Falling in Love with High School English Teacher Sakura (GL Teacher-Student Love) - Chapter 5

Yue Ran started doing business in her grade because she had too many duplicate Water Margin cards that were useless to keep. So she decided to sell the extra cards to her naive classmates and peers to earn some money.

She priced each Water Margin card at one yuan. Considering that a pack of Xiao Dangjia instant noodles cost only 50 cents, even if you spent one yuan on two packs, there was no guarantee you’d get the card you wanted—each pack contained just one random card.

Yue Ran’s card business boomed in her class. Soon, students from other classes in the same grade began asking their friends in her class to help them buy cards from her. Yue Ran essentially became a small-scale intermediary, facilitating fair trades and taking a small cut. She even convinced herself she was doing a good deed—after all, eating too much instant noodles wasn’t healthy for kids, and selling the cards directly saved students from buying junk food.

Black marbles were rare among the students, yet they were the most coveted among boys who loved playing marbles. Scarcity drove up value, so Yue Ran priced each black marble at 50 cents. The same marbles sold for 80 cents to 1 yuan at nearby convenience stores. A zero-cost, high-profit business like this was too good to pass up—and Yue Ran certainly wasn’t going to miss out.

By the end of each day, Yue Ran was making more money than the snack-selling auntie at the school gate. After all, the auntie had to pay for her inventory, while Yue Ran’s marbles and cards cost her nothing—they were all given to her by students in exchange for copying her homework. Truly, a business with infinite returns.

During breaks, boys crowded around Yue Ran’s desk, clamoring to trade for cards and marbles, blocking the area completely.

They eagerly asked if she had cards of Water Margin heroes like “White Stripe in the Waves” Zhang Shun, “Mother Sun” Sun Erniang, “Resourceful Star” Wu Yong, “Timely Rain” Song Jiang, and others from the 108 outlaws.

Others came to buy marbles, specifying the colors and quantities they wanted. Transactions were strictly cash on delivery—Yue Ran didn’t do credit.

Her business was so overwhelming that her deskmate, Cao Yu, had no place to sit during breaks. Even the usually popular class belle and monitor found her surroundings much quieter these days. Now, Yue Ran had officially surpassed the monitor as the most sought-after girl among the boys in class—hahaha!

The class belle and monitor now found Yue Ran utterly displeasing no matter how she looked at it. Ever since losing their academic bet last time, the monitor had redoubled her efforts, yet she never managed to reclaim her top position in subsequent exams. The students who used to chase after her for homework copies now all turned to Yue Ran instead. To say the little loli monitor didn’t feel the sense of disparity would be untrue—though she’d rarely lent her homework before, believing as monitor she should lead by example and that sharing answers was wrong. She also disapproved of Yue Ran’s “business” of selling snacks to classmates for pocket money. As monitor, she felt it her duty to stop such misconduct.

Our little monitor stood up from her seat, chest out and ponytail swaying as she marched toward Yue Ran, who was surrounded by boys.

To draw attention, she deliberately rapped her knuckles on a desk. Clearing her throat, she declared, “Yue Ran, how can you sell things in class?”

Yue Ran looked up calmly. “Should I give them away for free then, Monitor? I’m not stealing—clear prices, honest business.”

“The school forbids students from running businesses,” the monitor retorted.

Yue Ran pointed at the class rules plaque on the wall. “Show me where that’s written, Monitor. Don’t act like I can’t read.”With so many watching, the monitor’s face burned at being shut down.” She played her trump card: “Keep this up, and I’ll report you to Teacher Wang.”

Yue Ran thought, What’s it to you? Aloud, she scoffed, “Is tattling the only trick up your sleeve, Monitor?”

Humiliated before the crowd, the monitor stormed back to her seat and collapsed onto the desk, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. Her big eyes turned red—a pitiful sight.

Some white knights among Yue Ran’s customers began scolding her for making the monitor cry.

“Buy or leave,” Yue Ran snapped. “Don’t block my air.”

Most boys left in a huff at her rudeness, though a few stayed to trade. The timid ones, fearing the monitor would indeed tell Teacher Wang, slunk back to their seats.