Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Qian Wentao interrupted directly: "No need to calculate, it's 100% certain. Director Gao will announce it this afternoon."

Wang Yutong huddled in the corner, her shoulders slightly hunched, looking just like a little quail that had been called out.

Sure enough, as soon as the afternoon bell rang, Teacher Gao stood on the podium and said, "This past month, the student I value most is Wang Yutong—diligent yet unassuming, intelligent yet not impetuous, disciplined and hardworking, she is a true role model."

He flipped through the report card in his hand, his tone turning serious: "He proved his abilities in this exam. Several professors praised him, saying that such a promising student is easy to mentor, cultivate, and develop."

"Therefore, I propose that Wang Yutong serve as the class monitor."

The applause had barely subsided when Wang Yutong's results were indeed convincing, but the competitive spirit in the classroom hadn't dissipated—everyone gritted their teeth and vowed to give it their all next time to dethrone her.

Wang Yutong lowered her head and fiddled with the pen cap, her voice soft but clear: "Director Gao, this... I really don't want to be a class monitor. I usually love to bury myself in books."

"Yutong, this won't do." Director Gao leaned forward slightly, his tone steady but leaving no room for refusal. "When you enter research institutes and laboratories in the future, you'll be working on cutting-edge projects, but who says scientists only bury themselves in calculating formulas? Leading teams, managing resources, and coordinating manpower—aren't these basic skills? Being a class monitor or academic representative at school is the most practical training ground. Look at the alumni displayed in our school history museum; which one didn't start from the class committee, gradually smoothing things out and uniting people? Of course, you can't slack off on your studies, but your vision and shoulders also need to grow."

Wang Yutong pursed her lips: "Teacher, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it."

"Try it out for a month first." Director Gao smiled, his gaze warm and resolute. "If you really can't handle it, we can replace you at any time; but your teacher hopes you will take a step forward—not necessarily to be perfect, but to not avoid the necessary trial."

He always believed in one principle: true excellence is not merely about high scores on exams. Which professor standing on the podium doesn't possess convincing abilities? Which one isn't both knowledgeable and influential?

Having said all that, Wang Yutong didn't hesitate any longer and nodded in agreement.

……

The next day at the class meeting, Director Gao got straight to the point and announced the candidates on the spot.

Wang Yutong was appointed class monitor, and Qian Wentao was appointed study committee member.

With only about thirty students in the class, the structure was streamlined, with the remaining positions shared by two people. For example, Wang Yutong not only had to monitor the course progress, but also take care of trivial matters such as dormitory repair requests, meal card replacements, and taking sick students to the hospital.

The two of them swept the top two spots in the grade, and when the results were announced, there was complete silence—no one murmured or frowned.

Director Gao then added, "The class committee is re-elected every semester, but the method remains the same: fair and transparent, and the opportunity is always there."

Before he finished speaking, some people below had already quietly clenched their fists, their eyes shining.

Back in the dorm, Li Diwen immediately yelled at the top of his lungs, "Lin Wan! We're having an extra meal tonight, you have to treat us!"

"Squad Leader Wang, please take good care of me~" Ji Fengnan said in a drawn-out tone, smiling and cupping his hands.

Wang Yutong was taken aback: "Why add the word 'small'?"

"You're the youngest, aren't you? I heard the people in the back calling you 'Xiao Tong' just now in class!" Xiao Yao said with a smile as she lay down on the bed.

Qian Wentao winked and said, "Congratulations! Now you have a nickname, just like Director Gao."

Ji Fengnan shook his finger: "But this title probably won't last long."

"Why?" Wang Yutong looked up.

"Because—" she raised her chin, her eyes blazing with fire, "Next exam, I'll be the first to rush up and 'tumble' you. Everyone else is putting in their best effort too."

Wang Yutong looked around and saw that the room was full of eager faces, and she was speechless for a moment.

At noon, Xiao Yao treated the whole dormitory to a meal in the cafeteria.

Basically, everyone carries their own enamel mug to get their own rice, one spoonful for meat and one spoonful for vegetables, and then they move all the rice and dishes onto a table, sit around it, and eat together in a lively atmosphere.

After finishing their meal, everyone went back to their rooms and fell asleep immediately, their snoring gradually rising.

Wang Yutong leaned against the window, her fingertips holding a corner of the letter. Her heart felt like it was filled with a light, bubbly bird. She hadn't planned to take this job, but now that she was actually in this position, she felt a sense of peace and a slightly burning joy.

She picked up her pen and wrote a letter to her parents, each word clear and bright. She meticulously described how she had become class monitor, helped classmates correct their homework, and run errands to pick up books for others, hoping that they would smile when they opened the letter.

Xiao Yao packed her schoolbag and waved to everyone: "I'm going home for a few days, and I'll move back before the exam."

Anyway, the "system" at home agreed and would supervise her one-on-one during the day while she did practice problems in the space.

The three of them simply nodded and didn't try to persuade them to stay—they would still leave together during their lunch break as usual, it was just that they would have one less person to talk to in the evening.

Su Man was waiting at the school gate. When she saw Xiao Yao come out, she smiled and went to greet him. The two walked slowly side by side along the tree-lined path.

"I took apart all the old clothes and turned them into little jackets and pants for the children, and sent them all to Wang Xin's family," Su Man said softly. "Their two children's clothes were patched upon patched, and the cuffs were even frayed."

