Study Monster Cultivation System - Chapter 53
Chapter 53: You Evil Disciple
“Wait!” Zhang Xiaoke was very perceptive. “We agreed that we’d go shopping if I won.”
“That was for the first round.”
“I don’t care, I don’t care.” Zhang Xiaoke pointed to the ground and said, “You have to change your shoes.”
Indeed, Li Zheng also felt that the leather shoes didn’t match his outfit.
He could take the opportunity to research the efficacy of shopping as a form of relaxation.
“Alright, I’ll accommodate you.” Li Zheng tapped on the table. “We’ll talk about shopping after I assign you your homework. First, tell me, what subject do you want to work on?”
“Hm…” Zhang Xiaoke was conflicted.
“Definitely not Chemistry,” she thought.
“The paper we did earlier showed the gap between our abilities.”
“Then, my third most advantageous subject is definitely…”
“Let’s do English.” Zhang Xiaoke licked her lips.
She didn’t choose this subject at random. She had already investigated and found out that English was Li Zheng’s second weakest subject.
Furthermore, as a woman, she had a natural advantage when it came to languages.
“Alright, I won’t go easy on you for English.” Li Zheng quickly found a set of English practice questions and handed it over to Zhang Xiaoke. “We can freely study tomorrow. See you on Monday…”
Li Zheng suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence and took out his phone. “Jiang Qinghua seems to have organized an activity in the class group chat just now.”
“Is that so?” Zhang Xiaoke also took out her phone.
“I’ve been too engrossed in studying today. To think that I forgot to play with my phone,” she thought.
[Class 2-4 Chat Group]
[16: 04]
[Jiang Qinghua: @All Class Members. I’ve already contacted Mr. Qiao. Mrs. Hu Chunmei is undergoing the surgery next Monday. I plan to visit her on Sunday afternoon. Those who can go with me can send me a private message. I’ll create a group.]
[Zhang Yue: @Jiang Qinghua Muack Muack, I’ll go~]
[Jiang Qinghua: We’re in the same room. You can just tell me… Forget it, I don’t want to talk about this. Let’s leave it at that.]
[Liu Xin: @Jiang Qinghua I’ll go too.]
[Jiang Qinghua: Private message! Do you know what a private message is?]
[Lin Yujing: I’ll go.]
[Jiang Qinghua: Alright, I’ll add you in.]
[Jiang Qinghua: It’s not good to have too many people. Just a few will do.]
[16: 24]
[Li Zheng: @Jiang Qinghua I’ll go too.]
[Jiang Qinghua: …]
[Jiang Qinghua: We already have a lot of people. I’ll convey the well wishes of the class for all of you.]
[Li Zheng: @Jiang Qinghua I’ll go too.]
[Jiang Qinghua: Alright, I know, I know.]
[Zhang Xiaoke: Mr. Class Monitor, count me in too~]
[Jiang Qinghua: Xiaoke, have you ever met Mrs. Hu…]
[Zhang Xiaoke: Aiya, we have to actively attend class activities.]
[Jiang Qinghua: Alright.]
[Liu Shuo: @Jiang Qinghua Then I’ll come too.]
[Ma Yinbiao: @Jiang Qinghua I’ll come, I’ll come.]
[Liu Yuexuan: @Jiang Qinghua I’ll come.]
Li Zheng put down his phone, a little frustrated. He stared at Zhang Xiaoke.
“Why is it that so many people suddenly want to go when you’re going?”
Zhang Xiaoke smiled and whistled as she packed up her pencil case. “What should I wear tomorrow~~~”
Li Zheng shook his head. “A student without a school uniform is pitiful indeed.”
“Fool, the best time is when I’m not wearing a school uniform,” Zhang Xiaoke said as she stuffed the study materials into her bag. “Anyway, from now on, you have to listen to my instructions.”
“Yes, I’ll guide you in your studies while you teach me how to shop. There’s no problem with that.” Li Zheng also packed up his mountain of study materials. “Even though I don’t know much about shopping, I’m quite familiar with the traffic around here. We’ll arrive at Xidan shortly if we ride our bikes east down Changan Street.”
“Stop!” Zhang Xiaoke formed a large cross with her arms. “What Xidan? Were you born in the sixties? Even people who were born in the sixties don’t go to Xidan anymore.”
Li Zheng asked in shock, “Isn’t Xidan the busiest commercial district in Jijing?”
“You’re talking about 30 years ago.”
“Then… Wangfujing? I’ve been to the Xinghua Bookstore there. It has quite the atmosphere.”
“Wangfujing is a place for tourists to take photos.” Zhang Xiaoke grabbed her head and said, “How can you know less than my father?”
“I know.” Li Zheng punched his palm. “A commercial district that keeps up with the times, you must be talking about Guomao, right?”
