Chapter 581: Women Can Hold Up Half the Sky
Chapter 581: Women Can Hold Up Half the Sky
After the class officer elections, Zeng Jing successfully became a class officer. The teacher assigned the class officers the task of distributing new textbooks to everyone.
This kind of work was usually done by boys. Chen Jianhua, the vice class officer, immediately rallied a few boys from his dorm to go and fetch the textbooks.
However, Zeng Jing said, "Women can hold up half the sky. Why should only the boys do this? Right?"
Two female classmates immediately agreed, "Right! Whatever the boys can do, we girls can do too!"
So Zeng Jing called on the two girls who had spoken up and also Jiang Xia, "Jiang Xia, you should go with them! I’ll maintain order in the classroom."
Jiang Xia glanced at her and stood up, "Alright, but you should come too! As the class officer, you should set an example and take the lead. The vice class officer can handle maintaining order."
Chen Jianhua, caught between the two beautiful girls, quickly chose the more appealing option. After all, it was Zeng Jing who had proposed this.
He nodded, "Alright, I’ll take care of the classroom!"
Zeng Jing: "..."
So, the eight of them went to the textbook room to collect the new textbooks.
Q University’s campus was large, and the textbook room was quite a distance from the classroom.
Halfway there, Jiang Xia said to the others, "You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up in a bit."
Zeng Jing: "Where are you going, Jiang Xia?"
Jiang Xia: "To the restroom, is that okay?"
Zeng Jing: "...Of course."
Jiang Xia didn’t respond further and walked off.
Song Huiru, one of the female classmates, couldn’t help but say, "Is she going to run away?"
Zeng Jing: "Jiang Xia is not that kind of person. That would be too low of her."
Song Huiru: "It’s hard to say. You didn’t see her hands; they clearly haven’t done any heavy work."
Another female classmate, Liu Weizhen, remained silent.
A male classmate from the countryside, Liu Wendong, chimed in, "Jiang Xia does look like someone who hasn’t done much heavy work. She probably won’t be able to carry the books. We’ll just have to carry more ourselves."
Song Huiru: "If she doesn’t show up, remember to carry her share too."
She had seen too many pretty girls in the production team who relied on their looks to get out of work, thinking they could get away with doing nothing just because they were beautiful.
All they had to do was act cute to the boys, and they’d do everything for them.
Liu Wendong: "I don’t mind carrying more."
Women are so competitive.
It was clear to everyone that Zeng Jing was deliberately targeting Jiang Xia, even though it was the girls themselves who had insisted on taking on the responsibility.
When they arrived at the textbook room, they explained their purpose to the teacher, who pointed to a stack of books, "The fashion design textbooks are over there. Follow this list and the number of students in your class to sort them out, then come back to sign. Make sure the count is accurate before signing."
They took the list and divided the work among themselves, each responsible for one book.
Just as they finished sorting, Jiang Xia returned.
Song Huiru immediately said, "You’re finally back! You were in the restroom for so long!"
Zeng Jing: "Jiang Xia, this last package of books is for you! Each girl will carry one package, and each boy will carry two."
Jiang Xia glanced at the package. Hers and Liu Weizhen’s were the largest. "Alright."
Liu Weizhen, who was used to farm work, still found it heavy. She asked Jiang Xia, "Do you want us to carry it together?"
Liu Wendong also offered, "I can switch with you."
Jiang Xia: "No, I can carry it."
Jiang Xia picked up the large bag of books and walked out.
Zeng Jing watched Jiang Xia's retreating figure, a smile tugging at her lips. It wasn't Jiang Xia's fault; after all, she was the last one to arrive.
Jiang Xia walked out of the textbook room and placed the books on the back of her bicycle.
She turned to Liu Weizhen and Liu Wendong, who had followed her out, and said, "Liu Weizhen and Liu Wendong, you can put your books on here too! Help me hold the books steady while I push the bicycle."
The two of them stepped forward and stacked their books on top.
Zeng Jing: "..."
Was this even possible? Why hadn't she thought of it?
But she didn't have a bicycle.
She had come to school in her family's car today.
The other students: "..."
Why hadn't they thought of it either?
But even if they had, they didn't have bicycles. Most of them hadn't bought one yet.
Bicycles were expensive, and not everyone could afford them.
The bicycle shed at Q University had quite a few abandoned bikes from graduating seniors, but they were all in poor condition, barely usable.
Some students would dismantle a few bicycles and piece them together to make a "new" one, but not everyone had that skill.
Liu Wendong: "So you went to get a bicycle earlier?"
Jiang Xia: "On the way back, I saw someone pushing a bicycle, so I borrowed it."
The four bags of books were stacked high, and no one could add more without toppling the pile.
Liu Wendong: "Let me push?"
Jiang Xia: "No need. You're strong enough to hold them steady."
Pushing the bicycle didn't require much effort.
"Alright." So Liu Wendong and Liu Weizhen stood on either side, holding the stack of books steady.
Zeng Jing and the other students watched as Jiang Xia and the others easily wheeled the books toward the classroom.
Carrying one bag of books for a few meters wouldn't be tiring, but carrying it for hundreds or even thousands of meters?
That was a different story!
It was exhausting beyond words!
Zeng Jing watched as Jiang Xia and the others pushed the bicycle away with ease and regretted her decision!
She had never done heavy lifting before and felt her hands were about to give out!
Song Huiru was in a similar state.
They had already stopped to rest several times!
If only they hadn't talked about how women can hold up half the sky and let the boys do the heavy lifting.
Jiang Xia and the others easily transported the books back to the classroom.
The other boys weren't far behind and soon returned, though they were all drenched in sweat.
Carrying two large bags of books for such a distance wasn't an easy task.
Jiang Xia had wiped her sweat and finished her water, but Zeng Jing and Song Huiru still hadn't returned.
The vice class officer and a few others had already started removing the packaging from the books, waiting for everyone to arrive before distributing them.
Jiang Xia didn't want to wait. Since there were no more classes today, she could leave as soon as she got her books. She walked up to the podium and said, "Vice class officer, I have something to do, so I'll take a set of books and go."
"Sure!"
Jiang Xia then took a set of books and left.
"The rest of you can take your seats and I'll start distributing the books", the vice class officer said, thinking the two "iron ladies" who could hold up half the sky would return soon.
But by the time all the books were distributed and the students who had their books left, only a few were still waiting.
Those few students waited for half a class period before Zeng Jing and Song Huiru finally returned!
They were drenched in sweat, feeling their hands were about to fall off!
One of the male students, losing his patience, went up to take the books and couldn't help but say, "If you're this weak, what's the point of talking about holding up half the sky? You've wasted so much of our time!"
"Exactly, the vice class officer even called a few boys to help, but they insisted on doing it themselves!"
...
Zeng Jing: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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