Going north: A winner in life starting from a kid
Chapter 17 - Da Huazi: Are You Possessed by Something Dirty?

Chapter 17 Da Huazi: Are You Possessed by Something Dirty?

When Ma Siyi arrived, she was definitely the class beauty. So naturally, she attracted a lot of attention.

Zhou Haikuo proudly introduced, “She’s a girl from our department.”

“Alright, everyone quiet down, let’s welcome the new student!”

“What’s your name?”

“Ma Siyi!”

“Speak up, I didn’t hear you, say it again.”

Da Huazi shouted, “Her name’s Ma Siyi, San Liangzi, are you deaf?”

“You just wait for me!”

“Siyi, come over here!”

Ma Siyi carefully found an empty seat and sat down.

A new environment!

New classmates!

She seemed to be having a hard time adjusting.

“Siyi! Ma Siyi!”

“What are you calling her for?”

“Da Huazi, mind your own business and eat your food!”

“You two stop arguing in class, can’t you just focus for once?”

Da Huazi looked at him with a wise glint in his eye.

“Zimo, you’re acting weird. Paying attention in class isn’t like you. Don’t tell me you’ve been possessed by something dirty?”

Bai Zimo actually had good grades, but he never really studied.

You could find junior high school workbooks in his backpack, but never today’s homework.

He was also someone the teachers often publicly criticized.

“Get lost! I suddenly realized I need to learn something, so that people don’t talk behind my back saying, ‘Look, Zimo’s got nothing going for him except being handsome!’”

Pfft!

Even Ma Siyi was amused and laughed.

“You four, why are you laughing during class? Is my lecture funny? Bai Zimo, you tell me what’s so funny!”

Da Huazi jumped in and said, “Teacher, Zimo said he’s afraid people will say he’s only good-looking and nothing else!”

Hahaha!

The whole class burst into laughter!

“All four of you stand up! You are the worst batch of students I’ve ever had!”

Bai Zimo pouted.

The eternal truth in education:

Every new batch of students is said to be worse than the last.

…

The teacher walked down from the podium but skipped over Ma Siyi first.

“You can sit down. Stay focused in class, don’t let them influence you.”

Ma Siyi obediently sat down.

The teacher continued, face stern.

“What’s going on with you guys?

Coming late, eating snacks, chatting, sleeping during class…”

“If you keep this up, you’re doomed. DOOMED, you hear? How can you achieve your dreams like this?”

Almost everything the teacher said went in one ear and out the other. It was the same old lecture—boring to listen to.

“Bai Zimo, tell me, what’s your dream?”

“To become a teacher.”

“Good, Bai Zimo, that’s a noble ambition. Why do you want to become a teacher?”

“So that when your kids go to school, I can scold them like they’re my grandkids!”

Pfft!

Hahaha!

“That’s a generation off! The teacher would end up being your son!”

Da Huazi added fuel to the fire.

“Shut up! Stop laughing! Let’s move on to questions now.”

The teacher, furious, suddenly launched a surprise quiz.

“Xia Fenghua, what season is described in ‘A Trip to the Mountains’?”

“Autumn!”

“Bai Zimo, what poetic form is ‘A Trip to the Mountains’ written in?”

“A seven-character quatrain!”

“Xie Wanghe, recite the entire poem!”

“Wait, why do I have to recite it? We just learned it today, isn’t this unfair?”

The teacher, face stern, said, “I see you’re so lively chatting in class, even your textbook was closed.”

“I swear it closed by itself! You believe me?”

“What do you think? Go stand outside and reflect on your behavior!”

…

At the Flower Street Market, it was another bustling scene. The women from the Flower Street courtyard were all doing small business there.

“Grandma Ma, Siyi’s staying here for good now?”

Grandma Ma smiled.

“Yes, I completed her school admission today, she’s staying.”

“It’s almost time for school to let out. She should be home soon!”

Li Yan complained, “What was her mom thinking? Is that even her biological child?”

“Everyone makes their own choices!”

“If it were me, if anyone tried to take my Da Huazi away, I’d fight them to the death!”

“My Zimo is from the Bai family. His mom remarried, but I insisted on keeping him.”

That was another kind of choice.

“Step-parents can’t always be trusted! There are so many painful examples.”

Zimo’s grandmother was there too, selling spices and seasoning packets for stews.

Grandma Ma explained, “It’s not easy for her, you know? She remarried and had another son. She couldn’t bring both kids along—it’s tough!”

Li Yan, temper flaring, said, “If you can give birth but not raise them, what kind of person are you?”

Liu Yuling shook her head.

“Come on, that’s harsh. Getting remarried isn’t a crime.”

“Yeah! Yuling, but if it were you in that situation, what would you do? I wouldn’t even need to think twice—kids come first! If I remarried, I’d definitely ask my Da Huazi for his blessing first!”

Just as Li Yan finished, they heard Da Huazi’s voice.

“Mom, who’s getting remarried? What happened to Dad?”

Da Huazi’s mom was so embarrassed she could almost dig a hole and crawl in.

“Adults are talking, kids should stay out of it! Go home and do your homework!”

“Da Huazi!”

“Grandma Lin!”

“Didn’t Zimo come back with you? Where did the boys go?”

“He said he had some unfinished business… Oh, maybe he went to the bridge.”

…