The first volume of pearl curtains rolls up the western mountain rain at dusk Chapter 38: Trivial Matters Like Monthly Exams
For the students of Siye Academy, the monthly exam is a big event. Not only the knowledge learned in a month is tested, but also the conduct. If someone fails, they will probably be fined.
It seemed that it was just a fine, and very few people were expelled for bad behavior. After all, their families were all well-known people, and most people were still cautious in their actions.
Since the establishment of the academy, only three people have been expelled. Li Diudiu has heard a little about it. The first one was more than ten years ago. He beat someone to death in the academy. The second one was six or seven years ago. He also beat someone to death in the academy.
The third one happened more than half a year ago. A kid about the same age as Li Diudiu was expelled from the academy because his father was involved in a case of treason. The dean originally wanted to protect him, saying that no matter what his father did it had nothing to do with the child. However, even the governor stepped in to deal with the matter, so the dean had no choice but to let it go.
The child was taken away by the officials from Daizhou, and no one knows what happened to him now. People still mention this matter occasionally. The child's surname is Tang, and he was once the top student in Jiazitang School.
For Li Diudiu and others, this monthly exam seemed to have greater significance. Li Diudiu and Liu Shengying were the first to arrive at the classroom. They cleaned the room more carefully than usual. He felt that this was a sense of ritual, although he was not yet used to using his left hand.
This is an attitude. Liu Shengying asked him why he had to clean the classroom even though he was injured. Li Diudiu replied because I agreed.
Because of this sentence, the seemingly weak Liu Shengying's eyes became more determined.
After waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour, the instructor Yan Qingzhi came in with a few test papers. He glanced at everyone and walked to the podium.
He put the test paper down, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Before this test, I have a few words to say. After listening to them, whether you are willing to remember them or not is up to you. Since I have been your teacher for a month, even if I am no longer the one teaching you after today, I will still try my best to the end."
"What is an academy? You think that an academy is a place with many rules and restrictions, but in fact, when you leave the academy and enter the adult world, you will find out how relaxed the academy is."
"Everyone in the academy may be your friend, your colleague, or even your benefactor in the future. What you can't see now may become clear in the future, so be kind to others instead of making enemies."
When he said these words, his eyes swept towards Sun Rugong and Zhang Xiaolin. Zhang Xiaolin seemed to be thinking about something, but Sun Rugong had a calm expression, as if none of these words were directed to him.
What’s amazing is that Sun Rugong actually dared to come, and looked as if nothing had happened, like a person who had nothing to do with what happened yesterday.
As to whether he was afraid or not, perhaps only he himself knew it, but his eyes always inadvertently glanced at Li Diudiu's injured right arm, again and again.
He was able to come here seemingly nonchalantly, and even Li Diudiu felt a little impressed by this man.
"Okay, that's enough."
Yan Qingzhi separated the three test papers and gave one to Li Diudiu, one to Liu Shengying, and one to Zhang Xiaolin, but not to Sun Rugong.
"gentlemen."
When Sun Rugong saw Yan Qingzhi turning around to go back to the podium, he stood up and asked, "Why is there no test paper for me?"
Yan Qingzhi looked back at him and said, "Because you have been expelled from the academy."
Sun Rugong's face turned pale in an instant, and he glanced at Li Diudiu at that moment with a fierce look in his eyes.
He returned his gaze to Yan Qingzhi, and after a moment of silence, he asked, "Excuse me, sir, on what grounds did the academy expel me?"
Yan Qingzhi said: "If you want to know, you can go home and ask your father to come to the academy to ask. I think the dean will explain it to your father."
Sun Rugong said: "Sir, why don't you explain it to me!"
Yan Qingzhi said calmly: "Because you don't deserve it."
Sun Rugong's expression changed again.
Yan Qingzhi said calmly, "A disciple who has been expelled from the academy should not stay here. Since you are so smart, you naturally understand that staying a little longer will only bring more shame, if you still know what shame is."
Sun Rugong pushed the table away with a bang, strode to the door and stopped, turned around to glance at everyone in the room, and said word by word: "Every one of you will regret this."
Yan Qingzhi pointed outside the door and said, "Don't disturb my students' monthly exams."
Sun Rugong snorted and left quickly.
Just when he left the classroom, Zhang Xiaolin suddenly stood up and started clapping with great force. His palms turned red, but he still refused to stop.
Liu Shengying stood up and sat down, stood up and sat down again. After she stood up for the third time, she clapped her hands tentatively a few times. She didn't know why she became excited, and the sound became louder and louder.
Li Diudiu, on the other hand, sat there without moving, looking very calm.
The main thing is that he can't clap.
Zhang Xiaolin stretched out his hand to Li Diudiu and signaled with his eyes. Li Diudiu patted Zhang Xiaolin's hand with his left hand.
Zhang Xiaolin smiled: "Comfortable!"
Yan Qingzhi smiled and said, "Okay, that's enough, answer the questions."
The three people responded at the same time, and then began to answer the questions. The three people looked different in expression. After Zhang Xiaolin finished reading the test questions, he fell into confusion, looking at this and that.
Liu Shengying hesitated a little, but soon began to write, and wrote faster and faster.
Li Diudiu read through all the questions and started writing, deliberately leaving one question unanswered.
