The English teacher was a young female, barely 30 years old. She graduated from Tsinghua University’s foreign language department and had the highest rating in No.1 Middle School.
Looking at Huo Yao, she shed her usual sternness, and said, “Don’t be nervous, Huo Yao. I called you into the office to discuss something with you.”
Huo Yao nodded and replied solemnly. “I’m not nervous.”
The teacher was tickled by her response. She cleared her throat and continued speaking. “The Department of Education has organized an English oral competition. Each middle school can send five contestants to participate. You have the best English grades in class, so you…”
The moment Huo Yao heard about the competition, she instinctively looked unwilling. Before her English teacher could finish her sentence, Huo Yao interrupted her. “Ma’am, although my English grades are good, I’m not a strong speaker.”
The Principal had convinced her to join the National Quiz Contest. That was not over yet, and now her English teacher wanted her to enter an English oral competition! She was not the least bit interested in competitions which didn’t offer any prize money.
Her English teacher looked at her in surprise. “How can that be? Your spoken English ought to be pretty good, right! Or else why would the Principal tell me to submit your name? But I felt it was best to check with you first.”
Huo Yao’s lips twitched. Did she almost get sabotaged by the Principal again?
Huo Yao inhaled deeply. Then she smiled and said, “The Principal might have gotten confused. Having good English grades doesn’t necessarily mean I will do well in the oral competition as well. Since you are a professional, I’m sure you know that they are two separate things.”
Her English teacher nodded in agreement and said, “That’s true.”
“So why don’t you get someone else to participate? I’m worried that the Principal might expel me if I bring disgrace to the school,” said Huo Yao sternly.
The Principal was on his way into the office when he heard her. He was speechless, “…”
Huo Yao was simply too much. Was he that unreasonable?
The English teacher caught sight of the Principal standing at the door. She greeted him respectfully. “Hello, Sir.”
Huo Yao was standing with her back facing the door. She swiftly straightened her back when she heard her English teacher. Then she turned to bow and said calmly, “Hello, Sir!”
She did not seem awkward after getting caught red-handed for teasing the Principal.
He looked at Huo Yao deeply before walking to the centre of the room. “Why won’t you join the competition?”
The Principal had not overheard the earlier conversation between Huo Yao and the English teacher.
Huo Yao scratched her head and then replied with a poker face. “I’m not good with spoken English.”
“Not even for the sake of a $100,000 scholarship?” asked the Principal with raised eyebrows.
Huo Yao, “…”
This was definitely a big temptation.
Huo Yao cleared her throat and turned towards her English teacher. “On second thoughts, my spoken English is pretty good. Why don’t you count me in?”
It was the English Teacher’s turn to become speechless, “…”
That was certainly not what Huo Yao said a minute ago.
“Then it’s done,” said the Principal, without looking at the astounded English teacher.
He said to Huo Yao, “Come with me to my office.”
Saying so, he walked out. Huo Yao nodded politely to her English teacher before trailing behind the Principal.
The English teacher finally recovered from the weird conversation and exhaled deeply.
She had never seen the Principal behave so kindly or any students behave so calmly before him.
Huo Yao was phenomenal!
