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Xiao Yangyang didn’t know why Mom hadn’t paid attention to him these past two days. He could only cling to her constantly but was always carried away by Dad like a little chick.
“Dad, you don’t love me anymore!” Xiao Yangyang waved his limbs but didn’t awaken any paternal love in Lin Yan.
He was carried off decisively and dropped just as decisively.
This was completely different from the devoted dad who had carefully cared for the kids in previous years.
Fang Yuwei looked at her little chick-like son and laughed so hard her whole body shook. So Lin Yan lifted the boy even higher and said, “Mom has things to do. Don’t bother Mom.”
“Dad is fierce.” Xiao Yangyang muttered for a while.
Fang Yuwei really had things to do. That afternoon was her open class.
Though it wasn’t her first time teaching this class, there were many teachers in the audience from the whole school, so she felt a bit nervous.
Before class started, some teachers had already come in through the back door, taking chairs and choosing seats.
After Su Yue arrived, she noticed not only teachers but also Principal Wang was there, sitting with Wang Guohai.
“Teacher Fang’s class last year was no good. I wonder if she improved this year.” Wang Guohai sighed to Principal Wang.
“Young people improve with time.” Principal Wang smiled and adjusted his glasses.
He originally didn’t want to come. Wang Guohai had complained several times about Fang Yuwei’s poor teaching quality last year, saying she was careless.
They were from the same village. Wang Guohai was senior to Principal Wang and wanted to save face. Since he was complaining about Fang Yuwei, Principal Wang decided to come and see if it was really that bad.
“Only through learning can there be progress.” Wang Guohai emphasized.
Fang Yuwei had rebuked him last time and embarrassed him in public. This time he showed no attempt to hide his dislike for her.
Principal Wang smiled, pretending not to understand.
Wang Guohai then looked at Su Yue: “This is how young people should be. You can’t lack English nowadays. English is very important.”
“Every subject is important.” Principal Wang replied.
“English is more important.” Wang Guohai stubbornly insisted. Principal Wang argued back and some teachers sided with him.
“English is easier to learn. Chinese is harder.” Su Yue said this, further praising Wang Guohai.
After Wang Guohai’s fuss and the usual rumors, everyone lost expectations for Fang Yuwei’s upcoming class.
They heard students in her class were not very serious and sometimes few could even answer questions.
“Ring ring ring—”
The class bell interrupted everyone’s thoughts.
Fang Yuwei walked in from the front door with a light smile on her face. Standing at the podium, she softly said: “Class begins.”
Everyone stood up together and slightly bowed: “Hello, Teacher!”
The clear, loud voices surprised the teachers in the back. It was perfectly coordinated.
“Hello students, please sit down.” Fang Yuwei signaled them to sit, then wrote today’s topic on the blackboard: Underwater World.
After writing, she turned and smiled, asking the students: “Have you ever been underwater?”
“No!”
“Teacher hasn’t been either.” Fang Yuwei smiled as she handed out colorful pictures to them. “Today, we will learn what the underwater world is like.”
She prepared pictures not only for the students but also for the teachers in the back.
Actually, when Fang Yuwei started speaking, some teachers were a bit stunned because her tone was different from usual. She deliberately slowed her voice and made it more warm and approachable.
Listening to her, it somehow sounded professional.
Everyone received printed color pictures and were unexpectedly impressed. Teachers who had never heard Fang Yuwei’s class started to doubt that she would casually get by as Wang Guohai said.
None of them had ever printed color pictures for students before. Fang Yuwei’s action made them feel ashamed.
While the students looked at the pictures, Fang Yuwei’s voice gently said: “After looking at the pictures, what do you think the underwater world is like?”
She finished speaking, and many students had already raised their hands.
“You go,” Fang Yuwei raised her hand to signal a boy from the first group.
“The underwater world is a mysterious and beautiful place.”
“Very good, please sit down. Who else?” Fang Yuwei called on two more students in a row, then suddenly looked at Tian Yuxin. “You go ahead.”
Tian Yuxin slowly stood up, her voice timid: “The underwater world is a colorful, magical, and fantastical place.”
