Chapter 35

After school at the elementary, the children gradually made their way home.

Parents noticed that their kids seemed unusually excited today.

Upon asking, they found out that the art teacher had been changed, and the new teacher was none other than the wife of Battalion Commander Lu.

As to why they knew she was the Battalion Commander’s wife, it was naturally because she was quite famous.

When she first moved into the family quarters, her beauty took the entire community by storm.

Coupled with the stark contrast of her rugged husband, Lu Weiguo, their beauty-and-the-beast pairing became a hot topic for gossip.

In this era without the internet and with limited information, people focused on the small events in their neighborhood.

Just when people were getting used to the gossip about the Battalion Commander’s wife’s beauty, a new piece of news surfaced.

It turned out that she had quietly become a teacher at the district elementary school.

From the way the kids talked, Lu Weiguo’s wife seemed to be quite a good teacher.

At least, this time, the drawings in their sketchbooks were recognizable.

Shi Tingyu was unaware that the community was so gossipy, discussing her and Lu Weiguo as if they were celebrities.

Whenever she passed by groups of chatting residents, she felt extremely self-conscious.

Even if they weren’t talking, their looks made her feel as if she was about to be scandalized.

Luckily, she was gradually getting used to it.

On her first day at work, Shi Tingyu concluded that the elementary school children were relatively well-behaved, still in the stage where teachers were revered.

A teacher’s words were more influential than those of their parents.

Especially now, when a little praise, no matter how minor, could make a child happy for a long time.

The children were quite reserved; even a gentle tone of praise would make them blush furiously.

She was sure she wasn’t intentionally creating a “gentle teacher” persona.

She was just following the common practice of finding a point to praise.

Seeing the children’s reactions made her realize that kids today were different from those in the future, who grew up under constant praise from their parents.

Back then, the saying “Spare the rod, spoil the child” was still prevalent, and parents often told teachers to discipline their children strictly.

However, she didn’t change her teaching style, preferring to teach comfortably as long as the content was appropriate.

If it were the early days of the Cultural Revolution, she would have had to be more cautious, as many teachers were denounced or criticized by their students.

But now, she didn’t have to worry as much. The children were still young, and they were in a military district, where the influence of the Cultural Revolution was limited.

When Shi Tingyu returned home from work today, she found that Lu Weiguo was already back.

Seeing him busy in the kitchen, she asked, “Why are you back so early today?”

Lu Weiguo’s eyes lingered on her for a few moments. Seeing the faint smile on her face, he guessed her first day at work went well.

“Today’s training wasn’t too intense, so I thought I’d come back early.”

Shi Tingyu noticed his vague answer, tilted her head, and watched him for a while. Just as he started to feel uncomfortable, she said, “I thought you came back early because you were worried about my first day at work.”

Lu Weiguo’s hand paused mid-chop, and his eyes shifted briefly. “No such thing.”

He quickly changed the subject, “I saw some cucumbers and eggplants at home, so I thought I’d prepare them.”

“Alright, I was planning to make that for dinner anyway,” Shi Tingyu said as she went to change her clothes. After washing her hands, she took over Lu Weiguo’s kitchen duties.

Lu Weiguo didn’t leave; he stood nearby to help.

With his tall stature, his presence made the kitchen feel cramped.

However, Shi Tingyu didn’t ask him to leave. Having someone around while working was nice, and it gave the man a sense of participation, preventing him from eventually thinking that cooking was solely her responsibility.

After a period of silence, during which he occasionally handed her items or fetched water, Lu Weiguo asked, “Was there anything difficult about your first day teaching?”

Shi Tingyu’s lips curved up slightly before she quickly suppressed it. Her tone was neutral as she replied, “Overall, it went well.”

Lu Weiguo frowned, sensing that her “overall” had more to it. “Were the students unruly? Or were the colleagues hard to get along with?”

“The colleagues are fine. As for the students…”

The atmosphere around Lu Weiguo grew tense. He asked in a low voice, “Were the students misbehaving? Which student? What’s their name?”

Originally, Shi Tingyu just wanted to tease him, but his question piqued her curiosity. “What would you do with their name? Are you planning to give them a beating?”

Lu Weiguo paused for a suspicious few seconds. “I don’t hit kids.”

Shi Tingyu gave a somewhat detached compliment, “Good for you.”

Lu Weiguo: …

“I may not hit the troublesome kids, but I can certainly have a chat with their parents.”

Shi Tingyu saw a hint of seriousness in his eyes and quickly said, “I was just joking. The kids are all good. They’re all afraid of their teachers, and there are very few who would actually dare to defy them.”

After repeatedly confirming that the students weren’t giving her any trouble, Lu Weiguo finally dropped the subject.

Before Shi Tingyu got off work, Lu Weiguo had already started cooking, with the side dishes prepared. All Shi Tingyu needed to do was stir-fry them.

As the food was about to be ready, Lu Weiguo suggested, “Let’s eat dinner in the yard?”

In summer, many people liked to eat outside where it was cooler.

Shi Tingyu agreed.

Lu Weiguo moved a table outside and lit a mosquito coil under it, as the warmer weather had brought more mosquitoes, especially in their yard.

The summer evening was still bright. They enjoyed their dinner in the refreshing breeze.

After washing the dishes, Lu Weiguo brought a bag to Shi Tingyu. To her surprise, it was a bag of White Rabbit Creamy Candy.

“Where did this candy come from?” she asked.

“I bought it in town this afternoon after training. You can take it to school and share it with the teachers in the office to build good relationships,” Lu Weiguo explained.

He knew that since Shi Tingyu returned to China, she hadn’t worked outside the home. This was her first job, and he had been anxious all day.

He worried about her delicate nature and the office environment.

He wondered if she would get along with the teachers and students or if anyone would give her a hard time.

He was also concerned that her introverted nature might be misunderstood as arrogance, leading to difficulties for her.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, so he took leave early, which is why he came home and bought the candy.

Seeing his worried expression, Shi Tingyu felt warm inside. “Alright, I’ll take it tomorrow.”

Seeing her accept the candy, Lu Weiguo felt relieved. “There’s another bag in the room for you to snack on.”

He had been worried that Shi Tingyu might not want to take the candy to school. She wasn’t the type to enjoy socializing or giving out gifts to curry favor.

But unexpectedly, she agreed.

Shi Tingyu wasn’t ungrateful. Since Lu Weiguo had even considered her work relationships, it wasn’t too much for her to take that step.