The knot between Tong Tong and his adoptive father cannot be untied through this mere 1,000 yuan. That night, Old Tong thought that perhaps Tong Tong's depravity had something to do with him.

It was 2008. The Olympic warmth had not yet dissipated, and the school started in No. 15 Middle School. Among the freshmen who registered, Tong Tong was very eye-catching because he was very tall and strong. Other parents thought he was a sports student. He shook his head silly: "No, I am an ordinary student."

Ordinary students were assigned to ordinary classes and lived in ordinary high school. Old Tong didn't care where he went, as long as he didn't cause trouble. Until one day, he received a call from his mother, and Grandma Tong cried again: "His score is enough for the No. 2 Middle School, but our family has no money and can't pay the school choice fee of 5,000 yuan. I always regret it. Will this delay his whole life?"

"Why don't you say that because you don't have money, it will take my whole life?"

A word made Grandma Tong's chest hurt suddenly.

Lao Tong continued to vent his dissatisfaction: "How many tears have you shed for this wild child you picked up? I always say that he delayed him, but where did he delay? Isn't it okay to raise him? Did he make a request and want to go to No. 2 Middle School?"

Grandma Tong was afraid that he would misunderstand Tong, so she hurriedly defended: "No, it was his master who said that we should find a way to transfer him to No. 2 Middle School. He said that he would still have to go to a good school if he had the chance. Where did Tong Tong understand this? He had already reported to No. 15 Middle School."

He had to pay 5,000 yuan when he went to No. 2 Middle School. This was undoubtedly an astronomical figure for Old Tong. He would never pay for this money, and he couldn't afford it. After hanging up the phone, he forgot about this matter. He didn't want to receive any calls about Tong Tong. Although the boy was ambitious, he called several times and asked for medical expenses, he didn't want to pay that money.

Tong Tong felt very sorry because he didn't go to No. 2 Middle School, but since he was at No. 15 Middle School, he should study hard! Tong Tong thought so at the beginning, but when he first took English class, the teacher gave him a warning.

The teacher was named Shen, about forty years old, with a slightly fat figure, wearing glasses, and not very good-looking. In the first class, she told the students that she had summarized more than ten years of teaching experience and made a "secret book". She pushed her eyes, raised her neck, and said, "You can't buy it, but you have to use it in class. No matter what, don't delay my class."

A "secret book" costs 30 yuan, which is not expensive, but it is definitely not cheap. The students have complained about this, but most of them pay for it. Even if they didn't buy it at that time, after she urged her in disguise several times, the students had no choice but to pay for it.

But Tong Tong just won't buy it.

You can save money for a few meals, what is the parents’ money for cigarettes, what is even if you are hungry, you must not stop learning, some shameless people just don’t like to study... etc. No matter how Teacher Shen sarcasm in disguise, Tong Tong is as stable as Mount Tai.

Maybe he was the only one left in the class to buy it! Teacher Shen finally attacked him in class: "Tong Tong, you don't plan to listen to my class, right?"

"No, don't I listen well?"

"If you don't buy the English notes, what should you take to listen to?"

"I borrowed it with my classmates, I can't copy it down?"

Teacher Shen immediately pursed his lips and said to the whole class: "Did you see such a person who can take advantage of him? You bought it for free by spending money. I see which fool is willing to lend it to him."

The whole class was quiet.

Tong Tong slapped the table and said, "They bought English materials, and I bought materials for other subjects, and read them with each other. Why did they become a small advantage?"

"You also learned to talk back? Who told you to talk to the teacher like this? Ah?!"

Tong Tong thought she got angry and the matter was over. Unexpectedly, this was the beginning of his hardship. When she praised some of her classmates, she would always deliberately glance at Tong Tong, and then sarcastically said: "Those who don't even buy study materials must have no future. Why are they still sitting in the classroom? Let's drop out of school and go to work as soon as possible!"

Tong Tong had good English grades, but under her deliberate suppression, her disgust for English increased day by day. But he endured it silently and did not want to have conflicts with the teacher.

But some conflicts were not something he could avoid just by trying to avoid. One day in early winter, Lao Zeng passed away. Tong Tong was heartbroken and asked the school for a few days off to send him his last journey.

After Lao Zeng was buried, Tong Tong was driven back to school by his grandmother. Tong Tong remembered the course schedule, and when he went back like this, he happened to catch up with the English class. He was scared from the bottom of his heart, but when his grandmother got angry, he still obediently carried his schoolbag to school.

Tong Tong shouted a report, Teacher Shen was writing on the blackboard, glanced at Tong Tong, ignored him, and continued to give lectures. Tong Tong was very angry and shouted louder. Teacher Shen then looked at him, smiling and said, "This lesson is only halfway through, why are you here so soon?"

“…My master passed away, I asked for leave.”

"Master?" Teacher Shen lay lazily on the table: "What a unique title."

Tong Tongzhen wanted to fly up and let her fly out of the window. But when he thought of his deceased master, he endured it again and again.

Teacher Shen continued to roll his eyes at him: "Since your master's funeral is so important, just go to the funeral! Why are you here to do in class? Anyway, you don't have any learning materials."

"I'll say it again. I've finished my leave. Now the funeral is over. I'll come back to class. Is there any problem?"

