Chapter 18: Returning Home

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Here is the second update for today. There will be more later this afternoon. This book is currently vying for a spot on the New Releases Chart. Please vote generously, dear readers, thank you!

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In the entrance exam for moving from elementary to middle school, Yang Tian only ranked thirtieth in the class, a score that would be considered below average. Aside from Huang Juan and Chen Ming, no one really knew this “nobody” existed. Everyone assumed the top spot would be a contest between Chen Ming and Sun Hui. Who could have guessed that Yang Tian would come out on top? The whole class was astonished.

In school, students with good grades are always the “big shots.” The previously unnoticed Yang Tian suddenly became the subject of everyone’s gossip.

Huang Juan and Chen Ming were genuinely happy for Yang Tian, but Sun Hui was indignant. He and his friends regarded this as a case of a nobody getting lucky—like a blind cat stumbling on a dead mouse. As they saw it, Yang Tian had just had a stroke of dumb luck.

“Although Yang Tian ranked first in the class, there’s a small flaw: he scored full marks in both Chinese and Math, but handed in a blank paper for English. Yang Tian, please stand up!” Bao Yuehong walked slowly toward Yang Tian. Under the fluorescent lights, her long, jet-black hair shimmered beautifully. That smile of hers—whether in his previous life or this one—always left Yang Tian entranced by the charm of a mature woman.

“Full marks in both Chinese and Math?!” The class erupted in a commotion. “Math is tough, but a perfect score is understandable—but Chinese too?”

“Quiet, everyone, please settle down! This time, the Chinese exam was in the form of an essay. Yang Tian wrote a piece titled ‘A Journey to Fulfill My Dream,’ which expressed, with subtlety and deep emotion, his joy at entering middle school and his hopes for the future. Most importantly, he wrote in detail about his three-year goals for middle school: what he planned to do and the kind of person he aspired to become. The writing was plain but sincere, and the entire Chinese department agreed that for a first-year student, such an essay deserved full marks! I’m planning to post it on the bulletin board at the back of the classroom. You can all read and learn from it after class,” Bao Yuehong explained patiently.

The surprise around the room faded, replaced by looks of admiration from his classmates. Yang Tian, however, remained calm and composed.

“Yang Tian, why did you hand in a blank English paper?” Bao Yuehong asked with a smile, lowering her head slightly so that her hair fell gracefully over her chest, an image of exquisite beauty.

“I didn’t know how!” Yang Tian replied, his heart stirring. Despite inhabiting the body of a twelve-year-old, his mind was that of a mature youth. With such a beautiful woman so close, enveloped in her delicate fragrance, how could he remain unmoved?

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In truth, Yang Tian had held back during the placement exam. Otherwise, he could have scored full marks in English as well. Before his rebirth, his grades were poor, but after being reborn and attending elementary school in Daliushu Village, he had already mastered the entire middle school curriculum. The placement exam questions were easy for him, and a perfect score would have been no problem.

“Oh, I see. In that case, come to my office every evening for self-study, and I’ll give you some extra English lessons. My English might not be as good as your regular teacher’s, but I’m more than capable of helping you!” Bao Yuehong smiled knowingly and reached out to pat Yang Tian’s head.

Yang Tian felt a bit awkward. His mental age was close to Bao Yuehong’s, so being patted on the head by her made him uncomfortable, his heart racing.

As the top scorer, Yang Tian had first pick of the seats. He didn’t make a show of it and simply chose the desk in the fifth row of the third group—given that the class was divided into five groups, it was a decent spot.

Bao Yuehong continued announcing the rankings: second place went to Chen Ming, third to Huang Juan, and Sun Hui only came in fourth. This infuriated Sun Hui, who always considered himself the “big brother” of the class. He had never imagined the placement exam would end like this. His friends didn’t fare any better, which left them all sulking. For several days, they didn’t stir up any trouble in class.

Chen Ming was still Yang Tian’s deskmate, and Huang Juan continued to sit with An Qi. The difference now was that the four of them sat in two rows, one in front of the other: Huang Juan and An Qi in the fourth row, Yang Tian and Chen Ming in the fifth.

Despite being fourth, Sun Hui still managed to grab a seat in the third row of the third group—the best spot in the class. But he wasn’t happy, because it wasn’t the top seat.

Most of the children from the countryside ended up sitting in the front; those left at the back were mostly students outside the official enrollment plan. They weren’t very interested in studying and didn’t care where they sat.

With the seating settled, the students officially began their middle school journey. At noon, Yang Tian would often eat with Huang Juan, and sometimes with Chen Ming and An Qi.

They all brought rice from home to steam in the school cafeteria, then bought a dish to go with it—there were chicken drumsticks, chicken bones, stir-fried shredded potato, stir-fried greens, tofu and vegetable soup...

The prices varied, but Yang Tian and Huang Juan usually chose tomato and egg. Sometimes, to treat themselves, they would get stir-fried bean sprouts with meat, but didn’t dare indulge too often; their meal allowance from home was limited, and they didn’t want to burden their families, especially since tuition was already a considerable expense.

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The cafeteria food was hardly oily—most dishes were just boiled in water. Though Yang Tian tried to maintain a balanced diet, he would still frequently find flies in his food.

Huang Juan never complained. Having grown up enduring hardship in the countryside, she was used to a simple life. But Yang Tian felt uneasy; Huang Juan’s health wasn’t good. If she kept eating like this, his dream of helping her regain her strength would be dashed.

They often brought some dried fish or cured duck from home, which was tasty but lacked nutrition—far from what Yang Tian hoped for.

In recent years, Yang Bao and his wife hadn’t made much money, so Yang Tian was reluctant to ask for more. He decided he would find a way himself to help Huang Juan improve her health.

Another Friday evening arrived. As soon as the school bell rang, Yang Tian and Huang Juan shouldered their backpacks and rushed toward the station, ready to catch the bus home.

Last weekend, because it was the first week of school and they had to prepare for the placement exam, they didn’t go home. This time would be their first trip home since starting middle school, and both were a bit excited—especially Huang Juan.

It was Huang Juan’s first time living away from her parents since starting middle school. Although life in Daliushu Village was modest and country kids weren’t coddled, Huang Juan was an only child, and her parents doted on her. On the second day at school, she missed home so much she cried in secret, though she never told Yang Tian.

“Xiao Tian, hurry up! We’ll miss the bus if you don’t!” Huang Juan ran ahead, urging Yang Tian to keep up.

“No need to rush, the bus doesn’t leave for another half an hour. Slow down, don’t trip!” Yang Tian shook his head with a smile. For the first time, he realized just how emotionally rich Huang Juan was—a side of her he had never noticed before his rebirth.