The middle-aged man reminded Old Xu, who finally returned to the main topic.

What followed was the middle-aged man asking questions, while Jiang Cheng provided the account.

After several confirmations, the middle-aged man said, “Comrade Jiang Cheng, just act as usual. We will follow up on this situation. If you obtain any further information, please inform us while ensuring your own safety.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go back and put two bricks in my bag!”

Middle-aged man: That’s not necessary.

Jiang Cheng knew that someone would still conduct a background check on her, but the original host’s life was simple, so she wasn’t afraid of being investigated.

As they parted, Old Xu once again called out to Jiang Cheng, bringing up the matter of learning other languages.

This time, Teacher Lü did not stop her. She also felt that Jiang Cheng should learn from Old Xu.

“Mr. Xu, I only have time in the mornings at the moment. If you don’t mind me, I’ll trouble you for a while.”

“Good, good, good! Here’s my address. I’ll be here during this period, so feel free to come find me.”

Jiang Cheng took the paper and expressed her gratitude. Together with Teacher Lü, she saw Old Xu and the middle-aged man off.

After watching the two leave, Jiang Cheng supported Teacher Lü and said in a somewhat coquettish tone, “Teacher, I’m so capable. I’ll be back in no time after learning. Don’t miss me too much during the day.”

Teacher Lü was amused by Jiang Cheng and tapped her forehead with a finger, saying, “Your mouth…”

“It’s pretty, right?”

Jiang Cheng teased, and Teacher Lü patted the back of her hand, saying, “Don’t worry, I was already planning to let you learn from him.”

“Teacher, you’re truly far-sighted and wise. I can’t keep up with you.”

Teacher Lü let go of Jiang Cheng’s arm and pretended to be annoyed, saying, “Give your mouth a rest.”

The old and the young exchanged a smile, both understanding each other’s meaning.

Teacher Lü genuinely cared for Jiang Cheng and the bigger picture.

Jiang Cheng sincerely respected Teacher Lü. No matter how many teachers she might have in the future, Teacher Lü would always be the first.

A deep bond of teacher-student affection surrounded the two.

“Hey, I’m still here.”

Principal Wang, who had been squatting in the corner, stood up again, supporting himself against the wall and stomping his numb legs.

Teacher Lü glanced over, and Principal Wang looked around, not daring to meet her gaze, muttering, “I’m just here for a bit.”

This familiar scene made Principal Wang, who had given up his office, sigh: Ever since Jiang Cheng arrived, his days had truly been getting worse.

*

The night school’s dismissal time arrived.

Jiang Cheng carried her backpack, holding a copper gong, and walked spiritedly ahead of Lin Chengyuan and He Dan.

The two behind her whispered and occasionally let out exaggerated fake laughs, deliberately making sure Jiang Cheng could hear them.

Jiang Cheng, walking ahead, curled the corner of her lips.

“Chengyuan—hehehe—”

“Dong———”

The pure sound of the gong struck like thunder, echoing through the night sky and exploding in He Dan’s ears, cutting off her laughter abruptly.

“Jiang Cheng, you—”

“Dong———”

Another strike interrupted He Dan again.

He Dan, unwilling to give up, tugged at Lin Chengyuan’s arm. Lin Chengyuan, with a displeased expression, scolded, “Jiang—”

“Dong dong dong dong!”

Jiang Cheng struck the gong four times in rapid succession, causing Lin Chengyuan and He Dan to cover their ears, unable to say anything.

Jiang Cheng didn’t look back, striding forward and leaving the fuming He Dan and Lin Chengyuan behind.

When Jiang Cheng returned to the courtyard, the first person she saw at the entrance was Grandma Shen.

“Grandma Shen, I’m back.”

“Good, Du Yun has given birth. It’s been just over an hour. It’s a girl.”

Jiang Cheng nodded, handed the gong to Grandma Shen, and went straight to Du Yun’s house with her backpack still on.

