The little dumpling patiently drew for the entire afternoon, showing a keen interest in painting. She also noticed Wang Muman studying and decided to take a nap, only waking up when it was dark.
“Sister Muman, have you eaten?” the little dumpling asked Wang Muman, rubbing her eyes.
This prompted Wang Muman to put down her book, glance at the time on her phone, and then carry the little dumpling downstairs for dinner.
“Tuanzi, your brother bought you a KFC kids' meal, and there’s a little princess too!” Wang Mujin exclaimed as soon as he saw the little dumpling, showing her the items in his hands.
“Uncle Mujin, thank you!” Unaffected by Wang Mujin’s claim of being her “brother,” the little dumpling kissed his cheek and sat down to eat.
Wang Muman stifled a laugh, unable to change the fact that in the little dumpling’s eyes, Wang Mujin was part of the older generation.
The little dumpling’s arrival made the holiday days more lively. Wang Muman had completed most of her revision tasks. The next evening, the little dumpling went home, looking reluctantly at Wang Muman, unwilling to part with her.
“Come again next time, goodbye!” Wang Muman placed her in the child seat and stroked her head.
The exams after May Day proceeded as usual, but this time the seating arrangements were based on ranking. Yan Cheng saw the boy from the award ceremony again and even greeted him.
The boy secretly told him, “This time, I definitely won’t be the interloper!”
Yan Cheng chuckled heartily, thinking to himself: That’s not necessarily true.
Wang Muman went to Class One and found her seat. As she walked past the back, Song Zicheng waved at her. She merely nodded. Regarding his strange behavior on April Fool’s Day, Wang Muman felt it was best to keep her distance.
As Wang Muman sat down, the boy in front of her quietly sang, “It’s clearly a movie for three, but I can never have a name.”
This made Wang Muman frown. Were everyone this strange? She shook her head.
Yan Cheng also heard it and almost spat out the water he was drinking. “Brother, can you not be a comedian?” Accompanied by a few coughs, it was truly hilarious. He was an interesting person.
Ten minutes before the exam, the invigilator happened to be the dean of students, the familiar “Old Deng.” He and Yan Cheng exchanged glances.
The dean said, “Everyone in this class now are top students. I feel like I don’t even belong here anymore.”
The sudden remark left the seated students bewildered, unsure if they should respond.
The dean, unfazed, walked around the classroom before going to the front to distribute the test papers. Most of them were familiar faces; they had all visited his office before. Indeed, students with good grades tended to develop well in all aspects.
During the invigilation, the dean occasionally went out to stroll, get some fresh air, and observe them from outside the window. No one was whispering; they were all focused on their papers.
The Chinese composition required an essay on one’s views on appreciation. Wang Muman thought for a moment before starting, listing several key points on her draft and clearly outlining the basic structure. When she finished, there were only five minutes left. Wang Muman checked her essay, and then the time was up.
Like a production line, time flew by, and it was soon time for evening self-study. After the exams, everyone became very active, but they were quickly overwhelmed by various answers.
He Lele carefully reviewed Wang Muman’s math test paper. She felt she had done reasonably well, at least enough to pass.
During evening self-study, the familiar math answer key was distributed, and Teacher Xu also came to the classroom to assign familiar homework.
“There will be a parent-teacher meeting this Saturday. I will notify your parents in the parent group.”