Chapter 3

Chen Kangjie put on his green canvas backpack and set off to school with his three older sisters. In fact, given his current level of knowledge, he didn't really need to attend elementary school. However, Chen Kangjie was still very happy because the happiest times of his life were during his elementary and middle school years. Although he now found the "basic" knowledge beneath him, he was still content to relive the days of his schooling, to reconnect with childhood friends (many of whom he had gradually lost touch with after starting work), and to enjoy the rare innocence and purity of those times.

Just as they reached the intersection, they heard the sound of running footsteps from behind. Before Chen Kangjie could turn around, a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning, he saw a round, smiling face—his best friend from elementary school, Ma Wei.

"Old Wen, why didn't you go to school this morning?"

"Nothing, just had some things to take care of."

Ma Wei nodded happily.

"Oh."

"Juyan, you guys go ahead. I'll go to school with Ma Wei," Chen Kangjie said to his sisters.

The eldest sister, Chen Jing, looked a bit unhappy but still turned and walked away with the other two sisters. Chen Kangjie and Ma Wei walked behind, chatting quietly.

They didn't really talk about much, just trying to get information from Ma Wei about the class situation. After all, it wasn't appropriate to ask directly, so he had to use indirect methods. Ma Wei, being just a second-grader (a little kid compared to the 30-year-old Chen Kangjie), didn't suspect anything and quickly spilled everything he knew.

Through this, Chen Kangjie learned that his current class was still the same, with the same classmates and teachers. He had been worried that his "butterfly effect" might have changed things, but it hadn't.

It took them about ten minutes to reach the school. Ma Wei waited outside the teacher's office while Chen Kangjie went in to find his homeroom teacher, Ms. Chen. He handed her the leave note, and she glanced at it, nodding. "Alright, go to class," she said. In his previous life, Chen Kangjie hadn't had a good impression of Ms. Chen, so he didn't say anything and just turned to leave the office.

Outside, he saw Ma Wei hiding in the corner and asked, "What are you doing? You look like a thief."

Ma Wei walked up and put his hand on Chen Kangjie's shoulder. "Hehe, I didn't want that 'Piggy' to see me."

At that moment, Chen Kangjie remembered that Ms. Chen's real name was Chen Hongmei. She was known for being harsh to most students and favoring those with good grades and wealthy backgrounds. Most of the kids in the class had poor grades and came from ordinary worker families, so they didn't like her. Plus, she was a bit overweight, so they called her "Piggy" behind her back and usually avoided her.

Chen Kangjie couldn't help but laugh, as he had also been afraid of Ms. Chen in his previous life. Of course, now that he had been reborn, everything was different.

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked to the second-floor classroom. Most of the classmates were already there. Chen Kangjie and Ma Wei were desk partners and sat in the last row, so Chen Kangjie sat down next to Ma Wei, looking around at everyone, who were both familiar and strange.

At that moment, a very pretty girl walked over. She had long hair, was taller than most of the other girls, and had a classic oval face.

"Chen Kangjie, where's your homework?"

"Homework? What homework?"

Chen Kangjie was a bit confused. He recognized the girl as the class monitor, Wang Hongjuan, but he didn't know what homework she was talking about.

"Hmph, the Chinese and math homework the teacher assigned yesterday. I didn't see you this morning. Did you skip class because you didn't do your homework?" Wang Hongjuan, feeling mocked, was a proud girl and scolded him angrily.

Chen Kangjie had only been reborn for half a day and had no idea about any homework. If he had known, he could have finished it in minutes with his current knowledge. As a 30-year-old, he shouldn't have cared about a little girl's attitude, but her condescending tone made him a bit annoyed. He wasn't the Chen Kangjie from his previous life.

"Class monitor, I really didn't know about any homework. I was sick this morning and have already given the leave note to Ms. Chen. If you don't believe me, you can ask her. Oh, right, what homework is it? Tell me, and I'll give it to you in five minutes," Chen Kangjie replied calmly, without a hint of panic, a faint smile on his face.

Wang Hongjuan had never been treated this way before. She was usually high and mighty, pampered by teachers and classmates alike. She couldn't handle Chen Kangjie's teasing tone, and tears welled up in her eyes as she ran back to her seat and sobbed quietly.

The few friends in the back rows secretly gave Chen Kangjie a thumbs up, praising his bravery and fearlessness.

Seeing her like that, Chen Kangjie felt a bit troubled. He wasn't worried about being criticized by the teacher but felt that it wasn't right for an "adult" to bully a little girl. He was thinking about whether to go and apologize and comfort her. Although he hadn't married or had children in his previous life, he had seen enough TV and movies to know how to comfort a child. But then an unpleasant voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Chen Kangjie, if you don't like studying, that's one thing, but why are you bullying the class monitor? I'm going to tell the teacher."

The speaker was the vice monitor, Wang Xueping. Chen Kangjie remembered him as a sycophant, boasting about his father's position as a minor official at the mine and his decent grades, always acting smug.

