Era: Rise from the Wilderness

"Oh, it's nothing."

Li Yunjing lowered his voice and casually made up an excuse, "I had someone study all the senior year courses in advance during the summer vacation, and I can recite this Chinese text by heart."

"I've forgotten a bit of math, let me take a look."

Li Xue's eyes widened slightly in surprise, her long eyelashes fluttering as if she had heard something unbelievable: "You... finished all the senior year courses before repeating a year?"

She knew that Li Yunjing's college entrance examination results last year were not ideal.

Looking at her adorable "Are you kidding me?" expression, Li Yunjing chuckled inwardly.

If I told her that I had not only finished my studies, but had even completed university, I wonder if this conscientious and responsible young girl would think I was delirious from a fever.

"I just want to get a head start and prepare in advance."

He brushed it off lightly, looked away, and continued flipping through his math book.

Li Xue glanced at his profile with some skepticism, but seeing his focused expression, she pursed her lips, said nothing more, turned back, and continued to listen attentively.

The day went by quickly.

Li Yunjing made full use of class time to quickly review all the textbooks from beginning to end.

To his surprise, after his rebirth, he not only seemed to have inexhaustible energy, but his memory had also reached an astonishing level.

Those English words, classical poems, and political points that once required repeated memorization and recitation are now almost photographically memorized and clearly imprinted in my mind at a glance.

"Photographic memory?"

"Is this a hidden perk that comes with being reborn?"

When the school bell rang in the afternoon, he closed his last political textbook, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

This is practically a cheating tool!

This means he can finish his schoolwork in the least amount of time, freeing up more energy to do what's truly important.

The following week, Li Yunjing had a fairly regular and comfortable time.

Arrive at school on time every day, efficiently complete your "review + preview" plan in class, and occasionally deal with the trivial duties of the "sports committee member".

After school, he would usually go to the convenience store first to check on the business, help his mother out, or observe the simple stove and the small blue liquefied gas tank that his father had built.

They are already in use, and the family can have a hot meal at noon.

Back home in the evening, under the dim light of a desk lamp, he would continuously refine the business blueprint for the future in his notebook.

However, this deliberately maintained low profile and comfort were shattered on Friday afternoon.

Halfway through the last self-study period, the Chinese language class representative, wearing two armbands, poked her head in through the classroom door and called out, "Li Yunjing, the teacher wants to see you in the office!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet study room.

Many students looked up, their gazes varying as they looked at him.

Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm. He put down his pen, and under the inquisitive gazes of his classmates, he got up and left the classroom.

The office is at the end of the corridor.

The afternoon sun slanted in, gilding the corridor with a golden edge, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of chalk dust and old wooden furniture.

Li Yunjing walked to the door with the sign "Senior High School Teachers' Office" and knocked on it.

"Come in."

From inside came the pregnant woman's distinctive, slightly hoarse voice.

Pushing open the door, you'll find a large office with seven or eight old but very clean wooden desks.

Most of the other teachers were not present; only the pregnant woman sat behind a table by the window.

A pot of lush green cactus sits on the windowsill.

Several notebooks were spread out in front of her, and she held a red fountain pen in her hand.

Seeing Li Yunjing enter, she put down her pen, pushed up her black-rimmed glasses, her expression as serious as ever, and looked at him through the lenses.

"Do you know why I called you here?"

The pregnant woman's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet office, carrying a scrutinizing tone characteristic of a teacher.

Li Yunjing knew perfectly well that it must be about the homework.

He didn't touch a pen at all that week.

"I don't know, teacher."

But on his face, he subtly revealed a youthful bewilderment and innocence, his eyes widening slightly: "Was it...something I did wrong?"

"All the teachers who taught the course told me this."

The pregnant woman tapped the top notebook with her finger, making a soft "tap-tap" sound. "You've never handed in your homework. Not even once. Can you explain that?"

"Oh, is that so?"

Li Yunjing seemed to suddenly realize something, and even breathed a sigh of relief, with a "Oh, that's it" expression on his face. "I really didn't do my homework."

His answer was so frank that it made the pregnant woman pause in her prepared follow-up questions.

"Because I feel it's unnecessary."

Li Yunjing then added calmly, as if stating a very simple fact.

"Unnecessary?!"

The pregnant woman's voice unconsciously rose in pitch, with an upward inflection at the end, filled with disbelief.

The other two teachers in the office who were grading assignments also looked up and glanced over.

"Yes, teacher."

Li Yunjing nodded, his eyes clear. "I have already mastered those key knowledge points and example solutions."

"Repetitive copying and practice are just a waste of time for me."

"I believe that learning should focus on efficiency and genuine understanding, rather than simply completing assignments."

The pregnant woman was almost laughing in exasperation.

This boy, who wasn't particularly active in class but seemed quite energetic and had just been appointed as the sports committee member, turned out to be so... arrogant at heart.

Having taught for many years, she has seen all kinds of students, and there are plenty of excuses for not doing homework, but this is the first time she has ever seen one so confident and even escalating the issue to the level of "learning efficiency".

"You're saying you know it all?"

The pregnant woman put down her red fountain pen, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Li Yunjing through her glasses. Her voice became sharp and accusatory.

"certainly."

Li Yunjing nodded again, his expression so serious that there was no hint of joking. "During the summer vacation, I have systematically reviewed and organized all the main courses from my three years of high school."

"The content in the textbooks now, for me..."

He paused, searching for a suitable word, "Too simple."

A brief silence fell over the office.

Only the faint sound of the whistle for physical education class could be heard from the distant playground outside the window.

Sitting diagonally opposite the pregnant woman, Wang Ming, a middle-aged male teacher in his forties with thinning hair, who was grading papers, couldn't help but put down his dip pen, push up his glasses, and said, "Li Yunjing, you must be down-to-earth in your studies and take it one step at a time."

"The knowledge in the senior year of high school is in-depth, so you can't aim too high."

"Your college entrance exam results weren't great last year; you didn't even receive an acceptance letter!"

His tone carried the air of an elder offering advice, but also a hint of disapproval.