On the basketball court, a huddle of students struggled to form something that could barely be recognized as a formation under the watchful eyes of their teacher, who wore a troubled expression.
“Uh, students, check in with your numbers.” The PE teacher at the front, wearing a sun visor, called out a string of numbers.
Not long after the roll call was finished, Ye Qingchang, who had just signed in, heard Zhu Niao’s impatient voice from beside her, “Hey, hey, what’s the check-in code?”
“ABCD.”
“Why does it show as wrong?” Zhu Niao stared at her phone in disbelief.
“I’m actually more curious how you managed to enter letters on a numeric keypad.” Ye Qingchang took a deep breath and still told Zhu Niao the code.
Then she saw Zhu Niao turning to report the check-in code to Gou Yu, who also looked completely lost.
Looking up, she saw Xu Nian in the distance, holding two phones, using both hands to help Yang Shuli sign in as well.
On Ye Qingchang’s other side was Liu Xie, his blond hair catching the light.
He’d clearly washed his face in a hurry this morning, and now, with a twisted face, he wiped two eye boogers off and smeared them on Ye Qingchang, who wore glasses.
Ye Qingchang felt that with this bunch in her life, there really was no hope left.
“First, let me explain how your grade for this class is structured…”
Liu Xie, eyes like dead fish, yawned. “Here we go again, here we go again, feels like every class starts with this.”
“First of all, the campus run is mandatory. If you don’t reach the passing score, you’ll have to make it up next semester. Combine that with what you already have to run next semester, that’s double. If you really can’t run, remember to get a certificate and hand it in.”
“Then, pay attention to the physical fitness test, too, but what’s more important is the final exam.”
“The final is a three-step layup: run from one end of the court to the basket and do a layup. In one minute, boys need four to pass, girls need three to pass.”
The noisy students fell silent when they heard this.
Then the chatter grew even louder.
“Lao San, didn’t you say the final for this class was free throws?” Zhu Niao asked, a trace of panic in her voice.
“How was I supposed to know basketball class has two kinds of finals?” Ye Qingchang stuck up her middle finger, “Still better than table tennis, right?”
Last year’s table tennis final required both partners to rally the ball 120 times, and Ye Qingchang and Zhu Niao had been paired for the test.
Every time they got to about thirty, Zhu Niao couldn’t help but slow down, instinctively trying for two smashes.
Zhu Niao really did master the table tennis smash, and, indeed, both failed their PE final.
If not for the PE teacher throwing them a lifeline…
“I told you, I didn’t mean to sabotage the test last year, I just couldn’t help it,” Zhu Niao began to argue.
“This one’s an individual exam, so even if you can’t help it, you can’t mess up,” Ye Qingchang said, crossing her arms and turning to watch the teacher continue.
“Remember, if you really can’t make it, just roll the ball in from the side, and keep track of your own count. Tell the class rep how many you got.”
The teacher’s words shone with humanity, and compared to the other teachers, he seemed much more personable.
He really looked like the understanding type.
“Wow, sounds tough, Lao San, what am I supposed to do if I’ve never touched a basketball?” Zhu Niao wailed next to Ye Qingchang, drawing glances from both her and Liu Xie.
“You really didn’t get it?” Ye Qingchang’s tone was incredulous, “Letting you count your own baskets just means you can decide for yourself how many you made!”
“Holy crap, is that so? So I could just score a dozen in a minute.”
Liu Xie rolled his eyes. “That’s exactly why the timer is there, to stop shameless people like you from gaming it.”
At the front, the PE teacher still wasn’t finished: “Next week, next week’s PE class we’ll start the fitness test, so get ready.”
“No way, with my current body I have to run a thousand meters? That’s gonna kill me!” Zhu Niao howled again.
“Did you forget it’s not a thousand, but eight hundred now?” Liu Xie reminded her.
Zhu Niao was stunned, like a keyword had triggered in her mind, and she turned to look at Ye Qingchang, who was caught between the two of them.
“I’m definitely taking sick leave next week, no way am I running eight hundred with you,” Ye Qingchang said with complete certainty.
Despite all the chatter, the PE teacher remained calm as ever.
“Alright, let’s pick a PE class rep now. Anyone willing?”
Dead silence.
The teacher with the roster glanced around, then fixed his gaze on Gou Yu, who stood out among the girls.
“You. Yes, you. You’ll be the PE class rep.”
“Me? Me?” Gou Yu pointed at himself, then saw Zhu Niao snickering.
He karate-chopped Zhu Niao on the head, then turned to the teacher, “Teacher, I’m not up for it, my legs aren’t good.”
The teacher looked half-helpless at this, “Can’t be helped.”
“Hey, you have to agree! Otherwise who’s going to fudge my fitness test scores?” Zhu Niao whispered in Gou Yu’s ear. “Do your bro a favor this once, I’ll never forget your kindness!”
Gou Yu met Zhu Niao’s pitiful eyes.
“So how are you going to repay your dad?”
“Dad, whatever you say goes,” Zhu Niao pressed his palms together, all sincerity.
And so, Gou Yu added, “Teacher, though my legs aren’t good, I’m very willing to serve my classmates and take the load off you.”
The look of helplessness on the teacher’s face deepened. “Alright then, you’ll be the PE class rep.”
The teacher added, “Run two laps around the court, then practice on your own. The final exam is important.”
After that, the team, looking like a caterpillar, began to crawl around the track.
This kind of slow jog was the most tiring and time-consuming.
At least it was a good warm-up.
But for Ye Qingchang, who had an empty stomach and had caught a slight cold from getting rained on earlier, it wasn’t so friendly.
She just felt her head spinning, her limbs weighed down like lead, and every step felt like she was giving it her all.
To make it worse, Zhu Niao and Liu Xie chattered noisily on either side, their voices grating on her ears.
Suddenly, her vision went black, her foot slipped, and the world started spinning.
Liu Xie, quick on the uptake, grabbed Ye Qingchang and pulled her aside.
Zhu Niao blurted out without thinking, “The school cafeteria’s breakfast is toxic!”
“I didn’t even eat breakfast!”
Yeesh she’s frail.