Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Lin Muyang, the Student Who Owes Tuition

Lin Xiaomeng was assigned to assist Chen Fang, mainly handling the elementary school section.

Gu Qinghuan, on the other hand, was called over by a male teacher surnamed Lin to help him out. He seemed to be in charge of the junior high classes—actually, more than one class.

This Teacher Lin’s full name was Lin Muyang. He seemed to have quite a bit of influence at the school. He didn’t look very old, but everyone respected him, even if only subtly.

Later, Gu Qinghuan learned that Lin Muyang was an academic type—he loved research and had his own effective methods for teaching students, which made Principal Chen value him highly.

Indeed, people with true ability are respected wherever they go.

The written exam for recruiting teachers had been designed by him; it covered every aspect. At the time, she’d even thought the person who wrote the questions was quite impressive.

In modern times, he’d be considered a “gold medal” teacher, a guarantee of good exam results.

Lin Muyang was in charge of two classes, both in the second year of junior high: Class One and Class Two.

In other words, he was the homeroom teacher for the entire second-year cohort.

Traditionally, Class One would come to register in the morning, and Class Two in the afternoon. Everyone was used to this routine.

The two of them worked together seamlessly.

Lin Muyang was responsible for verifying student information and checking winter break homework. Once he confirmed a student could register, the parents would hand the tuition to Gu Qinghuan, who would collect and record the payments.

Yes, Lin Muyang was a very responsible teacher.

Last winter break, he’d assigned homework and required students to complete it before they could register.

Everyone seemed to know this rule. They lined up quietly, handing in their homework for him to check.

Lin Muyang carefully flipped through each assignment, nodded, and called for the next student.

Gu Qinghuan took the small-denomination bills from the parents, straightened and counted them, put them in her bag, and recorded the payments.

No one spoke loudly. Everyone waited nervously, a stark contrast to the lively registration scenes she’d seen in modern times.

Here, she saw how hard it was for these children to get an education.

For the first time, she felt the money in her hands was heavy, hard-earned, almost burning—not just her hands, but her heart too.

In fact, tuition for a semester was only five yuan per student. To her, five yuan was just the cost of a meal, hardly worth mentioning.

But not a single parent could hand over a whole five-yuan bill. Everyone scraped together small notes and coins, making the five yuan seem even more precious.

On their faces, she saw respect for the teachers and a longing for education.

In that moment, Gu Qinghuan suddenly felt a heavy weight settle on her shoulders.

To be a teacher is to take on a great responsibility—there’s no shirking it.

She no longer saw this as just a temporary job, but as a career she should give her all to.

Only then would she be worthy of the parents’ cracked hands, their patchwork bills, and their earnest hopes.

As she was collecting money, a small incident occurred.

A boy came alone, without a parent. After his homework was checked, he stood in front of Gu Qinghuan, shifting awkwardly.

Faced with the beautiful, well-dressed teacher, he curled his exposed toes and wished he could disappear.

Finally, he whispered, “T-teacher, I… my family hasn’t managed to scrape together the money yet. Can I pay two yuan first?”

This was the first time Gu Qinghuan had encountered something like this.

He was dressed in rags, like a child wearing adult clothes—his clothes were neither warm nor fitting.

In the dead of winter, he wore shoes made of some kind of straw, his toes sticking out, red from the cold.

He was smaller and thinner than the other kids, looking nothing like a second-year junior high student.

Seeing his embarrassment and helplessness, she felt a pang of sympathy.

At that moment, the phrase “Though poor, one’s will remains strong and lofty” became real to her.

She turned to Lin Muyang, seeking his opinion.

She wasn’t sure if it was allowed to pay on credit.

She made up her mind: if Lin Muyang didn’t agree to let the boy owe the rest, she’d cover it herself. One way or another, he had to be able to attend school.

Lin Muyang seemed used to this. He nodded calmly, his expression unchanged, and went on to check the next student’s homework.

