“With grades like yours, you still want to go to school?!”
Before Liang Xiaoqing had even finished walking down the muddy path, she heard extremely harsh, grating curses echoing from behind the cover of the trees.
“Read my ass! The hell did I raise you for, to be a freeloader?!”
Liang Xiaoqing vaguely caught the sound of a woman’s sobs, accompanied by weak, pleading murmurs that lacked any real breath.
“Stop hitting her, stop hitting her, Jiang Dagao, you’re going to beat her to death!”
“Jiang Xu, Jiang Xu…”
This inexplicable commotion startled Liang Xiaoqing so much that she almost didn’t dare take another step forward.
It had rained just yesterday, and today the weather was overcast and shrouded in a thick mist. The mountain path was choked with mud; Liang Xiaoqing’s shoes were completely caked in muddy water, and the insides were soaked through and wet—uncomfortably soggy.
The branches of varying heights in the grove were heavy with rain. With every gentle gust of wind, the water droplets shook loose, showering Liang Xiaoqing’s face.
She wiped the moisture from her forehead and stood in place for a moment, her heart hammering against her ribs, deeply regretting her decision to come up the mountain for a home visit all by herself.
Qingzhong was the only school in the entire Shuiqing Township, encompassing elementary, middle, and high school. As a teacher at Qingzhong, home visits were standard routine. However, when it came to children who had dropped out, her job was to persuade their parents to let them return to school.
Clearly, this wasn’t an easy task.
The country was still in a developmental phase back then, and many children dropped out early in groups of threes and fives to work in other cities. Educational attainment hadn’t even reached the point where high school was universally accessible.
Liang Xiaoqing was arguably part of the best-credentialed batch of teachers at Qingzhong, having actually attended university. Of the students she had taught, quite a few had managed to test their way out of Shuiqing Township.
The more she saw this, the less she could bear watching students who were at the prime age for learning drop out and quit school over all sorts of reasons.
According to her name list this time, it was the turn of a student named Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu’s home was located up on a hillside. Because of extreme poverty, her family hadn’t moved down the slope yet. At first, Liang Xiaoqing thought visiting alone wouldn’t be a big deal, but now, seeing this kind of environment, she felt a bit scared.
After waiting in place for a moment without hearing any further movement, Liang Xiaoqing mustered up her courage and walked toward the dilapidated tile-roofed house hidden behind the trees. The area was completely surrounded by trees, and apart from Jiang Xu’s family, there were no other households nearby.
As Liang Xiaoqing drew closer, she spotted a young girl standing in the open courtyard. She was wearing an oversized blue cloth tunic and holding a rusted iron washbasin, seemingly feeding the chickens.
The rain was misty and dim, and Liang Xiaoqing wasn’t entirely sure, but as she got closer, she saw clearly that the girl was indeed feeding chickens. She thought to herself that this must be the little girl named Jiang Xu.
Glancing around, she saw only messy, muddy ground with no one else in sight. Liang Xiaoqing softly called out, “Jiang Xu.”
Hearing the voice, Jiang Xu turned her head as if startled. “Who are you?”
“I’m Liang Xiaoqing, a teacher at Qingzhong.” Seeing that the girl looked somewhat nervous, Liang Xiaoqing softened her tone as much as possible.
Jiang Xu’s face practically thrust itself directly into Liang Xiaoqing’s vision. Because she was excessively thin, with a sallow complexion and dry hair, her small frame—swimming inside her clothes—made her look nothing like a middle schooler.
Yet her eyes were exceptionally bright, embedded in that withered little face. On her left cheek was an extremely conspicuous slap mark, undoubtedly left by an adult just moments ago.
Liang Xiaoqing froze, the smile on her lips instantly stiffening.
Clatter!
The iron basin dropped to the ground, spilling all the rice bran inside. The surrounding chickens swarmed around to eat, while Jiang Xu backed away defensively.
Softening her voice even further, Liang Xiaoqing said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to see your parents. Is anyone home?”
As she spoke, she stepped through the muddy path toward Jiang Xu. But with numerous chickens clustering around her feet, she had to pause, lowering her head to wave gently at the girl: “Jiang Xu.”
She offered a small smile. “Come here, let me see what’s wrong with your face.”