“That’s a true business district, not a place for you to shop.”
“Finance Street?”
“What are we going there for? To rob a bank?” Zhang Xiaoke stood up, a grave expression on her face. “Now, I’ll give you a crash course. Listen carefully.”
“Alright.” Li Zheng quickly took out a pen and paper.
“You don’t have to take notes,” Zhang Xiaoke said, frustrated. “If you want to shop, you first have to be clear on your needs and budget. You choose a place to shop based on these two factors. If you want to buy luxury brands, you can head to SKP or LaoFoYe. The best brands are all located there.”
Li Zheng noted the information down while asking, “Does LaoFoYe refer to Empress Dowager Cixi? Because of her honorable status in the royal family?”
“Shut up! No questions. Listen to me.”
“Alright…”
“After all, my words are wasted on you.” Zhang Xiaoke then asked directly, “First, tell me about your shopping needs and budget.”
“One pair of sports shoes.”
“No, you have to get clothes too.”
“There’s no need. I have three sets of school uniforms.”
“Shut up! Buy some clothes!” Zhang Xiaoke scolded, “We have a class activity tomorrow. I won’t allow you to embarrass yourself by wearing your school uniform. Our sect already has a collective interest!”
“Alright, we have to go shopping anyway.” Li Zheng thought for a moment, then gestured, “What I need is a set of clothes that can be worn during the winter, and a pair of sports shoes that I can wear while playing basketball.”
“No, more general.” Zhang Xiaoke followed up with more questions. “What brand and style? Be specific.”
Li Zheng held the side of his face and thought deeply about the questions. “I remember that Shuangxing’s rubber-soled shoes are more durable.”
“I was wrong…” Zhang Xiaoke grabbed her head again. “Don’t tell me about the brand. Just tell me about your needs.”
Li Zheng fiddled with his fingers and mumbled. “They must be able to resist wear and tear, and they should clean easily if they get dirty. The color shouldn’t fade if I wash them in the washing machine, and they should be suitable for many seasons. Low-profile, simple…”
“Aren’t you describing a school uniform?!” Zhang Xiaoke was so furious she almost slammed a book on the table.
“Now that you said it, that’s right. Do you know where to find school uniform-style clothes?”
“Hehe, will a Japanese school uniform work?”
“Wait, let me look up some pictures…”
“Alright, alright, I roughly know what you’re looking for.” Zhang Xiaoke sighed helplessly. “Tell me about your budget: your total budget for the shirt, jacket, long pants, and sports shoes.”
“Around 500.”
Zhang Xiaoke was furious.
“I spend that much on just a bra, alright?” she thought.
“What’s the matter? Li Zheng asked, confused. “My three sets of school uniforms only cost me a few hundred yuan.”
“Alright… I’m not going to ask you any more questions… I’ll just set the budget for you.” Zhang Xiaoke propped herself up on the table and said, “Let’s go for the most ordinary one. 300 for the shirt, 500 for a jacket, 400 for the pants, and 800 for the shoes. That makes the total 2000.”
Li Zheng glared and scolded. “Jingjing only cost 2500!”
“Shut up.” Zhang Xiaoke let out a deep sigh and said angrily, “That’s my baseline. I can’t go shopping on a street that’s cheaper than that. If you really want to go shopping with me, you have to be able to afford this budget.”
Li Zheng clenched his teeth and fists tightly.
“This tuition fee is too expensive,” he thought.
“I clearly taught you for free.”
“This isn’t right, you rebellious disciple.”
Even though he thought this, at the end of the day, Zhang Xiaoke was still a shopping expert, and an opportunity like this was hard to come by.
“At most I’ll toss her to the side after I learn how to shop,” he thought.
“2000 it is, but not a cent more than that.” Li Zheng painfully carried his mountaineering bag. “Where did you park your vehicle?”
“Hehe.” Zhang Xiaoke let out an angry laugh. “Are you talking about my Ferrari or my Lamborghini?”
“Stop lying to me. Those are cars. I know that.”
Li Zheng smiled like a little imp.
“Hmph!” Zhang Xiaoke grabbed her head and said, “Ride your bike back home, put your bag down, then take a cab and come get me.”
“You don’t have a bike?” Li Zheng said unhesitatingly. “It’s alright. I’ll give you a ride.”
“Ride, my foot.”
“We’ll be saving tens of dollars going there and coming back.”
“No, I won’t feel right,” Zhang Xiaoke said, shaking her head. “Plus, I’m dressed up so nicely today. It’ll look stupid for me to ride a bike. We have to take a cab. I’ll wait for you to come get me.”
