“Teacher, my name is Shen Zhichun.”
After someone called him by his nickname, Shen Zhichun swung his fists threateningly at the two classmates who had said it. But when he stood up, he politely introduced himself.
He liked this new teacher very much—especially because she could make ice…
“Alright, you may sit down,” Lin Qiuman nodded. She put away the smile on her face and said seriously, “Among classmates, giving each other nicknames might seem like joking around, but in reality it’s very disrespectful.
“I hope that from now on, none of you will call others by nicknames. Be polite students.
“And fighting over school supplies, toys, or bullying younger classmates—those are behaviors I don’t like either.
“When we do experiments later, the equipment will be limited. I can only let the well-behaved and polite students try first…”
“When summer vacation comes, I’ll prepare award certificates. Not only will the top three receive them—students who usually behave well and help others will also receive ‘Outstanding Student’ certificates.”
Now that Lin Qiuman was a teacher, disciplining Shen Zhichun as an adult would be somewhat improper.
Matters between adults should be handled by adults. She would deal with Shen Lingkang’s two rude sisters-in-law herself.
As for Shen Zhichun, he needed to be educated properly from the root. If he refused to change after repeated teaching, then she wouldn’t mind being a little “improper.”
Shen Zhichun, whose name had been called, looked at the pencil in his hand and then guiltily glanced at Shen Lingkang. After hesitating for a moment, he tossed the pencil back in front of Shen Lingkang.
He wanted to be a good student and earn an award certificate. He couldn’t bully Shen Lingkang anymore…
Shen Lingkang clutched the returned pencil tightly in his hand, treating it like a precious treasure. Slowly raising his head, he carefully glanced at Lin Qiuman standing by the blackboard, pressed his lips together, and secretly smiled.
Morning classes ended. The students left the classroom with their schoolbags, chatting excitedly about what the certificates might look like.
“Students, when you come to school this afternoon, each of you bring a small stick that’s been washed—about the length of a palm. Don’t make it too thick,” Lin Qiuman reminded them.
“Teacher, what do we need sticks for?”
Lin Qiuman didn’t hide it. “When we make ice, we’ll stick them inside. That way each of you can hold your own ice block more easily.”
The students instantly erupted with excitement. They crowded around Lin Qiuman, asking questions nonstop. Only after a long while did they reluctantly disperse.
“Shen Lingkang, wait a moment before you leave.”
Lin Qiuman stopped Shen Lingkang, who was holding his exercise book and heading out. Seeing his hair—so long it looked like a hat—she really couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Teacher?” Shen Lingkang rubbed his nose with his sleeve and looked at her shyly.
“Wait for me a moment.”
Lin Qiuman went inside the room and took out a large gourd. She hurried to the farmhouse nearest to the primary school.
She exchanged the gourd for a needle and a spool of thread, borrowed a pair of scissors, and quickly returned.
“Sit here. I’ll trim your hair. It’s so hot—if your hair stays like this, you’ll get lice.”
“Cut… my hair?” Shen Lingkang touched his hair blankly, bit his lower lip, and couldn’t help smiling again.
Whenever his hair got long, it was always his third brother who casually cut it for him.
Teacher Lin was the first person besides his third brother to cut his hair…
Lin Qiuman moved a small stool from the classroom and draped a piece of coarse cloth over Shen Lingkang’s shoulders.
She dampened another cloth and wiped his hair.
Although she wasn’t a professional barber, she had worked at a barbershop in her previous life.
Holding the comb and scissors quite skillfully, she began cutting Shen Lingkang’s hair.
“Uh…”
Lin Qiuman swallowed nervously. Looking at the slightly slanted bangs, she smiled awkwardly. She had clearly measured it and cut along a straight line…
“It’s okay. I can fix it…”
She examined it from front, back, left, and right, then trimmed the hair shorter so the bangs could follow the shorter side.
The hairstyle she wanted was the kind where the hair at the temples was shaved short while the top remained a bit longer.
She ran back into the room and entered her space, retrieving the oldest kind of razor.
Electric tools would definitely be suspicious, but a razor could be explained as something she carried on the road while fleeing famine for self-defense.
Throughout the process, Shen Lingkang obediently kept his eyes closed without saying a single complaint.
Only when Lin Qiuman told him to open his eyes did he stand up shyly and shake the loose hair off.
“I don’t have a mirror here. You can check when you get home. I think it looks pretty good—very handsome,” Lin Qiuman said as she looked at him.
He was only a little dark from the sun. In winter, with this hairstyle, he would look even more handsome.
Shen Lingkang shook his head, feeling that his head was much lighter.
“Thank you, Teacher Lin.”
Lin Qiuman originally wanted to invite him to stay for a meal. But since she had just arrived and was already giving him special attention, people might gossip. So she simply smiled and waved goodbye.
“Teacher Lin, did you cut Kangkang’s hair?” Su Zhen’s mother walked over carrying a bundle of bean vines. Seeing Lin Qiuman cleaning up the hair on the ground, she asked curiously.
Lin Qiuman smiled a little embarrassedly. “His hair was really too long.”
“Teacher Lin, you’re really capable. When you have time, cut my grandson’s hair too—the same as Kangkang’s. It looks very handsome.” Su Zhen’s mother liked Lin Qiuman more and more and hoped her own daughter could be like her.
“Alright.”
Su Zhen’s mother hadn’t only brought bean vines—she also brought chili peppers, chives, and spinach seeds. Since she wanted Lin Qiuman to cut her grandson’s hair later, she warmly helped Lin Qiuman tidy up a small plot of land, sowing seeds while reminding her what to pay attention to.
After she left, Lin Qiuman locked herself in the room and entered her space. Using an electric cooker, she made a bowl of noodles with fried scallion oil.
When she noticed the display cabinet where she had taken the sesame pancakes yesterday, she counted the nine pancakes left inside and frowned.
“So once these things are used or eaten, they’re gone.”
Her mood instantly grew heavy. That meant these supplies were not endless…
“Then I’ll have to be more careful from now on. The good food should be saved for the two brothers to taste.”
Lin Qiuman sighed. Looking at the eggs in the cabinet, she ultimately couldn’t bear to add one to her noodles.
“This won’t work.”
She paced back and forth irritably before heading to the seven- or eight-story sky garden. The place was filled with flowers and decorative plants—good only for photos and viewing, with no practical use.
Since the area stayed warm in winter and cool in summer with constant temperature, she decided to transform it into a greenhouse for vegetables.
Then she took the elevator to the basement level two. Although cars were parked there, the space was huge and had plenty of unused areas—perfect for raising chickens and ducks.
That way, her daily supply of eggs and vegetables would be guaranteed.
Thinking of this, Lin Qiuman felt full of motivation.
After planning her future work, she used her student tablet to study with an online top teacher for a while.
She searched the internet for precautions when making ice with saltpeter, finished her noodles, and went to the stream at the foot of the mountain to look for saltpeter.
“Teacher Lin, I’m Kangkang’s eldest sister-in-law. I came to remind you of something—our third brother would never marry a wife like you!”