Although Jiang Xu wasn’t one of her own students, Liang Xiaoqing had paid special attention when the other teachers mentioned her in the office. The subject teacher had said that Jiang Xu was very bright and caught on instantly; if she kept studying, she would definitely make it to high school.
“Your face is all red. Does it hurt?”
“…”
Jiang Xu didn’t speak.
The woman spoke with great earnestness, her voice sounding gentle and patient. Relaxing just a fraction, Jiang Xu stared with wide, bright eyes at the pretty woman standing before her.
Her skin was fair like jade, and she wore a denim jacket and jeans, though her clothes were splattered all over with mud.
The continuous drizzle from the previous night had lingered into morning, and the air still held a damp chill. In Jiang Xu’s memory, almost nobody ever came to their house—let alone a teacher—and Jiang Xu knew for a fact that none of the teachers who taught her looked like this.
Yet, Jiang Xu suddenly remembered that she was a teacher at Qingzhong.
Even though Liang Xiaoqing wasn’t her teacher, she always heard this female teacher’s name mentioned among her classmates. Both female and male students liked her, saying she was a good teacher who had never been seen losing her temper.
Whenever the students discussed her, the girls would invariably cycle through complaining about every single subject teacher, except for Liang Xiaoqing, whom they universally praised as both beautiful and kind-hearted.
Jiang Xu’s ears had almost grown calluses from hearing it, yet she had never once participated in those conversations.
Right now, however, Liang Xiaoqing had actually come to her home. She had no idea how Liang Xiaoqing had found her house, and she was even more surprised that Liang Xiaoqing knew her name—or rather, she felt overwhelmingly flattered.
Because almost no one in class ever actively played with her, and even the teachers paid her little attention.
Looking at that warm, smiling face, Jiang Xu felt an innate sense of closeness and slowly walked toward Liang Xiaoqing.
“Teacher Liang,” she stammered, her voice timid as she tilted her head up slightly to look at Liang Xiaoqing, catching a faint, pleasant fragrance drifting from her.
“You woke up so early.” Liang Xiaoqing didn’t mind at all that Jiang Xu was covered in dirt. Seeing how thinly the girl was dressed, she took off her own thick coat and draped it over Jiang Xu’s shoulders.
She pulled the girl toward the eaves of the house. “It’s gotten colder these past few days. You need to dress warmer, you know.”
Stopping under the eaves, Liang Xiaoqing glanced into the dark, drafty doorway. “Are there any adults home?”
The tall and small figures stood beside the low rammed-earth wall. Water dripped from the tile eaves onto the stones on the ground below as Liang Xiaoqing lowered her head to look at Jiang Xu. Jiang Xu’s large eyes stared straight at her, her pupils sparkling wetly.
Only then did Liang Xiaoqing notice that Jiang Xu had exceptionally beautiful eyes.
“Yeah, Mom is feeding the pigs. Dad already went down to work in the fields.” Jiang Xu’s hand was still held within Liang Xiaoqing’s grasp. She sniffed. “After I finish feeding the chickens, I have to go work in the fields, too.”
Perhaps from the cold, Jiang Xu’s raspy voice trembled slightly. Every time she went on home visits to understand student situations and heard what they had to say, Liang Xiaoqing’s heart felt heavy.
She squatted down halfway and adjusted Jiang Xu’s jacket. “Then don’t you want to go to school? If you can keep studying, you’ll have a chance to go to university. Once you test your way out of Shuiqing Township, your parents won’t have to work this hard anymore either. Do you want to stay in Shuiqing Township doing farm work for the rest of your life? Besides, I heard Teacher Yang say your grades are pretty good. Getting into high school wouldn’t be hard for you at all.”
Teacher Yang Man was Jiang Xu’s homeroom teacher.
As she spoke, Liang Xiaoqing let out a sigh, her breath turning into a tiny puff of white mist. “Jiang Xu, you’re still so young. If you don’t go to school, what else are you going to do?”
In places where the economy wasn’t yet developed, getting an education was a luxury for some.
Jiang Xu didn’t seem to hear what Liang Xiaoqing was saying. She only saw Liang Xiaoqing’s lips parting and closing. Liang Xiaoqing had soft facial features—not strikingly gorgeous, but harmonious, giving off an overall comforting vibe. What was even more eye-catching was her ridiculously fair skin, which dazzled Jiang Xu’s eyes.
