Chapter 6: Boys going to school

February, Baiyun Town.

Today was Monday, and also the first day of elementary school.

Lin You woke up very early.

To be precise, it was because he was about to become an elementary school student. This unprecedented identity and the new life he was about to face had made the precocious and sensitive little boy sleep restlessly all night.

“Youyou, today you have to wear new clothes and new shoes to give your teachers and classmates a good impression.”

A smile hung on his grandmother’s kind face. She was in a very good mood because her good grandson was going to school; he would surely be a person of great potential in the future.

“I know.”

Lin You suppressed the unease in his heart, forcing himself to go along with his grandmother.

He obediently changed into the clothes and small shoes he was usually reluctant to wear for fear of getting them dirty. Soon, a handsome and adorable little boy appeared.

If not for the scarlet, flame-like birthmark on his cheek, Lin You would have been the most handsome little boy in the world.

“Hehe, my Youyou will definitely make a lot of friends at school!”

His grandmother looked at her good grandson, growing more and more pleased the longer she looked, and couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

“Grandma, didn’t you say school was for learning? I don’t have the time to make friends.”

Hearing his grandmother’s words, Lin You couldn’t help but think of the “friend” he made last night, Xu Yuting.

The two had agreed to meet in the children’s park at night when they had time.

“Studying with classmates and friends might be twice as effective.”

His grandmother hoped her grandson would have a happy childhood, and friends were an indispensable part of that.

Seeing her grandson all alone every day, his grandmother never said anything, but she had no idea how much her heart ached for him in private.

Chatting away, the grandmother and grandson’s morning was lively and harmonious.

At seven in the morning, it was time to go to school.

His grandmother personally accompanied Lin You to Baiyun Elementary School.

The school wasn’t far, only about two kilometers away. Lin You even had some impression of the place, as his grandmother would occasionally bring him here to scavenge.

“Youyou, if anyone at school bullies you, you must tell Grandma. Grandma will stand up for you.”

His grandmother held the boy’s hand, reminding him of a thousand things along the way.

She hoped her grandson could happily integrate into the life of an elementary school student, but she was also afraid he would be bullied.

The birthmark on his face would very likely make Lin You an outcast among the elementary school students.

His grandmother was aware of these disadvantages, but if she let her grandson scavenge with her forever, that would be what truly ruined his life.

“Mhm, I’ll listen to whatever Grandma says.”

After leaving home, Lin You became very quiet, only responding when his grandmother spoke to him.

Today was the first day of school, and the road to Baiyun Elementary was very lively. It wasn’t just the two of them; there were also groups of young boys and girls.

The younger ones were accompanied by their families, while the older elementary students carried their own backpacks, having arranged to go to school with their classmates and friends.

“Aah, winter break went by so fast! I haven’t had enough fun yet.”

“This is depressing. I didn’t finish my homework. The tigress is definitely going to smack my palms…”

…

The students around them chattered nonstop, creating a lively scene.

“Hey, look, is that red-faced guy coming to school too? He’s even carrying a backpack.”

“I don’t know. Isn’t he a trash collector? Why would he go to school? He looks so scary.”

…

Even though Lin You tried his best to hide, he was still discovered by some particularly curious students, who began to speculate about him.

“Yuting, Yuting, look quickly! There’s a really weird boy over there. He’s a little scary, like a ghost from a horror movie…”

The second-grader Yuting was on her way to school with a friend from her neighborhood. Her friend had sharp eyes and spotted the unique boy, Lin You, and couldn’t help but share her discovery.

“What are you guys talking about?”

Yuting had no interest in school at all and was in a daze. Only after hearing her friend’s words did she perk up a little.

“He’s right over there.”

Her friend raised an arm and pointed directly in Lin You’s direction.

“You guys are so boring. It’s not like he wants to look like that. What’s so funny about it?”

Yuting glanced over and immediately lost interest, expressing her displeasure at her friends’ over-the-top reaction.

At this moment, she hadn’t yet realized that this boy was the “boy-friend” she had made last night.

Because there were many people around and it was very noisy, and because Lin You was being watched by many strange gazes, he didn’t notice Yuting’s presence.

‘Why is everyone looking at me? Am I… that strange?’

Lin You desperately wanted to crawl into a dark crevice to hide. He didn’t like the surprised, or even disgusted, stares from the people around him.

It was as if they were looking at a monster.

“Grandma, can we walk a little faster?”

The usually obedient and sensible boy made a rare and willful request.

Normally, knowing his grandmother’s legs weren’t nimble, he would deliberately slow down to prevent her from falling behind.

Now, the discussions of the people around him were making him act abnormally.

After all, he was only a six-year-old boy. Even if his environment had forced him to mature early, his heart was still tender and fragile.

“Alright, let’s walk faster.”

His grandmother, fiercely protective, glared at a few of the students who were animatedly discussing her grandson, and her slow steps quickened slightly.

Soon after, the grandmother and grandson arrived at the school gate.

It was even more bustling here, with students, parents, and a large number of vehicles.

‘Will I have to come here every day from now on? Grandma can’t be with me.’

Lin You gazed at the school gate, his heart growing even more apprehensive.

“Youyou, you’re in Class Two of the first grade. The classroom building is…”

His grandmother held her lost-looking grandson’s hand, busily arranging the enrollment procedures for him.

“Mhm.”

Lin You became even quieter. This was the first time in his life he had been at a school during the morning rush.

The hundreds, even thousands, of people around him made it feel difficult to breathe.

Especially because of the mark on his face, he was particularly eye-catching.

Even without malicious intent, others would still take a few extra glances at him.

Some ill-mannered students would even laugh out loud on the spot.

Clinging to his grandmother’s arm, Lin You kept his head down the entire time, almost turning into a little ostrich.

Before long, the enrollment procedures were more or less complete, and Lin You officially became a student of Baiyun Elementary School.

Next, it was time to head to the classroom for Grade One, Class Two.

“Youyou will meet your teacher soon, and lots of classmates. At school, you must listen to the teacher, okay? If anyone bullies you, you can also tell the teacher…”

The time his grandmother could accompany him was coming to an end. She wanted to do everything she could to help her grandson adapt to the environment, constantly guiding him.

“Grandma, are you going back now?”

Lin You sensed something. He subconsciously hugged his grandmother’s arm even tighter, but quickly forced himself to let go.

He couldn’t make things difficult for Grandma. Grandma had to collect trash every day; it was very hard and busy work.

“When school lets out at noon, Grandma will come and pick you up.”

His grandmother stroked her good grandson’s head, promising.

“Mhm, mhm.”

Without throwing any sort of tantrum, Lin You was more sensible than a child of his age should be.

Wasn’t he scared? No, he was even more nervous and uneasy than his peers.

He just understood that he shouldn’t make his grandmother worry, so he didn’t want to show it.

Under his grandmother’s caring gaze, Lin You bravely walked into the classroom of Class Two. This was the starting point of his new life.

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