Chapter 43 Scored a Two Hundred Fifty

Chapter 43: Flunked the Test

"That’s rough. You really need to be more careful—this kind of thing should be handled day by day!" Jiang Ruotang playfully slapped Lu Guifan's back.

"You still have to meet the KPI to get paid, though."

Who knew that middle schooler's KPI was off the charts.

Jiang Ruotang thought for a moment, then asked, "Hey, does Uncle Lu know how to drive?"

"Yes. When he was younger, he drove trucks for a rubber factory. When he was a worker, he also filled in as a driver for the factory's accountant."

"Oh, I know an elder who often needs to go to Chengtan for business. He has trouble walking, so he’ll definitely have a car provided. I remember Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu are both from Lujia Village near Chengtan. Do you think Uncle Lu could apply for the job?"

After saying this, Jiang Ruotang carefully watched Lu Guifan's face.

Lu Guifan turned back calmly and said, "Thank you. Text me the details, and I’ll talk to my dad about it."

Seeing that he wasn’t resistant to his help, Jiang Ruotang smiled, his eyes crinkling.

They finished their pancakes almost at the same time. Jiang Ruotang leaned closer to Lu Guifan and asked with a grin, "Can I ask for more?"

"Oh? How do you plan to push your luck?"

"After my art class on Sunday evening, can I come study with you?"

"Sure."

Lu Guifan took two steps before turning back to add, "How is that pushing your luck?"

Jiang Ruotang followed behind him, laughing. "Then what counts as pushing my luck? Marry me?"

Lu Guifan shot him a look that said, "You’re impossible."

"For example, if you asked me to get you into the top 100 in our grade—that would be pushing your luck."

"Huh? Wait, you’re not that good?"

"Maybe if your head hadn’t been hit today."

At the mention of that, Jiang Ruotang stuck his head in front of Lu Guifan. "Take a look, a careful look—is my scalp broken? It felt like it was burning at the time!"

Even though Jiang Ruotang was just describing it, Lu Guifan inexplicably felt his own head throb.

He leaned in, watching as Jiang Ruotang parted his hair to reveal a scalp that was still a little red.

"Well? Is it broken?"

"Just a little."

"No wonder it stung so bad."

"There’s a drugstore across the street. I’ll see if they have any medicine..."

Before he could finish, Jiang Ruotang said, "It’s nothing, it’s not bleeding... Just give it a quick blow for me, okay?"

Lu Guifan’s throat tightened inexplicably, and Jiang Ruotang suddenly felt a little childish—this wasn’t like a little kid needing an adult to blow on a scraped knee.

Just as he was about to lift his head, Lu Guifan lowered his, and a warm breath brushed over Jiang Ruotang’s scalp.

Jiang Ruotang's heart felt like it had been zapped by electricity. When he jerked his head up, he accidentally slammed into Lu Guifan's nose.

"Ugh..." Lu Guifan jerked his head back, his black-framed glasses knocked loose and dangling on the tip of his nose.

Jiang Ruotang hurried forward. "Let me see! Is your nose okay?"

Lu Guifan kept his hand pressed over his nose, his eyes watery, leaving Jiang Ruotang stunned.

*Class president, looking like this just makes people want to mess with you!*

That evening, when Lu Guifan returned home, he saw his father sitting on a small stool in front of their apartment building, repairing the family’s tricycle. He walked over quietly, set his bag aside, and took the wrench from his father’s hands.

"No need, no need. Go upstairs and study. I can handle this..."

"I'll do it," Lu Guifan said as he worked. "Ruo Tang found you a driver job interview. I sent the details to your phone, including the requirements and salary."

Hearing this, Lu’s father quickly wiped his hands and checked his phone.

"This offer is too good! The probation salary alone is almost what I earned at the rubber factory, and they even cover health insurance and retirement? There must be tons of people fighting for this... Do I even stand a chance?"

