Mistaken Canary Chapter 12
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Edited by megane-kun (ko-fi)
Chapter 12
On Monday morning, during the flag-raising ceremony, every homeroom teacher was required to position themselves at the forefront of their class's formation.
The school uniform consisted of a suit jacket and trousers or a skirt. The children from wealthy families were dressed impeccably, though their posture was lacking.
Many classes stood unevenly, whispering among themselves.
Only the freshmen of Class Two stood ramrod straight.
Their tall and graceful homeroom teacher, standing at the front, was the obvious model for their posture.
Zheng Zhinan quietly moved from Class One to stand next to him and whispered, "Standing nine o'clock from us is the new biology teacher. The previous one went on maternity leave. What do you think—pretty, right?"
Ying Tongchen kept his gaze straight ahead. "Pretty."
Zheng Zhinan: "I think I’ll ask her out to a meal."
Ying Tongchen gave him a confirming look. "Not bad. What are you planning to treat her to?"
"Breakfast."
Ying Tongchen: "..."
Ying Tongchen: "Best of luck."
"Thanks, bud. While the teachers are still here, I’ll sneak off to grab breakfast. You can bring her over later."
Zheng Zhinan gave a shy smile. "I want to surprise her."
"Alright."
After the ceremony, the entire school—teachers and students alike—surged toward the cafeteria.
Ying Tongchen’s gaze swept the crowd until it landed on the young, beautiful biology teacher. "Hello, my name is Ying Tongchen."
The biology teacher looked at him, a mix of surprise and shyness in her eyes. "I know you, I’ve heard a lot about you. Just call me Shengwu."
Ying Tongchen smiled politely. "Alright, Shengwu. Are you going to grab breakfast?"
"Mhm." Shengwu nodded, tucking her long hair behind her ear.
"Let’s go together." Ying Tongchen walked beside her. "Do you know Teacher Zheng from Class 1?"
Shengwu: "Not yet. I just started last week, so I haven’t gotten to know everyone yet."
"I’ll introduce you to him later. He’s a very good math teach..."
"Mr. Ying!" A burst of laughter came from not far off, and Zhuo Zi along with a few female classmates, stood nearby, winking at him. "Fighting*!"
(TLN: similar to the japanese ふぁいと (fu-aito/fighto) and the Chinese jiayou (加油/add oil), fighting is an expression of encouragement and support.)
Ying Tongchen: "?"
Female students: "Mr. Ying, you’re the most handsome, go go go!"
Ying Tongchen: "???"
Zhuo Zi beamed at him, a look of motherly pride in her eyes, and then, with a playful glint, glanced at Shengwu. "What type of woman does Mr. Ying like?"
"I like Lady Liberty," Ying Tongchen replied. "Alright, enough. Go eat, the break won't last forever.. And Zhuo Zi, stop by my office during break. I need to ask you something."
Zhuo Zi: "Yes, sir!"
Once the girls were gone, Shengwu smiled. "You seem pretty close with your students."
Ying Tongchen shrugged. "It’s alright, I guess." Truth be told, he didn’t have much of a communication strategy with students—he just approached them with sincerity and responsibility. He didn’t want to get too close to them, either, to avoid unnecessary complications.
This was something he had learned through experience.
The staff cafeteria was just across from the student cafeteria. As they walked in, there were still a few teachers waiting in line to get their breakfast.
"Tongchen! Over here!" Zheng Zhinan waved from the center of the dining area.
"Let’s go sit with him. Mr. Zheng already got our meals," Ying Tongchen said to Shengwu, leading her over. He secretly planned to grab his food and slip away, giving Zheng Zhinan a chance to chat up Shengwu.
But unexpectedly—
"Tongchen, where are you going?" Zheng Zhinan asked, a mouthful of bun muffling his words. "You just got here, and you’re already leaving? Are you not giving me face?"
Ying Tongchen discreetly pointed at Shengwu with his eyes.
"Hmm?" Zheng Zhinan glanced shyly at Shengwu before asking, "Are you embarrassed to sit next to her? It's fine, come sit here."
Ying Tongchen: "..." How stupid can you be?
With no other choice, he sat down next to him.
