My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 45: I Have Five Mothers

"Zhou Heming, 599 points."

A sudden commotion erupted in the classroom.

These voices are partly due to Zhou Heming's "fame" and partly due to his scores.

A score of 599 is basically the level of the exam room number two, placing you in the top 100 of your grade. A 211 university is a safety net, and a 985 university is within reach.

In the last monthly exam, Zhou Heming ranked almost 400th in his grade, barely making it to the first-tier university admission line.

Is it even possible for a human to improve by 300 places and increase the total score by nearly 90 points in just one month?
Those who know him know that Zhou Heming disappears every evening during self-study, presumably because he's receiving tutoring from the girlfriend of the top student in the grade.

Those who didn't know might have thought Zhou Heming had awakened some kind of system.

A slightly noisy sound suddenly filled the classroom.

The boys were filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment. Who else could have a girlfriend who was both the school beauty and a top student, and also improve their grades so much, all while getting free meals and gifts?

The girls all had expressions of "I'm totally shipping them"—a cool, academically gifted guy and a gentle, kind beta, who can even grow together, it's just too good to be true.

"Everyone, be quiet."

Ding Kai shouted.

“I’ve seen Zhou Heming’s hard work this month. His grades have improved significantly compared to the last exam. What does that mean?”

"This means that dating a top student can make you stronger."

A mischievous boy in the class chimed in.

"Li Mingrui, shut up! You can't even get 110 points. Don't ever say I'm your Chinese teacher again!"

Ding Kai raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Zhou Heming.

"This shows that each of us has potential. There are still eight months left in our senior year of high school, and we can definitely continue to improve our scores and get into our ideal universities. Look, Qiao Jinchen never scored above the first-tier university cutoff line before, but he did this time."

"So Qiao Jinchen also has a girlfriend who's a top student."

Another boy chimed in quietly.

It's true that secrets can't stay hidden forever; the affair between Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou has spread to some extent. However, compared to Zhou Heming and his partner, their squabbles seem trivial.

"He Lin, did you even score 120? What right do you have to interrupt?"

Ding Kai glanced over.

"Who can fill the gap in my life where I'm missing a girlfriend who's a top student?"

Another boy said jokingly.

"Fang Ran, you can't even get 500 points on a test, and you expect to have a girlfriend who's a top student?"

Ding Kai feigned anger and demanded an answer.

The whole room burst into laughter.

Actually, he was quite nervous beforehand.

If Cheng Shuangjiang's grades drop because of her relationship with Zhou Heming, will Cheng Lingjun tear her apart?

If Xu Youyou is dragged down by Qiao Jinchen, will he tear Qiao Jinchen apart?

Now things are better; at least Qiao Jinchen and he have both survived.

Moreover, when the results came out, Xu Youyou's score remained unchanged, Zhou Heming improved by more than 300 places, the class average score increased by 3 points despite the increased difficulty of the test, and three more students passed the first-tier university entrance exam.

Ding Kai was practically grinning from ear to ear.

"In addition, one student in our grade got a perfect score on an essay this time, and that is Zhou Heming."

While he praised Zhou Heming, he didn't suggest that Zhou read the essay aloud or borrow it for display. After all, firstly, this kind of essay is almost impossible to replicate, and secondly, it involves Zhou Heming's family situation.

Even if Zhou Heming wrote it himself, it doesn't mean Ding Kai can distribute it at will and condescendingly show it to other students.

The crowd started to jeer again.

"Teacher Ding, could you please take a look at this perfect score essay?"

"Yes, yes, let's learn from this. Teacher Ding used to read aloud perfect essays."

"Zhou Heming, let everyone see this."

The students in Class 7 naturally didn't know what Zhou Heming had written. They just thought it was an ordinary perfect essay and clamored for Ding Kai to find Zhou Heming to show it to them. After all, he used to read Zhou Heming's perfect essays aloud in class with great enthusiasm.

Ding Kai originally wanted everyone to quiet down before he started going over the test paper, but suddenly, Zhou Heming raised his hand.