“Excellent answer.” Fang Yuwei smiled and signaled her to sit down. Her eyes then scanned the students who were all raising their hands, selecting the next to answer.
Yang Liyu saw everyone else raising their hands, not wanting to lose face, so he raised his hand too. Since this was a public class, he was sure Fang Yuwei would not call on him.
“Yang Liyu, you go ahead.”
Fang Yuwei suddenly called his name, smiling at him.
Yang Liyu was stunned.
Not only was he unprepared, but the teachers in the back row were even more surprised. They all knew Yang Liyu—he was a notoriously difficult student on campus. Since first grade, he had fought with older students, and at one point wanted to drop out. Principal Wang, accompanied by several teachers, had visited his home and persuaded his father to force him to attend school.
If this guy didn’t finish the nine years of compulsory education, they would be responsible.
No one wanted to handle this hot potato.
Who would call on Yang Liyu in a public class? Usually, they ignored such students during class.
For Fang Yuwei to call his name meant this public class was not just for selected students to answer, nor was it for show.
Under everyone’s gaze, Yang Liyu slowly stood up.
“Looking at the pictures, what do you think the underwater world should be like?” Fang Yuwei asked kindly, patiently repeating the question with a light smile, waiting.
Yang Liyu almost wanted to scratch his head and cheeks, racking his brain, then said: “Colorful.”
“What do you mean by colorful?”
“There are fish, and coral too.”
“Very careful observation, please sit down.”
……
Originally, the teachers downstairs only pretended to listen carefully because Principal Wang was present, but starting from when she handed out color pictures, they felt something different.
Fang Yuwei’s teaching segment was compact and skillful.
From the moment class began, she seemed like a different person. Her tone and pitch changed, and when reading the text, her emotions were full and vivid.
Everyone couldn’t help but get drawn in and listen attentively.
The podium was like Fang Yuwei’s stage, where she shone confidently.
When class ended, Principal Wang was the first to applaud: “Very well taught.”
What he didn’t say was this class was even better than the ones he had attended in the city.
Who said Fang Yuwei taught carelessly?
No one knew who had such a big grudge against her, wrongly accusing a good teacher!
“Thank you all, you’ve worked hard.” Fang Yuwei smiled lightly, neither humble nor arrogant.
Su Yue’s eyes were complicated. She remembered Fang Yuwei’s teaching wasn’t good before, indeed careless.
Fang Yuwei’s heart had long been set on another man. Soon, she would abandon Lin Yan and the two children to run away with someone else.
Why was she teaching so well this time?
Wang Guohai’s face turned blue and purple. With Principal Wang here, everyone was capable of judging. If he insisted Fang Yuwei’s class was bad now, he would be blatantly lying.
But admitting her class was good meant slapping himself in the face.
“Teacher Zhang.” Principal Wang suddenly called the group leader Zhang with a smile. “I think Teacher Fang’s class was very good. Other teachers can learn from it.”
“Yes, this class was very successful, and the students weren’t bored.” Group leader Zhang agreed, then looked at Wang Guohai. “Teacher Wang, what do you think?”
Wang Guohai was an old teacher who liked to butt in, so they had to ask.
Wang Guohai’s expression was awkward, and he was momentarily speechless.
The looks the other teachers gave him felt like ridicule, burning his face.
What was worse, when Wang Guohai left, he overheard two young teachers chatting: “Teacher Fang’s class was pretty good. Why does everyone say she teaches badly?”
“She’s being targeted. Wang Guohai has a big problem with her.”
“His educational ideas are outdated. It’s better if he spoke less.”
“That’s true, but no one tells him, and he likes to act all high and mighty.”
……
Listening to the two, Wang Guohai almost choked on his anger, trembling all over.
After class, more teachers came to consult Fang Yuwei.
Relationships among colleagues warmed up.
After finishing talking with several teachers, half an hour had passed since school ended, and there were hardly any students left on the playground.
She headed out of the school to the breakfast shop.
Lin Yan took the kids back to the breakfast shop, where Mother Lin would prepare the meal. Fang Yuwei would come after class to eat together. The family would eat, tidy the shop, close it, then each go home.