Teacher Shen suddenly threw a piece of chalk at him, shouting so loudly that his voice broke: "Uneducated things! Who asked you to speak like this? Get out, you won't be allowed to take my class in the future!"

Tong Tong will always remember that day, he was driven out of the classroom by a teacher with a hideous face in front of everyone. The sky was terrifyingly gloomy, as if a heavy snow was brewing, and the cold wind in the corridor made him tremble.

Tears flowed down unscrupulously, not because of sadness or anger. He wiped his tears hard with the back of his hand and went straight to the phone booth. He wanted to call his master, but just after dialing the familiar phone number, he suddenly remembered that others were no longer there.

The cold wind blew the dead branches and leaves, making the phone booth crackle. Tong Tong was unwilling to give up and called his adoptive father again. Old Tong asked angrily: "What's wrong? Are you causing trouble? Or are you short of money?"

"I was kicked out of the classroom by the teacher."

"...Why do you dare to mess with the teacher?"

"I didn't mess with her! Just because I didn't buy her English notes, she puts my shoes everywhere! Can you come here? I..."

Despite crying violently, Tong Tong swallowed "I need you" back into his stomach and just held the receiver and whimpered.

But Old Tong told him: "Where can turn against the teacher? I don't have time, so hurry up and apologize to the teacher."

"I'm right! Why didn't she let me go into the classroom? I want to seek justice for myself!"

"I'm asking for nothing! That's the teacher. There are so many things wrong with others, and that's for your own good."

That was the only time Tong Tong asked for help from his adoptive father, but Lao Tong used his self-righteous survival rules - cowardice and apology, and used his indifference to push Tong Tong away.

A fifteen-year-old child was alone facing a teacher who was many times stronger than him, and no family could support him. He sat alone on the cold street, crying one after another, and didn't want others to see it.

But Tong Tong refused to surrender. From then on, whenever Teacher Shen’s class was held, he would stand in the corridor to let people come and go see how he was bullied by the teacher. Teacher Shen had never encountered such a difficult student. He was so angry that he had no choice but to do anything to him.

Later, Lao Fan couldn't stand it anymore. Although he was unwilling to interfere in this matter and did not want to make a fuss with his colleagues, he felt that Tong Tong was really pitiful, so he discussed with Tong Tong's head teacher and transferred him to his class. Since then, Teacher Shen often mocked Lao Fan: "Oh, you are really the embodiment of justice!"

Tong Tong was stubborn and just thanked him casually, but he was very grateful to Lao Fan. At that time, Geng Xiaoqing also came back from the south and got into Lao Fan's class. The two began to be inseparable again.

All these past events were told by Lao Fan. Teacher Meng felt very distressed when she heard it. It happened that she was in the same office as Teacher Shen. Teacher Shen said sarcastically: "Xiao Meng, I think you are very concerned about Tong Tong. You won't have any other ideas about him, right? These teachers have no good impression of him."

"Why, who are the teachers?"

"..." Teacher Shen looked around for a week, and the other teachers quickly lowered their heads, but they didn't want to be named by her.

Teacher Shen said embarrassedly: "No matter what you heard from other teachers, you will know after you have been in contact with it for a long time. I have never seen such a stubborn student. I am rude and I am so angry!"

Teacher Meng was furious, but smiled: "The other teachers didn't tell me what Tong Tong is like, but instead asked me to learn from you."

"Oh, you are too modest, what are you learning from me?"

"Summary of experience!" Teacher Meng said with a smile: "I heard that the notes you summarized are very popular every year. The classes you teach must be among the best, right?"

The muscles on Teacher Shen's face twitched strangely twice.

"Teacher Shen, I will ask you for your experience when I have time, and I would like to give you some advice!"

Teacher Shen’s face was full of darkness, while Teacher Meng left gracefully. She met Tong Tong at the door. Tong Tong stuttered for a long time and said, “Thank you.”

Teacher Meng was very surprised: "What do you thank for?"

"I ridiculed Teacher Shen in public and avenged me."

His expression was still tender and straightforward. Teacher Meng smiled and shook his head: "It's not that, the teachers are very harmonious. Just study hard!"

Tong Tong agreed and ran upstairs like a fly. Looking at his back, he didn't know how happy he felt. Teacher Meng looked at him lovingly and thought to himself that Teacher Shen was abominable, but Old Tong also had a great responsibility. She remembered that unpleasant call, and it turned out that Old Tong's indifference to her adopted son was consistent.

Teacher Meng called Lao Tong again, and Lao Tong was probably too big - why is this woman so persistent?

He said angrily: "I gave him the living expenses and asked him to study hard. What instructions do you have?"

"Dad Tong, you don't care enough about Tong Tong."

“…”

"Don't talk about what I picked up, he likes to cause trouble, you can't control it. If that's the case, why didn't you send him away when Grandma Tong died?"

“…”

"Dad Tong, I believe you are kind, otherwise you won't support him for many years. However, Tong Tong is learning to be a good student, and you are learning to be a father. You are not skilled, so you should practice more."

Old Tong held the phone and couldn't speak in a daze.

"Dad Tong, a recent essay written by Tong Tong, are you interested in understanding? I will read the last paragraph for you."

"You said."
Chapter completed!