“Sister Jiaojiao, your husband is really something—driving such a nice car!”
“No matter how nice it is, it’s still a company car. Once you make something of yourself in the future, you’ll be able to buy your own.”
“Heh heh, hopefully. Jiaojiao, the way you acted just now… um, maybe you should do that less. It’s not good if outsiders see it—it’s too attractive.”
Han Jiaojiao didn’t understand what was so attractive about playing dumb.
Did guys actually like people who seemed foolish?
She glanced at the wall clock—it was almost 2:30.
Today, school had morning classes as usual until 11:00, exams started at 1:00 PM, and students would be dismissed at 3:30.
Thinking of her little brother, she parted ways with Qiangzi and caught the 2:50 bus heading to the school.
Yuren Xiaoxue was the only elementary school in the county town, and in everyone’s eyes, it was a prestigious place.
But in Han Jiaojiao’s eyes, it was really run-down.
Red brick walls, a three-story building, and not even all the classrooms were in use.
The playground was all packed dirt—every step kicked up a face-full of choking dust.
By dismissal time, the school gate would be crowded with vendors.
It was only 3:40, and people selling vegetables from their home gardens, and others carrying a few turtles on poles, had already blocked the school entrance. There were more sellers than parents picking up kids.
Han Jiaojiao held a stick of candied hawthorns and waited in a small corner.
“A Fang!”
“Sis?”
Han Fang sprinted over and buried himself in Han Jiaojiao’s arms.
“Sis, why are you here? What’s this? For me?”
“Of course it’s for you. How was your day? Were you nervous? Scared?”
“Nope. You said I could do it, so I can! I did really well.”
It was Han Fang’s first time getting candied hawthorns. He saw the crystal-clear sugar coating the hawthorn berries—they were so pretty.
He couldn’t bear to eat it, so he carefully gave it a tiny lick with the tip of his tongue.
“Sweet! Sis, try it!”
“I just ran into your brother-in-law, and he bought one for me too. I already ate mine. This one’s for you.”
“Brother-in-law doesn’t want any?”
“He doesn’t like them. Eat up—once the sugar melts, it won’t taste as good.”
Han Fang took a big bite, tasting rock sugar hawthorns for the first time in his life. It felt like the top of his head had opened right up.
Seeing how much he liked it, Han Jiaojiao felt happy too.
She was just about to take Han Fang’s hand to go buy groceries and head home when a clear, gentle voice called out to her.
“You’re Han Jiaojiao?”
“You are…”
A man in a white shirt and crisp trousers walked over, holding books under his arm.
Han Jiaojiao looked at his fair skin and gold-rimmed glasses, and a name instantly surfaced in her mind.
Kang Qingyun!
She remembered that day—chasing after Kang Qingyun’s bicycle, shouting and yelling, running a full half a bus stop.
Then it started to rain, and she fell into the mud, hurt and humiliated, while people laughed at her.
But he didn’t even slow down. Instead, he pedaled faster.
Even if he thought she was a fool and didn’t want to be bothered, there was no need to be that cruel.
Just seeing him made Han Jiaojiao angry. Her opinion of Kang Qingyun dropped straight to rock bottom.
“You need something?”
Kang Qingyun had always known Han Jiaojiao liked him, but how could he ever like a married fool?
He used to avoid her at all costs, but just now, he caught a glimpse of her figure and thought it looked really nice.
There was a certain sharpness and charm about her. When he got a clear look at her face, he realized it was Han Jiaojiao.
“Nothing much. I saw you at the school gate and thought I’d say hello. Jiaojiao, how have you been?”
“Jiaojiao?”
Han Jiaojiao said coldly, her face full of disgust, “Do I even know you that well?”
“What?”
“I’m asking you, do I even know you that well? Why are you calling me Jiaojiao? That’s what only my friends and family can call me. Who do you think you are? Who gave you permission to call me that?”
He was taken aback by her retort.
He felt that Han Jiaojiao was different from before.
Not only was she dressed differently, but her attitude toward him had changed too.
Kang Qingyun recalled how Han Jiaojiao used to act like a lovestruck fool, chasing after him relentlessly, secretly sending him food and drinks, and even flowers.
Her current attitude made him feel a bit unaccustomed.
Maybe it was because he had left her by the roadside that day, and she was still angry about it.
Kang Qingyun thought that fools didn’t hold grudges, so he said with a bright smile, “You must have hurt yourself falling that day, right? You’re all better now, aren’t you?”
She had originally planned to exchange a few words and then go their separate ways, but hearing his teasing tone, Han Jiaojiao’s fiery temper exploded.
“So Teacher Kang knew I fell? I thought you were deaf.”
“Well… I think I heard the sound of someone falling, but since men and women should keep their distance, and you’re married now, I felt it was better to maintain some boundaries.”
Han Jiaojiao sneered, “Teacher Kang is absolutely right. We really should keep our distance. So please, unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t talk to me, and definitely don’t call me by my name. Even if it is necessary, don’t meet me alone. I don’t want my husband to misunderstand.”
Kang Qingyun couldn’t believe those words came from Han Jiaojiao.
In the past, her eyes would sparkle with stars the moment she saw him, and if he said even one more sentence, she would spin around in joy.
What was going on today?
He couldn’t figure it out: “Did Shen Junshan do something to you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve always hated Shen Junshan. He’s the type to be rigid, fierce, and domineering. It’s normal that you don’t like him. He must have threatened you, right? Although I don’t have any feelings for you in that way, helping the public is still my duty. If you need it, I’ll help you.”
Han Jiaojiao was utterly shocked by his arrogant, self-absorbed remarks, which defied all logic and reason.
She couldn’t understand where Kang Qingyun got the confidence to think that he, a teacher, could be more capable than Shen Junshan and could meddle in Shen Junshan’s family affairs.
She also couldn’t understand how he had concluded that Shen Junshan was threatening her.
Han Jiaojiao looked at him with the kind of gaze one would give a fool.
Kang Qingyun actually blushed.
“Jiaojiao, restrain yourself. It’s not appropriate to stare at me like that in public.”
“Teacher Kang, the fact that you can be a high school teacher proves that your intelligence is intact. So let me say this to you seriously, and please remember it, because I won’t repeat myself a second time.”
Han Jiaojiao took a deep breath and spoke word by word.
“My husband Shen Junshan has never forced me, nor has he ever threatened me. He holds me in the palm of his hand like a treasure, treating me better than my own parents. He is the best man in the world. As long as he doesn’t want a divorce, I will never leave him. And one more thing—he’s a hundred times more handsome than you. Even judging by looks alone, I would never choose you.”
Kang Qingyun’s double eyelids were deeper and larger than hers, as if they were surgically made.
He was more fair-skinned and delicate-looking than Teacher Tang, with a pretentious air and the sour stench of an intellectual. He was definitely from the capital, holding himself above the people of the county, with a hint of aloofness often showing in his eyes.
He enjoyed the privileges the county gave him while looking down on everyone else from the bottom of his heart.
This lowlife actually dares to compare himself to Shen Junshan.
Even Fish Leong wouldn’t give him that kind of courage!