The Simple-minded Youth

Any teacher dislikes students who don't follow rules and play by the book, especially troublemakers who disrupt class order.

In Teacher Luo's eyes, Li Ye was precisely that kind of detestable "troublemaker."

With students from three classes merged into one, the situation was already unstable. If the former class monitor, Xia Yue, wasn't suitable for the role, then whoever replaced her would only cause further chaos in the class order.

Under normal circumstances, Teacher Luo would have already pulled Li Ye aside for a "good talk" to let him know that the fists of cultured people were not to be trifled with.

But not now, because Li Ye had questioned Xia Yue's qualification as class monitor on grounds of "moral deficiency."

In this era, the words "moral deficiency" were significant standards that could be escalated, even linked to being a "traitor."

Didn't you see that all the villainous characters in movies were morally corrupt scumbags?

"What evidence do you have to prove that Xia Yue's morals do not meet the standards for a class monitor?"

Teacher Luo asked coldly, giving Li Ye an opportunity to explain.

Li Ye calmly stated, "Classmate Xia Yue used her position as a class cadre to privately take classmates' mail and parcels. Without the recipient's knowledge, she opened classmates' mail and withheld their letters.

If the letters contained urgent information, or if the parcels contained valuables, how much harm and loss would Classmate Xia Yue's actions cause to the recipient?"

"Doesn't she know that opening someone else's mail is illegal?

Why would a student be so bold? Why so casual?

I believe that Classmate Xia Yue, due to her position as class monitor, has developed a desire for power that elevates her above her classmates, leading to a phenomenon of moral deficiency."

"."

The entire class was collectively dumbfounded. They didn't quite understand how Li Ye managed to connect something that seemed so minor to illegality, crime, and moral deficiency.

But upon closer thought, what Li Ye said was logical and irrefutable.

Xia Yue became anxious and argued with Li Ye, "I just brought your mail and letters back for you. This is classmates helping each other. You are slandering me."

"I'm slandering you?"

Li Ye scoffed, "Didn't you open my parcel and look through the books someone sent me?"

Xia Yue's face turned ugly as she stubbornly argued, "I was helping you and studying together. It's only right for classmates to help each other..."

Li Ye interrupted forcefully, "You just need to answer whether you opened my parcel. Any reason is just a lie imposed on the surface of the truth."

"."

Xia Yue was speechless, unable to utter a word.

With irrefutable evidence, how could she argue?

Teacher Luo glanced at Xia Yue and understood the general situation.

This matter could be seen as minor or major. On a smaller scale, it was classmates acting out of curiosity and opening others' parcels to satisfy their voyeurism. On a larger scale, it was school bullying.

Thinking about the recent rumors of "Huang Shiren" on campus, and the large batch of subsidized grain that the school's logistics department had just acquired, Teacher Luo couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Grain was still rationed in those days. If a family had a big eater or a growing youth, they definitely wouldn't have enough grain. To eat their fill, they had to buy off-quota, high-priced grain.

Someone's grandfather just helped you solve your difficulties, and now the grandson is encountering school bullying. What are you people trying to do?

Holding the emperor to command... holding the grandson to command the grandfather?

Damn, is that something a human would do?

"Both of you sit down! I will investigate this matter thoroughly as soon as possible. But no matter what conflict you have, you cannot delay the students' class."

Teacher Luo glared fiercely at Xia Yue, then walked out the door.

Xia Yue sat down in a daze. Even when Teacher Ke walked onto the podium, she didn't call out "Attention."

Teacher Ke didn't mind. She picked up chalk and wrote her name on the blackboard: Ke Zhiyu.

"Hello everyone, my name is Ke Zhiyu, and I will be teaching you English from now on. Please turn to page 18, and let's read along with me."

Xia Yue finally snapped back to reality. Along with her annoyance, a surge of defiance rushed straight to her head.

[Someone who barely passes every subject, a relative of a higher-up, has the nerve to question me? You think you can get into university by tattling?

Do you even know how to study? Do you understand what English is? You're a failing student, and you'll always be a failing student. The teachers will eventually realize who can bring honor to the school.]

Xia Yue turned her head, glared fiercely at Li Ye, then opened her book, sat up straight, and prepared to show the teacher the capabilities of an outstanding student.

In this era of extremely low university admission rates, every student with the potential to attend university was a treasure to the school, possessing implicit privileges. Even if Teacher Luo wanted to remove her as class monitor, other subject teachers would still speak up for Xia Yue.

And in English, Xia Yue was absolutely confident.

After Lu Jingyao was admitted to Beijing Foreign Studies University, Xia Yue, as her best friend, immediately contacted Lu Jingyao, obtained her English study notes, and humbly asked for all her "study tips."

