Chapter 28: The 1990s Teacher Supporting Character Who Despises the Poor and Favors the Rich (5)

Fang Yuwei came out after washing a cup and found that Lin Yan had returned.

“Back so soon?” She handed the cup over. “Have some water.”

Lin Yan shook his head. “I’m not thirsty.”

Fang Yuwei didn’t insist and handed the cup to the boys instead. “Come on, drink some water.”

“I want water.”

“Me too.”

The two ran to Fang Yuwei, fighting to drink water.

Lin Yan watched this scene and felt as though a stone pressed down on his heart. Every time he coaxed the boys to drink water, he had to chase after them.

The kids were like him—trying to please her.

But why did she have to hit the children? They were still so little. They didn’t know anything.

Lin Yan knew Fang Yuwei didn’t want to see his mother, but the children were innocent. He had carefully checked their little hands and found no marks. She probably didn’t hit them hard.

“After drinking water, no more racing cars. Time to go to bed,” Fang Yuwei took the two inside to nap with them.

As soon as she got in bed, the two little ones followed her and refused to sleep on their small beds. They climbed to her side and wanted to lie in her arms.

“If you two sleep here, where will Dad sleep?” Fang Yuwei said while already hugging the soft and fragrant boys into her arms.

Such chubby and adorable sons—and she had two of them!

“Dad sleeps there!” Chaochao pointed to their small bed.

They slept with Mom on the big bed, and Dad would sleep on the small bed alone.

“How can Dad fit there?” Fang Yuwei coaxed them to go back to their small beds. She lay beside them, and Lin Yan would later sleep on her usual spot inside.

The two boys reluctantly climbed back, and when they saw Mom coming too, they were happy again. They clung to her, their voices soft and sticky, saying, “Mom hug, Mom hug—”

Looking at her milky-scented sons, with rosy, tender faces and white, chubby hands, Fang Yuwei glanced at Lin Yan walking into the bathroom and quickly patted both their cheeks.

Pinch.

Then pinch again.

So soft, smooth, and delicate.

She was so happy she could cry. How could children be this cute?

“Mom, you need to bite here.” Xiao Yangyang stretched out his little hand and pointed to the chubbier upper arm. “This part is soft.”

Fang Yuwei felt her son was truly thoughtful. She reached out to touch his little cheek, restraining herself from pinching it hard.

Inside the bathroom, Lin Yan felt terrible. His eyes darkened a little. In the end, he made up his mind and decided to go out and have a proper talk with Fang Yuwei.

Adult matters shouldn’t affect the children.

Lin Yan pressed his lips together and walked out. When he saw the scene on the bed, he froze in place, his expression briefly dazed.

Fang Yuwei was holding the younger son’s hand and gently biting it. She also reached out to touch his cheek, smiling with her eyes squinting into crescents.

“Mom, bite me,” Chaochao crawled toward Fang Yuwei, his little face full of urgency, pouting his rosy lips, holding out his little hand and urging, “I’m yummy, Mom bite me.”

Fang Yuwei let go of her younger son’s hand and pulled over her elder son’s. When she looked up and saw Lin Yan not far away, her face turned bright red in embarrassment like she had been caught doing something bad.

Her expression awkward, she let go of her older son’s hand and said, “Time for nap.”

“Mom, you haven’t bitten me yet.” Chaochao pouted, so anxious he was about to bounce on the bed.

Fang Yuwei was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. She could clearly feel Lin Yan’s gaze on her and hurriedly said, “Time to sleep.”

Dad is still here. Mom doesn’t want to lose face.

Xiao Chaochao suddenly burst into tears, big teardrops streaming down as he wailed in grievance and looked at Lin Yan, “Mom didn’t bite me—”

She only bit my little brother.

Fang Yuwei: “……”

In the end, she forced herself to endure the awkwardness and stiffly pulled over her eldest son’s hand, “Come, Mom will bite.”

Xiao Chaochao immediately stopped crying, tears still on his face, sniffling as he stretched out his chubby little hand and pointed to the fleshy part of his upper arm, speaking in a tearful voice, “Bite here.”

Fang Yuwei braced herself and gave it a light bite before quickly letting go, “Alright now? Time to sleep.”

The next second, Xiao Chaochao burst into loud cries again, sobbing as if his heart were breaking, tears falling like they were free, “That’s not how Mom bit just now. Mom didn’t slap my cheeks either. Wuwuwu—”

Fang Yuwei didn’t dare look at Lin Yan.

This is a disaster.

Even upstairs, Fu Xia heard the noise and looked toward Principal Wang, “Did Fang Yuwei hit the child?”