Lu Guifan replied calmly, "In many places, a driver is a trusted right-hand man to the boss. Since Jiang Ruotang recommended you, the employer must have some connection to his family. For this job, education isn’t the most important—what matters is keeping your mouth shut. You absolutely cannot blab about the employer’s business."

Lu’s father nodded. "Understood, understood!"

"Also, I heard this Mr. Zheng has trouble getting around. If he agrees to hire you, make sure to take extra care of him."

"Of course."

That night, Lu’s mother dug out the suit her husband had worn years ago when accepting an award as an outstanding employee. She boiled water and used a steaming enamel cup to press out the wrinkles. Lu’s father asked a neighbor in the same apartment building to give him a short haircut, making him look much sharper.

The next day during break, Lu Guifan kept checking his phone for messages. He could just picture how nervous his dad was and how much this job meant to him.

The harder you try, the easier it is to slip up.

It wasn’t until after lunch that Lu Guifan finally received a text from his father: [Mr. Zheng agreed to hire me! He even took me out to lunch and praised me for being honest and hardworking!]

Lu Guifan exhaled softly in relief when he read this. A few rows ahead, Xiao Jiang was slumped over his desk after lunch, just the back of his head and a couple of flyaway hairs sticking up.

In truth, Zheng Huasheng had chosen Lu’s father not just for his honesty and diligence, but also because he came from a fishing village in Chengtan and spoke the local dialect fluently. Knowing the local customs inside out would make the Chengtan negotiations a breeze.

Zheng Huasheng asked Jiang Ruotang: [What name should we give the company?]

Jiang Ruotang thought for a moment. The funds had been left to him by his grandfather, and the person his grandfather cared about most in this world was his daughter—Jiang Ruotang’s mother, He Yun.

[Something like Tangyun Investments—whatever you think works, Mr. Zheng.]

With the help of Zheng Huasheng and Dai Ming, Jiang Ruotang’s company quickly obtained its business license and set up the necessary accounts. In just a week, they reached a preliminary agreement with their target in Chengtan. They wrapped up all the paperwork, and by the end of the month, they had achieved the goal Jiang Ruotang had set.

Xiao Jiang was thrilled they’d spent under 50 million, meaning Zheng Huasheng could still manage the remaining assets for stable investments.

When Lu’s father received his probationary salary, he was overjoyed. He went out of his way to buy groceries and insisted Xiao Jiang come over for a home-cooked dinner.

Lu’s mother asked Lu Guifan, “Xiao Jiang hooked your dad up with such a great job. Shouldn’t we treat him to a restaurant to show our appreciation? Also, what does Xiao Jiang like? Should we buy him a gift to thank him?”

Lu Guifan was already tearing his hair out over Xiao Jiang’s homework—getting him to grasp even one problem was worthy of a Nobel Prize.

“Mom, he’s not some factory manager from your workplace. No need for all that gift-giving fuss. Besides, he eats takeout for lunch every day. Let the guy have a decent home-cooked meal for once,” Lu Guifan said flatly.

“Then… what does Xiao Jiang like to eat?”

Lu Guifan thought back and realized Jiang Ruotang would eat anything—whether it flew in the sky, swam in the water, was expensive or cheap. "He's not picky—easy to please. He's just especially obsessed with your chives egg jianbing."

Auntie Lu couldn't help but laugh. "What do you mean 'easy to feed'? Xiao Jiang isn't your son!"

Lu Guifan stared at the mess of chemical equations in front of him, feeling his blood pressure rising despite his youth. "If he were my son, I'd have died and been reborn by now..."

High school seniors were all extremely busy—either with night study sessions at school or Jiang Ruotang's art classes. It wasn't until after the second monthly exam that Lu Guifan finally texted Jiang Ruotang: [Want to come over for dinner?]

Jiang Ruotang replied: [Absolutely! But I’m afraid I did so badly on the test that you’ll make me kneel on durian shells.]