At the shop, Fang Yuwei found the two kids each holding a large Ultraman toy that made sounds when pressed. She helplessly said: “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t let grandma buy toys?”
“Grandpa bought them.” Xiao Chaochao explained.
Before Fang Yuwei could say anything, Father Lin stepped forward to admit: “I bought them. I haven’t bought them many toys before, don’t blame the kids.”
Since he said so, what could Fang Yuwei say?
But she didn’t expect that in the following days, Father Lin bought toys for the two kids every day, always large Ultraman figures.
One for each.
According to Fang Yuwei, Father Lin was even more frugal than Mother Lin. He was stingy with money to an extreme.
He had never eaten out a meal in his life, never drank tea outside, never bought a bottle of water.
He was extremely thrifty with himself.
Not just Fang Yuwei, even Lin Yan couldn’t understand how these two kids managed to get such expensive toys from Father Lin.
The answer to the mystery was soon revealed.
On the weekend, Fang Yuwei did not have classes. She slept in at home, and Lin Yan brought her breakfast in the morning.
After waking up, she wanted to go to the shop and also stop by the stationery store to buy a few pens.
On the way, Fang Yuwei and Lin Yan were still curiously discussing how the two children managed to make Father Lin buy them toys repeatedly despite being advised against it.
As soon as they reached the shop entrance, they heard Xiao Yangyang say to Father Lin, “Grandpa, I missed you so much yesterday.”
Father Lin reached out and rubbed their little heads. His usually expressionless face was now full of smiles.
The two little ones hugged Father Lin’s legs and said together, “We love you so much.”
From Fang Yuwei’s angle, she saw that Father Lin’s eyes were already filled with affection. He was not even this gentle when looking at Lin Yan.
“Grandpa.” The two kids hugged Father Lin’s legs, raised their little heads, and waved their small hands, whining cutely, “Please buy us an Ultraman? We beg you—”
Father Lin could not resist the eager look from his two well-behaved grandsons and immediately agreed, “Grandpa will take you to buy it.”
Fang Yuwei and Lin Yan exchanged a glance, “…”
It was a live demonstration lesson.
A challenge on how to make a man spend money on me using only three sentences.
And it was not just once!
Of course, Fang Yuwei did not let the “plot” of these two little ones succeed. As soon as she appeared, their eyes rolled quickly, and they hid behind Father Lin, only showing their little heads.
Father Lin mustered great courage to protect his good grandchildren. When Fang Yuwei stopped him from buying the Ultraman toys, he felt very disappointed inside.
“Mom will take you to buy it later.” Fang Yuwei said to her sons.
Father Lin worked hard to earn money. He woke up before dawn to pick vegetables in the garden and then sold them at the market. Despite working from early morning till late night, he earned very little, all of which was tricked away by these two kids.
“Thank you, Mom.”
The two little ones did not care who took them to buy toys. As long as someone took them, they were so happy they danced with joy.
Fang Yuwei kept her promise. After eating, and after Father Lin and Mother Lin went home, while Lin Yan was tidying up and preparing to close the shop, she took the two children to the supermarket next door to pick toys.
They agreed on the price; each child could only pick toys under two yuan.
After looking around, Xiao Chaochao chose a small truck, and Xiao Yangyang chose a mechanical duck that could move. Both were within two yuan.
Fang Yuwei paid happily.
When she brought the children back, Lin Yan saw the two different toys in their hands and immediately said, “You didn’t buy the same ones?”
Fang Yuwei shook her head, “They picked them themselves.”
The two kids loved their new toys very much and played happily.
“We still need to buy the same ones.” Lin Yan said again.
Fang Yuwei replied, “No need, they can just exchange to play later.”
When she said this, the children agreed, “Exchange to play.”
Lin Yan still wasn’t convinced. After several attempts to speak up, seeing Fang Yuwei’s expression, he stopped.
Perhaps the toys she bought were different in the children’s eyes.
Lin Yan still underestimated the kids. Just after they came home and washed up, the two began to argue over the toys.
“I want to play with that one.”
“I want to play with it too.”
Xiao Yangyang threw down his mechanical duck and wanted to play with Xiao Chaochao’s truck.
