Chapter Sixty-Eight: Father’s Strength Shines

This is outrageous! Even if a child has made a mistake, you can't deprive him of his right to education. Come, let's go see your principal! He wants to deal with you severely? I think it's him who needs to be dealt with!" As expected, the moment my father heard that Hong Tao was not allowed to attend class, his eyes widened. When he heard it was because they forced his child to take medicine he shouldn't, he immediately understood the situation. Over the past six months, he had endured plenty from these teachers, always holding back for the sake of his son's education. But now, he couldn't bear it anymore; the school's actions had crossed his bottom line.

"Principal Wang, hello. I see Director Bai is here as well. Today I've come to hear why the school continues to make things difficult for my son. He's already explained to his homeroom teacher that he suffered from acute hepatitis and doesn't need the medicine anymore. Why insist he takes it? The homeroom teacher may lack medical knowledge, but doesn't your infirmary staff know any better? As principal, what right do you have to make my son stand as punishment? That's corporal punishment! What right do you have to deprive him of his right to attend class? That is a right granted by the state, not by any of you! As a parent and an educator myself, I simply cannot understand your approach to education! You must give me a clear answer today, or I'll bring this to the Education Bureau of Dongcheng District. I want to ask Peng Gensheng from the Elementary Education Department if this is how he does his job! The Gang of Four destroyed a generation, and although they've been overthrown, I believe some in the education system are still clinging to those 'obey and you'll thrive, defy and you'll perish' ways from those special times!"

Today, my father was truly furious. He didn't even bother with pleasantries upon entering, but stood at the doorway, one hand on his hip, the other raised as if holding a piece of chalk, and delivered a scolding to everyone in the principal's office. In the end, he placed a massive political hat on their heads. This was 1980, right after the downfall of the Gang of Four—a time when such accusations could ruin someone, with investigations tracing back generations.

"Mr. Wang, you can't say it like that—your son..." Everyone in the room was dumbfounded by Hong Tao's father's words. The principal and vice principal were probably wondering just how close he was to the district's education official, while Director Bai, just back from a meeting, hadn't yet grasped what had happened. Only Vice Director Li felt compelled to step in and share some of the fire.

"Don't call me 'teacher.' We all know what kind of person you are. Others may not know what you did during those special years, but I've been your neighbor for seven or eight years—you can't fool me. You'd best worry about your own problems. I doubt you'll be in this position for much longer. People like you, brazenly working in the teaching office—what can you possibly teach children? How to criticize teachers? How to fight? How to organize secret meetings? If it weren't for your mother's sake, I'd have long reported you to the education bureau. I have nothing more to say to you!" My father was truly enraged. As the saying goes, you don't hit a man in the face, but he went straight for it, exposing all of Vice Director Li's past.

"This is slander! You're... you're retaliating against me!" Vice Director Li's pudgy face turned pale; it seemed he hadn't kept clean during those years either.

"Retaliating? What a joke! Even in those days, you wouldn't have dared to criticize teachers at university. I was sent down to do manual labor for six years. Even if I wanted to retaliate, it would be justified. Why don't we go to the education bureau right now and see who's right? Do you dare?" Today, my father was in full attack mode. In his previous life, Hong Tao had only ever heard his father's voice outside the teaching office; today, he witnessed the entire scene firsthand.

"Mr. Hong, please calm down. I've just returned from a district meeting and don't yet know exactly what happened. We're discussing it with the principal right now. Please, have a seat. Let's talk only about the child's issue today; nothing else can be resolved here, and it's not good for the child to overhear. Hong Tao, in front of your father and the principal, tell us what happened today, and don't lie!" Director Bai had a deft touch, calming Hong Tao's father, shifting attention away from Vice Director Li, and clearing herself of involvement.

"...I am telling the absolute truth. If you don't believe me, ask the infirmary staff—they were present." Hong Tao recounted the events of the morning again.

"Principal Wang, I don't think this should be escalated to a school-level issue. Let our office handle it. I'll give you a recommendation regarding Mr. Wang and Hong Tao's cases. Will that suffice?" Director Bai seemed to have understood everything and, after a moment's thought, took responsibility herself.

