Chapter 35

Because her wound was in such an awkward spot, Chen Nian spent the entire weekend holed up at home, barely stepping out at all.

After having a good cry, she felt a lot better inside, though she had clearly given Fang Zhi quite a scare.

Over those two days, Fang Zhi stuck to her like glue, following her everywhere. Chen Nian couldn’t even tear open a snack bag without Fang Zhi jumping in to help.

It was as if their roles had reversed, but no matter what happened, Chen Nian could never bring herself to ignore Fang Zhi.

Besides, after they’d talked it out, Chen Nian understood that Fang Zhi’s occasional coldness had been her own way of trying to protect her.

No matter how convoluted the logic behind that shift seemed, it was still the purest form of love from Fang Zhi as a child.

By Monday, Chen Nian had fully regained her energy and spirits.

She slung her backpack over her shoulder, took Fang Zhi by the hand, and headed happily off to school. The only minor annoyance was the occasional twinge when a big movement tugged at her wound—otherwise, everything was perfect.

When they arrived at school, Lin Tianyi circled her like a satellite, darting front and back. Chen Nian was getting fed up. “You’re being super creepy right now, you know that? Where exactly are you looking?”

Lin Tianyi’s face turned beet red. “I’m just worried about your injury.”

Chen Nian bounced on her toes a couple of times. “No injury here—I’m great!”

Lin Tianyi pulled a box of little pastries from his backpack. “My mom made these. She told me to give them to you.”

“Hey.” Chen Nian popped open the lid and stared at a box full of cookies shaped like dog butts.

Chen Nian: “…”

Lin Tianyi: “Mom says you eat what you need more of.”

Chen Nian: “Auntie… sure has a unique talent.”

Lin Tianyi broke into a goofy grin.

That afternoon, they had a class meeting, and their homeroom teacher passed out the mid-term exam results.

All the kids sat up straight as boards in an instant—this was the biggest deal in their little worlds right now.

Chen Nian hadn’t slipped up this time. She scored perfect hundreds in both subjects, tying for first place with one other classmate.

When the teacher praised her, she waved it off modestly amid the envious stares from around the room. “Eh, it’s nothing. The questions were just too easy.”

Her classmates: “………………”

The moment the bell rang, Chen Nian bolted for Class 1.

She cared more about Fang Zhi’s scores than her own.

This was Fang Zhi’s first proper exam since transferring to the new class, and it was crucial for solidifying her standing there.

Kids loved a top student, after all.

But before Chen Nian could even reach the door, Fang Zhi came running out.

She trotted right up to Chen Nian. “I told you I’d come find you.”

Chen Nian: “Our class got dismissed a little early, that’s all.”

Fang Zhi grabbed her arm and steered her off to the side.

They leaned against the railing and stopped, with nothing much to do but chat and gaze at the view below.

Chen Nian’s eyes sparkled as she fixed them on Fang Zhi. “So… how’d the mid-terms go?”

Fang Zhi turned the question back on her. “How about you?”

Chen Nian: “Eh, pretty good. You know me—questions were simple, so I just casually nabbed full marks.”

“Mm, impressive.” Fang Zhi reached over and patted her on the head.

Chen Nian: “Okay, but what about you? What about you?”

Fang Zhi: “Chinese sixty, math zero.”

Chen Nian: “????”

Fang Zhi stared down at her fingers, picking at them.

It took Chen Nian a moment to find her voice. “Wait… we had the same test, right?”

Fang Zhi: “Yeah.”

Chen Nian: “So… were you just not feeling well lately? Didn’t wanna study? Or come to school at all?”

Fang Zhi: “I forgot to write my name on the math paper.”

Chen Nian let out a breath of relief. “Oh, okay then. No big deal—everybody gets careless sometimes…”

Fang Zhi’s nail tapped lightly against the railing, producing a faint echo. “I did it on purpose.”

Chen Nian: “Ah…”

Fang Zhi: “Chinese, too. On purpose.”

Chen Nian: “…”

For a second, she wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or worried.

“What happened?” Chen Nian asked carefully. “Can you tell me?”

Normally, whether it was the first time she asked or the first couple of days, Chen Nian never really expected an answer.

Fang Zhi still hadn’t recovered from the trauma of her family’s upheaval, and she was such a sensitive, delicate child. Everything needed time.

Even if she had to keep asking over and over, Chen Nian was willing to give her that time.

After all, standing here now, every moment of her life was devoted to a single goal.

But suddenly, Fang Zhi spoke up. “Don’t I wanna be a bad student?”