Fang Yuwei curiously walked over and suggested they could exchange to play.
The two kids obeyed immediately and exchanged nicely.
Fang Yuwei smiled with satisfaction. She had just stood up and walked a short distance when the two children started arguing again. This time, they both wanted the mechanical duck.
“Then we’ll switch back.” She softened her tone and suggested.
The two looked at each other and, on the basis of their good relationship, switched back.
Just as she turned around, Xiao Yangyang threw down the truck again and wanted to grab his mechanical duck back.
The two started fighting.
“What are you doing?” Fang Yuwei looked at the two kids with a headache.
“Waaahhh—”
“Waaahhh—”
The two got more furious and opened their mouths, shouting loudly at each other, “Ah—”
Then they charged at each other and continued fighting.
“Stop fighting.” Fang Yuwei had never seen such a scene. The noise made her head buzz.
Seeing the situation getting out of control, Lin Yan hurried over and said, “Dad will take you to buy more, buy them all.”
Otherwise, tonight would be unsettled.
The two kids reluctantly stopped fighting, each wanting the toy the other held.
“Buy, buy, buy.” Lin Yan immediately agreed. He put the truck and mechanical duck away and planned to buy identical ones to bring out later.
Now Fang Yuwei finally understood. Kids always fight over others’ toys. Even if they played well after swapping, they could throw them down at any time and rush to snatch them back.
Otherwise, they would cry.
The family of four put on their clothes and walked to the school gate. Coincidentally, the supermarket had already closed early.
At that moment, Fang Yuwei and Lin Yan both felt their scalps tingle and did not dare to look at the children’s expressions.
“Waaahhh—”
“I want the duck.”
“I want the truck, Dad, I want the truck.”
…
Lin Yan and Fang Yuwei took the children to several supermarkets in a row, but there were none.
Fang Yuwei even wanted to leave the children with Lin Yan and run away.
It was too terrible.
The two children cried and threw tantrums. Fang Yuwei’s head buzzed from the pain.
In the end, Lin Yan hid the two toys and lied seriously, “They went to find their little friends. Tomorrow, they will bring their friends back and play with you all together.”
“Really?” The two children, tears in their eyes, looked clearly and brightly at Lin Yan.
Lin Yan said, “Of course, really. They will be back tomorrow morning.”
Xiao Yangyang nodded, “We’ll sleep now. Tomorrow morning, we will see them.”
“Dad, tell me a story.” Xiao Chaochao went to get the bedtime storybook.
While Lin Yan was telling the children a story, Fang Yuwei finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She had not taken a shower yet. Holding her pajamas, she entered the bathroom and suddenly realized her period had started.
No wonder she was so irritable, her lower abdomen had been aching faintly since the afternoon, and her body felt tired.
After taking a shower, Fang Yuwei came out. The two children were still not asleep, their big round cute eyes fixed on Lin Yan, eagerly listening to his storytelling.
They even invited Fang Yuwei to join: “Mom, come quickly, Dad is telling a story.”
Fang Yuwei lay down and listened together with the children.
Lin Yan kept telling stories, telling and telling, but the two kids just would not sleep. Their heads seemed full of endless questions, asking one after another.
His throat became dry from talking, so he cleared it and patiently answered his sons’ strange and curious questions.
After Lin Yan finished one story, the children insisted on hearing the next. Fang Yuwei took the storybook and said, “Dad hasn’t showered yet. Mom will tell you a story.”
“Mom will tell,” the two climbed over to her and snuggled into her arms, picking out a story.
Fang Yuwei said, “Mom will tell two stories, then you have to sleep.”
“Okay~~~”
She sent Lin Yan to take a shower and began telling stories to the children.
But even after Lin Yan finished his shower and finished washing and hanging up Fang Yuwei’s and the children’s clothes, she had already told three or four stories, and the kids still were not asleep.
Fang Yuwei was obviously getting annoyed.
“Mom, tell one more,” Xiao Yangyang said happily, turning over.
Xiao Chaochao said, “Listen to the story of the Three Little Pigs, want to hear it.”
Seeing the children getting more and more demanding, fussing in her arms, Fang Yuwei, already drowsy with eyes half-closed, felt the two kids not letting her rest, their little hands grabbing her arm, shaking it.
