Chapter 94: The Language Teacher Was Actually Called Wan Nian Li

  Today is the first day of school, and it's also the first class of Chinese language. The preparatory bell has already rung, everyone is eagerly waiting to see the legendary Chinese teacher who is said to be the most unique in the junior high department of No. 1 Middle School.

  Ding Yiliu, known as the "encyclopedia" of our class, had already found out the name of our language teacher and before class, he proudly showed off to everyone, saying: "Classmates, do you want to know some information about the language teacher who will be teaching us next lesson?"

  Some girls said he was so boring that even when it was his turn to introduce himself in class, the teacher had to prompt him. Some boys called out to him, "Cut the crap and just say it already."

  Ding Yiliu let out a sigh and said: "You guys are so uninteresting, not following the plot at all. Our language teacher's name is quite interesting, it's called Wan Nianli."

  As soon as this was said, Gan Lingling casually said: "Ding Yiliu, have you inquired clearly? Why would someone be called Wan Nianli? Is it because our language teacher's surname is Wan and Wan Nianli is his nickname, then what's the story behind it?"

  "No, no, no, Gan Lingling knew you had a lot on your plate. I can guarantee with my head that our language teacher's name is indeed Wan Nianli. When he first started teaching at our school, he taught the art students, and it's said that many students made fun of his name. But I don't know what method he used to make those unruly students willingly call him Teacher Wan. It's even said they're good friends in private. So, it's possible our language teacher is a tough cookie, we should be worried."

  Li Yong said: "Ding Yiliu, don't say things that everyone on earth knows. Our tenth class is the best in No. 1 Middle School, it's a legendary class, our teachers are all weirdos, they must have two brushes, we just wait for him to appear, isn't it 'above there is policy, below there is counter-policy'?"

  As the school bell rang, our Chinese teacher finally appeared. He wasn't very tall, but should be over 1.7 meters. His face was fair and clean, with a baby face. If I hadn't heard from Ding Yiliu that he had been teaching for over ten years, I really couldn't tell. However, the most striking feature of his entire face was still his big nose, which looked a bit like Jackie Chan's. It made me wonder if he knew any kung fu.

  The language teacher wrote down the three words "Wannianli" on the blackboard, and said with a deep breath: "Classmates, hello, I am your language teacher, my name is the three words 'Wannianli' on the blackboard." He pointed at the words on the blackboard while looking at us. Maybe he wanted to see something from our faces, after all, his name was really unique. This was the only good phrase that came to my mind at that time.

  If it weren't for Ding Yiliu mentioning the teacher's name in a joking manner earlier, I'm sure many people in our class would have burst out laughing. Even so, when the teacher slowly said his own name, my heart still skipped a beat.

  Actually, apart from his facial features not being particularly impressive, his handwriting is bold and powerful, elegant and free-flowing. His voice is also very pleasant to listen to, rich and magnetic. It gives people a feeling of being caressed by a spring breeze.

  About three minutes later, he cleared his throat and said: "Classmates, what do you think of the three words on the blackboard?" If it's a teacher's question, no matter whether it's good or bad, classmates will all say it's good. But we all sincerely thought it was good because the word really looked good. It's quite different from our class teacher's handwriting.

  "Now that everyone has agreed and there are no questions, let's move on to what language is. Before we start, I'd like to make a few requests, which are also the requirements for attending my class. Don't be too nervous, these are all achievable. Firstly, students in our class must write their language homework with fountain pens, I don't want to see any water pens or ballpoint pens. Secondly, students in our class must keep a daily diary, the word count is unlimited, you've also kept diaries in primary school, so I believe you know how to do it. Thirdly, students in our class must follow my requirements for pre-class preparation and post-class homework. Fourthly, students in our class must practice writing with fountain pens every weekend, I will conduct random checks, so don't think about taking shortcuts! Earlier, you all said that the teacher's handwriting is nice, so you must practice your handwriting too, the teacher isn't a genius, it's also something that comes from daily and yearly practice. The subject of language has never allowed for any pretence."

  Teacher Wan hasn't even started the lesson yet, and he's already given us a bunch of requirements. After that, he talked to us about the Chinese subject, anyway, not a single word was mentioned about the content of the first lesson, it's really embarrassing for those who went to buy reference books yesterday afternoon and did some advance preparation.

  At first, the classmates thought that Teacher Wan was knowledgeable and well-read, but he didn't seem easy to fool. Later, they were attracted by the stories told by Teacher Wan and completely forgot about their previous demands. In short, Teacher Wan's words are very interesting, but only after everyone has entered the role.

