Chapter 57

After enjoying the 100-percent meal, the entire family wore the new crafted by Li Yufeng. The three cubs carried their new schoolbags, while Su Xiaoxiao embraced Xiao Doubao and held his small blackboard. Facing the rising sun, they happily set off for school.

The dignified family of four greeted the gatekeeper in unison. The gatekeeper looked directly at them and asked, “Good morning, Teacher Su. Are all these beautiful children members of your family?”

Su Xiaoxiao’s eyebrows and eyes arched, and she raised a small pear-shaped dimple as she replied, “Yes, they are all Han Cheng’s and my children. We’ll head to class first.”

The gatekeeper said, “Okay, have a great day!”

Su Xiaoxiao: “Thank you, sir.”

The first class of the first-grade day is Su Xiaoxiao’s Chinese class. She instructed Zhuzi to bring Fantuan back to the classroom for morning reading while she went to the office to prepare.

Xiao Doubao felt a bit afraid upon seeing so many unfamiliar faces. He tightly clutched the small backpack his grandmother had crafted for him, blinked his big eyes, and timidly observed everything new around him.

Sensing his nervousness, Su Xiaoxiao gently rubbed the little cub’s head and reassured him, saying, “Xiao Doubao, there’s no need to be afraid. Mom will always be by your side, and these brothers and sisters are all kind-hearted. They won’t bully or bother you. If you ever feel scared, just look at Mom, alright?”

Xiao Doubao loosened his grip on the backpack and embraced Su Xiaoxiao’s neck, rubbing his face against it.

Su Xiaoxiao rested her head on the little cub’s shoulder and gently rubbed his face, and said: “My good baby is very obedient.

Su Xiaoxiao first went to see Director Liu, and after reporting, she directly returned to the office.

Many teachers arrived early in the office, so it wasn’t unusual for them to see Xiao Doubao. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for families to bring their children to work, even though many households have grandparents taking care of the kids. After exchanging greetings, everyone went about their own tasks.

Su Xiaoxiao had prepared her lesson plan early in the morning, and she had already taught Fantuan and Zhuzi at home. Taking into account the current progress of the first-grade class, it was fine to continue at the same pace as before. If some students lacked a solid foundation, she would incorporate daily reviews of previous lessons. This issue was not significant.

Seeing that it was almost time, Su Xiaoxiao lifted Xiao Doubao and made her way toward the exit.

Teacher Chen in the office intended to stop Su Xiaoxiao, but Teacher Mo, who was standing beside her, discreetly gave her a wink.

After Su Xiaoxiao exited the office, Teacher Mo whispered, “Don’t mess with her. Teacher Cheng was taken down by her. Don’t let her cute appearance fool you. She’s formidable.”

Teacher Chen, in her forties with her youngest child having already graduated from high school and joined the military, occasionally brings her eldest son’s children to class. She said without any malice: “I have no intentions of provoking her. I only have classes during the third period. I was thinking of asking her if she’d like me to take care of her child for a while.”

Teacher Mo is in her thirties and usually has a good relationship with Cheng Lifang.

Teacher Mo: “I suggest you keep your distance from her. You might be the next one to get screwed over by her.”

Teacher Chen is very friendly and has a very peaceful attitude. She is only waiting to retire and take care of her grandchildren in a few years. Actually, she doesn’t like Cheng Lifang’s attitude. She rarely talks sharply but said: “Don’t compare me to Cheng Lifang. We are not the same person.”

Teacher Mo was taken aback and said, “I didn’t mean that.”

……….

On the way to the classroom, Su Xiaoxiao patiently said to Xiao Doubao, “Baby, Mom told you before that I was going to give lectures to your brothers and sisters in class. You can sit at the back and listen to Mom’s lectures with your brothers and sisters, okay?”

The classroom is filled with unfamiliar faces, and Xiao Doubao is still a bit scared. He pursed his lips and tightens his grip around his mother’s neck, unwilling to let go.

Su Xiaoxiao pointed to the stage in one of the classrooms and comforted him, “Xiao Doubao, don’t be afraid. Mom is standing in front of that blackboard. Just sit down and watch Mom, okay?”
Xiao Doubao still pursed his lips without speaking.

Su Xiaoxiao then said, “Brother Fantuan and Brother Zhuzi are also there. Is it okay if Mom arranges for Xiao Doubao to sit between Brother Zhuzi and Brother Fantuan?”

Xiao Doubao reluctantly nodded.

“You’re so great.” Su Xiaoxiao rubbed the child’s head.

