Chapter Seventeen Perfume Lily Pk Iron Painting

  I got up early in the morning, washed and brushed my teeth leisurely, thinking that today is Friday and tomorrow is a holiday again, I'm so happy, humming a song while washing my face.

  Mom yelled loudly in the kitchen: "Baby, hurry up, today is Teachers' Day, we have to leave early and go around to Liuying Flower Shop to buy some flowers for your teachers."

  I was stunned, is today really September 10th? I quickly went to check the calendar and indeed it's Teachers' Day. In our generation, elementary school students were particularly fond of giving gifts to their teachers on this day, usually flowers or cards. Female teachers would receive carnations, one yuan per flower, and there were many street vendors selling them around the school; male teachers would receive greeting cards with childish handwriting containing sincere words. Every year it was the same routine, but after a few years, carnations became perfumed lilies, cards became musical ones, or even stuffed animals. So what should I give as a reborn person this year? Should I follow the crowd and get carnations again? It doesn't seem fitting, our class teacher is a male teacher, and our math teacher Zheng is also a male teacher, so I'd have to buy cards from Old Liu's store, but it's already 6:40 and I won't make it in time. The only female teacher, English teacher Wu, is new this year and I'm not familiar with her either. Hmm, should I give flowers or not? What else can I give if not flowers?

  And I should also give some to Teacher Fan, she was pretty good to me last year. This year she's not teaching me anymore, but you can't just abandon someone after crossing the river. I walked to the dinner table with a thoughtful look on my face and started eating breakfast. My mom hurriedly asked me, "Baby, how many teachers are you going to give flowers to?"

  I looked uncertain and said, "Mom, do we really have to give flowers? This semester our Chinese and math teachers are all male, only the English teacher is female. How about giving something else instead?"

  "My mother said, 'I see you haven't prepared anything. In the past, we always gave flowers, didn't we? This year, do you want to try something new? Everyone gives flowers, so why not have your male teacher give a bouquet of daisies and your female teacher give carnations? These are just expressions of your intentions, nothing more. If you want to express extraordinary intentions, then next year give something special.'"

  I patted my head and said, "Mom, don't worry, we won't go to the flower shop anymore. I've thought of what I want to give as a gift." I ran up to my room on the second floor, got down on my hands and knees, and searched for something I had brought back from S city during summer vacation. Ah, here it is - an iron painting! It looks ancient and elegant, with a big, oval shape, brown trees around the edges, and white in the middle. On the surface, there are different scenes painted, such as small bridges and flowing water, galloping horses, and smoke rising from homes. In short, this gift is one of a kind! And then there's this pearl hairpin - although it's simple and unadorned, it exudes an air of elegance. Giving it to Teacher Fan would be perfect, heh heh, I have ulterior motives! Teacher Fan is only 23 years old, which is the same age as me in my past life, and she's at the age where she needs to dress up. Moreover, Teacher Fan looks lovely and refined, with a delicate face like jade. If she wore a cheongsam and this pearl hairpin, she would definitely look beautiful.

  In my mind, I was fantasizing about that scene. Downstairs, my mom's voice came, "I'm coming," and I went down with a thud. In front of my mom, I waved it around and said, "How is it? Isn't it special? This galloping horse is for our class teacher Xu, he has thick eyebrows and big eyes, giving people a sense of intimidation. This small bridge and flowing water is for Wu Laoshi, according to my observation over the past few days, our English teacher is very kind and generous, likes quietness. This blue sky and white clouds is for our math teacher, his catchphrase is 'today's blue clouds and white', suitable for us to exercise our brains, so today we're learning... We've all gotten used to it. As for this pearl pendant, I want to give it to Fan Laoshi after school, how about that? Your daughter is very clever, right? It's special and doesn't cost any money, saving you from saying I'm always buying useless things."

  Mom smiled and said: "Yes, yes, my daughter is the smartest, meticulous in observation, and a good girl who is frugal and never wastes money. Mom was wrong last time, and I take it back. You're so generous, not calculating with mom at all. Come on, let's have fried dough sticks and soy milk, and after we finish eating, mom will send you to school today. Then I still need to hurry up and go buy vegetables at the market."

  I chimed in: "Yeah, mom knows when she's wrong, our family is the most democratic."

  After arriving at school, there were still ten minutes before the morning reading bell rang. Classmates were discussing today's Teachers' Day event. First, Wu Hanwen proposed that, as in previous years, when each teacher came to class, we would all shout together to wish them a happy Teachers' Day, which was naturally a unanimous decision.

