She didn’t bring all the saltpeter out in front of the students. Instead, she only used two ladle-shaped gourds she had cut earlier for the experiment.
Saltpeter couldn’t be eaten, so it had to be separated with containers. That way, the ice produced wouldn’t come into contact with the saltpeter.
“Wow, it turned into ice!”
“Whoa, it’s freezing my hands!”
Lin Qiuman sat in the center of the classroom while all the students formed a circle around her, watching with their own eyes how the saltpeter turned water into ice.
She observed the expressions on their faces—first surprise, then curiosity about science. At the beginning, they only wanted to eat the ice, but now they were more eager to understand the principle behind it.
Seeing this change in their expressions made Lin Qiuman feel very gratified.
She returned to her room, entered the space, and put the frozen ice pieces into a bucket before carrying them back to the classroom.
“There’s only a limited amount, so each person can only have one piece. But from now on, we’ll make it every afternoon.”
Each piece of ice had a wooden stick inserted into it—the sticks the students themselves had brought.
So what they tasted wasn’t only the coolness of the ice, but also the joy of participating in making it.
From that day on, whether they were the well-behaved students or the troublemakers, they all became little followers of Lin Qiuman.
Classroom discipline went without saying, and the enthusiasm for learning continued to rise.
“This girl really is capable,” the old village chief said.
He had just finished a meeting with the village cadres. Hearing both Geng Jun and Geng Yi speak highly of Lin Qiuman, he couldn’t help but come take a look himself.
“Teacher Lin even said this morning that if we build two more classrooms for the primary school, she could fill them with students,” Geng Yi said.
Before, he had doubted whether Lin Qiuman was exaggerating, but now it seemed her confidence came from genuine ability.
“Good. Then let’s build her two classrooms,” the village chief said. Afraid of disturbing her class, he walked away with Geng Yi while discussing the matter.
“Mao Hua hasn’t been going out much lately. Let’s ask him to take charge of building the school rooms and preparing the desks.”
…
Originally, Lin Qiuman didn’t want to assign homework, because families in this era were reluctant to use electricity at home.
But the students insisted on having homework so they could show their families their progress, so she finally assigned them a little task of copying new characters.
“Students, we’ll dismiss class on time today. Starting tomorrow, we’ll extend school by half an hour. You can stay here to finish your homework while I prepare lessons.”
“Teacher, can we start today?” Shen Zhichun raised his hand obediently.
“Teacher, I also want to finish my homework before going home.”
“Me too!”
Lin Qiuman smiled helplessly. “Alright, then sit properly and do your homework.”
Hearing some movement in the courtyard, Lin Qiuman signaled the students to keep studying and stepped outside.
When she saw the familiar figure standing in the slanting sunlight, she took a deep breath in excitement and said softly,
“Third Brother, why did you come?”
“Who’s your third brother? Just call me Shen Linghua,” Shen Linghua replied awkwardly, his ears slightly red.
He turned to glance at the half-withered vegetable seedlings nearby.
“The village chief asked me to coordinate with you. Where do you want the new classrooms built?”
Lin Qiuman noticed his awkwardness and smiled.
“Then I’ll thank you in advance, Third Brother.”
Shen Linghua pursed his lips and pointed.
“Leave this area for the school gate. Build one room on the east side and another on the south side. That way it’ll form a courtyard wall.”
“You’ve thought it through so well,” Lin Qiuman said. It was exactly what she had planned too. After all, living here alone without a courtyard wall really wouldn’t be safe.
“Mm.”
After saying that, Shen Linghua turned and walked away.
“Third Brother, if you don’t mind, I could cut your hair for you,” Lin Qiuman hurried after him and spoke softly.
“And your pant leg is torn—I just got some needle and thread.”
Seeing the look of fear on Shen Linghua’s face, as if he wanted to escape, Lin Qiuman quickly explained helplessly:
“Don’t misunderstand. You look a bit like my older brother. And since you’re helping build the school, it’s only right that I help you with something too.”
“Got it. I’m busy right now,” Shen Linghua said, waving his hand before quickly leaving.
Watching his stiff and awkward back as he left, Lin Qiuman felt that she might have pushed him too hard and made him wary of her.
After the students finished their homework and said goodbye, they chatted quietly while leaving.
Only Shen Lingkang and Shen Zhichun remained in the classroom, both lingering and unwilling to leave first.
“Shen Zhichun, why haven’t you gone home yet?” Lin Qiuman wanted to give Kang Kang some mulberries, but Shen Zhichun was in the way.
“Teacher, this is for you.”
Shen Zhichun grinned, his chubby eyes narrowing into slits.
Lin Qiuman glanced at the ration coupons clenched in his fat hands, and the smile on her face immediately froze.
“Student Shen Zhichun, did your family agree to you taking these coupons?”
“It’s fine. My mother took them from my third uncle anyway. She doesn’t even remember how many she has,” Shen Zhichun said generously.
“Teacher Lin, just take them.”
“Your mother came to see me at noon today, and we didn’t exactly part on good terms. If I take your coupons, she probably won’t just scold me next time—she’ll come beat me.”
Lin Qiuman spoke casually. Seeing the embarrassment on Shen Zhichun’s face, she continued,
“You should go home. Just because your mother made things difficult for me doesn’t mean I won’t like you anymore. Don’t worry.”
The more she spoke like this, the more uneasy Shen Zhichun felt.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he suddenly ran toward the Shen family’s house.
Shen Lingkang looked worriedly at Lin Qiuman and spoke timidly,
“My eldest sister-in-law is very fierce…”
Lin Qiuman turned and smiled at him.
“I’m not afraid of her. Want some mulberries?”
“I won’t eat any. I have to leave first.”
Shen Lingkang shook his head and ran off.
“I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Watch your step,” Lin Qiuman called helplessly, putting the mulberries back into her space.
Those were meant for Kang Kang—she couldn’t bear to eat them herself.
Thinking about the evening class where she would study high school material with the older students, Lin Qiuman used her free time to fetch a bucket of water, start a fire, and pretend to prepare dinner as a cover.
From the jewelry section on the first floor of her space, she found a silver hoop earring.
It was the most basic and traditional design—the kind grandmothers used to wear that later became fashionable again.
She rubbed it in the vegetable patch to coat it with yellow soil, then rinsed it with water. After it looked slightly worn, she wrapped it in a piece of paper.
The Liu family in the village was considered one of the most prosperous households. One daughter worked at the grain station, and a son worked at the Hongxing Manufacturing Factory in the city.
Lin Qiuman took the silver earring to the Liu family’s matriarch and exchanged it for some grain and cooking utensils.
“Teacher Lin, I’ll keep this silver earring for now. If you get paid later, you can come back and exchange it anytime,” Aunt Liu said.
She liked the silver earring and knew it was valuable. Lin Qiuman wouldn’t have traded it unless she truly had no other choice.
She only said that in case Lin Qiuman came back asking for it someday.
“Auntie, thank you. But I don’t even have pierced ears, so the earring is useless to me. Even when I start receiving my salary, there will still be many things I need to buy.”
Lin Qiuman politely declined her offer and left carrying a thermos, an iron pot, a basin, a cloth coupon, and two sets of bowls and chopsticks.
All of them were second-hand items…
Although she had some psychological discomfort about it, she could disinfect them in her space and make do with them for now.