DBTHDCAR Chapter 31

After moving up to middle school, the results of the first final exam came out. As expected, Ning Xiaobei was once again ranked first in the grade, while Young Master Lin, as the second place, naturally took on the responsibility of firmly guarding Ning Xiaobei’s deskmate seat for Fan Xia.

What surprised everyone was that Fan Xia, who had ranked near the bottom of the class in previous monthly exams and had barely avoided being demoted to Class 2, actually performed beyond expectations this time, jumping straight up to the middle of the ranking.

Especially shocking was that his previously mediocre English score had somehow jumped to over 90 points, leaving everyone completely astonished.

“Let’s interview Fan Xia. Tell us, do you have any tips for learning English?”

Lin Ziying rolled up the test paper into a tube and placed it in front of Fan Xia, speaking in a very serious tone.

Speaking of gains this semester, Young Master Lin had quite a few. After sponsoring half of a new laboratory building, his dad had also spent money to upgrade the school radio station with lots of advanced equipment.

Apparently, according to the principal, No. 1 High School plans to start a school TV station next year. As for that, Lin’s dad said he’d think about it.

Lin Ziying was now the radio station’s junior host and student reporter, much more fun than being a vice-class monitor.

He threw himself into interviewing with full enthusiasm. Not only did he run around the campus every Tuesday afternoon during interest class, but basically every time class ended he’d slap on his press ID, which Fan Xia mockingly called his dog tag, and go around pulling people into interviews.

He was incredibly bold. As a student in the preparatory class, he even dared to cross the street to the high school campus to interview the senior students there. Now, just mentioning his name, Lin Ziying, the whole No. 1 High School knew him.

“Do interviews pay a fee?”

Fan Xia leaned back with his hands behind his head and his feet on the desk.

“Journalists have standards. We don’t take money from anyone, and we don’t give anyone money. You… student, please watch yourself,” Lin Ziying replied seriously.

Ning Xiaobei, tidying his backpack while listening, couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Okay, actually, all of this is thanks to our great study monitor, Ning Xiaobei. Under his supervision and guidance, I worked day and night, I read by the wall light, hung my hair from the beam, drove a needle into my thigh¹This refers to Sun Jing of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who tied his hair to a beam in the ceiling to avoid falling asleep; and Su Qin of the Warring States period, who pricked his thigh with an awl to stay awake when he felt drowsy while studying…”

Fan Xia hadn’t even finished bragging about the idioms he’d recently learned when Lin Ziying whacked him on the head with the rolled-up test paper.

“Speak normally.”

“I watch VCDs at his house every day,” Fan Xia admitted honestly. “My dad’s old video room has been upgraded into a proper VCD rental store. He even bought me a VCD player and put it at Xiaobei’s house. Every day after homework, we watch 《Friends²A popular American television sitcom that aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004》 together.”

“《Friends》?”

Lin Ziying wasn’t at all curious about why Fan Xia’s dad had bought a VCD player just to put it at Ning Xiaobei’s house.

After all, the two of them shared everything from books to stationery, and even sometimes their water bottles got mixed up. What he really cared about was what kind of show could make someone’s English improve so dramatically in such a short time.

“What’s it about?”

“It’s just an American TV show. A bunch of foreigners sitting around at home, talking all day. Kind of like our Chinese show 《I Love My Family³《我爱我家》 (I Love My Family) – a classic Chinese sitcom aired from 1993 to 1994 , depicting humorous everyday family life..》 Watch it enough days, and your listening skills will definitely improve too.”

Still, no matter how much practice he got, he could never catch up to Ning Xiaobei.

Last weekend, Fan Xia and Ning Xiaobei went to People’s Park. They bought some fish food and were feeding the fish at the pond when a foreigner came over and asked where they had bought it.

Even though Fan Xia was usually fearless, seeing a real foreigner made him so nervous he couldn’t get a word out, just “um” and “ah” for a long time.

At that moment, Ning Xiaobei smiled and took over the conversation, explaining everything to the foreigner in just a few sentences. Fan Xia watched in admiration.

Ning Xiaobei’s English was fluent, far beyond what their teacher, Mr. Wang, could teach, and he spoke with what Grandma Ning called the style of an old-school gentleman; refined, elegant, the kind of accent you’d call proper British English.

Fan Xia, now a complete fanboy of Ning Xiaobei, looked askance at Lin Ziying and thought: Lin Ziying, don’t even bother trying to watch 《Friends》. Even if you devoured the discs, you couldn’t reach that level.

“Fan Xia, let’s go. Chang Leyun is still waiting for us at the door.”

Ning Xiaobei packed up both his and Fan Xia’s backpacks, patted him on the shoulder, and said.

Fan Xia, meanwhile, was haggling with Young Master Lin.

《Friends》 DVDs were currently the hottest rental in his dad’s store, already out to Season 4. If Lin Ziying wanted to binge-watch the whole thing over winter break, he either had to patiently wait for all the other customers to return their copies, or simply pay a premium for Fan Xia’s dad to lend him a full set directly.

