After Transmigrating for the Third Time, the Real Young Master Decides to Slouch - Chapter 20

Even knowing that his words were absurd, the others still chose to follow him and stir things up.

“Teacher is so unfair. How can you treat people differently? We’re clearly all your students.”

“Alas, one is the school beauty, one is your younger brother, and one is the former first in the grade. What are we supposed to count as? Being excluded is our fate. Let’s just accept it.”

One after another, they sounded resentful, and the expressions on their faces were quite convincing too, as if Jiang Zao really had done something intolerable to heaven and reason. Jiang Zao almost had goosebumps all over. The people who had still been gossiping a moment ago were now taking the emotional route. It made him feel oddly uncomfortable.

Jiang Zao did not show it. His expression remained composed as he said, “I was only paying some attention to the underachievers in the class. That’s all.”

“Underachievers?” Fang Han raised a brow.

“That’s right.” Jiang Zao pointed outside. “Wasn’t it very clear on the last ranking chart? Student Lu She, Student Dai Chu, and Student Jiang Tong occupied the bottom three places respectively. They are underachievers in name and in truth. As the homeroom teacher, is there any problem with privately encouraging and tutoring the three of them?”

Song Jintong raised her hand. “But Teacher, if you only care about the underachievers, are you just not going to care about us honor students? I don’t care. I also want you to treat us to a meal. It has to be the same standard!”

Once she said this, the others also responded one after another. The meal was not important. What mattered was that they wanted to receive the treatment of honor students!

“No problem.” Jiang Zao agreed immediately. He looked at the two people who had been making the loudest fuss. “Since that’s the case, I’ll appoint Student Fang Han and Student Song Jintong as the organizing committee members for this class gathering. I heard that the gathering last Friday was also organized by you two. Since you have experience, Teacher will feel very assured leaving it fully to you.”

Fang Han and Song Jintong looked at each other, both with expressions as if they had seen a ghost. How had this troublesome matter landed on them?

Their first reaction was to refuse, but the others reacted even faster. Who cared who they were heckling? As long as it was fun.

“Young Master Fang, Sister Tong, we’ll leave it to you!”

“You have to organize it properly. I’ll look forward to it.”

“I’m already tired of hotpot. I refuse hotpot!”

“Then I don’t want barbecue either. I’ve been getting internal heat lately.”

A bunch of people began nitpicking and throwing out conditions, clearly aiming to make things difficult for them. Song Jintong put on a pitiful look. “Teacher, last time it was only a small group of people eating together. This time, organizing the whole class means too many tastes to satisfy. I’m afraid I won’t do it well and will disappoint you. I’d better not do it.”

Jiang Zao showed her an encouraging smile. “Student Song, there’s no need to worry. What you eat isn’t important. What matters is the intention. I think what everyone wants is only that piece of sincerity.”

“What everyone wants is your sincerity, Teacher,” Song Jintong said. “I think it would be better if Teacher organized it yourself. That way, the sincerity would be heavier.”

“Teacher is very busy and can’t spare the time, so I can only entrust it to you.” Jiang Zao looked at her with a smile. “Honor students, after all, aren’t only outstanding in grades. They must also unite their classmates and be good helpers to the teacher. Only then are they honor students. Right, honor student Song Jintong?”

Song Jintong had nothing to say. The words she had just said were like boomerangs, all stabbing back into herself.

“Then it’s settled.” Jiang Zao encouraged them. “Good luck, you two students—self-study now.”

Jiang Zao walked out of the classroom with light steps.

When Jiang Zao returned to the office this time, his expression was very gloomy. Seeing this, Meng Qiuyu asked, “Teacher Jiang, what’s wrong? Did the students cause trouble again?”

Jiang Zao shook his head and said nothing.

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Meng Qiuyu tactfully did not continue asking. But after a while, Jiang Zao took the initiative to tell him.

Jiang Zao let out a long sigh and lamented, “Children really are money-devouring beasts. That saying isn’t wrong at all.”

?

Not only did Meng Qiuyu not understand, the others did not understand either. Had he not gone to supervise self-study? How had he ended up with this kind of feeling?

Xia Wei tried to keep up with his train of thought. Touching her stomach, she said, “That’s true. My child hasn’t even been born yet, and I’ve already bought so many baby supplies.”

Jiang Zao looked at her faintly. “At least you’re spending money on your own child.”

The others were greatly alarmed. You’re raising someone else’s child?!

No one answered their question. Jiang Zao merely propped up his cheek and stared out the window in a daze for a while. Then he took a USB drive from his drawer and plugged it in. After opening it, twenty-four folders were neatly arranged on the page. Jiang Zao looked for a while, then clicked into the folder numbered 1.

When school ended, for once, Jiang Zao was not the first to clock out and leave. Instead, he went to the classroom again.

Dai Chu was packing her schoolbag. He stood by the door and said to her, “Dai Chu, when you go back, ask your mother when she has time. Once the time is set, I’ll come over for a home visit.”

Dai Chu’s movements paused for a moment before she nodded. “Okay.”

Their conversation was not loud, but many people were staring this way and heard it clearly.

Fang Han smiled and said, “Teacher really is biased. You’re even going to visit Dai Chu’s home.”

Jiang Zao also smiled. “I’m going in student number order. You’re next, so get ready.”

Fang Han stopped smiling.

Jiang Zao waved his hand. “School’s over. Everyone go home. Be careful on the road.”

After he left, someone complained, “He even said be careful on the road. Does he think we’re elementary schoolers?”