Chen Nian: “Eh?”

Fang Zhi turned her head away, not letting Chen Nian see her face. “Didn’t I already tell you?”

Chen Nian: “Aah, oh, right, I know, I know. Sure, sure—no problem at all.”

Chen Nian’s head spun a little from what Fang Zhi had said. She could genuinely understand the reason, but what surprised her was Fang Zhi’s attitude.

She had revealed her innermost thoughts so smoothly, like a Pitiful Little One who would answer any secret you asked about.

Once she finished speaking, the Pitiful Little One quietly picked at her fingers. Chen Nian recovered her wits and reached out to grasp her hand, enfolding it in her own palm.

“I’m really grateful that you did this,” Chen Nian whispered, leaning close. “I know how much you care about me. But this method might not be the best one. Let’s discuss it together and figure out something more suitable, okay?”

Fang Zhi nodded.

Chen Nian asked her, “So, what score could you have gotten originally?”

Fang Zhi replied, “Aren’t we supposed to discuss and research it?”

Chen Nian said, “Aiya, let’s look into some other questions first!”

Fang Zhi hesitated. “Will Auntie and Uncle be upset if they find out about my scores?”

Chen Nian laughed. “You only thought of that now?”

The class break was short, so they could only chat for a little while.

After school, Chen Nian racked her brain to recall childhood memories and fabricated a few stories about her own exam scores—some good, some bad—to prepare Fang Zhi.

But when they arrived home, before anyone could bring up the midterms, Chen Nian pulled her mother into the bedroom. She explained Fang Zhi’s scores and her own interpretation of the situation.

Naturally, she left out the part about them beating up the bully together.

“That’s the gist of it,” Chen Nian concluded. “Coming to a new environment without any sense of security made her think crooked.”

Liu Chunhua sighed. “Ah, she really went way off track.”

Chen Nian added, “Tianyi also told me that Zhizhi hasn’t been getting along with her classmates lately. They all say Fang Zhi is too fierce. And some kids, knowing our family situation, even say that if she acts like this, no one in the family will want her.”

Liu Chunhua was stunned. “Do kids these days think that much? Is Zhizhi unhappy with us and doesn’t want to stay, or is she testing whether we only want a perfect little angel?”

Chen Nian smiled. “What do you think?”

Liu Chunhua patted her apron with great confidence. “I think it’s the latter. Heh, she underestimates what Mom really wants.”

Chen Nian burst into laughter. She knew that settled everything.

That evening at dinner, Fang Zhi took the initiative to mention the midterms. But before she could get to her scores, Liu Chunhua plopped a chicken leg into her bowl and declared with great gusto, “Exams aren’t important. What good are they anyway? Other parents obsess over those scores, but I compare my child’s health and happiness. And no one beats us there.”

Chen Junjie chimed in, “Exactly, exactly.”

Fang Zhi blinked. “…”

Fang Zhi ventured, “But I only got 60 in Chinese…”

Liu Chunhua waved it off. “Sixty’s perfect! One point less feels skimpy, one more feels excessive. It’s better to score smart than high—who else nails exactly that?”

Chen Junjie nodded. “Exactly, exactly.”

Fang Zhi stared. “…”

Fang Zhi pressed on. “I forgot to write my name on the math test… zero points.”

Liu Chunhua grinned. “Hey, that’s got your uncle’s style from back in the day. He was a legend—didn’t write his name on the entrance exam, came home with two big fat zeros, and Grandma made him two poached eggs. Zhizhi, do you like poached eggs?”

Chen Junjie sputtered, “How did I ever…”

Liu Chunhua rapped his hand sharply. Chen Junjie recovered. “Exactly, exactly. Poached eggs are delicious.”

Fang Zhi clutched her chopsticks, too shocked to take a single bite for the longest time.

Dinner wrapped up in an oddly awkward yet joyful atmosphere. Afterward, Fang Zhi dragged Chen Nian into their room. “Is Auntie talking in reverse? Is she actually furious?”

Chen Nian shook her head. “No way! Mom’s not like that at all. She’s as straight as an arrow—what’s in her heart comes straight out her mouth.”

Fang Zhi asked, “What about Uncle? Did he really get two zeros?”

Chen Nian shrugged. “I wasn’t around back then, so how should I know? If Mom says it happened, then it did.”

Fang Zhi’s eyes widened. “Wow, Uncle’s such a dummy.”

Chen Nian grinned. “Exactly, exactly.”

