There are two lucky seats in my classroom, flanking the teacher’s desk. If you sit there, you hear the masters better and it is impossible to have your attention distracted from the lesson.

Not everyone has the right to them, though. If a student has to sit at one of the places, there must be a reason. You know it. He might have committed a heinous crime. He might be the teacher’s niece and nephew. His parents might have gifted or bribed the teacher, etc.

We were going to change seats after school last Saturday. The teacher decided to substitute a new student for one of the lucky seat takers, Mr Zhou Shun. The teacher chose five candidates to compete for the seat. In the end, she proposed choosing the lucky one by drawing lots.

Miss got four slips of paper of the same size. She then numbered them. She drew a smiley on one of the slips. Then came the exciting moment. We said a number before the teacher handed out the corresponding slip. I was about to say 3 when Mr Chen Yaohui blurted the digit out. So I had to go for 2.

When I was unfolding my slip, a big smiley greeted my eye. Oh, so ecstatic was I at the moment that I had an urge to go up and hug the boy, Mr Chen.