Lu Guifan: [Thanks for the reminder. I’ll pick up a durian shell on the way home just for you—specially picked for optimal kneel comfort.]

Jiang Ruotang laughed for a long time after reading it.

That evening, Auntie Lu prepared a spread of home-cooked dishes—not just Jiang Ruotang’s beloved chives egg jianbing, but also stuffed green peppers, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and fried ribbonfish.

Ever since getting close to Jiang Ruotang, Lu Guifan had unconsciously started buying things he rarely ate himself—like cola, chips, and cookies.

Before, Lu Guifan never understood the appeal of cola. But that day, drinking it with Jiang Ruotang made him secretly enjoy that fizzy, happy feeling.

Now, Jiang Ruotang grinned as he popped open a can with a crisp *snap*, raising it toward Uncle Lu and declaring, "To Uncle Lu’s smooth work and good fortune!"

Then he took a sip, closed his eyes, and let out a satisfied "Ahhh" from his throat—as if he’d just downed fine liquor. The whole display was both silly and endearing.

Lu Guifan suddenly thought the name "cola" was quite fitting.

As the conversation flowed, Auntie Lu sighed. "Thanks to Xiao Jiang, your Uncle Lu has a job now… But I’m just stuck at home all day… not sure what to do with myself..."

Uncle Lu gently nudged his wife under the table. "Xiao Jiang and Guifan just finished their exams—they should be happy. Why bring this up and make them worry?"

Jiang Ruotang, munching on a chive pancake, asked, "Auntie Lu, have you sent out any resumes? What kind of job are you looking for?"

"Ah, someone like me… maybe a mall cleaner. Textile or shoe factories pay decently, but they don’t hire women my age."

"But Auntie, your cooking is amazing! Why not do housekeeping?" Jiang Ruotang asked curiously.

"You think my cooking is *amazing*?"

Jiang Ruotang nodded. "Yeah, it’s really good. If you served this stuffed green pepper dish, people would fight to hire you as their cook."

Auntie Lu covered her mouth, laughing. "That’s just because you’re not picky, Xiao Jiang. Guifan says you’re easy to feed."

"Really?" Jiang Ruotang turned to Lu Guifan. "But I *do* have standards—if you want to feed me, there’d better be meat every meal."

Lu Guifan picked up a piece of ribbonfish and dropped it onto his plate. "Here, eat your meat."

"Hey… wait…" Jiang Ruotang set down his chopsticks, wanting to grab his phone but finding both hands greasy.

Wordlessly, Lu Guifan pulled out two napkins and wiped his hands clean.

Jiang Ruotang took out his phone and found a message Zhao Yunshu had sent in their family group chat. "Here, this one… This is my mom’s best friend. She just had her second kid and is completely overwhelmed. They already have a nanny, but they need someone to take care of the mom. Auntie Lu, want to give it a try?"

"Your mom’s best friend… she must be rich or high-class, right? I’m not even registered with a housekeeping agency, and I’ve never had training. They’d probably look down on me."

Auntie Lu lowered her head, visibly nervous.

Without education, laid off abruptly, and constantly chased away from street vending, her confidence and drive had long been worn down by reality.

"I’m talking about my current mom—she worked her way up from nothing. Her best friend’s surname is Hong; I call her Auntie Hong. She’s definitely not some rich socialite. Right now, she’s managing two kids alone while her husband teaches at a university in the U.S., only coming back for about three months a year. Doesn’t that sound like someone who *really* needs help?"

"Then why doesn’t she go to the U.S. with her husband?" Auntie Lu asked, puzzled.

In her worldview, a woman should follow her husband wherever he went.

Jiang Ruotang explained, "Because Auntie Hong has her own career. She’s a partner in a major law firm in Sheng City, with tons of clients and cases. If she gave all that up to follow her husband to the U.S., she’d have to relearn the U.S. laws, pass the bar, and even then might not get back into law. The risk is too great."

