Chapter 23: Trial Lesson

The voice was familiar yet hesitant. Lin Qiao turned around and saw Ji Ze standing not far away with his collar open, his military cap tucked under his epaulet, and his hands in his pockets. He was standing by the counter for tobacco, alcohol, and tea, holding a pack of cigarettes and some change. He must have come to buy cigarettes.

Perhaps because of Ye Minshu, this nephew always seemed uneasy around her. He was usually busy and visited the old house less frequently than Ji Jun and Ye Minshu. This was the first time they had run into each other privately, and Lin Qiao was a bit surprised, “You’re in this military district too?”

Ji Ze mumbled a response and asked again, “I heard you asking the shop assistant for olive oil?” He didn’t really want to talk. When he first saw Lin Qiao, he even thought about avoiding her. After all, they had that kind of relationship before. Even if Lin Qiao didn’t know, he would still feel awkward seeing her.

But Lin Qiao had been looking around for a long time and specifically asked the shop assistant, and she was clearly needing it. He was about to leave, but his feet wouldn’t move, and his mouth spoke on its own.

Lin Qiao didn’t understand his complex feelings and thought his awkwardness was due to her not-so-good relationship with his mother. But he had given a generous gift for her wedding, so she answered honestly, “I want to make something myself.”

Ji Ze asked her, yet not really wanting to know why she needed olive oil. He didn’t even know why he asked, maybe out of guilt or because he remembered what his uncle had said that night. Hearing Lin Qiao’s answer, he nodded randomly, “Olive oil, right? I’ll ask around for you.”

“Thank you,” Lin Qiao didn’t expect much from him, but she thanked him since he offered to help. Thinking she would visit the old house later, she politely asked her older nephew, “I’m going to see your grandparents later. Do you want to come?”

“I won’t go, maybe another time.” Ji Ze didn’t want to stay with her and quickly left, using the excuse of having something to do. He walked far away before realizing he had crushed the cigarette pack in his hand.

Why did he even start a conversation? But he did, and he had promised. He would consider it compensation for her, as he had indeed done something wrong.

Ji Ze lit a cigarette, and called out to a familiar comrade, “I remember your family is from the south. Do you know what olive oil is?”

Early on a weekend morning, he woke up a childhood friend with a phone call, “Can you get olive oil?”

His childhood friend was jolted awake. “What’s wrong with you? Are you waking me up early in the morning just for this?”

“Didn’t someone from your family get transferred there? Just tell me if you can get it or not.”

It really was for some oil. His friend angrily hung up the phone, “Crazy!” Then the phone rang again.

While Ji Ze was bothering others, Lin Qiao had already boarded the bus back to Yandu. With Ji Duo not around, she didn’t use Xiao Fang’s car. Seeing some fruit vendors on the way, she got off early to buy some peaches.

When she arrived, Aunt Zhang was picking vegetables in the courtyard. Seeing her, she immediately called out, “Xiao Lin is back!” and pointed to the kitchen, “Knowing you were coming back today, they’ve been talking about it all morning. They even asked me to buy some ribs to stew for you.”

“That’s a treat for me.” Lin Qiao smiled. She switched the peaches to her left hand and took out some plasters from her bag. “Didn’t you say your knee hurt last time? Do you want to try this?”

“For me?” Aunt Zhang was surprised. It wasn’t intentional last time. One day, while taking out the trash, Lin Qiao noticed her unsteady legs.

Lin Qiao remembered and brought her some plasters, “An old colleague at our school also had knee pain from not resting well after childbirth. I saw this worked well for her, so I asked about it. You can try it.”

“Yes, I have the same issue from not resting well after childbirth.” Aunt Zhang quickly wiped her hands and took the plasters, “How much?”

When Lin Qiao first came to the Ji family, she spent more time with Aunt Zhang than anyone else, learning about Yandu mostly from her. She didn’t plan to charge her, “Try these two first. If they work, I’ll tell you where to buy them.”