Chen Kangjie had been about to apologize and comfort Wang Hongjuan, but hearing Wang Xueping's tone, he became even more annoyed. 'Damn, does he really think I'm the Chen Kangjie from my previous life? What a little brat, jumping out to accuse and threaten me like that.'

"It's none of your business. Which eye did you see me bullying the class monitor? If you like to tell the teacher, go ahead, but don't waste my time. You're like a dog chasing a rat."

Hearing Chen Kangjie's words, many of the classmates were surprised. When had Chen Kangjie become so brave? He used to be very obedient when it came to telling the teacher. A few girls even opened their mouths wide, quickly covering them with their hands when Chen Kangjie's sharp gaze fell on them.

Ma Wei, his desk partner, gently tugged at Chen Kangjie's clothes and whispered, "Old Wen, don't say anything more. That guy really will tell the teacher. You didn't turn in your homework, and Ms. Chen will criticize you."

In the classroom, with so many classmates around, Ma Wei didn't dare call Ms. Chen "Piggy," knowing that if Wang Xueping heard and told the homeroom teacher, he would be in trouble.

Chen Kangjie felt a warm feeling inside. Without even looking at Wang Xueping, he waved his hand dismissively, as if he could easily brush him aside.

Seeing Chen Kangjie's demeanor, many classmates smiled, biting their lips.

Wang Xueping's face turned red with embarrassment, feeling that Chen Kangjie, a poor student, didn't take him, the vice monitor, seriously. He stomped his foot and glared at Chen Kangjie before running out of the classroom.

Everyone knew he was going to the homeroom teacher to report. At that moment, Wang Hongjuan stopped crying, looked up at Chen Kangjie with red eyes. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the homeroom teacher, Ms. Chen Hongmei, appeared at the classroom door.

"Chen Kangjie, Wang Hongjuan, come out. Follow me to the office," Ms. Chen called out angrily. The other students knew that Ms. Chen's loud voice was mainly directed at Chen Kangjie, who had poor grades. Behind her, Wang Xueping's head appeared, looking smug.

Chen Kangjie didn't pay much attention, walking slowly with Wang Hongjuan into the homeroom teacher's office. Before they could sit down, Ms. Chen asked with a stern face:

"Chen Kangjie, what's going on? You didn't come to class this morning, and now you're causing trouble in the afternoon. Do you want to call your parents?"

When they were young, students with poor grades were afraid of having their parents called in because their parents would be embarrassed in front of the teacher and would scold them at home. Ma Wei, for example, would always be hit with a slipper by his father after a parent-teacher meeting.

Hearing Ms. Chen questioning the students, a few other teachers turned to see what was happening.

"Ms. Chen, let the class monitor explain the situation. I believe she will give a fair and clear account," Chen Kangjie replied calmly, without a hint of panic, and subtly flattered the class monitor to prevent her from lying like Wang Xueping.

The other teachers were a bit surprised. 'What kind of child is this? He acts like an adult.' Ms. Chen was even more surprised but quickly composed herself, as she needed to maintain her authority in front of her students. However, the stern look on her face softened, and she looked at Wang Hongjuan expectantly.

Wang Hongjuan looked up and saw the homeroom teacher and the other teachers watching her. She glanced at Chen Kangjie, who maintained a calm smile, and then recounted the entire incident.

"Is that true?"

Ms. Chen turned to Chen Kangjie.

"Basically, yes. I was sick last night and didn't do the homework. When the class monitor asked, I realized my mistake, so I asked for her help. The class monitor is a good student and a role model, so she should help us improve in our studies. I didn't mean to bully her at all."

Chen Kangjie remained calm, showing no signs of anxiety or unease, and his words were firm and confident.

Ms. Chen was full of doubt. 'Is this still the Chen Kangjie I've been teaching for over a year? The previous Chen Kangjie was always meek and obedient in front of teachers. How could he change so much? He seems more mature than my son, who is in junior high school.' Despite her doubts, she needed to resolve the issue and test Chen Kangjie.

"So, you mean to say that if you're told what homework to do, you can finish it in five minutes?"

"Yes."

Chen Kangjie answered confidently.

Ms. Chen took out the Chinese textbook (as she was the Chinese teacher) and pointed out the homework questions from the previous day. She pulled a sheet of paper from her drawer and handed it to Chen Kangjie. Without even looking at the questions, Chen Kangjie took a pencil from Ms. Chen's desk and started writing quickly.

It was just some fill-in-the-blank questions and copying new words. If he hadn't wanted to shock everyone, he could have finished it in two minutes. However, he deliberately wrote in neat, regular script to complete the homework, taking about four or five minutes. If he had used the cursive script he learned in college, it would have taken less than a minute, but he didn't want to shock Ms. Chen so much that her glasses would fall off.

Ms. Chen picked up the paper and examined it carefully, with two female teachers leaning in to look as well.

