Xia Xiaolan didn’t seek credit for her good deeds because she didn’t consider the money significant.
Although she wasn’t short of money, she wouldn’t let dozens of students gorge themselves on rich foods. The “exam student meals” emphasized balanced nutrition. Stomachs unaccustomed to rich foods would likely suffer from diarrhea if suddenly filled with heavy dishes. The most important thing was that the food should be clean, hygienic, and fresh. Xiaolan ate the same food as everyone else, with more vegetables and less staple foods like rice and noodles.
“Staple foods high in starch like rice and noodles can make you drowsy. Everyone still has afternoon exams, so eat more vegetables instead.”
This was Xiaolan’s advice from experience. Some were skeptical – after all, what harm could eating an extra free steamed bun do? But when reaching for the buns, they hesitated. Following Xiaolan’s suggestion might not be completely right, but it certainly wouldn’t be wrong.
Everyone knew Xiaolan had their best interests at heart – she even brought practice exam papers from the provincial city to share with them for free.
The mock exam lasted two days. With Xiaolan providing meals and Teacher Wang being diligent in his duties, every student maintained good habits. During the mock exams, not a single student fell ill. Regardless of their performance, at least their physical condition didn’t hold them back.
The mock exam followed the same subject arrangement as the college entrance exam, serving as a rehearsal. Chinese was the first subject, and English was the last.
The final subject was easiest for Xiaolan. After finishing the exam and leaving the classroom, the First High students crowded around her to check their answers. Everyone knew Xiaolan regularly scored perfect marks in English, so her answers were considered the standard.
“Xiaolan, I felt this English exam wasn’t too difficult!”
“I thought so too…”
“Is the answer to the first question B?”
It wasn’t that the questions had become easier – their English level had improved. Those with weaker foundations could make progress quite easily. While improving from 90 to 100 points was challenging, advancing from 30 to 50 points wasn’t particularly difficult.
Teacher Wang rushed over with a list, “Those whose names I call, get on the bus quickly! We need to take you all back after bringing you to Fengxian for the exam.”
“Teacher Wang, let me ask about two more questions.”
Teacher Wang slapped his shoulder, “The exam’s over. The mock exam results will come out quickly. Wait at school!”
Teacher Wang asked Xiaolan about her plans, as she wasn’t planning to return to Anqing County with the main group.
“I’ll go back with my relatives, don’t worry about me, Teacher Wang.”
Strangely, Sun Tian also wasn’t returning, saying she had business in Fengxian. Teacher Wang didn’t say much about it – Sun Tian had been sent by Principal Sun to look after Xiaolan, so it was normal for her to stay with Xiaolan.
“Xiao Sun, make sure you see Xiaolan onto her transport. As for the guesthouse…”
Sun Tian quickly responded, “I’ll handle checking out of the guesthouse.”
Teacher Wang had to manage dozens of students and many tasks, so it was best if Sun Tian could share some responsibilities.
After the bus left with the main group, Xiaolan turned to ask Sun Tian: “Teacher Sun, do you have something to tell me?”
Sun Tian had been holding back with difficulty, and Xiaolan had been pretending to go along with it, not asking questions these past two days. Li Dongliang thought it was time to tell Miss Xia about this matter. Since Sun Tian couldn’t explain clearly, Li Dongliang would do it:
“Please come with us back to the guesthouse to see something.”
Sun Tian was too anxious to notice that Li Dongliang was addressing Xiaolan respectfully.
Back at the guesthouse, in Li Dongliang and Ge Jian’s room, Xiaolan saw Zhao Gang tied to a chair. During the two days of mock exams, Zhao Gang had been confined for two days, only being released to use the bathroom. Li Dongliang and Ge Jian never loosened the ropes binding him. Regarding food and drink, they gave him just enough to keep him alive. Li Dongliang and Ge Jian had no intention of treating Zhao Gang well.
The Zhao Gang that Xiaolan saw was a weak captive who had endured two days of mistreatment.
“When did you catch him?”
Xiaolan didn’t even ask why they caught him – Zhao Gang shouldn’t have been in Fengxian City at all.
If Li Dongliang and Ge Jian had detained him, he must have been planning to harm her.
Li Dongliang recounted the events of two nights ago. During the two days they held Zhao Gang, Li Dongliang had learned many things. When Sun Tian refused Zhao Gang’s company to Fengxian, he didn’t stay at school but took leave and arrived in Fengxian early. Which guesthouse Teacher Wang had arranged for Xiaolan wasn’t a secret, so Zhao Gang booked a room in the same guesthouse. Before Xiaolan’s group arrived, he was already hiding in his room, waiting until nightfall to pick the lock with his tools.
What did he intend to do after breaking in?
At first, he was stubborn, claiming he was looking for Sun Tian.
Zhao Gang insisted Sun Tian was his girlfriend, arguing this was just a dispute between lovers, making it difficult to classify as a criminal offense.
However, after some rough treatment from Li Dongliang and Ge Jian, Zhao Gang’s resolve weakened, and he finally revealed his true purpose. Li Dongliang removed the smelly sock from his mouth and made him repeat it in front of Xiaolan.
Principal Sun had requested quiet and booked the most expensive suite at the guesthouse.
The room was so soundproof, and with only two occupied rooms on the entire floor, Zhao Gang’s cries for help were futile. Between the beatings and starvation, he had no strength left to call for help anyway.
“I’ll talk, I’ll tell everything… Someone slipped 500 yuan under my door, asking me to prevent Xia Xiaolan from taking the college entrance exam. If I succeeded, they promised even more money…”
Xiaolan almost laughed in anger.
Of all the ways to prevent someone from taking an exam, why choose to pick a lock at night?
She knew it – this Zhao had ulterior motives. Taking someone else’s money was true, but he also wanted to take advantage of the situation for his own evil purposes.
“Who gave you the money?”
Zhao Gang hemmed and hawed, saying the money came in an envelope slipped under his door, and he hadn’t seen who did it.
Still not telling the truth at this point – Xiaolan didn’t want to talk to this coward anymore. “Forget it, just send him to the police station and let them question him.”
“It was Xia Ziyu! She talked to me, asked if I liked you if I wanted to marry Sun Tian, and said she didn’t want me to take the college entrance exam. When I returned to my dormitory that night, I found the envelope… Please don’t send me to the police station, I know I was wrong.”
Xiaolan took a while to process Zhao Gang’s logic.
Essentially, this person coveted her beauty while also wanting the benefits of marrying Teacher Sun Tian, initially hoping to have both. Xia Ziyu asked Zhao Gang to prevent her from taking the college entrance exam, promising him a handsome reward if successful, which he could then use to marry Sun Tian.
Xiaolan couldn’t help but laugh in anger, while Sun Tian stood rooted to the spot, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
Thinking about her past entanglement with someone like Zhao Gang, Sun Tian couldn’t accept it at all. This man was too disgusting to be a teacher!
When Zhao Gang picked the lock, he had intended to do something despicable.
In his mind, once he succeeded, Xiaolan would likely keep quiet about it. Few women would report such incidents, instead carefully keeping them secret, afraid of others finding out. Even if Xiaolan completely refused, Zhao Gang had an explanation ready – he would claim he was looking for Sun Tian but went to the wrong room, and was then seduced by the female student… Whether he succeeded or not, Xiaolan wouldn’t be able to take the mock exam – what girl could remain completely unaffected and take an exam normally after such an incident?
The tactics were despicable, but they would have been effective!