I Got Rich in Period Fiction

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: One Plus One Equals You Chapter 33: Chapter 33: One Plus One Equals You Qiao Qingyu organized her thoughts and then began to make shoulder bags with Sister-in-law Li with single-minded focus.

Five days later, with red-rimmed eyes, Qiao Qingyu and Sister-in-law Li had made two hundred and eighty shoulder bags.

The remaining fabric was too fragmented, but under Qiao Qingyu’s design, the two managed to make another two hundred small drawstring purses, each the size of a palm.

Colorful and varied, they looked like the highly ethnic and distinctive souvenirs found at tourist sites in later generations.

She let Sister-in-law Li rest at home while Qiao Qingyu rode her bicycle to Xiaxi Commune.

She took two shoulder bags and several small purses with her.

Fang Xiaomei naturally couldn’t let them go when she saw them.

The two shoulder bags Qiao Qingyu had brought were, of course, one rainbow and one patchwork. Fang Xiaomei took a liking to the patchwork one, and then Qiao Qingyu suggested she give the rainbow bag to her cousin, the daughter of Vice Director Qian, who was about to get married.

The rainbow shoulder bag was unprecedented in the current market, with its novel style and bright colors, it looked high-end and classy.

Although it was made from ordinary labor cloth, it was no less inferior than pure leather.

Fang Xiaomei underestimated it, she didn’t yet realize that this was no ordinary shoulder bag.

One that should sell for at least six yuan.

Qiao Qingyu declined Fang Xiaomei’s invitation to eat at her house, as there was a class in the afternoon that she had to attend no matter what.

It was the first time the base family compound held a class, and it had garnered robust support from the base leadership; an elderly leader had specifically come to preside over the opening ceremony.

When he saw Qiao Qingyu sitting in the first row, he expressed his satisfaction, saying that being uneducated was not scary, what was scary was the lack of ambition.

Qiao Qingyu was still young, it wasn’t too late to start learning now, and getting at least an elementary school diploma would be good.

Next, the official class began.

Of course, since it was the first day, they chose the afternoon; from tomorrow on, it would be in the evening, since everyone was a family member involved in numerous household chores, cooking, laundry, childcare, elderly care…

Thus, Shen Fen scheduled the learning time from six to eight in the evening.

The timing was just right.

Shen Fen naturally was the person in charge of the class, with Zhu Mingli and Sun Aizhi respectively taking on the roles of math and Chinese teachers.

The class was held in the large warehouse of the former brigade headquarters.

Shen Haoze had helped solve the issue of books and furniture, but he wasn’t there today, probably because he didn’t want to see Qiao Qingyu.

For Qiao Qingyu, it was the first time sitting together with so many family members; there were almost a hundred people, and the warehouse was full.

Director Xie’s wife was even there; her name was Lin Cujuan, and she even smiled at Qiao Qingyu.

Qiao Qingyu naturally returned the smile, then Shen Fen happily announced the start of the class.

The first lesson was in mathematics, and Zhu Mingli stood on the podium.

With a smile of smug satisfaction, she looked down from above at the family members seated below, feeling really good.

Especially when her gaze lingered on Qiao Qingyu’s smooth, jade-like face for several seconds.

She then moved her gaze away enviously and wrote the Arabic numerals from 1 to 0 on the blackboard using chalk.

Her eyes moved around, and she began with a smile, “Classmates, everyone recognizes the numbers on the blackboard, right?”

Some people below laughed, “Yes, how could we not recognize them, 1234567890…”

Some of their family members also laughed along.

She then wrote 1+1 on the blackboard, followed by an equal sign, and her gaze fell steadily on Qiao Qingyu who was also looking at her. She raised her voice, “Now, I would like Comrade Qiao Qingyu to solve this problem.”

She continued to ask, “Qiao Qingyu, what is one plus one?”

Qiao Qingyu, “…”

It’s the same as you, Zhu Mingli, you idiot!!!

Shen Fen, listening in the back, furrowed her brows, feeling somewhat annoyed. Anyone could see that Zhu Mingli was targeting Qiao Qingyu. It was childish, too childish, simply nonsensical!

But she couldn’t go up and stop it either; doing so would be a slap to her own face.

Suddenly, the classroom became very quiet.

Actually, Qiao Qingyu really wanted to scold her so harshly that her parents wouldn’t even recognize her, but with so many family members present, she had to be mindful of her image. She stood up, her face taut, and asked seriously, “Teacher Zhu, may I ask a question before I answer?”

In her heart, Zhu Mingli was laughing madly. Qiao Qingyu, whether you answer or not, you’ve lost face completely today!

“Sure, ask,” she added lightly, “I heard you didn’t even finish first grade in elementary school. I’m doing this to help you review the basics of mathematics.”

A cold glint flashed in Qiao Qingyu’s eyes; she had decided. She would dismiss her from class early!

Having such an idiot as a teacher was a disgrace to the students.

“Teacher Zhu, before class, did you find out the educational level of each family member sitting in this classroom?”

Zhu Mingli, “…”

Yes, but how could she remember over a hundred people.

“Teacher Zhu, did you write a lesson plan before class?”

“Teacher Zhu, do you understand what it means to ‘teach students according to their aptitude’?”

Zhu Mingli’s face turned livid with rage. Damn it, was that even a question?

Qiao Qingyu didn’t give Zhu Mingli a chance to speak. Her clear voice echoed in the worn-out temporary classroom, “Teacher Zhu, as far as I know, the lowest educational level among the family members attending this class is third grade in elementary school, and the highest is first year of junior high. I am in fifth grade in elementary school. By asking such a question on the blackboard, are you treating this class as a game?”

Zhu Mingli raised her voice angrily, almost shrill, “Qiao Qingyu, I was just getting a sense of your level, why so many questions?”

“If we don’t understand something, we should ask. Otherwise, why are we sitting in this classroom?” Qiao Qingyu’s voice remained calm, forming a stark contrast to Zhu Mingli’s frantic state.

Shen Fen at the back of the room couldn’t sit still any longer. She stood up, about to say something, when at that moment, she heard Qiao Qingyu say with a winning smile, “Since you went to all the trouble to come up with this question, it would seem disrespectful not to answer, Teacher Zhu. So, I can tell you that 1+1 equals 2.”

Then she shifted the topic slightly and asked puzzled, “Teacher Zhu, can you tell me why 1+1 equals 2?”

Zhu Mingli was so infuriated that her chest heaved uncontrollably. She didn’t manage a single retort to all the rapid-fire questions from Qiao Qingyu; she was about to burst.

She stared fiercely at Qiao Qingyu, who looked back with a smile, thinking regrettably: Zhu Mingli, you are still too young, why haven’t you learned anything from your mistakes!

Qiao Qingyu hadn’t sat down. With a smile on her lips and a face full of eager curiosity, her eyes clear as water, she said, “Teacher Zhu, I really want to know why 1+1 equals 2.” She then turned to look at the family members around her and raised her voice, “Family members, beautiful sisters, don’t you also want to know why 1+1 equals 2?”