Mentally handicapped children

"No, don't... don't..."

Huo Xiaoyu watched as Li Zedao, who seemed to have been extremely frightened and now lay in a coma, still talking incoherently. Seeing the tears rolling down his eye corner from an unknown moment, she felt speechless, and a fleeting impatience flickered in her eyes. 23us.com

She is the head teacher and English teacher of Class 5, Grade 3 of Meizhong High School. Li Zedao is one of the fifty students in her class. Of course, she actually wishes that this student, who she barely pays attention to and usually ignores, was not in her class. Because every time there is an exam, this student is so outstanding that he pulls the class's scores down by several percentage points, and he has been occupying the last place in the grade for years, unwilling to give up his position, which really makes He Xiaoyu want to vomit blood.

After the first test of the first year of high school, a newly appointed teacher named He Xiaoyu took notice of a student who dressed simply and seemed somewhat reserved in daily life. It was unavoidable, after all, who could ignore the student who proudly held the title of last in the class?

Therefore, taking on the responsibilities of a head teacher and a great, honored people's teacher, He Xiaoyu decided to thoroughly research Li Zedao's background, then have a serious talk with him, identify the problems, and tailor the solutions accordingly, hoping to help him make some progress, even if it's just not to be at the bottom of the list.

The result was astonishing to her: Li Zedao's grades from elementary to junior high were last place ninety-nine times out of a hundred, and the previous teachers' evaluations of him even used the four words "mentally handicapped child" to describe him!

Therefore, He Xiaoyu firmly believed that it was a waste of effort to spend time on such a student and resolutely chose to ignore him. But after every exam, she would complain to the school in her heart, why did they put such a stupid student in her class, it was too cruel!

"Don't... don't..." Li Zedao's utterly desperate plea interrupted He Xiaoyu's train of thought.

In the next second, He Xiaoyu saw that Li Zedao's body sprang up as if it were a spring, sitting up straight, and his pale face was drenched with dense sweat, breathing heavily.

"You're awake?" He Xiaoyu did a good job of masking her impatience, her gaze serious as she fixed it on Li Zedao's face, her tone as gentle as she could manage.

Li Zedao heard the crisp sound and slightly raised his head. When his gaze met the pair of eyes that were slightly cool yet exceptionally beautiful, he was utterly dumbfounded.

Is it her? Yes, it's her, but how could it be her?

Wasn't he deceived by that evil old man? He was even shackled to a hospital bed, and a doctor forcibly pushed a dark, gloomy pill into his mouth. He felt as if his throat was on fire, and he cried out loudly, "No, no..."

Why did the scene suddenly switch, and why did I see this woman? Am I having a nightmare, or am I dreaming now?

This is a woman who is beautiful with a hint of coldness, her natural long hair loose and draped over her shoulders. What is most captivating about her are her eyes, which seem to be constantly tugging at the strings of people's hearts... From the beginning, Li Zedao felt that these were eyes that could speak.

"What... Teacher He?"

Stunned for a few seconds, Li Zedao felt that even if he were dreaming, he should have said something after that, so he swallowed his saliva uneasily and asked hesitantly, then quickly shifted his gaze away, his face already showing a trace of embarrassment and nervousness... This is a reaction that almost all people with a sense of inferiority have when encountering a goddess of this caliber, especially when that person is a rather timid virgin!

With a restless heart, Li Zedao stealthily scanned the surroundings, yet he was utterly confused. Was this a hospital ward? Was he still in the ward?

"What's going on? Nothing, right?" asked He Xiaowei with a slight nod, "Do you feel anything uncomfortable anywhere?"

He seemed to be in no serious trouble; although He Xiaoyu's expression was rather serious, she couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief in her heart.

"No... nothing, thank you, Teacher He..." Li Zedao muttered, his head bowed low. He still couldn't bring himself to look at He Xiaoyu, and he felt so disoriented that he still couldn't figure out what had happened. Was that conning old man and that doctor who seemed like a demon just a dream of his?

"But if it was just a dream, how could I be in this hospital? Shouldn't I be kneeling on that overpass instead?"

"You don't have to thank me," He Xiaoyu said, "but what's going on with you? Why did you skip class and go swimming at the beach, leading to drowning? If it hadn't been for someone discovering you in time and taking you to the hospital, your little life would have been lost..."

Huo Xiaoyu felt she had finally figured out the reason why Li Zedao had been occupying the top spot of the lowest grades for years... It's one thing to go swimming without taking off your clothes or shoes, but to be so brainless as to even carry a bag with you—such a person, how can you expect them to achieve good grades?

