Side Story 3: First Day of School Chaos

 

It was the first day of school for the three little ones, and despite the minor issues in the morning, to them, nothing could dampen their spirits. After all, they were now officially schoolchildren, and their excitement knew no bounds.

 

They grinned ear to ear, proud of themselves for managing to convince both their mother and the principal to let them attend school together. They were convinced that they were the smartest kids in the world.

 

Lin Chuxia, after dropping them off, didn’t wait outside the school gates. After all, the time from drop-off at 8 a.m. to pick-up at 11 a.m. was nearly three hours, and it was still hot in September.

 

Without their mother around, Xie Hongchu and his two younger brothers, Xie Xinghe and Xie Xingrong, behaved like wild horses off their reins. Their mischievous grins showed just how pleased they were with themselves.

 

However, their teacher, Ms. Qin, saw through their antics. She knew these three weren’t your typical well-behaved children. The principal had even given her a heads-up, explaining that while they were smart, they could be a bit too clever for their own good and needed to be kept in check.

 

Ms. Qin stood at the front of the classroom, towering over her new students. The classroom was full of six- and seven-year-olds, many of whom were seated next to their friends. Before handing out the new textbooks, she decided to arrange their seating and introduce herself.

 

Thankfully, other teachers helped bring in the textbooks—two for each student, one for Chinese, and one for math. Soon, the smell of fresh ink filled the room as the new books were distributed.

 

Besides the textbooks, each student received three notebooks: two for writing (one with squares and one with lines) and one for math. If the students ran out of notebooks, they’d have to buy more on their own.

 

The kids were a bit confused, unsure what to do with their new books. Since most of them didn’t know how to write their names yet, Ms. Qin told them they could either take the books home for their parents to label or wait until they learned how to write their own names.

 

Ms. Qin then decided it was time to get to know the students. She asked the first child in the front row to come up and introduce themselves. The child, shy and nervous, barely whispered their introduction.

 

Watching from his seat, Xie Hongchu frowned. Why was he sitting alone when his two younger brothers, Xie Xinghe and Xie Xingrong, got to sit together in the front row? He was just a little taller because he ate more, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t be in the front too!

 

When it was Xie Hongchu’s turn to introduce himself, he confidently strode to the front, not the least bit shy or nervous. Standing tall, his cool little face looked serious as he introduced himself: “Hello everyone, I’m Xie Hongchu. Those two over there are my brothers. Don’t even think about bullying them, or you’ll have to deal with me.”

 

His clenched fists and warning tone sent a clear message: Mess with my brothers, and you’ll regret it.

 

He tried to mimic his father, Xie Jingming’s calm and composed demeanor, which made him look even more intimidating. Some of the more timid kids, especially the girls, gasped, thinking, *Wow, he’s so fierce!*

 

Ms. Qin’s face darkened at Xie Hongchu’s introduction. Did this kid just threaten the class right in front of her? However, she refrained from scolding him in front of everyone. It was the first day of school, and she didn’t want to come off as a mean teacher.

 

Oblivious to Ms. Qin’s thoughts, Xie Hongchu was satisfied when he saw the other kids keeping quiet. He felt proud of himself. *No one will dare bully my brothers now!*

 

Unlike their older brothers, Xie Xinghe and Xie Xingrong’s introductions were simple and straightforward. Most of the kids probably wouldn’t even remember their names after class.

 

By the time the introductions were over, the morning had flown by. Ms. Qin hadn’t taught much that day, just basic classroom rules and expectations. As she announced that school was over, the three brothers were shocked.

 

*Wait, school is this easy?* They hadn’t even done any real studying yet! Why did their friends, Datong and Huazi, always complain about school?

 

Unfortunately, they didn’t get the chance to ask their mom about this newfound discovery. When Lin Chuxia picked them up, instead of praise, she greeted them with a stern look—and they all got a good spanking.

 

The three boys, sniffling and teary-eyed, felt betrayed. Not only did they get spanked by Mom, but when Dad found out, he didn’t defend them either. Instead, he agreed with Mom, saying, “You deserved it!”

 

Despite the scolding, they were still thrilled to be attending school. From then on, they went to school every day, learning Chinese and math, practicing how to write numbers and letters, and eventually learning to write their own names.

 

The three of them, being naturally smart, never fell behind in their studies. In fact, they found school quite enjoyable. Lin Chuxia, however, started to worry when she noticed something odd—her boys never seemed to have any homework.

 

Confused, she asked her neighbor, who also had a child in the same grade, “Does your child get homework? Do they need help with it? Or is it that the teachers aren’t assigning any?”

 

Her neighbor looked at her like she was crazy. “What are you talking about? My kid gets homework every day! I have to sit with him and help him finish it every night.”

 

That evening, Lin Chuxia returned home determined to figure out why her boys seemed to be slacking off. She caught them just as they were about to go to bed after playing outside and taking their baths.

 

“Wait a minute,” Lin Chuxia said, stopping them. “Didn’t you three have homework to do? How can you go to bed without finishing it?”

 

Suddenly, Lin Chuxia panicked. *Oh no! What if my boys, who are destined to be brilliant, are turning into lazy little slackers under my care?*

 

The three brothers blinked up at her, confused. “But Mom, we already finished our homework,” they said in unison.

 

Lin Chuxia’s eyes widened. “You finished it already? When? I didn’t see you doing anything!”

 

“We really did! Do you want to check?” Xie Xingrong, the youngest, eagerly pulled out his notebook from his school bag and handed it to her. “See, I did my work! I listened to the teacher!”

 

Lin Chuxia inspected the notebook. Sure enough, the answers were all correct, written in his cute, wobbly handwriting. She smiled and ruffled his hair. “Good job, my little Rong! You’re such a smart boy.”

 

“Mom, look at my name! I’m Xie Xingrong now, not ‘Little Rong’ anymore,” he said proudly, pointing to where he had written his full name on the page.

 

“Yes, yes, our Xingrong is growing up,” Lin Chuxia praised him, laughing softly.

 

Xie Xinghe, the second son, who had been standing nearby, quietly moved closer, holding out his own homework. Lin Chuxia chuckled as she took his notebook and checked it over. “And Xinghe did perfectly too! All correct. Of course, you’re just as smart as your mom.”

 

The second son smiled widely, leaning into his mom for a hug. Meanwhile, Xie Hongchu stood off to the side, sulking a little, though he refused to admit it. He was feeling left out.

 

Sighing to herself, Lin Chuxia knew her eldest son well. He was always a bit proud and standoffish, even though he desperately wanted praise.

 

“Xie Hongchu, my little man, where’s your homework? Don’t tell me you forgot to do it!” She teased gently.

 

Trying to act nonchalant, Xie Hongchu huffed and handed her his notebook, all the while hoping she’d praise him too.

 

Lin Chuxia carefully checked his work. While his handwriting was messier than his brothers’, all the answers were correct. She smiled and said, “You did great too, Hongchu. Mommy is so lucky to have such smart boys!”

 

Her exaggerated praise made the boys blush, their ears turning red, but their hearts swelled with pride. They stood tall, feeling both embarrassed and pleased at the same time.

 

With Lin Chuxia’s constant encouragement, the three brothers continued to excel at school. Over the next five years (since elementary school only went up to fifth grade), they consistently placed at the top of their class, often sharing the top three spots among themselves.

 

Whether at school or at home in the military compound, they became known as the “model students” and “the kids everyone envied.”

 

As for Lin Chuxia, she quietly watched her sons flourish, hiding in the background and letting her boys take the spotlight—content to let her success as a mother speak for itself.