Chen Lishu's first day of school was also Rui Rui's first day of kindergarten.
Early in the morning, without Chen Lishu's call, Rui Rui had already gotten up and dressed himself. Because Chen Lishu told him they were going to meet the teacher and he could make many new friends, he was filled with anticipation.
After breakfast, Chen Lishu packed Rui Rui's lunch into an aluminum lunchbox and gave him a few more instructions before sending him to kindergarten, then headed to school herself.
"Lishu, you're really something. You moved out without even saying a word, and my fragile heart has been severely struck. I don't care, you have to compensate me."
As soon as Zhang Xue saw her enter the classroom, she immediately questioned her with dissatisfaction.
"Hey, while I'm skeptical about Zhang Xue having a fragile heart, I agree with compensation. Whoever is listening gets a share. Chen Lishu, don't forget about me and Fatty."
Li Zhiwei chimed in cheekily from the side.
Chen Lishu smiled, amused, "What does my moving have to do with you?"
Li Zhiwei shamelessly replied, "My relationship with Zhang Xue. Hurting her heart is like hurting mine."
The classmates around them, who were engrossed in their books, immediately perked up their ears upon hearing his words.
Zhang Xue, however, exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Li Zhiwei, clarify what you're saying. What relationship do I have with you? I'm telling you, we have absolutely no relationship! Don't ruin my reputation for no reason."
Seeing this, Li Zhiwei immediately pleaded, "Alright, my dear lady, we have no relationship at all."
Zhang Xue was finally satisfied. Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly heard Li Zhiwei say again, "I originally brought apples and oranges from home. Since certain people are so eager to distance themselves from me, I'll have to share them with Fatty and Chen Lishu."
"How dare you!" Zhang Xue stood up directly and went to rummage through his desk drawer. Li Zhiwei pretended to stop her a couple of times, but in the end, Zhang Xue snatched them all away.
"Zhiwei, didn't you say we'd split it equally?" Feng Pangzi looked at the bag of fruit being taken by Zhang Xue, feeling a little anxious.
Li Zhiwei shrugged it off, "You're dieting, eat less."
Feng Pangzi: "..." When did he start dieting? How come he, the person involved, didn't know? Soon, the class bell rang, and the teacher entered the classroom precisely on time. Chen Lishu looked up and noticed only Jiang Yuwei in the seat ahead. She curiously asked Zhang Xue in a low voice, "Sun Ling isn't here?"
"I heard she had something at home and asked for two days off."
The two of them spoke briefly and neither paid it much mind.
When school ended in the afternoon, Chen Lishu invited Zhang Xue, Li Zhiwei, and Feng Pangzi to her newly rented apartment to see it and treat them to a meal.
After buying groceries and returning home, seeing that it was almost time, she went to pick Rui Rui up from school.
The three of them couldn't take their eyes off Rui Rui's well-behaved and adorable appearance. They proactively took on the responsibility of looking after the child, while Chen Lishu安心 cooked.
For dinner, she made four dishes: Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Braised Fish, Cabbage and Frozen Tofu, and Shredded Potatoes with Hot and Sour Sauce.
It was the first time the three of them had witnessed Chen Lishu's cooking skills. The moment they tasted it, they found it irresistible. By the end of the meal, the plates on the table were already clean.
"Chen Lishu, I never knew you had such culinary skills. You're not any worse than the chefs at the restaurant in front of our school," Feng Pangzi said, patting his round belly, still wanting more.
Li Zhiwei sighed, "With such convenient conditions, why would we eat cafeteria food anymore? We can just come over for meals every day."
"Dream on. If you want to eat here every day, have you paid for the food? Lishu is also busy," Zhang Xue said, kicking the leg of Li Zhiwei's stool. "You really think there's nothing else to do after dinner? Go clear the table and wash the dishes."
Li Zhiwei had no choice but to get up, resigned. "With your temper, you'll definitely not get married in the future."
Zhang Xue spat at him, "I'm happy to not get married."
By the time the three of them left, the sky had already darkened. Chen Lishu boiled water, and after she and Rui Rui washed up, they sat together under the desk lamp reading.
Rui Rui was reading picture books, while Chen Lishu was reading English materials on machinery borrowed from the school library.
Half of the six manufacturers participating in the exhibition were related to machinery. Since she was going to be a translator, she would inevitably encounter a lot of relevant professional knowledge and terminology. To live up to Chen Guoping's trust, Chen Lishu needed to prepare herself starting now.
Reading at night was bad for the eyes, so after a short while, Chen Lishu sent Rui Rui to bed. She then studied for a while longer, not getting up until past ten o'clock.
The next day, after finishing his class, Chen Yinchu specifically called Jiang Yuwei to his office.
"Teacher, you called for me?"
Chen Yinchu pointed to the seat opposite him and asked her to sit down. Then, he smiled and said, "In a while, several factories from the province will be going south to participate in an import and export commodities fair and need translators. Your grades have always been outstanding in the class, so I wanted to ask if you would be willing to take on a part-time job. It will take at most half a month. I'll speak to the department to approve leave."
Upon hearing his words, Jiang Yuwei instinctively wanted to refuse. Going to the far south and taking the train would be too troublesome. However, Chen Yinchu's next sentence made her change her mind instantly.
"I've already spoken to Chen Lishu, and she has also agreed to participate."
"Teacher, I agree," Jiang Yuwei nodded without hesitation.
Chen Yinchu nodded with satisfaction, "This is a very rare opportunity for growth. There is still about a month left, so you should prepare yourself during this time."
Jiang Yuwei nodded, "I understand, Teacher."
After leaving Chen Yinchu's office, Jiang Yuwei's smiling face instantly turned cold.
The teacher had asked Chen Lishu first and then asked her. This time, she would show everyone whose professional ability was truly outstanding.
...
Sun Ling reported back to school three days later. She didn't rush back to class but went back to the dormitory first.
When Jiang Yuwei returned to the dormitory after class, Sun Ling was lying on the bed, covering herself with the quilt and sleeping.
"What's going on with you these past few days? Why are you only coming back now?" Jiang Yuwei went over and woke her up. "There's still a class in a while, hurry up and get ready, and come with me."
Sun Ling pulled the quilt tighter, turned over, and mumbled with her back to Jiang Yuwei, "I don't even know how long I can attend this school. Let's talk about it this afternoon."
Hearing the wrong tone in her voice, Jiang Yuwei asked with some concern, "What happened?"
Sun Ling felt upset. Hearing her question, she sat up from the bed. She scanned the dormitory, and when she found no one else, she finally relaxed. Her voice was tearful, filled with both fear and urgency. "Yuwei, I'm really finished this time."
...
After class, Yang Lili planned to go to the library to borrow some books. Unexpectedly, she felt unwell halfway through and went to the restroom. Upon checking, she discovered her period had started early. She had no choice but to return to the dormitory to get sanitary napkins.
As she approached the door and was about to push it open, she suddenly heard the conversation between Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei coming from the dormitory. She instinctively stopped.
After listening to their entire conversation, Yang Lili was so shocked that she was speechless for a long time.