Xia Yue secretly studied at home for several months, and her English level improved by leaps and bounds. Now, in Class 1, if she claimed to be the second-best in English, no one would dare claim to be the first.

Keep in mind that it was 1981. Just a few years prior, junior high and high schools didn't even have English classes, and English had never been included in the total college entrance examination score. Small places like Qingshui County simply didn't prioritize English.

It wasn't until this year that a notice was issued stating that English scores would be included in the total score with a 50% weighting for next year's college entrance examination, and only then did various schools begin to pay attention.

The teaching staff at County No. 2 High School was weak. There had never been a dedicated English teacher before; English classes were taught by two other teachers. Their heavily accented, local-sounding English was quite amusing.

In comparison, Xia Yue's current English proficiency was unique. She believed that Teacher Ke on the podium would immediately recognize her as a "rare talent."

"THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE"

"One day a little monkey was playing in "

As Teacher Ke on the podium began speaking, Li Ye was taken aback.

This Teacher Ke is quite something!

In his past life, Li Ye had really buckled down to study English. He'd listened to countless original English materials.

While he couldn't claim to grasp the profound "beauty of English," he could certainly tell if pronunciation was good.

Teacher Ke's pronunciation skill, he felt, was a notch above his university English teacher's.

Compared to the pronunciation of the two English teachers from the county's No. 2 Middle School a few days prior, the difference was like that between a national broadcaster and a village loudspeaker.

"THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE"

"One day a little monkey was playing in "

The students in Class 1 began to follow along. Xia Yue's reading voice was particularly loud, and compared to her, the other students' voices seemed so "weak."

Li Ye had no intention of mocking them. After all, their level of English education was even lower than that of fourth graders in his future life. "Mute English" was a common phenomenon, and those who dared to read aloud were few.

Li Ye quietly followed Teacher Ke in reading the text, not showing off or trying to stand out. But the difference was too stark, and it still drew the attention of his deskmate, a new classmate.

Wen Leyu secretly glanced at Li Ye. Her autumn-water-like eyes were filled with a hint of surprise.

A little over a year ago, she and her mother were squeezed into a dilapidated house in Liuqiao Township Primary School, living a life of poverty and idleness. That was until one day, a Teacher Lu arrived with gifts, asking her mother to teach his daughter English.

Her mother was initially unwilling; she didn't want to stir up trouble. But Wen Leyu just looked at the bag of White Rabbit candies and swallowed a few times, and her mother immediately agreed.

The next day, Wen Leyu met Lu Jingyao, and another person—Li Ye, who had brought Lu Jingyao.

Lu Jingyao had a very kind personality and studied diligently. In a short period, she won her mother's favor.

As for Li Ye, he was a bit lacking. He seemed a bit simple-minded, and more often than not, he was lost in thought staring at Lu Jingyao rather than focusing on his studies.

Later, her mother said that this boy wasn't there to study, but just to accompany Lu Jingyao. He likely wouldn't get into university.

However, Wen Leyu and her mother didn't dislike Li Ye, because Li Ye would bring scarce items like candy, meat, rice, and flour every few days. He also very considerately stated that according to village customs, students were supposed to provide meals for their teachers.

Although Li Ye would also eat with Lu Jingyao after the meals were cooked, they generally couldn't finish them all, and most of it was given to Wen Leyu and her mother.

Later, perhaps because Li Ye's English grades didn't improve much, he shifted his focus to subjects that counted towards the college entrance exam and didn't come to Wen Leyu's house for tutoring as often.

However, the various daily necessities never stopped.

Until one day, Wen Leyu's mother quietly asked Li Ye, "If Lu Jingyao gets into university and you don't, what will you do?"

Li Ye just smiled and said, "We're engaged! What else can I do?"

Wen Leyu still remembered Li Ye's expression at that time. It wasn't the domineering attitude of a grown man, but an indescribable sense of calm contentment.

Wen Leyu's mother said it was an anticipation of happiness.

But such anticipation might not bear fruit.

Wen Leyu wasn't entirely clear about what happened later. Her mother said such things were hard to judge who was right or wrong, but she believed the boy in front of her had been wronged by Lu Jingyao.

Especially after gaining a deep understanding of the college entrance exam, she felt Li Ye's devotion was tragic.

The college entrance exam was getting harder and harder. While the admission rate seemed unchanged, for someone with Li Ye's average talent, the possibility of getting into Beijing to find Lu Jingyao was becoming slimmer and slimmer, more and more remote.

But when Wen Leyu heard Li Ye reading the text just now, a thought instinctively arose.

He's actually studying English diligently too? He's changed so much for the sake of his beloved?

Wen Leyu followed along with the reading, her thoughts drifting. Occasionally, without realizing it, she glanced at Li Ye.

But when she glanced for the third time, she found Li Ye quietly looking at her.