After Mother Lin came, did Fang Yuwei take out her anger on the children?

Fu Xia was the children’s kindergarten teacher. She usually looked after them quite a bit, and when she heard the child crying so pitifully, she couldn’t sit still.

“Don’t overthink and go meddling. What kid doesn’t cry?” Principal Wang knew what she was thinking and didn’t let her go down to stir things up.

Although Fu Xia didn’t go downstairs, she still felt uneasy hearing the children cry and couldn’t help but feel a growing disapproval of Fang Yuwei.

*

Fang Yuwei used a lot of effort to coax the aggrieved elder son and gave both of them a kiss before they finally calmed down.

After she lay down, Xiao Chaochao climbed into her arms again, his little eyes red and pitiful, “I want to hug Mom and sleep.”

Fang Yuwei reached out to hold him, gently patting his back.

“I want to hug Mom and sleep too.” Xiao Yangyang climbed over her and lay on her other side, also wrapping his arms around her with a satisfied expression. He then patted the bed on the other side, “Dad sleeps here!”

That way, he would be sleeping between Mom and Dad.

Lin Yan got on the bed and lay in the spot Fang Yuwei used to sleep in. Xiao Yangyang saw his Dad lie down and looked completely content.

Fang Yuwei had one child in each arm, gently patting their backs.

The two still wouldn’t sleep, saying something now and then. The other would quickly respond. After a few times of stopping them, they finally quieted down and went to sleep.

By the time the children were asleep, her arms were sore. She slowly pulled her hands back and whispered, “Just to sleep, they make such a fuss.”

Lin Yan looked at her and the children, his deep black eyes filled with infinite gentleness.

“By the way, should we go buy a camera and install it? We can’t just let her keep pocketing money like that right?” Fang Yuwei said to Lin Yan.

The “her” she spoke of was Wang Guihua.

That woman had worked in the store for years and probably developed an appetite for it. Judging by her bold actions and attitude, she even dared to take money in front of them. How brazen.

Lin Yan paused, “Cameras are expensive. One costs nearly two thousand.”

The breakfast shop is only busy in the morning. In the afternoon they just sell pastries and some milk tea or coffee. It is relatively easygoing. He pays each worker two hundred a month.

Two thousand yuan was nearly a whole year’s salary for one person.

Fang Yuwei thought about it and said, “Why not check in the provincial capital to see if there are any secondhand ones?”

This kind of equipment still relied on imports and was indeed expensive. A secondhand one would probably be much cheaper.

Lin Yan had not thought about that.

Fang Yuwei said, “Just relying on you to watch the store wastes a lot of time. And this Wang Guihua must be dealt with.”

“Mm.” Lin Yan nodded, “I know.”

Wang Guihua was competent. So long as she was not too outrageous, he turned a blind eye. The leftover buns and cakes, he would even let her take home to feed her chickens and ducks.

He had no choice. There was no one at home to watch the store.

Father Lin and Mother Lin were used to rural life. They were shy and not good at talking to people. They didn’t dare come to the store, and there was plenty of work to do at home too.

Besides, after they came to the city, food and housing became an issue. Lin Yan didn’t want Fang Yuwei and his parents to be too close, fearing it would lead to more conflict.

“You go ask around. If you can’t find anything, I’ll also ask around,” said Fang Yuwei.

Lin Yan thought she might go to Chen Man. He immediately said, “No need. I can handle it.”

“Alright then.”

Fang Yuwei didn’t say anything else and lay down to sleep.

After a short while, her steady breathing could be heard. Lin Yan turned his head and looked at her and the children. His gaze gradually softened. Remembering the scene from earlier, his expression was filled with warmth.

Evening.

Fang Yuwei let the children eat by themselves. After dinner, she took them to stroll around the playground. One big and two small walked onto the dirt track.

The two little ones ran with their short legs, sometimes hopping up and down. Their cute and clumsy movements made Fang Yuwei burst into laughter.

“Dad is coming.” Xiao Chaochao suddenly said.

Xiao Yangyang shouted loudly, “Dad!”

Fang Yuwei turned her head to look and saw Lin Yan walking toward them. The golden rays of the sunset cast a glow on him, making him appear especially gentle.

Lin Yan had always been patient with her and the children.

As far as she remembered, he had never lost his temper.

Fang Yuwei watched as Lin Yan came closer and then lowered her head, looking at her toes as she slowly walked back.

“Drink water.” Lin Yan handed each son a cup and then gave a pink cup to Fang Yuwei, “Drink some water.”

“Oh.” Fang Yuwei reached out and took the cup. Watching the two sons drinking water, her face inexplicably warmed.

