The Scum Gong Refuses the Crematorium [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 34

National Day was a three-day break. When school resumed, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Cao, arrived with a stack of test papers to hold a “criticism meeting.”

“This time, some in our class improved, and some regressed,” Mr. Cao said with a stern face on the podium. “But overall, I am satisfied.”

Mr. Cao was very strict and rarely smiled. He was quite intimidating, and many students were afraid of him. Even the tall boys who didn’t care about studying and just wanted to slack off would instinctively lower their heads when they saw him.

Seeing his stern expression and the stack of papers, the students initially thought everyone had performed poorly. They were all nervous. Anyone who knew Mr. Cao knew that if the class did poorly, the upcoming study workload would be hellish—not just for his subject, but for every subject!

However, as soon as Mr. Cao said he was “satisfied,” everyone’s hearts settled. Whew, okay, it looks like we didn’t do too badly. They didn’t have to worry about a mountain of extra homework.

“As usual, we’ll start from the bottom,” Mr. Cao said. He had a habit of leaving the top students for last to prevent them from becoming too arrogant and to avoid crushing the lower-ranking students all at once.

He called out several names. When he finally reached Lu Mingyue, his expression tightened.

Lu Mingyue stood up, but seeing the teacher’s face, his heart sank, and he wanted to sit back down.

“Lu Mingyue, do you look down on me?” Mr. Cao asked, staring at him from the podium.

Lu Mingyue replied, “What do you mean?”

“The total score for this math test is 150. You got 25 points. You only did three problems, and the rest was blank.” Mr. Cao held up Lu Mingyue’s paper. “If this isn’t looking down on me, what is it?”

Hearing this, Lu Mingyue wasn’t depressed; he was actually quite happy. “So you’re saying I got all three problems right?”

When he was taking the test, he had noticed that the total points for those three specific problems added up exactly to 25. He hadn’t made a single mistake on the ones he chose to do.

“You’re actually proud?” Mr. Cao asked, seeing his happy expression.

“At least I got a ‘perfect score’ on what I attempted,” Lu Mingyue felt proud. If there hadn’t been so many other questions on the paper, he would have been a top student.

Mr. Cao was so angry he laughed. “Take it back. After I explain the answers, copy the entire test paper fifty times!”

At this time, physical punishment was no longer allowed, but teachers always had their ways. Copying papers was one of them. The logic was that if you didn’t know the material, writing it out dozens or hundreds of times would eventually make it stick.

Lu Mingyue’s face turned sour. Even though a math test didn’t have many words, copying it fifty times would seriously cut into his time for collecting scrap metal.

Worse, they had taken tests for other subjects too. If every teacher made him copy the papers, he wouldn’t be able to leave the house for two weeks. In two weeks, he could earn dozens of yuan!

But Mr. Cao didn’t care about his troubles. After Lu Mingyue took his paper, the teacher continued reading other names.

Sheng Nian sat in his seat, feeling incredibly nervous. He had calculated that to get into the top 300 of the grade, he needed to be at least in the top 30 of the class.

There were 58 students in their class. He used to hover around 50th place. Moving into the top 30 was a big challenge for him. He needed to do well in the main subjects—Chinese, Math, and English—while ensuring his other subjects didn’t pull him down.

When Mr. Cao called the 31st name and it wasn’t his, Sheng Nian finally relaxed.

A surge of joy rose in his heart. The top 30 was guaranteed. No matter the exact rank, he had won!

Sure enough, a moment later, Mr. Cao called his name. “Sheng Nian, rank 29 in class, rank 298 in the whole grade.”

Mr. Cao even singled him out for praise. “Sheng Nian has improved a lot this month.”

The teacher listed his previous grades. “As everyone knows, Sheng Nian used to be a bit unconfident and ranked around 50th. But after one month of grade eleven, his scores are near the passing line. Especially in math—he went from 20 or 30 points to 96 points!”

Mr. Cao encouraged him. “Everyone, give Sheng Nian a round of applause. I hope he doesn’t become complacent and keeps working hard!”

Jumping from 50th to the top 30 was a huge leap. It was clear Sheng Nian had worked very hard.

The classroom erupted in applause. Someone even stood up to cheer: “Good job, Sheng Nian! You stood up for those of us in the back rows!”

Sheng Nian had never been treated like this. His face turned red with excitement as he went up to get his paper. He felt a bit of pride—maybe studying wasn’t that hard after all.

At that moment, the system sent him a notification: “Congratulations to the host for achieving the study goal. Reward: 5,000 points.”

Sheng Nian was overjoyed. Now he could exchange points for things like “presence” or “aura.” He imagined that soon, he would have the natural city-dweller elegance that Sheng Yan had, and he would never feel inferior again. He walked back to his seat with his back a little straighter.

After Sheng Nian sat down, Mr. Cao continued handing out papers until only one was left in his hand.

Sheng Yan didn’t need to guess; it was his. He was the only one who hadn’t received a paper yet.

