Chapter 8

Fan Jun shook his head helplessly, "Tch, if it weren't for knowing your relationship, I would really doubt whether you are siblings at times! At this moment, we should look out for each other; how could we not lend a hand?" When he turned to look at Shen Lang, he found that Shen Lang had already turned his head back to the window, as if something outside was more appealing to him. Fan Jun could only let out a sigh of disappointment, sitting there in a daze, but his mind was constantly occupied with thoughts. He noticed that Shen Lang had turned his head back to the window again, as if something outside was more attractive. Fan Jun could only let out a sigh of disappointment, sitting there in a daze, but his mind was constantly occupied with thoughts.

There was no overview during the assembly day. The teacher explained some situations and casually distributed the books. Shen Lang stuffed both of his calendars from his bag to his deskmate, saying, "Here you go, my brother and sister don’t need these things, they said they are too rigid. Yesterday, they bought other paper to cover their books, and mine is even more unnecessary." Fan Jun did not decline too much, smiling and nodding at him, "Thank you, I still want my dad and mom to prepare some other things for me, or I can just manage with this. I don’t need to worry too much now."

Taking advantage of this moment, Shen Zui summarized and evaluated the grades and performance from the previous semester, and also offered some outlook and encouragement for the current semester. After finishing these remarks, he took out two banknotes from his pocket: one fifty and two one-hundred denominations, handing the two fifty notes to Shen Zheng and Shen Nan respectively, saying, "This is your pocket money for this week." Just as he was about to explain the purpose of the remaining two hundred yuan, Shen Lang, who had already finished tidying up, walked over with a blank expression, as if he had deliberately timed his arrival. After saying this, he took out two banknotes from his pocket: one fifty and two one-hundred denominations, handing the two fifty notes to Shen Zheng and Shen Nan respectively, saying, "This is your pocket money for this week." Just as he was about to explain the purpose of the remaining two hundred yuan, Shen Lang, who had already finished tidying up, walked over with a blank expression, as if he had deliberately timed his arrival. He extended two fingers and gently pinched, then left the dining hall without looking back, leaving the three behind to stare at his retreating figure in speechless astonishment

Shen Nanqing rested her chin on her hand, her small nose held high. "I look pretty much like you, maybe even a little less. Are you really suggesting I borrow from my younger brother? I don't want to! That would make my future days quite difficult; I wouldn't be able to afford comics and stuffed dolls anymore"

Fan Jun exchanged a glance with his deskmate and whispered, "Now Big Brother and Second Sister have competitors. The position of the team leader is truly uncertain now. Should we..."

Shen Zheng also smiled wryly, "What else can I do? I have one hundred and twenty in my private savings, plus some change and the money my dad just gave me. By the end of this week, I should have around two hundred. If I want to, I would need to borrow about two hundred, but then my model would be completely ruined. What about you?"

Looking at his daughter’s angry expression, Shen Zui chuckled softly and said, "This isn’t without its merits. I have an idea for you to consider. Your weekly allowance is 50 yuan, which means you have about 10 yuan each day, excluding Saturday and Sunday. Your brother’s little bicycle costs around 450 yuan, and I can contribute a bit towards that, essentially treating it as 400 yuan. After deducting the money you need for lunch each day, you should be able to save up this amount in about three to five months. Of course, you may be very eager for that bicycle right now, but I can assure you that I will not be providing you with that 400 yuan."

Earlier, the class teacher had already instructed the students to clean the classroom, so now only the selection of class leaders remains. With the clear indication from the class teacher and the understanding among the students, Ouyang Lan was honored to be appointed as the class monitor. The position of the Young Pioneers in the school may have already been decided. Although Shen Lang appeared indifferent on the surface, he couldn't help but smile inwardly. Ouyang Lan was indeed honored to take on the role of class monitor, and the position of the Young Pioneers in the school might have long been concluded. Despite his outward indifference, Shen Lang felt a smile inside.

Today is the day of assembly. After getting up, everyone began to tidy up their things. It is quite rare for Father Shen to sit at the dining table at this time, as he is about to deliver a speech to mark the beginning of a learning session. It is only at this moment that he feels somewhat like a father, so he deliberately adopts a parental demeanor.

Two people were whispering to each other when they noticed their homeroom teacher had already walked to the front of the stage. Shen Lang lowered his eyelids and saw a very well-behaved little girl standing next to the homeroom teacher. She had her hair tied in a ponytail, with a red bow specially clipped at the base. Her appearance was quite playful and cute, and as soon as she took the stage, she attracted a lot of attention from her classmates

Students, please be quiet. This is classmate Ouyang Lan, who has just transferred here to join our class community. We extend a warm welcome to Ouyang Lan's arrival. After the applause subsided, the homeroom teacher continued: Ouyang Lan has transferred from the Provincial Experimental Primary School, where she had excellent academic performance and held an important position as a Young Pioneer. She has also been awarded the title of Outstanding Young Pioneer at the provincial level.

Shen Lang seemed completely indifferent, his eyes still glancing out the window. Only after Fan Jun finished speaking did he turn his head, saying, "What does it have to do with me? Besides, this is all something we fought for ourselves. What does our situation even count as? We should focus on our own matters and save ourselves the trouble!"

Shen Lang rubbed his nose, slowly stood up, and paid no attention to the gazes of his older brother and sister, seemingly oblivious to them. Even though the two of them were visibly upset, it seemed ineffective. Shen Zheng and Shen Nan, feeling frustrated, turned to look at their father in unison, but it appeared that their father was unaware that one of his sons was missing from the scene. He did not acknowledge their expressions, which left both of them feeling disheartened, yet they were at a loss for words on how to respond.

Watching her younger brother walk out first with something in hand, Shen Nan pouted her little mouth and sweetly said to her father: "Dad, look at my brother, he has gone out by himself again. He always rides his bicycle to school, looking so proud. I want to ride too; the school is so far away. We are already in the fourth grade now."

Shen suddenly jumped up over there, "Can we make it like borrowing from my younger brother? Is this acceptable?"

Watching their father leave, Shen Zheng and Shen Nan exchanged glances, both displaying expressions of deep frustration. "Do we really have to borrow from our brother, that miser? The last time I borrowed his bicycle, I spent half a day using it, and in return, I had to work for him for just as long. I was so exhausted that I almost forgot who I was. If we borrow this much money, won't we end up selling ourselves to him for the rest of this semester? I refuse to do that. Brother, can you think of another way?" As she spoke, she grabbed Shen Zheng's hand and began to shake it.

Shen Zui laughed heartily after hearing this, then pulled his daughter closer and pinched her chubby little face. "This expense does not fall on me. The treatment you three have received since childhood has always been the same. If I were to say I have a slight preference, it seems I have been a bit more frugal with Xiao San in this regard. Everything he has now is earned through his own labor. Your request is somewhat excessive."

Shen Lang nodded with a smile, but then broke into a mischievous grin. "Of course, that is also possible. However, after living with your brother for such a long time, do you think he would easily and happily hand over the money? Sometimes, a certain price must be paid; I have a feeling about this. Well, I have to go to work now. I hope that by the time I return tonight, you will have obtained what you desire. Goodbye"