In the classroom, dozens of six- and seven-year-old children with carrot-like heads held up their textbooks, shaking their heads and reading aloud. Some of them were still dozing off. Xiao Fantuan was reading very vigorously under the leadership of Xiao Zhuzi, and it seemed like his voice could be heard outside the classroom.

Su Xiaoxiao arrived at just the right time. As she entered, the class bell rang. The little carrot heads became excited upon hearing the sound and rushed out, some curiously leaning by the window to catch a glimpse of Su Xiaoxiao and Xiao Doubao. They were extremely surprised to see them entering their own classroom.

Director Liu had been teaching Chinese for a few days and informed the students that a new Chinese teacher would be joining them soon. Is she the new Chinese teacher?

Xiao Zhuzi used to have a deskmate, but a male classmate was sitting alone in the corner of the last row. Xiao Zhuzi went to discuss it with him, saying that he would bring his younger brother to class later. He asked if he could sit at the front, while he and Fantuan would sit at the back.

Usually, it is the older brothers and sisters in higher grades who bring their younger siblings to class, and it is not common for a first-grade student to bring their younger sibling.

However, the male classmate found sitting alone to be boring, so he readily agreed to Xiao Zhuzi’s suggestion.

Su Xiaoxiao had just walked to the door when Xiao Zhuzi and Xiao Fantuan ran out to welcome them.

Xiao Zhuzi reached out to embrace Xiao Doubao.

Xiao Doubao is usually very happy when hugged by Xiao Zhuzi, but today he feels a bit unhappy and refuses to let go of his mother’s neck.

Su Xiaoxiao gently patted the little cub’s back and said to the two older cubs, “Lead the way.”

Fantuan pinched his younger brother’s calf and said, “Xiao Doubao, don’t be afraid, Brother is here.”

Then he hopped ahead and led the way, “Mom, it’s fun to read together with my classmates.”

“As long as Fantuan likes it.” Su Xiaoxiao said.

Fantuan has shown strong adaptability in the past, which reassured Su Xiaoxiao. However, Xiao Doubao, who is typically good at adapting, seems to be struggling. When Li Yufeng and Xiao Bao arrived, Xiao Doubao quickly grew fond of them, and he can easily adapt to different environments such as markets and the seaside. However, the school environment may have triggered his fear, as it reminds him of past experiences with children the same age as Tiedan and Tieniu who used to bully him. Perhaps the underlying fear in his subconscious has resurfaced, which is why he was this uneasy.

Su Xiaoxiao, who originally thought it would be okay to take Xiao Doubao to class, now feels a bit uneasy. It would be quite troublesome to hold him in class later on.

Fortunately, Zhuzi and Fantuan were seated in the farthest corner, and there was no one behind the last row. The desks and chairs were long benches designed for two people. Su Xiaoxiao positioned Xiao Doubao at the center and had Fantuan sit beside him. She took out the small blackboard she had brought from home and placed it on his lap, saying, “Xiao Doubao, do you still remember the Zhou, Fen, Mian, and Fan drawing that Mom taught you how to draw? Mom wants to see them again. Can you draw one for Mom?”

The desk being too high for Xiao Doubao to reach is an issue that Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t considered. The drawing board can only be placed on Xiao Doubao’s lap.

‘Keeping his head down for a long time is definitely not good for his cervical spine.’ Su Xiaoxiao thought about asking Han Cheng if he could make a children’s chair or something similar for Xiao Doubao when she returns home.

It’s possible that the walls in the corner provided Xiao Doubao with a sense of security, and having his two brothers and mother nearby made him feel less nervous. Xiao Doubao obediently nodded and said, “Okay~”

Su Xiaoxiao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She rubbed the heads of the two cubs and said, “Before moving the stool, make sure to put down your younger brother first, otherwise, he might fall. Take care of your younger brother, okay?”

Fantuan and Zhuzi nodded and said, “Okay.”

The class bell rang, and the students returned one after another. Su Xiaoxiao walked to the stage with the lesson plan.

The rudimentary and dilapidated classroom is filled with innocent faces and clear eyes, radiating a thirst for knowledge and a longing for the future. These children are the hope and future of their country. The pillars of their country. The sense of pride and responsibility that she has never experienced before is born.

Su Xiaoxiao turned around and wrote her name on the blackboard, then turned around. Director Liu and several school leaders sat at the back with chairs and tea cups at some point.

The class monitor stood up and all the students stood up: “Hello, teacher!”

Su Xiaoxiao rested her hands on the lectern, displaying a confident and sincere smile as she nodded and said, “Hello, students. Please take your seats.”