"That's a good idea. Mr. Hong was a bit agitated just now, but it's our fault for not being thorough. Sorry for making you come out all this way. Please, continue with Director Bai." Principal Wang was an elderly man, close to retirement. He didn't want to get involved in disputes among teachers, especially with someone like Hong Tao's father, who could level such serious accusations. He was eager to extricate himself from the situation.

"I have no objections, but I must reiterate: this must not happen again. If my child is truly at fault, you can expel him, and I won't object. But if he's innocent, don't torment him with these tricks. From what I know, there are teachers privately telling parents to instruct their children to ostracize my son. What kind of behavior is that? Isn't that the residue of those special years?" My father's anger, just subsiding, flared up again as he recalled Hong Tao's past experiences.

"Mr. Hong, please, don't get worked up. Let's talk in my office." Seeing that he was about to explode again, Director Bai quickly ushered him out.

Back in Director Bai's office, my father's anger had mostly dissipated, and he was calm again. The two of them spoke for a long time in the research room, while Hong Tao stood from the principal's office door to the research office door. It wasn't until after noon that Director Bai called Hong Tao in and informed him of the school's final decision: he would be transferred from Class One to Class Five, a solution his father accepted.

A transfer it is, then. Hong Tao didn't care which class he was in; he only regretted that now both Jin Yue and Zhang Dajiang would no longer be with him. He was truly alone, without a single person to talk to.

"I'm a teacher too. If I had a student like you in my class, I'd feel awkward. Can you try to restrain yourself a bit? Even if you disagree inside, keep it to yourself—don't say it out loud. If you clash with teachers like this again, I'll have to send you to the elementary school at my workplace." That night, after returning home, his father had another serious talk with him. Clearly, Director Bai's position was also firm; she couldn't change the mindset of most teachers in the school for the sake of just Hong Tao—she neither had the right nor the power.

"Alright, I understand. I'll just be a turtle hiding in its shell." Hong Tao knew his father wasn't good at handling such matters, and today he had already done his utmost.

"That's not what I mean. You should still stand up for what's right, but be mindful of your approach. Try not to make the conflict so tense, okay?" His father realized it wasn't right to teach a child to always shrink away, so he softened his stance.

"Fine, I get it. I'll do my best." Hong Tao wanted to persuade his father to be tougher—after all, he had the means. His performance in the principal’s office today was impressive; people shouldn't always be meek and submissive. But seeing his father's exhaustion, he couldn't bring himself to push further. After all, character is hard to change—a leopard doesn't change its spots.

"Bang bang bang... bang bang bang... Xiao Tao, come watch TV! There's a great program on tonight, don't miss it! Come on!" Suddenly, someone knocked at the window. It was his uncle, calling Hong Tao to watch TV. He knew his brother-in-law didn't like him, so he never entered Hong Tao's house. If he needed something, he’d just knock on the window.

"Go watch, but don’t stay out too late," his father said, exhausted not in body but in spirit. Hearing his brother-in-law outside made him irritable, and he waved Hong Tao off.

"What kind of show is so good you had to come get me? Aren't you afraid of my dad?" Hong Tao left his house, pulled away by his uncle, who seemed in a rush, as if missing even a second would be a huge loss. Hong Tao was curious.

"You'll see for yourself. It's really good—otherwise I wouldn't have come for you. Didn't you say you wanted to be a scientist when you grew up? There's a scientist in it." His uncle was mysterious, refusing to reveal the show, only quickening his pace.

"Holy—! 'The Man from Atlantis'!" As Hong Tao reached his grandmother's house, even before entering he heard that distant, familiar music. Instinctively, he blurted out the title.

"All the students at school say you're a weirdo—I believe it now. How did you know what was on TV tonight?" His uncle was amazed. Tonight was the first episode; he’d only watched a few minutes before fetching Hong Tao. Yet his nephew, without even entering, guessed the show and its name exactly.

"Don't you read the paper? The evening paper has the TV schedule," Hong Tao replied, realizing he’d slipped but quickly covering his tracks.

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