Li Zheng couldn't stand it anymore, "Teacher Qiao, you can hold off on speaking, let Teacher Hu catch her breath first, alright?"
Qiao Sheng glared.
"No problem, have a seat, I'll shut up."
Li Zheng felt it, how curious.
It was as if he had tamed an old Tibetan mastiff.
Of course, he didn't sit, but instead moved forward to Hu Chunmei.
"Teacher Hu, give me your medical records and test results. Let me help you ask around."
"No need... really, no need..."
"Spring, come on now." Qiao Sheng was so anxious he almost slapped himself, "You've done everything for the kids, can't you even consult someone?"
With that, he pulled out his phone and added Li Zheng on WeChat.
He kept muttering.
"Really, you can skip gym class from now on."
"Any gym teacher's class, really. The whole PE department consists of my siblings."
"I'll find a way, even change your final grades from last term."
Hu Chunmei looked at the two of them, unable to laugh or cry.
"Li Zheng, don't bother your father, there's no need to ask..." She shook her head and sighed, "It's just a benign tumor near the spine, sometimes it presses on the nerves, causing some numbness. It goes away with some movement, and it won't grow bigger. Surgery can be done anytime."
Li Zheng frowned, "Teacher Hu, my knowledge of medicine is limited, but if a professional doctor said that to you, I think their license should be revoked."
"You didn't hear her. Professional doctors have told her to wait in the normal surgery queue," Qiao Sheng said while sending the MRI pictures, cursing, "She's the one insisting on finishing teaching the senior year, this one... she's gonna die on the podium first... ptooey! ptooey! Damn my mouth..."
Thwack thwack thwack!
Qiao Sheng really slapped himself.
"Teacher Qiao... calm down, Teacher Qiao..." Li Zheng, after receiving the pictures, forwarded them to his father and his father's medical students, mumbling, "If the tumor is near the spine, my father should be the specialist. Their director is the best in the country. If the tumor's location is dangerous, he can ask the director to operate."
"!!!" Qiao Sheng jumped up, his eyes wide, "Li Zheng! Zhengzi! You're my brother from now on! Strut around the PE department... no, strut around the whole school! Any punk thinking they're tough and messes with you, just call me. I'll turn them into model students."
"You just..." Hu Chunmei could only sigh, "No wonder you haven't been promoted in twenty years..."
Not long after, Li Zheng received a reply and quickly sent a business card to Qiao Sheng.
"My dad is free from 2:30 to 3:00 this afternoon, Teacher Qiao. Contact this person, she's my dad's graduate student. Hurry, take all the materials, and go to the hospital to get an appointment with her."
Qiao Sheng frantically tapped his phone.
"Cheng Wenyue, right, added, added."
He didn't just add once, but twice, three times, four times.
On the seventh attempt, she finally accepted.
"Before 2:00, take the health insurance card and past medical records to the main building of Tiantan Hospital." Qiao Sheng turned and excitedly said, "I'll go home to get the materials and come back to pick you up in twenty minutes."
With that, he gazed at Li Zheng.
It was like looking at a long-lost father.
Tears of excitement welled up.
Almost kneeled.
"Good! Great! Wonderful!!" Finally, he hugged the back of Li Zheng's head and gave it a hard head-bump.
Thud!
"I'll treat you to a grand meal when it's done."
And off he went.
Leaving Li Zheng squatting on the ground, holding his head.
Almost brought to tears by the pain.
If you want to bow, I won't stop you.
But why headbutt me!
Damn it, who said good deeds are rewarded?
At this moment, Hu Chunmei couldn't stop it anymore.
She hurried to help Li Zheng up, took out a chocolate bar from her drawer, and handed it to Li Zheng, "Haven't eaten yet, right..."
"I ate, you keep it." Li Zheng said, holding his forehead, "For the rest, talk to Cheng Wenyue. My dad is probably still in the operating room, he can't reply."
As he spoke, Li Zheng kept stepping back.
He was afraid Qiao Sheng would come back.
"Don't rush, sit for a moment." Hu Chunmei smiled and pulled out a chair, "We haven't had a proper talk for a while, and there are some things that should be said before it's too late."