As the students sat down, Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, “My name is Su Xiaoxiao, your new Chinese teacher. My mother told me that because I loved to laugh when I was a child, my father named me Xiaoxiao in the hope that I would be happy every day. Su is ranked 44th among the hundred surnames. It’s the character “苏” (sū) formed under the radical “草” (cǎo). and in the traditional form, it should be written like this “苏”

Su Xiaoxiao turned around and wrote the traditional character “Su” on the blackboard. “It has the radical ‘草’ (cǎo) on top, with a fish and a bundle of rice straw (禾) below. This combination holds a special meaning. Do you know that long, long ago, when people caught a fish, they would secure it by threading a bundle of rice straw through its gills and carrying it home? The fish would still be alive during this time. When they arrived home and put the fish back into the water, it would miraculously come back to life. Therefore, the surname ‘苏’ (sū) of Teacher Su can also form a word called ‘苏醒’ (sūxǐng), which means to revive, just like the fish coming back to life…”

Originally just a simple name introduction, Su Xiaoxiao turned it into an engaging story, extending various knowledge points. Although some of these points may be a bit deep for first-grade children, Su Xiaoxiao’s gentle voice, along with her appropriate body language, made the classroom lively and interesting. The students immediately became attentive and engaged in the lesson.

Not to mention the three cubs in the family, also listen to Su Xiaoxiao’s bedtime stories almost every day before going to bed. Even Xiao Doubao, who had stopped writing and drawing, blinked his big round eyes, attentively listening to his mother’s lecture. As Su Xiaoxiao looked at him, Xiao Doubao squinted and flashed a smile.

The students have never seen such a teacher before. After a class, they all deeply fell in love with this gentle, beautiful, and lively Chinese language teacher.

Director Liu and the leaders who followed the audience all gave Su Xiaoxiao a thumbs up and left with great satisfaction.

After the class, Su Xiaoxiao instructed Fantuan and Zhuzi to attend the next class obediently and not to dig earthworms during lunchtime. She told them to go home after class and wait until the afternoon to dig earthworms.

The cubs naturally agreed.

Su Xiaoxiao picked up the cute cub and kissed Xiao Doubao, saying, “Xiao Doubao is very good. Your brothers need to continue their classes. Xiao Doubao and Mom are going home, and we will come again early tomorrow morning.”

Xiao Doubao smiled shyly and nodded, “Okay

After a class, Xiao Doubao adapted a lot and knew that this place was also safe, so he became less afraid. He waved goodbye to his brothers and happily hugged his mother’s neck to go home.

The students all said ‘Goodbye, Teacher Su’.

As soon as Su Xiaoxiao left, the children gathered around Fantuan and Zhuzi and asked about their relationship with Teacher Su, their names, and so on.

Fantuan looked proud and said, “My nickname is Fantuan, my real name is Han Jing, and Teacher Su is my mother.”

Zhuzi used to be silent in class, and no one would talk to him. Only a few people remember his name. Now, with a proud expression like Fantuan, he says, “My nickname is Zhuzi, my name is Zhang Zhu, and Teacher Su is my Aunt Su.”

One student noticed Zhuzi’s new clothes and schoolbag: “Wow, Zhuzi, your clothes, and schoolbag are the same as Fantuan’s. I have never seen you wear such beautiful clothes, and your schoolbag is also beautiful.”

Fantuan hugged Zhuzi’s neck and said, “Of course, we are brothers, and naturally, we need to share the same things.”

Classmate: “Liar, your surname is Han, and Zhuzi’s surname is Zhang. How can you be brothers?”

Fantuan hugged Zhuzi’s neck and walked out, holding a shuttlecock and throwing it in his hand: “You’re lying. Puppy, we’re closer than real brothers. Come on, let’s go play shuttlecock.”

That’s right, Fantuan also brought over the shuttlecock at home in the morning, in order to have fun during break time.

Classmate: “Wow, what a beautiful shuttlecock! I want to join too!”

“Me too!”

“I want to join!”

……..

The classmate with the most complex and gloomy mood is probably Dashu. The Chinese class was originally taught by his mother. However, due to Fantuan’s mother, Dashu’s own mother was ‘demoted’ to boiling water in the kitchen. Dashu initially intended to cause trouble in class but ended up forgetting about it while listening to the lesson. He even enjoyed listening to Teacher Su so much that he forgot about his own mother. Can you imagine how gloomy he must feel?

…….

T/N: New Chapter tomorrow!

Thank you, everyone, and I hope you all had a great day~ (✿◡‿◡)