“Mom—”
“Mom—”
“Tell a story, Mom—”
“Don’t sleep, Mom.”
Seeing Fang Yuwei close her eyes, Xiao Yangyang sat up, bent over, and stretched out his chubby little hand to pry her eyes open.
Fang Yuwei’s head felt like it was about to explode. She opened her eyes and looked at these troublesome little ones, then put her hands on their waists and tickled them.
“Hehehe—”
The two burst into clear laughter, dodging backward but quickly crawling back over when Fang Yuwei stopped, wanting to tickle their Mom again.
Fang Yuwei saw the children getting more energetic from playing, her smile stiffening at the corners of her lips.
One moment of carelessness, Xiao Chaochao was lying on top of her, Xiao Yangyang right behind.
Though small, they were all flesh and muscle. Fang Yuwei was thin and weak, and having them both on her made it hard to breathe.
One or two kids fussing like this could drive a person to the edge of sanity. Fang Yuwei lightly pushed them away, seeing Lin Yan already in bed, the children quickly crawled over to him.
Seeing the kids follow, she could no longer bear it, nearly raging but still forced herself to suppress it: “Lin Yan, please control your children!”
“Mom—”
Hearing their voices getting closer, and feeling the discomfort in her lower abdomen, Fang Yuwei was utterly exhausted. She decisively closed her eyes, hid in Lin Yan’s arms, and covered her ears.
Lin Yan reached out and hugged her, pulling her tighter into his arms. Without mercy, he pushed the approaching older son away and gave a quick kick with his foot. The younger son nearby was pushed back as well.
Both kids were hit and fell backward, flailing their arms and legs.
They were quite persistent; after being pushed, they immediately got up, thinking their parents were playing, and quickly climbed back up with quick moves.
“Go to sleep,” Lin Yan said expressionlessly, continuing to push the approaching children down, even using his feet to push them farther away.
He wanted to push them onto their small beds and keep a clear boundary.
Fang Yuwei closed her eyes for a while, finding the children had stopped bothering her. She let go of her ears, wrapped her slender arms around Lin Yan’s waist, and in a sleepy voice said, “I want to sleep.”
She was too tired and still uncomfortable.
“Mm.” Lin Yan rubbed her head gently and replied softly.
After speaking, he pointed at the two kids sitting up: “Mom is going to sleep. You two lie down and sleep too. Hurry.”
The two looked at their mom in Dad’s arms. Xiao Chaochao still wanted to climb over, but Lin Yan stared at him, and he stopped, turning to hug his little blanket and lay down, covering himself.
Sleep it is.
Dad was so fierce.
Xiao Yangyang saw his brother lie down and imitated him, covering himself with a blanket. Before sleeping, he turned his head to look at Mom and Dad, pouting in dissatisfaction.
Dad took Mom far away from them.
Usually, Fang Yuwei would sleep beside the kids, but Lin Yan indeed held her close to him today. The kids probably weren’t happy, but he was very pleased to hold his wife tightly as they slept.
When the kids fell asleep, Lin Yan looked at Fang Yuwei and couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her smooth, fair forehead, his eyes full of tenderness.
“My lower abdomen hurts,” Fang Yuwei slept restlessly. Feeling Lin Yan’s kiss, she had no energy to think further. Her voice was dragged out, sounding like a soft complaint.
Lin Yan understood. After letting go of her, he got off the bed to find socks, helped her put them on, then got back into bed holding her again, but changed their position.
Fang Yuwei noticed her pajamas being lifted. Just as she was about to stop him and scold him as a rogue, the next second his warm palm landed on her lower abdomen.
She tried to open her eyes slightly and saw his handsome face. His expression was calm and full of care and love for her.
“Sleep,” Lin Yan gently pecked her tender red lips, his actions soft, love completely unabashed.
He had always been this good to her.
“Mm—” Fang Yuwei suddenly felt that her two little rascals weren’t that troublesome. A smile gradually appeared between her brows, the corners of her lips lifting as she continued to close her eyes and sleep in his embrace.
Ayalee[Translator]
＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