Chapter 907: Chapter 885: Top Student in the 1980s 13
The principal had already prepared the exam papers.
"This is the midterm exam paper for first year, you can just answer here, do as much as you can."
"Alright."
Anning was obedient at this moment.
She sat in the chair and leaned over the desk to write the exam.
Secretary An and the principal moved to a corner to talk.
The principal gave Anning papers for three subjects: math, Chinese, and English.
Anning finished answering the questions in two hours.
The principal reviewed the papers; math and Chinese were fully answered, but some spots in English were left blank.
He didnāt say anything and handed the papers to the subject teachers for grading.
In half an hour, the scores for each subject were out.
To save time for the test, Anning wasnāt asked to write an essay. The full score for Chinese was 120, minus the essayās 40 points, Anning scored 80, which is effectively a full score. Math had a full score of 100, and Anning got 100. English also had a full score of 100, Anning only scored over 70.
Her face turned a bit red, and she softly told the principal and Secretary An, "I havenāt studied English before, just read some books at home in the past few days. Iām not very clear on some parts."
"What?"
The principal was astonished: "How many days have you studied English?"
Anning counted: "About seven or eight days."
The principal looked at Anning as if he were looking at a monster.
"Seven or eight days, and you scored over 70?"
Anning frowned slightly: "I know I didnāt do well, but Iāll work hard. With teachers guiding me, Iām sure Iāll catch up."
The principal wasnāt saying Anning did poorly; he was saying she did exceptionally well.
English is a foreign language, and with no foundation, scoring over 70 in seven or eight days is talent.
He laughed and patted the desk: "Good, good, you must work hard in the future."
After a while, the principal called the homeroom teacher of class 1 to take Anning to the class 1 classroom.
The principal stayed in the office to talk with Secretary An: "Old An, your daughter is extraordinary; this child has talent, you must nurture her well."
Secretary An listened attentively: "Old Xu, how should the child learn English? What books do I need to buy? Iāll buy her some later."
Principal Xu said: "English requires reading books, but mainly you need to listen and speak. Buy some tapes for the child; do you have a tape recorder at home? If not, buy one to facilitate her learning."
Secretary An nodded: "Iāll keep that in mind."
After leaving First Middle School, she went straight to the bookstore, bought several English books, tapes, and went to the department store to buy a tape recorder, then brought everything home.
Anning was taken into the classroom by Li, the homeroom teacher of class 1.
Anning, being small, was led in by hand.
Teacher Li brought Anning to the podium and said with a smile: "Classmates, please be quiet, today we have a new classmate, everyone please welcome her."
The entire class stared at Anning in shock.
"Teacher, are you sure this is the new classmate?"
A few mischievous boys started asking.
Teacher Li threw half a piece of chalk at them: "Sit down, donāt scare the new student."
Turning back, Teacher Li smiled and said to Anning: "Come, introduce yourself and get to know everyone."
Anning smiled and said in a clear voice: "Hello brothers and sisters, I am Zhang Anning, seven years old this year. From now on, Iāll be studying here and becoming classmates with you. I hope brothers and sisters will like me and not bully me."
This child even said donāt bully her.
Teacher Li laughed heartily.
The students in the class began to laugh too.
The girls waved over to Anning: "Come sit, no one will bully you."
Mainly Anning looked too small, the classmates were much older, no one could bear to bully her.
Moreover, Anning was very sweet, immediately calling them brothers and sisters as she entered; later, if something happens, wouldnāt the brothers and sisters cover for her?
Teacher Li arranged for Anning to sit in the first row and then started lecturing.
After the class was over, during the break, several girls came to ask Anning: "Youāre only seven years old, why arenāt you in elementary school but studying in middle school?"
Anning organized her notes while replying: "Iāve learned all the elementary school courses, going would be a waste of time."
She looked up at a few girls: "Sisters, I havenāt learned English; thereās a lot I donāt understand, can I borrow your English notes?"
A girl who was good at English said: "Alright, Iāll bring you mine later, ask me if you donāt understand anything."
Anning quickly thanked her.
She performed well during the four classes in the morning, got to know the classmates, and not only the girls but also the boys.
At this age, boys and girls donāt talk much.
Everyone is afraid of talking too much, being made fun of, or being rumored as a couple.
But Anning was different; she was very young, even if a boy came to play with her, no one said anything, theyād just think everyone was taking care of Anning.
At noon after school, Anning didnāt carry a backpack, but went out empty-handed.
As she walked out the school gate, she saw Secretary An waiting to pick her up.
Anning ran over: "Mom, donāt pick me up next time, itās so close, I can walk back myself."
"No way, mom wouldnāt be at ease not picking you up."
Secretary An let Anning sit on the back of the bicycle, riding home: "Dad came back early today, made fish for you, you can eat fish as soon as you get home."
Anning smiled: "Mom, can we make dumplings tonight?"
The mother-daughter talked while riding, reaching home quickly.
Zhang Heping and Secretary An went around Anning, asking how things went at school, and how she got along with classmates.
The couple was worried; Anning was too young, what if sheās bullied by older kids?
So hearing Anning say everythingās good, classmates are taking care of her, they felt relieved.
Anning took a nap for half an hour after lunch before heading to school.
Already some classmates were in the classroom when she arrived.
There are both day students and boarding students at the countyās No.1 Middle School.
Boarding students are from villages or towns far away, daily commuting is inconvenient, so they stay in dorms and go home weekly.
There are boarding students in class 1 too, who usually come to the classroom early, some donāt return to the dorm after meals and directly come to study.
Anning started doing homework after entering the classroom, while listening to gossip from two girls at the back row.
"Did you hear? Xiao Yuan from second year class 1 ranked first in the city in this midterm, full marks in every subject, the cityās school specifically reached out to him, wanting him to transfer and even offering a scholarship."
"Really? Did he go?"
"He seems unwilling to go, saying itās too far from home."
"Heās foolish, city schools are better, why not go?"
"Who knows, our family and his family are from the same village, their conditions seem poor, his momās health isnāt well, his brotherās a bit slow, anyway, their familyās quite poor..."
Upon hearing this, Anning chuckled to herself and continued doing homework.
After school in the afternoon, Anning didnāt head towards the school gate but ran upstairs.
First Middle School is three floors, first-year classes are on the first floor, second-year on the second.
While running upstairs, she bumped into Xiao Yuan coming downstairs, meeting on the staircase.
Neither spoke, just glanced at each other confirming that was whom they were looking for.
Xiao Yuan continued downstairs, Anning turned around and went down too.
The two walked one after the other until they reached a deserted place, Anning quickly said: "Iām in first year class 1, live at the steel plant, I..."
Xiao Yuan shared his situation with Anning too.
Neither said much, just shared their situations, Anning then ran out with her backpack.
Worried about being late, she didnāt want Secretary An to get anxious.
Xiao Yuan followed behind at a distance, just wanting to send her off.
At the school gate, Xiao Yuan saw a woman taking Anningās backpack, talking to her with kindness, Xiao Yuan felt reassured.
He turned to head back but heard someone calling him.
"A Yuan..."
Anning heard too, looked towards the voice and saw a woman in her thirties walking towards Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan approached the woman too.
Anning thought, could this be Xiao Yuanās mother?
She looked at the woman, feeling some familiarity.
Soon, Anning remembered who it was; the woman was originally seen by the former body, Zhang Erzhuās wife from Tuliang Village, she had helped before, calling her Aunt Xiangling...
But, besides this, Anning felt this womanās features were still very familiar.
"What are you looking at?"
Secretary An asked Anning with a smile.
Anning looked up at Secretary An, suddenly freezing there.