Chapter 244: Chapter 244: A Brilliant Explanation, Braised Pork Trotters

“The first two lines of this poem describe the plum blossoms in the corner of the wall, unafraid of the harsh winter, blooming proudly on their own. The last two lines speak of the subtle fragrance of the plum blossom, using the flower as a metaphor for a person—blooming alone in the cold, symbolizing noble character and a quiet, penetrating fragrance, representing exceptional talent.

It also uses the plum blossom’s resilience and purity as a metaphor for people like the poet, who, even in difficult circumstances, can still hold on to their principles and stand up for what’s right.

The language of the poem is simple and unadorned, but its meaning is deep and thought-provoking.”

Gu Qinghuan finished her explanation with these words.

Suddenly, applause broke out in the classroom.

It was Principal Chen.

Seeing him take the lead, the other teachers quickly joined in, and soon everyone was clapping.

Everyone was smiling, especially Principal Chen, whose face was full of admiration.

He had originally thought Gu Qinghuan was all show and no substance, but she had given him a huge surprise.

For a high school graduate, this poem isn’t actually that difficult—the real challenge is explaining it clearly and thoroughly.

Gu Qinghuan covered every aspect, without missing a single detail. What’s even more impressive is that this was all done on the spot, without any prior preparation, yet she was able to reference classic works and explain so much. It showed just how deep her knowledge ran.

Still, admiration was one thing; Principal Chen didn’t immediately make a decision. He just nodded happily.

After all, there were still about a dozen candidates left. It wouldn’t be fair to settle on Gu Qinghuan right away.

After Gu Qinghuan left the classroom, Principal Chen specifically asked a nearby teacher to check her written exam score.

This young woman had performed so well—it would be a shame not to keep her. The only thing he didn’t know was how she did on the written test.

Another male teacher immediately said, “Principal Chen, there’s no need to check. Gu Qinghuan got the highest score on the written exam.”

This teacher had paid special attention to Gu Qinghuan, since he was the one who had set the exam. For someone to get a perfect score, he was naturally curious to see who could answer all his questions correctly.

He hadn’t expected it to be such a beautiful woman, so he remembered her.

It had to be said, Gu Qinghuan was truly capable. To be blunt, with her performance just now, teaching at this commune elementary school was actually beneath her talents.

Such a brilliant, off-the-cuff explanation was something only veteran teachers with years of experience could pull off.

At this moment, Principal Chen had already made up his mind—he had to recruit this young woman!

To excel in both the written test and the live teaching demonstration—this was exactly the kind of talent he wanted.

After witnessing Gu Qinghuan’s outstanding presentation, the performances of the other candidates seemed dull in comparison.

Especially one woman who drew the same topic as Gu Qinghuan. Because she was nervous, her explanation was a complete mess, totally incoherent, and Principal Chen stopped her on the spot.

“Stop! That’s enough. What are you even talking about?”

Of course, Gu Qinghuan knew nothing about all this. Right now, she was out eating at a restaurant with Lin Xiaomeng.

Both of them had finished their exams, but the results wouldn’t be out until tomorrow.

Gu Qinghuan had originally planned to go straight home—it was already almost one o’clock, and she was worried about the kids.

But Lin Xiaomeng insisted on dragging her out for a meal.

“I told you before, this one’s on me!”

“But we don’t even know the results yet. Why not wait until we find out before celebrating?” After all, they didn’t know if they’d passed.

Lin Xiaomeng just pulled her into the restaurant.

“No need to wait. Whether I pass or not, I still have to treat you to a meal. Don’t worry about the money—I’m not short on cash for one meal.”

Gu Qinghuan shrugged. Well, if someone’s eager to treat, she might as well enjoy it.

Today’s specials were braised pork trotters and hand-shredded rabbit. Lin Xiaomeng ordered both, plus a kelp and pork rib soup. She was clearly in a good mood.

And for good reason—Lin Xiaomeng felt she’d done really well this time. When she left the classroom, she’d even waited by the door for a minute.

She’d clearly heard the principal asking a teacher about her written exam ranking, which meant he was pretty satisfied with her performance.

So Lin Xiaomeng felt she had a good chance.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t ask why she was so happy, just focused on eating.

The braised pork trotters were especially good today—they must have been stewing all morning.

So soft and tender they melted in the mouth—delicious.

She was used to eating rabbit cooked dry-pot style, but trying this different flavor for a change, she found it surprisingly tasty.

The two of them obviously couldn’t finish all the food. They’d ordered enough for the kids as well. Lin Xiaomeng packed up the leftovers for Gu Qinghuan to take home to Dabao and Beibei.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t stand on ceremony—she took a portion of the braised pork trotters, leaving the rest for Lin Xiaomeng, since she had kids at home too.

Afterwards, they went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things they needed.

Gu Qinghuan bought notebooks and pens for her two kids at home—they’d run out, and lately the kids had been studying every day, so supplies were running low.

She also bought a few packs of White Rabbit milk candies that didn’t require ration coupons. The saleswoman at the counter, seeing she bought so many, threw in a few extra.

Before leaving, Xu Huaian had reminded her: unless absolutely necessary, don’t buy things from the space—get them outside whenever possible, so as not to arouse suspicion.

It was clear he really cared about her safety, so Gu Qinghuan listened. Whenever she could buy things outside, she did.

“Why are you buying so much candy? Don’t let the kids eat too much, or they’ll get cavities,” Lin Xiaomeng said gently.

Gu Qinghuan tossed her a pack.

“For your Da Cheng.”

She kept the other two packs—one for her own kids, and one for Erdan.

Erdan’s father had tipped her off about the exam, so she owed him a favor.

Lin Xiaomeng accepted the candy a bit embarrassed, and explained awkwardly,

“I—sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just thought you were buying all that for your kids.”

“It’s fine. Too much candy isn’t good anyway. I limit them to three pieces a day. White Rabbit is milk candy, so it’s not a big deal.”

Most of the candy at home was actually given out to other kids—Dabao and Beibei didn’t eat that much themselves.

As soon as they got back to the village, they were surrounded by the usual group of gossiping women. It was a wonder these women had so much time every day.

But they never let gossip get in the way of work—some were knitting sweaters, some making clothes, some picking vegetables, some nursing babies…

Today, Liu Guifang was there too. For once, she actually greeted her two daughters-in-law with a slightly pleasant expression, though her face was still stern. “You’re back? How did the exam go?”

After all, these two had brought her honor. She’d just been showered with congratulations—everyone was saying her family was about to have two teachers, all her sons and daughters-in-law had jobs, and the Xu family’s ancestors must be smiling down on them.

Of course she was happy—what a source of pride! But unfortunately, her own sons and daughters hadn’t had such luck.

Yes, she thought her two daughters-in-law were just lucky.

Regardless of what others thought, Gu Qinghuan didn’t care at all. She just said she had to go pick up her kids and quickly rode off on her bicycle.

She left Lin Xiaomeng behind to face the barrage of gossip from the women on her own."

"Chapter 245: Selected, Packing Up the Dormitory