Gu Qinghuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was best if the boy could pay later—she didn’t want to have to step in and risk embarrassing him.

She wanted to preserve the boy’s dignity as much as possible, not hurt his pride.

After all, everyone had been this age once. There’s a reason for the term “junior high syndrome”—kids at this age are especially sensitive about their self-esteem.

“No problem. What’s your name?” Gu Qinghuan asked gently.

The boy also looked relieved, a shy smile appearing on his face. “Teacher, my name is Wang Qingchuan.”

He carefully took out a handkerchief from his pocket, unwrapping his two yuan in tuition.

They were all small bills.

But unlike others, each note was neatly smoothed out, pleasing to the eye.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t even need to straighten them—she just counted and put them in her bag.

Wang Qingchuan gave her a deep, earnest bow before leaving. Judging by his back, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

Gu Qinghuan suddenly felt very happy herself—truly happy.

After that, she continued to assist Lin Muyang seriously.

She encountered two more students who wanted to pay on credit, and she agreed readily.

By around eleven-thirty, all the students scheduled for the morning had finished registering.

What surprised Gu Qinghuan was that every student had completed their winter homework—no one was missing. Clearly, Teacher Lin was an excellent mentor.

“Ms. Gu, let’s have lunch first. We’ll be busy again this afternoon. Sorry to trouble you, I have a lot of classes to handle,” Lin Muyang said with a smile.

In fact, he’d specifically asked Gu Qinghuan to help partly because he wanted to observe this new teacher up close.

The test he’d designed wasn’t easy, and anyone who got a perfect score was quite capable. In fact, he suspected that wasn’t even her limit.

He’d been present for the second round of assessments, and Gu Qinghuan’s knowledge and composure had truly impressed him.

To be blunt, with her abilities, she could easily teach high school students. Staying here was almost a waste of her talent.

So he was very curious about Gu Qinghuan.

On the other hand, Principal Chen had also asked him to get to know the new teacher better, so they could make the best use of this “thousand-mile horse.”

“It’s no trouble at all. You’re the one with so many responsibilities, Teacher Lin,” Gu Qinghuan replied with a smile."

"Chapter 252: A Day at Work

After hearing Gu Qinghuan’s flattery, Lin Muyang suddenly burst out laughing, leaving Gu Qinghuan confused.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

Clearing his throat, Lin Muyang replied, “This morning, Teacher Wan went to the office to complain, saying you bullied her. I happened to overhear it.

I thought, Teacher Gu, you’ve just arrived and already managed to offend a colleague. I figured you must be the straightforward type who doesn’t know how to bend. But I didn’t expect you to be good at saying nice things too. Haha.”

Gu Qinghuan blushed at his words. What’s wrong with a little flattery?

But that Wan Rong really is incorrigible—let her be. If you’re upright, you don’t have to fear a crooked shadow.

“Lin, you’re mistaken. I only say nice things to genuinely good people. As for those pesky flies, I never waste words—I just swat them directly.” Gu Qinghuan said, hinting at something.

Lin Muyang laughed even harder at that.

“Flies, huh? Interesting. In this school, you’re probably the only one bold enough to describe Teacher Wan that way. But I have to say, great minds think alike.”

He meant he agreed—he also thought Wan Rong was like a fly.

It seemed Wan Rong had caused him plenty of trouble too.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but laugh. Lin Muyang was quite interesting—not like those bookish intellectuals who only know how to study. He was witty and gentle.

The distance between the two of them seemed to shrink.

“I’m heading to the cafeteria for lunch. What about you?” Lin Muyang’s wife and child lived in the county, so he was here alone. He wasn’t much of a cook and relied on the cafeteria to get by.

“I’m going back to the dorm. The kids are waiting for me. I brought some steamed buns and stuffed buns this morning—just need to heat them up.”

“If you don’t mind, Lin, come by after you get your food and take a couple of buns. I brought plenty,” Gu Qinghuan offered.