Li Zheng sat down nervously.
Hu Chunmei also took a long breath, "It's obvious that your whole family is very academically competent."
"Yes, everyone went to prestigious schools, only I'm lagging behind." Li Zheng smiled shyly, "From our school's past records, I need to be in the top 15 to have a shot at a 985?"
"Top ten would be best," Hu Chunmei said, "But I expect you to be in the top three."
"Huh?"
"No need for huhs. Your grit is a process of quantitative to qualitative change. Just keep accumulating, you'll break through eventually. About yesterday, my words might've been a bit harsh, but to be honest, you lack the innate talent compared to Lin Yujing." Hu Chunmei pursed her lips, "Let's not compare to her. She could have gone to a top high school but chose here to be close to home..."
"Close to home..." Li Zheng murmured, "I chose here to be close to home too."
"Haha, I said not to compare to her." Hu Chunmei gently said, "Using Lin Yujing as a benchmark will only lead to despair. I've seen similar situations, and the student striving to compete ended up depressed, even missed the college entrance exam, and had to retake it later."
Li Zheng shuddered.
Study so hard it leads to depression.
Is this the fear of being dominated by a top student?
"So, don't think too much about Lin Yujing, just focus on doing your best."
Hu Chunmei said while opening the computer and browsing through the score sheet.
"Math and physics, maintain the rhythm, tackle difficult problems appropriately, and manage your time well."
"For Chinese and English, I'll quickly talk to Teacher Xiao Tang and others, they will have methods suitable for you. As long as you maintain your grit, you can definitely build a solid foundation and make a breakthrough."
"Biology shouldn't be a big problem, mainly chemistry..."
"By the way, earlier I heard Teacher Yu from chemistry arguing with the exams office about changing the entire grade's scores because of you, you didn't offend her too, did you?"
"Uh, um... it's hard to explain." Li Zheng scratched his face.
Hu Chunmei waved her hand, "Forget it, it's fine. She's quite mediocre, but her family is influential, so the school keeps supporting her. You don't need to attend her classes. I'll talk to her about letting you self-study."
"You don't have to force it."
"Hmm... chemistry, chemistry, still chemistry..." Hu Chunmei rubbed her chin and mumbled for a while, then picked up the phone. After dialing, she started a chat with no warning.
"Teacher Sun, it's me, Chunmei."
"Oh, you already know?"
"No way, the principal's order has been issued, there's really no way this time."
"Mm-hmm, thank you for your blessings."
"By the way... we have a promising student in our class, but struggling with chemistry."
"Just a few minutes, can you..."
"Okay, okay, tomorrow at noon, I'll send him over."
"Take care of yourself too."
Hu Chunmei put down the phone and excitedly patted Li Zheng's chair, "Teacher Sun Leyang was specifically hired by the principal, a top chemistry teacher in the country, only comes for half a day a week, and just teaches the key senior classes. Prepare your questions, bring your recent chemistry tests, and visit him for guidance tomorrow."
"!!!" Li Zheng's whole face lit up.
His forehead didn't hurt anymore.
"I knew you'd react like this." Hu Chunmei smiled and extended her right hand, "I hope when I come back from surgery, I see your name in the top three of the grade."
"I'll give it my all!" Li Zheng shook hands firmly.
"By the way, don't listen to Qiao Sheng, you should attend PE class normally."
"Absolutely!"
"Good, I should start packing up." Hu Chunmei looked at her desk, gently stroking the small cactus pot and sighed, "I will inform your new homeroom teacher about your situation, so he doesn't disturb your study rhythm."
"Ours?"
"And Lin Yujing."
"I think it wouldn't hurt to disturb her a bit." Li Zheng whispered.
"I told you not to compete with her."
"Just kidding, I wouldn't stoop to her level." Li Zheng stood up and bowed with a smile, "Don't worry about Old Li's knife skills. I'll visit you in the hospital."
"No need, really, if you want to make me happy, just send me your report card." Hu Chunmei stood up to see him off, "But not Liu Xin's, just looking at it is enough to give me an aneurysm."
"Don't jinx yourself, Teacher Hu."