On Friday, Mr. Zhou took a trip downtown and bought himself a leather jacket, dressing up quite impressively.
Early Saturday morning, he unusually took a moment to look at himself in the mirror.
After breakfast, he handed his daughter a safety helmet and, under the envious and jealous gaze of his wife, took her to school on his motorcycle.
Hua Jie hugged her father’s waist, listening to the humming of the motorcycle and feeling the exhilarating rush of the wind.
Her father’s broad body shielded her from the wind, and with her ears pressed against his back, she watched the scenery quickly recede behind them.
Big motorcycles are a man’s eternal teenage dream, a symbol of romance.
It was also a beautiful part of his daughter’s childhood—riding on her father’s motorcycle was always a joyous and cheerful experience.
Ten minutes into the ride, the sentimentality and thrill of ‘speed and passion’ dissipated.
She whispered:
“Dad, can we go a bit slower? We’re not in a rush…”
“Sure,” her father agreed amicably, but his speed did not decrease at all.
Traffic safety is paramount, but the pursuit of speed is a line men will not back down from.
Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—
When they stopped at the school gates, Hua Jie’s legs felt a bit weak.
It had been too long since she last rode her father’s motorcycle. She remembered it being very exciting and fun, but now, why did she feel so scared?
Could it be that her mindset had aged?
Mr. Zhou locked the motorcycle at the school entrance and took off his helmet, only to notice the mural on the school’s outer wall.
At that moment, other parents were admiring the mural, with two student representatives assigned to welcome the parents, introducing:
“These murals were designed and painted by our students themselves. Even provincial leaders have seen them and praised them. Our school is a model of comprehensive development in morals, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor, and many other schools have come to admire and emulate it.”
“Ah, these were painted by students!”
“If the students can paint this well, the teachers must be even better.”
“Ouch, I’m thinking of letting my child learn to paint too.”
“Which class did the student who painted these belong to?”
“It was painted by a student from Class 7 of the first year of high school, named Hua Jie,” said a representative from the first-year students.
“!” Mr. Zhou immediately caught the keyword.
Hua Jie!
His daughter!
Looking across the long wall, countless large paintings were exquisitely beautiful and intriguing.
Painted by his daughter!
As he mingled among a few parents, Mr. Zhou casually turned back to his daughter and asked:
“Hua Jie, how long did it take you to paint these? Why didn’t you ever mention it to Dad?”
“…” Hua Jie’s face turned red in an instant.
Dad!
Her own dad!
She walked over awkwardly and shyly said, “I painted during breaks and on weekends, for over half a month maybe.”
“That’s quite a long time,” Mr. Zhou remarked.
“Ah, so this is Hua Jie. Wow, so talented at such a young age!” exclaimed a parent nearby immediately.
“Indeed, are you her father? How did you raise her?”
“This child is really well-brought-up. Ah, my own kid, aside from eating and sleeping, is good for nothing.”
“She’s truly talented! And looks good too!”
Parents couldn’t help themselves upon seeing such a well-behaved child. The warmth of the northern people was fully displayed at this moment, and in the skill of praising other people’s children, no parent was willing to concede defeat!
“Mmm.”
“Yes.”
“Haha, I didn’t do much, just sent her to painting classes. She learned on her own.”
“It’s not so much talent, but she is very hardworking.”
“Today’s kids also have it tough, yes, haha.”
Mr. Zhou chatted amicably with the other parents, his usual silence and reserve swept away as he took pride in boasting about his daughter, showing a surprisingly competitive spirit.
After a brief chat, feeling satisfied, he followed his daughter into the campus.
Looking back, he noticed there were also paintings inside the wall. He paused for a moment, glanced at the parents admiring the inner wall paintings, and suddenly reached out to pat his daughter on the head.
He didn’t say anything, but his eyes softened.
His pride faded, replaced by a touch of sympathy.
Painting in the cold of winter must have been tough.
“Next time the school has this kind of activity, just refuse. A student’s main job is to study; these tasks aren’t yours to do,” he even sounded a bit reproachful.
Instead of being upset by her father’s gentle chiding, Hua Jie felt a soft warmth in her heart.
“Mhm,” she nodded, smiling.
Her father spent three days on a train as a police officer and the three days he was off, he made furniture.
Whenever there was a chance to earn money, he would skip playing mahjong and watching TV, tirelessly hustling just to provide a better life for her and her mother, so they wouldn’t have to do things like painting the school walls.
He wanted his hard work to afford his wife and daughter a comfortable life.
How had she ever thought her father was a cold, aggressive, and domineering man?
This tough man had such a warm and tender heart.
Linking arms with her father, she rubbed her face against his shoulder as she led him into the school building.
Mr. Zhou stood for a while in front of the freshman ranking board, listening to the envious comments from parents of children who didn’t make the list, and couldn’t help but smile again.
When Mr. Zhou entered the classroom, a class officer responsible for seating the parents promptly came up to greet him.
The girl smiled at Hua Jie and then very politely invited Mr. Zhou to sit in the seat of honor.
Mr. Zhou recognized this seat well.
Back when he was a student, known for being mischievous, teachers always placed him in this seat to keep an eye on him to prevent trouble.
Times have changed, indeed. It used to be the naughty kids who sat in the seat of honor, and now it was his well-behaved daughter.
“What’s this box?” Mr. Zhou noticed a large box on Hua Jie’s chair.
“Eh? What’s that?” Hua Jie also looked puzzled.
Mr. Zhou placed the box on the table, sat down, and opened the lid to find a note inside:
【Uncle Hua:
Thank you for your care over the times, and thank you and Auntie for your warm hospitality.
Unsure of what gift to give in return, I bought something suitable for your daughter, and I hope you will accept it.
