Qingyi quickly explained, and Zhang Shutong soon understood the whole story.
It turned out that Li Yipeng's family opened a supermarket on the commercial street. The supermarket wasn't small, and it was said that they also had a branch in the city. They also bought a house in recent years, so they were considered a "rich family" on the small island.
Zhang Shutong knew that this kind of supermarket mainly made money from tobacco and alcohol. They had fixed customers, so their life was supposed to be quite comfortable. But who knew that Gu's father had built a shopping mall in recent years? The business overlap was serious, and his family was hit the hardest.
With their business affected, Li Yipeng had heard a lot of bad things about the Gu family. Now, with the new and old grudges combined, he did the foolish thing of getting revenge on her.
Zhang Shutong recalled what he saw during lunch. "In the end, it's still a conflict outside of school?"
"Yes, otherwise it wouldn't have been so long."
"Then what about the name in the restroom?" Zhang Shutong asked again.
"It's also related to the commercial street. According to him, the person who slid the note was in a similar situation as his family, or even worse. The whole family relied on that shop for food."
"Why would he say it in such detail?"
"To make it more believable. Then he told him that if he wanted to get revenge on Gu Qiumian, he should write her name on the partition. It was a secret code between the two of them."
Zhang Shutong asked strangely:
"And Li Yipeng was really used as a pawn?"
"The other person said that Li Yipeng was in the same class as Gu Qiumian before and knew more about her, so he would know how to get revenge more effectively." Qingyi also rolled his eyes. "And Li Yipeng... you know, he's always liked to show off. He even felt a sense of mission."
"But one thing is different from our judgment."
Qingyi added:
"Although they originally wanted to go after the scarf, the castle wasn't a side thing. The A4 paper, too. These were all intentional. They were meant to hint at Gu Qiumian's family's shopping mall, like a crime declaration."
"Declaration?"
"Yeah, otherwise why would Li Yipeng do it? The other person said there were other revenge plans. The castle and the scarf were just the beginning, to let Gu Qiumian know that her family's shopping mall had messed with them."
Zhang Shutong was about to say something else when Song Nanshan walked over. He was all smiles and asked what the boys were doing running out during the exercises. Were they looking for a punishment? Unfortunately, his good mood only lasted for a moment. As soon as Zhang Shutong spoke, Old Song's face immediately darkened.
...
The bell for the fourth period rang, but Song Nanshan still didn't show up in the class.
He was still in the office and directly called Li Yipeng's parents.
Now, Zhang Shutong was standing in the corner of the office, with Li Yipeng himself. Du Kang and Qingyi had already gone back to class. He requested to stay and listen, and Old Song didn't object, but he wasn't in the mood to say much.
The problem was the "mastermind."
Zhang Shutong understood. If he were Old Song, he would also have a headache. Just as he solved one problem, another one appeared. Let alone that Gu Qiumian's family was extraordinary, even if it were a normal girl, it would be enough to give a homeroom teacher a hard time.
Not to mention that it also involved a family conflict.
Old Song was even angrier after hearing this. He directly kicked him in the butt and said, "If you had the guts to own up to what you did, I'd respect you. But now you're making a bunch of excuses. What kind of revenge is this? Do you even think you're justified? When one attempt fails, you try again and even write 'Go to hell' on an A4 paper. How old are you? I think you're just purely evil!"
He was so angry that he started talking nonsense, saying, "Your family's business not doing well has nothing to do with others. Why are you being so mean to a little girl here? Why don't you go find her dad directly?"
When Old Song got angry, he was indeed scary. He was over 1.8 meters tall and had a strong build. When he shouted, even the office cabinet doors trembled slightly. Li Yipeng was also a typical spoiled kid. He usually liked to show off, but when he encountered a real problem, he was completely at a loss. Old Song's shouting made him cry.
A teenage boy with stubble on his chin was wiping away tears in the office, which was truly speechless.
It was clear that Song Nanshan was holding back a lot of anger. He opened the office window and lit a cigarette, deciding to call the parents and have them take him home to teach him a lesson.
Around the time the third period was about to end, Li's mother arrived late.
The woman was tall and thin, carrying a seemingly exquisite leather bag. Her thin lips were covered in lipstick, and her foundation was a bit thick, but it couldn't hide the wrinkles on her face, which made her look a little out of place.
Song Nanshan was still suppressing his anger at this time and explained the whole story, but his words were full of dissatisfaction—
He felt that parents shouldn't talk about business matters with their children. Even though Li Yipeng acted on his own, a student who hadn't fully matured could only have done this with his parents' influence.
Zhang Shutong recalled a wise saying from Old Song. When school had just started, he told everyone in the class, "Although I haven't met your parents yet, I can tell what they are like just by looking at your behavior."
This sentence was very accurate even now. The woman didn't listen to Old Song at all. As soon as she saw her son crying, she quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears, constantly asking him what was wrong in a sweet voice.
Old Song cleared his throat and said in a deep voice:
"Li Yipeng's mom, I hope you as parents will take this seriously..."
Before he could finish, the woman interrupted him impatiently:
"Mr. Song, isn't this just a small argument between children? I asked you what happened on the phone just now, and you insisted that I come here in person. I thought something happened to Pengpeng at school."