The rest of the class stared at Sheng Yan. Why was his paper the last one? Had he written something “shocking”? Had he left it completely blank and made Mr. Cao furious?

Everyone assumed Sheng Yan was about to be scolded privately for failing miserably.

Only Lu Mingyue thought differently. A teacher usually leaves a paper for the end for two reasons: it’s either the absolute worst or the absolute best. Given how hard Sheng Yan had worked over the past few months, Lu Mingyue believed it was for a special compliment.

Lu Mingyue looked at Mr. Cao with anticipation. He felt a sense of “shared pride” for his roommate.

Mr. Cao did not disappoint. Once he had everyone’s attention, he cleared his throat and said, “Finally, I want to emphasize the performance of Sheng Yan.”

“His progress is massive. Not only did his scores improve across all subjects, but except for Chinese, he scored full marks in every subject. He is ranked first in the entire grade.”

“How is that possible?!”

As soon as Mr. Cao finished speaking, the whole class erupted in disbelief.

They could understand Sheng Nian improving, but for Sheng Yan to suddenly become rank #1 in the entire grade was unbelievable. This was the top spot in the whole school! Even the previous top student in their class wasn’t the top of the grade. How could Sheng Yan do it?

“Mr. Cao, you must have read the name wrong!”

“No,” Mr. Cao said, looking at the score sheet again. “It is our Sheng Yan. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else with that name in the other classes.”

“But… how is that possible?!”

A person who was always at the bottom suddenly flying to the very top was hard for anyone to accept.

“Why is it impossible?” Mr. Cao looked at them. “He worked hard, so it is possible.”

“Exactly!” Lu Mingyue chimed in. “He worked hard, so why wouldn’t it be possible?”

“What if he cheated?” someone shouted out defiantly.

Everyone looked toward the speaker. It was He Peng. Sheng Yan looked over as well and noticed that He Peng sat right next to Sheng Nian.

Indeed, He Peng’s doubt had been triggered by Sheng Nian.

Earlier, Sheng Nian was happily picking rewards in his system, but the news of Sheng Yan being #1 hit him like a lightning bolt. He couldn’t accept it. The Sheng Yan he knew since childhood was a sickly boy who hated studying. Even with a top tutor, he shouldn’t be #1 in just a few months. He must have cheated.

Sheng Nian couldn’t say it himself because of their sensitive situation, so he used his desk mate, He Peng, who was impulsive and easy to manipulate.

“He Peng, why do you think he cheated?” Mr. Cao asked.

“Because he was the only one sitting in the hallway during the exam. There were trees and leaves blocking the view; it would be very easy to flip through a book and cheat there,” He Peng argued.

The class agreed. Sheng Yan was alone in the hallway, and the proctors probably didn’t watch him as closely.

Mr. Cao looked at Sheng Yan. “Sheng Yan, do you have anything to say?”

“The truth cannot be faked, and a lie cannot become the truth,” Sheng Yan said calmly. He wasn’t afraid. These were his real scores.

Mr. Cao nodded in appreciation. To be honest, when the scores first came in, the teachers also thought there was a mistake. They had reviewed all of Sheng Yan’s papers. They concluded he didn’t cheat because his problem-solving steps were unique and different from the answer key. This proved he truly understood the material.

However, the students who were convinced he cheated wouldn’t listen. “Anyone can say that! You have to prove you didn’t cheat!”

Sheng Yan asked calmly, “I can prove it. But if I prove I didn’t cheat, what will you do?”

“Exactly!” Lu Mingyue was annoyed by the accusations. “If Sheng Yan proves he didn’t cheat, everyone should apologize to him!”

“And one more thing!” Lu Mingyue knew what Sheng Yan needed most. “If he didn’t cheat and his scores are this good, the school should give him the scholarship!”

“Scholarship?”

The word was foreign to most of the class. Scholarships were for the elite, the geniuses. Most of them just wanted to pass.

Mr. Cao understood the situation. He knew about the switch between Sheng Yan and Sheng Nian, and that Sheng Yan had been kicked out and was living with Lu Mingyue. He realized Sheng Yan was working hard specifically for the money.

This wasn’t a bad thing. Scholarships exist to motivate students. If a student could go from the bottom to the top for that money, it was an inspiring story for the school.

“Fine,” Mr. Cao announced. “If Sheng Yan can prove he didn’t cheat, I will personally apply for the first-class scholarship for him.”

Sheng Yan nodded. “Then please, Mr. Cao, bring a test paper that hasn’t been used yet. I will do it right here in front of the whole class.”

One person testing, the whole class proctoring. No one could say he was cheating then.

Mr. Cao went to find a paper. He chose one that was even more difficult than their current level.

Sheng Yan took the paper, scanned the questions, and began writing. His movements were smooth and confident. Even with the difficult problems, he only paused briefly to calculate.

He finished a math paper in a single class period. The whole class watched him; he didn’t look at a book, and he didn’t even look nervous. His calm attitude convinced many students that he was the real deal.

Mr. Cao graded the paper on the spot.

“Multiple choice—all correct.”

