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Chapter 128: Chapter 116: Sorry, What is Manners? _1
Upon hearing this, Xie Wendong felt his brain going blank.
The situation had completely surpassed his predictions. He hadn’t dared to tell his family that he had been transferred to another class. Otherwise, if they found out he had offended everyone at school, students, teachers, and even the principal, his reputation would be completely ruined and his father would definitely not let it slide off. Despite his father’s deep affections for him, angering him could lead to certain consequences, one of which was the feared Stir-fried Pork with Bamboo Shoots dish.
The day before he had taken the examination papers home and his father, Xie Jun, hadn’t said much. After all, his grades always remained unchanged. His father had only asked about Wang Yan’s score and, apart from lavishing her with praise, hadn’t said much else. This had greatly relieved him, and he thought he had passed one hurdle.
Unexpectedly, his father had dragged him to Wang Yan’s house today. He had initially thought it was just an ordinary visit, and he had been playing the ’good kid’ all along to prevent Tang Qing and Wang Yan from revealing his transfer. He had absolutely no knowledge of his father’s plans beforehand.
Clearly, Xie Jun’s metaphorical blow hadn’t hit Wang Sheng as intended but had instead struck his own son, essentially forcing the latter to expose his secret. If this had happened before the seat change, he might have been happy, but now he was just terrified.
For a moment, Xie Wendong was completely at a loss, feeling anxious and restless, and his hands even started shaking a little.
The situation wasn’t any better for Tang Qing and the others. Their hearts were full of anger. Not only did they want to change the seating arrangement, but Xie Jun also wanted tutoring for his son at home. Tutoring? As if! They were genuinely furious at this point.
At this point, Wang Sheng, the head of the house, chimed in: "Changing seats should depend on the class teacher’s arrangements, so that it doesn’t disturb the children’s studies."
Wang Sheng wasn’t really hoping for the teacher’s intervention, he just didn’t want an awkward confrontation at the dinner table. So he brought it up as a distraction.
Even though Wang Sheng’s tone was very calm, those who knew him well understood that he was genuinely angry. Xie Jun’s son, who was poor at studies, wanted to sit next to his daughter, which might affect her grades. And he even had the audacity to think about getting extra coaching at their house. He was essentially telling him to get lost.
"Alright, I’ll ask the teacher tomorrow to switch their seats," Xie Jun decided domineeringly. When he first moved to the city, he didn’t have many connections he could use, but now he had made some acquaintances and attended some dinners. Moreover, because of his status, he was sure the teacher wouldn’t refuse a minor request like changing seats.
After all, it would be a waste to have the grade topper occupying that seat. It would be better to give it to his son and in turn, improve his grades. As for tutoring by Tang Qing, well, they were not familiar with each other. Wang Sheng, the businessman he could control, was a better choice for this ’task’.
"Dad, I think let’s forget about it. I will definitely study hard in the future, so there’s no need to change seats." Xie Wendong quickly begged. He had even planned to find a reason to change schools later, but he didn’t expect the truth to be revealed so soon. He really didn’t want his father to continue pressuring him this way. Seeing Wang Yan’s eyes filled with anger, he knew he had to speak out or else she would surely expose him. No matter what, he didn’t want to be exposed, especially not in front of everyone. The atmosphere couldn’t be more awkward.
Xie Jun was surprised to see his son’s unusual behavior and felt like he didn’t recognise his own son. Since when did his son start saying things like this? This wasn’t like him at all. He knew his son had shown great ’interest’ in Wang Yan, so he should be pleased about this, not reject it. He had also thought that if his son ended up with Wang Yan, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome. He would not have to resort to bribery or corruption anymore. Plus, Wang Yan was an only child, so it would be like hitting two birds with one stone. However, his son’s behavior today was indeed strange.
Nevertheless, he stuck to his decision. He had heard his son’s promises countless times but didn’t believe it one bit. The national college entrance examination was approaching, and his son’s grades needed to be improved at any cost.
"What is there to think about? Don’t I know your grades well enough? You always say the same thing, now just listen to me." Xie Jun started playing the stereotypical authoritative parent card. His words made Xie Wendong even worse off, causing him to realize no one believed his promises anymore to study hard. He felt like crying but couldn’t, and just as he was about to say something else, Wang Yan couldn’t hold back any longer.
Her usually pleasant voice now sounded like the harbinger of bad news.
"Well, Xie Wendong, you’re not in our class anymore, so how can you change your seat?" Wang Yan scoffed. She was burning with anger at this point; Xie Jun was talking about changing seats again and even wanted her to tutor his son at her house. He must be dreaming!
Xie Wendong felt a lump in his throat as his face turned pale as death.
"What?"
"Huh?"
Xie Jun and Wang Sheng looked at Xie Wendong in surprise, waiting for a confirmation.
Changed classes?
Xie Wendong hadn’t mentioned that to his father. Xie Jun’s face darkened as he looked at his son. This was a significant matter and yet, his son didn’t say anything about it. There was surely more to it, and it definitely was not good news. No school would make such a significant decision without informing the parents.
