Chapter 25

While the students were taken by the Education Committee for ideological education, Su Ye, the “instigator,” was questioned by the investigation team for an entire afternoon.

In the small room, four pairs of eyes exchanged glances.

Su Ye, with a faint smile, asked, “Comrades, may I go home now?”

Su Ye was not surprised at all. It seemed like the calm before the storm. Fortunately, Su Ye had prepared well in advance, driven by the desire to survive, so she remained calm and unruffled.

Comrade Yin from the investigation team, his face dark with anger, interrogated, “It seems that Comrade Su still refuses to acknowledge her mistakes!”

Su Ye responded firmly, “I wouldn’t dare. I, Su Ye, am wholeheartedly devoted to the Party and the country. I would never engage in dishonest activities.”

The Education Committee member sternly asked, “You used your position to incite students to engage in illegal business activities, disrupting the educational order—”

Su Ye took several watches out of her pocket and handed them to the investigation team, her face showing righteousness as she said, “That’s absolutely not true.”

“If anything I say from now on is a fabrication, comrades can take me straight to the police station.”

With a solemn expression, Su Ye continued, “I’m a science teacher. In my spare time, I teach students some life skills. They learned to repair watches and radios with me.

To be honest, we only resorted to this because we were pushed to the brink with no other options. If not for that, why would I, a perfectly good teacher, take on such a thankless job? I didn’t take a single penny for myself, so what am I getting out of it?”

Su Ye, desperate to survive, handed over a pile of miscellaneous notes. The Education Committee members unfolded them and found they were receipts for book and tuition fees, along with small handwritten notes from parents: “Received ‘Green Factory’ living subsidy of 5 yuan for February 1960.”

Although the amounts were small, the numerous receipts added up, and the total expenses for the month reached several hundred yuan!

They were stunned.

Su Ye sighed and pulled out a pile of photos from her bag. These were photos taken by Reporter Xia on the weekend, and Su Ye had chosen a few to be published in the newspaper, which now proved useful.

Su Ye flipped through the photos and explained, “This child lost both parents and was raised by his grandparents. If we hadn’t helped him, he would’ve ended up working as a laborer for the rest of his life. This girl is only fifteen and was planning to get married, we only found out after visiting her home. This one is even more pitiful—before dropping out, he was at the top of his class, but now he’s working in the coal mines, so malnourished he’s almost unrecognizable…”

“I can’t just stand seeing children suffer. Their pain is worse than my own!”

Su Ye pinched her thigh as she spoke.

As she continued, she wiped her eyes, trying to keep her tears from falling.

The members of the investigation team, hearing Su Ye’s accounts of the children who had dropped out, felt a pang of sourness in their hearts, like eating a lemon. Moved, they couldn’t help but feel their eyes well up, and when Su Ye choked up, they all turned their faces away, unable to watch.

“They’re truly wonderful kids. After I took them in, each one of them volunteered to help. They thank me every time they see me. Their homework and work are top-notch. They’re terrified of a life without education, afraid I won’t continue supporting them. But, really… how could I ever let them stop studying? Even if I had to sell my blood, I’d make sure they could keep going! And all I’m doing is fixing a few watches?”

Su Ye’s voice trembled slightly. She pulled out a financial report from her pocket and said, “Here’s the financial statement for the refurbished watches. If the comrades want to send me to the police station, I have no complaints. But—please, don’t make things hard for those children!”

Su Ye extended her hands, as if ready to be arrested, with an expression of calm acceptance, as if sacrificing herself for the greater good.

Her serious face made it seem as if she was about to go to the guillotine, had you not known better.

Hahaha, I can’t stop laughing! This survival instinct is on another level. Her acting just comes out of nowhere, totally caught me off guard.

I almost want to cry too! I swear, if I hadn’t heard her over-the-top lines and noticed something was off, I would’ve been fooled.

By the way, streamer, did you rub garlic on your sleeves? If not, it’s not up to standard!

As the financial report was handed out, each member of the committee carefully checked the accounts. The more they checked, the clearer the situation became.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly turned solemn. The investigators fixed their gaze on Su Ye, filled with respect.

This wasn’t a teacher exploiting her students, this was a teacher who dedicated herself wholly to her students, someone who gave her all and would work tirelessly for their benefit. She neither embezzled nor broke the law for personal gain—her only “fault” was having an exceptional knack for business. In just one month, she had generated so much wealth for the school and the students!

If she was at fault, it was for loving her students too much.

The investigation team felt a surge of warmth in their hearts and said, “Teacher Su, we’re only here to investigate, not to send you to the police.”

