Chapter 308: Reading in Public

Chapter 308: Reading in Public
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Xia Wan continued, “But I don’t think selling clothes is tarnishing the class atmosphere. My father got injured during the break and had surgery in the hospital, costing 3,000 yuan. If I hadn’t sold clothes, our family couldn’t have afforded the medical expenses at all. Moreover, I didn’t neglect my studies while working.”
Song Zhi immediately retorted, “You claim you didn’t neglect your studies?
Then prove it. Recite the Preface to King Teng Pavilion for us.”
However, Xia Wan ignored her and simply looked at Jiang Rong.
Her words were directed at Jiang Rong, not Song Zhi.
If Song Zhi wanted her to recite, she would. She wasn’t concerned about her image.
Jiang Rong also felt torn.
If Xia Wan’s circumstances were as she described, working out of financial necessity, it showcased a commendable spirit.
Yet, the most critical matter was focusing on studies. She couldn’t openly encourage everyone to work.
Jiang Rong nodded, “Then go ahead and recite the Preface to King Teng Pavilion.”
This was one of the assignments Jiang Rong had given before the break—reciting the Preface to King Teng Pavilion fluently. But Jiang Rong didn’t hold high expectations for this task.
The text was eloquent but also challenging to memorize, requiring many words to be looked up in the dictionary for proper pronunciation.
Song Zhi suggesting Xia Wan to recite the Preface to King Teng Pavilion indicated an awareness of its complexity, perhaps thinking that Xia Wan wouldn’t be able to accomplish it herself.
Xia Wan asked Jiang Rong, “Teacher, if I can fluently recite the Preface to King Teng Pavilion, does that prove I haven’t neglected my studies?”
Jiang Rong agreed with a nod.
“Very well, I’ll do it.” Xia Wan didn’t delay, confidently reciting the entire Preface to King Teng Pavilion without a pause, not stumbling over a single word.
Jiang Rong’s delight grew as she witnessed Xia Wan recite the passage word for word.
“Excellent, well done. I’m pleased. It’s evident that Xia Wan has worked diligently over the break. I hope everyone can learn from her.” Jiang Rong expressed her joy, praising Xia Wan with a stream of compliments.
Song Zhi was dumbfounded, staring at Xia Wan in disbelief.
How was this possible? Xia Wan, who typically struggled to memorize even a simple ancient poem, was now reciting such a complex article with such ease? Unwilling to yield, Song Zhi continued, “Teacher, this could be a fluke. She might have anticipated your question and memorized this piece in advance.
Perhaps you should test her on other content.”
Jiang Rong was somewhat displeased with Song Zhi’s confrontational demeanor and couldn’t help but remind her, “Song Zhi, you’re classmates; you should support each other. Let’s conclude this matter here. Don’t bring it up again. Instead of focusing on your classmates’ shortcomings, why not invest that time in improving your academic performance?”
Reluctantly, Song Zhi sat down, still unconvinced. She felt Xia Wan’s success was just due to luck.
Xia Wan, on the other hand, was delighted. In her past life, she hadn’t held a positive view of Jiang Rong due to her stern attitude. There was an incident during self-study when Xia Wan was caught passing a note and was subsequently punished with two classes of standing.
During that time, many people she knew had passed by the classroom,
laughing at her.
Following that incident, Xia Wan had developed a strong aversion to Jiang Rong, believing she had caused her embarrassment.
The current Xia Wan was far more mature than her previous self. She understood that Jiang Rong’s intentions were kind, hoping she would focus on her studies. Unfortunately, her younger self hadn’t grasped Jiang Rong’s good intentions and had dismissed her as meddlesome.
This misjudgment was also related to her desk mate, Li Pan.
As expected, the second class wasn’t taught by Jiang Rong. Li Pan immediately began gossiping.
“Wanwan, I heard you’ve been selling clothes throughout the break and earned quite a bit of money, right? Don’t pay heed to Song Zhi’s nonsense over there. In my opinion, studying is futile. Think about it, you’ve spent so many years studying, and in the end, you’re still working for someone else.”
“If you can earn money now, why not invest it? I have a sister with only a middle school education, and she’s currently working in a big company, earning 1,500 yuan per month.”
“Studying feels like an ongoing expense. I’m planning to work with my sister after graduation..”