Chapter 85

After Su Ye left the office, she still couldn’t suppress her excitement. She couldn’t help but rub Qian Xiaohe’s face and said, “You are truly my luck! My tremendous luck!”

If she hadn’t brought Qian Xiaohe to school today, how could she have met Ruan Ruliang? All of Su Ye’s previous good luck had been fleeting, but after struggling for half a year, she had finally encountered her own fortune. This time, the heavens themselves had brought it right to her.

If Ruan Ruliang was indeed that big shot, then by ^[1]“hitching onto this wind” is a figurative expression meaning to take advantage of an opportunity or to ride the momentum of a favorable situation. hitching onto this wind, Su Ye wouldn’t need to worry about food anymore. As the saying goes, even ^[2]“a pig can fly when it’s riding the wind” is a metaphor that conveys the idea that with the right circumstances or support, even something seemingly impossible or unlikely can … Continue readinga pig can fly when it’s riding the wind. And Su Ye definitely wasn’t a pig.

Had Su Ye not been outside in the cold wind, calming herself down, she would’ve definitely run into the office to talk to Ruan Ruliang about hybrid rice. She would’ve been itching to start planting experimental seedlings in three days and transplant them into the fields within five!

Su Ye remembered that hybrid rice was introduced after 2013, and the poor and struggling China couldn’t afford to wait for another decade. Since this opportunity had come straight to her, wasn’t this fate? After a wave of intense brainstorming, Su Ye had a bold idea forming in her mind.

She seriously reminded Qian Xiaohe, “Xiaohe, you should humbly learn from Professor Ruan in the future. Work hard and don’t slack off, understand?”

Su Ye reminded herself that this was a parallel world, where many things were different from the original world. Even if Ruan Ruliang wasn’t the big shot she had imagined, discovering the male-sterile plants was still impressive. In fact, Ning Qian wasn’t exactly the national treasure-level big shot Su Ye had pictured, but that didn’t stop him from being exceptional.

Qian Xiaohe nodded firmly, thinking to herself that she couldn’t possibly be Su Ye’s good luck—after all, Su Ye was her good luck!

Su Ye and Gu Xiangqian invited Qian Xiaohe to the cafeteria for lunch. Gu Xiangqian handed her a stack of colorful meal coupons, saying, “Xiaohe, these are the meal coupons for the cafeteria. I’ve already exchanged them for you. You’ll need one each time you eat.”

After the meal, Su Ye and her husband left the school, while Qian Xiaohe returned to her new dormitory.

Her new roommates enviously asked, “Were those two who came to drop you off your brother and sister-in-law?”

Qian Xiaohe’s brother and sister-in-law were both very good-looking. They dressed simply yet elegantly. Her sister-in-law wore beautiful leather shoes, and her brother wore neat pine green clothing, giving off a refined and cultured vibe.

On her bed was a brand-new quilt, and the wardrobe was filled with a newly made cotton quilt. In the bathroom, there was a porcelain cup and a washbasin. With all these supplies, it felt like one of the most “luxurious” setups among ordinary students. These days, who would send their child to a secondary school with a brand-new quilt?

Qian Xiaohe shook her head. “No, she is my teacher, and the other one is her husband.”

She gently touched the new cotton quilt Su Ye had prepared for her and silently vowed to study hard to repay Su Ye’s kindness.

—

Four Streets, Qian Family.

Mother Qian searched every street and alley but couldn’t find Qian Xiaohe. All she found was a letter left behind by her, and she angrily laughed and cursed, “This ungrateful child is hiding from us! She said she scored first and is going to a vocational school. I think she’s run off with some man, wasting over ten years of rice!”

The Qian family’s neighbor came over and read the letter that Qian Xiaohe had left. He said, “The girl said she got into a vocational school. Don’t you believe her? I’ve always thought Xiaohe studied hard and was clever. She even fixed a light bulb and a watch for us. If Xiaohe really got first place, she’s definitely better than Wang Le. It’s such a shame if she doesn’t go to school.”

Wang Le was the child from next door who had gotten into a vocational school. Mother Wang, the local gossip, said, “Vocational schools aren’t just for anyone. They take all sorts of people—good, bad, or ugly. How can Qian Xiaohe even be compared to my Wang Le?”

