Chapter 83 - Zhang Ye Writes an Elementary School Composition! (2/2)

Over there, the language teacher had already picked up Dede’s essay, “Dede raised his hands up first, so I will read his essay first. “Violet”. “I like the violet. Once, dad and mum brought me on a trip to Europe. I first saw them in a courtyard. They were so beautiful…..” after reciting, the language teacher praised, “Well-written. I could see Dede’s heart in this; the words were also quite good.”

Dede was spoilt by the praise.

Dede’s dad and mom also smiled. They felt proud of their son.

“There. Tongtong raised her hand. Let me take a look at Tongtong’s essay.” The language teacher picked up the little girl’s essay, “Praising the Cedar”. “The Cedar is one of the most treasured trees in the world. Because of overharvesting, many of the ancient cedars no longer exist…” she finished reading. The language teacher’s eyes lit up, “Tongtong’s essay is even better. Compared to Dede’s essay, there is more depth and the concept of environmental conservation. It’s really quite good; please continue to work hard.”

“Thank you, teacher.” Tongtong grinned. She looked over at Chenchen’s table and gave her a look of arrogance, like she was showing off. It can be seen that her relations.h.i.+p with Chenchen wasn’t too good.

1 essay…..

3 essays…..

5 essays…..

Every student’s essay had been read out.

At last, the language teacher asked, “Who else has finished, but not let me read it?”

Tongtong suddenly said loudly, “Rao Chenchen’s essay has not been read yet.” She pointed towards her.

Tongtong’s dad who was by her side, looked over at Rao Chenchen and Zhang Ye. His glance was a bit cold and he said cynically, “That’s right; I also want to hear Student Chenchen’s writing.” Last school semester, Chenchen had made his Tongtong cry a few times, so Tongtong’s father was obviously not very pleased with them. He had purposely found fault with them, “Chenchen’s guardian, are you already done? Then recite it for teacher. Chenchen’s educational performance can be said to be ‘outstanding’, so her composition must be very well-written!”

Everyone in cla.s.s knew that Chenchen’s educational performance was bad; in fact, she was one of the last few in the cla.s.s!

Many of the children who did not play with Chenchen were now gloating and booing at her.

“Read it, Chenchen!”

“I also want to hear Chenchen’s essay!”

The language teacher had not wanted to read Chenchen’s essay. It was not like she didn’t know about Chenchen’s language standard. She was the cla.s.s’ worst student, and was likely to be kicked out of the experimental cla.s.s next year. Today, it was a public cla.s.s, so with so many teachers and school Leaders, and even Leaders from the Education Bureau present, she naturally wanted to choose the best works to be recited. By doing so, she could highlight her teaching abilities. Hence, she said, “Chenchen might not have finished writing.”

Tongtong’s father sneered, “I saw her stop writing a while ago!”

Teacher-in-charge, Zhao Mei, who was in the back of the cla.s.s, was a bit mad. What sort of parent was this!? Why did you have to treat another person’s child like this? Was there a need to mock others? Yes, Chenchen might have a sharp mouth, and had made your child cry, but don’t you know that you should not take offense at a child’s babble? Furthermore, that was also the child’s own matter. Why must you, as an adult, step in and help your child bully another? What sort of words were those!? Ever since she knew of Rao Chenchen’s family background and history, Zhao Mei’s att.i.tude towards Chenchen completely changed. She also became very tolerant.

Zhang Ye was also mad. He stared at Tongtong’s father. Grandson, what sort of words are you saying!? Are you finding fault with me? Fine!

“Chenchen, you?” The language teacher queried, and also signaled to Chenchen with her eyes, indicating that it was fine if she just said that she was not done writing.

But before Chenchen sounded out, Zhang Ye spoke up, “My child is done writing! Since everyone wants to listen to it, then read it!”

The language teacher was stunned. Holy sh*t, are you really reciting it?

Tongtong’s father laughed, “Teacher, we are all waiting.”

The Leaders from the Education Bureau and school could not bear watching this any further. They felt that some parents parents was lacking in bearing, so they did not plan to carry on listening. They got up and were about to inspect other cla.s.ses.

At this moment, the language teacher had already taken the composition from Chenchen’s hands. The moment she looked at it, she was at first stunned. There was nothing else. There were too many words in this composition, and it had far exceeded 200 words. She wrote so many words? You can write so many words just to compliment a plant? She then read with a skeptical tone, “t.i.tle: ‘Tribute to the White Poplar’. The white poplar is no ordinary tree. Let me sing its praises!”

When the first sentence came out, everyone was amused.

Singing the praises for the white poplar? And it was no ordinary tree? You must be kidding! There were d.a.m.n white poplar trees everywhere on the streets, and most of them were in the rural areas. What was the meaning of praising this plant? Look at what the other cla.s.smates were writing. They wrote about orchids, cedar or lavender. Even the worst of the worst was praising roses!

What about you?

Praising the white poplar?

Man, why didn’t you praise the oil waste in the sewers!

Quite a number of children mocked, and a few adults, like Tongtong’s father, laughed together with the children. They looked disdainful! A rotten child was a rotten child! They could not do anything! What sort of c.r.a.ppy composition was this!? Aren’t you even ashamed to use it to compare with my child’s composition?

The language teacher also felt there was a problem with the composition. The t.i.tle itself wasn’t well chosen, but there was no other way. With a few parents purposely forcing the situation, she had to carry on reading, but the more she read, the more astonished she became. Her expression became more and more surprised!

This…

This was prose?

Only then did she realize that the composition was not as simple as she thought. The words may have been simple and uncomplicated, but there was something amiss in it!

“With straight trunks and branches, white poplars aim high.”

“White poplars are no ordinary trees. But these common trees in Northwest China are as much ignored as our peasants in the North. However, like our peasants in the North, they are bursting with vitality and capable of surviving any hards.h.i.+p or oppression. I pay tribute to them because they symbolize our peasants in the North and, in particular, the spirit of honesty, tenacity and forging ahead — a spirit central to our struggle for national liberation.”

“The reactionary diehards, who spite and snub the common people, can do whatever they like to eulogize the elite nanmu (which is also tall, straight and good-looking) and look down upon the common, fast-growing white poplar. I, — for my part, will be loud in my praise of the latter!”

The language teacher closed Chenchen’s composition book and said in a daze, “End.”

She had finished reciting the composition!

Everyone at this moment was silent!

Tongtong’s father was dumbfounded!

The other parents were in a daze!

The Education Bureau and school leaders who had just walked out the cla.s.sroom also stood in their original spots for no reason. Then.. one by one, they quickly returned. They looked in shock at the cla.s.sroom, as if they had seen a ghost!

Zhang Ye began to be the braggart he was and scoffed at the parents who questioned Chenchen and him. You really despised me as a dog!?

Show off! Show off some more to me!

Competing with me at compositions? All of you are sure funny!

Zhang Ye was not surprised at the astonishment of everyone. Was I joking with you? This was the ‘Tribute to the White Poplar’. If he did not remember wrongly, this was a famous essay in his world’s second grade textbooks. And its author was even more famous: Mao Dun!

Zhang Ye would spit at anyone who could find fault with this essay. ‘Tribute to the White Poplar’ did not have flowery language, and also did not have complicated vocabulary, but it was because of this that the value of this essay was highlighted. Only then could it highlight the ideological, educational and literary value of the essay!

An essay that praised items?

‘Tribute to the White Poplar’ was the most inconspicuous one! But it was also the most famous one!

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