Chapter 616 Chenchen’s guardian called to school for a meeting!
In the afternoon.
Zhang Ye leisurely went downstairs for a bowl of meat stew at a food stall nearby. It was rare for him to be so free these days, so he wanted to enjoy his life for now.
“Master.”
“Hey, Teacher Zhang, you are here!”
“I’ll have a bowl.”
“Large or small?”
“A large bowl, add more garlic sauce.”
“OK, please wait for a moment.”
The reporters had already left and there were none of them in the district anymore. Zhang Ye had a unique way of handling reporters. Many of the other famous celebrities were always troubled by the ever-present reporters and would think that there were always some nearby at every moment, so they tended to be extra cautious wherever they went. They would hide from reporters when they were going home, when they were eating, and when they went out to meet friends, causing even more reporters to want to follow them. Zhang Ye was obviously doing the opposite. He would not hide from reporters as he would accept interviews at any time. Even if he was not free, he would still have the courtesy to answer one or two questions. He would not refuse anyone, answering any questions that were asked, without hiding or acting mysterious. When the interview was done, the reporters would leave since there was nothing more for them to do. And so, they would not follow him around every day.
As he was eating, his phone rang.
When he saw the number—what a surprise!—it was Rao Aimin who was calling him.
Zhang Ye swallowed his food and said with a mumble: “Hello, Landlady Auntie. What’s the matter? I’m eating now.”
She replied: “Are you busy these next few days?”
“These next few days?” Hearing this, Zhang Ye was immediately put on high alert and said: “I’m busy, really busy!”
Rao Aimin smirked: “What are you busy with? Aren’t you mostly staying at home nowadays since you’re without any work? From the B-list celebrities and upwards, there’s no one who is as free as you are!”
Zhang Ye said: “…Then why do you ask when you already know it.”
“That’s why I’m entrusting you with something. I have to go on a long trip for some personal matters for a while and I must leave in a moment. But Chenchen definitely cannot be left at home by herself and I don’t feel at ease letting other people watch over her. Anyway, since you’re free at home, you will have to help me take care of her,” Rao Aimin said.
“For how many days?” Zhang Ye asked.
She replied: “It depends. Maybe it will take a few days, maybe it’ll be a month.”
Zhang Ye exclaimed: “Even up to a month? Are you going up to the moon or what!?”
She said: “It’ll be a month at most but I might come back after a few days. I’ll not let you help for nothing. Since you haven’t paid your rent for this month yet, I’ve decided that you do not need to pay the rent for this month.”
Zhang Ye was not willing to do it and lamented: “How much would it cost to hire a nanny? Don’t even think about it, absolutely not! I’m still looking for a job and I’ll be busy if there is a new job offer. How can I find the time to take care of a child? That’s that then. I’m going to eat now, so please ask someone else, Landlady Auntie!”
In the next second, Rao Aimin said: “You do not need to pay rent for the next three months!”
Without even thinking, Zhang Ye replied: “…Alright then, leave her to me!”
She acknowledged and said: “Be more meticulous and remember to fetch the child to and from school every day.”
Zhang Ye said: “I know that, it’s not like I’ve never taken care of her before.”
Rao Aimin instructed him for a long time before hanging up. Although the landlady had a bad temper and a wicked mouth, she was still very meticulous when it came to Chenchen and took great care of her.
Hai, not only did he still not find any hosting jobs, he was now even tasked with a big errand.
After hanging up, Zhang Ye continued eating his meat stew, but just as he took a mouthful of the meat, another call came in. He did not recognize this number.
Zhang Ye picked it up and said: “Hello, who’s this?”
It was a young woman’s voice: “Teacher Zhang, I’m Zhao Mei, Rao Chenchen’s form teacher from No. 2 Experimental Primary School. We met at last year’s parents’ public class, do you still remember me?”
Zhang Ye had an impression of her. It was during the time when he was not famous yet, and he had went in place of Rao Aimin to participate in Chenchen’s lesson and even helped Chenchen to write “Tribute to the White Poplar” for her essay. He said, “Teacher Zhao, of course I remember you. What are you calling me for?”
Zhao Mei said: “Didn’t you give me your contact number previously in case there was anything to inform you regarding Chenchen? I just tried giving her guardian, Miss Rao, a call, but couldn’t get through, so I contacted you instead.”
It was true that she couldn’t get through to the Landlady Auntie earlier.
She had just called me a short while ago.
Zhang Ye asked immediately: “What’s the matter? Please speak.”
“Chenchen got into trouble again. Can you make a trip to the school?” Zhao Mei said helplessly.
Zhang Ye was a little stunned, so he asked: “Is it serious? Did Chenchen get bullied again?”
Zhao Mei laughed ironically and replied: “That’s not the case. It would be fortunate if Chenchen did not bully others instead, so how would she be bullied? It’s better for you to make a trip here as it’s not convenient to talk over the phone.”
That kid! Always getting into trouble!
“OK, OK, OK, I’ll be there immediately.” Zhang Ye tucked away his phone and hurriedly finished his food. After settling the bill, he returned to the district and drove directly to No. 2 Experimental Primary School. He did not contact Rao Aimin as she had other urgent matters to settle, so even if he told her, she couldn’t go anyway. It was better that he just went by himself.
Zhang Ye was very concerned because it was about Chenchen, so he drove very fast.
……
In the afternoon.
A little past 1 PM.
Zhang Ye drove up to the school entrance. As the school was still having afternoon lessons, he informed the security guard in the guardroom, “I’m the guardian of a student here. Teacher Zhao Mei of the second grade asked me to come.” Then he was let in and he went to park his car before proceeding upstairs to the teachers’ office quickly.
At the teaching block.
In the experimental classroom of second grade, class one.
