Chapter 25: The Panic Caused by the Sudden Inspection of Work (Part 1)

  "Last time's poetry dictation, classmates who recited the wrong poem will copy it 20 times and hand it in tomorrow. First on the list... Wang Zhiqing, Shu Zimo, Ling Xiaofei...... Shu Zimo's name is once again on the list without exception."

  The language teacher was an old pedant, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, with a head that had two temples slightly whitened, and under the two eyebrows that seemed to be splashed with thick ink, there were always white lights reflected from his old glasses, as well as piercing eyes that made people shiver. His classmates didn't dare look into his eyes, especially when he asked questions in class. Once you met his gaze, you would be his next target.

  Copy 20 times as homework, it's already a great favor from the language teacher, and it's simply a bargain for Shu Zimo and others.

  "You've been writing a long string of homework on the blackboard and announced: 'The final exam is approaching, this semester's classes are all over, starting tomorrow we will explain the content of the exercise book, at that time we will check the completion of the exercise book, students weigh it for themselves, lack what to make up for what, those who have not completed it, old rules, go through the process.' After finishing speaking, he brushed off the chalk dust on his body and left with a swagger, completely ignoring the complaints from behind."

  "Going through the motions" is a catchphrase of the language teacher, used to warn disobedient students. So-called "going through the motions" means standing in front of the blackboard at the back of the classroom to listen to the lesson, copying as punishment during class breaks, and asking parents to come to school. Gu Siyan secretly calls the language teacher "going through the motions". Qiao Anyu, who has been influenced by her, also follows suit. As a result, one time when she went to the office to hand in her homework to the math teacher who was also the class advisor, and reminded the math teacher that the self-study class for that week was arranged for the language teacher, she accidentally said: "Teacher, this week's self-study class is going through the motions." Fortunately, the class advisor was busy at the time and didn't listen carefully to what she said.

  After "going with the flow" disappeared from their sight, the whole class suddenly boiled over, crying out loud and wailing.

  The learning habit of "going with the flow" is to finish all the lessons and then explain the exercise book, so people who owe homework account for the vast majority. In fact, it's not impossible to copy all the questions overnight, but the answers at the back of the exercise book were torn off and handed in at the beginning of the semester.

  As a result, Qiao Anyu and Xu Xiao's place became crowded with people, all of whom had the same goal in mind - to copy homework.

  Shu Zimo looked at those who were eager to squeeze into the crowd with disdain, curling his lips and saying to Su Yuzhe: "What's so great about it? I've already finished long ago."

  "Really? Then lend me a copy. I was going to ask Yu Liang for one anyway." Su Yuzhe didn't hesitate and immediately reserved Shu Zimo's practice book.

  "But... but... I have to go back and look for it... I don't know where I misplaced it." Shu Zimo didn't expect Su Yuzhe to make such a move, so he had no choice but to start making up lies.

  "You must be bragging again, I'll go borrow from Xu Xiao instead. There are too many people on Yu Liang's side."

  "Just you wait and see my fully written practice book tomorrow." Shu Zimo was annoyed by Su Yuzhe's skepticism.

  At noon, Shu Zimo returned home and stared at the blank language exercise book, thinking of all sorts of ways.

  Go find that woman to borrow and copy? No way, a gentleman can be killed but not humiliated. He cannot bow down for the sake of five bushels of rice. Imagining himself asking Qiao Anyu in a humble tone for her language exercise book to copy, Shu Zimo, who was well aware of her character that she only responded to softness and not hardness, analyzed: "The consequence can only be: she will not only refuse but also take advantage of the situation, damaging my, Shu Zimo's, dignity."

  Want to borrow from Xu Xiao? But he himself had boasted about Su Yuze, what if he finds out through Xu Xiao that he was bragging, wouldn't that lose face for him? Shu Zimo suddenly felt stupid, smashing his own foot with a rock, not leaving any room for himself to turn around. This is great, his luck is really bad, the people around him are all foxes and dogs, let alone expecting them to help. As for the other girls, they not only avoid him in fear, but also, as a big boy, he's actually going to ask a girl to borrow homework to copy, what a joke!

  Qiao Anyu was an exception, Shu Zimo had never treated her as a girl.

  Weighing the pros and cons, Shu Zimo decided to temporarily put aside his pride and borrow from Qiao Anyu, and the time and place had to be carefully calculated. When it was dark and windy at night, in a secluded place where no one would notice, that was his best combination.

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