Chapter 7 Flattery

Duan Xiao’e looked at the principal, who was covered in layers of fat, and couldn’t help but picture a mountain of flesh sprawled on a bed. The image left her feeling nauseous for no apparent reason. The portly principal, gazing at this parent whose makeup was as thick as plaster, found himself equally unappetized. The atmosphere was painfully awkward. Wen Xiaocheng tried to steer the conversation in another direction, but both their thoughts wandered, conjuring up indecent scenes that only made them more disgusted with each other.

“Since you’re no longer insisting on expulsion, it seems we have no further disagreements,” the principal said. “The school will handle the matter according to the relevant regulations. You saw yourself just now—Wen Xiaocheng is covered in bruises as well, so your child hasn’t suffered any more than he has. I suggest we let the matter rest here, and the school will give them both a stern talking-to.”

He spoke of “them,” but at this point, Duan Xiao’e had lost the urge to quarrel. The Wen family had little left to lose; if expulsion was off the table, then financial compensation seemed meaningless, especially given their mounting debts. There was simply nothing more to be gained.

“We’re entrusting our child to your care—you must take responsibility. Fortunately, our child wasn’t seriously hurt this time, but what if he had been? Could you bear the consequences? If expulsion isn’t an option, so be it. Since the law says so, I won’t make things difficult for you. But he must at least be disciplined!”

Disciplinary action wasn’t really a problem. The principal, eager to put an end to the dispute, ushered Duan Xiao’e out. At last, the troublesome parent was gone, and the principal breathed a sigh of relief. He’d closed the door earlier only to avoid her shouting; now, he dared not close it again. As he turned around, someone slipped in behind him—before he could react, Wen Xiaocheng’s voice sounded from behind, “Good afternoon, Principal.”

He’d just been talking about “stern lectures”—now he wondered what the boy wanted. Before he could ask, Wen Xiaocheng spoke again, “All done? That was quick.”

There was nothing wrong with the words themselves, yet they irked Principal Niu. He wanted to lose his temper but had no grounds. Ignoring the boy, he turned to the desk, refilled his teacup with hot water, and frowned, “You assaulted a classmate in front of the teacher, and now you come here grinning without a shred of remorse. Do you really think the school can do nothing about you?”

“Principal Niu, with all due respect, if I were someone like Zhang Peiyue, who comes from money, maybe you’d be helpless. But me? My family has no power, no influence—if you wanted to punish me, it’d be all too easy.”

His tone was soft yet edged, hardly the attitude a student should take with a principal. Niu Dalong frowned, temper rising, but then Wen Xiaocheng continued, “Thank you, Principal, for speaking up for me earlier.”

At least that was something reasonable. Niu Dalong calmed down a little, settling heavily into his office chair. His bulk spilled over the sides, and the chair groaned in protest.

“I’ve always been bullied by Zhang Peiyue and his friends, as you well know. I’ve come to your office more than once to complain, but you always had an excuse. I thought you were in league with them—that you’d never help a poor student like me. But today I realized I was wrong! No matter how rich his family is, or that he’s the wealthiest man in town, you don’t fear authority, nor do you discriminate against me because I’m the son of a murderer! I thought I’d be finished after offending Zhang Peiyue, but I never expected you’d stand up for justice and side with a poor student like me!”

With that flattery, Principal Niu found himself even less able to respond. In truth, he hadn’t meant to take sides; the education committee simply forbade the expulsion of minors. But the way the boy put it, siding with a poor student was courage in the face of power, while speaking for Zhang Peiyue would have been sycophancy. He realized, almost without noticing, that he’d been maneuvered into a corner.

“To a teacher, every student is equal, regardless of wealth or background,” the portly principal tried to assert, but Wen Xiaocheng interrupted him.

“No! Teachers are human first, and humans always make distinctions. Even the best teachers pay more attention to their top students. But today, you stood up for me in front of our town’s richest man—something not every outstanding educator could do!”

The praise was pleasant, but why did it feel like lines were being drawn? In truth, they were not on the same side—not at all.

“Principal Niu, even if you let it go, I must still offer you my sincere apology. It was wrong of me to start a fight in front of the teacher, and I regret dragging you into a conflict with the Zhang family—it weighs on my conscience...”

Principal Niu was exasperated. Who said he was letting it go? And he certainly hadn’t fallen out with the Zhangs. Was the boy just trying to stir up more trouble?

“But I hope you can understand, Principal. This isn’t the first time they’ve bullied me. Just today, they knocked me to the ground and urinated on my brand-new backpack! My grandmother rode a tricycle all the way to the county—over twenty kilometers—selling candied hawthorn just to buy me that bag. She had to keep an eye out for city inspectors, too, just to make a little extra money in town. And they had the nerve to do that to it! There’s a limit to how much anyone can take—Principal, if it were you, could you endure it?”

Wen Xiaocheng spoke with emotion, his eyes reddening. Principal Niu felt a pang of sympathy. As a man, he could imagine being in that situation—who wouldn’t fight back? The boy had it tough enough at home, and now he was bullied at school as well. Sometimes, even the principal himself found it hard to bear. But as the person in charge, his position was always precarious; the families involved all had influence, and one wrong move could cost him his job without warning.

“Thank you for your understanding, Principal. I promise I won’t cause you any more trouble.”

Principal Niu felt a twinge of guilt. How mature the boy was—children from poor families grew up quickly. He’d heard Wen Xiaocheng ranked in the top ten of his class, while Zhang Peiyue was nothing but a thug—lazy, arrogant, a tyrant around the school. But such was life; sometimes, you simply had no choice.

Long after Wen Xiaocheng left, Niu Dalong realized that what could have become a serious disciplinary matter had somehow faded quietly away...

——————

This chapter was scheduled for release. The past two days, my home internet’s been acting up—I can access any site except the backend for Yuewen. I had to send Chapter Five by phone; it was a real struggle. As an author with integrity, I can’t stand missing updates, so I planned ahead. With the new book coinciding with the October holiday and being unable to reach my signing editor, I can only update once a day for now, but don’t worry—once we get promoted, there’ll be a burst of chapters. Also, the next few chapters are all scheduled for 7 p.m. Don’t watch the evening news—come read Lao Dao’s novel instead.