Rebirth begins with an arranged marriage

Chapter 51 Tearing Off the Face

"Tang Huaiyi!"

"You probably don't know what that crow is like..."

Just as Tang Huaiyi was studying with his head down, class monitor Guan Xiaolin came over excitedly to share her experience of feeding crows.

But before she could finish speaking, she exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Why are you wearing wet clothes?"

"I got soaked on the way to school from home," Tang Huaiyi said. "What happened to the crow?"

"The crow is lovely, I really like it," Guan Xiaolin said. "But you're so careless, why don't you change into some dry clothes?"

Tang Huaiyi thought to himself: Where can I find a change of clothes?

The Tang family was indeed poor. The clothes he was wearing now were the only ones that were in season and without patches. Patched clothes could only be worn at home.

"I haven't had time to change it yet."

"That won't do. Wet clothes sticking to your body are uncomfortable and can easily make you sick," Guan Xiaolin said. "You'd better change into them right away."

"I didn't bring my clothes," Tang Huaiyi said again.

Upon hearing Tang Huaiyi's words, Guan Xiaolin subconsciously retorted, "When you're traveling, don't you bring a couple more changes of clothes?"

After saying that, Guan Xiaolin finally realized the problem—how could someone like Tang Huaiyi, who used to eat cornbread and drink plain water, have extra clothes to change into?

I seem to be talking too much by saying this.

A feeling of guilt welled up inside him, and he looked at Tang Huaiyi.

Tang Huaiyi smiled, but before he could speak, someone called out from the doorway.

Upon seeing that it was Teacher Chen, Tang Huaiyi immediately stood up: "Teacher—"

"Here's your bedding." Teacher Chen handed him the bedding and said, "Teacher Xu just asked me about you. Go see if she needs to see you."

Tang Huaiyi nodded: "Okay, teacher, I'll put the bedding back in the dormitory and then go find Teacher Xu."

As the sky darkened, Teacher Chen didn't notice that Tang Huaiyi's clothes were wet. He nodded and turned to leave.

After delivering the bedding to the dormitory, Tang Huaiyi went to the senior high school teachers' office.

"Teacher Xu..."

Teacher Tian, ​​who was standing not far from the door, immediately stood up: "Tang Huaiyi, is something wrong?"

"Yes, I need to speak with Teacher Xu." Tang Huaiyi said, recalling Teacher Tian's short stature yet the way he sped along on his motorcycle. It must be said that this stern-faced Teacher Tian was not the kind of rigid old-fashioned person in life; on the contrary, he was quite the trendsetter in the small county.

As the two were talking, Teacher Xu, who was sitting inside, reached up and brushed a strand of hair aside before standing up: "Tang Huaiyi, you're here. Come and tell me what's going on."

As he spoke, he walked out of the teachers' office and led Tang Huaiyi to the entrance of the flower bed on campus.

"What did your third uncle say? Does he mind that my reputation is bad?"

"No, I've explained it to my third uncle. He sympathizes with your situation, and he's never been married before, so he'd like to get married and start a family. Teacher Xu, you asked him to come to the city, settle down, and be good to the family. He's willing to do all of that."

Tang Huaiyi briefly explained the situation, then asked Teacher Xu, "Teacher Xu, have you changed your mind? If you haven't, my third uncle will come to the school to see me tomorrow, and you can meet him."

"You can discuss the specifics of hygiene, smoking, and drinking later."

"If you change your mind, I won't bring my third uncle to see you tomorrow."

Teacher Xu said in a low voice, "I haven't changed my mind, but I'm afraid your third uncle will hear other people's foul language and think I'm a bad woman, and then he won't be satisfied."

"You two decide for yourselves. If my third uncle is not satisfied or you are not satisfied, then this matter will not be settled. Anyway, marriage is a matter of personal freedom, and there is no forced purchase or sale."

Tang Huaiyi said.

Teacher Xu was initially a little embarrassed to discuss this topic with a student, but when she saw Tang Huaiyi talking so seriously about "freedom of marriage," she couldn't help but laugh: "Your classmate has quite a way of speaking."

"It's as if you're a married adult with a family."

Tang Huaiyi chuckled: "In the countryside, many people my age are already married. Teacher Xu, please don't treat me like an immature kid, okay?"

"Alright, alright, from now on I'll talk to you as an equal and won't treat you like a child." Teacher Xu said with a smile, and most of her nervousness disappeared.

The two agreed to meet the next day after Tang Huaiyi's third uncle arrived, after which Teacher Xu returned to his office.

Tang Huaiyi was about to return to the classroom when a basketball suddenly came from the side as he walked past the basketball court.

Tang Huaiyi instinctively reached out and caught the ball, then turned to look.

Zhao Weimin waved with a smile: "Come on, Tang Huaiyi, let's play basketball."

Tang Huaiyi calmly tossed the ball back: "No."

"How can you say you can't? You caught the ball pretty well just now, didn't you?" Zhao Weimin said with a smile.

"Did you throw that ball just now?"

Tang Huaiyi asked.

"No, the ball just flew over while we were hitting it, and you caught it just in time," Zhao Weimin said. "Come on, let's play for a while."

"No." Tang Huaiyi glanced at him, taking the excuse as true, and turned to leave.

Zhao Weimin chuckled again from behind and raised his voice: "What's there to be afraid of? It's just basketball!"

"Aren't you pretty brave?"

Tang Huaiyi stopped and turned to look at him: "Where did you get that idea? Did I offend you?"

"Offend me? Can you afford to offend me?"

Zhao Weimin sneered as he twirled the basketball in his hand. After several encounters, he had figured out that Tang Huaiyi was just a poor student who rode in a carriage with others, and most of the time he walked on foot, so he was definitely not a troublemaker.

Moreover, he was indeed "timid and afraid of trouble," and was clearly avoiding me.

Therefore, Zhao Weimin became much more direct and less polite in his speech.

"Do you know how much this basketball I'm holding costs? Fifty dollars."

"Someone like you, who struggles to scrape together even a few dollars for tuition, has the nerve to offend me? What makes you think you can offend me?"

Seeing that he had torn off his mask and was no longer pretending to be a polite and kind person, Tang Huaiyi sneered: "You've made yourself clear like this, and although it's not great, at least it shows your true colors."

"So you were just putting on an act, pretending to be friends with me. It was so hypocritical and disgusting."

Zhao Weimin had expected Tang Huaiyi to back down again, but this time he unexpectedly retorted with harsh words. Zhao Weimin slammed the ball he was holding to the ground, his face contorted with anxiety: "What did you say?"

Tang Huaiyi sneered: "Before you ask that question, think about what you said yourself."

"Next time, don't put on that act in front of me. You can't fool even a three-year-old."

After speaking, he turned and walked towards the red brick classroom.

Zhao Weimin called out urgently from behind, "Don't go yet! Explain yourself!"

Tang Huaiyi ignored him completely and went straight into the classroom.

Just as Zhao Weimin was about to call out again, Guan Xiaolin poked her head out from Class 1 of Senior Three, looking puzzled: "Zhao Weimin, what are you shouting at Tang Huaiyi for?"

"It's nothing...it's nothing, I just asked him to play basketball..."

Zhao Weimin smiled, bent down to pick up the basketball, greeted Guan Xiaolin, and returned to the basketball court.