"Did he drown while swimming?" Li Zedao's face was low and filled with confusion. When did he go swimming? How could he have drowned without any memory of it?

"Later, someone found your student ID card in your backpack and contacted the school, which is why the teacher came over." He Xiaoyu said with a stern face.

Watching Li Zedao act like an idiot, He Xiaoyu was so frustrated she felt like vomiting blood. She had originally planned to contact her boyfriend after her afternoon class to go shopping and enjoy a romantic dinner, but now, all because this student skipped class and drowned at the beach, her romantic dinner was ruined. What made her even more livid was that she had called Li Zedao's father, Li Dahai, over a dozen times, but no one answered the phone.

"Do you know that there's only one and a half months left until the college entrance examination? At a time like this, you're still skipping classes to go swimming?" He Xiaoyu asked with a serious expression, "Are you planning to give up, are you?"

"I'm sorry, Teacher He..." Li Zedao's face turned red, his head bowed low as he whispered softly. In this moment when he still couldn't make sense of the situation, he truly didn't know what else to say besides the three words "I'm sorry." Moreover, he felt quite out of place, as in the past two and a half years, the class instructor, Teacher He Xiaoyu, had said more to him in total than she had in this moment, which made him feel quite uncomfortable.

"You don't need to apologize to me," He Xiaoyu pointed to a sticky, gooey piece of paper on the table, "You should apologize to your father instead! Although this paper was almost rotten after being soaked in seawater, the teacher still managed to make out the content written here... Li Zedao, are you in dire need of money? Or is it something else..."

At this point, He Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment, then softened her tone and said, "Or is it about your father..."

Li Zedao looked up and gave He Xiaoyu a glance, then quickly shifted his gaze away, looking a bit flustered as he whispered, "Teacher He, my... my dad, he's fine, he's really okay..."

Huo Xiaoyu's face turned a bit dark in an instant, as she carefully chose her words: "Li Zedao, although you are usually quiet and your academic performance is not particularly outstanding, the teacher has never looked at you with any strange eyes..."

After saying that, He Xiaoyu felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. Li Zedao's grades were not just not outstanding; he had consistently occupied the bottom position in the class, and it was as difficult for other students to surpass him and achieve the lowest grade in the class as it was to reach the sky.

"You have never seen me, where do you get your strange gaze from?" Li Zedao thought to himself with deep sadness, but he did not say it aloud.

"But now I am very disappointed in you. Your father is fine, yet you write such content to seek sympathy? And you skipped classes, neglecting your studies. Do you think you are worthy of your father's love? I feel it is necessary to talk to your father about your problems."

After saying that, He Xiaoyu felt an inexplicable sense of guilt again. She thought that Li Zedao's academic pursuits didn't seem to have a concept of "waste," did they? Could this "overlord" who had consistently occupied the bottom of the class rankings continue to break new ground?

However, she is a proud teacher of the people, and more importantly, a class headmaster. She knows that some things cannot be said too explicitly, otherwise, it's easy to hurt the students' self-esteem... Although this student seems to not have the concept of "self-esteem," how can someone with self-esteem be so shameless as to not give other students a chance to be the last in the class for years on end?

Upon hearing the words "father," Li Zedao's heart inexplicably felt a pang of sorrow.

At present, He Xiaoyu waved her small hand with an air of certainty and said, "Your father needs to come to the school to see me tomorrow morning. Additionally, your behavior today will be treated as a class absence. That's all. I have already paid for the medical expenses, so rest well tonight. Make sure to come to class tomorrow morning, and also make sure your father comes as well."

Hao Xiaoyu saw that Li Zedao wouldn't even lift his head, much less speak a word, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if he were talking to a cow. He then spoke in a serious tone, "Teacher hopes to see you and your father tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I will have to make a home visit. That's all for now, take good care of yourself and rest."

"I..." Li Zedao looked up and saw only the graceful silhouette of He Xiaoyu disappearing through the door of the vanished ward.

"I... I want to ask you how much the medical expenses are, I... I want to repay you..." Li Zedao murmured, his eyes brimming with sorrow and melancholy.

The gaze fell upon the hospital window, and to my surprise, the lights outside were already on. Had it already gotten dark? Glancing at the alarm clock on the wall, it showed past seven in the evening... So I had been unconscious for almost half a day? If I didn't go back soon, how anxious would my father be?