Zheng Zhinan, bashfully, handed Shengwu a warm meat bun without saying a word, then turned to Ying Tongchen and began offering him a bun, soy milk, sandwich, and an egg...
Who the f*ck is he actually trying to chase?
Unable to bear it any longer, Ying Tongchen ruthlessly ground his heel into Zheng Zhinan’s shoe under the table. The latter, startled, reflexively kicked out, hitting Shengwu's leg.
Zheng Zhinan: "!"
Shengwu: "......"
Ying Tongchen massaged his temples.
The break between classes had emptied the office, leaving only a handful of teachers behind.
"Report." Zhuo Zi called casually from the door before stepping lightly over to Ying Tongchen's side. "Mr. Ying, I'm here. What did you want to talk to me about? It's not another unit test, right?"
"Of course not." Ying Tongchen lifted his head from the lesson plan. "Tomorrow, tomorrow we’ll have the test."
"Sob."
Ying Tongchen swiveled his chair, his gaze meeting Zhuo Zi's. She beamed at him, an innocent, carefree smile gracing her features. He hesitated, unsure of how to begin.
Zhuo Zi, cupping her cheeks in her hands, asked, "Dare I ask, Mr. Ying, is this student a feast for the eyes?"
Sigh.
The more innocent and adorable the student, the more it pained him.
"Zhuo Zi, it’s like this,” Ying Tongchen began carefully, "I'm thinking about doing some home visits and need to get a better sense of everyone's family situation. Could you tell me a little about your family?"
"You're doing a home visit?!" Zhuo Zi exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "When are you coming? I'll throw a party to welcome you!"
"There's no need for that." Ying Tongchen waved his hand. "I just need to understand the basic situation. How many are in your family?"
Zhuo Zi replied, "Four: my parents, me, and a codger."
Ying Tongchen: "?"
Zhuo Zi: "I meant my older brother."
Ying Tongchen paused for a moment before asking, "Are your parents very busy with work?"
"Nope. They've handed everything off to my older brother. He's the one who’s busy, always out of sight, but under his leadership, our family has gotten richer," Zhuo Zi responded.
It seems her older brother is quite reliable.
"What about your father?" Ying Tongchen, maintaining a calm expression, pressed on. "What's he been doing lately?"
"He’s traveling abroad!” Zhuo Zi complained bitterly. “Didn't even bother coming back for the start of school!"
"And your mother?"
"She’s with him. The old couple is having so much fun, they’ve totally forgotten about us."
Ying Tongchen: "......"
Sigh.
"So when will they be back?"
"They should be back soon," Zhuo Zi replied.
Soon...
It perfectly matched the message sent in the group last night.
Recently returning from abroad, Father Zhuo immediately made plans to go to a hotel with someone—clearly not his spouse.
The rich circle is so filthy!
After a brief silence, Ying Tongchen nodded. "Alright, I have a general understanding. When your parents return, could you ask them about scheduling a home visit for me?"
"Sure thing! You absolutely have to come, Mr. Ying! Is there anything special you’d like to eat? I'll let the housekeeper know," Zhuo Zi said cheerfully.
"No, your progress in studies is my greatest joy."
"Eh, that sounds too formal!" Zhuo Zi clicked her tongue, then whispered, "I already saw it all—you were happily chowing down at the noodle shop by the school...tank top and all."
"Cough."
Zhuo Zi snickered a couple of times before preparing to head back to the classroom.
"Wait a moment." Ying Tongchen called out, and Zhuo Zi turned back, a questioning look on her face. He hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. "If... if there’s something troubling you at home... you can always talk to me or any of the other teachers, you know."
"Okay!" Zhuo Zi saluted playfully. "You’re such a nice teacher, Mr. Ying!"
"And... "
"‘And what?"
Ying Tongchen cleared his throat, "I was having breakfast after a morning run, as for the tank top..."
"Don't worry! That image will be etched in my heart forever, I’ll never share it with anyone! Hee hee hee hee!"
Ying Tongchen: "......"
As soon as Zhuo Zi was gone, Fu Lu wheeled her chair over, grinning mischievously. "Mr. Ying, I also want to see you in a tank top..."
