"Discuss it with your family during the holiday, set aside farm work for now, and focus on your studies," Mou Guangrong earnestly advised.
After so long since the start of the term, the end-of-month holiday had finally arrived.
"Those who want to stay at school, come here to register," he said.
A few students went up one after another, with Song Yitang following suit.
"Tangtang, you're not going home either?"
Fan Yuncai felt secretly delighted to see Song Yitang wasn't going home; she could ask her more questions.
"Mmm, it's too much hassle to go back and forth," Song Yitang said, registering with her head down and hadn't finished when she heard Su Meimei's voice rise.
"Is it that you don't want to go back, or is it that you have no home to return to? Why don't you go back to your 'educated youth' dorm?"
But times had changed, and no one in the class believed her anymore.
Su Meimei wanted to continue, but she was immediately interrupted.
"Can't you ever shut up for a single day?" Fan Yuncai strode past her, stopped, and slammed her fist onto Su Meimei's desk. "My fists aren't so forgiving."
"If you can't control your mouth, then I'll do it for you!"
Fan Yuncai was loud and brash with a dark complexion. Despite only being 160 cm tall, she was all muscle and strength.
She was the only high school student from her village and was extremely dedicated and hard-working.
"Are you Song Yitang's dog? You want to stand up for her!" Su Meimei retorted with a provoking tone.
"Do you think I'm dead or what?!" Mou Guangrong marched over to the two girls with heavy steps.
"All of you, keep quiet and return to your seats now!"
Fan Yuncai struggled to resist the urge to punch Su Meimei and returned to her seat reluctantly.
"Little ancestor, I'm begging you, can't you cause less trouble every day?" she pleaded.
"If you can't study, then at least learn to keep your mouth shut. It's not that hard!" Mou Guangrong said as he forcefully slapped the table to warn Su Meimei.
"I'm telling the truth. You can ask Song Yitang if she hasn't split with her family," Su Meimei persisted.
No one paid attention to her. Song Yitang, who was on the stage, was initially curious about how she had found out, but considering that either Zhang Rui or Song Chenghao might have revealed it, she no longer dwelled on it.
"Right, I've split with my family. Is that a crime?" she countered.
"Where's your conscience, Song Yitang? Others saved you from almost drowning in the river, and instead of being grateful, you act like an ingrate."
"You're so ungrateful that you caused a stir by leaving your family. How can you face your parents who raised you and provided for your education?"
"Mixing up with male youths from the village, a person of your indecent character shouldn't even be in school."
Facing such a person, I strongly recommend her expulsion!"
Mou Guangrong felt a fire burning inside him upon hearing these words; he could never have imagined he'd teach such a malicious student.
How dare she openly slander someone else, going from unfilial to morally corrupt? If this got out, how would Song Yitang ever live it down?
He had witnessed too many young girls' lives destroyed by such light and thoughtless words.
"Su Meimei, you've gone too far!"
"Yeah, you're trying to hurt Song Yitang again, aren't you?"
More and more classmates spoke up for Song Yitang, which she found incredible.
Just last month, they were all defending Su Meimei and criticizing her.
"A vile creature spouting filth, let's see who can protect you today," Fan Yuncai said as she stood up.
Scared, Su Meimei hid behind Mou Guangrong and couldn't resist taking another stab, "Old Mou, are you going to say something? You're not thinking of covering for Song Yitang, are you?"
Mou Guangrong, too, was suppressing the urge to act, keeping calm and dissuading everyone, "Fan Yuncai, calm down. Everyone back to your seats and no talking!"
Fan Yuncai was so angry she was itching to lash out.
"First of all, from primary school to this second year of high school, all my tuition fees were paid by my grandma. You call me ungrateful—I want to ask, what kind of family is it if they give birth but don't raise the child?"
"Furthermore, my biological father forced me to drop out of school to shut up the gossipers and to marry off, sacrificing my future. Only if I left my family was I able to continue my studies," she said.