Young Master Lin said, “Money’s no problem. Just get me the discs before the break. I’ve got plenty to spare.”

Fan Xia replied, “No worries, sir. Between us, it’d be awkward to overcharge; just a small tip, a hundred or two, will do.”

Ning Xiaobei figured if he listened any longer, the two might start speaking Japanese, so he grabbed Fan Xia by the collar and headed out.

When they reached the classroom door, Ding Zheyang was walking in from outside. Ning Xiaobei paused, surprised at the redness around his eyes.

“Oh, who’s this? Young Master Lin, come on! Now here’s someone worth interviewing.”

Fan Xia, seeing Ding Zheyang, instantly bristled. Crossing his arms and raising his chin defiantly, he shouted, “Come on, interview our ‘Golden Class 1 President’! Ask him how it feels to place tenth from the bottom this term. I always thought only someone like me could get such a rank.”

Fan Xia didn’t hold back on mocking him.

Lin Ziying lazily shuffled over, shaking the rolled-up paper in front of Ding Zheyang and asked sarcastically, “Yes, Class President, care to comment?”

Although school was over, quite a few students were still in the classroom doing homework or chatting. Seeing the scene at the door, many lifted their heads, curious.

“Class President, I heard your term as class monitor ends this semester? Next term we’ll vote for new student officers. Do you think you’ll continue?”

Half the classroom laughed at Fan Xia’s words.

“Ridiculous…”

Ding Zheyang didn’t want to answer them. He kept his head down and walked further into the classroom.

“Come on, Class President, tell us! We’re dying to know… Young Master Lin, do you want to be class monitor? Maybe you can compete with President Ding next term?”

Fan Xia leaned against the doorframe and smirked mischievously.

“No, no. Too much academic pressure. I’m afraid if I become class president, I’ll end up tenth from the bottom too. My dad would kill me.”

Lin Ziying and Fan Xia bantered back and forth like a comedy duo, keeping the classroom in stitches.

Ning Xiaobei watched coldly as Ding Zheyang clenched his fists so tightly that his previously pale face had turned dark red.

Ding Zheyang’s exam scores had dropped so badly this time that even Teacher Yan probably couldn’t explain it to the grade leader, so he had been called into the office and given a serious scolding.

“Move!”

Ding Zheyang reached out to shove Fan Xia.

“Shoving who? Looking for trouble?”

Although Fan Xia hadn’t been in a fight for a long time, he was at least a head taller than Ding Zheyang. His scowling face made him look terrifying, forcing Ding Zheyang to step back half a pace.

“Alright, let’s go. Ignore him.”

Ning Xiaobei nudged Fan Xia forward, not even bothering to glance at Ding Zheyang as they passed by.

“You’re nothing but a teacher’s pet who flatters your way through everything. I thought at least you could study decently, but I even outscored you, tsk!”

Fan Xia had already reached the edge of the steps, but he turned back one last time to humiliate Ding Zheyang again.

Hearing the whole classroom erupt in laughter, Ding Zheyang felt utterly ashamed. He slumped over his desk, burying his head in his arms.

“Why are you two so slow? I’ve been waiting forever!”

The two boys arrived at the bicycle shed, where Chang Leyun had already gotten her bike and had been waiting for them for quite some time.

“Men’s business, women shouldn’t meddle.”

Fan Xia imitated the old feudal way of speaking he’d seen in Hong Kong dramas, and before finishing, two slaps landed o his shoulder and back.

“What are you saying?!”

Ning Xiaobei and Chang Leyun shouted in unison.

“Seriously, my boss hits me, fine. But Chang Leyun, you too? I’m here to protect you!”

Fan Xia exaggerated, clutching his shoulder.

Ever since the last time down at the apartment building, when the angry local crowd,especially the women, beat him up, Chang Leyun’s useless dad had run off with his tail between his legs.

But according to Chang Leyun’s observations, in the days afterward, there had been people trying to follow her and her mother near the school entrance and outside their neighborhood. During this period, she even paused her weekly violin and ballet classes, worried she might run into Chang Weiqiang again.

When Fan Xia went home to visit his family, he told his dad, Fan Jian, about what had happened.

His dad, an old fox who knew the ropes, immediately guessed that Chang Weiqiang would probably try to use his daughter to pressure Wang Yihong into giving in.

With the Lunar New Year just a few days away, every business and industry in society was busy collecting debts, and the loan sharks wouldn’t be any different, they’d only get more vicious and ruthless.

After Fan Xia got to his uncle’s place, he retold Fan Jian’s theory with plenty of exaggeration and embellishment. Zhao Jingwen and Ning Jianguo, after filtering out all the extra nonsense Fan Xia added, agreed that Fan Jian was right. They needed to figure out a way to keep Chang Leyun safe, making sure she didn’t fall into the hands of her deranged father.

