CHAPTER 156: 155: ASSIGNED HIGH SCHOOL LIFE (CHAPTER 4)

Fighting, of course, alarmed the teachers in the end, and Ye Qian and Ye Ling were both called into the office. Ye Ling was good at academics, so the teacher naturally leaned towards Ye Ling. They just asked Ye Ling about the rumors, but Ye Ling truly knew nothing about them. Zhao Guodong brought up what he heard Si Daochen say about Ye Ling behind her back earlier, and now the truth came out. It wasn’t Ye Ling who bullied the new student; rather, the new student said something behind Ye Ling’s back, which was overheard by someone living in Ye Ling’s courtyard, and that led to a few words being exchanged. Si Daochen’s face turned beet red, although it was swollen from the beating by Zhao Guodong, so it wasn’t noticeable.

Ye Qian was in the middle school section, and she had tried to mediate, so she wasn’t reprimanded and was sent back to the middle school section.

When they returned to the classroom, no one approached them to ask anything, but there were distant glances. After this incident, the class split into several factions. The girls centered around Ji Hong and Liu Rui, while another group was made up of ordinary family children like Shao Guangli and Wan Li. The boys’ faction supported Si Daochen, thinking Zhao Guodong was bullying a rural kid, while Zhao Guodong and those from big courtyards and the city formed their own faction. Ye Ling stood independently. Despite the fight led by Zhao Guodong, Ye Ling’s academic life became peaceful as no one dared to disturb her. Rumors even circulated that Si Daochen was beaten for talking behind Ye Ling’s back. Even Ji Hong and Zhou Haiying, who didn’t think much of Ye Ling, wouldn’t publicly slight her anymore.

Ye Ling really enjoyed this tranquil academic life. On weekends, while others went out, she stayed in the dorm to read and do laundry. Usually, she was alone, reading or doing exercises. Sometimes, she’d spend a day at a bookstore memorizing problems and return to school to write them down. Life was fulfilling. Until late November, as it got colder, Ye Ling realized she hadn’t brought out her cotton coats and didn’t want to return to the courtyard, so she asked Zhang Linong to bring them from home.

Unexpectedly, when school ended in the afternoon, she saw her father in a suit standing outside holding a big bag. Ye Ling smiled, "Dad, have you returned from your trip?"

"Yes, wearing something so thin, isn’t it cold?" Preferring to be cold rather than go home for clothes, Ye He Ping felt both heartache and anger, but mostly helplessness.

Ye Ling smiled, "The school is just a few steps from the dormitory, not cold at all."

"Let’s go, change into some warmer clothes, and I’ll take you out for dinner," Ye He Ping took off his coat and draped it over his daughter’s shoulders as they headed out.

Ye Ling quickly followed after wrapping herself in the coat. When Ye He Ping entered the dormitory, the others saw Ye Ling’s father was a cultured man; though they didn’t know how educated he was, he was clearly a refined person and looked at Ye Ling with envy.

After changing into the cotton clothes, Ye Ling appeared bulkier, but since she had grown taller and slimmer, the clothes still seemed oversized.

Ye He Ping realized his daughter hadn’t taken any money, and seeing her so thin, he deduced she was saving money on food. He couldn’t help but feel tender-hearted seeing how early winter darkness fell, after 4 p.m., as they headed to a noodle shop. Business was good in winter as the noodles were delicious and warm. Ye Ling saw Ji Hong and Zhou Haiying there, accompanied by Wang Xiaohong and Zhang Zhenlian.

The four had become inseparable, always together wherever they went. Privately, people didn’t have good things to say about Wang Xiaohong and Zhang Zhenlian; at best they were called sycophants, at worst, lackeys. But Wang Xiaohong and Zhang Zhenlian didn’t care, and nobody could do anything about them.

Zhang Zhenlian saw Ye He Ping and got up to greet him, "Uncle Ye."

Ye He Ping didn’t recognize Zhang Zhenlian, so he looked at his daughter. Ye Ling explained with a smile, "Dad, it’s Old Zhang from the village who drives a cart."

Only then did Ye He Ping remember, and he smiled at Zhang Zhenlian, "Good child, did you make it to high school? Study hard."

Zhang Zhenlian didn’t feel embarrassed about not being recognized earlier and returned a couple of polite words before sitting back down to talk with Zhou Haiying and the others.

Ye Ling and her father sat at the table next to them. Ji Hong kept glancing at Ye He Ping and then turned to ask Zhang Zhenlian softly, "Ye Ling’s dad doesn’t make much money, does he?"

Usually, Ye Ling was so low-key they thought her father wasn’t much, but turned out he was a cultured man.

Zhang Zhenlian nodded, "I heard he’s a department head at a company, but I’m not too sure."

Zhou Haiying’s eyes widened; her own father was just a production team leader, hardly a big official, and she didn’t expect Ye Ling’s father to be a department head. She wondered why Ye Ling, having such a father, lived so quietly, whether she was pretending or simply looked down on others. If she had a father like that, she wouldn’t live as repressed as Ye Ling.

Ye He Ping paid no attention to others and cared about his daughter’s studies, pleased to hear she was close to finishing her sophomore year books, but couldn’t help expressing his concern, "You need to watch your health, too. You’ve grown taller, but you’re thinner than in summer. Are you not eating enough?"

"Dad, I’m eating well." Ye Ling was a loner, usually only exchanging a few words with Zhang Linong and hadn’t spoken to Zhao Guodong this semester. Her meals were simple, mostly buns and porridge with just a bit of vegetables.

No wonder she was thin.

But thinking about persevering for three years to finish high school, Ye Ling didn’t feel it was a hardship.

However, Ye He Ping felt uncomfortable; returning home, he saw his younger daughter looking healthy, in a warm house, dressed thickly compared to the elder daughter, who was sallow and thin, clearly malnourished. Considering how he stood in the dorm, with no stove, it only blocked wind, not cold.

"Lingzi, how about I rent an apartment for you outside?" At least with her own stove it wouldn’t be so cold.

While Ye Ling talked with her father, the four at the next table kept chatting but were listening in. Hearing rumors about Ye Ling being neglected at home, they now heard her father wasn’t taking her home but renting her a place, felt Ye Ling’s plight was pitiful, rather than enviable.

"Dad, it’s fine at school, and in a month we’ll have winter break. No need to spend that money," Ye Ling, dressed in cotton, didn’t feel as cold as before. "Dad, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about going back to my old home for winter break. It’s been a year since I’ve been out, and I haven’t paid my respects to grandma. I want to visit her and stay through New Year’s, returning for the new term." (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)