Perhaps Liu Fengying's argument made sense to many people, but among them was not the math teacher, as it completely contradicted his life philosophy.
In his view, only a highly competitive environment could ensure the achievement of one's full potential. No matter how well a sword was forged or how expensive the materials used to make it were, it held no value in battle if it wasn't properly sharpened. And for a sword to be sharpened, it must be ground against something hard, like river stones—not used all day to cut hamburgers in half or remove tags from new clothes.
"Student Liu, while maintaining an optimistic attitude has its benefits, it cannot make up for a lack of knowledge and the training required to apply it. From this perspective, your carefree nature could serve as a negative example for those less prepared than you; it's as if you're trying to sabotage their chances of improving so you can ensure they don't surpass you..." said the math teacher, unwilling to let Liu Fengying's ideas erode the competitive atmosphere of his class.
He was aware that most students at that elite high school came from wealthy families and were hard to motivate with the promise that good academic results would lead to a successful and worry-free life. After all, you can't lure a rabbit with a carrot if it already has a sack full of them.
But the weak point of those from wealthy families was that their pride was as large as the sums in their bank accounts. So as long as he could make them feel like they were in competition with each other, many of them would make progress in their studies, driven by the desire to prove they were the best.
Looking at the sternly dressed teacher with a serious expression, Liu Fengying would have never expected that he was more skilled in the art of green tea than the concubines in historical palace dramas.
Although it wasn't hard for her to see through the teacher's intentions, she couldn't understand why he tried so hard to make his students study. It would be understandable if he were a general training soldiers he'd later fight alongside, but that wasn't the case here—his life didn't depend on how well his students understood mathematics.
'If I think about it, most people in this world lack dreams or grand aspirations, so they end up identifying with their profession. That's even more common when their job carries some authority, since it helps feed their ego…', Liu Fengying thought, trying to explain why modern-day teachers were so emotionally invested in teaching.
She couldn't help but notice the stark difference between the process of learning in the modern world and in the world of cultivation.
'In comparison, in the world where I lived my previous life, it was the student who pursued the teacher. But the reasons for that aren't hard to understand. There, people only learned what they needed to survive or what they were passionate about, so their interest was naturally much higher. Not to mention the cultivators—who wouldn't be motivated by the chance to become the strongest and achieve immortality?
But in this world, not only are people forced to learn a lot of things that are neither useful nor interesting to them, but their motivation is also shallow at best. A high-paying job? Doesn't that just mean more work and stress? And no matter how much money someone earns, they'll still die in under a hundred years.
It might be different if the people who studied the most were the ones ruling the world or becoming the richest. But unfortunately, that's not the case at all. Who could feel motivated to study integrals and function limits knowing they're unlikely to ever earn more than someone who kicks a ball around—and not even that well?
So, it could be said that the modern education system benefits society's development, but not so much individual development...'
"Don't you think I'm right, Student Liu?", the math teacher interrupted Liu Fengying's thoughts, having noticed she'd been silent for nearly twenty seconds. Seeing how shaken she appeared by his speech, he assumed he'd made her recognize the flaws in her attitude.
But Liu Fengying had no intention of indulging him. Even though she knew there was nothing to gain from provoking him further, she no longer had the patience to let others look down on her. She had done that for over 300 years in her previous life to avoid endangering her plans—and ended up with nothing but regrets.
"So what you're saying is that only students with high grades have the right to relax?"
Hearing Liu Fengying bring up relaxation again, the math teacher's blood pressure began to rise. His intention had been to make her feel threatened by the possibility of her classmates surpassing her, not to reinforce her laid-back attitude.
"Student Liu, I recall a news story from a few months ago about a marathon runner who, while leading the race just a few hundred meters from the finish line, started waving to fans instead of focusing on running, giving three of his competitors the chance to pass him. I'm worried you might end up doing the same, resting on your laurels right before the most important moment in a high school student's life..." the teacher began lecturing again. Based on what he knew about her, he was confident she'd be at least somewhat affected by the idea that classmates who had once lagged behind might outperform her in the college entrance exam—perhaps enough to reignite her competitive spirit.
Had he been dealing with a good student who had simply lost motivation, he might have succeeded. But the problem was, Liu Fengying hadn't lost her drive—she just had far more important goals now than getting top grades.
"Don't worry, sir. As long as I get a high enough grade to enter the university I've chosen, I'll be satisfied," she said once he stopped speaking, her calmness resembling that of a hermit detached from worldly concerns.
She was curious to see which was stronger: her teacher's desire for his students to excel and boost his prestige or her desire to irritate those who tried to control her.
