Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: Teacher "Yan Buxu"

Fang Mingyuan and his classmates, who had moved up to second grade, relocated from the bungalow to a newly built four-story teaching building. For Hai Zhuang Town in 1983, this was already a very good primary school building. However, from Fang Mingyuan's perspective, the designer and builder of the building seemed to have some mental issues. They clearly did not consider the number of students entering the school, and the size and number of toilet stalls in the building were far from sufficient to meet the students' needs. As a result, every day, a large number of students had to go down to the other side of the schoolyard to use the toilet. Fortunately, Fang Mingyuan's class was on the first floor, so it did not affect him much.

Another change in the new school year was that Zhao Ya became Fang Mingyuan's desk mate, which was naturally the result of Zhao Jianguo's instructions. Zhao Ya, after all, was still a little girl and was somewhat confused about the concept of a "childhood betrothal," not fully understanding its true meaning. However, children are simple-minded, and Fang Mingyuan, who did not listen in class but still managed to get top marks in exams, naturally earned her good favor. She happily accepted this arrangement. Another change was that Fang Mingyuan's class got a new homeroom teacher, a middle-aged male math teacher, instead of the beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties who had just gotten married, as Fang Mingyuan remembered. This was probably the effect of the butterfly wings. Although Fang Mingyuan felt a bit disappointed, it was not a big deal.

"I am Mr. Yan, and you will call me Teacher Yan from now on," the middle-aged man stood at the front of the podium, his face stern. "I don't know what your previous homeroom teacher required of you last semester, and I don't want to know. But now that I am your homeroom teacher, everything in the class must be done according to my requirements! If you can't do it, don't blame me for calling your parents! You must have the proper demeanor in class! From now on, everyone must wear a white shirt and black pants to school, no other colorful clothes are allowed! Everyone sit up straight! No leaning on the desk! Hands behind your back! No looking around! No talking in class! No looking at things unrelated to the lesson! No eating snacks in class! No roughhousing during breaks! No being late or leaving early! Girls are not allowed to have any accessories in their hair except for hair ties! No long hair past the shoulders! No... " The middle-aged man listed a series of "no's," leaving the children dazed and confused.

"On the first day, it's okay if you can't remember my requirements, but after three days, I will check, and everyone must recite them. If you get one wrong, you will copy the entire content once. If you get ten wrong, you will copy it ten times! You will keep copying until you remember these rules by heart! I don't care what your previous homeroom teacher required in first grade. But now that I am your homeroom teacher, as my students, you must follow my orders. If anyone has any objections, you can ask your parents to transfer you to another class. But if you can't do it, you must follow my rules!" the middle-aged man said coldly.

Fang Mingyuan frowned slightly. Although primary school management was usually strict, this Teacher Yan's rules seemed to go too far. They were so extensive that they were almost unbearable. Who did he think he was, an omnipotent God? Or did he treat the school like a military camp? Could children who grew up in such an environment still have a happy childhood in the future? However, Fang Mingyuan understood that he was just a student and had no right or ability to protest. If the school and parents had no objections, Teacher Yan's orders would be implemented without any compromise.

"Fine, as long as he doesn't bother me, I'll let it be!" Fang Mingyuan sighed helplessly. His small, weak body and his age, which lacked authority, had already made him feel helpless more than once.

Yan Dongyu, the new teacher, was originally a teacher at Hai Zhuang Town's middle school. His sister married a department head at the Qinxi Pressing Equipment Factory. Through his brother-in-law's influence, he was transferred from the town middle school to the factory's primary school. In 1983, the treatment of teachers at these two schools had a considerable difference. Teachers at the factory's primary school not only earned three to five yuan more per month than those at the town middle school but also received various benefits from the factory during holidays. If you added the occasional gifts from parents, the income was even more substantial. More importantly, becoming a formal employee of the Qinxi Pressing Equipment Factory, a well-known large factory in Qinxi Province and even in China, was a matter of great prestige in Hai Zhuang Town. Since he successfully transferred to the factory's primary school, his family and villagers treated him with more respect.

However, Yan Dongyu had some regrets. He originally wanted to teach at the factory's middle school, but due to his perceived lack of ability, he ended up at the primary school. So, Yan Dongyu was determined to make a name for himself at the factory's primary school, to show everyone that he, Yan Dongyu, was not inferior to anyone here! One day, he would teach at the factory's middle school! Being the homeroom teacher of Class 1, Grade 2, was his first step.

He glanced at Fang Mingyuan, who was sitting by the window, seemingly indifferent to everything that had just happened. This child had received a clear notification from the grade head that as long as he did not disrupt the class, he could daydream or read other books during class.

"He must be the child of some factory leader, but his clothing and appearance don't seem much different from the other children," Yan Dongyu thought. However, as a new teacher at the factory's primary school, he was not yet in a position to challenge the grade head.

By the time the children in the classroom finally came to their senses from Yan Dongyu's stern words, most of the class had already passed. The initial excitement of the new school year had turned into disappointment.

"This Teacher Yan is so annoying!" On the way home, Fang Mingyuan heard his classmates complaining more than once.

Sure enough, Yan Dongyu strictly enforced his new rules in the days that followed. Three days later, he required every student in the class to recite his "no" regulations in front of him. On the first try, only Fang Mingyuan, Zhao Ya, and two other students passed, while the rest had to copy the regulations one to ten times.

Soon, the nickname "Yan Buxu" (Yan No-Permit) spread quickly in the class.

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