“Mom, you have to take big sips. Drinking water helps you grow taller,” said Xiao Yangyang in a tender voice, eyes wide as he spoke seriously.

Fang Yuwei: “……”

Alright then, now she felt like she was a child too.

*

Lin Yan quickly contacted a vendor who sold second-hand cameras. The price was six hundred yuan. Compared to nearly two thousand, this price was acceptable.

The other party was efficient. He placed the camera on a long-distance truck, and by Sunday afternoon, it had arrived. Lin Yan even spent a good while studying it, planning to install it himself.

Fang Yuwei told him not to install it in a conspicuous place and said, “No need to tell them for now.”

Lin Yan understood her meaning. His sharp eyebrows raised slightly but he didn’t object.

After installing the camera, Fang Yuwei went to a print shop and printed out some pictures before returning.

On Monday, it was still morning Chinese reading.

Maybe because they had been caught last time, this time the students knew it was Chinese reading and didn’t dare to be late.

Even Yang Liyu, who was often late, arrived two minutes early.

He entered the classroom and saw Fang Yuwei was already there. She stood at the podium and said, “Everyone hand in your compositions first.”

She could mark them after morning reading and try to return them by the morning, because there were other assignments to grade too.

The students quickly opened their school bags and turned in their homework.

Yang Liyu looked through his bag and found it was not there. He searched a few more times, still didn’t find it, and remembered he had probably left it at home.

He lay on his desk and didn’t bother with it anymore.

The class bell rang. Fang Yuwei picked up the compositions that were handed in and counted them. She found one missing and asked, “Who didn’t turn theirs in?”

As soon as she spoke, the students below looked around.

No one dared to not turn in Chinese homework because Fang Yuwei would scold people. She would give no face in public and even make you stand as punishment or hit your palm.

No one answered.

Fang Yuwei thought she might have miscounted and counted again, “Still missing one person. Who hasn’t handed it in?”

The students looked at each other and whispered among themselves, but no one stood up.

Yang Liyu continued to lie on his desk with no reaction at all.

If she had the guts, she could call names one by one. He was ready to be scolded or made to stand.

“I’ll leave the compositions on the podium. Whoever hasn’t turned it in, hand it in by this afternoon. I’ll be grading tonight.” Fang Yuwei didn’t keep asking and instead opened the Chinese textbook, “Everyone turn to Unit Four.”

She took the lead in reading and the students followed along.

Yang Liyu looked at Fang Yuwei on the podium and slowly sat up, following the reading line by line.

The second period was also Chinese class. Fang Yuwei wrote the lesson title on the blackboard and then handed out pictures to each group.

Each group got four pages, all in color. The printed pages had images related to the lesson content, and the students could take turns looking at them.

Without a lively multimedia classroom, she could only try her best to make the class interesting.

This method worked quite well. The students listened better than before. After finishing the lesson, there was still a bit of time left, so she explained the post-lesson exercises and picked a few questions from the workbook to go over.

Fang Yuwei always worked efficiently and with a method. Though she spoke quickly, the students could understand. Occasionally, she would bring up interesting historical stories, making the class engaging instead of dull.

The students felt like Chinese class time passed faster and faster.

In the afternoon, Yang Liyu had originally planned to be the first to arrive at school, but his grandfather fell down. With no one to bring him, and home being far, he had to walk. By the time he arrived, class was about to start.

The classroom was packed with students. The composition hidden in his bag still hadn’t been taken out.

If he took it out now, everyone would know he hadn’t turned in his homework.

That would be too embarrassing. He couldn’t accept that.

But seeing class was about to begin, Yang Liyu started to feel uneasy. He continued to lie on the desk pretending to sleep.

Knock knock knock—

Someone tapped on his desk. Yang Liyu was annoyed and lifted his head angrily. Seeing it was Fang Yuwei, he couldn’t take back his expression and kept a stern face.

Fang Yuwei pretended not to notice his attitude. She looked at the podium and said, “After school, help the teacher with something. Bring the composition to the office and put it on my desk.”

Yang Liyu didn’t say anything.

“Did you hear me?” Fang Yuwei asked again.

“Yeah.” He answered reluctantly. Otherwise, how could he appear cool?

The boys in class followed him and admired that he dared to go against the teacher.

Yang Liyu had been ignored since he was young, so he really enjoyed being recognized like this.

Fang Yuwei didn’t seem to mind his attitude. She left just as the class teacher came in.

After school, Fang Yuwei waited for the students to leave before heading to the office.

Behind her, two little tails followed.

“Mom——”

“Mom wait for me——”

The two little ones followed behind Fang Yuwei. They were fine running on flat ground, but when they had to go up the steps to the school building, they struggled and had to climb one step at a time.

