Daily Life of the Post-80s Generation

Chapter 8 School starts

The principal of the mining middle school was surnamed Wei, and he also lived in the west bungalow, just a few rows ahead. Chen Xiuying and Xu Ningyu walked a short distance over there, and saw a group of old men watching two old men playing chess under a big tree on the side of the road. The old men were discussing where to go next, and they were arguing with each other until their faces turned red and their necks became thick, and they did not have the demeanor of watching a chess game in silence at all.

The aunt shouted over there: “Principal Wei!”

An old man in his early 50s, wearing a white old man’s shirt and baggy shorts, immediately turned around: “Chen Xiuying, what do you want to talk to me about?” The old man was very thin, and he was waving a large cattail leaf fan in his hand. He did not look like an intellectual at all.

He walked towards this side while talking, and when he came to the front, Chen Xiuying introduced him: “Principal Wei, this is my nephew. The child is only seven years old, but he is very smart. He read his sister’s books at home and learned all the first and second grade books. I didn’t tell anyone before, and I only found out about it when he was about to go to school. I asked him to do the math papers for the first and second grades, and he got almost all the answers right. Can you see if you can arrange for him to skip a grade?”

Xu Ningyu called politely: “Hello, Principal.” His little baby voice was crisp.

Principal Wei looked down and saw a very beautiful boy. The boy had very white skin and chubby cheeks, which was very likable, especially his big eyes, which were surprisingly bright. This child was very different from other children. He was not afraid of adults at all, spoke in a generous manner, and was very smart.

He was half-convinced in his heart. After looking at the test paper that Chen Xiuying brought over, he nodded repeatedly unconsciously: “This is well done. OK, let’s go home and I’ll give him some questions to do.”

Xu Ningyu was not afraid of the test at all and followed slowly behind. On the way, Principal Wei used a coaxing tone to get close to Xu Ningyu: “Little friend, tell grandpa what your name is?”

The coaxing tone made Xu Ningyu almost have goose bumps on his body. He barely resisted and said: “My name is Xu Ningyu.”

“How do you study at home?”

“I study by myself. If I don’t know, I ask my sister. My sister will be in the first grade of junior high school soon.”

Such a young child still speaks with a baby voice, but his articulation is clear and logical. Principal Wei likes her more and more and praises Chen Xiuying: “This is the first time I have seen such a smart child. His eyes are full of intelligence.”

Chen Xiuying was happy. He said modestly: “Children don’t like to be praised. He really took your words seriously.”

Almost all of Principal Wei’s family members work at the school. They all know Chen Xiuying. When they went there, they all greeted her. Knowing that she brought her nephew to skip a grade, they gathered in the room to watch the fun.