CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: FLATTERER XU XU

Zhao Meimei went to school the next day, and after much coaxing and persuasion, she convinced her mom to let her wear her new sneakers to school.

Shi Yang came to pick her up, glanced at her bright new orange shoes, and asked with a smile, "Do you like them?"

Zhao Meimei nodded vigorously, "I love them."

Shi Yang smiled fondly and gently ruffled Zhao Meimei’s hair.

For Zhao Meimei, first-grade classes, except for practicing writing in Chinese, weren’t very difficult. She understood in class and during exercises, she would look around, chat with the students front and behind, fool around, kick the front desk, and snatch her deskmate’s pencil box.

Teacher Wang named Zhao Meimei: "Zhao Meimei! Do your exercises properly, no talking!"

Two minutes hadn’t passed when Teacher Wang scolded again, "Zhao Meimei! Don’t throw erasers at your classmates!"

Finally, Teacher Wang’s eyes widened, and she called Zhao Meimei out from her seat to stand in front of her.

Teacher Wang scolded her: "What’s wrong with you! Hyperactive? Have you finished your exercises? Why are you kicking the front desk? That paper ball that flew over, you threw it, right? Last class you broke your deskmate’s pencil, didn’t I criticize you? And now you’re snatching people’s pencil boxes? Can you sit quietly for a moment?"

Listening to the teacher count her faults one by one, Zhao Meimei finally realized where she went wrong and quickly apologized, "Teacher, I was wrong."

Teacher Wang was almost amused by anger.

Zhao Meimei is actually very smart. The teacher quite likes her, but she has too many minor issues in class, she can’t sit still for a second. When criticized, she admits her mistakes very nicely, turns her head and forgets all about it, going back to her old ways. The teacher simply doesn’t know what to do with her.

Teacher Wang sternly said, "Today I must punish you properly. You, go stand on the stage facing the entire class for punishment. You can return to your seat after class ends."

If it were an ordinary little girl being criticized like this by the teacher, and then being punished to stand, she’d surely have red eyes and start shedding tears.

But Zhao Meimei isn’t just any little girl; after all, she’s the leader among the children in the housing estate. Standing on the podium at first, looking at the crowd of little head below, she felt a bit embarrassed. After standing for a while, she got used to it and was amazed to find that standing on the podium, looking down at her classmates making little movements was absolutely apparent.

Zhao Meimei internally pondered on how the teacher always manages to catch her doing little things, she better take notice in the future.

Zhao Meimei stood there for a while. The initial novelty wore off, feeling bored. She seized the moment while the teacher wasn’t watching, sneaked to the side of the lectern, quickly grabbed a piece of chalk, and secretly returned to the front of the blackboard.

She fiddled with the chalk for a bit, then seeing the teacher was engrossed in reviewing the lesson plan, not looking her way, mischievously twisted her eyes and secretly began drawing on the edge of the blackboard where there was space.

All Zhao Meimei can draw are fireworks, taught by Shi Yang. She drew four water-drop-shaped patterns facing each other, then continued drawing water droplets behind each with some distance between them, combining all the droplets to form fireworks.

Zhao Meimei drew extraordinarily well, the fireworks spread beautifully.

After finishing, Zhao Meimei admired it, thinking it looked really nice, completely inheriting Brother Yangyang’s knack for it.

Suddenly a crisp voice from below the podium called out, "Report to the teacher! Zhao Meimei is drawing on the blackboard!"

Zhao Meimei was shocked by the sudden shout, reflexively reached out to wipe the blackboard.

"Zhao Meimei!" Teacher Wang looked at the drawing on the blackboard that hadn’t been wiped clean, paused for a moment, and frowned, "What’s going on with you? You’re supposed to stand for punishment to reflect on your mistakes, not to draw on the blackboard!"

Zhao Meimei lowered her head, obediently admitted her mistake, "Teacher, I was wrong."

Teacher Wang was furious, pointing towards the classroom door, "Go stand in the corridor! You’re not allowed to come back until class ends!"

Zhao Meimei dejectedly headed outside the classroom, glancing sideways at the person who reported her.

Sitting in the second row, a handsome boy with red lips and white teeth, bushy eyebrows, and big eyes, Xu Xu, was looking right at Zhao Meimei.

Zhao Meimei reached out and pointed at Xu Xu from a distance, silently warning him: You little brat, always ratting me out to the teacher! Just you wait!

"Report, teacher! Zhao Meimei is glaring at me!" Xu Xu raised his slender neck and spoke to the teacher.

Teacher Wang was exasperated: "Zhao Meimei! You dare to scare your classmate! Today I’ll punish you by making you write the new words twice!"

Upon hearing she had to copy new words as punishment, Zhao Meimei was dumbfounded, obediently walked out to stand at the classroom door.

Zhao Meimei is smart, she isn’t afraid of studying, but only that cursive writing, which Teacher Wang likened to messy scrawl, is her biggest pain.

Zhao Meimei greatly dislikes practicing writing, and even more so copying new words.

Having been punished by the teacher, all her fiery anger was directed at Xu Xu. She stood in the corridor, listening to the class chatting away, angrily cursing Xu Xu: Always ratting on me, so obsequious.

After finally waiting until class ended, Zhao Meimei dashed back into the classroom, waited for the teacher to leave, and turned to rush towards Xu Xu.

Zhao Meimei is very popular in class, despite her mischievousness, her classmates all like her, find her interesting and fun.

So when Zhao Meimei went to confront Xu Xu, the classmates around him immediately ran to stand behind Zhao Meimei, showing unanimous support against Xu Xu.

It mainly stems from all children hating tattling and brown-nosing.

Xu Xu, in the eyes of the classmates, is labeled as the undeniable "Brown-Noser NO.1".

Zhao Meimei wore a cool and cold expression, squinted at Xu Xu, "Why did you report me to the teacher?"

Xu Xu with big eyes and double eyelids, his black hair cut in the latest student style, showing off his thick eyebrows and prominent nose, red lips, looked at Zhao Meimei, his eyes as dark as ink, "I didn’t report you."

Zhao Meimei’s eyes widened in disbelief, "You just tattled on me to the teacher, and you dare not admit it!"

Xu Xu blinked twice, "I wasn’t tattling on you, the teacher said, classmates should help each other. I was helping you correct your flaws."

Zhao Meimei reached out and poked Xu Xu’s forehead, "You’re so noticeable! Are we that close? If you dare report me again, watch out, I’ll beat you up!"

Zhao Meimei rolled up her sleeves, showing off her tough kid posture, seemed both cool and intimidating to her peers.

Xu Xu frowned, his mouth pouted, "I... I..."

Zhao Meimei pointed at Xu Xu from a distance, warning him, "I’m really good at hitting, you better be careful!"

Xu Xu stared blankly at Zhao Meimei, his voice trembling with tears, "I didn’t mean to tattle on you."

Xu Xu had a nice face; his pale cheeks crying, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

Zhao Meimei saw him crying, paused, panicked, quickly withdrew her hand, and glared at him, "You, you speak properly, why, why are you crying?"

Xu Xu wiped his tears, "I didn’t mean to tattle on you, I wanted to be good friends with you."

Zhao Meimei: "...."

Xu Xu: "I like you; I want to play with you... boo hoo..."