Aunt Zhang wanted to say more, but Xu Li had already heard the commotion and came out, “You child, coming back is enough. Why buy things?”

“Isn’t it because I’m craving them? I saw them being sold on the way, so I bought some.”

Although she bought them for the old couple, Lin Qiao said it was because she was craving them. Xu Li smiled and looked behind her, “Where’s the second son?”

“He has a mission with the army and has left.”

Xu Li’s expression showed some disappointment, but having lived through turbulent times, she wasn’t overly worried about her son going on a mission, “When did he leave? Are you scared of being home alone these past two days?”

“He left the day before yesterday. I’m fine. Commander Liang next door is nice and told me to find him if I need anything.”

Although Commander Liang’s wife wasn’t very hospitable to her and seemed not to like her much, she still brought her some dry food, possibly at Commander Liang’s request.

“Who knows how many days it will take him to return.” Xu Li was still worried about Lin Qiao being alone, “Why don’t you stay here for a couple of days?”

Since Lin Qiao moved in, the house has become livelier. Ji Duo, who usually didn’t come home for ten days to half a month, was often at home when preparing for the wedding. The old couple got used to the hustle and bustle, and when Lin Qiao and Ji Duo left, they felt something was missing.

Lin Qiao understood this, so even though Ji Duo wasn’t home, she returned herself. However, now that she had found a job, she really couldn’t stay. As she was about to explain, she heard a familiar childish voice, “See, it’s not that I’m not studying well. It’s that this question is too hard. Grandpa, you can’t do it either, right?”

At the corner of the coffee table in the living room, Old Mr. Ji and Ji Ling were sitting on either side, frowning at a homework book.

Old Mr. Ji, wearing reading glasses, had his hands on his knees, looked serious, and sat as if facing a great enemy. He felt there was no problem with his inability to do it. “I’m so old. How can I remember these things?”

“Then how does Grandma still remember?”

“Your grandma was a teacher, so it’s normal for her to remember.”

“If I can’t solve it, I’m not allowed to watch TV; if Grandpa can’t solve it, why can he watch TV?” Unsure where the little girl learned it from, but her mouth was full of quirky and mischievous logic.

Old Mr. Ji, usually a fiery-tempered person who scolded his sons and grandsons, was completely helpless in front of his granddaughter. Seeing the two come in, he felt as if he had been granted amnesty, “Qiao Qiao is back.”

Lin Qiao found it amusing and quickly went to wash the peaches she had bought, offering one to Old Mr. Ji to rescue him, “Have a peach and take a break.”

“Yes, have a peach and take a break.” Old Mr. Ji let out a big sigh of relief. Seeing his granddaughter’s attention successfully diverted, he remembered he hadn’t seen his son, “Where’s the second son?”

“He’s on a mission,” Lin Qiao explained again.

Old Mr. Ji’s reaction was even calmer than Xu Li’s. Having seen the horrors of war, very few things could faze him anymore.

However, Ji Ling’s big eyes turned, and she bit into a peach, moving closer to Lin Qiao, “Uncle is on a mission, so you’re home alone?”

This little girl was so clever that Lin Qiao immediately knew she was up to something. She nodded with a smile, “Yes.”

Ji Ling immediately offered, “Then I’ll keep you company so you won’t be scared alone at home.”

“You just want to watch TV because your uncle isn’t there, right?” Old Mr. Ji, having been tormented for half a day, couldn’t help but tease.

Ji Ling pretended not to hear, tugging at Lin Qiao’s sleeve, “Auntie~ let me go~” she pleaded, swaying cutely.

Seeing Old Mr. Ji’s expression, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but laugh and nodded, “Alright.”

“Really?!” Ji Ling’s eyes lit up, but before she could get too excited, Lin Qiao added, “Just in time, your Aunt has just become a proud people’s teacher and can supervise your homework.”