The time for answering the test paper was one hour. If you felt there was no problem after answering, you could hand it in early. After about two quarters, Li Diudiu handed in the test paper and bowed to Yan Qingzhi: "Disciple will leave first."
Yan Qingzhi nodded. He noticed at a glance that there was a question that Li Diudiu had not answered on the test paper. He wanted to ask why, but he held back because he believed that a child like Li Diudiu had his reasons for not answering the question.
After Li Diudiu left the classroom, he went straight to the woods behind. Next to the woods there was a small patch of thin bamboo. This kind of thin bamboo was the only kind that could be grown in the northern climate, and it was growing quite well.
He looked at the bamboos and thought for a long time, then turned back to the classroom and stood at the door and said to Yan Qingzhi: "Sir, I have something to ask you."
At that moment, Yan Qingzhi thought that Li Diudiu had remembered that he had not answered a question, so he immediately replied: "But what about the test paper?"
Li Diudiu shook his head and asked sincerely, "Will there be a fine for cutting down the bamboo in the academy?"
At this time, he asked such a question, which confused Yan Qingzhi.
"What do you mean?"
"It means literally, cutting bamboo will result in a fine?"
"Punishment!"
"Is the fine too much?"
"That depends on how much you cut."
"One or two is enough."
Yan Qingzhi thought for a moment, then answered: "Do you really want people to see it? Do you really want to chop it from outside?"
Li Diudiu chuckled, turned around and ran away.
He ran to the bamboo forest, held a thin bamboo in his left hand, raised his foot and kicked the bamboo near the root. With a snap, one of the bamboos broke. The force of his kick was fast and fierce.
As soon as I kicked one, I heard a scolding from behind.
"What are you doing!"
Li Diudiu was startled and turned around to see Gao Xining walking towards her with a smile and a smug look on her face. She was so proud because she had scared Li Diudiu.
Li Diudiu asked: "Don't you have anything to do all day?"
Gao Xining shrugged his shoulders, put his hands behind his back and walked up to Li Diudiu and said, "I have something to do. What I have to do is to keep an eye on the little thief who stole the bamboo in the academy."
While speaking, he tapped Li Diudiu on the head.
She pointed at the thin bamboo and asked, "What do you want this for?"
Li Diudiu said, “Let’s make a katydid cage.”
Gao Xining asked: "How do you weave with one hand? What are you weaving that thing for?"
Li Diudiu said seriously: "You should know that the most important thing for people to learn martial arts is to practice their hands. The more flexible the hands are, the easier it is to use the moves. The purpose of my weaving katydid cages is to exercise my fingers and make them more flexible and light."
Gao Xining: "Are you kidding me?"
Li Diudiu said, "Nonsense, if a ghost looks as good as you, can it still scare people?"
Gao Xining didn't know what was wrong with him, he seemed very happy.
"What are you doing? If you don't tell me, I'll arrest you and bring you to my grandfather. I'll tell you that you cut down an entire bamboo forest. You didn't take your monthly exam seriously, but you came here to be a thief!"
Li Diudiu sighed: "What about your duck?"
Gao Xining: "You... are shameless!"
Li Diudiu: “Each other.”
Gao Xining pretended to be very angry and stared at Li Diudiu with her eyes wide open. Li Diudiu refused to be outdone and stared at her. After a long time, Li Diudiu smiled and said, "I think if we weren't both so good-looking, you wouldn't be able to stare at us for so long."
Gao Xining glared at him first, then burst out laughing.
"What on earth do you want this thin bamboo for?"
Her voice became softer.
Li Diudiu briefly recounted what happened. Gao Xining pondered for a moment and said, "It's easy for you to be discovered here. It would be bad if the news got out. Come with me to my house. I have thin bamboos in my yard too. You can steal from me."
Li Diudiu stood in awe: "You are so noble and upright, worthy of being a person who has bamboo at home."
Gao Xining wanted to kick him and raised his foot, but then he thought it was not good to bully an injured person, so he retracted his foot.
"are you going!"
"Just go ahead... This is the first time I've seen someone force someone to steal something from his own home..."
Gao Xining asked: "Do you have any shame?"
Li Diudiu asked: "How do you sell it?"
Gao Xining: “…”
Two minutes later, on the steps of Gao Xining's yard, the two children sat there. Li Diudiu instructed Gao Xining to weave bamboo strips. Gao Xining was weaving very seriously. While she was doing it, she asked, "How do you think you will do in the exam?"
Li Diudiu replied: "The top three is not a problem."
Gao Xining squinted her eyes and glanced at him. When she was distracted, her finger was pierced by the thorns on the bamboo stick and she cried out in pain.
For some reason, Li Diudiu was startled and immediately grabbed Gao Xining's hand to take a look. Seeing a little red on the white jade-like finger, he put the finger into his mouth and sucked it without thinking.
Gao Xining was confused.
“You…what are you doing…”
"Saliva is cleaner, my master said so."
Li Diudiu let go of Gao Xining's hand, raised his hand to his mouth and bit his sleeve, then pulled it back suddenly, and the sleeve was torn apart by his bite.
Gao Xining looked at this silly man and thought to himself that this kid cherished his school uniform so much, and he just tore it like that?
