Chapter 758: Teacher Zhou’s Class
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Li noticed someone eyeing his large lunchbox with a hungry gaze. He instinctively shielded it with his hand. It was ridiculous, he thought, he had tucked it away in his drawer, yet it was still spotted.
Sharing was a virtue, he knew, but it had been days since he had savored his mother’s homemade snacks. He had planned to take it to the cafeteria later, to enjoy it leisurely after getting his meal. But now, it seemed, his lunchbox had become a target.
Observing Su Li’s protective stance, his classmate softened his gaze and rephrased his intentions, “That’s not what I meant. I was suggesting we all eat together, make it a lively affair. Look at you, guarding your food like that. I’ve been to Golden Sun with my parents, you know. Your mom’s cooking is good, but can it really beat the chefs at Golden Sun? I find that hard to believe.”
Su Li relaxed his grip on hearing this, but something didn’t sit right with him. He retorted, “What’s so good about the food at Golden Sun? My mom’s cooking is the best in the world, no chef can compare. Since we’re on the topic, I might as well tell you. I asked my mom, and she said she’s planning a food party at home this Saturday. If you want to come, go ask your parents.
“Anyone can come, as long as you have your parents’ permission, okay? Alright, enough of this. We’re supposed to be discussing our assignment. We can talk about the rest later, after class…”
The news excited the class. The prospect of good food was always enticing.
More importantly, they were curious about how beautiful Su Li’s mother was. Among their classmates, it was common for parents to host parties at home for birthdays or holidays, inviting classmates and teachers to celebrate. It was a normal occurrence for them.
Their parents would generally agree and would even drop their children off at the event. If they were busy, they would arrange for a driver. Many students, eager to express their intention to attend, approached Su Li. But he was already engrossed in his studies, and they hesitated to interrupt.
As the class proceeded, the students found it hard to concentrate, all eagerly awaiting the end of the lesson.
Coincidentally, this particular lesson was a mathematics class taught by Teacher Zhou, who had just returned to work.
As soon as she entered the classroom, she felt the learning atmosphere was far from satisfactory. Coupled with her pent-up frustrations from the past few days, she was instantly infuriated. She slammed her teaching ruler three times on the lectern, venting her anger and drawing the students’ attention.
“Quiet down, quiet down! Look at how unruly the class is!” she scolded. “There are only twenty of you in this class, and I can tell at a glance who isn’t paying attention. Fatty, stand up! What are you looking at over there? You’re both fat and stupid, soooo annoying. Go stand at the back of the class. Gu Jun, Liu Shi, Zhang Liang, you three troublemakers, go stand at the back as well!”
The students, each feeling as if they were facing a formidable enemy, straightened their backs and reluctantly turned their attention to Teacher Zhou. The fact that she had returned to work so quickly was not good news.
Among all the mathematics teachers in the school, her teaching skills were mediocre at best, and she had a habit of berating students. Because Xiao Pang struggled with mathematics, she often insulted him, calling him a fat pig and an idiot, much to the disapproval of many classmates.
Yet, before each lesson, she would deliver a sermon to intimidate and threaten the students, forcing them to at least pretend to pay attention. As a result, whenever middle-level leaders came to inspect the classes, her lessons always received an A rating. The inspection scores were an important standard for assessing teachers, so the school leaders believed that Teacher Zhou was good at teaching children.
In such a prestigious school, there was indeed this hidden problem. The teachers who were able to teach here were generally elite, but if one or two less-than-elite teachers managed to slip in, as long as they put on a good show, it wasn’t easy to tell whether they were truly good at teaching.
This was because even if the school wasn’t performing well, the students’ circumstances did not allow them to fall behind in their studies.
Little did the leaders know that the mathematics class taught by Teacher Zhou was all about putting on a show. The students’ understanding of mathematics was largely due to after-school tutoring, not because of her good teaching.
Teacher Zhou had previously claimed that Su Li’s presence would affect everyone’s learning, but now it seemed that Su Li’s arrival was the perfect opportunity to rectify her classroom.
Everyone had previously respected her as a teacher and had not caused any trouble. However, her targeted attacks on Su Li and her treatment of Xiao Pang were devoid of any professional ethics. Therefore, it was no surprise that the students no longer respected her.
The first to stand up in defiance was Gao Ming.