The anger from being pushed over last night vanished without a trace at this moment.
He decided to give the poor child a little attention; he was the older brother, and he should be more tolerant.
After school, Song Lang limped downstairs with his arm around Meng Fanxing's shoulder and waited outside Class 3 for Shen Zhifei to come out.
I waited and waited, but no one else came.
Song Lang peeked over and saw that the little guy was cleaning the classroom by himself with a broom.
In a classroom with forty students, he was the only one on duty.
Ignoring his foot injury, Song Lang strode into the classroom, snatched the broom from Shen Zhifei's hand, and threw it on the ground. "Let's go home."
Shen Zhifei thought expressionlessly, he had no home, his parents were dead, he was an orphan.
"What are you standing there for?" Song Lang tapped him on the forehead. "You've gone mad on your first day of school?"
“No,” Shen Zhifei bent down to pick up the broom and said, “I have to finish my work.”
"What are you doing? Are you stupid? Where are the other students on duty?" Song Lang got angrier and angrier. "These brats are asking for a beating. They dare to bully you. Don't they even know who your brother is?"
Shen Zhifei lowered his eyes and remained silent, continuing to clean.
Meng Fanxing walked into the classroom, leaned over to examine Shen Zhifei closely, and then smiled and said, "Song Lang, your younger brother is really good-looking, just like a little girl."
Shen Zhifei glanced at him, and Meng Fanxing chuckled and ran to the podium to help wipe the blackboard.
The three of them cleaned the classroom together before locking the door and going home.
On their way home, Meng Fanxing and Song Lang walked ahead arm in arm, chatting and laughing, while Shen Zhifei followed silently behind, like a shadow with no presence.
After Meng Fanxing turned left at the intersection and went home, Song Lang turned to look at him.
"Come help me up." Song Lang waved to him while his right foot was slightly off-center.
Shen Zhifei was a little reluctant. He didn't like getting too close to others, especially a chatterbox like Song Lang.
All the way, Song Lang kept complaining about how wronged he was last night, going on and on and on, making Shen Zhifei's ears ring like they were going to explode.
When the two of them finally reached their front door, Shen Zhifei shuffled over step by step, and then said, "I'm sorry."
Song Lang chuckled, clearly no longer angry, and Shen Zhifei started biting her lip again, as was her habit.
"Stop biting, it's almost bleeding." Song Lang reached out and pinched his cheek. "It doesn't hurt much now. I was just teasing you, so you won't be so mean to me in the future. I'm your brother, you have to respect the elders and care for the young."
Shen Zhifei didn't respond; he hadn't gotten used to his new family and new older brother yet.
During dinner, Shen Lingyu asked her youngest son how he was adjusting. Shen Zhifei smiled and said, "He's doing well." Song Lang thought to himself, "He's being bullied on his first day at the new school, and you call that doing well?"
The next morning, during the 20-minute break between classes, Song Lang and Meng Fanxing went to Class 3 of Grade 2 again.
Song Lang stood boldly on the podium, patted the blackboard, and immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the classroom.
In the corner, Shen Zhifei also raised his head.
Song Lang had a stern face, which was particularly intimidating. Meng Fanxing also acted tough like the two hooligans, swinging a chair leg in her hand, looking like she was ready to beat up anyone she didn't like.
The children in Class 3 instantly became as quiet as chickens.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Song Lang, a third-grader. Shen Zhifei is my younger brother. You should all treat him well from now on. Anyone who dares to bully him is going against me."
He's just a kid a year older than everyone else, but he talks in a cocky, arrogant way, with a really cool vibe.
The people below the stage began to whisper among themselves, discussing this unexpected hero, and some even cast glances at Shen Zhifei.
Shen Zhifei lowered his head to look at the book again, but couldn't concentrate on a single word.
Song Lang gave Meng Fanxing a look, and the latter immediately understood, tapping the podium with the leg of her chair and coughing fiercely.
"If you have any opinions or problems, come at me. If I find out later that someone is bullying my brother, then we'll meet in the woods after school."
“I have a question.” No sooner had Song Lang finished speaking than someone chimed in, “You say he’s your brother? One of you is surnamed Song, and the other is surnamed Shen, are you kidding me?”
In an instant, the classroom erupted in cheers and jeers.
Shen Zhifei kept staring at the book, but his hands under the desk were clenched into fists.
Song Lang slammed his hand on the lectern a few times. Once the classroom quieted down again, he said, "I took my father's surname, and my brother took my mother's surname. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Second marriage?" Some people started to jeer again, and a few laughs occasionally broke out from the chatter, which were particularly jarring.
“What second marriage?” The troublemaker who started it all sat on his desk and deliberately raised his voice. “I heard it when I passed by the teacher’s office yesterday. Shen Zhifei has no parents and is an orphan who has no one to raise him.”
The classroom buzzed with discussion again. Shen Zhifei's eyes reddened. He wanted to cry, but he knew tears would be useless.
Song Lang's first reaction was to look at Shen Zhifei. When he saw the child with his head down and shoulders trembling slightly, he immediately flew into a rage.
He grabbed the blackboard eraser and threw it at the troublemaker, yelling, "Say that again, you fucking kid!"
The sudden outburst stunned most people, and Meng Fanxing was also a little confused. He thought he had come today just to support Shen Xiaodi, but he didn't expect Song Lang to be serious.
The little troublemaker was a tough nut to crack. Being hit in public ignited his anger, so he simply yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey, I told you so! Shen Zhifei is just an orphan who brought death to his parents!"
"Go to hell! I'll make you an orphan today!" Song Lang rolled up his sleeves, jumped off the podium, snatched the chair leg from Meng Fanxing's hand, and charged at the little troublemaker.
Chapter 003