America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

The chemistry classroom was Michael's territory. Old George stood by the classroom door for a while, and Michael carefully locked the door when he left.

Teachers have designated restrooms for their use, and students are generally not allowed to use these restrooms.

Teachers rarely set foot in the restrooms used by the students. Old George and Michael were mentally prepared, but they were still shocked by what they found inside the restrooms that the students used most often.

Stan Lee was a cleaner at the school, and the student restrooms were also part of his cleaning duties.

Where did the door go?

Who wrote poetry on the door panel?

"Someone is smoking in the toilet!"

"telephone number?"

Who doesn't flush the toilet after using it?

Stan Lee stood at the bathroom door with a bucket and a mop, and heard the vice principal's voice coming from inside.

“What are you doing here? I haven’t cleaned yet,” Stan Lee complained to old George and Michael.

Old George covered his mouth and nose, and when he turned around, he saw that his chemistry teacher, Michael, was already wearing a blue disposable medical mask.

“I need to wear a mask too.” Stan Lee said, taking out a disposable mask and putting it on.

"Do you wear masks often?" Vice Principal George asked, puzzled.

“What’s wrong with wearing it all the time? It’s basic hygiene practice,” Stan Lee said, looking at the vice principal.

"Sometimes you need to wear a mask when doing chemistry experiments," Professor Michael chimed in.

"I'm fine now."

Old George and Mr. Michael came out of the bathroom so Stan Lee could get back to work.

“I want to know the basic principles of wearing masks in terms of hygiene,” the vice principal asked Michael, a professional teacher beside him.

"Wearing a mask can block tiny, invisible objects from entering the mouth and nose when a person breathes. Common disposable masks are made of three layers of filter material, which prevents bacteria and viruses from entering the human body through aerosols."

"And when a person is sick, it can also block the spread of aerosols."

The old man nodded; he had basically understood.

"Of course, some people really dislike people who wear masks, and I've never understood that. Wearing a mask is clearly a responsible act."

"What if many students come to school wearing masks?" the vice principal asked.

"The students may be worried about catching a cold, and students with colds wear masks because they don't want to infect others."

"In this kind of weather, wearing a mask outdoors will feel warmer."

Old George felt he had guessed the truth: those students must have worn masks to school because of the cold weather.

……

……

"Gwen, you look so much prettier with your mask on."

On Monday, Li Qun and Peter saw Gwen in the hallway of the teaching building and noticed that she was also wearing a mask.

"What's wrong with you? Have you caught a cold?" Li Qun asked with concern.

"Don't tell anyone," Gwen whispered to Li Qun, coughing twice as she did so.

"It's all my dad's fault, he brought the flu virus home."

"Do you need to take medicine?" Li Qun asked.

Gwen frowned.

When Li Qun mentioned medicine, the only thing she could think of was the traditional Chinese medicine Peter had taken last year.

Peter's extreme suffering while drinking the medicine was still vivid in her mind; Gwen did not want to drink the Chinese medicine.

“Gwen, how many days have you been sick?” Peter asked with concern.

"The third day."

"You'll be done in four more days," Peter smiled.

"I don't think so," Li Qun shook his head.

Winter is the peak season for viral influenza, which is often accompanied by upper respiratory tract infections. Common painkillers can help the body fight off the immune response triggered by the virus, but respiratory infections require antibiotics.

"Do you have any phlegm?"

"A little, I guess?" Gwen answered Li Qun hesitantly.

“We need to use some of that,” Li Qun said, looking at Peter.

I'll bring it to you tomorrow.

Peter knew that Liqun was referring to the box of antibiotic capsules Harry had given him last time.

Peter hid the box of antibiotics himself, without telling Aunt May or Uncle Ben.

"How is Uncle George doing?" Peter continued to inquire.

He said he could just drink milk because some milk contains drug residues.

"He's really carefree," Li Qun remarked.

Vice Principal George stood by the door. None of the students wore masks when they entered the teaching building, but once they got past George, they started wearing them in the corridor outside the classroom.

Gwen stood out from the crowd of this bizarre mask trend by wearing a medical mask.

“I have to say, he looks pretty handsome with the bottom half of his face covered. Ugly people become beautiful.” Harry’s gaze swept over the masked classmate’s face.

"Are you going to wear a mask too?" Li Qun asked.

"I'll give it a try if I have the chance."

"I want a cool mask like the Liqun brand, at least one that allows me to breathe easily." Harry's gaze swept over the girls wearing masks.

While attending classes in different classrooms, Li Qun would occasionally observe Gwen's condition. Li Qun sensed that Gwen was constantly holding back, trying not to cough.

Gwen was holding back her tears; her face was flushed.

The classroom was a bit hot, even a little warm.

The school's heating system is very effective, making many people's faces flushed from the heat.

When school was over, Gwen felt a sense of relief as she walked outside.

"How about taking two days off?" Li Qun asked Gwen with concern.

“I’d rather come to the school and lie in the infirmary,” Gwen replied firmly.

“Lying in the infirmary isn’t bad either. Who do you think the teacher will assign to take care of you?” Peter said.

“It won’t be you, Peter. The teachers only assign girls to look after girls,” Gwen said.

“Gwen, you absolutely mustn’t take too much medicine, or switch to a stronger one, the side effects will be very serious,” Li Qun said.

"Of course I know."

George Stacy drove to pick up Gwen and take her home. Instead of wearing a mask like Gwen, George Stacy chose to wear sunglasses.

He hid the bloodshot eyes with sunglasses; he hadn't been sleeping well due to a cold.

Gwen got into the car, and Li Qun and Peter waved goodbye to Gwen and George inside.

“Dad, you should make sure the officers at the police station wear masks when they come into contact with other people,” Gwen blurted out in the car.

“That would infringe on personal freedom.” George Stacy focused on driving.

"Have there ever been instances where almost half the police station had a cold?"

"That never happened."

Chapter 106 Show Your Face

A new notice has been posted on the bulletin board in the teaching building corridor, requiring students not to wear face shields or cover their faces in any other way. Students who need to wear medical masks for health reasons need to apply to the school.

After seeing the announcement, Li Qun knocked on the door of the vice principal's office at noon.

"Are you here to apply?" Old George guessed Li Qun's purpose with just one glance.

“Vice Principal, I’m here to apply.”

"You need to fill out an application form and bring the required medical certificates."

The vice principal set the application threshold.

"What kind of medical certificate?" Li Qun asked anxiously.

"The certificate issued by the school doctor proves that you really need to wear a mask to school," the vice principal said.

"Yes, sir, sorry to bother you."

Li Qun left the office and walked towards the school clinic, holding several application forms in his hand.

Upon entering the school clinic, the school doctor was eating lunch alone.

"Good afternoon, Dr. White."

"Can you wait a moment? I'm eating."

Li Qun took a step forward, and Dr. White immediately took a step back.

“You’re wearing a mask, I don’t want to have contact with you while I’m eating.”

Li Qun suspected that their school doctor, Mr. White, was a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Li Qun and Dr. White kept a distance of five meters, while Dr. White quickly ate his lunch, clearly eager to resolve Li Qun's problem as soon as possible.

"Okay, I'm finished eating. What's up?"

Dr. White wiped his mouth clean, put on a mask, and pushed his wheelchair to sit down in front of Li Qun.

“Dr. White, I’m not used to the air in the school classrooms. I need to wear this mask.”

"You're not used to it, are you? The smell is too awful, isn't it?"

Dr. White suddenly laughed. He found himself quite understanding of Li Qun's Asian student coming to see him at lunchtime.