PCJ – Chapter 141 Heavy Snow

Zhang Jiaohua had rarely listened in class and had barely done any homework, but when he received the exam paper, he didn’t find it particularly difficult. However, he had no way to answer questions like writing from memory and filling in blanks with the original text in the Chinese exam. He did what he could, then threw his pen aside and ran outside to play.

Outside the classroom, snowflakes were drifting down, and a thin layer had already accumulated on the ground, turning the whole world white.

There is an innate affection for purity and beauty in everyone’s heart, and seeing the sparkling snowflakes made Zhang Jiaohua exceptionally excited. He was only wearing a pair of trousers and a jacket over a long-sleeve undershirt. While other children would be shivering, Zhang Jiaohua acted as if nothing was wrong. Although Liu Qiaoye wished to wrap Zhang Jiaohua up tightly, he himself refused. Wearing too many clothes made him feel cumbersome, and he didn’t feel cold at all. Once his inner strength was developed, his body no longer feared the cold.

Seeing Zhang Jiaohua practice the Meishan Stance daily, Liu Qiaoye and Zhang Youping realized that his physical condition was indeed different from other children. Coupled with the fact that Zhang Jiaohua was more independent than his peers, they stopped worrying about him.

Ma Lishong, seeing children playing in the snow outside, immediately ran out of the room, “Which class are you in? Why aren’t you taking your exam properly? What are you doing outside?”

Zhang Jiaohua turned around, and Ma Lishong regretted it instantly. If he had known it was him, he would have pretended not to see.

“Jiaohua, have you finished your exam?” Ma Lishong’s tone softened significantly.

“Yes,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, not understanding why Ma Lishong’s attitude changed so quickly.

“Aren’t you cold, wearing so little?” Ma Lishong walked over, feeling he needed to maintain his authority as the principal.

“No, wearing more clothes makes me too hot,” Zhang Jiaohua really wasn’t cold. If another child wore so little, they would be shivering, but Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t. He felt just as comfortable as in summer.

Ma Lishong, although he didn’t see Zhang Jiaohua shivering, walked over and held his hand to check if he was cold. To his surprise, Zhang Jiaohua’s hand was warm, even warmer than his own in the office by the charcoal fire.

“Huh, you’re really not cold?” Ma Lishong was puzzled.

“No, my dad says that people who practice martial arts don’t feel the cold,” Zhang Jiaohua thought the principal was making a fuss over nothing.

Ma Lishong, searching for another topic, asked, “How did your exam go? Why did you finish so quickly?”

“I did everything I could,” Zhang Jiaohua answered honestly.

Ma Lishong assumed that Zhang Jiaohua probably couldn’t do anything and had handed in a blank paper. He had long heard about Zhang Jiaohua’s disinterest in studying, so he wasn’t surprised.

“Jiaohua, reading more books is good for you. You should take your studies more seriously. The times have changed. You need to learn modern scientific knowledge. As the saying goes, ‘Master math, physics, and chemistry, and you can go anywhere in the world without fear.'” Ma Lishong felt it was his duty to enlighten Zhang Jiaohua.

“I understand,” Zhang Jiaohua nodded.

Knowing that saying more wouldn’t help, and feeling the cold outside, Ma Lishong shivered and quickly returned to his office, closing the door. The room was lit warmly by the blazing charcoal fire.

The second exam was math. Zhang Jiaohua finished quickly again, refusing Dumb’s friendly assistance, and handed in his paper early. Carrying his backpack, he left. Gong Ziyuan felt sorry for this student and shouted after Zhang Jiaohua’s departing figure, “Come on Friday to get your report card.”

After Zhang Jiaohua left, Gong Ziyuan picked up his math paper and was astonished by what he saw. Zhang Jiaohua had completed the entire paper and got everything correct. Even though it was a first-grade exam and not very difficult, it still required some time to complete, but Zhang Jiaohua had done it perfectly in just ten minutes.

Curious, Gong Ziyuan looked at his Chinese exam. To his greater surprise, Zhang Jiaohua had also completed all the other questions correctly, except for the ones that required memorization or filling in blanks with the original text. He could easily score seventy or eighty points.

Initially, Gong Ziyuan thought Zhang Jiaohua’s lack of interest in studying was due to laziness and a poor attitude. He had no idea that even without studying, Zhang Jiaohua could achieve such results. If he studied like other children and memorized the required texts, he could easily score above ninety.

Gong Ziyuan’s eyes lit up, realizing that such a promising student had been right in front of him, unnoticed. He felt that someone like Zhang Jiaohua was worth encouraging.

With the winter vacation approaching, Gong Ziyuan decided to visit Zhang Jiaohua’s home and talk to his parents. A smart child like this shouldn’t be neglected.

Unaware of the impact his exam papers would have, Zhang Jiaohua was enjoying the crunching sound of snow under his feet. The snow was thickening, and it continued to fall heavily, covering the ground in a thick layer.

On a huge rock in Meishan, a big green wolf stood, overlooking the snow-covered Meizi’ao. Despite the fierce wind and snow, it remained as if it were a statue.

With the heavy snow blocking the mountains, it wouldn’t end soon. The long, icy days would be a disaster for carnivores like the big green wolf. Their prey would hide under the thick snow, and after the freeze, the snow would become as hard as rock, impossible to dig through.

The entire pack would face hunger, fighting to survive.

Zuan Shanbao was restless today, pacing the courtyard, feeling a sense of danger looming.

“Roar!”

Zuan Shanbao’s low growl scared Zhang Jiaohua’s livestock away. They were all terrified of this small but fierce creature.

“What’s wrong with the Shanbao today? It seems restless. Could something be happening?” Liu Qiaoye, sensitive to changes, wondered aloud.

“Don’t worry, what could happen at home?” Zhang Youping was not concerned.