“It’s just that we previously suspected this economic activity and came to check things out, not to convict you.”

Hearing their softened tone, Su Ye calmly brushed her sleeves and pulled out several discarded watches from her bag.

“Do you see these? These are broken watches that couldn’t be repaired and were sent to us.”

She disassembled one and explained in a steady voice, “Each watch contains over a hundred components, each of them precision-engineered industrial products crafted through labor-intensive processes. It’s a waste to discard a watch just because one part is broken! Improper disposal of these watches could even harm the environment. Our Premier himself advocates thrift and resource conservation, and we’re simply responding to the call of the nation.”

“What we’re doing with watch assembly and refurbishment, on a small scale, helps children who can’t attend school. On a larger scale, it conserves resources for the country!”

The team was stunned by the significance of her words.

With such a grand narrative, Su Ye’s image became truly noble and inspiring. The education bureau representatives straightened their posture, sitting upright.

Conserving national resources—this was a major achievement. Over the years, no one had thought about repurposing waste materials like this, but Su Ye had. Forget sending her to the police, if this story got out, she might even be recognized as a role model for innovation and frugality.

Thrift wasn’t just a slogan—it was a directive issued by the central government this year, requiring all citizens to practice it. If the story of this school’s teachers and students creating new watches from waste materials were made public, it could become a benchmark example.

One of the investigators couldn’t help but inwardly curse. Who the hell got the education bureau into this mess? Couldn’t they have done their own investigation before filing a report?

By the end of the conversation, the investigation team had cleared up their misunderstanding with Su Ye. Before leaving the office, they warmly shook hands with her. One of the leaders said meaningfully, “Comrade Su, you have great ideas. The country needs talents like you! We’ll take this back for discussion—your work might even become a model for excellence.”

Su Ye was momentarily stunned, then excitedly nodded, gripping their hands firmly. “Thank you so much for your understanding and support!”

She then pulled out a few watches that hadn’t yet been sold to customers and said, “The watches are ten yuan each. If the leaders find them useful, take them back as promotional items to show everyone!”

“I’m telling you, these watches are popular—they sell out in no time!”

Hahaha, this reverse marketing is genius—truly impressive.

The sheer brazenness and wit—words fail me. I can’t imagine the expressions on the education bureau leaders’ faces right now.

Alright, streamer, spill the beans—which company were you at before? What was your monthly salary to afford hiring someone as hilarious as you?

The education bureau officials actually paused to think for a moment, then smiled and said, “Maybe next time, Comrade Su. We have other matters to attend to this time, so we’ll take our leave first.”

While they didn’t buy anything… they also didn’t refuse?

Su Ye caught on and smiled knowingly. “Alright, I’ll hold onto the watches for now. Buying even one means supporting children who’ve dropped out of school. Such a meaningful cause—it’s something you have to experience personally to truly understand.”

After sending off the officials, Su Ye’s gaze fell on the finely crafted watches.

The watches weren’t hard to sell, so why offer them to the officials? The reason was simple: Su Ye wanted to figure out which shameless person had reported her to the education bureau.

—

After the officials left, Su Ye returned to the classroom and glanced at her students.

The students were looking at her with deep concern etched across their faces.

Su Ye’s eyes moistened slightly, her sunken sockets and weary expression painting a picture of exhaustion. In the eyes of her students, this became irrefutable proof of her being wronged.

Their teacher had endured so much injustice for them!

It was yet another beautiful misunderstanding. Moments earlier, Su Ye had been basking in compliments and handshakes from the leaders, practically on the verge of a meteoric rise.

But in truth, she was simply tired. Gu Xiangqian had been overly energetic the night before, keeping her up until nearly dawn. When the officials arrived, they disrupted Su Ye’s lunch break.

After handling the officials, Su Ye yawned and was ready to head back to her office for a nap.

Still, she had a sliver of conscience left. Before heading back, she stopped by the middle school division to reassure the students, “Don’t worry, your teacher is fine!”

The kids were even more moved. Just how much had their Teacher Su suffered? That calm and soft tone carried a forced strength and composure.

Some students couldn’t help but bow their heads and cry silently, biting their hands to stifle their sobs.

They stood there, trembling in silence, clenching their fists tightly. Their hearts ached for Su Ye, wishing they could do anything to make things better for her. From now on, they vowed to behave, to never upset her or make her worry again.

What in the world… is this a whole class of overthinkers?

Is Su Ye faking it, or what? I can’t even tell anymore.

What kind of ridiculous twist is this—HAHAHAHA! I can’t handle it, I’m covering my face!

Su Ye returned to her office after speaking with the students and, without much fuss, lay down on her desk and enjoyed a good nap.