“Not to mention, our Wang Le is taught by a proper university graduate, but Xiaohe’s homeroom teacher probably came from some remote mountain village. That Teacher Su is ruining the students. Your third child ran off with some man because of her bad influence!”

Father Qian angrily said, “She’s not clever enough to get into a vocational school! Wang Le’s family is right, that third child was definitely corrupted by that Su woman!”

Both Father Qian and Mother Qian were convinced by Wang’s family’s words. They believed Qian Xiaohe’s running off with some man was directly related to Su Ye. That Teacher Su definitely wasn’t fit to be teaching at No. 1 High School.

They took the letter Qian Xiaohe had left and angrily went to No. 1 High School to confront Su Ye.

Coincidentally, the university acceptance letters had just arrived at No. 1 High School. The school gate was adorned with a bright red honor roll, and the area was packed with people. The ground was covered with red paper scraps from fireworks, and the air was filled with a festive atmosphere.

“This year, No. 1 High School is impressive. Not only did they produce three students who got into Tsinghua and Peking University, but they also had a science top scorer.”

Other parents nodded, “Not just three from Tsinghua and Peking University, many from No. 1 High School got into prestigious schools. Thirty-two students got into universities!”

More than thirty students got into universities, and everyone took a sharp breath. These days, college graduates are as rare as gold. After graduation, companies were scrambling to hire them, with one salary worth two others, as if they had been handed a golden rice bowl.

Curious, Father Qian and Mother Qian glanced at the honor roll from a distance and saw that the top scorer was a student named Su Ye. Mother Qian thought, the name of Xiaohe’s homeroom teacher was also Su Ye.

Mother Qian cursed, “Same name, but why is that Su woman so shameless? Look at how successful she is—she’s the top scorer…”

Then, a parent in the crowd proudly said, “My son also got into university this year. I heard him say that this science top scorer gave out a study guide, and everyone followed it to revise, which is why so many students got into university.

Actually, this Su Ye is not a student, she’s a middle school teacher. Many of the students from the graduation class she taught also got into vocational schools. Now, the editors from the printing factory are scrambling to get her to print supplementary books. Look, my son ranked 20th, all thanks to this teacher.”

Mother Qian and Father Qian looked at each other, unable to hold back their laughter. Father Qian cursed, “Are you talking about Teacher Su Ye? How could that woman be capable of being the top scorer? If a morally corrupt teacher can become the top scorer, does that mean my daughter could also get first place?”

The parent who had been speaking sarcastically responded, “Where did this fool come from, talking nonsense like a toilet! You don’t even know whether your daughter could get first place or not? The middle school rankings are right over there, clean your mouth before speaking!”

Mother Qian went over to take a look at the honor roll, and to her shock, she saw Qian Xiaohe’s name. The honor roll stated that she was accepted by the College of Agriculture. Her eyelids twitch violently. Did Qian Xiaohe really score first? How could that girl possibly get into a vocational school?

Wang Le from next door went to No. 8 Middle School and only managed to get into a low-tier vocational school. Mother Wang, stunned, said, “No. 1 Middle School is much better than No. 8 Middle School. And now your Qian Xiaohe got first place at No. 1 Middle School! If this gets out, how glorious it will be!”

Father Qian stood frozen when he saw Qian Xiaohe’s name. The Qian family had no one with talent for studying, yet an unexpected child like her had actually kept up with her studies. How much would her salary be after graduating from vocational school?

Among the crowd reading the honor roll were several parents whose children had benefited from Su Ye. They proudly spoke about how their children had passed their university exams, all thanks to the teacher’s personal sacrifice of time to tutor them. To them, Su Ye had become a benefactor, and they were so grateful they could never tolerate anyone slandering her name.

“Hey, isn’t this Mr. Qian? You’re slandering Teacher Su, don’t you fear that your factory director will cause trouble for you? The director of your machine tool factory really respects Teacher Su. Didn’t you know?”

Another parent chimed in, “Watch your mouth. You’re Qian from the machine tool factory, right? You should show respect to teachers, especially someone like Teacher Su. I’m not being polite—if you slander her again, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Father Qian and Mother Qian were quickly stripped of any remaining dignity in the eyes of the crowd. They were soon regarded as the laughingstock of the street. It was a shock to them to realize that Su Ye, a teacher with only a primary school diploma, was so highly respected at the school and had even become the top scorer in the college entrance exams.