Seeing Fang Yuwei walk up easily in a few steps made them anxious.

“Run run run.” Fang Yuwei liked teasing them and jogged a little in place.

Xiao Chaochao got so anxious he almost stomped his foot. “Mom wait, wait——”

“Wuwuwu——” Xiao Yangyang scrunched his little face and fake-cried, patting the next step with his chubby little hands, his pudgy body trembling, “No no——”

Seeing Lin Yan’s miniature version get so anxious and emotional over such a small thing, even crying, Fang Yuwei was amused. Her eyes lit up with joy and she let out a soft laugh.

These two kids weren’t like their dad at all.

Lin Yan had very stable emotions. Even when she made him furious, he would just keep taking deep breaths.

After the two little ones climbed up, they forgot about being teased and ran next to her with big grins.

Fang Yuwei looked at their silly, smiling faces and thought, this part was just like Lin Yan. No matter how angry they were at her, they would quickly become gentle and patient again.

“Smile smile smile, stop copying your dad trying to coax me.” Fang Yuwei rubbed their little faces. “Trying to fool me?”

“Dad——” Xiao Yangyang suddenly called out toward the back.

Fang Yuwei thought he was repeating her words and gave his cheek a little pinch, snorting lightly, “Your dad used this trick to fool me back then. I had just graduated when I came back and married him. Ended up giving birth to two all at once!”

“Dad tricked Mom.” Xiao Chaochao’s clear eyes showed some confusion.

“Yes! Your dad tricked me!” Fang Yuwei said firmly. Before she finished speaking, she turned and saw Lin Yan standing at the bottom of the steps.

Fang Yuwei was instantly stunned.

She swore she was only joking.

Lin Yan’s eyes dimmed a little. After looking at her, he said nothing but, “The meal is ready. Let’s go back and eat.”

Fang Yuwei pointed toward the office, “I’m going to get the homework.”

After saying this, she quickly walked forward. Passing by the classroom, she saw two figures inside. Looking carefully, she asked, “Why are the two of you still not going home?”

It had been half an hour since school ended. Tian Yuxin and Chen Shuang were sitting together, head down, doing homework.

The two were not desk partners, but seemed to have a good relationship.

Hearing Fang Yuwei’s voice, they both looked back, suddenly nervous and at a loss. Tian Yuxin buried her head and said nothing. Chen Shuang quietly said, “Teacher, I live in the dormitary. Yuxin’s home is nearby, so she will go home later.”

Fang Yuwei understood, and sighed inwardly.

The boarding conditions in township schools were terrible. They lived in an unwanted small bungalow at the corner. The entire school’s boys and girls were separated into two dormitories, sleeping in large open rooms lined up side by side.

As for bathing, they had to fetch water from the public restroom and wash in the dorm. Meals were bought from the school’s small shop with a little money collected weekly. The food was poor, barely enough to fill their stomachs.

Fang Yuwei saw Tian Yuxin copying the analysis of the Chinese textbook, with dense notes all over the book. She remembered Tian Yuxin was an orphan living with her grandmother. Chen Shuang was a left-behind child, as was Yang Liyu.

There were few ways to make money in the village and town. Many people went out to work. Quite a few students in the class were left-behind children.

Fang Yuwei went to the office. A stack of homework books was neatly placed on her desk. She counted and found none missing.

When she came out again, Chen Shuang had already gone with senior students living in the dorm to the shop for food. Tian Yuxin was packing her books to go home.

Fang Yuwei handed Tian Yuxin a Chinese textbook analysis and said, “You don’t need to write so much in the textbook. This is what the teacher used last year. It’s all here. Next time go home earlier.”

Tian Yuxin felt a little lost when she saw Fang Yuwei. In her impression, this teacher could be strict sometimes. After seeing the analysis book, she was stunned and hesitated to take it.

Her parents died unexpectedly, leaving only her and her grandmother. The textbook was not cheap and her grandmother had no money.

“Go home early to eat.” Fang Yuwei put the book on the desk and turned to leave.

Tian Yuxin looked up and, mustering courage with a trembling voice, said to Fang Yuwei’s back, “Thank you, teacher.”

Fang Yuwei smiled, “No need to thank me. The teacher has many copies. Keeping them is no problem.”

Lin Yan came up with the children and just happened to see this scene. His eyes stirred slightly, and the corner of his mouth lifted.

“Mom—”

“Mom—”

The two kids saw her and ran over, hugging her legs, acting cute and wanting to be held.

Fang Yuwei couldn’t carry both, so she didn’t carry either and said, “Let Dad hold you. Dad will run while carrying you, Mom will chase after.”