A natural flush radiated from within her full cheeks, complementing her creamy complexion.
Jiang Xu never expected that one day she could get this close to the “Teacher Liang” her classmates always talked about. The faint fragrance drifting over was about to make her dizzy—it came from Liang Xiaoqing, and it smelled wonderful.
Jiang Xu’s gaze dropped to her pink lips.
Liang Xiaoqing said earnestly, “Can you let me see your father or mother? I—”
“Teacher Liang, you’re over at our place again!”
Interrupting Liang Xiaoqing was a middle-aged woman with graying hair and dark, weathered skin. Looking closer, her facial features bore a resemblance to Jiang Xu’s. She walked out of the dark, gloomy doorway, her tone less than polite.
“Oh, Sister Wang.” Liang Xiaoqing broke into a wide, bright smile and hurried to stand up and reach out for a handshake.
Wang Cai, however, kept her guard up, pulling Jiang Xu back a step. “Teacher Liang, I made myself very clear when you came last time. Jiang Xu is not going to school! Her dad makes the calls for everything inside and outside this house. If her dad won’t spend the money, where are we supposed to get the cash to send her to school? Besides, her older brother needs money for school, too. How is it so easy to support two students?”
Before Liang Xiaoqing could speak, Wang Cai chimed in again, “Teacher Liang, I know you mean well, but you also have to consider the hardships we face as parents! The whole family is counting on her older brother to make something of himself.”
Jiang Xu had an older brother who was one of the few university students from Shuiqing Township to successfully test his way out over the past few years. For several days after the admission letter arrived, Jiang’s father had been grinning from ear to ear, setting out multiple tables of banquet food to invite the neighboring villagers to celebrate.
Undeterred by having her handshake ignored, Liang Xiaoqing kept a smiling face and said to Wang Cai, “Sister Wang, you can’t look at it that way! Look, if Jiang Xu also tests into university, your family will have two university students. It would bring immense honor to your ancestors! Plus, Jiang Xu is bright. I can guarantee that if she tests out, she won’t turn out any worse than your son!”
Wang Cai’s expression shifted subtly. Frowning in annoyance, she said, “Teacher Liang, stop talking! Don’t I know my own daughter? No matter how many times you come back, our attitude will stay the same. Teacher Liang, I advise you to stop poking your nose into other people’s business!”
Accustomed to farm labor, Wang Cai possessed considerable physical strength and practically shoved Liang Xiaoqing backward.
Jiang Xu hurriedly reached out to steady Liang Xiaoqing, only then belatedly realizing that this wasn’t the first time Liang Xiaoqing had come to their house.
“Sister Wang, just take my word for it, you won’t regret this! Jiang Xu really is a fine seedling…”
“…Oh!”
Jiang Xu failed to catch her in time. Distracted, Liang Xiaoqing lost her footing and tumbled right into the mud.
The rain started up again at that moment. As the droplets hit Liang Xiaoqing, they plastered her dark hair to her head, making her skin gleam with a radiant sheen under the moisture.
While trying to shield herself from the rain, Liang Xiaoqing continued trying to persuade them: “Sister Wang, listen to me…”
Seeing her in such a bedraggled state, Wang Cai ultimately sighed and pulled her up from the ground. “Teacher Liang, I’m sorry.”
“…Sister Wang, I know you also want what’s best for Jiang Xu,” Liang Xiaoqing said with her characteristic good temper, waving a hand dismissively. “As long as you let—”
“Teacher Liang, why torture yourself like this?” Wang Cai interrupted with a sigh. “At the end of the day, what does Jiang Xu have to do with you? Either way, it’s just this child’s fate. Even if you talk to me, I’m not the one who makes decisions in this household.”
With that, she cast a worried, helpless glance at the still-bewildered Jiang Xu standing nearby.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xu tilted her head slightly, staring intently at Liang Xiaoqing.
The rain fell in a steady, pattering drizzle, rustling like soft whispers. Liang Xiaoqing wiped the rainwater from her face and looked back at Jiang Xu’s dazed expression.
