“I’m talking to you, can you hear me? I asked today, and the money we made selling vegetables last month wasn’t even as much as your fourth brother’s wife made selling spices. If I’d known, we should have sold spices too.”
Gu Xingmin: “The vegetable gardens downstairs have started planting, and there are more people setting up stalls outside. It’ll be better in a couple of months.”
“Mom.” Gu Lin hesitated and stepped forward, saying softly, “Our teacher said parents need to go to school tomorrow.”
Liu Yuemin was already in a bad mood. Hearing her son’s words, her temper flared. She didn’t even notice the bruise under her son’s eye.
“What trouble have you gotten yourself into, you little brat? I’m busy with the shop all day, and I can’t count on your dad, and you’re still causing me trouble…” Liu Yuemin started scolding him without asking for details.
At this time, parents didn’t pay as much attention to their children’s education as they would later on, because everyone had lived through similar times. Some parents, burdened by family pressures, even had their children drop out of school early to help the family with work.
Liu Yuemin and Gu Xingmin had three children. Although she wasn’t the best among the siblings, she was still a bit better off than Gu Xingguo and his wife.
In the next generation, although the desire for their children to become dragons wasn’t as strong, they still hoped their three children would all be better than themselves. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have endured hardships themselves to bring all three children to the city to study.
But now, less than half a semester in, they were being summoned by the school.
Gu Lin bit his lip, “My classmate cursed at me and hit me, and I couldn’t help but push him.”
Gu Xingmin was unconcerned, “He pushed him once and they’re calling parents? Is your teacher so idle all day?”
In the countryside, even if two children drew blood fighting, the teacher would at most give them both a scolding. Otherwise, families were busy with farm work, and everyone lived in the same village, so who had the time to mediate disputes between children?
Besides, children who fought today would be best friends tomorrow, so why bother with them?
“Alright, you watch the shop tomorrow, I’ll go to the school,” Liu Yuemin said, and then got up to cook.
The next day, after sending her son to school, she took some time to go to the school.
As soon as she reached Gu Lin’s classroom, she saw her son standing outside the classroom.
Liu Yuemin glanced at the teacher who was in class and asked softly, “Why are you standing out here, why aren’t you going in?”
Gu Lin’s eyes were a little red, “Mom, the teacher said I couldn’t attend class without a parent present.”
Liu Yuemin’s expression was not very pleasant, but she didn’t say anything.
When the class ended and the teacher came out, Liu Yuemin quickly pulled her son to greet her, “Teacher, I am Gu Lin’s parent, he was wrong yesterday…”
The teacher, a woman in her forties, scanned Liu Yuemin from head to toe. Because she had to manage the shop, she was wearing a faded work uniform. Combined with her lack of time to tidy herself up, her overall appearance was not very good.
“Sun Xiaozhuang’s mother is also here. Let’s talk in the office.”
The teacher turned and walked towards the office first.
“You go back to class quickly,” Liu Yuemin pushed her son and then followed the teacher to the office.
Before she could even get close to the office, she heard a woman’s voice say loudly, “School is a place for teaching and educating people, how can you allow such a dangerous person to stay here? Look at my son’s injury on his head… I heard the other party is from the countryside, what kind of upbringing can they have? He must be expelled, otherwise how can my son dare to come to school in the future?”
As Liu Yuemin walked in, she saw a woman of similar age to her, dressed fashionably, wearing high heels, with permed wavy hair and bright red lipstick.
Beside her stood a tall, plump boy. Looking closely, there seemed to be a bruise on his forehead.
Liu Yuemin looked down at her own attire and felt a sense of inferiority.
“You’ve seen it, haven’t you? Gu Lin was wrong to hit someone. Xiaozhuang’s forehead was pushed by him and hit the desk.”
To quell the woman’s anger, the teacher directly turned her cold shoulder to Liu Yuemin.
Liu Yuemin was stunned for a moment and subconsciously rubbed the corner of her clothes, “I, I’m sorry, I apologize to you on behalf of my child.”
“What good is an apology? My son is not only injured on his forehead, but he’s also scared and dare not come to school today. If you can’t even discipline your own child, a wild child from the countryside simply doesn’t deserve to be in the same school as my son. This matter cannot be let go so easily. I want that child to apologize to my son in front of the whole school. Not only that, you must expel him, otherwise this matter is not over.”
She couldn’t bear to touch her precious son’s finger, yet he was bullied by some little brat.
Hearing that the other party wanted to expel her son, Liu Yuemin panicked, “Apologizing is no problem, please don’t expel him. It’s not easy for the child to go to school, we’ve tried several schools, and they all sent him back because he didn’t have a household registration. How about I call Gu Lin now to apologize to you, I guarantee he won’t dare to do it again.”
The teacher frowned, “Gu Lin’s mom, don’t make things difficult for us. He’s already a temporary student. Xiaozhuang’s family has relatives in the education bureau. You wouldn’t want your child to be completely unable to attend school in the city, would you?”
Liu Yuemin didn’t know how she got out of the office.
Upon returning to the shop, Gu Xingmin asked about it, and she recounted the whole story.
“Is the school run by her family? The children fought and nothing serious happened, this won’t do, I’m going to talk to them!” Gu Xingmin was furious and immediately wanted to go to the school to reason with them.
Liu Yuemin quickly stopped him, “They have people in the education bureau, and we are temporary students. Furthermore, Mingming is also at that school. If this really blows up, Xiao Yuan won’t be able to go to school either.”
Gu Xingmin stopped in his tracks and irritably scratched his head, “These people just judge people by their appearance.”
Liu Yuemin: “How about we go ask third sister-in-law? We enrolled the child nearby originally, and if all else fails, let Linlin go with Rui Rui.”
Gu Xingmin nodded, “There’s no other way now.”
When Chen Lishu returned home, Gu Xingmin and his wife were telling Li Xiulan about the incident.
Seeing her enter, Liu Yuemin called out, “Third sister-in-law is back.”
Xiao Chengzi and Xiao Bai saw their mother return and immediately happily padded their little feet and called out.
Chen Lishu picked up both children and kissed them. After acting cute with her mother, the two little ones happily went to play with their older brothers and sisters.
“Lishu, your nephew’s schooling is all up to you now.”
Before she could even sit down, Liu Yuemin anxiously recounted the incident again.
“If you ask me, it’s not a big deal at all. That family is too dramatic. Our Linlin also has injuries on his face. Isn’t it common for children to bump into things?” Li Xiulan held her grandson’s hand, feeling both angry and helpless.
After listening to Liu Yuemin, Chen Lishu’s gaze fell on Gu Lin’s face. She saw that there was indeed a large bruise under his eye.