Mountain boy picks stars

1

Zhou Sixuan arrived at Principal Zheng's office, feeling deeply aggrieved.

Still crying and complaining, she said, "Principal Zheng, the students in Class 5-3 are really too bad. I really can't teach them anymore."

Principal Zheng patiently comforted her, saying, "Sixuan, we teachers should always remember: there are no bad students, only bad teachers."

Zhou Sixuan: "But they shouldn't upset the teacher like that!"

Principal Zheng: "They are still children after all. As teachers, we must be patient and good at guiding them according to their age characteristics."

Zhou Sixuan wiped away her tears and nodded.

Principal Zheng: "Psychologically speaking, the upper grades of elementary school are a dangerous period of 'stormy' personality development; a slight misstep could lead to problems!"

Zhou Sixuan: "Yeah, I just realized that being a primary school teacher is not easy, and being a homeroom teacher is even harder."

Principal Zheng handed Zhou Sixuan several books, including "Childhood Psychology" and "How to Be an Excellent Class Teacher".

"Sixuan, go back and read these books carefully. They will be very helpful for you to be a good homeroom teacher."

Zhou Sixuan accepted the book. "Thank you, Principal Zheng. I will definitely study hard when I get back."

2

At this moment, in a secluded corner of the woods on campus.

Shi Xuankai, holding a long-handled broom, and Cheng Hongdou, holding a short-handled broom, cornered Huang Xiaoxing, a mountain boy who was trembling with fear.

Shi Xuankai: "Huang Xiaoxing, you traitor, tell me, why did you betray us to the teacher? Take this 'Crescent Moon Blade' first!"

As he spoke, he hit Huang Xiaoxing with a broom.

Cheng Hongdou: "My 'Little Li Flying Dagger' is specially designed to punish the scoundrels of the martial arts world. Take this first!"

After saying this, Shi Xuankai used the short-handled broom as his weapon, "Little Li's Flying Dagger."

It hit Huang Xiaoxing on the head.

Huang Xiaoxing staggered back a few steps and fell to the ground.

Cheng Hongdou stepped forward and stomped on Huang Xiaoxing, humiliating him, "Your dad's just a construction worker carrying bricks, and you dare betray us?"

Huang Xiaoxing struggled to her feet, her face flushed as she vehemently argued:

"So what if my dad's a construction worker? He's not stealing or robbing, there's nothing shameful about it!"

Cheng Hongdou stepped forward and nudged Huang Xiaoxing again: "Hehe—you're being stubborn, aren't you?"

Shi Xuankai also stepped forward and spat at Huang Xiaoxing, mocking, "Well, carrying bricks is so great! Your dad's the King of Bricks, and you're just a brick-carrying brat. Prince of Bricks, what more do you want?"

Cheng Hongdou then pushed Huang Xiaoxing to the ground and continued to humiliate him:

"Hmph, those old farmers, tanned dark by the sun, pollute the streets and lower the city's image. And you expect us to call them 'Uncle Farmer,' do we even deserve that?"

Huang Xiaoxing, who had fallen to the ground, was enraged.

Just then, his hand touched the half-brick lying on the ground.

He casually picked up the half-brick.

He struggled to his feet again, gripped the broken brick tightly, raised it high, and roared, "You won't be allowed to humiliate my father! You won't be allowed to humiliate farmers!"

Seeing Huang Xiaoxing's flushed face and the half-brick in his hand, Cheng Hongdou said to Shi Xuankai:

"Run! The Brick Prince has gone mad!"

The two quickly ran away.

Huang Xiaoxing angrily shouted at their retreating backs, "Without farmers tilling the land, you city folks will starve! Without migrant workers carrying bricks to build houses, you city folks will all be sleeping on the streets!"

Then, he smashed the half-brick hard on the ground.

3

Another class has begun.

Zhou Sixuan stood on the podium, her eyes piercing.

He swept his gaze across the entire class with an air of authority.

The entire class actually stopped talking.

The class fell silent immediately.

Zhou Sixuan said calmly, "Classmates, I didn't teach well last time. It's all my fault for having a bad attitude, and I sincerely apologize to you now—"

As he spoke, he bowed to his classmates.

The students became even quieter.

Zhou Sixuan: "I want to sincerely make friends with my classmates and be your confidant."

The whole class burst into enthusiastic applause.

Zhou Sixuan: "I know that many of you in our class like to follow celebrities. Which celebrities do you follow? Can everyone introduce themselves?"

None of the students in the audience dared to be the first to speak.

Zhou Sixuan: "Come on, let's see who has the courage to stand up and introduce themselves first!"

The students in the class looked at each other for a while.

They still couldn't figure out the homeroom teacher's temperament.

Finally, the first person to stand up and introduce herself was a very stylishly dressed girl.

"My name is Yuan Liuxing. My favorite character is H4 from the TV series 'Tomb Raider' adapted from a novel. Every single one of them, every face, every move they make is so cool, wow..."

Before Yuan Liuxing could finish speaking, several mischievous boys started making a fuss:

"Teacher Zhou, Yuan Liuxing is our class monitor, and she's been in love with H4 for a long time! One day she even cried because she missed H4..."

A burst of laughter filled the classroom.

The next students stood up one by one to introduce themselves.

Lu Jiahan: "Teacher Zhou, my name is Lu Jiahan. My favorite character in the TV series 'The Imperial Concubine,' adapted from a novel, is the little concubine who can sing and is the emperor's favorite. I love singing and even participated in the 'Super Girl' competition. I want to be a singer when I grow up..."

Many classmates cast envious glances at him.