“The last time I heard someone tell me to be careful on the road was back in elementary school.” Qiu Shao, who had slept the whole day, woke up right on time when school ended. He yawned, said this, slung his schoolbag over his shoulder, and left.

The class fell silent for a moment.

Song Jintong stuffed all her cosmetics into her bag in one go, carried it, and went to find Fang Han. “Young Master Fang, do you have time? Let’s discuss the class gathering?”

Fang Han’s face was dark. “Do you like doing hard labor that much?”

“No choice. After all, I’m an honor student.” Song Jintong smiled falsely.

Dai Chu, who had already been about to leave, suddenly stopped and looked back.

Fang Han looked toward her. Dai Chu, who had always been stingy with showing him any expression, unprecedentedly smiled and softly said, “Good luck.”

After she left, Song Jintong smiled and teased Fang Han. “Sometimes, I really can’t tell whether what you feel for her is hatred or love.”

“There is no love or hatred for a mistress’s daughter.” Leaving this sentence behind, Fang Han picked up his bag and left.

The next morning, Jiang Zao waited for Dai Chu to give him a reply about the time for the home visit. But Dai Chu merely apologized and said that her mother had not come home last night, so she had not seen her.

Jiang Zao expressed understanding and prepared himself for not seeing Mother Dai for a while.

On Tuesday, Jiang Zao had two classes: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In the morning, Jiang Zao read from his lesson plan for an entire class, and his throat was almost hoarse. Thinking that he still had a class in the afternoon, he immediately felt like life had no meaning.

The afternoon class was first period. Jiang Zao, who had just finished his midday rest, had every cell in his body resisting class. He had to read for another period. His throat was going to be ruined.

His dispiritedness was driven away quite a bit when Jiang Tong came to call him in a panic.

Jiang Tong was out of breath. “Brother, Brother! Dai Chu, her mother… she came!”

“Oh?” Jiang Zao looked thoughtful.

Jiang Tong grabbed him. “Hurry and go take a look—Dai Chu was… was hit by her!”

Jiang Zao immediately stood up. By the time Jiang Tong caught his breath and looked, Jiang Zao had already disappeared.

Jiang Zao hurried toward the classroom. From far away, he heard a woman’s hysterical scream. “Get out of the way! What does it have to do with you if I discipline my daughter? Are you protecting her like this because you’re involved with her? How far have you two gone? Have you slept together?”

Lu She’s voice was ice-cold. “Madam Dai, please show some self-respect.”

“Show self-respect?” The woman’s voice became even sharper. “Why don’t you men show self-respect? When you sweet-talk people, you don’t show self-respect. When you kick people away, then suddenly you show self-respect? If you have nothing to do with her, then hurry up and get lost!”

Jiang Zao walked over, pushed aside the crowd of students from other classes who were watching, and said faintly, “The bell has rung. Stop watching the excitement and go back to class.”

The person he pushed aside cursed and was about to say, “Who are you?” However, upon seeing the gentle smile at the corner of Jiang Zao’s lips, he abruptly shuddered and slipped away with his companions without saying anything. The others also did not dare stay any longer. In an instant, the crowd scattered completely.

Jiang Zao continued walking forward. The woman’s voice was still roaring beside his ears. “Dai Chu, get out here! Don’t hide behind a man! Explain to me why you bought this kind of skirt. Who are you trying to seduce?”

A skirt was thrown out of the classroom. Jiang Zao glanced at it. It looked very familiar. It seemed to be the spliced-element long skirt Dai Chu had tried on the last time he saw her.

So she had still gone and bought it. Jiang Zao thought to himself that at the time, he had already felt Dai Chu liked that skirt very much.

Jiang Zao had already reached the doorway. He heard the seductive woman in red point at Dai Chu, who was being blocked behind Lu She, and question her. “Look at what you’re like. Wearing such a short skirt. Do you have any shame left—”

Jiang Zao picked up the skirt and spoke in a faint tone. “Madam, please don’t make such a sweeping attack. That is our school’s girls’ uniform. Every girl in the school wears it.”

Madam Dai’s words were interrupted, and she angrily turned her head. Seeing that it was a plain-looking young man, her thinly drawn brows furrowed tightly. “Who are you?”

“This is our first meeting. I’m the new homeroom teacher of Class 19. My surname is Jiang.” Jiang Zao introduced himself and, in order to show friendliness, extended his hand.

His hand was naturally ignored by Madam Dai.

Jiang Zao withdrew his hand without the slightest embarrassment, smiled, and continued, “Originally, I wanted to find a time for a home visit. Since Madam Dai happens to be here today, there’s no time like the present. Why don’t we take this opportunity to have a friendly conversation?”

Madam Dai’s expression was arrogant. “I don’t have time. I am educating my daughter.”

“Educating Dai Chu?” Jiang Zao looked over there. Lu She had already moved aside slightly, allowing him to see Dai Chu clearly. There was an obvious palm print on Dai Chu’s face. Her skin had been scraped open, and blood was seeping out. It should have been scratched by nails when she was slapped.

Her complexion was very bad, and her expression was indifferent. Deep exhaustion showed between her brows and eyes. No one knew what was supporting her and keeping her from collapsing.

Jiang Zao’s eyes were very dark. He asked Madam Dai, “Madam, may I ask what mistake Dai Chu made that required you to rush to school during class time to educate her?”

Madam Dai looked at the skirt in his arms with deep disgust and avoided answering the question. “This has nothing to do with you. You’re only a teacher. Just teach your classes properly.”

“Madam Dai, that statement is incorrect.” Fang Han’s lazy voice sounded. He walked over with a smile.

Madam Dai’s pupils suddenly constricted.