A strange warmth surged through Jiang Xu’s heart. Not wanting to see Liang Xiaoqing put on the spot any longer, she whispered, “Teacher Liang, the rain is getting heavier. You should head back.”
Liang Xiaoqing’s gaze flickered. She suddenly recalled how, during class, those few students who actually looked up to listen to her lectures all possessed bright, sparkling eyes shining with a deep thirst for knowledge.
An indescribable ache twisted in Liang Xiaoqing’s chest. She reached out and gently patted Jiang Xu’s head.
Jiang Xu blinked.
Yet Liang Xiaoqing refused to give up just like that.
This wasn’t her first time visiting Jiang Xu’s home, but it was her first time actually meeting Jiang Xu herself. Since Wang Cai couldn’t make the decisions, she would go find the person who could. She ended up trailing right behind Wang Cai all the way to the fields to find Jiang Xu’s father, Jiang Dagao.
She had practiced being thick-skinned often enough that she no longer felt any shame.
When they reached the fields, Jiang Dagao was busy stripping corn husks. Liang Xiaoqing walked alongside him the entire way, talking nonstop. But no matter what she said, Jiang Dagao stubbornly refused to let Jiang Xu continue her education.
They argued back and forth for a long time. Jiang Dagao had a notoriously bad temper, and fearing things might blow up, Wang Cai managed to calm Liang Xiaoqing down by the time evening began to fall.
Mountain roads were slick in the rainy weather, leaving Wang Cai with no choice but to invite Liang Xiaoqing to stay the night.
When Jiang Xu learned the news, she hurried home to start dinner early and even boiled a large pot of hot water, waiting to give Liang Xiaoqing a proper bath.
She had assumed Liang Xiaoqing wouldn’t be able to stay long, let alone spend the night at their house. Jiang Xu couldn’t quite put her feelings into words; she was simply overjoyed that Liang Xiaoqing would be staying a little longer.
She hadn’t been this happy in a very long time.
At school, Jiang Xu had often heard her classmates whisper that Teacher Liang always smelled wonderfully nice. The scent she caught today was exactly the same, which meant the teacher must be someone who kept herself immaculately clean. Yet today, she had been drenched by the rain, waded through the fields, and gotten covered in mud, making herself far too dirty.
During dinner, Liang Xiaoqing couldn’t help but tactlessly bring up the topic of schooling once more. Though Jiang Dagao managed to swallow his temper and avoid blowing up at the table, he began cursing at Jiang Xu as she cleared away the bowls, blaming her for attracting Liang Xiaoqing to their home in the first place. Not even Wang Cai dared to speak up in defense.
Jiang Xu simply kept her head down, standing there obediently to take the verbal lashings. Her dark eyes remained fixed on the flickering flames inside the indoor brazier, barely moving even when Jiang Dagao lashed out and kicked her to the ground, offering neither tears nor protests.
If she had dared to fight back, Jiang Dagao would only have beaten her harder.
Without warning, amid his continuous cursing, Jiang Dagao actually delivered a vicious kick straight to her chest.
Her first reaction wasn’t pain, but a suffocating tightness. Jiang Dagao’s kick had been lightning-fast, yet to Jiang Xu, the motion felt agonizingly slowed down while the impact was magnified tenfold. Sent sprawling to the ground, she felt a piercing, heart-wrenching pain ripple through her chest. Before she could even react, Jiang Dagao raised his foot, preparing to deliver a follow-up blow.
It hurts too much.
Jiang Xu wanted to dodge, but her body wouldn’t obey, and tears welled up instinctively. Her vision blurred into a hazy mess. Vaguely, she heard a sharp, rising cry of protest from a woman, followed by the sound of Wang Cai’s tearful sobbing.
She stayed still, but the anticipated second kick never landed. Someone gently lifted her up. She caught a faint, familiar fragrance, and the next moment, the woman pulled her tightly into her embrace—a warmth softer and more enveloping than anything she had ever known.
Struggling to open her eyes, she saw Liang Xiaoqing staring down at her with wide, terrified eyes, looking utterly panicked.
“Jiang Xu, does it hurt?”
Jiang Xu shook her head. Finally letting her tense body relax, she leaned trustingly into Liang Xiaoqing’s arms.
It’s a good thing Teacher Liang saved me today, she thought to herself.