Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Workday Routine

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

“Is something wrong?”

Lin Muyang cleared his throat and said, “This morning, Teacher Wan went to the office to complain, saying you bullied her. I happened to overhear it. At first, I thought, ‘Teacher Gu just arrived and already offended a colleague—she must be one of those rigid, inflexible types.’ But I didn’t expect you to know how to say nice things too. Haha.”

Gu Qinghuan blushed at his words. What’s wrong with buttering someone up, anyway!

But that Wan Rong really is incorrigible. Let her be—if you’re upright, you don’t fear a crooked shadow.

“Mr. Lin, I think you’re mistaken. I only say nice things to genuinely good people. As for those pesky flies, I don’t waste my breath—I just swat them.” Gu Qinghuan said, hinting at something.

Lin Muyang found this even more amusing.

“Haha, ‘flies’—that’s a good one. In this school, you’re probably the only one bold enough to describe Teacher Wan that way. But great minds think alike.”

He meant that he felt the same way—he also thought Wan Rong was like a fly.

Looks like Wan Rong has caused him plenty of trouble too.

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

The two of them felt closer without even realizing it.

“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, so he 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 and we can eat. If you don’t mind, Mr. Lin, come by after you get your food and I’ll give you 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 her dorm.

Lin Xiaomeng was already back, but since she didn’t have the key to Gu Qinghuan’s 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 home.

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

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

“Good girl, Bei Bei. You must be hungry. I’ll heat up the buns for you, and you can eat soon.”

Gu Qinghuan put the buns and steamed bread in the pot to heat, but suddenly realized she was out of firewood. There were only a few kindling sticks left from before, so she secretly pulled some more from her space and put them in the stove.

She’d thought of everything except firewood. Luckily, she still had some kindling Huai’an had chopped earlier in her space. She’d make do for now and find a way to get more firewood later, so as not to arouse suspicion.

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

“There were a bunch of older kids selling firewood at the school gate—five cents a bundle, pretty cheap. I figured you’d need some, so I bought you a bundle too. Use this for now. If it’s not enough, we can buy more. We won’t need much anyway. According to Sister Fang, these kids are all from nearby villages and often bring firewood to sell. It’s not expensive, and it’s a hassle to haul firewood all the way from Xujiatun, so let’s just buy it here and help the kids out.”

“Thanks, Sister-in-law. I was just short on firewood, and you brought some over. I’ll give you the money in a bit!”

“No need. It’s just five cents—don’t bother. What are you making? I smell buns!”

Lin Xiaomeng’s nose was sharp!

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

“That’s great! I’m getting a deal—five cents can’t buy meat buns anywhere else.” Lin Xiaomeng grinned, then suddenly leaned in and whispered, “I heard Mr. 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? Mr. Lin is very nice. Don’t worry, I’m fine!”

With so many people around, there are always 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, witty and personable in private. Just right.

“That’s good, then!”

Not long after Lin Xiaomeng left, Lin Muyang showed up with his lunchbox. The cafeteria was serving shredded potato with pork and stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, but there was barely any pork to be seen.

The staple was dark wheat bread, but since Lin Muyang was getting buns from Gu Qinghuan, he skipped the bread and just got some vegetables.

Gu Qinghuan saw that he, a grown man, only had half a box of vegetables—definitely not enough—so she gave him two steamed buns and two meat buns.

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

She had two kids to feed—he couldn’t take too much.

“Take them. I have plenty in the pot—more than enough.” Gu Qinghuan lifted the lid to show him. There were indeed plenty, with more on the counter waiting to be heated.

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

Lin Muyang was a bit embarrassed. Da Bao and Bei Bei stared at him curiously, but he hadn’t brought any candy or treats for the kids, so it was a little awkward. He made a mental note to buy some fruit candies next time as a thank-you.

But he was also a bit 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 steamed buns to Lin Xiaomeng, then reheated three meat buns and three steamed buns for herself and the kids—their lunch for the day.

There were still three buns and three steamed buns left on the counter for dinner. Luckily, she’d brought plenty 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 hard times before. But the home-cooked food wasn’t bad either.

Gu Qinghuan took some time to check the kids’ morning alphabet practice, quizzed them on two ancient poems, assigned their afternoon homework, and sent them off for a nap.

She set an alarm for herself too, planning to take a short rest—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. This was a benefit for teachers, something Lin Xiaomeng had learned from Chen Fang.

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

Gu Qinghuan marveled at how sociable Lin Xiaomeng was. In just half a day, she’d already blended into the teaching staff and figured out how everything worked.

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

Lin Xiaomeng had no choice but to go by herself.

Gu Qinghuan planned to go later. She definitely wanted this benefit—a vegetable plot would be a perfect cover. After all, with her spiritual spring, anything she grew would be excellent."