“Then I’m not going.” Li Zheng turned around to leave. “Now that I think about it, it’d be better to get help from Jiang Qinghua. He’s more reliable. If that doesn’t work out, I can always head to Xidan myself. I’ll be able to find the area Shuangxing is in if I just ask around.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Zhang Xiaoke quickly picked up her bag and chased after him. “Is that bumpkin Jiang Qinghua better than me?”
“At least he has a bike.” Li Zheng continued down the stairs without turning to look back.
Zhang Xiaoke stood where she was, in a daze.
“How infuriating,” she thought.
“I’ll stomp on your foot. I’ll grab your hair.”
“Ahhhhh.”
“Riding a bike isn’t cute at all.”
After struggling for some time, she ultimately decided to chase after Li Zheng. “You have to put your bag down first even if we ride your bike.”
“Alright.” Li Zheng smiled.
…
The scene on the streets was like something out of a movie.
An energetic high-schooler giving a young lady, who was sitting sideways, a ride on his bike. Even though his legs felt tired, his face was full of happiness.
This was supposed to be a wonderful scene. However, strangely, the young lady seated behind him didn’t look innocent at all. Instead, she looked like she belonged in the back seat of a BMW.
Also, this beauty was too embarrassed to see anyone.
She grabbed onto the mountaineering bag with one hand and completely covered her face with the other.
“I don’t want to say this…” Li Zheng was exerting a lot of force. “But you’re heavy.”
“Shut… Up…”
“Does all your fat go to your stomach?”
“…”
“Or could it be that you have a high bone density. That’s a good thing, because then you’re able to work harder.”
“I’ll jump off the bike if you keep talking.”
“Jump onto your Ferrari?” Li Zheng laughed loudly. “I’ve really become more humorous.”
“…”
This was the longest several-hundred-meter stretch of Zhang Xiaoke’s life.
She could finally get off the bike when they reached Li Zheng’s house.
Zhang Xiaoke looked around. The area was decent. It had a large area of greenery, and apartments were spaced a good distance apart from each other.
She looked up at the apartment block. It had around 15 to 16 stories.
If she’d guessed right, they should be able to see Cherry Lake in the north.
Zhang Xiaoke glanced at the Tesla that was parked in the underground parking lot and asked, “What kind of place is this? Why have I never heard of it?”
“It doesn’t have a name. Everyone who lives here works in key installations.” Li Zheng locked up his bike and asked, “Do you want to come up?”
“What? So sudden?” Zhang Xiaoke quickly turned around and shook her head. “Do you not use your brain before you speak?…”
“Oh, then you can wait here.” Li Zheng went into the building alone.
Zhang Xiaoke stamped her foot.
“How frustrating. This is not cute,” she thought.
Li Zheng quickly went home and realized that Old Li was already back. He was parboiling vegetables in the kitchen.
“Where did you go?” Li Yi asked when he heard the door being opened.
“I went to study,” Li Zheng answered.
“Oh.” Li Yi obviously believed him.
Li Zheng quickly put down his bag, then touched the credit card in his pocket and said, “Dad, I’m going out to buy a set of clothes and a pair of shoes.”
“Oh?” Li Yi charged out of the kitchen in shock when he heard this. “You’re finally willing to buy those things?”
“It’s mainly because my shoes are spoiled. I’ll get the clothes while I’m at it.” Li Zheng lifted his leg and said, “These leather shoes are quite uncomfortable to walk in. Otherwise, I would have made do with them.”
“Buy, buy, buy, that’s good.” Li Yi licked his lips.
“Hehe,” he thought.
“This silly kid finally knows to pay attention to his image.”
“This… The budget…” Li Zheng scratched his head and said, “It might be a little high.”
“Buy whatever you want. I understand you. You wouldn’t spend too much even if the sky was falling,” Li Yi said as he charged toward the shoe cabinet. He took out a card for a hair salon from the drawer and shoved it toward Li Zheng. “You can do up your hair while you’re out. Don’t go to the small hair salons that charge 15 yuan. Get a more elaborate hairstyle.”
“You can put it there. We’ll talk about that in the future.” Li Zheng turned to leave.
Li Yi pulled him back and asked, “Aren’t you going to eat my variety of boiled vegetables?”
“I don’t have much time. I’ll eat outside.”
“Who are you going with?”
Li Zheng blushed. “… A classmate.”
“Hehe~~” Li Yi stroked his son’s nose.
Li Zheng pushed Old Li away in frustration. “What are you thinking? We just study together.”
“That’s a must. You have to study.” Old Li patted his son and said, “Go. Don’t let her wait. I’m very happy today. You can eat something fancier, no budget.”
“You’re already so poor. Why do you care about your reputation?” Li Zheng scolded.
“All I have is money. Go spend it.”
“Really… Cheng Wenyue might change her occupation if she knew she had a mentor like you.”