Ms. Chen wasn't checking for correctness, as she had seen the answers while Chen Kangjie was writing. They were all correct. She was admiring the handwriting, which was elegant and graceful, far beyond what a second-grader could write. Ms. Chen didn't know that in his previous life, Chen Kangjie had practiced Pang Zhonghua's penmanship for several years during middle and high school.

"Chen Kangjie, who taught you to write like this?"

Chen Kangjie realized he had gone a bit too far. In the heat of the moment, he had wanted to show off a bit to avoid being looked down upon by Ms. Chen, so he had written in regular script at a normal level. But now, the teacher was interested and wanted to know more.

"At home, my father taught me. He writes both brush and pen calligraphy very well."

To reassure Ms. Chen, Chen Kangjie had to lie. The first part was a lie, but the second part was true. Chen Qigang indeed wrote calligraphy very well, and many people asked him to write couplets during the New Year.

Hearing Chen Kangjie's answer, Ms. Chen temporarily put aside her doubts. She thought, 'Maybe he was just lazy and didn't take his homework seriously before. But I should ask his father at the next parent-teacher meeting. This boy did all the homework correctly today and wrote well. If he practices at home, he could be a good student with some proper guidance.' That's what Ms. Chen could think.

Wang Hongjuan, seeing that the homeroom teacher and the other teachers were paying attention to this usually poor-performing student, felt a bit disappointed. She glanced at Chen Kangjie and gritted her teeth, lowering her head. Chen Kangjie noticed this small gesture but didn't mind. After all, it was just a little girl feeling jealous of being upstaged.

"Go back to class. Remember to turn in your homework. Wang Hongjuan, you're doing a good job as class monitor."

Ms. Chen smiled and praised the class monitor, as it was understandable for her to remind students to turn in their homework. A few words of praise could easily resolve the tension and atmosphere.

Sure enough, Wang Hongjuan's frown immediately smoothed out. She glanced at Chen Kangjie, as if to say, 'See, Ms. Chen praised me again. Hmph.'

At the classroom door, the class had already started. Both of them called out "Report," and upon hearing the teacher's "Come in," they entered the classroom.

"How was it? Did you get a beating?"

As soon as they sat down, Ma Wei asked with concern.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

Chen Kangjie replied nonchalantly.

"Really? You weren't criticized? Did they ask you to call your parents?"

"Brother, why are you so nosy? I told you I'm fine. Hurry up and draw your picture, and remember to draw one for me too."

Chen Kangjie could only laugh bitterly at Ma Wei's "distrust." It seemed that going to the teacher's office always meant getting a scolding. But he had to admit that in his previous life, he was almost always criticized when he went to Ms. Chen's office.

This class was art. In elementary school, the afternoon classes were usually art, music, physical education, and calligraphy, which were not counted in the grades. Chen Kangjie's drawing skills in his previous life were terrible, like squiggles, but Ma Wei, though a poor student, could draw a decent turtle. So, he left the task to Ma Wei.

Ma Wei, hearing Chen Kangjie's response, was still thinking about what "nosy" meant. After all, it was 1986, and Hong Kong and Taiwan movies hadn't become popular yet. In his previous life, even elementary school children could recite words like "nosy," "auntie," and "crap."

Seeing Chen Kangjie lying on the desk, Ma Wei thought he must have been criticized and was in a bad mood. Not believing that he was "fine" as he had said, Ma Wei, as a "good friend," still helped Chen Kangjie by drawing a few small flowers with crayons and turning them in. After all, the teacher didn't care about the quality of the drawings.

As soon as the first class bell rang, a few friends from the back row, who were usually in the same boat, rushed over to Chen Kangjie.

"How was it? Was it bad?"

"Are you calling your parents tomorrow?"

"Did you get hit?"

"Show us your hand, do you have any marks from the ruler?"

...

Everyone was chattering, some out of concern, some out of curiosity, and some out of schadenfreude.

"Chen Kangjie, you were really brave today. You made the class monitor cry and stood up to the vice monitor. Good job."

Finally, he heard a compliment, but it wasn't a compliment he wanted. What kind of praise was this? The one who praised him was Zhang Jiahua, who also sat in the last row. Chen Kangjie remembered that in his previous life, they were classmates in junior high school. Zhang Jiahua was good at fighting but didn't often use his fists. He was very loyal to his friends, came from a well-off family, and often shared his pocket money with his friends, showing a bit of a big brother's demeanor.

"Brother Jia..."

As soon as these two words came out, seeing Zhang Jiahua's surprised expression, Chen Kangjie realized something was wrong. He only started calling him "Brother Jia" in fifth grade, and no one had called him that before, even though he was older than Chen Kangjie. After all, kids didn't have so much of a "gang" mentality.

Seeing Zhang Jiahua's confused expression, Chen Kangjie could only stammer and then smile. "Zhang Jiahua, bravery isn't defined that way. Bravery is the spirit or quality of being courageous and daring. Not everyone has the courage to be a pioneer. Only those with the courage to lead can be called brave. Bravery is a neutral term. Good people can be brave, and bad people can be brave too. Do you think I'm the brave one or the bad one?"