The two little ones were successfully tricked, rushing to Lin Yan to be held.

Lin Yan held one in each arm, lifting them easily.

The two kids excitedly said, “Dad, run, run—”

Lin Yan quickened his pace. Fang Yuwei jogged a few steps ahead. The two kids immediately flailed their arms and legs in his arms, holding his neck and laughing loudly.

“You run so fast.” Fang Yuwei laughed.

The two kids laughed even more happily. Lin Yan’s eyes curved downward and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Tian Yuxin carefully put away the textbook analysis, carried her bag, and walked out of the classroom. She saw this warm scene and tightened the straps on her bag, her eyes showing envy.

Unfortunately, her parents had long since died.

They died in a car accident, and the culprit was never found.

*

Another busy week passed. Fang Yuwei gradually adapted to this early-to-bed, early-to-rise teaching life. The salary was a bit low but she had few expenses.

The camera had been installed for several days. Because the shed was high, no one had noticed.

On Friday, Fang Yuwei asked Lin Yan to check the footage. They didn’t realize anything until they checked. Then their faces both darkened.

Lin Yan did not immediately confront Wang Guihua. He probably weighed things in his heart. Unexpectedly, Fang Yuwei did not urge him for a solution.

On the weekend, Fang Yuwei and Lin Yan took the children to the breakfast shop every morning, staying for the whole morning. Sometimes in the afternoon, if there was nothing to do, she would bring the children there, just to have afternoon tea.

Because they went often, Fang Yuwei watched the kids while Lin Yan helped collect money.

Wang Guihua actually disliked this. She gave customers steamed buns and with a fake smile said to Lin Yan sarcastically, “I’m already busy, and you come here crowding around, I can’t even work properly.”

Lin Yan had not responded when Fang Yuwei turned back and said, “Aunt Wang, if you are not busy, go clean those tables.”

Wang Guihua’s work was always making buns and collecting money. Fang Yuwei asked her to clean. Of course, she refused, pulled a sour face and said stiffly, “I don’t do that.”

That was Li Cui’s job.

What did it have to do with her?

Fang Yuwei gave her a fake smile and snapped, “You came to work and still want to pick the job? Did they say you were hired just to do this full-time?”

Lin Yan had a good temper. Wang Guihua occasionally grumbled or said some angry words, and he usually ignored them. She did not expect Fang Yuwei to be so blunt with her. Feeling humiliated, she raised her voice, “Lin Yan is the one who hired me, not you. No one told me this.”

In other words, who do you think you are?

Fang Yuwei barely came here once every few years, then suddenly came for a few days to show authority. Could she leave the store just like that?

“That’s some big talk,” Fang Yuwei stood up. Seeing the children watching her, she didn’t argue with Wang Guihua. She said calmly, “Lin Yan hired you and he listens to me. I’m telling you now to do this work. Will you do it or not?”

Wang Guihua said, “If you want someone to do it, find someone else.” Saying that, she really took off her apron and threw it angrily onto a nearby table.

She was sure Lin Yan would not let her go.

Last time she said she wanted to go back and take care of her mother for a few days, Lin Yan had urged her to come back quickly, secretly even giving her several raises.

When she was free, she liked to complain to control Lin Yan, making it seem like the shop could not do without her.

Hearing Wang Guihua say this, Lin Yan’s sword-like brows furrowed, and his eyes showed rare displeasure and a hint of anger. Fang Yuwei decided to keep up her bad-tempered image and said to Wang Guihua, “If you cannot do the work, then there is no solution. We will find someone else.”

Wang Guihua did not expect Fang Yuwei would really fire her. This job’s pay was not low, and she could take home leftover buns and cakes, and any leftovers could be fed to the chickens and ducks.

In her panic, she still did not believe Fang Yuwei could actually dismiss her, so she gritted her teeth and said, “If you fire me, you have to pay me my wages, and it has to be double!”

Fang Yuwei was surprised that she even knew about double wages. That kind of pay was only a benefit in big cities or foreign companies nowadays.

Wang Guihua noticed the look on Fang Yuwei’s face, and Lin Yan said nothing. Thinking she had control over them again, she said, “I have long since not wanted to do this work. Give me the money and I will leave immediately!”

“See who else can you find!”

Lin Yan had told her many times before not to leave. What did Fang Yuwei know?

Fang Yuwei glanced sideways at Wang Guihua and said, “You will get the money. We will pay you double.”

Wang Guihua did not expect this turn of events. Before she could think further, Fang Yuwei spoke clearly, “But first, we need to calculate the money you stole.”