Chapter 795: So Cool

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The group of young boys each received a small piece of dried beef. After tasting it, they nodded in approval, their faces full of satisfaction. “This is so delicious, it’s even better than the dried beef we can buy here. Second Brother, has your father gone to the capital? What is he doing there? My father has never been to the capital.”

The boys paused to look at Su Li, their curiosity piqued. “Second Brother, what is this maroon-colored square wrapped in white paper? It looks delicious too, can we have some?”

Su Li watched the boys, their faces filled with anticipation. It reminded him of his own childhood, and he found it impossible to deny their request. He placed the piece of hawthorn cake he had unwrapped on the table, then, using a classmate’s ruler as a makeshift knife, he cut it into many tiny pieces.

“The hawthorn cake was also sent by my father. However, I only have two pieces today. I’ll share this one with you. Each of you can have a small piece. My mother told me that my father is a soldier and he went to the capital on a business trip. I don’t know anything else.”

The boys gasped in awe. “Wow, your father is a soldier? And he can even go to the capital on business trips. That sounds so cool, Second Brother! The hawthorn cake is delicious too.”

“Second Brother, since your father has gone to the capital on a business trip, does that mean he will work there? Are you also going to move to the capital? We will miss you, Second Brother!”

Typically, children of their age wouldn’t have a clear concept of what being a soldier meant. However, these students were different. Through the information Su Li shared, they could vaguely discern that Su Li’s father was an important figure. After all, other students’ parents who were soldiers also took pride in going to the capital.

But Su Li didn’t see it that way. He told his young friends, “My father won’t stay in the capital. My mother is here, and my siblings and I are here too. He won’t stay there, my father will be back soon!”

Upon hearing this, the boys were even more impressed with their Second Brother. After all, other people’s fathers took pride in going to the capital, but Second Brother’s father didn’t care about that. Second Brother’s father seemed so cool, even cooler than Second Brother’s older brother. They were sure they had chosen the right person to follow!

The atmosphere around Su Li was becoming increasingly lively, and he reveled in the sensation. However, the merriment was soon disrupted by a disdainful figure. He cast a dismissive glance at Su Li and his companions, sneering, “A bunch of fools, listening to this country bumpkin. His father, a soldier? More like a pig farmer from the countryside.

“What makes him think he could ever stay in the capital? Does his father even have the qualifications to remain here? He parades around like a soldier’s son, offering small snacks. And look at his shoes, typical rural cloth shoes, probably made from some rag he found. So rustic, it’s laughable.”

This individual was also a classmate of Su Li’s, named Sun Wei. Currently, only a portion of the class had aligned themselves with Su Li, while the rest had fallen into Sun Wei’s camp. Sun Wei, much like their homeroom teacher, Teacher Zhou, held a deep disdain for Su Li, who hailed from the countryside.

Whatever Su Li did, Sun Wei was sure to oppose. As a result, Sun Wei had become the class representative for mathematics. The previous representative had been dismissed by Teacher Zhou, on the grounds of stagnant academic progress. This was a decision that baffled the students, as the former representative had consistently scored full marks on every test. How much more could one possibly improve?

However, mathematics was Teacher Zhou’s subject, and she held the authority to appoint and dismiss her class representatives. The former representative could only weep and yield his position to Sun Wei, whose mathematical abilities were mediocre at best.

Sun Wei was well aware of why he had been appointed as the class representative. Therefore, after assuming the role, he redoubled his efforts to oppose Su Li.

After Sun Wei finished speaking, his followers began to mock Su Li as well. “Only the poor would wear such shoes. They’re so ugly. Not even a soldier’s child would wear them, let alone any city dweller.”

“Exactly, only an unsophisticated bumpkin would follow a leader from the countryside. It’s simply lowering our standards.”

Su Li was infuriated by their words. The shoes they were mocking were ones he had put on that very morning, handmade by his grandmother. His brother and sister each had a pair as well. Yet these people dared to call them ugly.

He immediately retorted, “My shoes are not ugly, Sun Wei. You’re just jealous because I have relatives who care for me and make shoes for me. All you can do is buy yours!”

Gao Ming quickly chimed in, “Sorry, Sun Wei. I must have been too loose-lipped. I accidentally let slip some information about your family to Su Li.”