Chapter 2 — The Path of Remembrance

At least when I eat roasted sweet potatoes, no one keeps staring at me. Like looking at an unsatisfactory item. During the first week of changing schools, I quickly became the laughing stock of the whole class. It's not that I want to make fun of you. But because this school's regulations are completely different from the school in town. For example, during recess, you should not run in the hallway, talk loudly, or sit on the schoolyard grass. When I was in town, as soon as the school bell rang, I climbed out the window. The first time I was stopped by a student on the inspection team to write my name down for running in the hallway, I really didn't understand. "Can't even run? So what's the point of recess?" She has no expression. “Rest quietly or preview your next lesson.” I suspected she was joking, but the look on her face told me she wasn't. The bigger problem is exams. First week's test, math forty-one points, literature fifty-five points, English twenty-eight points. English is the best. In town, the new English teacher only taught us the alphabet and the simplest words. And fifth grade students here have learned grammar. While handing out the cards, Trieu Giai Giai, sitting in front of me, turned his head, glanced, and then snorted. Trieu Giai Giai is a close friend of Luc Uyen Dinh, also the class vice president. She tied her hair in two high ponytails, and her voice always sounded calm. “Hey, To Niem Niem, have you never seen this type of problem before?” I thought and answered honestly: "It's true that I've never seen it before. The papers at my old school were handwritten by the teacher and then taken to town for photocopying. Sometimes the writing is as blurry as a heavenly book." Maybe she didn't expect me to answer so calmly. She was stunned and then laughed. “Your school is really backward.” “It's not really outdated, it's just that the photocopier often jams paper.” The friends next to me secretly laughed. Trieu Giai Giai turned to whisper to Luc Uyen Dinh. Luc Uyen Dinh shook his head slightly, with an awkward gentle look on his face. If I translate that expression, it means: Don't bully her anymore, she won't have it easy either. I found that I would rather be mocked to the face by Trieu Giai Giai than see this expression on Luc Uyen Dinh's face. A week later, Ms. Phuong called me to talk. She held a stack of my exercise books, each one full of red crosses. "Friend To Niem Niem, your background is very different from the rest of the class. I understand that your previous learning conditions were not good." “But you have to try yourself, you can't completely rely on others to help you.” “I'm still trying.” “Currently, I still haven't seen the results of my efforts.” She stopped for a moment. "I discussed with the class monitor to let Uyen Dinh be your study partner, and every day after school I will tutor you for an hour." Reflexively, I wanted to refuse. But before she could open her mouth, Ms. Phuong called Luc Uyen Dinh into the office. “Uyen Dinh, it's hard for me, please help this friend.” Ms. Phuong does not know the relationship between us. In her eyes, I was just a transfer student from the countryside. Luc Uyen Dinh obediently nodded. "Miss Phuong, don't worry, I will definitely try my best to help her." She turned and smiled at me. “Nien Niem, let's go together after school, I'll teach you.” I agree. Because I have no reason to refuse. But after an hour of tutoring that day, I understood why I didn't want to let her teach. When lecturing, she is extremely patient. So patient that every time he finished explaining a step, he had to look at me to confirm if I understood. Those eyes are not the eyes of a teacher looking at a student. It's a smart person looking at a fool. Yes, it's the kind of patience "just take it slow, no need to rush, I'll wait for you". But the problem is that the way she looks at me makes me feel like I am someone who will never be able to catch up with her. Coming home in the evening, Luc's father and Luc's mother asked how school was today. Luc Uyen Dinh answered for me. “Nien Niem is very serious, she will improve quickly.” When she said this, her voice was extremely sincere. Luc's mother touched her head. “Uyen Dinh really understands things.” I stood next to him, somehow feeling like a weed

c alms some sunlight. The second week after changing schools, things got worse. It's not a matter of achievement, but because I discovered that this school's rules are much more complicated than I thought. During recess, the girls in the class will divide into several small groups to talk. Luc Uyen Dinh's group is the largest, with six or seven people. Sometimes when I walk up and want to participate, they will stop, politely smile at me and then move on to another topic. The new topic was clearly chosen intentionally because I can understand. For example, the weather, or what the cafeteria is eating today. But I knew very well what they were saying before. Piano classes, dance classes, winter vacations abroad, whose mother buys them some limited edition item. I didn't understand, and I couldn't interrupt. It's not because I'm stupid. But because my winter vacation is spent herding geese in the mountains. Trieu Giai Giai is the only person who doesn't pretend to be polite.