Ying Tongchen: "......"
Fu Lu: "Not to be mean, but you're really bringing down the style of the entire English department. Look at us—we all bring a whole wardrobe to class. And then there’s you, buying your clothes from who-knows-what wholesale market. If it weren't for that face of yours, do you honestly think you'd be sitting at the top of the ‘teacher attractiveness index ranking’?"
Ying Tongchen: "You over-praise."
"I wasn't trying to compliment you!" Fu Lu said, studying him curiously. "There’s a question that’s been nagging at me for a while, and I really want to know: why the dress shirts every single day? And always long-sleeved? Isn’t it hot in summer?"
It is hot.
And it’s quite boring.
But he had no choice. At first, it was out of necessity, but later, it became a habit.
Dress shirts and suits: suitable for any occasion, they were safe, and they didn't make him stand out.
"Because they're cheap," Ying Tongchen said.
"How cheap?"
"Don’t you know?" Ying Tongchen replied seriously. "A shirt costs nine pounds and fifteen pence[1]*."
(TLN: It’s a meme that originated from an English listening comprehension part of the national mock examination. Specifically, the part where the answer is revealed: "The price of the shirt is 9 pounds and 15 pence, the correct answer is B." Check tl note below for more details.)
Fu Lu: "......"
…
Friday finally arrived. Ying Tongchen finished his last class, his work week officially over.
But the long evening of work stretched ahead.
He packed his dinner from the cafeteria, planning to eat it while simultaneously reviewing K.W and client materials and English listening exercises playing on his Bluetooth speaker.
Often, he’d get so engrossed he’d forget about his food, leaving half of it untouched and cold.
Working past ten, he stretched wearily, went to the kitchen for some water, and, in passing, his attention was caught by the couch in the living room.
His thoughts drifted back to the last time he’d been drunk. Meng Gong had sent him and Zhuo Shu home. Zhuo Shu had promptly collapsed on his couch, clinging to him and refusing to let go.
Since the couch wasn't big enough for two grown men, he'd given Zhuo Shu a kick to make him behave.
The memory brought a smile to Ying Tongchen's face.
It had been a while since they’d seen each other.
With the weekend approaching, it seemed like the perfect timing—now it all depended on whether the other person was free.
Ying Tongchen opened his contacts. His eyes fell on "Time Will Reveal What’s Next," and a smile touched his lips as he changed the name to Zhuo Shu before dialing.
The call went unanswered.
Just as he set the phone down to fetch some water, his ringtone buzzed.
It was Zhuo Shu returning his call, his voice conveying a degree of hoarseness and fatigue. "Yes?"
"Hotel, are you going or not?"
Zhuo Shu: "......"
Like hell I’m going.
He'd been running himself ragged abroad for almost a week, with no one to show him a shred of care or concern. Returning home exhausted and jet-lagged, he was immediately woken by this heartless little thing, already pushing for a hotel to drain him dry.
Is he even human?
Definitely not.
Zhuo Shu: "Not going."
Ying Tongchen sighed. "What a shame, I even learned a new position. He paused. “Get some rest. Good night."
Three minutes later—
Zhuo Shu’s eyes flew open. He grabbed his phone and redialed, his voice commanding, "Wimbledon, be there or be square!"
.
.
.
TL Note: I love their dynamic so much lolol. As for the ‘Nine Pounds and Fifteen Pence’ meme…every year, there’s a nation-wide mock exam before the Gaokao that tests the senior high school students’ competency and knowledge, and everytime there is an English listening test segment where a male voice announces, "The price of the shirt is 9 pounds 15 pence, the correct answer is B." The oddness of this repeated phrase became a humorous meme among students, who started using it to mock or joke about situations involving pricing.
Original Question:
Male: "Excuse me. Can you tell me how much the shirt is?"
Female: "Yes, it's nine fifteen."
Then, the options provided would be:
£19.15
£9.15
£9.18
It became such a big meme that someone actually made a Vocaloid song (titled: 9Bang15便士 / Nine Pounds and Fifteen Pence) about it, using the Chinese Vocaloid, Luo Tianyi. Yes, the video has subs :)