A Promising Youth novel Chapter 36

This elementary school was built in the suburbs not far from the factory. The students were basically children of workers, which was a poor elementary school.

It was not normal for a poor elementary school to ask a child to get 800 to hire a music teacher. Was it that important to participate in the city's singing competition?

Or was it the school trying to take advantage of this opportunity and make a buck?

I was angry. Master had taught me that when I learned a skill, I had to help more people, so I had to do something about it!

We were walking in front. Clara caught up with us and showed me a cold face.

“It's my factory, and I'll pay for it!

I really didn't want to talk to her. I did not know what I did wrong so that she was unkind to me since this morning.

Maybe I might have gotten in the way of her and Marcel, after all, yesterday I had confessed to her by my actions, but she didn't like me, so she was annoyed by me.

As I walked, I said.

“You don't talk when you get to school, and you do everything I say, understand?”

She looked at me coldly. She was defiant, but she did not retort.

When we got into the school, I went straight to their principal's office.

Honestly, this school was in poor condition. Even the seats in the principal's office to receive guest were wooden benches.

“You are ......”

The principal had grey hair and a ragged felt hat and a pair of old-fashioned glasses held together with duct tape.

“Parents of child!”

I suppressed the anger in my heart and asked as calmly as I could.

“How many kids are in the choir?”

The principal asked us to down, took some more water from a porcelain jar, handed it to me and said.

“There were 20 kids in all and they were all very good and had a talent for singing.”

I nodded, holding my anger, and said.

“20 kids, 800 each, that's 16,000. I just want to ask you which teacher can be worth that?!!! It's just coaching. When the competition is over, he'll get paid and leave, right?!!!”

“Yes, sir!”

The coaching fee for each child in fact is 500, and the remaining 300 was for costumes; after all, we can't go to the city and compete in rags.”

The principal bowed his head in shame and said.

“Five hundred each, that's ten thousand! I just want to ask, is participating in a singing competition an honor for the school or for the children? Why is it that kids can't get money having to be moved to inferior classes? What do you exactly mean?!”

The old principal took off his ragged felt hat, scratched his scalp hard and said with unmistakable resignation.

“If the school has money, who wants to make things difficult for the students? The leader in charge of education advocates revitalizing rural education! It is a great opportunity. Many rural elementary schools tried hard to perform in front of their leaders and get the city's attention! Only in this way can we get money to change the schools, and we do this for the kids!”

He squeezed his wrinkled face and said with another long sigh.

“The Education Department says it treats all schools equally, but people with money and connections have long gotten grants, while poor schools like ours, who will pay attention if we don't try?!”

“So will you be taken seriously if you enter the competition?”

I asked suspiciously.

“As long as we can get a ranking, we will have a chance to speak to Deputy Mayor Mr. Armstrong, and this time he will attend and personally give the kids an award.”

The old principal said excitedly.

My eyebrows twitched.

“Mr. Armstrong?”

The old principal hurriedly said.