  The bell rang, and Teacher Wan tidied up and said: "Classmates, tonight everyone should take a good look at the first lesson 'On the Other Side of the Mountain' and think carefully about what the mountain in the text implies. Think divergently, I don't want your answers to be exactly the same as those in my teaching reference materials. Also, imagine how you would write on this topic if you were given it. Alright, class dismissed! I'm the teacher at No. 1 Middle School who dislikes dragging out classes the most, and this is my good tradition. However, let me reveal a secret to you: your head teacher is notoriously known among us teachers for being a master of dragging out classes. Everyone should be mentally prepared, but don't let him know that I told you, or he'll come to my office again to borrow my oranges."

  Just now, Teacher Wan's sentence was not exactly the same as the one in the textbook. His eyes are so sharp that he has already seen through our little thoughts. After Teacher Wan left, everyone asked Ding Yiliu to tell them other gossip about Teacher Wan. He said proudly: "You guys didn't believe that our Chinese teacher's name is Wan Nianli before class, did you? Well, facts speak louder than words."

  Wang Jing Lei said: "Yes yes yes, we were wrong just now, shouldn't have doubted you, saying you're a smooth talker, you're actually a knowledgeable person from the jianghu, it's settled."

  Ding Yilv raised an eyebrow and said, "This is more like it."

  Li Yongyi patted Ding Yiliu's shoulder and said, "You're so tall, how can you be out of breath? Hurry up and tell me the unknown secrets of Master Wan Nianli."

  Ding Yiliu said: "It's not a big deal, I just heard that our Chinese teacher, Wan Nianli, was named because he was born around the time of the Lunar New Year. At that time, his grandmother was playing mahjong, and suddenly his mother said she was going to give birth. They rushed her to the hospital, and Teacher Wan was born."

  "What's the big deal if it was Teacher Wan who gave birth? It would be a big deal only if Teacher Wan's mother had given birth."

  Ding Yiliu said impatiently, "Li Yong, I know you're a stickler for details, just listen and don't go off on a tangent. Yes, yes, yes, Teacher Wan's mother gave birth to him, and when Grandma Wan saw that he was a big fat baby, she laughed until her eyes were narrowed into a line. She said, 'Oh my, this little one isn't even a year old yet, what should we name him? He's a "year" in the generation order, so maybe we should call him something with "year" in it... how about Wan Nianli?' I heard that at the time, Teacher Wan was smiling happily at his grandma, and just like that, the name was decided. That's how Teacher Wan came to be named Wan Nianli."

  "My goodness, this is too ridiculous! How could Master Wan's parents agree to this? It's true that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure, but sometimes this treasure can be a living nightmare."

  Ding Yiliu smiled and said, "Don't say that! Teacher Wan's family is a family of teachers. His grandmother was a Chinese teacher, his father was a math teacher, and his mother was an English teacher. So, it's only natural to let his grandmother, the Chinese teacher, name him. Otherwise, should he have been given an English name by his mother or a name with mathematical symbols by his father?"

  Li Yong said thoughtfully, "It seems that the more you teach language and literature, the more your thoughts are different from others. These names you've come up with are really puzzling. By the way, Ding Yiliu, this is only your first day of school, where did you go to gather all this information?"

  "You don't understand, do you? Since we're going to take these teachers' classes, of course, we need to figure out their likes and dislikes. Otherwise, one day we'll get caught off guard, just like I did in elementary school. Even if we do run into trouble, at least we can take targeted measures. Besides, don't you know that there's a kind of person called senior students? As a freshman, I need to get along well with them and gather some information. My reputation as 'Jianghu Bai Xiaosheng' wasn't self-proclaimed, it was widely recognized in our elementary school. Let me tell you about my glorious history."

  "You're still treating symptoms, you think you're a doctor? When I have time, I'll review 'Over the Mountain' and think about Teacher Wan's questions, which are more reliable."

  "Wait, don't go, I still have things to reveal! Why are you all leaving?" No matter how much Ding Yiliu tried to persuade them, everyone had already walked a considerable distance and returned to their own seats.

  Gan Lingling burst out laughing and said, "Ding Yiliu, don't mention your glorious history, it's laughable. Have you forgotten what Teacher Liu, the class advisor at that time, said about you?"

  Ding Yiliu glared at Gan Lingling fiercely and said: "Don't say it, if you want to say it, I... I'll expose your secrets too."

  Gan Lingling became even more spirited, saying: "I said it, I said it, you have the ability to expose the truth, I didn't believe you could say anything. Everyone listen up, our former class teacher said that Ding Yiliu shouldn't be called Ding Yiliu, but should be called...Ding...Chui...Niu!"