Chapter 7
Chapter 7: Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way
A new week.
When the students of Second High School entered the campus with heavy steps, the big bulletin board standing at the school gate suddenly caught everyone’s attention.
All the students unconsciously stopped at this spot.
They looked up in astonishment at the dark wall where serious and old-fashioned promotional columns were supposed to appear.
But today, what appeared there was an astonishing large-scale artwork.
With the black wall as the night sky, dotted with twinkling stars, a breathtakingly bright white comet with a long multi-colored tail swept across half of the wall in a beautiful arc, falling towards the distance.
Below were layers of rolling clouds, and beneath the clouds, a city was faintly visible.
On one side, two silhouettes looked into the distance at the comet, their clothes fluttering in the wind, along with a few pages of scattered books.
In the blank space below the comet, seven words were written:
Where There’s a Will,
There’s a Way.
All the students were a little bewildered, but without exception, they all liked it very much.
“Wow, has our school suddenly become enlightened?”
“Why is the bulletin board so powerful this time? The painting is so amazing…”
“Using the blackboard as the background for the night sky, outlining the comet with white chalk, it’s indeed ingenious.”
“It’s a comet, huh, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ Can I make a wish facing it? Will it come true?”
Under the big bulletin board, everyone chattered excitedly.
More people saw it as a unique way of propaganda for the school, a message to the high school seniors.
So, some people really clasped their hands together and made wishes towards the comet.
One after another, more people joined in. If others made a wish and I didn’t, wouldn’t I be missing out?
***
Fu Chengque’s illness hadn’t improved, but her condition was much better.
She was asked by her parents to rest quietly for another day and was banned from using her phone.
Wen Yu arrived at school as usual, but was startled by the group of classmates at the school gate.
A bunch of them were praying with clasped hands at the school gate, as if they had entered a temple.
It was embarrassing and speechless; superstition was not good.
After using up one of his “Pretender Master” usage times, the significantly enhanced painting skills indeed showed remarkable results.
Feeling a bit guilty, he headed to the classroom. As soon as he put down his schoolbag, someone shouted, “Wen Yu, Teacher Chen wants you in the office.”
This is bad!
In the office, Wen Yu found that Peng Hui (Xiao Gua), Fang Ling, and Lu Min were already standing there, looking dejected.
Chen Xiongguo, a nearly forty-year-old man with a square face and a large mole on his jaw, was a good person, but now he looked fierce.
Seeing Wen Yu enter the office, he slammed the tea cup on the table with a “clunk,” took a mouthful of tea leaves, chewed a few times, and swallowed.
“Wen Yu, come here!”
He bellowed angrily.
The boy took a few steps forward.
“Did you do the painting on the bulletin board?! Was it you?! Don’t tell me it wasn’t, I’ve investigated it thoroughly!”
“It was me, Teacher Chen.”
Chen Xiongguo was furious. “Do you… do you know what you’ve done?! Huh? That’s the bulletin board, is it a place for you to mess around?!”
“Teacher, the situation was urgent, I could only do that.”
“What urgent situation! Even if it was urgent, you can’t take matters into your own hands like this!”
Listening to the homeroom teacher shouting, Wen Yu didn’t get angry, but felt wronged, and said:
“Teacher, the heavy rain last Saturday washed away everything we had done before. Fu Chengque ran there last Saturday to try to save it. She ran to the bulletin board in the rain, and the waterproof cloth fell off. She tried to drag it back in the rain, but the wind was too strong, and her body was weak, so she couldn’t move. I was just about to go help her, but suddenly the wind intensified and blew the waterproof cloth up into the sky, and Fu Chengque was knocked down by it, covered in mud.”
Later, she hugged the bulletin board and cried. I couldn’t bear to see it, so I dragged her home and told her, I will definitely find a way to help her.
She was fine at first, but on Sunday, she suddenly had a high fever. The first thing she said to me when she had a high fever was ‘bulletin board!’
I’ve never seen Fu Chengque work so hard, so I decided I had to do something…”
With great detail and vividness.
Behind Wen Yu, Fang Ling and the others listened in shock, thinking, was there such a moving story last Saturday?
Chen Xiongguo’s anger dissipated after hearing this. The image of his precious student struggling to save the bulletin board in the storm repeatedly flashed in his mind. By now, he had lost all his anger.
“Well… you’ve really worked hard these past two weeks… You’ve done well.”
Peng Hui (Xiao Gua), Fang Ling, and Lu Min widened their eyes in surprise. Old Chen, you’re supposed to be addressing Wen Yu’s unauthorized painting of the bulletin board, but you’ve been swayed by him…
The scene in the office happened to be observed by Director Lin from the Discipline Office.
He had also observed what happened at the school gate for a while, confirming that it didn’t have much impact before coming up. He happened to encounter Chen Xiongguo reprimanding someone.
He hurried forward, first gesturing to Chen Xiongguo that there was no need to explain, then turning his gaze to Wen Yu and the others.
“Who painted the bulletin board? Or did you work together?”
Wen Yu didn’t want others to take the blame.
“Teacher, it was me. I painted it all.”
Director Lin sized up Wen Yu and asked, “Why did you paint that? Can you tell me about your thoughts? It’s definitely not just a casual painting, and what about the words you wrote?”
Wen Yu pondered for a moment.
“Teacher, as you know, we’re all in our third year of high school, and the pressure from the university entrance examination is very high for us. Sometimes, just looking at the school naturally makes us panic. Instead of using the usual promotional phrases, I hope this painting can give my classmates a moment of peace in their hearts. Every step we take into the school should not be filled with fear, but moving forward with hope.”
“Good!” Director Lin clapped suddenly. “Although it still reflects the thoughts of many children, you said it well. The school should move forward with hope.”
He added, “I will discuss with the principal whether to keep this bulletin board. If we can’t keep it, I hope you can also understand the school’s difficulties.”
With that, he let the few people return to the classroom.
This wave, considered to have passed safely.
The final result of the school leaders’ discussion was: this bulletin board was created by the students of Class Four, who are also seniors, as a message to everyone, especially to the seniors preparing for the university entrance examination. It symbolizes hope, has an innovative form, and was drawn with care. It will be temporarily retained, and further consideration will be given to the situation. In principle, criticism will be given to the students responsible for the bulletin board in Class Four, and they will need to write a self-criticism to be submitted by Tuesday, as well as a “profound reflection” in front of their classmates. Additionally, considering the kindness, optimism, and positivity of Wen Yu and the others, verbal praise and encouragement will be given.
Outside, the world had already changed, but Miss Fu Chengque, who knew nothing, had just awakened quietly on Monday night.
After tidying up her feelings, on Tuesday, Fu Chengque followed behind Wen Yu again.
She was like a tail, the colorful tail of a comet.
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