She had just been elected as the student life committee member and also served as the vice president of the student union, responsible for handling the difficulties in student life. Right now, there are indeed several couples who have both been admitted to the Normal University, and their children have come with them. The youngest is only three years old, and the oldest has just started elementary school. They have set up a temporary home in a corner of the campus.

The student council held a meeting overnight and cleared out an old dormitory building for them to settle in—so as not to disturb other students' peace and quiet, and to make room for the children to run around.

Students from well-off families often spontaneously pooled together rice, flour, and oil coupons. Su Man spearheaded three fundraising campaigns and frequently visited garment factories, begging them to spare some scraps of fabric and sewing machine hours.

"I don't have many old clothes, but I still have some food stamps to spare." Xiao Yao took out a handful of crumpled bills and carefully spread them in Su Man's palm. "Here, take them all."

Such bright, capable, academically outstanding, and hardworking girls are truly rare these days.

Although Wang Xin and her husband were both students on campus, they had two young children and their monthly allowance was simply not enough to make ends meet. Fortunately, these kind-hearted people lent a helping hand, preventing their lives from completely collapsing.

"I got them some temporary jobs at a garment factory. They can work a day on their days off and get paid one yuan in cash," Su Man said in a low voice as she counted the bills. "It'll help them make ends meet."

"You really think things through, and you really have a way with ideas," Xiao Yao sighed sincerely.

"What's so difficult about that?" Su Man shook her head slightly, her voice a little heavy. "The school even arranged for them to sort through old books in the library and gave them a monthly stipend. But the hardest part wasn't the lack of money, it was the way they were coaxing the children while copying notes and memorizing vocabulary—that kind of tenacious spirit really made my heart ache."

"Only by persevering today can we stand tall tomorrow." Xiao Yao gazed at the distant ginkgo treetops, his voice gentle. "Whose good life wasn't earned inch by inch?"

Even if you are born into a life of luxury, that security is earned through the hard work and sacrifices of your parents.

As they talked, they unknowingly reached the corner of the teaching building, just as the class bell rang.

In the cafeteria of Kyoto Normal University, Cheng Jianjun stared at the half-cold steamed buns in his lunchbox, poking at them with his chopsticks without touching them.

Across from him, Su Meng held a bowl in one hand and flipped through "Advanced Mathematics" with the other. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she casually asked, "Su Meng, you've lost a lot of weight lately. Did Han Chunming upset you again? I told you long ago he's unreliable. He's just lucky to be the head of a teaching and research office now."

"Cheng Jianjun," Su Meng said crisply, closing her book, "Han Chunming is none of your business to judge. Whether I'm fat or thin is my own decision; he'll like me no matter what I look like."

Cheng Jianjun's face darkened: "How could you say such a thing in public?"

"Why can't you say it?" She looked up and stared directly at him. "Chunming and I are properly engaged. Stop getting in my way and interfering with my studies."

Cheng Jianjun was rebuffed, so he grabbed his lunchbox, turned around, and left. He sat down at another table, deciding to avoid seeing the situation altogether.

As soon as Su Meng finished speaking, Wu Lan's face darkened instantly: "Cheng Jianjun's skin is thicker than a city wall! He knows you already have a fiancé, but he still insists on hanging around you every few days, pretending to be a 'chance encounter,' which makes people want to vomit." Before she finished speaking, she exaggeratedly furrowed her brows, pursed her lips, and glanced at Cheng Jianjun with undisguised contempt in her eyes.

"He loves being a flypaper, how can I stop him? I've advised him eight hundred times, but he's like he's got cotton in his ears, pretending to be deaf and dumb!" Su Meng deliberately raised her voice, and the students at the surrounding tables all turned to look at her. When their eyes swept over Cheng Jianjun, their lips twitched slightly and their eyebrows furrowed, full of meaning.

Cheng Jianjun was looking in this direction when he happened to run into Wu Lan rolling her eyes.

She immediately raised her voice and added, "Let me remind you, Su Meng, be careful on your way home—some people might do something foolish one day!"

Cheng Jianjun's face darkened on the spot. He slammed down his chopsticks, picked up his lunchbox, turned around, and strode out of the canteen. His back was as stiff as a taut iron bar.

"Don't worry, Chunming will be waiting for me at the school gate every day." Su Meng's ears turned red, her voice soft but full of confidence.

"That would be great!" Wu Lan scoffed. "I doubt he even knows how to spell the word 'good person' correctly."

"Whether he's a human or a ghost, I won't talk to him at all, let alone see him alone." Su Meng gritted her teeth, her tone turning cold. "I remember when he publicly ridiculed Chunming at the social gathering—don't let me catch him, or he'll be in big trouble."

Upon hearing this, Wu Lan's gossip-loving spirit ignited instantly: "Tell me quickly, how exactly did he trip me up?"

Su Meng was stunned on the spot, and sighed in her heart: This Wu Lan is indeed the kind of person who will dig a hole no matter how deep or how ruthless she is in digging!

She had no choice but to recount the events of that day in detail, including the intimate story of how the three of them had grown up together, climbing trees naked, stealing plums, and taking each other's scoldings.

Wu Lan's eyes lit up as she listened, nodding frequently and occasionally interjecting, "Oh my, so he was a sly child?" "No wonder he's so annoying now!"