And just like that, Chen Junjie inexplicably shouldered an embarrassing life anecdote. But since his wife explained it was all for the sake of the child’s education, he didn’t mind a bit.

The next day, Chen Nian and Fang Zhi headed to school as usual. But just as they were about to step out the door, Liu Chunhua hurried after them. “Come on, come on—Mom’s going with you.”

Chen Nian gaped. “？？？？”

Fang Zhi echoed her. “？？？？”

Liu Chunhua explained, “Didn’t I sign your test papers? For Zhizhi’s, I’m worried the teacher might accuse her of getting someone else to sign it.”

This worry was not unfounded. After all, on a paper with a zero score, Liu Chunhua had even written: “The child is great! Very neat handwriting!”

The three of them went out the door and squeezed onto the same bus.

After sending the child into the classroom, Liu Chunhua chatted with Fang Zhi’s homeroom teacher for a bit. Once they finished talking, she smiled at Fang Zhi and waved, then turned to head back.

At noon, Chen Nian and Fang Zhi made the trip back on their own. But when school let out in the afternoon, Liu Chunhua showed up at the school again.

Elementary school management wasn’t that strict back then, so parents waiting for dismissal could enter the school grounds.

Liu Chunhua stood downstairs from their building. As soon as the dismissal bell rang and the children surged out, she waved to Chen Nian and Fang Zhi from afar, drawing quite a few stares.

Chen Nian took Fang Zhi’s hand and ran over. She asked, “Mom, why’d you come to school?”

Liu Chunhua said, “I went to deliver some clothes and picked you up on the way back.”

Chen Nian exclaimed, “Yay!!!”

Liu Chunhua put one arm around each of them. “What do you want to eat tonight? Let’s go to the market together.”

Chen Nian exclaimed again, “Yay!!!”

It was a happy day. There was nothing happier than having Mom pick them up from school.

If there was anything even better, it was Mom sending them to school the next day.

Chen Nian said, “???”

Liu Chunhua replied, “It’s raining today, so I brought extra shoes for you to change into.”

Chen Nian nodded. Fine, that was a decent reason.

It rained all day, so Liu Chunhua handled their pickups even for the midday trip.

On the way, she had them put on their rain shoes. Once they arrived at school, she pulled regular shoes out of her bag—just so their feet would be more comfortable during class.

By the third day, Chen Nian stopped bothering to ask why.

Instead, it was Fang Zhi who tugged at Liu Chunhua’s sleeve and asked, “Auntie, aren’t you busy today?”

Liu Chunhua said, “Not busy at all! Didn’t I just finish that work the other day? People need to rest sometimes. My new hobby is picking up the kids from school.”

For the next half month, Liu Chunhua showed up right on time at the school gate and under their classroom building.

Chen Nian figured it was enough, so she took the chance to tell her mom, “That’s good now. Zhizhi can feel how much you care about her.”

Liu Chunhua replied, “This is more than just caring.”

Chen Nian said, “She can feel your love for her.”

Liu Chunhua said, “This is more than just love.”

Chen Nian said, “I know you have work on hand, and you still have to cook and clean at home. It’s too hard on you.”

Liu Chunhua said, “Then let your dad handle the cooking and cleaning.”

Chen Nian said, “…”

If her dad’s work schedule hadn’t clashed with their school times, Chen Nian had no doubt her mom would assign him the job—sending them to school all the way through elementary graduation.

This time, she couldn’t talk her out of it, so Liu Chunhua sent them for another half month.

She kept it up until all their classmates knew she was Chen Nian and Fang Zhi’s guardian, until the teachers, the director, and even the gatekeeper grandpa greeted her by name, until Li Gousheng spotted Fang Zhi and Chen Nian and bolted like he’d seen a ghost.

Chen Nian said, “Mom, that’s really enough now.”

Liu Chunhua asked, “Is there still anyone saying I might not want Zhizhi anymore?”

Chen Nian said, “No, no, now they all say you treat us like treasures.”

Liu Chunhua said, “It’s mainly for Zhizhi.”

Chen Nian said, “Okay, okay, you treat Zhizhi like a treasure.”

Liu Chunhua said, “Tell Zhizhi that Auntie and Uncle will never abandon her. This will always be her home.”

Chen Nian wiped her eyes. “Okay.”

A little later, Chen Nian ran into the kitchen and hugged her mom’s thick waist. “Mom, Zhizhi says she got first place on her final exam.”

Liu Chunhua burst out laughing, her knife chopping the vegetables like a whirlwind of flowers. “Good, good.”