"I...I felt that being in that class...the pressure... was too high, so I...changed the class," Xie Wendong stammered. He knew it was a terrible excuse, but he had no choice. Considering both face and dignity, given the sudden situation, he was in complete disarray. He couldn’t come up with a better explanation, certainly not one that revealed he was humiliated due to his ow
Xie Wendong wished he could crawl into a hole. The world is too dangerous, and the waters too deep in the big city. He had never expected to tumble so carelessly upon his arrival, and he found himself longing for the ’leisurely’ days in the county.
Wang Yan and Tang Qing exchanged a glance, but they did not expose Xie Wendong’s lie to avoid causing a fuss in the family during dinner.
If you want to make a fuss, do it at home,
"Why didn’t you tell me about this? I’m going to call the teacher." Xie Jun is so furious that he almost slapped his son. He knew the supposed reasons for his son’s change of class were lies, but the fact that his son kept it from him, his own father, made him even angrier. Plus, the reasons were so pathetic that they were humiliating.
Xie Wendong remained silent, looking down. Seeing that his father’s attention had been diverted and the topic was dropped, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was enough for him that the truth was not revealed at this very moment.
But Xie Jun’s words once again sent Xie Wendong’s heart pounding.
"No worries, whether in a different class, the curriculum remains the same. He can still learn from Wang Yan here," said Xie Jun as he took a sip of wine, planning to interrogate his son after he gets back to find out what’s really going on and then carry out his second plan.
By now, Wang Sheng couldn’t bear it any longer and abruptly said, "Chief Xie, my daughter is also burdened with a heavy academic workload. I’m afraid she won’t have the liberty to guide Wendong."
"No problem. She should have some free time. Half an hour per day should be enough," replied Xie Jun, who had plenty of wine without realizing Wang Sheng’s change in tone.
"I would never tutor him, don’t even think about it," Wang Yan boldly shouted clearly, finding the idea of tutoring Xie Wendong laughable.
Wang Sheng remained silent, acknowledging his daughter’s decision without commenting.
"Oh, Yanzi. Wendong has many good qualities. It was his previous environment that was negative. This time I hope you can effectively guide his study methods. Once Wendong improves, don’t hesitate to let your uncle know your needs. Your uncle can also provide better help for your father’s business," stated Xie Jun slowly, emanating an air of self-assured victory. Tang Qing was itching to throw a punch.
"I..." stuttered Wang Yan, utterly infuriated. Xie Jun had started threatening her. Although she was not afraid, she was disgusted.
Sensing the situation, Tang Qing wouldn’t just stand by and watch. He interrupted before Wang Sheng could say anything, "Chief Xie, Wang Yan has a heavy study load and maintaining her grades is not easy, where would she find extra time to tutor your son? Isn’t that right, Xie Wendong?" asked Tang Qing with a half-smile.
"Yes...yes, Dad, I think we should give it a miss. I promise to study on my own, thoroughly from now on," Xie Wendong hurriedly conceded.
"Such a weakling! Young man, who are you to speak when we are talking? Didn’t your parents teach you manners? You’re impolite!" Xie Jun reprimanded Tang Qing.
"I can only be polite with people who deserve it. As for others, I just don’t know what to say or do," responded Tang Qing coldly. He had no qualms about breaking formalities, maintaining that he was courteous enough by not resorting to outright insults.
"You... Brother Wang, what do you think?" Xie Jun, not wanting to stoop down to Tang Qing’s level, turned to the key figure of the whole event, Wang Sheng. As far as he was concerned, as long as Wang Sheng agreed, nobody else’s opinion mattered.
"My daughter is right. If your son isn’t keen, we can’t force him," stated Wang Sheng plainly. He would never use his own daughter as a bargaining chip, this was his bottom line. Especially not for a measly official like Xie Jun. If pushed, he was ready to take off Xie Jun’s official hat.
"Well, Boss Wang. If these are your feelings, I will not insist. Here’s to the success of your business. Wendong, let’s leave," concluded Xie Jun sarcastically. He stood, ready to depart, albeit rather slowly.
He thought that Wang Sheng might apologise and persuade him to stay. Clearly, no one cared. Everyone watched him with eyes filled with pity as if they were looking at an idiot.
Angered by humiliation, Xie Jun swore to himself revenge on Wang Sheng. If Wang Sheng thought he could get his business approved without Xie Jun’s help, Xie Jun would teach him what it means to be in trouble. Time would tell.
Humph, I’ll see how you come begging for my help. Xie Jun even began to imagine Wang Sheng grovelling and begging him for mercy.
Seeing his father leave, Xie Wendong quickly followed without even bidding anyone goodbye. By that point, he knew he wouldn’t end the night without some punishment. But he considered himself lucky that at least his secret wasn’t revealed and his face was saved. Getting punished wasn’t significant compared to that.
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