CH 51

Miaomiao couldn’t resist throwing furtive glances at Zhou Yuan from time to time.

But she would quickly withdraw her gaze.

Mom said that if I wanted something, I would have to buy it for myself. I can’t simply ask others for it.

Due to this, Miaomiao repeated to herself, ‘I’m not hungry. I’m not hungry. I can’t ask Zhouzhou to give me the chocolates.’

Since Miaomiao didn’t want to spend money on snacks, she focused on reading her textbook to divert her attention.

After some time, Zhou Yuan placed the box of chocolates atop Miaomiao’s desk.

Miaomiao turned her head to peer at Zhou Yuan who said with a surly voice, “It isn’t tasty at all. You could have the rest.”

Miaomiao was confused.

Mom had said before that sharing food was a sign of friendship. Then again, mom also told me that I wasn’t supposed to just eat other people’s food.

Thus, Miaomiao was conflicted.

Could I eat it?

She never hesitated to accept people’s gifts before since she always felt that this was a symbol that they were good friends. If she offered some delicacy to another person, she would probably be disappointed if they refused to take it.

But, however, she hesitated right now. After all, her mother told her not to accept things from other people without a care in the world.

After noticing Miaomiao’s hesitation, Zhou Yuan felt his heart tightening.

Back then, Miaomiao would accept any gift he offered to her without hesitation.

When Jingjing gifted her the sumptuous chocolates, she accepted them jauntily. But when he did the same, she hesitated to take them off his hands.

This stunned Zhou Yuan for a moment, and then he felt like he was being childish.

Why am I jealous of their friendship? Why do I concern myself with this? I intentionally placed the chocolates atop the table and ate them in front of Miaomiao, so she would ask me if she could eat some…

Zhou Yuan wondered, ‘Do I also need to tell her that I don’t want to be friends with her anymore.’

Zhou Yuan was astounded by this childish vagary that he had just conjured up in his mind. 

He placed the box of chocolates on top of Miaomiao’s desk.

I don’t need to be childish about this.

“Zhouzhou, my mother told me that I shouldn’t just take other people’s stuff,” Miaomiao whispered to him.

After digesting her words, Zhou Yuan realized that Mother Hua told Miaomiao not to accept things from other people without a care in the world after she had accepted Jingjing’s opulent chocolates. After all, things of great opulence do have a hefty price tag.

Zhou Yuan was very pleased. He replied, “You don’t take other people’s things for free. You have to pay for it. It’s like going to a store to buy something. You look for something, you pay for it, and you get something in return.”

This explication astounded Miaomiao for a moment. Her face flushed, and she squeezed her fingers. Then, she muttered, “But…I don’t have any money.”

He mused for a while and replied, “Then, you could help me finish the food that I’m not too fond of so that I could get a little red flower. One could consider this as another way of giving me something in return.”

However, Miaomiao still felt that the chocolate was worth much more. This wasn’t an equal exchange; therefore, she responded, “You don’t have to give me the chocolate. I’ll eat your lunch for you anyways.”

When she still refused to accept his gift, he repeated what she had said a few moments ago, “But my mother told me that I shouldn’t just take other people’s stuff.”

He continued in a dejected tone, “If you don’t help me finish my meal, then I won’t obtain the little red flower.”

Miaomiao held his hand and replied, “Don’t worry. You’ll get your little red flowers.”

Miaomiao conjectured that the main reason why Zhou Yuan never raised his hand in class to answer some questions was the same as hers; he was afraid to speak in front of so many people. But she also believed that due to Zhou Yuan’s intelligence that he would surely know the answer.

Since she had experienced this fear of public speaking, she told Zhou Yuan while exuding the aura of someone who had overcome a difficulty, “In fact, you could receive a little red flower if you’re willing to raise your hand to answer some questions in class. After you raise your hand, just stand up, answer the question, then sit down. Since you’re smart, you’ll definitely answer correctly.”

Then, Miaomiao began to indulge in small talk and spoke, “I was frightened at first, but I told myself that I just had to stand up and answer the question. I said it to myself in my heart many times before I finally answered. I was scared, but I was also very happy when I answered the question.”

