Chapter 535: Chapter 180: ’80s Drama Queen Forced to Become a Top Student (15)

Tears of joy welled in her eyes.

She once thought she might die alone, never expecting heaven to send her such a sweet granddaughter.

Sheng Leyun nodded lightly. She cast several expectant glances at Ren Xingchen but received no response, so she dejectedly squeezed through the crowd and went downstairs.

The crowd sighed endlessly, unsure how things had escalated to this point.

Never mind them; even Xiao Xuezhen and Ren Xingchen felt something was off.

Sheng Leyun was the one who had initially proposed the adoption, and she was also the one who later reacted strongly and went back on her word. Yet now, the adoption had been pushed through by the enthusiastic crowd of onlookers.

They had achieved the result they’d hoped for, but the effect was the complete opposite of what they had planned.

They had originally wanted to have their cake and eat it too, but now, both face and substance were scattered on the floor like loose pearls.

Now that she was officially part of the family, Sheng Leyun told Grandma Guo that she had to go to her class.

Grandma Guo was delighted that she was so diligent in her studies. She stuffed a bag full of strawberries into her hands, insisting that she take them to share with her classmates and teacher.

"Grandma found a watch today and returned it to its owner. They gave me these as a gift, so I didn’t spend a single cent," the old woman said with a cheerful laugh. "Your classmates come from well-off families, and we can’t compare. But child, we won’t be envious, and we won’t take advantage of others."

"If there’s any money you absolutely have to spend, just tell Grandma. Grandma has money!"

Sheng Leyun nodded repeatedly. "Grandma, if you get tired, you should go to bed first. I’ll probably be studying until after ten."

The old woman waved her hand. "Old folks don’t need much sleep. You go on and study. Grandma will bring you all some dough drop soup later."

"Grandma’s dough drop soup is delicious. You kids are young and get hungry fast. You can’t focus on your studies when your stomach is empty."

"Don’t argue with Grandma about this. Grandma is very happy today."

Sheng Leyun said helplessly, "Grandma, I have money too."

The joy on the old woman’s face was genuine. She was already bustling around the room, preparing to make the late-night snack.

Sheng Leyun told her where the class was and reminded her to take a flashlight and preferably find someone to accompany her.

The old woman smiled, her eyes crinkling, and agreed to everything. ’Having a child in the house really is different,’ she thought to herself. ’How long has it been since someone thought of me so constantly?’

Sheng Leyun was the last to arrive.

Gong Zicheng glanced at her but said nothing, starting the lesson directly.

Elementary school knowledge is very fundamental. Once you get the hang of it and combine it with effective memorization, you can progress faster and faster.

And Gong Zicheng’s teaching style was different from the bland cramming method used by teachers in school.

As the kids were drawn in by his interesting content, they mastered the material without even realizing it.

Gong Zicheng only taught for an hour before assigning practice exercises and memorization homework, letting them study on their own.

The students learned everything the teacher taught, then immediately practiced and memorized it. The difficulty was just right.

Not to mention Sheng Leyun, even the other kids who had yet to develop good study habits felt a great sense of accomplishment.

When Gong Zicheng checked their work, almost everyone had completed the night’s tasks to a high standard.

Gong Zicheng smiled and pulled a handful of empty shell casings from his pocket. The moment they appeared, he was met with excited cheers from the group.

"Here. You all did a great job cooperating with me to finish the first day’s lesson. As your teacher, I naturally have to give you a reward."

"Once you’ve collected enough empty casings, I’ll show you how to build models with them."

The boys had absolutely no resistance to things like that.

They were already eager to shorten their time in school, and they were happy with Gong Zicheng’s teaching method, having truly experienced getting twice the results with half the effort. Now there were material rewards on top of that.

The kids’ interest in studying grew even stronger.

Each person got one empty shell casing. When it was Sheng Leyun’s turn, Gong Zicheng placed a strawberry hair clip in her palm.

"My aunt brought back a bunch of little trinkets from Shanghai. We’ll see if you can collect them all."

Seeing the boy so seriously treating her like a child he was coaxing, Sheng Leyun played along. She immediately put the clip in her hair, shook her head playfully, and asked in a sweet, soft voice, "Brother Cheng, is it pretty?"

Seeing that the little girl liked it, a glint of a smile flashed in Gong Zicheng’s eyes. He nodded. "It’s pretty."

Sheng Leyun continued, "Then I’ll have to work even harder from now on and win all the rewards you have, Brother Cheng!"

Gong Zicheng found it amusing to see her looking so solemn, as if she were vowing to win some grand prize.

He looked again at the little girl’s faded, yellowish hair. It was naturally curly, each strand growing freely and proudly, carrying its owner’s playful and slightly haughty spirit.

He couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle it. Just as he’d imagined, it was soft and fluffy. "Alright, I’ll be waiting."

Grandma Guo arrived with the dough drop soup, and everyone drank it while singing its praises.

After they finished, it was time for Sheng Leyun to go home with the old woman.

"There are streetlights the whole way, and plenty of people coming and going from the night shift, so Grandma didn’t bother asking anyone to come with me," the old woman explained with a cheerful laugh, afraid the little girl might worry.

Sheng Leyun held the old woman’s hand.

’I’m a transmigrator,’ she thought, ’and I may seem to have a form of eternal life, but I’m also very lonely. There’s no one who can walk with me from the beginning to the end of all my journeys.’

She cherished every genuine emotion, and she believed that the old woman felt the same way at this very moment.

"Grandma, you don’t have to do that. Just come whenever you want. Besides, you saw that we have a lot of classmates here, and a few of them even live along the way."

"But, if it’s overcast, raining, or snowing, you’re not allowed to come alone. I’ll get angry if you do!"

Grandma Guo quickly agreed. "Of course, of course. Grandma is very careful about safety. I finally have a sweet little girl to keep me warm, and I want to protect you for many more years."

The grandmother and granddaughter chatted softly as they walked home.

Grandma Guo lived alone in a ten-square-meter room, which in later generations would be no bigger than a single bedroom.

But in this era, when large families of a dozen or more people were squeezed together, having such a large space all to oneself was an enviable privilege.

The old woman pointed out the things in her home, saying that tomorrow she would have someone bring in a wooden plank bed, a desk and chair set, and a chest of drawers to rearrange the place.

They were going to be living together for the long haul; they couldn’t just make do.

Sheng Leyun smiled and joined in, offering her own practical suggestions.

Before the sky had even begun to lighten, the old woman got up, moving stealthily.

Sheng Leyun, being a light sleeper, opened her eyes but didn’t make a sound. She knew the old woman was heading out to sweep the streets.

Now that she was the old woman’s family, she didn’t plan on interfering too much in the short term.

Sheng Leyun wasn’t sure if her being adopted by Grandma Guo was ultimately a good thing or a bad thing for the old woman.

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