Chapter 139: Quick Thinking
At that moment, the sound of a car horn came from outside, and Wei Zeng Mary excitedly said, “My dad is here to pick me up.”
She pulled Tao Yueyue to the school gate where a portly middle-aged man stood by the car, smiling broadly. Wei Zeng Mary pouted, “Dad, you’re so slow!”
“Traffic was bad!” he replied.
“That’s always your excuse, so annoying!”
“Okay, okay, what would you like for dinner tonight? I’ll buy it for you.”
Watching another child sweet-talk with her parents, Tao Yueyue felt a pang of sadness. Wei Zeng Mary introduced her, “Dad, this is my new friend, Tao Yueyue. She’s new here and a really good student.”
The man nodded, “Hello, did your parents not come to pick you up? Do you want a ride home?”
“Yeah, yeah, ride with my dad!”
Tao Yueyue looked up, noticing a grimy security camera at the school gate—whether it worked or not was uncertain. With the school empty at this time, if this man had any bad intentions…
“No thanks, they’ll be here soon,” she said.
He didn’t insist and left with Wei Zeng Mary, who kept waving from the car window.
A cat’s meow drew her attention; the kitten had followed her. Tao Yueyue called Chen Shi, “Come pick me up.”
“You’re still at school?”
“There was a writing contest today, it ran late… By the way, I found a kitten and want to keep it at home.”
“That’s not allowed, remember our agreement.”
“But it’s so pitiful.”
“That’s still a no.”
“Fine, I’ll call Sister Lin to pick me up.”
Chen Shi’s attitude quickly shifted, “Okay, okay, I’m coming now. We’ll talk about the kitten in person!”
Half an hour later, Chen Shi arrived. Tao Yueyue, holding the kitten, silently watched him as he approached. “These wild cats carry bacteria.”
“We can take it to a vet for a check-up!”
“Maybe it has a mother?”
“If it had a mother, it wouldn’t be wandering around so late.”
“Have you already prepared answers for all my questions?”
“Yes!”
Chen Shi, outmaneuvered, conceded, “If you don’t rank within the top thirty in your final exams, I’m throwing it out.”
“Thank you, Uncle Chen!” Tao Yueyue beamed with joy.
Chen Shi reluctantly took the kitten to the vet for a check-up. The vet asked Tao Yueyue, “What have you been feeding it?”
“Salted duck eggs and sausages.”
The vet rolled his eyes, “Why not just feed it salt directly? Cats can’t ingest too much salt; it makes them sick, you know?”
Tao Yueyue stuck out her tongue, “I’ll remember next time.”
“It’s nothing serious. Just don’t bathe it for now, and bring it back for deworming and vaccinations when it’s three months old.”
Chen Shi bought a plethora of cat supplies, and back home, Tao Yueyue played joyfully with the kitten, named “Maoqiu,” which settled well into Chen Shi’s home.
As the winter break approached, all subjects moved into a review phase, and daily tests began. But the thought of playing freely after the exams motivated everyone to study a bit harder.
One day, something minor yet significant happened in class: Liang Zuoming returned from recovery. After a hundred days of recuperation, he had lost weight and grown out his hair, and he entered the class wearing a denim jacket, ignoring his classmates who greeted him and headed straight to Tao Yueyue’s desk.
Liang Zuoming snatched the novel Tao Yueyue was reading, tearing it in half, “Tao Yueyue, we’re not done yet. Now that I’m back, your good days are over. Just wait!”
The surrounding classmates gathered, buzzing with excitement, “Wow, what happened between them?” “Is this a challenge?” “Liang Zuoming, you’re proud to bully a girl?” “Is this some kind of Korean drama plot with enemies who love each other?”
Liang Zuoming glared at the student who mentioned the Korean drama, then walked away.
The crowd eventually dispersed. Tao Yueyue hadn’t spoken a word through the ordeal. Wei Zeng Mary came over, saying, “Is he bullying you? I must tell the teacher!”
Tao Yueyue grabbed her hand, “Please, do me a favor, don’t tell the teacher.”
“But what if he…”
“I’m not afraid of him!” Tao Yueyue declared, watching Liang Zuoming’s retreating figure.
Though she said this, Tao Yueyue was extra cautious over the next few days, closely watching Liang Zuoming’s every move. After his recovery, Liang Zuoming became less talkative. Previously, due to his family’s financial support, he always had a group of friends around him, but now he largely ignored them.
Wei Zeng Mary came to tell Tao Yueyue that she had heard Liang Zuoming was starting to hang out with the wrong crowd—some local troublemakers seen outside of school. She warned Tao Yueyue to be careful.
The inevitable confrontation arrived. On a day when Tao Yueyue was on cleaning duty, she was walking home alone after school. As she approached a secluded street on her way to the bus stop, Liang Zuoming and a group of sneering youths appeared. They had clearly ambushed her; as Tao Yueyue looked back, she saw a few more emerge from a nearby shop.
Shopkeepers from both sides of the street saw what was happening and quickly withdrew into their stores, not wanting to get involved.
The group surrounded Tao Yueyue. Liang Zuoming, swaggering confidently, said, “You broke my leg, today I’m going to break both of yours.”
“Stop, what a waste,” one of Liang Zuoming’s ‘buddies’ interjected. “She’s pretty cute; we could have some fun with her instead.”
“Minimum three years, up to the death penalty, you really want to die big?” another youth joked, and the group burst into laughter.
“Is this the best plan you could come up with?” Tao Yueyue asked Liang Zuoming.
“The teachers are gone; no one can help you… At worst, I’ll just pay your medical bills since my family is rich!” Liang Zuoming scoffed.
“Your parents must be so proud of you.”
“Some people don’t even have parents! Hahaha!” Liang Zuoming laughed harshly.
Tao Yueyue clenched her fists, then suddenly picked up a half-brick from the ground. The thugs laughed, “Wow, the virtuous maiden!” “Your little arms and legs, be careful not to hurt yourself.” “Go ahead, throw it, we have so many here, who will you hit?”
Tao Yueyue turned and threw the brick at a nearby parked car, shattering the window. The car alarm blared loudly.
As the shrill alarm pierced the air, residents from buildings along the street started to look out. The thugs panicked, “Let’s go, let’s go, someone’s coming!”
Liang Zuoming hesitated, “Why leave? What are you afraid of?”
“We’ll deal with her another day, let’s go! You just wait!” The thugs scrambled away, and Liang Zuoming, throwing a furious glance at Tao Yueyue, also fled.
A man and a woman rushed over, the man angrily asking, “Why did you smash my car?”
Tao Yueyue burst into tears, rubbing her eyes with her fists—though not really shedding any tears—and sobbed, “Some thugs were bullying me, I had no choice.”
The man’s anger subsided somewhat, “Why didn’t you just shout? What’s smashing my car going to do?”
“Stop it, dear,” the woman said, then crouched down and offered Tao Yueyue a tissue. “Sweetie, aren’t your parents coming for you?”
“My dad is busy with work; I take the bus home every day,” Tao Yueyue said, her shoulders shaking as she pretended to sniffle. “Auntie, can you help me call the police? I’m afraid those bad people are still around.”
The man laughed, “Call the police? They’re long gone; what can the police do?”
His wife responded, “Dear, look how pitiful she is. Why don’t we drive her home?”
The man was reluctant but seeing Tao Yueyue’s forlorn face, he softened. “Ah, such a hassle… Fine, get in the car!”