Ji Ling: “…” There’s probably nothing more painful than facing a teacher at school and then facing another teacher at home. If there is, it’s facing two teachers at home, doubling the pain…

Now Ji Ling was in a state of double pain, her hand loosening as she wilted completely.

However, after hearing Lin Qiao’s words, Xu Li was first stunned and then delighted, “You found a job?”

Seeing Lin Qiao nod, Xu Li’s smile spread from her eyes to eyebrows, “Being a teacher is great. It’s like inheriting my mantle.”

She was a teacher, but unfortunately, her son was more suited to being a soldier. She had wanted to introduce him to a teacher, but he wasn’t interested. Unexpectedly, Lin Qiao ended up becoming a teacher.

“I haven’t officially started teaching yet, and I plan to take the college entrance exam next year,” Lin Qiao shared her thoughts.

Xu Li wasn’t too concerned, “It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you like it. I’m just saying.”

However, she hesitated, “Have you told the second son about the college entrance exam?”

She wanted Lin Qiao to study more, but university took four years, and the second son wasn’t young anymore. She was eager to have grandchildren.

“I mentioned it to Ji Duo,” Lin Qiao said honestly.

Xu Li said nothing more. Ji Duo always had his own ideas, and if he had no objections, it didn’t matter who else did. In another family, a strong-willed mother-in-law might pressure her son if she couldn’t persuade her daughter-in-law, using various tactics to make her give up. But with Ji Duo… If Lin Qiao dared say she suddenly didn’t want to take the exam, Ji Duo would suspect them first.

Having a son who was too clever had its downsides. Since Ji Duo was 16, they couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, but he could always guess their thoughts accurately.

Xu Li didn’t bring it up, Old Mr. Ji didn’t bring it up, and Lin Qiao was even less likely to bring it up.

Seeing that Ji Ling was still a child, her attention wandered after a short while, and she secretly went to grab the remote control. Lin Qiao took the opportunity to casually say, “By the way, I ran into Song Jing at school yesterday.”

“That girl from the Song family?” Old Mr. Ji raised his eyebrows.

Although father and son had different temperaments—one fiery and the other stern—Ji Duo shared some similarities with his father, like this eyebrow-raising gesture.

Lin Qiao nodded, “Yes, I met her in our vice principal’s office. One of our high school chemistry teachers broke his leg, and the school is short of teachers.”

She wasn’t sure if this was noteworthy, but Song Jing’s attitude was somewhat obvious, so she mentioned it to the old couple.

Old Mr. Ji and Xu Li exchanged a glance, “Was this a coincidence or intentional?”

It wasn’t that they were overthinking it, but Ji Ze was in that military district.

Xu Li wasn’t sure either and explained to Lin Qiao, “Your sister-in-law had her pretend to be Xiao Ze’s girlfriend, and her family never denied it.”

Lin Qiao understood now. No wonder she didn’t invite the Song family to the wedding, yet Song Jing still came. Meeting her at school also seemed like an attempt to get closer.

They didn’t discuss the topic further. After lunch, Lin Qiao took the bus back to the military base in the afternoon.

Although Xu Li wanted her to stay, Lin Qiao had to work the next day. Xu Li packed some ribs in a lunchbox for her, “Heat this up when you get back, so you don’t have to cook.”

Ji Ling wanted to stay at the old house, “Auntie, you must tell me when you change jobs.”

Since Ji Duo married Lin Qiao, Ji Ling has visited the old house more frequently. Judging by her expression, the atmosphere at home seemed less tense.

Lin Qiao wasn’t interested in her brother-in-law’s family affairs and pinched the little girl’s chubby cheeks, “Do you really dislike studying that much?”

The little girl was shocked, “Do you love studying?”

Her expression suggested that if Lin Qiao dared to say “yes,” she would immediately sever their aunt-niece relationship.

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but pinch her cheeks again, making the little girl puff them out in displeasure, before saying goodbye and leaving.