While she voiced those words, she smiled as her eyebrows arched. The little girl’s small face shone like a newly blooming sunflower. She was so beautiful that one might, at first glance, mistake her for the morning sun when it rose from the horizon and blanketed the world underneath with golden light.  

Zhou Yuan froze for a moment, then he heard her say, “I’ll help you in math class later.”

Zhou Yuan was unsure of how to respond. Although he wanted to tell her that he didn’t have to answer the question, he found it difficult to tell her.

Zhou Yuan could only change the subject, “Look at these chocolates. They look just like the ones you ate yesterday, right?”

Miaomiao whispered to Zhou Yuan, “Yeah, I saw you eat one just now.”

“You don’t want to eat some?” Zhou Yuan found it a little strange.

Doesn’t Miaomiao resemble a little squirrel who stores her food?

Miaomiao whispered, “I want to give them to my great-grandma. She had no teeth, so she should be able to eat them.”

Zhou Yuan then realized why she didn’t eat them yesterday. She was saving them for her great-grandma who was at her home…

Their math class soon began.

Miaomiao became very nervous when her math teacher stepped into the classroom.

When the math teacher asked, “Who wants to answer this question?”

Zhou Yuan felt his hand being raised up by Miaomiao.

Zhou Yuan: “…”

The math teacher usually made it clear that the first person to raise their hand would be the first person to answer the question. But when the students raised their hands, the math teacher usually also chose someone who had never answered any questions before.

Today, for example.

“Zhou Yuan. Answer this for me.”

He slowly rose from his seat. When he was in class, he usually never glanced at the blackboard, so he didn’t know the answer before standing up. As he stood up, he glanced at the board and replied, “24.”

The math teacher was a little surprised. He surmised that Zhou Yuan had deliberately answered incorrectly since 36 was the correct answer.

“Does anyone else know the answer?”

Then, a student raised his hand and answered 36.

Zhou Yuan looked at the question that the math teacher had just mentioned. Then, he immediately realized that it was the question below and not the one above it.

Zhou Yuan nonchalantly sat down on his seat. Then, he noticed that Miaomiao, who sat next to him, was restless.

Miaomiao held his hand and leaned over to his side, then she whispered, “I’m…sorry…”

It was as if she was the one who answered the wrong question.

In reality, Zhou Yuan didn’t care about this matter and told her, “It’s okay. I just read the wrong question.”

Zhou Yuan felt bad when he saw her feeling guilty. After all, he was the one who first mentioned that he wanted a red flower. That was why Miaomiao tried to help him get one.

Zhou Yuan commented, “I can answer the next question.”

Miaomiao vigorously nodded her head and said, “Of course, you can.”

In Miaomiao’s opinion, Zhou Yuan was the most intelligent person in the world.

Afterwards, Zhou Yuan listened for a while before answering the next question.

Since he didn’t read the wrong question this time, he answered it correctly.

The math teacher praised him.

Zhou Yuan who was praised: “…”

After turning his head, he noticed that his little tablemate was much more exuberant than before.

Well, answering questions correctly is worth it now if I could see her smile.

Miaomiao ate all the dishes that Zhou Yuan disliked during their lunchtime. Then, she also offered him the food he liked to eat from her plate.

She thought that they should do it this way so that they would be able to finish their meal.

After lunchtime, the headteacher came to their class to make an announcement, “Students, tomorrow is an open class. Please wear your school uniforms and come to school. Don’t talk during class and actively raise your hands to answer any questions.”

Miaomiao didn’t understand what the headteacher said but nodded anyway.

Deng Feng uttered, “Can I…not…raise my hand?”

The teachers were lenient with this class. Instead of selecting specific students to answer their questions, the teachers allowed the students to take the initiative to answer them.

Teacher Li pondered for a while before replying. “Okay, then let’s do it this way. The students who wish to answer the questions will raise their left hand, and everyone else will raise their right hand. Then, the teacher will only choose the students who raised their left hand to answer their questions. Is that acceptable?”

The whole class exclaimed, “Yes.”

“Good. Then, you return home and review thoroughly. If no one raises their left hand, I wouldn’t know who to call. Then, the teacher will be miserable.” 

The whole class bursted into laughter. 

“I’ll give two red flowers to the person who answers the questions correctly tomorrow.”

Suddenly, a gleam of excitement appeared in Miaomiao’s eyes.