Mao Zhiling: "Teacher Zhou, my name is Mao Zhiling. My favorite actress is Huang Zhiling, who played the role in the TV series 'The Journey of Flower,' adapted from a novel. But they always say that my mom sells tofu and doesn't deserve to like Sister Zhiling. They insist on calling me 'Tofu Princess,' which really makes me angry..."

Another burst of laughter filled the classroom.

Shih Xuan-kai: "Teacher Zhou, my name is Shih Xuan-kai. I share the same name as one of Hong Kong's Five Heavenly Kings, but we have different surnames. I also want to learn to sing like the Five Heavenly Kings, but I always sing off-key."

The students in the classroom burst into laughter.

Zhou Sixuan gestured for everyone to quiet down.

Shi Xuankai then proudly said, "My favorite character is Xuanluo Xia from 'Xuanluo Fights the Heavens,' wielding a crescent moon blade and roaming the world, killing anyone who gets in his way, even gods. He's invincible in the universe and the martial world—so dashing! Xuanluo Xia is my true idol!"

Many male classmates secretly gave Shi Xuankai a thumbs up.

Cheng Hongdou stood up excitedly and said, "I love martial arts, and my favorite character is Little Li Flying Dagger from 'The Immortal Emperor.' A single flying dagger, aimed and flying. Long hair, long robes, a kingly demeanor. In the world of immortals and heroes, kings and princes alike kneel in worship. I want to be a martial arts star someday."

Zhou Sixuan: "Where are the students below?"

A pretty, slightly shy little girl stood up and introduced herself, saying, "I... my name is Gao Yuke..."

Before Gao Yuke could finish speaking, Shi Xuankai stood up and interrupted:

"Gao Yuke's favorite singer is Hong Kong singer Gao Shuaiguo. Her diary is full of Gao Shuaiguo's name, and she even calls him 'brother'!"

The students burst into laughter again.

Shy Gao Yuke burst into tears, "Shi Xuankai, you're so mean! Why did you peek at my diary?"

Finally, Huang Xiaoxing raised his hand and stood up:

"Teacher Zhou, my surname is Huang, and my name is Huang Xiaoxing. I really like Huang Yitong, the little phoenix in the TV series 'Magical Palace Intrigue,' and I want to change the character 'Xing' in my name to the 'Tong' in Huang Yitong's name, but..."

Zhou Sixuan laughed: "But what's wrong now?"

Huang Xiaoxing scratched her ear and tilted her head: "But—, my dad doesn't agree."

Zhou Sixuan: "Why don't you agree?"

Huang Xiaoxing chuckled, then said sheepishly, "My dad said it was a girl's name, and he even slapped my bottom..."

As soon as Huang Xiaoxing finished speaking, the whole class burst into laughter.

Faced with the laughter of his classmates, Huang Xiaoxing stood up again after sitting down.

Huang Xiaoxing mustered her courage and continued, "Teacher Zhou, actually, Little Phoenix isn't the star I really want to idolize!"

Teacher Zhou Sixuan smiled: "Oh, Huang Xiaoxing, which star do you really want to idolize?"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Teacher Zhou, can I... tell the truth?"

Teacher Zhou Sixuan: "Of course we should tell the truth!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Then I'll say it: the star I truly want to chase is the star in the sky. My childhood dream was to grow up and fly to the sky to pick the stars!"

Teacher Zhou Sixuan was quite surprised: "Oh?"

The other students in the class burst into laughter again, uttering disdainful remarks.

Shi Xuankai: "Teacher Zhou, don't listen to Huang Xiaoxing's nonsense. He comes from the mountains and doesn't understand what it means to be a fan. He's a complete 'star-struck idiot'."

Cheng Hongdou: "That's right, I've found out everything. Huang Xiaoxing's nickname is Shanwa. He's just a clueless 'mountain idiot' from the mountains."

"Yes, from now on we'll call him Shanwa. We won't call him Huang Xiaoxing."

"His dad was a bricklayer, so we called him the 'Brick Prince,' which is quite fitting."

…………

Huang Xiaoxing was stung by the words of his city classmates, his face turning red with embarrassment. He lowered his head anxiously, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground and never come out again.

Teacher Zhou Sixuan quickly waved her hand: "Classmates, please stop saying that. We are all classmates. Since we are in the same class, regardless of whether you come from a wealthy or powerful family or a rural farming family, in our class, everyone should be equal in status and identity. Don't you all agree?"

Most of the students in the class then calmed down and said, "Yes!"

Teacher Zhou Sixuan: "Let's listen to Huang Xiaoxing's dream of 'reaching for the stars,' what do you all say?"

Most students: "Okay!"

Teacher Zhou Sixuan: "Huang Xiaoxing, can you tell me about your childhood dream of flying to the sky and picking stars?"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Yes, thank you, Teacher Zhou. My home is in a small mountain village on the banks of the Yellow River. When I was little, my mother told me that there is a star in the sky and a person on the ground. Every star in the sky corresponds to a person on the ground, and they will never fall down. Only when a person on the ground dies will the corresponding star in the sky disappear. Because my mother went out to work and got lost, and never came back, I thought that when I grew up, I could be like Chang'e in the story of Chang'e flying to the moon that my mother told me when I was little, and I could fly to the moon. Then I would climb up to the crescent moon by stepping on the bottom of the moon boat, and I could easily pluck the 'Mother Star' that corresponds to my mother in the sky. I would take it home and hang it on the towering tree in our yard so that it would shine every night, and my mother would never die. Then I could find my mother..."

After Huang Xiaoxing finished speaking, the classroom fell silent.