The next day at school, Song Jing had already adjusted her mood. Holding her lesson plan, she looked calm and confident, and politely asked Lin Qiao, “Do you want to go first, or should I?”

“I’ll go first,” Lin Qiao replied without hesitation.

Going first had obvious advantages. As long as she did well, the pressure would be on the next person. After all, a class lasted 45 minutes, and by the second session, the leaders would likely be less patient unless the second person performed significantly better. However, from another perspective, if the second person performed much better, the contrast would be clear, and no one would question the choice.

Song Jing smiled, “I’m fine with that. You go first.”

The two had already agreed, so the leaders didn’t have to worry. They moved a few chairs and sat at the back to observe.

Song Jing sat at the back with an open notebook on her lap. Her serious attitude was quite admirable.

Lin Qiao soon took the stage. Just as she was about to speak, a few troublemakers in the audience whistled.

Decades later, students wouldn’t dare to do this, especially with leaders observing. However, not long after the Cultural Revolution, these students wrote big-character posters criticizing teachers. What were leaders to them? Leaders could be criticized just like anyone else. In contrast, the junior high side was much better. The students were younger, and the most chaotic years had passed by the time they started school.

Lin Qiao’s expression didn’t change. She waited for the noise to die down before speaking again, “Students…”

Before she could finish saying “good,” there were a few drawn-out “boos” from the audience.

Vice Principal Qi’s face was already looking grim, and Old Qu whispered to him, “Why is Huaiwen’s class so rowdy? They won’t make her cry, will they?”

Young girls with thin skin might not be able to handle such teasing. It wouldn’t look good if she ended up crying, running away, or arguing with the students.

Vice Principal Qi frowned and was about to emphasize classroom discipline when Lin Qiao slammed her book on the podium.

The sound was loud, and Old Qu couldn’t help but say, “Oh no, she’s not going to argue with the students, is she?”

Song Jing also thought Lin Qiao’s mental fortitude was lacking. Every teacher encounters a few troublemakers. Sometimes, you just have to endure it.

Unexpectedly, Lin Qiao placed her hand on the podium and raised an eyebrow at the audience, “Do you think I’m too young to be your teacher?”

Her bright and striking appearance already had an air of assertiveness, and with a raised eyebrow, her presence became even more commanding. The few troublemakers booing her were stunned, as they hadn’t expected her to address her youth directly. The room fell silent, and compared to the previous whistles and boos, the scattered “yes” responses were much quieter.

Lin Qiao smiled at the troublemakers and pulled out a piece of paper from her lesson plan. “Would anyone like to come up and help me? I’ll show you how old I am.”

This unexpected statement piqued their curiosity, overshadowing their previous heckling. After all, it was just a blank piece of paper with nothing written on it.

Immediately, a student raised his hand, “Me! I’ll do it!” Without waiting for Lin Qiao’s nod, he jumped onto the stage. “What do I do?”

Lin Qiao recognized him as Junzi, the son of Commander Liang next door.

Junzi seemed to recognize her too. He had joined in the whistling when she first entered, but his voice had softened when others continued to boo her.

Lin Qiao handed him the paper and a box of matches. “Heat it up, and chemistry will reveal the answer.”

Junzi struck a match, and soon enough, brown letters began to appear on the white paper.

“Ten, ten… what is it?” The students tried to decipher it, thinking he was too slow. A boy from the front row rushed up to help him.

Together, they worked faster, and soon the number appeared—”Nineteen.”

As they had guessed, she was pretty young. But at that moment, everyone’s attention was on the paper, and they were no longer focused on Lin Qiao’s age.

“This is my name,” Lin Qiao said, handing over another piece of paper.

The two boys revealed the name “Lin Qiao” in neat and clear handwriting.

Lin Qiao wrote the same characters on the blackboard. “‘The east wind does not favor Zhou Yu; the copper sparrow locks the two Qiaos in spring.’ You should have learned this, right?”

“Yes,” the students responded more uniformly this time.

