deskmate in the painting

VII. Trouble Seeker

The smell of alcohol filled the air, and it dawned on me that Xiaojing's father must have been drinking. No wonder I had sensed a faint odor of alcohol in the office earlier.

Up close, he looked even more imposing, his bushy beard bristling as he cast a sharp, scanning gaze over each of us, softening only when he looked at Xiaojing.

Most of the students took a step back, distancing themselves from Xiaojing, sensing the danger. But Zhang Jun seemed undeterred, as if he were under some spell.

"I don't need to prove anything about the pencil I bought for my daughter!" Xiaojing's father was now right in front of Zhang Jun.

"She's a thief, and your daughter is a thief too," Zhang Jun retorted, finally realizing the gravity of the situation and backing away.

"Shut up! Come here!" Xiaojing's father took another step forward.

Zhang Jun, like a scared rabbit, darted around the classroom, slipping between desks and chairs, but Xiaojing's father was too large and slow to catch him. The sight was amusing to the rest of us, and as Zhang Jun saw he couldn't be caught, his courage grew.

"Your daughter is a thief, a real thief..." Zhang Jun continued to shout.

Hearing this, Xiaojing's father went into a frenzy. He upended a few desks in a fit of rage. Zhang Jun fled toward the door, but the hero was quick to react. Just as Zhang Jun was about to escape the classroom, Xiaojing's father grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back. Holding Zhang Jun up with his left hand, he raised his right hand high and demanded sternly:

"Say that again!"

Zhang Jun, trembling, stared at Xiaojing's father, unable to speak.

Xiaojing, crying and clutching her father's arm, pleaded, "Dad, please... let's just go home..."

The rest of us stood in stunned silence, unable to utter a word as we watched the scene unfold.

The hero turned to look at Xiaojing, his expression softening as if the alcohol had worn off. His raised hand slowly lowered.

"You're calling my daughter a thief..." Zhang Jun defiantly shouted again.

"Smack!"

The hero's slap landed hard on Zhang Jun's face.