Chapter Ninety-Nine: Thank You, Teacher

After speaking, Li Changqing also brought in cigarettes, liquor, and a ceremonial banner.

If a student’s parent, while the child is still enrolled, gives a gift and the teacher accepts it, that teacher will be looked down upon. But if it is a former student, returning after graduation to express gratitude with gifts, it is often celebrated as a heartwarming tale.

It is also a teacher’s shining moment.

Wang Dalong did not remember having such a student, but judging by Li Changqing’s age, he was probably a student from nearly ten years ago, and forgetting him was only natural.

A teacher nearby glanced at Wang Dalong with envy and smiled. “Teacher Wang, your students are everywhere.”

“Haha.” Wang Dalong was somewhat balding and a little overweight, in his forties, but at that moment he seemed to have grown younger by several years. He rose to accept the gifts and said, “You’ve been graduated so long and still came to see your teacher. That already makes me very pleased. Why bring gifts? Tacky, utterly tacky!”

“I’ll keep this banner, then take the cigarettes and liquor back with you.”

Hearing that, Li Changqing hurriedly said, “Teacher Wang, I don’t smoke or drink anyway. Besides, this is only a token of my gratitude. You absolutely must accept it!”

“Well then, I’ll take it. But not again next time.” After a round of polite refusal, Wang Dalong accepted the gifts.

The other teachers were moved as well. What a considerate student he had. The cigarettes and liquor were not cheap.

Wang Dalong sat back down and looked at Li Changqing, sighing with feeling. “Back when you were at school, you were one of the most obedient students, and your grades were pretty good too. I had already figured you would amount to something.”

“Looks like I was right after all.”

As he spoke, Wang Dalong was desperately trying to remember what this student’s name had been. Damn it, he could not remember at all.

Li Changqing smiled. “It was all thanks to your guidance back then, Teacher. Without you, I never would have become what I am today.”

The two chatted happily, and the nearby teachers listened to this mutual flattery. Then the bell rang, and the teachers one by one took their lesson materials and left.

Wang Dalong also stood up, glanced at the name on the banner, and finally remembered who this “student” was. Warmly, he said, “Changqing, I still have class. Let’s talk again next time.”

“Just right, Teacher, I’ll go with you. My younger sister is actually in your class now. I came here today to attend her parents’ meeting.”

“Oh?” Wang Dalong paused. “Your sister is named?”

“Li Qingxue.”

Wang Dalong was stunned. Why had he never heard Li Qingxue mention that her older brother had once been his student?

How strange.

“My sister always says when she gets home that Teacher Wang’s classes are excellent, and that she learns a great deal.”

“I felt the same back then. My sister also said that you…”

Tang Xiaoyu stood beside them, somewhat dumbfounded. Coming to the office to bring gifts, Li Changqing had truly turned it into a performance.

Ordinary people simply give presents, but with a banner added, the effect changes at once.

This fellow’s mind really did work differently from that of a normal person.

Hearing this, Wang Dalong was in an even better mood. He said, “This is only what a teacher ought to do. Come, let’s go to the parents’ meeting first.”

“Xiaoyu, come on, let’s go attend my sister’s parents’ meeting.”

“Okay!”

By rights, only one person was allowed into the classroom for the parents’ meeting, but after Li Changqing’s performance just now, Wang Dalong was too embarrassed to refuse both of them.

Inside the classroom, the students and their respective parents sat at their own desks. Most of the parents were middle-aged women, dressed in a way that made it clear they were either rich or influential.

When Li Changqing and Tang Xiaoyu appeared, Li Qingxue was delighted and immediately called out, “Second Brother, over here.”

After Li Changqing and Tang Xiaoyu sat down beside her, Li Qingxue asked softly, “Why did you come?”

“Big Sister was busy today.”

“Oh.” Li Qingxue smiled, then looked at Wang Dalong on the platform and whispered, “Coming was good. Otherwise Big Sister would have come and taken another scolding…”

Li Qingxue’s grades were not especially outstanding; she was only in the middle to lower range.

It was not that she did not work hard, but that the other students were even more monstrous.

Her interest was not in studying. Every parents’ meeting, she would always be criticized by Wang Dalong.

Still, she did not mind. It was Li Lin’s expression that always looked rather grim.

The parents in the classroom glanced at Li Changqing with slight frowns, but said nothing.

In an elite school, it was no surprise that some families had money to spare. But a family like Li Qingxue’s, which ran a steamed bun shop and still spent heavily every year to send a child here, was news.

Soon, the parents’ meeting began.

Li Changqing was no stranger to such meetings. In his previous life, he had attended many of them, though then he had been a student. Now, he was the parent.

Wang Dalong went through each student’s evaluation one by one, and so on.

But when he came to Li Qingxue, he praised her instead. “This time, Li Qingxue performed excellently in the original singer competition and brought honor to our class. She deserves special commendation. If her future performances continue to shine, we can try to secure one of the school’s recommendation slots for her so she may enter the conservatory for further study…”

That was precisely Li Changqing’s purpose.

At an elite school like Huayu High School, each year there were a few recommendation slots reserved for the music conservatory, but those slots were precious.

With so many classes and so many students with musical talent, earning a recommendation was no easy matter.

This was not something that could be achieved merely by giving a few gifts; it only increased the odds a little.

But as long as it had an effect, that was enough.

Li Qingxue was also somewhat surprised, and said in confusion, “Has Teacher Wang changed overnight? Why is he suddenly praising me today? Strange.”

“It would be strange if he didn’t praise you,” Tang Xiaoyu said from the side through gritted teeth, thinking of the prices of those cigarettes and liquor, and feeling a headache coming on.

Li Changqing was truly a strange composite: stingy to the point of self-denial in everyday life, yet extravagantly generous when it came to spending on family.

After the parents’ meeting ended, Wang Dalong came over to Li Qingxue with a smile and said earnestly, “Qingxue, I hope you can learn diligently like your brother and strive to become my pride, just like him, in the future!”

Li Qingxue froze. When had my brother become your pride?

Puzzled, she glanced at Li Changqing, but Li Changqing glared at her and said, “Why aren’t you thanking the teacher yet?”

“Yes, thank you, Teacher!”

Li Changqing also took the chance to ask, “By the way, Teacher Wang, about the recommendation slot you mentioned just now—does my sister really have a chance?”

“Mm. She already performed very well in the last original song competition, but the final list will still take some time to determine.” Wang Dalong nodded and said, “When the time comes, I’ll recommend her more strongly to the higher-ups.”

After speaking, Wang Dalong patted Li Changqing on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Li Qingxue looked full of suspicion. “Brother, what exactly did you do? Why do I feel like the way Teacher Wang looks at you is strange?”