Junzi held the two pieces of paper, flipping them over and over, unable to figure out, “How did you do this?”

Lin Qiao smiled without answering and took out a small bottle of liquid and a brush from her bag. “I’ll choose another student to come up. You can write whatever you want on the white paper. We’ll heat it up after class. I’ll tell you what’s inside, but you can guess now.”

The students’ curiosity was already piqued, and many raised their hands. The classroom’s enthusiasm was a stark contrast to when she first arrived.

Even Old Qu was curious, “What exactly is she using?”

“Vinegar or onion juice, garlic juice maybe?” Group Leader Gao, sitting on a student’s chair, shifted uncomfortably. “Writing on the paper forms a film with a lower ignition point than the paper, so it burns and reveals brown letters when heated.”

Song Jing listened with a complex expression. She knew this little experiment, too, and had planned to use it to warm up the class atmosphere. But she hadn’t thought of using the students’ doubts about her as a starting point or of keeping their curiosity until after class.

With just a few words, Lin Qiao captured the students’ attention. In comparison, Song Jing’s experiment seemed more conventional.

Song Jing pursed her lips and listened even more intently. However, throughout the entire class, Lin Qiao didn’t make a single mistake.

Not only did she not make any mistakes, but she also spoke in an engaging way that made the students laugh. By the end of the class, the students who had written on the paper were eager, and others were excitedly guessing.

Lin Qiao said nothing and just handed the small bottle to a few students to smell.

Junzi sniffed it, and his eyes widened, “Garlic?”

“Onion juice works too,” Lin Qiao wrote a few common materials on the blackboard. “Interested students can try it at home. That’s all for this class. Thank you for your cooperation. I hope we can meet again.”

“Will there be more experiments if we meet again?” a student asked.

“That depends on whether Vice Principal Qi lets us meet again,” Lin Qiao winked at them. “I can’t decide that.”

Everyone laughed and looked at Vice Principal Qi.

Vice Principal Qi was also smiling. He was very pleased with Lin Qiao’s class, even pleasantly surprised.

Group Leader Gao was even more satisfied, as he wouldn’t have to substitute for Old Jiao.

As they left the classroom, Old Qu asked, “Where did you find such a good candidate? She knows how to engage the class and teaches well. She doesn’t seem like a recent high school graduate at all.”

Only Song Jing’s expression grew more strained.

Lin Qiao’s teaching was excellent, making it hard for Song Jing to surpass her. The small experiment she had prepared seemed unusable now.

If only she had gone first…

Some things are better not overthought. Song Jing quickly extinguished the thought and focused on preparing for her trial lesson in another class.

This determination made Vice Principal Qi look at her with new respect, “I thought she might be affected and not perform well.”

Old Qu, who had brought her in, felt even more conflicted, “Her lesson was good, but she met a strong competitor.”

Lin Qiao’s performance was outstanding. They couldn’t manipulate things behind the scenes to push Song Jing forward, could they?

Not to mention, Song Jing hadn’t graduated yet. Was it worth the trouble? And considering Lin Qiao was Captain Ji’s wife and Xu Li’s daughter-in-law, it wouldn’t be easy.

After Song Jing finished her lesson, Vice Principal Qi smiled and said, “We look forward to having you intern at our school next semester.”

Song Jing understood, feeling defeated but maintaining her composure, “Thank you, Vice Principal Qi.”

When she looked at Lin Qiao, she also smiled and said, “You taught very well.”

However, compared to her earlier confidence, her tone now had a hint of awkwardness.

Lin Qiao pretended not to notice and graciously accepted, “Thank you.”

With the decision made, she had to return to her original office to pack her things.

Seeing her pack all her belongings into her bag and return the books Teacher Yang had lent her, Teacher Zheng, who had always looked at her with disdain, raised an eyebrow, “Did you teach so poorly that they won’t let you continue?”

“Not at all,” Lin Qiao raised an eyebrow in response to her malicious gaze, “I’m going to teach high school.”