Era: Rise from the Wilderness

"Teacher Wang is right."

The pregnant woman took over the conversation, trying to calm herself down, but her eyes remained sharp. "Since you say so, then I'll test you right here and now."

She picked up the English workbook on the table, which was worn and had slightly curled edges.

It was the kind of paper the school printed themselves, with rough paper and a strong smell of ink.

He flipped to a text he was currently explaining and pointed to a long passage of dense English text: "Read this text from beginning to end, and then translate it for me right now."

This is a very basic test, but the requirements are not low, involving vocabulary, grammar, and immediate comprehension.

Li Yunjing took the workbook, which smelled of ink and old paper, and quickly scanned the English text printed in lead type.

With almost no pause, fluent and standard English flowed clearly from his mouth.

It wasn't the kind of student-style reading with a heavy accent and stuttering, but rather a natural tone, with clear emphasis, and even a rhythmic quality that was rare in this era, almost like a radio broadcast.

The pregnant woman was stunned.

Having taught English, she naturally knows how to distinguish between good and bad.

This pronunciation... is even more standard than hers, the teacher's!

What surprised her even more was yet to come.

After reading the text, Li Yunjing did not hesitate at all and began to translate it sentence by sentence.

Not only is the meaning accurate and the word choice appropriate, but it also provides clear and in-depth explanations for the structural breakdown of some long and difficult sentences, as well as for several idioms and specific collocations that are not clearly explained in the textbook annotations.

He even casually commented, "This article has an interesting writing perspective, looking at our reforms from a foreigner's point of view, but some of the wording still carries inherent biases..."

This goes far beyond the scope of "translation" and is almost a text analysis.

The pregnant woman was not satisfied and continued to ask several grammatical questions that went beyond the high school syllabus and even involved subjunctive mood and absolute construction, which are only taught in college English.

Li Yunjing answered fluently, and the concepts and examples he cited in his explanations were somewhat unfamiliar and...shocking to the pregnant woman, a high school teacher with formal training in the field.

The office fell completely silent.

All that could be heard was the rustling of the wind through the poplar leaves outside the window, and the faint sound of broadcast gymnastics music coming from afar.

The other two teachers also put down their work and exchanged surprised glances.

The pregnant woman felt that her understanding had been greatly shaken.

In her mind, and even in the minds of many teachers, Li Yunjing was a "poor student" from the previous year who had failed the college entrance examination and was now repeating it. She was someone who was "retraining" and would be lucky if she could just study diligently and get into an ordinary junior college.

Who would have thought... this level of English is outstanding, not to mention high school, even in a university English major!

Could it be... that he has a severe imbalance in his academic performance?

A genius in English, but terrible in other subjects, resulting in an insufficient total score on the college entrance exam?

This idea quickly took root in her mind.

But then another, more practical thought popped into her head, and it made her heart race slightly: If... if there really was such a "prodigy" in the class, and even if other subjects were "too easy" as he said, what would that mean for her, who was teaching a graduating class?

This means that a top student may emerge, a student who could even get into a top university and bring honor to the class and school!

This is not just about honors, it's also about bonuses, promotions... especially since she's pregnant now and the family needs money right now.

Thinking of this, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions and maintain the dignity and composure of a teacher in her voice: "Your English... is indeed very good, beyond my expectations."

She paused, her gaze fixed intently on Li Yunjing. "What about the other subjects? Math, Chinese, physics, chemistry... you've all self-studied them? And they're all as... 'easy' as English?"

Li Yunjing almost laughed out loud when he saw her trying her best to hide her shock, but with a hint of eagerness in her eyes.

He was a shrewd person who had experienced many storms and understood people's hearts, so how could he not see through the homeroom teacher's little scheme?

The desire for good grades and "performance" is almost ingrained in the bones of every graduating class teacher.

"Don't worry, teacher."

Li Yunjing gave a perfectly timed smile, radiating youthful confidence. "Isn't there the first monthly exam at the end of the month?"

"I'll try my best to get first place in the whole school, to bring glory to our Class 3-1, and to make you proud."

These words, like a small pebble, were precisely thrown into the pregnant woman's heart, creating ripples that spread outwards.

Her heart warmed, and her voice softened unconsciously: "You...are you really sure?"

First in the whole school?

That would surpass all the top students in the "seed class"!

Even the mere possibility was enough to make her heart race.

"no problem."

Li Yunjing's tone remained calm and composed, yet it conveyed an undeniable certainty, as if he were speaking of something perfectly ordinary: "Teacher, you can just wait for the good news."

"good!"

The pregnant woman finally smiled. Although she was still somewhat skeptical, hope and expectation had taken over. "As long as you get first place in the monthly exam, proving your ability, I'll talk to the other teachers about the homework."

"Special needs students should be treated specially."

She specifically emphasized the words "special needs students".

"Thank you, teacher!"

Li Yunjing bowed slightly, his attitude respectful.

After leaving the office and closing the door behind him, shutting out the atmosphere inside that was a mixture of shock, scrutiny, and vague anticipation, Li Yunjing finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a slight dampness on his back.

When dealing with teachers, especially the homeroom teacher of a graduating class, it's important to know how to maintain a proper distance.

You can't be too timid, which makes you seem guilty; nor can you be too arrogant, which makes people dislike you.

I barely passed today's test, and unexpectedly, it also set a precedent for me to get first place in the monthly exam.

"These days, in school, good grades are definitely the most important thing; they're the biggest passport."

He muttered to himself, shook his head, but was in a rather pleasant mood.

With this "agreement," he could save a lot of time on homework for the next month.

As I relaxed, a string of light whistles unconsciously escaped my lips; it was the tune of the currently popular song "Loess Plateau".

The crisp whistle echoed in the empty, quiet corridor, carrying the unique resonance of the tiled walls.

The whistle immediately attracted unnecessary attention.

"stop!"

"Which class are you in?!"

A sharp, clearly reprimanding voice came from the direction of the stairwell behind me.

Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

How could I have forgotten about that!