"True… Once the kids are older, she’d have lost her career and feel so alone." Auntie Lu empathized, thinking of her own situation.

"So, Auntie Lu, just give it a try. Your cooking today was *so* good—if Auntie Hong and her kids taste it, they won’t be able to stop eating."

"Xiao Jiang, your honeyed words always make people feel so confident."

Jiang Ruotang shook his head while nibbling on stuffed peppers. "I don’t sweet-talk just *anyone*."

"Oh? What’s your standard for sweet-talking someone?" Lu Guifan asked.

Jiang Ruotang thought for a second, then leaned in with a deliberately provocative grin. "The person being sweet-talked has to promise themselves to me."

Lu Guifan gave him a sidelong glance. "If your test-taking skills were half as good as your flirting, I might live a few more years."

"Hey, maybe if you gain enough experience points with me, you’ll become a master teacher!"

"No thanks. I’d like to keep this head of hair intact."

Jiang Ruotang tilted his head. Honestly, Lu Guifan’s hair *was* impressively thick.

Monday morning—word was the monthly exam rankings were out *again*.

Zhao Zhangfeng lay slumped over his desk like a corpse. "I don’t get it. Can’t these teachers just rest on weekends? Do they *have* to pull all-nighters to grade papers?"

Jiang Ruotang leaned back, patting Zhao Zhangfeng’s head like he was comforting a big dog. "Since ancient times, no one escapes death—early or late, it’s all the same. Until the gaokao’s over, it’s just an endless cycle of death."

Zhao Zhangfeng was too drained to react, just listening as Jiang Ruotang repeated "death" a dozen times before switching sides to continue face-planting.

Lu Guifan entered with the rankings. A few students who were competitive about rankings rushed over, and he casually handed them the towering pile of papers.

Jiang Ruotang tilted his head back, watching expectantly as Lu Guifan approached. A hand came out of his pocket.

If he’d done poorly, Lu Guifan would knock twice on the desk with his knuckles—marking a wasted month's effort.

If he’d done *okay*… most likely…

His hand reached out. Jiang Ruotang instinctively shut his eyes and hunched his shoulders.

Then came warmth. Lu Guifan’s palm landed on his head, fingers running through his hair, giving it a gentle ruffle. "Not bad. You landed at two-fifty."

"Huh?"

Only after Lu Guifan had walked away did Jiang Ruotang realize it wasn't an insult—he'd placed 250th in the grade!

If true, that meant he’d climbed nearly *a hundred places* from last month!

Jiang Ruotang mused, "Maybe I’m not totally hopeless at studying after all?"

Lin Lu immediately cheered, "Ruo Tang, you’re amazing! At this rate, you might crack the top 150 by finals!"

"Uh… let’s not get ahead of ourselves…" Jiang Ruotang chuckled.

But his joy lasted less than a day. Right after lunch period, head teacher Wang Fuzi called him in to the grade-level office. Expecting congratulations, he instead found every teacher inside wore stern expressions, the air so thick you could cut it. This didn’t look like a praise session—more like a tribunal.

Not only was I called in, but also Cai Ji with his curly mop and his longtime nemesis Meng Yang, along with Meng Yang's gang—basically all the regulars from the last two exam rooms.

Meng Yang and his crew were all jocks, averaging over 180 cm in height. Standing in a row like that, they made an intimidating lineup.

If Jiang Ruotang remembered correctly, just two weeks ago, Cai Ji and Meng Yang had been in a standoff in the break room by the microwave. Now they were at it again in the grade office?

And Wang Fuzi was so angry that his already-thinning hair was practically bristling.

"Jiang Ruotang, you did quite well on this monthly test," Wang Fuzi said coldly, staring at him.

"Huh? Are you serious, or are you mocking me for bringing down the class average?" Jiang Ruotang sensed hostility in Wang Fuzi's tone. Though he knew he should respect teachers, he believed they should just say things outright instead of beating around the bush.