The next day.

Su Ye made a point to visit the education bureau, bringing the watches to their office. The leaders had mentioned discussing whether her initiative could be recognized as exemplary or outstanding, and having a tangible product would make it easier for them to assess. After all, they’d need to try it themselves to know if it was good.

The education bureau staff, however, felt it inappropriate to accept something for free. So, everyone in the office chipped in to support the “educational aid program.”

While collecting the money, Su Ye slyly asked, “Who reported this incident? Let me know so I can be prepared. If I’ve offended them in any way, I’d like to apologize and avoid further conflict.”

The staff thought for a moment. Both parties were honorable educators, dedicated to their students, and likely had no significant personal grievances.

After some consideration, one staff member quietly said, “It was a teacher from the No. 5 Middle School—Gao Anna. Do you know her?”

Su Ye nodded, her expression a mix of familiarity and annoyance. Of course, she knew Gao Anna! Wasn’t she the same fool who constantly mocked her for taking the position at No. 1 Middle School? The one who scored only 30 points on a 100-point test and still had the nerve to question her?

“Thank you, comrade. I’ll make sure to have a good talk with Comrade Gao to resolve our differences.”

—

After leaving the education bureau, Su Ye went home, gathered some equipment, and, in disguise, wandered around near Gao Anna’s house.

With some “resources” (i.e., food), she managed to glean useful information. Satisfied with her findings, Su Ye returned to the military district compound.

On the weekend, Su Ye informed He Meimei that she was heading to the outskirts to “improve her quality of life.”

That morning, Su Ye prepared her tools for the trip, only for Gu Xiangqian to gear up as well. “I’ll go too,” he said.

Both Gu Xiangqian and Su Ye had no obligations to support extended family, unlike others who had to share their salaries and food rations with elders and children. The couple managed their finances well and lived quite comfortably. Moreover, Gu Xiangqian earned a decent salary, making it unnecessary for Su Ye to seek extra ways to improve their meals.

However, relying solely on Gu Xiangqian’s fixed salary wasn’t enough to satisfy Su Ye’s appetite. A mere one pound of pork per month? That wasn’t even enough to fill the gap between her teeth.

With Gu Xiangqian at home, Su Ye couldn’t sneak off to indulge in meat. Craving it badly, she had no choice but to team up with He Meimei for their “lifestyle improvement” trip to the countryside.

Su Ye planned to retrieve 40 pounds of pork belly in one go. She’d done her homework—any leftover pork could be traded at the cafeteria for meat coupons.

Previously, wild boars had been wreaking havoc on the villagers’ crops, causing widespread frustration. The stationed soldiers received orders to hunt the wild boars. After each hunt, the soldiers would hand over the game to the cafeteria, where the cooks would weigh it and issue meat coupons in exchange.

With meat coupons in hand, Su Ye could envision a life filled with delicious, meat-filled buns every day.

Su Ye frowned and asked Gu Xiangqian, “What are you coming for?”

If their leader tagged along, how would others feel free to dig for wild vegetables?

But after glancing at Gu Xiangqian’s strong and capable physique, she reconsidered—40 pounds of pork wasn’t light. Having him as extra muscle might not be a bad idea.

Su Ye cheerfully agreed and handed the tools in her hands over to Gu Xiangqian.

It was late spring, and the countryside was lush with wild greens growing vigorously. As spring plowing approached, food supplies were running even lower, forcing more and more people to head out to the countryside to forage. City folks weren’t just sticking to the flat plains or riverbanks anymore, many were venturing boldly into the distant hills and mountains.

By the river, Li Hongli, Gao Anna, and Fang Xiulian were leisurely fishing as usual.

When He Meimei saw Gu Xiangqian accompanying Su Ye to forage for wild vegetables, her jaw dropped slightly in surprise.

Su Ye explained, “He’s more experienced than I am, so I asked him to come help.”

He Meimei was stunned. Foraging for wild vegetables was such an easy task—it was practically a game. Yet Su Ye had somehow managed to get Gu Xiangqian to join in.

Looking at the distant hills, Su Ye turned to Gu Xiangqian and said, “Later, you need to set up a trap. Let’s catch some game to bring home. Maybe we’ll even run into a wild boar…”

Gu Xiangqian, far more experienced in the wild than Su Ye, surveyed the terrain briefly before speaking.

“There’s no forest nearby, and the vegetation is too sparse to provide proper cover. Wild boars are highly cautious and wouldn’t survive in such exposed conditions.”

Hearing this, others nearby nodded in agreement, laughing at Su Ye’s wild imagination.