The teacher felt deeply unsettled; if everyone shared Liu Fengying's mindset of being satisfied with the bare minimum, how could society progress? He wanted to try again to convince her that people have a duty to reach their full potential, but unfortunately, he had neither a better strategy than the one he had just used nor the time as the discussion had already eaten up enough class time to solve an entire board problem.
So the math teacher had to content himself with giving Liu Fengying a disappointed look before rushing back to resume the lesson.
Hua Shu was overjoyed at that moment; it was the first time she had seen the math teacher so deflated. If it hadn't been during class, she might have hugged Liu Fengying.
But her joy didn't last long.
"Student Hua, please come to the board..." rang out the math teacher's voice in the classroom, otherwise silent except for the occasional sound of turning pages.
"Me again? But I wasn't even late today...", Hua Shu protested indignantly. Normally she wasn't this bold with the math teacher, but emboldened by Liu Fengying's triumph, she couldn't swallow the injustice.
But her calculation was wrong; maybe a wounded lion fears another lion, but it won't back down from a rabbit.
"What does being on time have to do with going to the board? If no one's late, does that mean I shouldn't call on anyone?", thundered the math teacher, slamming the exercise book on his desk.
If it had been anyone else, he might have kicked them out of class. But because he was friends with her father, he restrained himself from escalating further.
In fact, that very friendship was the reason he'd been pushing Hua Shu so hard lately. He didn't want her academic performance to reflect poorly on her father's reputation.
But Hua Shu had no way of knowing that. In her mind, the teacher had simply chosen her to soothe his bruised ego, believing she was easy to bully.
So, though she didn't say another word and walked silently to the board, her hatred for the math teacher deepened to a new level.
.......................
"Cursed raccoon! I hope a dumpster falls on his head...", Hua Shu regained her courage the moment class ended, insults toward the math teacher spilling from her mouth one after another.
Even though she'd only been at the board for about ten minutes this time, the feeling of being wronged made that short period feel endless.
"After the battle, many warriors show up...", Liu Fengying wasn't too impressed by her deskmate's fighting spirit. How exactly were Hua Shu's curses going to affect the math teacher if he couldn't even hear them?
'Well, even if he did hear them, she'd still be the one to suffer more for it…', thought Liu Fengying, who believed that every opponent should be fought with the weapon they were most vulnerable to.
"Huh? What are you trying to say?", Hua Shu had expected praise from Liu Fengying. After all, the math teacher was their common enemy.
"Where was all this bravery while you were at the board? Every criticism the teacher gave you—you accepted in silence...", Liu Fengying reminded her deskmate of her performance during class. After realizing the teacher was getting angry, Hua Shu had completely surrendered.
Hua Shu choked a little after hearing Liu Fengying's opinion of her. Comparing her performance to Liu Fengying's, it was true that she did come off as cowardly.
"You know what they say: The bite of a rabid rat—or in our case, a rabid raccoon—is just as deadly as that of a rabid tiger...", Hua Shu tried to salvage her image. So, in fact, she had stepped back out of wisdom, not fear.
"Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard that saying before...", Liu Fengying was amused by Hua Shu's 180-degree spin. How can a girl who'd been cursing like a sailor moments ago claim to live by the teachings of wise men?
"Err, I'm sure it exists. Maybe you just haven't read as many literary works as I have...", Hua Shu didn't back down under Liu Fengying's skeptical gaze.
'She's like a red panda trying to act threatening...', Liu Fengying barely restrained herself from patting Hua Shu on the head. Normally, she found people acting fake incredibly irritating, but looking at Hua Shu now, all she could see was cuteness.
"Maybe you're right. It's been a while since I picked up a book just for fun. Still, it does sound like something a wise person would say...", Liu Fengying finally said, letting Hua Shu feel proud of herself.
But some people, when you toss them a bone, try to take your whole arm.
"It did sound really smart, didn't it? Actually, I just made it up on the spot. Maybe I have the soul of a philosopher. Now that I think about it, that would explain why I've never been able to adapt to a strict schedule, to this stressful life. A philosopher is meant to be free, to live guided by reason, right?"
Apparently, it wasn't enough for Hua Shu to build herself a statue—she also wanted Liu Fengying to bring her offerings.
Unfortunately, Liu Fengying was no longer playing along. Seeing Hua Shu's tail raised to the ceiling, she suddenly felt like teasing her again.
"Rather, I was wrong when I praised that saying..."
"!!!!", Hua Shu was utterly outraged. It was as if Liu Fengying had just denied the very belief system she'd lived by up until now.