杜达雄大鸟

Chapter 364 Treating All Fairly

After half an hour, Gao Ge pushes open the door and goes in.

They all fix their eyes on Gao Ge.

“Half an hour is enough for you think it through?” Gao Ge says smilingly.

“Mr. Gao, we would like to go.” A boy student takes one step forward and says.

Gao Ge feels surprised.

He frowns and asks, “How many of you would like to go?”

“Only one doesn’t want to go.” He Youniang glances at a boy wearing a plaid shirt in the corner and says.

The boy is about 16 or 17 years old and relatively thin. When he finds that Gao Ge is staring at him, he hastens to lower his head and seems not to dare to make eye contact with Gao Ge.

“What is your name?” Gao Ge asks.

“Song Fu...” The boy says in a low voice.

“Song Fu? It’s a nice name. If you don’t feel like going, it’s fine.” Gao Ge sneers.

“Mr. Gao, I let you down...” Song Fu even trembles while talking.

“Hum. What a coward!” A strong boy shouts loudly.

“Yeah, how can a guy afraid of death be a cultivator?”

“I am a girl and even I don’t fear. How can you fear death!”

Song Fu lowers his head and shivers.

“All of you, shut up!” He Youniang suddenly shouts, “Since Mr. Gao let you decide, he will respect your choice. What are you shouting for? What are you laughing at?”

The other students all quiet down but they stare at Song Fu full of contempt.

Eventually, Song Fu can’t stand it anymore and then storms out.

Gao Ge frowns. He thinks for a while and yet still goes after Song Fu.

Having walked out of the room, Gao Ge looks around and doesn’t find Song Fu.

He arrives at the emergency exit and finds the iron door open. Song Fu is sitting on the corridor, holding his knees.

Gao Ge sits next to him and pats his shoulders.

Song Fu raises his head and looks at Gao Ge with his face full of tears.

“Mr. Gao, I am not a coward.”

Gao Ge smiles and takes out the cigarette pack. He lights up one and passes another to Song Fu.

Song Fu thinks for a while and takes it. Gao Ge lights it up for him and then he suddenly starts to cough heavily upon one puff.

“If you can’t smoke, don’t smoke! If you don’t want to go, don’t go. No need to care about other people’s opinions. We live in the world not for anyone else but ourselves. Where there are many people, words spread. You can never make all believe you are right. Even if you do charity, others will say you contribute too little and ask for tax inspection on you.” Gao Ge pats Song Fu’s shoulders and says.

Song Fu feels better now.

He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand, “Mr. Gao, shouldn’t a man cry easily...”

“Nonsense.” Gao Ge says smilingly, “Everybody cries. We shed tears to express our feelings. It is a good way of letting out our feelings that doesn’t hurt the others or ourselves. Why don’t we take it? Do we have to hurt others? Or we have to suppress our feelings?”

Song Fu nods his head and stays silent.

Gao Ge says nothing and sits with him.

Having finished one cigarette, Song Fu finally speaks.

“Mr. Gao, actually I am not afraid of death.”

“Huh?”

“My father is a rural migrant work, who fell from stairs accidentally and passed away when I was four. My grandparents also died out of sorrow. I have a sister who is two years younger than me. My mother is from a rural village. She has made a lot of effort in raising me and my sister. To support our family, she has done various jobs and suffered plenty of hardships. In fact, she is only over 30 years old but she looks like a 50-year-old woman. My sister gets really good marks in school, who is top one of her grade.” Speaking of that, Song Fu looks quite proud.

Just as child is the pride to parents, so sister is the greatest pride to Song Fu.

Then Song Fu scratches his hair.

“Therefore, I am not afraid of death. I cannot die. If I die, what if my mother gets old? What about my sister’s school fees? What can they live on? My mother has a lot of health problems. I am really afraid...”

Gao Ge puts his arms around Song Fu’s neck, “It’s okay. You are right. About this matter, you are right. This is a long process. As a sandwich generation of heavy financial burden, we all need to stay alive to look after the ones we care about. Likewise, adults must fight less than children but sometimes they still have to. Why? They just don’t want any accident to occur to themselves for the sake of their families, do they?”

“When you grow older, you will understand everything is worthwhile. To grow up, you must experience something. To get mature, you need to suffer more hardships. This is life. It is like a grinding stone to make everyone more excellent.”

Song Fu is in a trance while listening to Gao Ge.

“Why didn’t you explain to your classmates?” Gao Ge asks smilingly.

Song Fu thinks for a while and then shakes his head, “No need. I am not a child anymore. This is my business. I can take care of it well. Neither will I be defeated. What is the point of telling others? Moreover...”

Speaking of this, Song Fu suddenly hedges.

“Go on.”

“Even if I did, no one could help me. I don’t need others’ help either. Yet, if I told them, I would become their topic of conversation. They would talk about me over dinner and pity me. Then they would treat me as a joke and a story. And a group of people would speak with fervor and assurance like judging a course of dish...”

Gao Ge stays silent.

Is such a thought pessimistic?

Yes, it is.

And it is from a boy that is only 16 or 17 years old.

Does he conjure such a thought because of others or by himself?

He gains it from his own life experience!

“You will be expelled out of the Academy. Are you ready?” Gao Ge asks.

Song Fu thinks for a while and nods his head.

“Do you feel that I am a bit cold? Now that you’ve told me about that, you will still be expelled.” Gao Ge asks smilingly.

Song Fu smiles happily and hastens to shake his head.

When he was little, he understood one thing.

When someone looks after you and offers you a favor not out of a specific goal, it is truly sincere. In this case, he treats you like an ordinary man and respects you.

For Gao Ge, he has no other choices.

Rule is rule.

If Gao Ge asks Lurking Dragon not to fire Song Fu for his background, it is unfair for the other students who risk their lives.

As a teacher of the Cultivation Academy, Gao Ge must treat all fairly.