“Wild boars eat a lot. A whole litter could strip an entire hill bare. Do you think a bit of grass and greens like this could sustain them?”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Pork was an incredibly precious commodity in those days. Since February, the supply and marketing cooperatives had only provided pork for two days. Even then, less than 5,000 pounds had been distributed for a city with millions of residents—barely enough to go around.

Just hearing the words “wild boar” made everyone’s mouths water uncontrollably.

Su Ye calmly gazed into the distance without saying a word. If she said there were wild boars, then there were. Would the wild boars dare not exist?

Haha, they wouldn’t dare! If they don’t show up, we’ll report them to the livestream admins.

So, wild boars this time? Got it. Let’s have the admins set it up. We need to honor Teacher Su’s hard work!

The wild boar is guaranteed to have tender skin, delicate meat, and a fresh taste.

By the riverbank.

When Gao Anna spotted Su Ye, her expression changed, and she whispered to her cousin, “Should we head back?”

Li Hongli, setting her fishing rod aside, dismissed the idea. Why go back when she could stick around and watch Su Ye make a fool of herself?

She noticed Su Ye wasn’t alone this time, she had brought Gu Xiangqian along. Gu Xiangqian silently pulled out a handful of candies from his pocket and handed them to Su Ye.

Su Ye unwrapped one and ate it leisurely, sitting off to the side and enjoying the sweet treat while watching Gu Xiangqian work.

Gu Xiangqian, who had never done this kind of labor in his life, was now digging in the countryside to “improve their lives.” Despite earning his own salary, he also received a pension from the government for his father, who had passed away. Having grown up in a life of refinement and privilege, it seemed absurd that he’d now be doing this sort of thing after marriage.

The sight unsettled Li Hongli, as if a needle had pierced her eye.

Amid the mocking comments from others, Gu Xiangqian, trained and efficient, quickly dug a pit and began setting up a trap methodically. From his pocket, he took out a few more candies and instructed Su Ye to sit nearby and enjoy them while he worked. Then, using a knife, he shaved one end of some tree branches into sharp points and placed them upright in the trap.

He spent a full thirty minutes whittling the wood.

Once he finished sharpening and arranging the stakes, Gu Xiangqian carefully camouflaged the trap with leaves and sand. Then, he sat on a nearby rock with Su Ye.

Su Ye, uninterested in being watched like a circus act, casually picked some wild vegetables after the trap was set.

She climbed a tree to gather fresh elm seeds, filling a basket with them before handing it to Gu Xiangqian to wash at the river.

The crowd, originally entertained by the bare trap, gradually lost interest as two hours passed without any movement. Their laughter died down.

It was absurd! Trying to catch a wild boar in this kind of place was as futile as climbing a tree to catch fish.

Seeking fish in a tree—utterly futile.

Li Hongli, a soldier’s daughter who had been trained in survival skills by her father, was stunned. Despite knowing this was impossible, Gu Xiangqian still humored Su Ye’s antics.

Crossing her arms, she sternly addressed Gu Xiangqian. “I always thought, Brother Xiangqian, as someone with field experience, you’d refuse such a ridiculous request. But to my surprise—”

Gu Xiangqian responded with a simple, indifferent, “Mm.”

Su Ye constantly came up with new ways to drag Gu Xiangqian into her whimsical escapades, and he occasionally went along just to indulge her.

Seeing Gu Xiangqian ignore Li Hongli completely and noticing the dissatisfaction brewing in her eyes, Su Ye couldn’t help but laugh.

She took advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, leaned in, and gave Gu Xiangqian a quick kiss. Then she gave him a thumbs-up. “Amazing!”

Gu Xiangqian touched the spot on his face where she had kissed him with one hand and held down Su Ye’s head with the other. “Stop messing around.”

Su Ye calmly lifted her head, glanced at Li Hongli, and asked, “Who said it was ridiculous?”

Watch and learn—you’re about to witness your father’s luck in action.

Just as Li Hongli kept flapping her mouth, sneering, “Su Ye, this is completely illogical. Su Ye, how could you still be a science teacher? Su Ye, don’t you even understand science?”…

A small wild boar, as if possessed, came sprinting from the distance. It galloped straight into Gu Xiangqian’s freshly dug trap, letting out a bloodcurdling squeal like a pig being slaughtered.

Everyone was stunned, turning their eyes to the still-warm, freshly dug trap that had been sitting there for just a few hours.

Was this trap enchanted or something, luring a wild boar from miles away to willingly dive in?

Hahahahahaha! Our Teacher Su doesn’t play by the rules when she wants meat.

Forget science—her most unscientific achievement was traveling back to the ’60s.