Lin Muyang didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded. “Alright, thank you.”

After they parted, Gu Qinghuan hurried back to the dorm.

Lin Xiaomeng was already back, but since she didn’t have the key to the room, she couldn’t get in and had gone to cook first.

Gu Qinghuan quickly opened the door and let the kids out.

Da Cheng called out, “Second Aunt!” and dashed back to his own home.

The room was tiny and reeked of urine, but thankfully she had prepared a chamber pot. Dabao took it himself to the public toilet to empty it.

Beibei greeted her eagerly, “Mom, you’re finally back!”

“Good girl, Beibei. Hungry? I’ll heat up the buns for you. They’ll be ready soon.”

Gu Qinghuan put the buns and mantou in the pot to steam, but then realized she was out of firewood. There were only a few kindling sticks left, so she quietly took some firewood from her space and put it in the stove.

She’d thought of everything except bringing enough firewood. Luckily, there was still some left from what Xu Huaian had chopped before. She’d make do for now and figure out a way to bring more over later without drawing attention.

Just as she was thinking this, Lin Xiaomeng arrived with a bundle of firewood.

“There were a bunch of kids selling firewood at the school gate—five cents a bundle, pretty cheap. I figured you’d need some, so I bought a bundle for you too.

Use this for now. If it’s not enough, we can buy more. It’s not like we use that much anyway.

From what Sister Fang said, these kids are all from nearby villages. They often bring firewood to sell, and it’s not expensive. It’s a hassle to haul firewood all the way from Xujiatun, so let’s just buy it here. We’re helping the kids out too.”

“Thank you, Sister-in-law! I was just running out of firewood, and here you are. I’ll give you the money in a bit.”

“No need—it’s just five cents. Don’t bother. What are you making? I think I smell buns?”

Lin Xiaomeng’s nose was sharp!

“You guessed it. I’ll bring some over once they’re hot,” Gu Qinghuan replied with a helpless smile.

“Great! I’m getting a deal—five cents wouldn’t buy me a meat bun anywhere.” Lin Xiaomeng grinned, then suddenly leaned in and whispered, “I heard Teacher Lin is really strict. You were with him this morning—he didn’t give you a hard time, did he?”

Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “Where do you hear these rumors? Teacher Lin is a good person. Don’t worry, I’m fine!”

With so many people around, there are bound to be all kinds of rumors. Probably someone was jealous of Lin Muyang’s abilities and tried to smear him.

She thought Lin Muyang was great—serious and meticulous at work, but witty and easygoing in private. Just right.

“That’s good, then!”

Not long after Lin Xiaomeng left, Lin Muyang arrived with his lunchbox. The cafeteria was serving shredded potatoes with pork (though there was barely any pork) and stir-fried cabbage with vinegar. The staple was black bread, but since he was getting buns from Gu Qinghuan, he skipped the bread and just got some vegetables.

Seeing that he, a grown man, only had half a box of vegetables, Gu Qinghuan figured it wouldn’t be enough and gave him two mantou and two meat buns.

Lin Muyang waved his hand. “That’s too much—just one to try is enough.”

After all, she had two kids to feed. He felt embarrassed to take too much.

“Take them. I made plenty—there’s more than enough.” Gu Qinghuan lifted the pot lid to show him. There were indeed plenty, with more on the table waiting to be heated.

“Well, I’ll shamelessly accept, then.”

Lin Muyang was a bit embarrassed. Dabao and Beibei eyed this uncle curiously, but he didn’t have any candy or treats to give them, which made things a bit awkward. He made a mental note to bring some candy next time.

He was also a little curious. This new Teacher Gu looked so young—he remembered her employment form said she was just in her early twenties. Yet she already had two kids this big? Strange.

After Lin Muyang left, Gu Qinghuan brought two meat buns and two mantou to Lin Xiaomeng, then reheated three meat buns and three mantou for herself and the kids—their lunch for the day.