"Your math score was 93 out of 150—your highest since enrolling, wasn't it?" Wang Fuzi said.

"Yeah... Wait, don’t you teach Chinese? Why are you suddenly concerned about my math?"

Jiang Ruotang thought to himself, *My Chinese score was just 88—my usual "normal performance."*

Wang Fuzi glared at him icily. "And your science section score was quite remarkable too. It’s the first time I’ve seen an arts student score 150 in science."

Jiang Ruotang was at his limit. "Teacher Wang, if you have something to say, just say it directly. The way you're praising me, I almost thought the science composite was out of 150!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the math teacher, Song Qinghe, who had been trying to signal Jiang Ruotang from the side, couldn’t help but chuckle.

Meng Yang, standing nearby with his hands behind his back and a cocky look, suddenly spoke up. "Huh? Isn’t the science composite out of 150?"

One of his boys explained, "No, it’s out of 300!"

"Then what’s so impressive about scoring 150? That’s not even passing!" Meng Yang muttered.

Wang Fuzi was so furious he nearly threw the lid of his enamel cup.

Cai Ji, who had been keeping his head down like a scolded puppy, finally spoke. "Teacher Wang, I’ve told you many times—this has nothing to do with Jiang Ruotang. He did well because he worked hard. The whole class saw him grinding through practice problems even between classes."

Song Qinghe also chimed in. "Teacher Wang, you originally just wanted to ask Jiang Ruotang a few questions, not accuse him like this. It’ll crush his motivation. This kid has been grinding through practice problems for two months straight. Whenever I call on him in class, he nails the basic questions. He’s not the same Jiang Ruotang as before—you can’t doubt him like this."

Wang Fuzi glared at Jiang Ruotang and said coldly, "Then hand over your phone so we can check it. Let’s see if anyone sent you answers!"

"Huh? Answers via phone? What’s going on?" Jiang Ruotang looked at Song Qinghe, waiting for Teacher Song to explain the situation.

Song Qinghe clarified, "In this monthly exam, Meng Yang suddenly jumped from the bottom 30 in the grade to 170th place. The rest of these guys also improved by at least 70 or 80 spots."

Jiang Ruotang glanced at Meng Yang and roughly understood—these morons had cheated. The real question was, did they even know their own limits?

"Oh? Meng Yang, you’re amazing—progressing as fast as a rocket launch? I thought your brain was so dry it was practically dehydrated."

Meng Yang didn’t catch the sarcasm and just snorted.

Song Qinghe said, "He had Cai Ji leave the exam early and send him the answers afterward."

Jiang Ruotang was stunned. "Such a retro cheating method?"

Cai Ji, still hanging his head, grunted in confirmation.

"To prevent other students from cheating the same way, the school administration screened students who improved too quickly and called them in for questioning. Jiang Ruotang, you’re one of them," Wang Fuzi said coldly. "Hand over your phone so we can check if you received any answers from Cai Ji."

Before Jiang Ruotang could respond, Cai Ji firmly declared again, "I never sent Jiang Ruotang any answers!"

The more Cai Ji distanced himself from Jiang Ruotang, the angrier Meng Yang became. He suddenly blurted out, "Maybe you sent them and then deleted the messages? Otherwise, why are you so eager to defend Jiang Ruotang? Maybe we were just the side hustle—Jiang Ruotang was your main client!"

"You—!" Cai Ji’s face flushed with anger.

Hearing this, Wang Fuzi, adopting a "better safe than sorry" approach, raised his voice again. "Jiang Ruotang! Did you really earn your grades on your own?"

Wang Fuzi had always disliked Jiang Ruotang—an entitled rich kid who was an art student, had no sense of student discipline, and spent all his time chasing celebrities, even dragging others into it. Someone so unserious? Wang Fuzi refused to believe he’d actually study!

Both were sons of entertainment company CEOs, but Lin Lu was far more sensible and hardworking than Jiang Ruotang.