CH 42

Miaomiao wasn’t angry at Zhou Yuan, at all. She truly believed that if she became principal, then she should at least fulfill Zhou Yuan’s dream so that he could advance to the more advanced grades.

Miaomiao didn’t think much of Zhou Yuan’s statement, ‘these children don’t understand anything I say’. 

She didn’t feel sad when he uttered that. She was only sad because she wouldn’t be able to see him in the future if he disappeared to sixth grade.

Since Zhou Yuan has told her that he wouldn’t be advancing to sixth grade, she felt a new level of joy and euphoria.

Miaomiao’s happiness and sadness were both pure and came from the bottom of her heart. 

She smiled at him. Her heart erupted with joy and happiness, and these feelings began to permeate every fiber of her body.

Mother loves me, Zhouzhou won’t leave, and I also have Jingjing and Deng Feng. The principal is also a good person.

Miaomiao’s heart was overflowing with happiness, so she rushed over to Zhouzhou and hugged him, “Zhouzhou, I’m so happy!”

She learned this way of expressing joy from Jingjing. Every time Jingjing hugged her, Miaomiao felt a wondrous, exuberant feeling; therefore, she also hugged Zhou Yuan with heartfelt sincerity.

Zhou Yuan heaved a sigh as he was being hugged by a little girl. He mused for some time. After weighing every aspect, he found two good reasons for not skipping grades. The first is because he saw no difference between sixth grade and first grade. The second is because his mother wouldn’t agree. Therefore, when the principal asked, he refused his offer.

His mother did promise him that he could study this semester at his father’s university if he still wasn’t inured to this type of lifestyle.

The little girl embraced him, and her voice sounded very dependent, “When I become smarter in the future, we could go to sixth grade together. Then, Jingjing and Deng Feng will have to use brother and sister.”

They called sixth-graders ‘elder brothers’ and ‘elder sisters’.

Miaomiao naturally believed that Deng Feng and Jingjing would have to call her ‘elder sister’ if she was a sixth-grader.

As soon as Jingjing digested her words, she exclaimed, “Then, I’m going to the seventh grade, and then you’ll have to call me sister!”

Deng Feng also chimed in, “I’ll go to…eighth…eighth grade!”

Suddenly, Jingjing diverted her attention to a new rival, and she exclaimed back, “Then, I’ll go to ninth grade!”

“Tenth…tenth grade!”

“Then, I’ll go to eleventh grade, twelfth grade, and thirteenth grade. Anyway, I’m taller than you!”

Because Deng Feng couldn’t win against her, and his defeat caused him to lapse into depression. He said aggrievedly, “Sister…”

Feeling proud, Jingjing rubbed the loser’s hair and said, “Good boy, listen to your sister in the future. Your sister will give you some candy.”

For a while, Miaomiao observed their banter, and then she looked furtively at the person sitting next to her. 

What do I do…I really want Zhou Yuan to call me sister…

But Miaomiao knew that it would never happen.

This time, the principal interrupted the children’s plans. As a result of their colloquy, none of the three children wanted to be principal. They realized that his job was too difficult.

After their last class ended during the afternoon, the teacher told Miaomiao, “Miaomiao, your grandma is here to pick you up.”

Miaomiao hurried outside with her schoolbag and saw her grandmother waiting for her.

Grandmother was in her 50s, but she has maintained herself well. She held Miaomiao’s hand and said, “Your mom has to work overtime, so grandma is here to pick you up.”

Miaomiao understood that her mother had to work overtime to make more money.

Her little mind kept focusing on the idea that she would soon sell some food so that she would be able to make a lot of money. Her mom wouldn’t have to work overtime anymore.

But she was too embarrassed to tell her grandmother about it.

As she held Miaomiao’s hand and strolled out of the school with her, grandmother curiously asked her, “Isn’t your tablemate the same boy who helped you with your homework via video call?”

She nodded because she was used to this style of communication, “Yes, his name is Zhou Yuan, not a circle, but…but…”

Miaomiao wanted to introduce him by restating what Zhou Yuan had said before, but she couldn’t remember it anymore.

After all, children found it difficult to directly memorize the four words ‘乘彼垝垣’* because there was nothing associated with them.

Grandmother had no intention of making Miaomiao introduce him to her. Mother Hua had told her that Miaomiao liked her little tablemate a lot, so she thought that this could possibly be a good conversation starter.

While grandmother was speaking, she noticed Miaomiao carrying a large schoolbag.

“Miaomiao, grandma will help you carry your schoolbag, okay?” asked grandmother. She was worried that Miaomiao would feel encumbered and exhausted because of her large schoolbag.

“Our teacher told us to carry our school bags ourselves. This way, we could cultivate a spirit of hard work!” Miaomiao said with a sign. Then, she realized that she had actually rejected her grandma’s offer…

She was worried that her grandmother would be unhappy.

Grandmother didn’t seem to be upset at all. She merely smiled and exclaimed, “Miaomiao is awesome!”

Since Miaomiao wanted to carry her large schoolbag by herself, grandmother decided to go home first to leave her bag at home.

Grandmother originally wanted to purchase some vegetables together with Miaomiao, but her plans had to change; therefore, she went home first.

Miaomiao’s grandmother told her that her mother was working overtime, but that wasn’t exactly true. In reality, Mother Hua went to visit Father Hua so that they could discuss their issues.

A voice reverberated from inside the house when grandmother and Miaomiao opened the door, “Is Miaomiao back?” 

“I’m back,” Miaomiao replied.

Upon entering her house, Miaomiao placed her school bag on the couch. Then, she walked up to her great-grandmother’s side and said with a sonorous voice, “Grandma, I’m back from school.”

Grandmother asked, “Do you want to go shopping with me, Miaomiao?”

Miaomiao nodded in assent.

She was already used to going out and shopping with her mother.

Miaomiao then pulled out all the books from her schoolbag and looked at grandma with the bag on her back.

Grandmother found it strange, “Why are you carrying a schoolbag?”

Miaomiao replied solemnly, “To carry the vegetables.”

The grocery store charged an additional 30 cents for a vegetable bag. Miaomiao remembered this, and she thought that 30 cents was likewise a lot of money.

* 乘彼垝垣 – It is pronounced as chéng bǐ guǐ yuán.It is taken from ‘The Book of Songs’ and means ‘to board the wall of broken earth and look at the distant past intently.’ The sentiment is meant to express eagerness to see a beloved one.