"Lastly, my relationship with the sent-down youth is cleaner than your face," she added.
Song Yitang's gaze was fierce, her presence so intimidating that it sent shivers down one's spine.
She had been raised by her grandmother since childhood, and even the money for her school fees came from her grandmother's life savings.
When her grandmother passed away, her two aunts and an uncle pointed fingers at her, accusing her of wasting money and didn't even spare the deceased grandmother.
They cursed the grandmother for being a burden while alive and even in death. The four of them, unable to bear the village gossips, pulled together some money for the funeral only grudgingly.
A lump formed in Song Yitang's throat as she remembered her grandmother, and she returned to her seat, sitting down in silence.
Su Meimei wanted to retort, but Mou Guangrong shouted before she could, "Get to the office now!"
Those in the classroom wanted to comfort Song Yitang but sensed her mood was off, so no one dared to approach her.
The situation persisted until the holiday neared, and still, no one dared to speak to her.
Mou Guangrong lost his temper in the office, the worst it had ever been, and directly suggested Su Meimei should leave.
At first, Su Meimei stubbornly refused to concede, but when she saw Mou Guangrong was serious, she knelt down and begged for one last chance, crying and saying she would learn from her mistake.
Mou Guangrong relented but he knew by the time the mock exam in May came around, he wouldn't need to persuade her to leave, and Su Meimei's grades would not be good enough anyway.
They were separated, and Song Yitang was moved to the front row.
In these three days, Song Yitang planned to challenge herself with twenty exam papers each day to complete her task earlier.
"You're early, have you eaten breakfast?" Liu Fen pulled out a steamed bun from her pocket and gave it to Song Yitang, "Take this, eat it if you get hungry."
The librarian had gone home, and Teacher Liu was on duty in the library for three days.
Teacher Liu spoke with a soft voice and a pleasant temper, always wearing a light smile, making her the most liked teacher among the senior year, including Song Yitang.
After eating breakfast, Song Yitang slung her bag over her shoulder and headed to the library, waiting outside the door as it had not yet been opened.
"Mm, good morning, Teacher Liu," she said.
She received the steamed bun, which was still warm.
The library wasn't big, just a single room with five or six shelves and two empty ones.
Song Yitang put her things down and went straight to her space, where no one would disturb her, so she was much bolder here.
After finishing six test papers, her stomach grumbled, and she prepared to go out for lunch.
"You brazen woman, you dare not come home?"
"Are you fooling around behind my back? I swear I'll beat you to death today!"
Upon hearing the commotion, Song Yitang quickly exited her space and searched for the source of the noise.
When she arrived, she saw Liu Fen sprawled on the ground, beaten, surrounded by scattered books.
Liu Fen's forehead had hit the corner of a desk, left with a big gash from which blood spurted, covering half her face and soaking her collar, a horrifying sight to behold.
The man had completely lost his mind, attempting to push a bookshelf over to crush Liu Fen.
Song Yitang dashed over and shoved the man forcefully, sending him several meters back, falling to the ground.
"Teacher Liu… I'll take you to the hospital!" Song Yitang's hands trembled as she helped Liu Fen, stuttering as she spoke.
Liu Fen, pale as a ghost, raised a hand to push her away.
"You need to leave, he's gone mad," she urged.
The man picked himself up with a savage look in his eyes, kicking Song Yitang in the waist.
Song Yitang fell to the ground in pain.
"You dare meddle in my business? Then I'll send you off first!" he yelled.
He scanned his surroundings, eyes locking onto a chair not far away.
Song Yitang's peripheral vision caught a stick nearby, and as the man turned his back, she grabbed it, enduring the pain to stand and hurried forward to strike a heavy blow to the back of the man's head.
The man turned around, his eyes wide in disbelief.
Song Yitang gritted her teeth and swung the stick at his head again, and the man thudded to the ground.