meimei, referring to her as his sister and deliberately avoiding the fact that they were not blood-related.

Seeing Shi Yang’s earnest attitude, Teacher Wu immediately misinterpreted, thinking Zhao Meimei was his half-sister, wondering why else Director Shi would send him with gifts.

Teacher Wu believed she understood the situation, and even if only for Shi Yang’s father’s position as director, she would save face and compliment the strong bond between the siblings, tacitly acknowledging the matter.

Shi Yang had a way of handling things without leaving traces, subtly suggesting to Teacher Wu that the best educational method for Zhao Meimei’s mischievous nature was to provoke her, which was always effective.

Having taught for many years, Teacher Wu understood this principle well. The two hit it off well: the prospect of cultivating a good student benefited Teacher Wu, and indirectly, it could also ingratiate her with Shi Yang’s father. It was a win-win situation.

After sending specialty goods to Zhao Meimei’s class teacher, Shi Yang never forgot to send something for every holiday, initially sending something to eat and later something to use, always selecting the best. He never mentioned this to anyone, not even Zhao Meimei, the subject herself, nor did his father, who had lent his name for so long, suspect a thing.

Shi Yang’s meticulous mind and flawless way of conducting himself predestined his future success, fully proving Zhao Meimei’s childhood remark that his palm marked with a golden mountain was a hand of great fortune.

Zhao Meimei didn’t know what her Brother Yangyang had done for her behind the scenes; she only knew that she was valued by Teacher Wu, who patted her shoulder back then and said, "Zhao Meimei, I have high hopes for you."

Teacher Wu’s words stuck in Zhao Meimei’s mind like a spell.

She no longer whispered and played during class, and after school, she finished her homework before going to play. In the class, she led by example. She was already smart and had a better memory than ordinary kids. Now that she focused all her energy on studying, her hard work paid off significantly by the midterms.

Zhao Meimei ranked first in class, exceeding the second place by eight points, equivalent to answering four multiple-choice questions or solving a moderately difficult application problem.

The day after the results were released, Teacher Wu held an anonymous class officer election during class meeting, where Zhao Meimei was unanimously elected as the class monitor.

As the votes were announced, Zhao Meimei’s face flushed red. Her narrow eyes dared not glance at the blackboard, feeling awkwardly shy.

What did a full class vote mean? It meant Zhao Meimei was so afraid of not being elected that she even voted for herself.

Seeing this, Teacher Wu smiled, finding Zhao Meimei adorable, excelling in studies and well-liked.

That night, Zhao Meimei held the phone, chatting with Shi Yang. Shi Yang was just taking a break from typing on his computer, holding a water glass. Hearing Zhao Meimei talking about the unanimous vote, he accidentally spit the water he was drinking onto the computer screen and hurriedly wiped it down in a panic.

Zhao Meimei was still chattering on the line, saying, "Brother, I’m so embarrassed, do you think others will laugh at me?"

As Shi Yang wiped the screen, he twitched his mouth corners in reassurance, "Why would anyone laugh at you? This shows that you have a competitive spirit and value the position of class monitor. Besides, didn’t you rank first in the class? Your grades speak for themselves. After serving as class monitor for a term, all your classmates voted for you, which only proves that you indeed have the capability to lead the class well, earning your classmates’ trust."

Zhao Meimei’s turbulent little heart was calmed by her Brother Yangyang’s few words.

Holding the microphone, Zhao Meimei’s eyes showed an imperceptible expression, feeling warm inside, and liking her Brother Yangyang from the bottom of her heart.

In Zhao Meimei’s heart, her Brother Yangyang was her idol. As time passed, her feelings for her Brother Yangyang deepened, unmatched by anyone else.

Throughout her first year in middle school, Zhao Meimei continued her responsibilities as class monitor, thriving in her grade and mingling with all the teachers in the office. Encountering any teacher in the middle school department, they would immediately call her by name, mention her class, and know of her title as head monitor.

Xu Xu silently accompanied Zhao Meimei, striving and studying diligently alongside her. While Zhao Meimei served as class monitor, he became the academic committee member. To him, Zhao Meimei was like the sun in the sky, consistently radiant and brilliant, so he could only look up to her, striving to catch up with her steps, fearing any slack would leave him behind, like sand on the ground, forgotten.