The mathematics teacher, Li Jiaxing, was a young teacher in his mid-twenties. He was standing at the rostrum, staring angrily at Chenchen who was standing at her desk. The surrounding students were all seated while only Chenchen was standing up. A lunch box given by the school was on her desk but it had already turned cold. The chopsticks were still wrapped in a plastic wrap and it was obvious that Chenchen had not eaten her meal yet. The atmosphere in the classroom was very tense as Zhao Mei and some of the other subjects’ teachers stood at the side.
Zhao Mei persuaded, “Teacher Li, let’s carry on with the lesson first.”
The language teacher also said, “Yes, don’t bear grudges on a child.”
Li Jiaxing insisted firmly, “Teacher Zhao, it’s not that I don’t want to go on with the lesson, but this Rao Chenchen has really gone too far. She’s not showing me any respect at all and this is not even the first time it has happened.”
Zhao Mei said, “I’ve already informed Chenchen’s guardian to come down to the school, we can discuss it later after the lesson if there’s anything.”
Li Jiaxing said angrily, “Then let’s wait for her guardian to get here! We need to resolve this matter before anything else! Today, I have to demonstrate clearly. If Rao Chenchen does not apologize to me, I won’t continue with this lesson!”
Zhao Mei said, “Then let the child eat her food first.”
“I didn’t say she couldn’t eat her food, but she must be punished by standing in the class!” Li Jiaxing gritted his teeth.
The form teacher, Zhao Mei walked in front of Chenchen and said, “Eat your food first.”
Chenchen said with a straight face, “I’m not eating. It has turned cold.”
Zhao Mei said, “You should just apologize to Teacher Li. It was definitely wrong of you to rebuke Teacher Li earlier at lunchtime.”
Chenchen stubbornly said, “I won’t apologize!”
Li Jiaxing said angrily, “Look at her! Just look at her!”
The female fine arts teacher also tried to calm things down and said, “Teacher Li, calm down.”
“I’ve always wondered!” Li Jiaxing flared up and then said, “How can a child with such low standards be in the experimental class! I suggest that you all transfer her out immediately! Otherwise, I won’t ever be able to teach this subject anymore!”
Many of the other students were also persuading Chenchen in whispering voices.
“Chenchen.”
“Why don’t you apologize?”
“You should just say sorry to Teacher Li.”
Chenchen looked at her classmates and then said, “I’m not in the wrong, why should I apologize? He doesn’t know how to teach mathematics! I don’t understand any of what he’s teaching at all!”
Li Jiaxing furiously said, “It’s a problem of your standard if you don’t understand it. You are bad at learning, not serious, not hardworking, and have a lack of motivation! I don’t know how to teach? I was an intern and taught in Heping High School before. Last year, I was transferred to No. 2 Experimental Primary School. If I can teach high school students, why couldn’t I teach primary school students?”
Chenchen pouted, “—Hur hur!”
When he heard that, Li Jiaxing nearly died of anger. He said, “Laugh again if you dare!”
All of a sudden, a figure walked in through the door and shouted in the same tone, “Shout again if you dare!”
This loud voice made everyone in the classroom jump in fright!
The person who had entered the classroom was Zhang Ye of course. He was wearing sunglasses as he came into the classroom!
Chenchen immediately raised up her head.
Li Jiaxing was exasperated. He asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m Chenchen’s guardian!” Zhang Ye looked unpleasantly at the math teacher. When he was walking to the classroom, in the corridor, he could roughly hear what was being said and knew about the situation. He said, “My child may have her own problems but there are many ways to solve a problem. There’s no need for physical punishment and senseless yelling at her! Who are you trying to scare? What are you shouting for? If you want to shout, shout at me! Why are you yelling at a child!”
Li Jiaxing was wondering what kind of guardian he was and immediately said, “First, I did not punish her physically; second, I allowed her to eat her food. It’s just that she does not want to eat. Finally, what is her purpose in coming to school? What’s her role and responsibility? Not only did she disobey the teacher, she even openly insulted the teacher’s teaching standard! However, I would like to ask you this. As Chenchen’s guardian, do you know if your child is still motivated to learn?”
The commotion that occurred here had attracted many teachers who were having their free period. But the only person who knew him as Zhang Ye was the form teacher, Zhao Mei. Although Zhang Ye came last year, since he was still an unknown back then, not many people knew about him. Since the majority of second grade students did not chase after stars, why would the matter at that time be spread around? At most, some teaches would occasionally relate to the incident and bring it up in their conversations.
After listening to Li Jiaxing’s words, Zhang Ye did not argue with him. With his eloquent mouth, even a hundred math teachers would not be able to out-argue him. But he knew that he had to first understand the situation before saying anything else.
Walking over, Zhang Ye asked with a deadpan expression, “What’s going on?”
Chenchen said nothing.
Zhang Ye said, “Spit it out.”
He knew Chenchen was not an ordinary child. She was extremely naughty and antisocial. Sometimes, even he would be vexed to death by her, let alone other people. However, Zhang Ye also knew that Chenchen was not an idiot. On the contrary, she was smarter than most of her peers, except that she was also lazy and did not like to learn. That was why when he heard the commotion from outside the classroom that Chenchen claimed that Li Jiaxing did not know how to teach and she could not understand his teaching, Zhang Ye felt puzzled. With Chenchen’s intelligence, how could she not understand elementary math problems? So he wanted to understand the situation further, so as not to blindly side with the child.
Chenchen leered at him, looked down at her desk and picked up a textbook from the table and passed it to Zhang Ye.
Zhang Ye took a look and saw what were obviously Li Jiaxing’s class notes written during lunchtime. This math problem was rather simple for adults since they would not even need to calculate it to get the answer. But the steps to solving the problem and the train of thought….
Chenchen could not understand it?
Zhang Ye roughly understood what was going on.