After some discussion among the three families, they decided that for the time being, the three of them would go to and from school together. Ning Xiaobei and Fan Xia were middle schoolers, but they were both big enough to protect their little sister if any real danger came their way.

From that day on, the three of them moved around as a group every day.

Wang Yihong felt a little embarrassed about the situation. She treated them to a meal and even had someone specially buy authentic toys from abroad for them.

As the saying goes, ‘Once you accept a gift, you can’t easily refuse’, Fan Xia had originally been skeptical about having a little girl forcibly join their group, but after receiving his favorite Ultraman Tiga and a high-tech Formula Racing car, he proudly patted his chest and promised, “Don’t worry, Auntie, I’ll be a proper bodyguard.”

“Chang Leyun, I heard you came third in your class this time. Is that true?”

Ning Xiaobei asked as he pushed the bike over to her side.

“Being asked this by the grade’s top student… I don’t know whether to feel happy or embarrassed,” Chang Leyun said, smiling with eyes curved like crescents.

“So that means, when the second half of the semester starts, you’ll be joining our Class 1.”

“I’ll need the study committee member to look after me,” she said with a smile.

Although she had been a little shy when they first met, after the last incident, Chang Leyun had gradually become familiar with them.

Not only did she take after her mother in looks, but she had been learning various skills and arts from a young age and carried herself with grace. She is Ning Xiaobei’s dream little sister.

He thought to himself: If Dad really married Auntie Wang, even without having children of their own, having such a well-behaved daughter to care for in old age would surely bring comfort and joy.

“Where’s Fan Xia? Can’t find his bike?”

The three of them waited outside the bike shed for a while before Fan Xia came running out, grinning mischievously.

“Come on, hurry up!”

He pushed the bike forward, herding them along like ducks.

“Where have you been?”

Ning Xiaobei’s instincts told him that this kid hadn’t exactly been behaving.

“I went to pull the valve cores. Quick, quick, people are coming out soon.”

“What?”

Once they got out of the school gate and got on their bikes, Fan Xia, riding between the other two with his hands off the handlebars, animatedly gestured as he explained, “Just pulled it, and psst, no air. I’m curious to see how they’ll get home.”

“‘They’?”

The more Ning Xiaobei listened, the more off it sounded. “Who ‘they’?”

“Who else? Ding Zheyang and Teacher’s bikes, of course. Ah, it’s just that the teachers’ bike shed is a bit far, otherwise I’d be doing this every day.”

“So how many times exactly have you done this?”

Ning Xiaobei was speechless.

No wonder he could see Yan Bingru grumbling over repairs at the bike stall near school almost every day. Now it made sense. That old man running the repair store at the school gate was notoriously bad. Charging 30 cents to pump up a tire for other students? He asked for 50 cents. Installing a valve core that others charged 1 yuan for? He’d ask for 2.50 yuan. Usually, if a bike could still be pushed, students avoided getting repairs there. And since Teacher Yan’s valve cores kept disappearing, leaving bikes unusable, she always ended up at that old man’s stall.

“It’s not that many times. Besides, I’m not the only one doing it. A few times, I got to the shed and found her valve core was already gone.”

Yan Bingru could really get under people’s skin.

Fan Xia puffed out his chest and declared righteously, “We’re all doing this, upholding justice on behalf of heaven!”

“You’d be in big trouble if you got caught,” Chang Leyun said worriedly.

“Afraid of them? Please. They’re the ones running crooked schemes, yet still worry about what others say,” Fan Xia said indignantly.

They had thought that after Principal Ji Guozhen was removed, the school atmosphere would improve a bit. But the new principal had only been there a few months, and everything was just as bad as before.

Gift-giving between teachers and students? Still rampant. The newly outsourced cafeteria? A few days ago, Fan Xia actually found a half-smoked cigarette in his food!

He took it to the cafeteria staff to complain, only to have the boss hand him a 5-yuan note and tell him to forget it.

Ha! As if this young master lacked 5 yuan.

“Don’t do this again. If you really get caught, it’s like eggs hitting a rock, no good will come of it.

Ning Xiaobei said seriously.

“But…”

“Don’t worry. Good and evil will eventually be repaid. Just focus on your studies.”

Ning Xiaobei smiled and led the way on his bike.

Even if it really is a case of upholding justice on behalf of heaven, I’ll take care of it.

……………… 

Author’s Note:

I remember a time when both at school and in the hospital, the youth staff would watch 《Friends.》 Such memories of the era.

Speaking of which, the first foreign sitcom I ever watched as a child was 《Growing Pains.》

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• 1
  This refers to Sun Jing of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who tied his hair to a beam in the ceiling to avoid falling asleep; and Su Qin of the Warring States period, who pricked his thigh with an awl to stay awake when he felt drowsy while studying
• 2
  A popular American television sitcom that aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004
• 3
  《我爱我家》 (I Love My Family) – a classic Chinese sitcom aired from 1993 to 1994 , depicting humorous everyday family life.