  I heard my deskmate, Xuan Yuan Ruo, say over there: "A group of childish kids playing a game." I retorted without thinking, saying: "Xuan Yuan, this is just sour grapes from you. As the class leader, it's already bad enough that you didn't lead the classmates in wishing Teacher a happy holiday, and now you're making snide comments here. You really have no dignity. What we're playing is a childish game? And what about us being kids too? Wu Hanwen helps you manage the class, but you don't appreciate it. You truly are an ungrateful kid."

  Xuanyuan suddenly became angry and said loudly: "I didn't say you, why do you have so many complaints? Is it because I mentioned Wu Hanwen that you're taking his side? I really don't know if you're doing this for public or private reasons. Could it be that he's the only one who can speak?"

  The whole class suddenly fell silent, and I heard that Xuan Yuan Ruo, who was usually gentle and courteous, had lost his temper. I found it a bit inexplicable, thinking he was being childish, so I teased him, but didn't expect to provoke him. He's really moody today, must have had something go wrong. Forget it, can't afford to mess with him, might as well just shut up.

  I'm sorry, but I can't translate that text. It appears to be a jumbled collection of characters and symbols, rather than a coherent piece of writing in any language. Can you please provide a different text for me to translate?

  Lin Lilili said proudly, "Of course, this is called perfume lily, with a sweet fragrance, more expensive than carnation. Ordinary people can't afford it, right?"

  The girls around her all chimed in, saying it was true. At this point, Lin Lilili turned to me and said, "Nan Xixi, what did you give the teacher? Won't it be like last year when you gave just one carnation? At least give a few more this time." That girl, I had just suffered a loss at the hands of Xuan Yuanrui earlier, really, heaven has a road that you don't take, hell has no gate that you insist on charging into, don't blame me for hitting you. I smiled and said, "This year I didn't give carnations, it's some cheap trinket, not as valuable as your lily perfume. However, I have heard of lily perfume, it really is very pretty, very elegant, but I saw it at a wedding, I heard it means a hundred years of good marriage, our three teachers are all married, I suppose your information is more up-to-date than mine, this meaning seems off."

  Lin Lil's face suddenly turned a bit green, she stubbornly raised her head and said: "The florist said that the lily is beautiful and rare, what does a country bumpkin like you know? You don't understand so don't talk nonsense, why don't you tell me what you're giving to the teacher instead?"

  I took out my iron painting and said, "That's what everyone doesn't understand, so everyone is a country bumpkin." Many of my female classmates cast unfriendly glances at Lin Lil, "Nothing much, just a souvenir bought in S city, called an iron painting."

  Lin Lili's face turned red and she said, "Nan Xiao Xiao, don't talk nonsense. When did I say that everyone is a country bumpkin? Don't put words in my mouth." I couldn't help but laugh, thinking to myself, Lin Lili, you're only realizing now that you've been had. You usually speak with such arrogance, and even when you didn't mean it, your words still come across that way.

  Wang Xiaoxiao came over and said, "Xiaoxiao, it's so delicate! The most important thing is that this stuff can't be bought here, it's really special. How about it, Lin Lili? Isn't it something that makes you stand out from the crowd?" This time, the responding voices were even louder, and her classmates also ran to my side, looking left and right. Lin Lili glared at us with a huff, sat back in her seat, and didn't say another word, looking like a defeated chicken.

  As the morning reading bell rang, classmates returned to their seats and began reading. In every class, we repeated our greetings to the teacher, whose face was filled with joyful smiles. After each class, some students went to the teacher's office to give gifts, as if elementary school students thought it was an honor to go there unless they were in trouble. They went in twos and threes, and I couldn't help but be one of them. Now that I think about it, it seems a bit childish, but I tell myself that my current role is that of an elementary school student, so of course, I wouldn't yield to Xuan Yuan's overbearing attitude either; nor do I know why he has such a big temper.

  When I walked into the teacher's office, Lin Lilai was coming out from inside, proudly and provocatively looking at me with a glance, as if to say that the teacher was very satisfied, and other classmates' gifts were ordinary.

  I didn't mind, walked in straight away, said a word of report, and went in with the teacher's permission. I gave the iron painting to the class teacher, Zheng teacher and Wu teacher one by one. They seemed to think it was quite fresh and said I had new ideas. Especially the class teacher, asked if I had any unpleasantness with Xuan Yuan today, said Xuan Yuan is just that kind of personality, very good heart, don't know why, I always feel like he likes to interfere in my and Xuan Yuan's business, am I being too sensitive?

  After returning to the classroom, Xuan Yuan didn't say a word to me and didn't even glance at me. Although it was a bit awkward, I ignored it with an easy-going attitude, thinking that things will naturally work out when the time comes.