—Shen Mo】
“…” Uncle Hua looked up at Hua Jie.
“…” Hua Jie returned his gaze, picking up the note.
Inside the box was a pair of brown boots, size 36, with a comfortable-looking 3-inch wide heel.
The toes were round, reminiscent of a young girl’s Chanel shoes.
There was a diamond-studded bow on the side of the boots, which was very cute.
With an insole, they would be just the right size for Hua Jie.
Father and daughter looked at the shoes for a while, both silent, not knowing what to say.
Hua Jie blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed about receiving a gift of boots from a male classmate in front of her father—it felt a bit strange.
Yet, Shen Mo had made it sound so noble…
However, Uncle Hua just pursed his lips and scoffed, “The cheeky kid!”
Thinking what to get for Uncle and Auntie, and then just buying a pair of shoes for their daughter.
He’s just a high school student. Did he think Uncle Hua Zhaoyuan was also clueless as a high school student?
Back in the day, when he was courting his wife, he’d go to her house every day to help pick vegetables, fix doors, and change light bulbs for his in-laws, all under the pretense of being a good friend of his brother-in-law.
What for? Was it really for the sake of friendship that he went there every day?
Wasn’t it just to get a few more glances at his future wife, who back then was as dark as charcoal? It was all for the sake of love.
Uncle Hua sighed, suppressing his emotions, and closed the box lid, calmly saying:
“The kid has put thought into this. After the parent-teacher meeting, I’ll take these shoes back. You go do some painting.”
Despite his grievances, he accepted the shoes.
Shen Mo wasn’t a bad kid; he was just young, and kids his age are still unsteady.
However, he trusted his daughter not to be reckless, and seeing her puzzled expression, he guessed she hadn’t quite caught on yet, so he decided not to intervene too much.
As long as his daughter wasn’t bullied and kept up with her painting studies…
Uncle Hua sighed, feeling somewhat helpless and yet also a bit conflicted.
Shen Mo was lucky to have met such an open-minded elder like him. If it had been one of those traditional, strict fathers, it might have left the child with psychological scars.
A man who grew up wild understands a boy who’s just beginning to be wild.
It had been over twenty years since Uncle Hua last sat in a classroom, and looking around now, he suddenly missed his childhood.
He, who once hated school the most, had reached this day.
“Dad, I’m going to the school’s art studio now,” Hua Jie said, a bit worried.
“Mm,” nodded Uncle Hua.
“Shen Mo’s dad will be here later, please be nice to him, don’t be too harsh. Mr. Shen is really good and important to me,” Hua Jie worried her dad might be too rough on others.
“Your dad isn’t a child, go on.”
“…” Hua Jie hesitated, taking a few steps then turning back to look.
Her class monitor, laughing, took her arm and teased as they left the classroom, “What, afraid your dad will get bullied in the classroom? You seem reluctant to leave.”
“No, haha,” Hua Jie forced a smile.
You don’t understand, my dad is used to getting his way, he argues with the train conductor every other day, he’s no easy person, yikes.
In terms of social interactions, she was absolutely not confident about her father.
…
Uncle Hua sat in the classroom, waiting for the other parents to gradually take their seats.
The parents sitting around started chatting, inquiring about each other’s children’s situations at school, and sharing their parenting experiences.
Uncle Hua wasn’t very good at initiating conversations, so he just sat quietly.
Suddenly, a cheerful parent sat down in front of him, eyes shining brightly and warmly greeted:
“You must be Hua Jie’s dad, right?”
“Yes,” Uncle Hua nodded.
“I’m Liao Shanshan’s mother. I don’t know if Hua Jie has mentioned it to you, but these two kids get along really well,” Liao Shanshan’s mother said with a smile.
“Ah, yes,” Uncle Hua responded, though he actually had no idea.
“Oh, how do you teach your child? You’re really amazing!” Liao Shanshan’s mother exclaimed, clapping her hands loudly, causing other parents to look over.
“Haha, not at all,” Uncle Hua said, not quite accustomed to her enthusiasm.
“She draws so well, and she can also carve seals, design signatures for kids, make bookmarks—they are all so beautiful. My daughter treasures them so much, she won’t let anyone touch them. Oh, both you and your wife must also be skilled with your hands, right?” As Liao Shanshan’s mother spoke, she got excited again and clapped her hands, her eyes full of envy.
“Haha, I learned a bit of carpentry when I was younger, so I guess that counts as a craft? Her mother has been good at calligraphy from a young age,” Uncle Hua felt a bit proud of his wife and considered bragging about her, but decided to keep it modest.
“Wow, you two are really something. Before I left home today, I was thinking I’d ask you how you teach your kids,” Liao Shanshan’s mother said with a worried face, “Please, you must tell me.”
“Ah, there’s not much to it—” Uncle Hua started to reply but was interrupted:
“When Hua Jie took her entrance exam, aside from English, she failed every subject, ranking last in the class. How did she jump to eighth in her class and 137th in her grade in just two months? That’s incredible! It’s like she’s studying on a rocket! My kid just can’t seem to get it, please teach me. I’m so worried about her studies every day,” Liao Shanshan’s mother pleaded eagerly, almost grabbing Uncle Hua’s hands to earnestly seek his advice.
“?????”
What?
Uncle Hua was dumbfounded.
What?
Failed every subject?
Last in the class?
…
It took a moment for Uncle Hua to recover from the shock of learning his daughter had once ranked last in the class when a woman dressed in a black cashmere coat entered the classroom.
The woman looked quite masculine and was tall.
After entering, she was asked by a class monitor which parent she was, to which the woman replied, “Yao Nan.”
After the class monitor pointed out Yao Nan’s seat, Yao’s mother didn’t head in that direction; instead, she turned back and asked:
“Where does Hua Jie sit?”