Chapter 044: The Transfer Student

That night, Lin Xia found herself unable to sleep, tossing and turning for hours.

The next morning, she emerged from her room with dark circles under her eyes. Her mother, carrying a dish out of the kitchen, was startled at the sight. “What happened to you?”

Lin Xia collapsed weakly onto the sofa. “I can’t sleep in a new bed. The change in environment kept me awake. Mom, I’m both tired and hungry.”

“Eat something first, then go rest.”

“Mm.” Lin Xia scooped a few mouthfuls of food into her stomach before drifting back to her room, where she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

On the morning of the eighth day, Lin Xia rose early and spent a long time picking out clothes from her wardrobe, dressing herself in a way that was both pleasing and appropriate for her status. After breakfast, she slung her backpack over her shoulders and set off for Chen Qingguo’s house.

She had expected to see Chen Zimo, but he had already left for school. Lin Xia felt a pang of disappointment, but quickly consoled herself; he was in his final year of junior high, and it was normal for him to be busy.

Glancing at her watch, she saw it was already seven o’clock—time for morning study period.

Following Chen Qingguo to Experimental Junior High, Lin Xia was introduced to the mathematics department for the eighth grade. The homeroom teacher for Class One was also the head of the math group.

Chen Qingguo brought Lin Xia to her new homeroom teacher, Ma Guoqiang, briefly explained the situation, then took his leave.

Ma Guoqiang gave Lin Xia an unobtrusive once-over, then smiled. “You must be Lin Xia.”

“Yes, Teacher Ma,” Lin Xia responded politely.

“From now on, you’re a member of our Class One. Principal Chen tells me your math is quite good; I’ve also looked at your transcripts. If you ever have trouble with your studies, feel free to come to me.”

Lin Xia nodded. “All right.”

Ma Guoqiang glanced at the clock on the wall and smiled. “It’s getting late, and my class is first this morning. Let’s go to the classroom.”

He gathered a stack of neatly arranged test papers, tucked them inside a book, slipped the book under his arm, and led Lin Xia toward the classroom.

The bell rang.

Students bustled between buildings, hurrying to their classes. In every grade, Class One was the experimental class. Naturally, Class One in the eighth grade was no exception. Yet, while it was called an experimental class, it wasn’t as strictly regulated as in high school—if a student had the right background and decent grades, they could still find a place in it.

So, when the students of Class One saw Lin Xia following behind Ma Guoqiang, no one was particularly surprised. They simply regarded the new classmate on the podium with mild curiosity.

The newcomer’s appearance was quite ordinary, but her attire suggested a comfortable family background. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with bangs across her forehead, her skin was fair with a faint blush on her cheeks. She wore a pink down jacket, skinny jeans, and short boots, with a pale yellow scarf wrapped around her neck.

She looked quite stylish.

Standing there quietly, she gave off a well-behaved air.

As the students sized up Lin Xia, she herself swept a calm gaze across the classroom. There were no stunningly beautiful girls or boys who made her heart flutter. At least, none of the boys could compare to Chen Zimo, and none of the girls could match Liu Ziqing. Still, there were a few pretty girls in the class.

While both sides were observing each other, Ma Guoqiang smiled and said, “We’re welcoming a new student today. Please give a warm round of applause and invite her to introduce herself.”

A burst of applause followed.

Lin Xia smiled lightly. “Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Xia—‘Lin’ as in forest, ‘Xia’ as in summer. My name is simple: my father’s surname is Lin, my mother’s is Xia. I’m very happy to join this school and to study with all of you. I hope that in the coming year we’ll get along well, learn together, and improve together.”

Ma Guoqiang led another round of applause, and the class followed suit.

“Lin Xia, there’s a seat next to Chen Fan in the last row. You can sit there for now, and we’ll adjust the seating another day,” Ma Guoqiang said kindly.

Lin Xia smiled politely. “No need to move anyone just for me. Anywhere is fine.”

Ma Guoqiang nodded in approval. From her transcripts, Lin Xia’s grades seemed decent, but they were from a small town. Until he was sure of her level, he wouldn’t move her to the front—those seats were reserved for top students, and the class’s results in major school-wide exams were directly linked to the homeroom teacher’s salary.

He would have to observe Lin Xia for a while and assess her abilities.

Lin Xia, unaware of Ma Guoqiang’s considerations, made her way to the last row with her backpack.

“All right, class rep, come up and hand out the final exam papers,” Ma Guoqiang said, opening his textbook. “This test was quite challenging, so the scores were generally low across the grade. Our class didn’t do as well as I expected. Many of you didn’t meet my standards. Take a look at your papers and see where you went wrong. Find the reason, patch up your weaknesses.”

While Ma Guoqiang spoke, his words seemed distant to Lin Xia.

Back in Creek Town, she had been the teachers’ favorite, always seated in the middle of the classroom, in the second or third row of the second or third group. Now, despite being recommended by Principal Chen Qingguo, she was relegated to the back, almost ignored. If she’d been a proud top student, this might have left a crack in her confidence.

But for Lin Xia now, this seat was a golden throne.

Junior high knowledge was just review for her. In Creek Town, all the teachers had paid special attention to her. No matter the subject or the question, if other students couldn’t answer, the teacher would call on her: “Lin Xia, come solve this one,” or “Lin Xia, what’s your thought process here?” or “Lin Xia, can you recite yesterday’s assignment?”

She never had a moment to let her mind wander, and sometimes the material was so easy for her that she longed to write a short essay in that time, but constant pop quizzes kept her from that little pleasure.

Now, finally sitting at the coveted back seat, her face was calm, but inside she was delighted.

She took a napkin and wiped down her desk and chair before setting down her backpack and pulling out some scratch paper and a pen.

She wondered idly about the teaching standards at this school. Still, as one of the county’s top junior highs, it should be pretty good.

These thoughts drifted through Lin Xia’s mind as the day began.