Zhang Shutong saw that the veins on Old Song's temples were throbbing, but he still patiently handed her the photo of the A4 paper. The woman glanced at it and then looked away:
"I know my child. He's just a little impulsive. At most, he just talks a lot. Didn't he not do anything in the end?"
After saying that, she continued to comfort Li Yipeng, telling him not to cry and that if he didn't want to go to class today, they could leave at noon and come back next Monday.
"What do you mean he didn't do anything in the end!" Old Song slammed the table, his voice getting angrier. "If this is your attitude as a parent, then I have nothing else to say. I'll just call Gu Qiumian's father!"
Zhang Shutong had watched the entire process and knew that Song Nanshan was still holding back. He didn't contact Gu Qiumian's father first. Instead, he called Li Yipeng's parents to discuss a solution and try to minimize the impact of the incident.
It wasn't that he sympathized with Li Yipeng, but rather out of professional ethics, he didn't want the other person to end up in a terrible situation.
Last time, the boy was transferred just for telling a perverted joke. This time, it would only be more serious.
So, if Old Song just wanted to wash his hands of it, the simplest way would be to call both sets of parents and let them confront each other. He would have an easier time—after all, Li Yipeng wasn't in their class, so technically, it had nothing to do with Old Song.
But now, Li's mother's indifferent attitude directly made Song Nanshan bring up Gu's father, which was a subtle warning.
He thought it would have some effect, but the woman was stunned for a moment:
"Who?"
Then she sneered:
"Gu Qiumian? The one whose dad opened a mall? Oh, Mr. Song, I knew why you were so anxious. It turns out you're helping the big boss threaten us.
"Oh, Pengpeng was transferred last time because of her, right? What does her family want to do this time? Kick him out? We've already put up with their business messing with us, but they're this arrogant even at school. Do they really think the school is theirs?"
Zhang Shutong frowned when he heard that. It was different from what he had thought.
The transfer incident happened a long time ago. He didn't care about it at the time. The only impression he had was that a normal student had messed with Gu Qiumian, and because the girl's family had a lot of power, it became a big deal.
So, at first, the woman didn't take it seriously. He thought it was because she spoiled her son too much and didn't notice that he had messed with Gu Qiumian again. When she found out the truth, she should have at least realized the seriousness of the situation, even if she wasn't scared.
But it seemed that wasn't the case. Not only did she not back down, but she was also holding a lot of anger and was there to seek justice.
Song Nanshan was suppressing his anger:
"Li Yipeng's mom, I'm going to ask you what you think of the school's rules and regulations. It's your son who has been messing with that girl. What does this have to do with being a boss or not? If it were any other student today, I would say the same thing.
"As a teacher, I don't care about your business conflicts outside of school. I'm talking to you about your child's character!"
The woman said in a strange voice:
"What do you mean 'character'? What's wrong with Pengpeng's character? He just knocked over a small toy house. Oh, right, you said someone else was directing my Pengpeng. Then I think that Gu girl has a character problem. Why doesn't she think about why everyone is against her?
"You're not going to confuse me!" Song Nanshan slammed the table and glared at her. "I'll say it again. If you don't want to be reasonable, then you can talk to Gu Qiumian's father directly."
The woman, however, said nonchalantly:
"Who are you trying to scare, Mr. Song? Do you really think her dad's business trip is a secret? A lot of people know about it secretly. Go ahead and call him here to talk to me. The question is, can you call him here?
"Are you going to say that her dad is on a business trip, not that he's not coming back? That's fine. We can talk when he's back."
The woman didn't seem to be in a hurry now and even had the time to smooth her hair:
"The key is whether he'll be in the mood to talk to me when he gets back. It doesn't matter to our family. We can just have Pengpeng transfer to a school outside. Our family doesn't rely on that little supermarket for a living.
Song Nanshan frowned and said:
"I said, I don't care about whether you can make a living or not. Don't talk about that..."
"You might not care, but a lot of people do." The woman took over with a sneer. "Mr. Song, it's fine for you to stand up for her. But her dad has caused a lot of anger. Don't go sucking up to the big boss and end up in trouble yourself. I'll tell you one more thing."
The woman raised her eyebrows gleefully:
"Didn't Mr. Gu force us to lose our businesses? My family doesn't rely on the small supermarket on the street for a living, but some people do. And now you're making a fuss over him messing with his daughter's toy house? I think something bigger is probably coming..."
Before she could finish, Song Nanshan stood up abruptly, and with a bang, he knocked over the teacup on the table. At this moment, there was no anger on the man's face. It was completely cold. He said word for word:
"What do you mean?"
The woman was also startled, but she still managed to leave with a defiant, "You'll see."
Then she grabbed her bag with one hand and pulled Li Yipeng with the other, walking away.
After the woman's back had long disappeared, Zhang Shutong helped close the door. Song Nanshan slammed his fist on the table and then fell into his office chair.
The teacher and student were not in the mood to talk. One was holding back a lot of anger, and the other was thinking about the meaning behind the woman's words.
Who was that person? Or was it a group of people?
