"Teacher, is there a mistake? Jiang Yuwei's English has always been better than Chen Lishu's. How could she possibly be first?" Sun Ling stood up, looking at Chen Yinchu and asking resentfully.
Chen Yinchu, interrupted while speaking, glanced at Sun Ling and then at Jiang Yuwei next to her, a hint of pity in his eyes. He was aware of Jiang Yuwei's usual performance and knew her foundational knowledge was solid, but unfortunately, the questions this time were indeed challenging.
"The notification I received stated that only Chen Lishu from our school won an award. However, the questions this time were indeed difficult, and not achieving a result doesn't mean one isn't excellent."
At this moment, any words of comfort sounded particularly jarring to Jiang Yuwei. She tugged hard at Sun Ling, almost in a low growl, "Aren't you embarrassed enough?!"
After Chen Yinchu announced the news, he left, disappearing through the doorway. The classroom erupted.
"Chen Lishu got first place! I always thought she was quiet and unassuming, I never expected her English to be so good!"
"Yeah, didn't everyone say Jiang Yuwei was a good student? She even won first place in the city before this English competition."
"You guys don't know anything, this is a case of 'there's always someone better'..."
*Crack.* The pen in Jiang Yuwei's hand snapped into two pieces due to the excessive force from her fingers.
"You definitely cheated, Yuwei didn't even get a ranking. How could you possibly get such good results with your grades!" Sun Ling turned back, her eyes filled with extreme anger and unwillingness as she looked at Chen Lishu.
Zhang Xue sneered, "Sun Ling, is your brain filled with dung? Lishu got first place, who did she copy from? Could she have copied from herself?"
"Hahaha..." The surrounding classmates burst into laughter.
"You!" Sun Ling choked, speechless with anger for a long time.
"Sun Ling, I suggest you save your energy for cleaning the toilets after school," Chen Lishu said suddenly.
Hearing her mention cleaning the toilets, both Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei's expressions changed.
Sun Ling was furious, "Chen Lishu, don't push your luck too far!"
"I'm pushing my luck too far?"
Chen Lishu looked at her with a half-smile and said, "Who came to provoke me first? If you're not as skilled as others, who can you blame? In front of so many classmates, I couldn't pretend it didn't happen even if I wanted to. Now that the results are out, it's time to fulfill the promise. After all, losing the competition doesn't mean you should lose your credibility."
As soon as she finished speaking, Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei's faces turned ashen, like a palette of colors overturned, a truly spectacular sight.
She had thrown back their exact conversation from the dormitory.
Jiang Yuwei looked at Chen Lishu and said coldly, "Chen Lishu, you only got lucky to win this time. It doesn't mean you'll always be able to beat me."
Chen Lishu smiled indifferently, "Luck is also a part of strength. Who knows about the future? At least I won this time, right?"
Sun Ling was about to say more when Jiang Yuwei stopped her.
Soon, the bell rang for class, and the students quickly shifted their attention.
One class period passed quickly. At dismissal, under the curious gazes of everyone, Jiang Yuwei and Sun Ling, despite their reluctance, picked up their cleaning tools and went to the restroom.
Previously, when it was their turn for duty, other members of their group would do this work. Now that they had to do it themselves, they felt extremely resistant.
It didn't seem like a big deal before, but as they started cleaning, it felt as if all the foul odors were rushing into their nostrils. Especially when she saw one of the dirty cubicles, Jiang Yuwei couldn't hold back. She dropped her tools, covered her mouth, and ran out.
...
"I heard they gave you two yuan and ninety, and told you to sell it for three yuan, with only a ten-cent commission per item. I'll give you two yuan and fifty, with a thirty-cent commission per item, and you only need to sell it for two yuan and eight."
Liu Xiaoting stood in front of the supply and marketing cooperative's counter. Glancing around to ensure there were no other customers, she took out an inner garment from her bag. Both the quality and style were exactly the same as the inner garments Chen Lishu and her group were selling.