“Fill-in-the-blanks—all correct.”

“Calculation—all correct.”

“Geometry—all correct.”

“Total score: 150 (Full marks).”

Mr. Cao marked the paper with a large red score. “Any more questions?”

The students shook their heads. They had watched him think and do his scratch work. You couldn’t fake that kind of speed and logic.

Sheng Nian was blushing hard. He was jealous and confused. He signaled He Peng again.

He Peng spoke up: “Math is just one subject. Let him do the Science Comprehensive test too!”

Sheng Yan didn’t say a word. He pulled the Science paper over and started working. Because it covered Physics, Biology, and Chemistry, it took him a class and a half.

Mr. Cao checked it again. Perfect score. He looked at He Peng. “Any more objections?”

He Peng was speechless. He was stunned. He had no idea how Sheng Yan had become so powerful.

Lu Mingyue, who had been holding his breath, shouted, “Apologize!”

He Peng, under the gaze of the whole class, had to walk up to Sheng Yan. “Sheng Yan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have accused you of cheating.”

Sheng Yan didn’t look at him. He looked at Sheng Nian. Sheng Nian felt a chill from Sheng Yan’s deep, dark eyes. He felt exposed and quickly lowered his head.

Sheng Yan didn’t say whether he forgave He Peng or not, leaving the boy standing there awkwardly. Finally, Mr. Cao said, “Sheng Yan, come to the office to write your scholarship application.”

The process was simple. Mr. Cao was actually the Vice Principal. He told the Principal about this “miracle student.” That afternoon, Sheng Yan received an envelope containing 8,000 yuan.

At home, Lu Mingyue counted the money carefully. “Wow, 8,000 yuan is so thick!” Lu Mingyue had never touched so much money. He told Sheng Yan to hide it well so it wouldn’t be stolen.

Sheng Yan pulled out 2,000 yuan and handed it to Lu Mingyue.

“What’s this for?” Lu Mingyue asked.

“Rent and food,” Sheng Yan said.

“But you already paid,” Lu Mingyue argued.

“That was for before. This is for the future.” Sheng Yan held the money out.

“It doesn’t cost that much!” Lu Mingyue was afraid to take it.

“Take it. I might stay for a long time.” Sheng Yan knew he only had two years in this world—just enough to finish high school. Lu Mingyue’s house was convenient for school, and he didn’t want to waste money moving.

“Oh.” Hearing that Sheng Yan would stay for a long time made Lu Mingyue feel a strange sense of happiness. He took the money.

Sheng Yan then counted out another 1,000 yuan.

“What now?” Lu Mingyue was confused.

“Happy Birthday.” Sheng Yan had noticed Lu Mingyue’s family didn’t celebrate birthdays. He felt that for Lu Mingyue, cash was more useful than any gift he could buy at a shop.

“Ah?” Lu Mingyue froze. “Is it my birthday today?”

“Yes,” Sheng Yan tucked the money into Lu Mingyue’s pocket. “From today on, you are sixteen, just like me. You can’t refuse a birthday gift. Keep it.”

As Sheng Yan carefully tucked the money in, Lu Mingyue’s face turned red. His heart started beating wildly. This was the first birthday gift he had ever received, and the first time someone other than his mother had said “Happy Birthday.”

That evening, when Wang Huifang came home, Lu Mingyue gave all the money to her to buy medicine. She praised Sheng Yan endlessly. “You are so talented! Rank #1 after just a few months! Don’t forget the milk I bought you when you become a big success!”

Lu Mingyue felt embarrassed by his mother’s words. “Sorry, my mom is like that. Don’t mind her.”

“I don’t mind,” Sheng Yan said. He had grown fond of Wang Huifang’s talkative but kind nature. He was glad Lu Mingyue had such a mother.

Sheng Yan then pulled out a book and handed it to Lu Mingyue. “Study with me from now on.”

“What?” Lu Mingyue’s excitement turned to shock.

“Look, I earned 8,000 yuan in a few months. That’s more than your family makes in three years,” Sheng Yan said seriously. “It’s much better than collecting trash. Don’t you want that?”

“Of course, I do.” Lu Mingyue admitted. “But I’m not smart enough.”

Sheng Yan pushed him into a chair. “How do you know if you haven’t tried? What if you can do it?”

Lu Mingyue couldn’t say no to Sheng Yan’s eyes. “Fine. I’ll try. But if I can’t do it, don’t waste your time on me.”

Sheng Yan nodded. He knew Lu Mingyue’s potential. He told Wang Huifang, “Auntie, Lu Mingyue won’t be collecting trash after school anymore. Let him study. Maybe he can win a scholarship too.”

“Yes, yes! Thank you, Xiao Sheng!” Wang Huifang was thrilled. She even offered to do all their laundry so they could focus on studying. “I’ll buy two more boxes of that expensive milk tomorrow!”

Lu Mingyue’s hand shook as he held his pen. He was trapped. He had to study now.

Sheng Yan: Good luck. You used to be a top student, you can do it.

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