When the senior boys saw Little Lynn running with his head lowered, instead of restraining himself, they rushed out of the classroom door and blocked him in the middle of the corridor.
"Why are you running? Your parents are still banging the table inside. You are not allowed to listen at the door?"
The tall boy in the lead reached out and grabbed Little Lynn's schoolbag strap and pulled it back.
Little Lynn was already walking in a hurry, but was pulled back by this strong force. He stumbled and almost fell to the ground.
Some students passing by stopped to watch the excitement, while others hurriedly pressed against the wall to avoid it.
Seeing that he remained silent, the tall boy became more enthusiastic and reached out to push his shoulder again:
"I'm asking you, I heard that you didn't even pass math this time?"
Before his hand could touch Little Lynn's school uniform, a big hand suddenly stretched out and grabbed his wrist.
"What are you doing?"
Lynn's voice was not high, but the coldness in his tone made people shudder.
The tall boy grimaced in pain and tried to shake him off but couldn't.
Then, a shadow fell over him.
John took a step and stood directly between Little Lynn and the other two boys who were making noises.
He didn't even release any momentum. Just the nearly two-meter-long figure that stood there like an iron wall frightened the two and a half-year-olds to the point where they froze in place and took two steps back.
Lynn let go of his hand, pushed the tall boy half a step away, turned around, picked up the schoolbag strap that had slipped to Little Lynn's elbow, and carried it for him.
He did not ask "Why didn't they hit you back?" nor did he force the bullied child to shake hands and make peace with others like some adults did.
He just looked down at Little Lynn's wrist and collar to make sure there were no bumps or scratches, then gently held the child's shoulders and led him back to the window sill.
The sun shines on Little Lynn.
The young teacher Elder who was trying to break up the fight in the office just now heard the movement in the corridor and walked out quickly:
"What's going on? Why are you all gathering in the corridor?"
"Hello."
John turned around, pointed at the three senior students who had not yet recovered, and said in fluent Chinese,
"These students were blocking the way in the corridor, grabbing his schoolbag, and teasing him about his parents. We happened to pass by and stopped them."
Teacher Nian Elder's face darkened, he glanced at Little Lynn who was huddled next to Lynn, and immediately waved to the three boys:
"Which class are you three from? Come with me!"
While the teacher of the year Elder took the students to the stairs to lecture, Lynn pointed to an open room at the end of the corridor, which was used to store teaching aids. After saying hello to the teacher, he took Little Lynn and walked in.
The room was quiet, separated from the faint quarrels coming from the distant office.
Little Lynn stood by the door, clutching the corners of his clothes with both hands, his eyes full of wariness and uneasiness.
Two strange adults suddenly appeared, one of whom was a blond and blue-eyed foreigner. Even though he had helped him just now, he still instinctively shrank back.
Lynn did not stand and look down at him, but pulled up a low plastic stool and sat in front of him, so that his eyes were level with the eight or nine-year-old child.
"Don't be afraid, the teacher is right outside." Lynn said in a very soft voice.
Little Lynn moved his lips, held it in for a long time, and the first thing he asked in a low voice was:
"Uncle... are you going to find my parents too? I didn't mean to cause trouble in the corridor..."
Lynn's heart twitched slightly.
He looked at the young and pale face in front of him, with a look of fear between his brows and eyes, and stretched out his hand to straighten his somewhat messy collar.
"If you don't look for them, this matter today has nothing to do with you."
Lynn looked into his eyes and said word by word,
"Just now in the corridor, it was those senior classmates who were at fault. You didn't cause any trouble, and you don't need to admit your mistake to anyone. And in the office, when the adults quarreled, it was because they didn't handle their own problems well. It was never because you failed the exam, and it was never your fault."
Little Lynn raised his head blankly.
No one had ever told him this.
At home, whenever parents quarrel, it will always end up being him who fails to live up to expectations and drags others down.
He looked at the gentle-faced young man in front of him and asked hesitantly:
"Uncle, who are you? Why do you want to help me?"
Lynn didn't say anything about the future or time travel, and John just leaned quietly against the door frame without exposing him.
"We know your family. We were passing by and stopped by to see you."
Lynn used the most appropriate excuse to take out an orange that he had not finished eating in the car from his pocket and put it into his hand.
"I just heard your parents mention outside that you usually live more with your grandparents?"
At the mention of grandparents, Little Lynn obviously relaxed a little and nodded:
"Well, when my parents are busy, grandma cooks for me and grandpa sends me to school."
Lynn looked at the little pen ink on his finger that hadn't been cleaned yet, and his eyes softened.
He did not mention the year in which the two old men would leave.
I don't even want to put the heavy burden of life, separation, and death on this child's shoulders.
"My grandparents are older, so I should spend more time with them and be filial to them."
Lynn said softly.
"I will."
Little Lynn responded obediently, then lowered his head again, his voice as low as a mosquito's hum,
"Even if I didn't do well in the exam this time, grandpa would definitely sigh if he found out..."
"We must study hard and complete our studies smoothly in the future."
Lynn took over his words, but his tone was completely different from the parents in the office just now.
"But you have to remember that it doesn't matter if you don't do well in the exam once. If you fall behind, just catch up slowly. If you have questions that you don't know, ask the teacher. If you feel wronged, you can just say it. Studying is for yourself. It doesn't mean that you have to get perfect scores every time to be worthy of being liked by others."
Little Lynn pinched the orange, the circles under his eyes slowly turned red, but he held back the tears and nodded vigorously.
Lynn looked at his appearance and reached out to touch his prickly short hair.
"The most important thing is to grow up happily."
When he said this sentence, Lynn paused.
Sunlight shines in through the glass window of the lounge and falls on the child's thin shoulders.
He seemed to be seriously wishing the little boy in front of him.
It's like it's been a long time and it's the first time I'm willing to wish myself this way.
The two of them chatted a few more words about the daily life in the school. The footsteps of the junior teacher Elder were heard outside the door. Those senior students had been asked to be taken away by the head teacher for processing.
It's time to go back to the classroom.
Lynn stood up and put the low stool back in place.
John, who had been leaning quietly by the door and listening, then stepped over.
The tall blond man squatted down, his eyes level with the somewhat cramped Little Lynn.
He stretched out his big, generous and warm hand, patted the little boy's shoulder gently, looked into his eyes, and said only one sentence:
"Lynn, learn to love yourself."
After saying that, John nodded gently to him, stood up and stepped back half a step to make way for the door.
Little Lynn stared at this foreign uncle who was as tall as a mountain, silently repeated the six words, then hugged the orange, bowed to the two of them, turned around and trotted back to his classroom.
Lynn stood at the door of the lounge, his eyes following the little figure until he turned into the class door.
John beside him had already withdrawn his sight.
He turned his head and looked at the junior teacher Elder who was standing at the other end of the corridor and was about to go back to the office and the head teacher who rushed out after hearing the news. He raised his hand to signal and walked over.
He also had some more practical things to discuss with the adults.