There were still three mantou and three buns left on the table for dinner. Luckily, she’d brought enough in the morning.

With some spicy pickled cabbage and cold rabbit, the three of them finished lunch. The kids were never picky—they ate whatever was available, a habit from their tough past. But the food at home wasn’t bad either.

Gu Qinghuan took the chance to check the kids’ morning writing practice, had them recite two poems, assigned their afternoon homework, and sent them off for a nap.

She set an alarm for herself, planning to take a short rest too—otherwise, she’d have no energy for the afternoon.

After her nap, Lin Xiaomeng asked if she wanted to apply for a vegetable plot from the school’s logistics office—a benefit for teachers, as Lin Xiaomeng had learned from Chen Fang.

Teachers with families usually applied for a plot to grow their own vegetables. Otherwise, buying vegetables all year round wouldn’t be enough.

Gu Qinghuan marveled at how sociable Lin Xiaomeng was—she’d only been here half a day and already blended into the teaching staff, picking up on all the ins and outs.

But Gu Qinghuan really didn’t have time to go, since she had to work that afternoon.

Lin Xiaomeng could only go by herself.

Gu Qinghuan planned to go later. This kind of benefit was definitely worth having—it would be a good cover, since with her spiritual spring, anything she grew would be excellent."

"Chapter 253: Safety Awareness

The class registering in the afternoon still had a few children who wanted to pay on credit, but Gu Qinghuan was already able to handle it calmly.

Lin Muyang said that every semester there were always some kids like this—he was long used to it. Some of them truly came from struggling families.

Take Wang Qingchuan from this morning, for example. He only had a mother at home, no father. His mother worked hard just to scrape by—they were genuinely poor. But this child was also genuinely hardworking in his studies.

Then there were other children whose parents simply didn’t want to pay the fees, always trying to delay it for as long as possible. The kids themselves couldn’t make the decisions, but they wanted to go to school, so they could only ask to pay later.

The school tacitly allowed this as long as the fees were made up by the end of the semester.

As a teacher, the best way Lin Muyang could respect these children was to pretend he didn’t know about their situation and treat everyone equally.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but see this seemingly ordinary Teacher Lin in a new light.

If he had been born decades later, he would definitely have become a great educator.

Many of his ideas and perspectives were actually very progressive for this era.

Great people are great because they stick to the path they believe is right, discover new ways forward, and don’t simply follow the crowd or insist on being like everyone else.

Gu Qinghuan felt that if Teacher Lin hadn’t been born in this era, he would have achieved something truly remarkable.

Of course, he was already very good as he was, but his abilities and vision were still out of proportion to his current circumstances—he could be even better.

What she didn’t know was that her own words and actions were just as impressive to others. Although Lin Muyang hadn’t known her long, he could tell from her behavior that her thinking was highly in tune with his own. Especially when it came to education, she seemed to shine from within.

Regardless of gender or status, they both had rich and beautiful inner worlds, like the legendary friendship of Bo Ya and Ziqi—meeting each other and wishing they’d met sooner.

When the two of them walked home after work, they chatted and laughed the whole way.

Gu Qinghuan’s first day at work had gone very well.

By the time she got home, the two children had already made a pot of cornmeal porridge. Since Lin Xiaomeng was home that afternoon, she hadn’t locked them in.

The two kids were so sensible it was praiseworthy. Even Lin Xiaomeng glanced at them, then at her own clueless son, and couldn’t help but say, “When you compare goods, some just have to be thrown away.”

It felt great to come home to a ready meal, but Gu Qinghuan still made sure to remind them about safety.

“When you’re using the stove, you must stay close and be careful not to start a fire. More importantly, don’t burn yourselves.

You’re both still young, so it’s fine to make simple porridge, noodles, boil dumplings, or heat up food.