A faint smell of smoke drifted into Zhang Shutong's nose.
He looked back and saw that Old Song didn't care about anyone else being there and was smoking in silence at his seat. It wasn't until the cigarette butt was about to fall that he forced a smile and beckoned to Zhang Shutong:
"Why are you frowning? You're just a kid. It's not your place to worry when there are adults around. Alright, your curiosity has been satisfied. Go back to class."
Zhang Shutong didn't move:
"What did his mother mean?"
"When the tiger is not on the mountain, the monkey becomes the king," Song Nanshan sneered. "She just thinks that since Gu Qiumian's dad is away for a few days, she can act tough. If he were standing right here, I wonder if she'd even dare to let out a fart."
After he said that, Zhang Shutong realized that he had never seen Gu's father's face. Their only encounter was probably when he heard his voice when he was at school. He had an impression that he was a bit refined.
"What about the commercial street?" Zhang Shutong asked again.
"They're probably negotiating the demolition again. This time, Gu Qiumian's dad is offering a low price, and some people aren't willing, but if they don't agree now, the price will only be lower in the future. That's why he has caused a lot of anger." At this point, Song Nanshan spread his hands. "But you and I are both from out of town, and we don't have many close relationships here, so I don't know much more."
Old Song, however, started to talk more:
"Let's go. Don't stay here and be angry. I'll take you to eat. What do you want for lunch?"
Saying that, he was about to skip school with his student.
Zhang Shutong, however, shook his head and refused. He had a bunch of things to investigate. He wasn't in the mood to go out and eat.
"You're a very dedicated knight in shining armor. I can tell that the girl was very moved."
In reality, Gu Qiumian had already come once before Li Yipeng's mother arrived.
But Zhang Shutong didn't want to talk about this topic.
"You have to be more proactive," Old Song got excited and started to act as a life mentor. "Otherwise, one of you will have a cold face and not talk, and the other will have a serious face and not be straightforward. Let me tell you, I've seen a lot of examples like this, and none of them ended well..."
Zhang Shutong waved his hand and was about to leave. As soon as he stepped out, he heard Song Nanshan suddenly say seriously:
"Shutong, don't leave after school today. I have something important to discuss with you."
"Something important?" Zhang Shutong turned around, puzzled.
"It's time for you to know," Old Song lit another cigarette and touched his stubble with a sigh. "But it's not time yet."
...
Time flew by to after school.
"Not going to the base today?"
"Old Song said he has something to talk to me about. You guys go first."
"Alright. We'll discuss the weekend activities in the QQ group."
Zhang Shutong said goodbye to his friends.
Only then did he realize that tomorrow was Saturday, and he was about to welcome his first weekend of student life after only two days of school since the regression.
Ruoping suddenly came over:
"Don't forget about that thing."
"What?"
Here we go again... Zhang Shutong's least favorite part was amnesia. He really couldn't remember what his eight-years-ago self had promised.
"Du Kang's birthday is next Monday. Don't forget. The three of us have to prepare. He doesn't say it, but he's secretly paying attention..."
Zhang Shutong nodded thoughtfully. It was indeed true.
He remembered talking to Du Kang at the funeral. The reason he remembered the date of Gu Qiumian's death so accurately was that it coincided with his birthday.
He said it was no problem and watched the three of them laugh and walk away.
There was less and less time.
Zhang Shutong planned to listen to the "important" thing from his homeroom teacher and then go to the commercial street.
But what he couldn't figure out was what that important thing was.
It was rare for Old Song to be so serious.
So he didn't ride his bike now and went to the school gate.
The bun stall at the school gate was steaming, but the girl who was eating slowly wasn't there.
Zhang Shutong suddenly found himself able to accept this strange bun. He planned to get his dinner here today as well.
So he bit into a bun and waited for Old Song to come.
After waiting for a long time, he suddenly heard two honks. Zhang Shutong thought he was in the way and subconsciously turned his head. It was a red Ford Focus parked there. The driver's window rolled down:
"Get in." Old Song's serious face was revealed.
Zhang Shutong originally wanted to say that they could talk here. The car smelled too much of smoke. He really didn't want to get in if it wasn't something important, especially since he had something to do later.
"This isn't the place to talk. Get in first," Song Nanshan repeated.
Zhang Shutong replied and walked over, thinking that the car looked a little familiar. Maybe he had been in it a lot before. Even after eight years, it had a strong sense of familiarity.
He hoped it was something important.
Thinking this, he habitually went to the passenger seat, but Old Song said, "It's not empty up here. Go to the back."
He said okay and pulled the car door open. He bent down. The car was really small. He didn't think so before, but now he found that his knees were hitting the back of the front seat.
After finally squeezing himself in, he looked up and found that the passenger seat was indeed not empty.
To be precise, a familiar person was sitting there.
That person was a girl.
The girl glanced at Zhang Shutong with great displeasure and then turned her head away.
Zhang Shutong suddenly remembered why this car looked familiar. He had just seen it yesterday.
He subconsciously looked at Old Song. Old Song was also looking at them and grinning. There was no trace of his serious demeanor:
"I told you it was something important. Driving a girl home is very important."