Chapter 900
Spoiled (Lily)
Seizing the perfect opportunity, Peterâs mother, influenced by the bootlicker, launched into a skillful spiel:
âWith your words, you sow hope in the hearts of children, cultivating their academic endeavors with colorful pens, watering their growth with sweat, and nurturing their souls with dedicationâ¦â
âIt is said that a teacher is a lifelong guardian, and as Peterâs teacher, you are his lifelong elder!â
âSo, when I go back, Iâll bring clothes for Peter and buy a new set for you, Teacher Robin. What size do you wear?â
Teacher Robin and the school nurse remained silent.
Teacher Robin was on the verge of embarrassment!
Her words were so exaggerated, making her feel incompetent.
Maybe the language teacher should take over by her?
âNo, really, no need! Peterâs mother, please go back and get the clothes for Peter,â Teacher Robin responded hastily.
Peter buried his head in his blanket, utterly embarrassed.
He despised his motherâs behavior.
Not only did she act this way toward every teacher, but she also did it with various leaders.
Everyone called it flattery, but his mother was a bootlicker.
He didnât want a bootlicker as his mother!
The school nurse coughed, and Teacher Robin quickly ushered Peterâs mother out of the room.
With a serious face, Teacher Robin said, âPeterâs mother, there are only the two of us here⦠Iâll be straightforward with you. Donât engage in these flashy things!â
âMost teachers here are diligent in their work. You donât have to worry about your child being treated unfairly at school. Flattery wonât get you anywhere, and not every teacher enjoys hearing it!â
Teacher Robin finished speaking in one breath and added, âIâm being direct, so donât take offense!â
Peterâs mother thought to herself: No one doesnât like being flattered. You canât bite the hand that feeds you, right?
Besides, she wasnât worried about her son being treated unfairly. She was concerned about him not receiving special treatment.
She wanted her son to be treated with extra care at school, with teachers being kind to him. After all, children are fragile, and being too strict or serious with them can harm their mental development!
She also wanted teachers to show more bias and pay more attention to her child at schoolâ¦
Just like this time, when her son was beaten up by that Big Black Pig, if Ms. Montague were there, she would surely punish Nicodemus and give her son more care and attention.
Oh well.
Flattery is just a matter of how you do it! There are many ways to flatter!
Peterâs mother looked embarrassed and apologetic. âTeacher Robin, youâre right. I was too focused on short-term gains⦠Sigh, a personâs whole life revolves around their child. How can they not be anxious?â
She sighed, expressing her genuine feelings.
âNow that Iâve entrusted my child to you, we are actually at ease, knowing that heâll be fine at schoolâ¦
But Peter can be mischievous, and I feel so guilty. It must be quite troublesome for you. I appreciate your hard workâ¦â
Lilly and Josh, who were crouching in a corner, remained silent.
They had learned something new.
You could flatter in this way too.
Teacher Robin sighed in understanding, but then something didnât sit right.
Peterâs mother smiled and said, âTeacher Robin, you look so young and have such fair skin. You must work late into the night correcting assignments, right? Yet, you still manage to look so radiant and beautiful. Itâs truly admirable, unlike us⦠getting old and faded.â
Peterâs mother immersed herself in flattery, momentarily forgetting about bringing clothes for her son.
Little did she know that Teacher Robinâs expression remained unchanged as she replied, âI donât stay up late correcting assignments.â
Peterâs mother stammered, âYes, yes, we usually see the assignments corrected by the time we pick him up from school. Teacher Robin, youâre amazing, so efficient. You must work on lesson plans late at night, right?â
Teacher Robinâs face showed indifference. âI donât stay up late working on lesson plans either. When I finish work, Iâm done. Staying up late to work on unfinished tasks only shows my incompetence.â
Peterâs mother fell silent.
Teacher Robin continued, âMy skin isnât that great either. Itâs makeup and powder!â
She looked at Peterâs mother, speaking in a rather unpleasant tone, âPeterâs mother, is it so difficult to stop flattering? You always want your child to receive more attention and special treatment. Do you think itâs fair to the other children?â
âFirst, he gave Lilly a derogatory nickname, and now he provoked Nicodemus, resulting in a beating.
What kind of special treatment are you expecting from me?â
Peterâs mother opened her mouth, her face turning red with embarrassment and a mix of anger.
How could this young teacher criticize her like this? Sheâs not her studentâ¦
How can a teacher speak like this, as if a few harsh words are comparable to physically hurting someone? Her son is the one who got hurt!
Inside the school infirmary, the school nurseâs gaze, barely perceptible, made Peterâs mother feel utterly ashamed.
The bootlicker suddenly grew restless, as if it had touched upon something unbearable, making it feel agitated.
In the shadows, Lilly whispered, âJosh, see that? This is what happens when flattery hits a snag!â
Josh stared at the bootlicker, âSo, what does he do?â
Lilly replied, âHeâll reveal his true colors, show his flaws, and then our opportunity will come.â
âOh⦠so, itâs your chance, Josh. My ghost-catching doesnât need to be this complicated!â
Josh fell silent.
Lilly said, âWhen the bootlicker canât hold back any longer, Josh, throw a talisman at her!â
It might embarrass Peterâs mother, and she apologized for that. Itâs what she should do.
If only Josh knew what Lilly was thinking deep downâ¦
He would have said: Yes! Well said!