But if there are no adults at home, don’t touch oil, don’t stir-fry, and don’t try anything beyond your abilities. This is no joke.

Mom can eat later, or even skip a meal, but I can’t bear to see you get hurt.”

When Gu Qinghuan was little, she had a classmate whose whole face was scalded by hot oil. He looked like a monster and was always teased by the other kids.

She often wondered how much it must have hurt at that moment.

Later, she learned it happened because his parents hadn’t been careful while cooking. They’d left a bowl of boiling oil on the edge of the stove, and the little boy tried to grab it. The whole bowl spilled onto his face.

That bowl of hot oil nearly ruined his life—he suffered all kinds of physical and emotional pain.

Ever since then, Gu Qinghuan had paid special attention to these issues.

Whenever she cooked or used oil with the two kids around, she never let them near the stove, just in case she got distracted and they got hurt.

Raising a child safely takes more than just this—every aspect needs attention. Being a parent is a huge responsibility!

The two kids had heard her say this many times and knew she took safety very seriously.

Dabao immediately promised, “Mom, I know. I won’t try to act tough, and I’ll keep an eye on my sister.”

“Mom, I’ll be good too,” Beibei quickly chimed in with a sweet smile.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but laugh at her adorable little face and pinched her cheek—she was just too cute.

After dinner, it was still early. Lin Xiaomeng took her to Uncle Wang from logistics to apply for a plot of land for a vegetable garden. Lin Xiaomeng’s own plot had already been assigned—a tenth of a mu, not big, but enough.

Since they were bothering Uncle Wang outside of work hours, Gu Qinghuan had thoughtfully brought a handful of fruit candies.

Uncle Wang, seeing the candies, carried his rice bowl and enthusiastically took her to look at the plots, chatting as he ate. There wasn’t much choice.

The plots were all next to each other, all uncultivated wasteland that needed to be cleared before planting.

Gu Qinghuan chose the plot right next to Lin Xiaomeng’s. A tenth of a mu was just enough for some garlic, scallions, and a few seasonal vegetables—plenty for a small family.

Gu Qinghuan never planned to rely on this for a living, so she didn’t mind. It was just an excuse to regularly bring out fresh vegetables and fruits.

With spring coming, it would soon be time to plant.

On the way back, it wasn’t dark yet. At the entrance to the staff dormitory, a few teachers and family members were chatting in small groups.

When they saw Gu Qinghuan and Lin Xiaomeng approach, they all greeted them.

“Oh, it’s the new Teacher Gu and Teacher Lin?”

“Look at these two, so young and fresh-faced, yet they already have such big kids!”

“That’s right. If you two weren’t married, the young men at our school would be in luck!”

“Especially Teacher Fang—haha! He loves your type the most.”

…

Everyone joked back and forth.

Gu Qinghuan frowned slightly in displeasure—she didn’t like being teased about such things.

But since they were just joking, she couldn’t snap at them like she did with Wan Rong. She just pretended not to hear, replied politely, and left.

Lin Xiaomeng was uncomfortable too.

“These old women are no different from the villagers—nothing better to do than gossip about others. No class at all!”

Gu Qinghuan nodded. “Exactly. No matter where or when, people’s character is always mixed. All we can do is stick to our own principles.”

“Yeah, stick to our own principles.” Lin Xiaomeng was deeply moved by those words.

If she’d stuck to her own principles back then, maybe things would have turned out better.

But maybe now is the best time—she cherished her current life.

That morning, Gu Qinghuan had already asked Lin Xiaomeng to register the two kids for school. Both were starting first grade, and the tuition was cheaper than for higher grades—just four yuan for both.

Beibei was a bit younger, but she already knew enough to start first grade and didn’t need to go to kindergarten.

Dabao was progressing quickly—first-grade material might not even challenge him anymore.

Gu Qinghuan planned to let him try it out first, and if it really wasn’t suitable, she’d consider moving him up a grade."

"Chapter 254: On Raising Children