CH 5

Little Miaomiao never learned any of this before. When she arrived yesterday, it was already the third period, so she missed the lecture.

The teacher in charge, Teacher Li, came in and said, “Okay class. Don’t cause any trouble. Start with your eye exercises. Do you remember how to do it?”

The group of children responded promptly, “Remember.”

Little Miaomiao was a little flustered. She had no idea what was going on.

Zhou Yuan had always been a clever person. Seeing her fidgeting in her seat, he instantly knew. He leaned over and said in a hushed voice, “Turn your head and observe me doing it. Follow my lead and do whatever I am doing.”

Little Miaomiao focused her attention onto him and observed him carefully. When Zhou Yuan performed a move, she imitated him.

Teacher Li saw this. She smiled with approval and nodded her head. She felt certain that Zhou Yuan wouldn’t bully her.

Eventually, noon came. The P.T. teacher had already arrived. Zhou Yuan was a very clean person. To avoid food falling and sullying his white shirt due to his own youthful carelessness and inexperience, he swathed a white cloth around his chest.

Ever since he taught Little Miaomiao how to do the eye exercises this morning, she grew more fond of her tablemate. She wanted to do the same things he did. But she didn’t have any raiments to wrap herself in.

Little Miaomiao looked at the paper towel and felt that it would suffice for her purpose. So, she tore out a sheet of paper towel, followed Zhou Yuan’s lead, and wrapped it around her chest.

Zhou Yuan saw his little tablemate slowly wrap a sheet of paper towel around her neck, but it was far too short to be used for wrapping.

So, he removed the white cloth that he was using and leaned over, “Little Miaomiao, you can use this.”

After he uttered those words, he started to help her adorn the cloth around her body. Afterwards, he looked at her.

The white cloth resembled a scarf in a way and it helped enshrine the little girl’s cuteness.

At this moment, the P.T. teacher came out and allotted them food and fruits.

The pomegranate seeds were in the plate’s fruit section.

These were these sixteen that you can eat!

Little Miaomiao’s thoughts circled entirely around this one thing.

After the P.T. teacher left, Little Miaomiao started to eat her meal, but kept focusing on the sixteen.

Zhou Yuan liked to watch her eat. When her cheeks bulged, she looked very cute.

She looked around intermittently and discovered that the P.T. teacher was supervising the other children.  Since the P.T. teacher paid no attention to her, her little hand clandestinely grabbed a handful of pomegranate seeds from the fruit bowl.

After taking them, she put them under her desk. Then, she pretended to eat, as if she had committed no wrong. Her hands were too small to hold them all at once, so she repeated her actions several times.

Zhou Yuan: “…”

After everyone finished their meal, the P.T. teacher checked everyone’s plates, including Little Miaomiao’s. “You are a good girl. You completely finished your meal.”

Zhou Yuan saw Little Miaomiao lower her head and blush.

During the afternoon, Little Miaomiao was a little restless in class. She always looked out the window.

And during the final class, the P.T. teacher said, “Little Miaomiao. Your parents are here, come here soon.”

Little Miaomiao ran out with her schoolbag. It was the first time that Zhou Yuan saw her act so hastily.

When Little Miaomiao came out, Aunt Hua touched her head joyfully, “I heard the teacher say that Miaomiao learned how to do eye exercises with her classmates today. Miaomiao is amazing!”

Little Miaomiao felt a little abashed and humbled. She thought about giving her Auntie the sixteen in her schoolbag, when they arrived home. But because the P.T. teacher was still present, she can’t reveal the sixteen yet. If the P.T. teacher saw her, she will believe that she wasn’t well-behaved, because she didn’t finish her meal.

Upon returning home, Little Miaomiao carried her schoolbag to her bedroom. She opened the schoolbag and took out the paper towel that contained the sixteen.

But because she didn’t have anything else to keep the sixteen, she wrapped them in a paper towel.

The white paper was torn. When Little Miaomiao opened it, she saw that they weren’t the same sixteen that were beautiful, vivacious and radiant.

Sixteen withered into a dull, somber brown.

Little Miaomiao originally anticipated this exhilarating event. But she saw now that sixteen withered and died. She felt tears welling in her eyes.

She also saw several packets of dried meat in her schoolbag. None of which were handed out.

Tears streamed down Little Miamiao’s cheeks.

Aunt Hua came knocking on the door, “Miaomiao. What do you want for dinner?”

Little Miaomiao quickly placed the withered sixteen under her bed and concealed it from her aunt. Otherwise, her aunt would definitely feel sad and dejected. Yes, because she didn’t get sixteen…

Then, she also hid the dried meat under the bed, before opening the door.

Aunt Hua felt that there was something wrong with Little Miaomiao. Her eyes were downcast. She looked like she wanted to break into tears, as if she had suffered a great grievance.

Aunt Hua suddenly thought of the various kinds of school violence that she saw on Weibo.