A commotion broke out, and they looked up to see a group of students surrounding a small figure, loudly shouting, “Goodbye, Teacher Su Ye!”

“Wish you a smooth journey!”

Su Ye, surrounded by students like stars surrounding the moon, was admired by the young, eager students, all of whom raised their hands in respect. Several teachers were also gathered around Su Ye, giving her thumbs up as though they were praising her.

The students all bowed to Su Ye, and then Su Ye bowed back to them. One teacher couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is the first time I’ve seen a teacher so beloved by students.”

It must be said, Su Ye’s personality was indeed unique. Her students followed her example, and there was no doubt that many of them would have great futures ahead!

—

On the other side.

This day was the graduation ceremony for all the senior students. Su Ye didn’t expect that the middle school students she had taught, upon hearing that she was about to resign and leave No. 1 Middle School, had arranged to come to the school together.

The high school graduates, both those she had taught and those she didn’t know, crowded into the classroom to listen to Su Ye speak. The already small classroom was packed tightly with people, so full that not a single drop of water could pass through.

Su Ye wrote the words “Last Lesson” on the blackboard and said, “Today you graduate, and I graduate as well. This time, everyone did well. Congratulations!”

Some students smiled proudly, while the students who didn’t pass lowered their heads silently, feeling a little ashamed.

Su Ye glanced at them and continued with a smile, “Don’t be arrogant if you did well. You’ve only earned the qualification to go to another place where you’ll need to work even harder. From now on, you need to work even harder, don’t be discouraged if you didn’t pass. Life has many disappointments. Learn to let go. If you can’t even afford food, then, uh, come mix with Teacher Su—there’s enough food for all of you, you won’t go hungry.”

The students weren’t sure how to follow her with the “mix,” were they supposed to follow her to Qinghua University? Ridiculous…

Su Ye continued calmly, “I heard that the country has recently been calling for people to go up to the mountains and down to the countryside. I’ve decided to answer the country’s call and go to Shanggou Village to teach. I’ll be going to the area most in need in our country to help with development. The countryside is a vast place where young people can achieve great things. Trust me, students, just follow your teacher.”

Her crisp, standard Mandarin sounded like stones, dropping down with a sharp clink. The students looked up at her in disbelief. Everyone knew that Su Ye had been accepted to Qinghua University, one of the best universities. Why wasn’t she going to attend such a great school? Why was she going to teach in a rural area? Was she crazy?

However, the group of failed social youths who usually hung out with Lu Siyuan were excitedly raising their hands. They felt a sense of security following Su Ye, thinking that sticking with her might actually be a good idea.

The principal sent someone to hurry Su Ye to take the graduation photos, and with a smile, she announced that class was dismissed.

After the graduation photo was taken, the students were hit with a weighty piece of news. Their minds were filled with mixed emotions. They didn’t fully understand why Su Ye would go to teach in the countryside, but they all knew that Su Ye was someone with ideas and foresight. Whatever she decides to do must have its reasons.

They all gathered around her, and one student suddenly said, “Goodbye, Teacher Su!” He mustered the courage to continue, “Teacher Su, I wish you a smooth journey!”

When the others realized what was happening, they all repeated the words in unison, “Teacher Su, wish you a smooth journey!”

“Goodbye, Teacher Su!”

They deeply bowed to Su Ye, and Su Ye stood there for a moment, then said emotionally, “Actually, I’m very grateful to all of you. Thank you for teaching me how to be a teacher. No matter where you are in the future, whether you go to university, enter a factory, or pursue any kind of work, don’t forget your dreams.”

She silently added to herself, Thank you for helping me become more mature.

The news of Su Ye going to teach in the countryside quickly reached the principal’s ears. He Mei Mei, who was adjusting a student’s collar, heard about it and almost choked the student to death in surprise.

He Meimei, stunned, asked, “Is Su Ye crazy?”

The principal smiled and said, “Su Ye has her own ideas, doesn’t she? The Chairman has called for educated youth to go to the countryside. This is a big deal.”

When Zhou Yi heard about it, he remained silent for a long time before giving a thumbs up and saying, “In my life, I’ve never truly respected many people, but Su Ye is one of them.”

Teacher He clicked her tongue in amazement and said, “I have to say, Su Ye’s character is truly unique. The students she teaches follow her, and in the future, she’s sure to achieve great things!”