“Teacher Ding, if they want to see it, just read my essay aloud.” Ding Kai was taken aback and looked at Zhou Heming. The boy’s expression was gentle, and he did not seem to be forced or trying to show off.

"Well, since Zhou Heming has agreed, let's read his essay aloud first."

A soft cheer came from the classroom.

Ding Kai had already walked to Zhou Heming's seat, taken his answer sheet, and read it aloud under the students' watchful eyes.

*
I Have Five Mothers

I have a secret: I have five mothers.

My first mother was very long-winded. Every time I went out, she would nag me to remember to bring things.

She liked to repeat these things to everyone around her, telling her grandparents to take care of their health, her maternal grandparents not to worry, and her dad to rest early, as if repeating these words would make her wishes come true.

My second mother was very gentle. Whenever I was sick, she would gently wipe my forehead with a towel and tell me that I would get better soon.

When I accidentally broke a glass, she came to my side immediately to check if I had been cut by the glass, and then carefully cleaned up the floor, leaving no glass shards behind.

She often tells me that if others treat me badly, it's not my fault, and I don't need to blame myself or try to please or change myself. Instead, I should insist on being an upright, gentle, and strong person.

The third mother was very strict, and she controlled everything in life: you had to hold your bowl while eating, greet people when you saw them, and sit at your desk with the light on while reading.

If a student does poorly on a test, they will be punished and scolded by their mother, and may even be kicked out of the house and made to stand as punishment.

During the days she lay in her hospital bed, she sternly ordered my father and me not to cry and to live well.

The fourth mother was very shrewd; she could accurately find the milk with the longest shelf life in the supermarket, select the sweetest watermelon, and calculate the most cost-effective way to buy things.

She collected the water dripping from the faucet so that I would finish every grain of rice in my bowl and never waste food.

When the doctor said that staying in the ICU could prolong the stay for a few more days, the shrewd mother shook her head and said, "Forget it, let's save the money for us."

The fifth mother was very optimistic. She was not a good cook, and every time she failed to cook, she would make the dishes look fancy and delicious to trick us into eating them.

She always actively encourages her friends, as if there are no worries to be had in front of her, and everything can be laughed off.

Even when she was sick, she would always cheerfully comfort us, telling my dad and me that she would get better in a while and could cook a New Year's Eve dinner when she came home for the holiday.

In the end, I didn't get to have the New Year's Eve dinner.

At the funeral, I listened to the short eulogy, held the heavy urn, walked through the long corridor, placed it in the shallow grave, and watched as all the mothers became small tombstones.

My mother's stir-fried bok choy with black bean dace was delicious. After she passed away, I tried to make it myself many times according to her recipe, but I don't know what I was missing, it just never tasted the same.

It wasn't until later, when I tasted that dish again, that I realized what was missing.

is love.

*
There was silence in the classroom.

Ding Kai innocently handed the answer sheet back to Zhou Heming, looking at the group of students who looked like they had eaten bitter melon, some even so sentimental that they had already shed tears.

You made me read it.

"Although this essay received a perfect score, I do not encourage everyone to learn from it. On the one hand, you may not be able to write one that fits the topic, and on the other hand, such an essay requires you to draw on your own experiences."

Clearing his throat, Ding Kai told the students to calm down and continue going over the test paper.

"We should try to write argumentative essays according to the format we have taught you in order to ensure that you get a passing grade."

Zhou Heming took the answer sheet.

"Are you OK?"

Beside her, Qiao Jinchen asked with a conflicted expression.

"It's alright, it's already written."

Zhou Heming chuckled softly.

This can also be considered part of courage training.

If he hadn't dissected himself, revealing his bloody heart, his dark emotions, and his cold, indifferent thoughts to everyone, how could he have become a screenwriter?
After all, Zhou Heming's greatest weapon is his despicable tactic of turning himself and everything around him into a script.

And now.

Ding Kai's voice came as he explained the exam paper.

Zhou Heming looked out the window. The ginkgo leaves were golden, and the autumn air was crisp and clear. He just wanted to get to the girl's side as soon as possible and share the good news brought by the autumn leaves with her.

　Thank you to the anonymous user for the 1000-coin donation!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)