“Aunt Li, has Du Yun given birth?”

Jiang Cheng called out loudly before lifting the door curtain and walking in.

Her backpack was still on, and she looked dusty, clearly in a hurry.

“She’s given birth. She’s lying inside.”

Aunt Li, seeing Jiang Cheng empty-handed, wasn’t very enthusiastic. Since it wasn’t a grandson, she didn’t feel particularly happy.

“That’s good. I’ve been worried about this all day. Can I go in and see Du Yun?”

“Go ahead.”

Aunt Li said indifferently and turned to go inside.

“Jiang Cheng, come in.”

Du Yun, hearing Jiang Cheng’s voice, called out from inside.

Seeing Jiang Cheng enter, Du Yun felt a bit awkward.

During the day, a relative of hers from the recycling station had sent word for her to be careful. Jiang Cheng had performed so well that everyone, from Sister Wang to the director, liked her.

Du Yun’s heart was indeed stirred, and coupled with the fact that she had given birth to a daughter, she felt somewhat upset.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like having a daughter, but she thought that since her daughter wouldn’t be favored by her grandmother, she would inevitably suffer in this family.

Du Yun, having just given birth, was experiencing a sudden drop in hormones, and her emotions were complex and volatile.

“Du Yun.”

Jiang Cheng took out a package of brown sugar from her backpack, which looked to be about a pound.

This could be considered a very generous gift.

“Here’s some brown sugar to nourish your body. You’ve worked hard and must be exhausted. Make sure to take good care of yourself and let your body recover properly.”

Jiang Cheng’s voice was like the warm sun of spring.

She was the first person to ask how Du Yun was doing, the first to say she had worked hard, and the first to tell her to rest well and take care of herself.

Everyone else had only asked whether it was a boy or a girl.

Even when they urged her to eat, it was only to say that if she didn’t eat, the baby wouldn’t have milk.

“Wuuu—wu—”

Tears streamed down Du Yun’s face uncontrollably, and she didn’t even know why.

Jiang Cheng sat on a stool, took a towel from nearby, and wiped Du Yun’s tears.

“Du Yun, I don’t know much. But I promise you, I will return your job to you.”

“Now that you’re a mother, you must also love yourself. Only when you are strong can you protect those you want to protect.”

Jiang Cheng said a few more words, though she didn’t know how much Du Yun would take in.

She only sought to be true to her conscience.

Regardless of Du Yun’s initial intentions, she had indeed helped Jiang Cheng when she was in a difficult situation.

Besides, women shouldn’t make things hard for each other. Du Yun wasn’t He Dan.

After leaving the brown sugar, Jiang Cheng left, and Du Yun felt deeply ashamed.

At this moment, Du Yun understood one thing: having a higher education doesn’t necessarily mean having better character.

Jiang Cheng was different.

Now, Du Yun firmly believed that Jiang Cheng wouldn’t take her job, because Jiang Cheng would have a better future.

When Jiang Cheng returned to Grandma Shen’s house, she unexpectedly saw Shen Xing.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“Sis! From now on, you’re my real sister!”

Shen Xing’s eyes were shining. If not for his limited mobility, he would probably have prostrated himself to express his excitement.

“Did the Zhu family come?”

Shen Xing nodded repeatedly.

“They came! Sis, let me tell you, Zhu Xiaopang got beaten up really badly!”

Shen Xing spoke animatedly, completely letting loose as a chatterbox at this moment.

Jiang Cheng sat quietly to the side, listening attentively to Shen Xing’s words, occasionally showing surprise or agreement, which made Shen Xing even more eager to talk.

The two, one big and one small, chatted freely, filled with laughter and joy.

Far away, Shen Que, Shen Xing’s elder brother, soon received the second letter.

After reading the letter, Shen Que had only one thought: Why does it feel like I’m about to be replaced???

Who exactly is this Jiang Cheng?