Chapter 83 - Zhang Ye Writes an Elementary School Composition! (1/2)
Morning.
No.2 Experimental Primary School began cla.s.ses.
A familiar musical tone rang. A forty-something-year-old female teacher holding some lesson plans entered the cla.s.sroom, “Good morning, students.”
“Attention!” a cla.s.s representative shouted.
Everyone stood up at the same time, “Good morning, teacher!”
The language teacher smiled. “Students, please be seated.”
The other children were pretty well-behaved and listened to instructions accordingly, except for Chenchen. Her movements were slower by a beat, without any spirit and a look of disinterest. It was like she was not properly fed her meals. Zhang Ye had never seen Chenchen smile sincerely before, not even once. Her smile was always “Hur Hur”, like a cold sneer which always hung from her face.
Zhang Ye prodded her, “Pay attention.”
Little Chenchen just nodded in acknowledgment.
The female teacher hearing some commotion, immediately looked towards Chenchen and said with a sudden displeasure, “Keep quiet; it’s cla.s.s time now!” before putting on a smile again and saying to the parents, “Good morning, parents. Today is a public exhibition cla.s.s, so I would like to thank everyone for taking time off to attend. As for today’s lesson plan, I would like it to be more interactive. I will be giving a question for the students to write an essay piece of at least 200 words. Parents may supervise, advise or work on it together with your child. This is to let our parents understand our children’s world and improve our interactions with them. Alright, I will now begin the question.”
She turned around and wrote some words on the blackboard.
t.i.tle: Sing the praise of any type of plant.
Requirements: The theme is to be clearly written, with at least 200 words used.
The form teacher of the cla.s.s, Zhao Mei, was seated at the back of the cla.s.sroom, observing every student’s performance.
Clapping her hands, the language teacher announced to everyone, “Alright, students, You may start writing. If you are unsure of any words, you can ask your parent for help.”
“Dad, I want to write about roses!”
“Sure. That is good.”
“But I don’t know how to spell ‘rose’.”
“Here, let dad write it out for you.”
“Mummy, mummy, I want to sing a praise for the Cathaya plant. Ah, orchids are not bad, too; the orchids we have at home are very pretty. Didn’t you say that they were extremely famous and expensive?”
Everyone started moving their pens.
Only Chenchen kept still for a long time. She was biting on her pen without writing a single word. In the end, she turned her head and looked at Zhang Ye, “Zhang Ye.”
Zhang Ye asked, “What?”
Chenchen’s heart did not miss a beat as she pa.s.sed her pen to him, “Write it for me.”
Zhang Ye stared at her, “The teacher gave the a.s.signment to you; we adults at most can teach you to write some unknown words. You are really thick skinned. Hurry up and write it yourself.”
Chenchen lowered her voice, “I don’t know how to.”
Zhang Ye tried encouraging her, “What’s there to not know how? Think about which plant is good and which one you like, then write what is good about it and how it is pretty. That is all. Aren’t you very good at talking? Your vocabulary should be much greater than others of your age. You can definitely do it.” This little kid had someone like Zhang Ye, someone who was good at speaking and who had worked as a radio host, at his wits end. Zhang Ye knew that Chenchen was especially clever.
But Chenchen just could not write. She laid there for half a day without writing anything. It was obvious that Chenchen was getting frustrated.
Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps coming from outside.
The school Leader had arrived, along with several people who looked like they were from the Beijing Education Bureau’s chiefs. There were about 20 of them in a row, men and women, young and old.
The language teacher quickly greeted, “Director Liu. Princ.i.p.al Li.”
No.2 Experimental Primary School’s Princ.i.p.al Li lowered his hands, “Carry on. You don’t have to bother about us.”
The form teacher, Zhao Mei, also stood up to welcome them and showed them the pre-arranged seats at the back of the cla.s.s, “Please take a seat, everyone. The children are all writing an essay for their language cla.s.s.”
Director Liu from the Education Bureau said pleasantly, “That’s great. We have to hear some of the children’s essays.”
Zhang Ye swept his vision to the back and understood that they had likely arranged an exhibition cla.s.s because of the Leaders visitation. Eh, this was so troublesome. Formalism was really a pain in the a.s.s.
Soon after, the language teacher looked at her watch, “Okay, time’s almost up. Whoever has finished writing, please put up your hands. I will read, hur hur. As this is an experimental cla.s.s, the first placed for today’s essay writing will be broadcast during the school’s broadcast period. This is a rare opportunity.”
When they heard, the children became all eager and excited!
“I’ve finished writing!”
“I’ve finished writing, too!”
“Read mine first! Read mine first!”
Everyone was very enthusiastic; the children all had the urge to show what they could do.
Princ.i.p.al Li was very glad. He told the Leader, “Director Liu, this is our school’s best experimental cla.s.s of grade 2. The children are all very motivated.”
“I saw it.” Director Liu praised “Very good.”
Only Rao Chenchen lowered her head and did not make a sound. Her essay book was still blank. When Chenchen looked around and saw her cla.s.smates all raising their hands, she slowly pursed up her mouth.
Zhang Ye could not bear the sight of this. He bit his teeth and did not care anymore, if I have to write, so be it. This child cannot afford to lose her confidence in front of her cla.s.smates. Moreover, the language teacher had been angered by Chenchen before. If she were to rub it in, Chenchen will further be ostracized. This was something that Zhang Ye did not want to see happen. The landlady auntie had always helped him when he was at his lowest. Big Sister Rao had entrusted the child to his care, so Zhang Ye definitely would not let the child suffer while under his care.
“Chenchen.” Zhang Ye whispered, “I will read, you write.”
Chenchen pursed her mouth and nodded. For once, she did not reb.u.t.t Zhang Ye’s words.
But what should they write? Praise which kind of plant? Zhang Ye’s head was blank, too. But all of a sudden, he had an idea. Yes, that’s the one!
Chenchen urged him on, “Zhang Ye.”
“Alright, don’t rush me. I have something.” Zhang Ye said, “The subject — ‘Tribute to the White Poplar’. The white poplar is no ordinary tree. Let me sing its praises.”
Chenchen’s writing was extremely fast. With a few strokes of the pen, she was caught up.
Zhang Ye continued on, “When you travel by car through Northwest China’s boundless plateau, all that you see before you is something like a huge yellow-and-green felt blanket. Yellow is the soil — the uncultivated virgin soil. It is the outer covering of the Loess Plateau, acc.u.mulated by Mother Nature several hundred thousand years ago. Green are the wheat fields signifying man’s triumph over nature. They become a sea of rolling green waves whenever there is a soft breeze. Here, one is reminded of the Chinese expression ‘??’, meaning ‘rippling wheat’ and cannot help admiring our forefathers’ ingenuity in coining such a happy phrase.”
Chenchen did not know some of the words, as she had not learned them. Zhang Ye guided her with instructions on how to write them.