Chapter 2

“Little girl, are you okay?”

A kind-hearted middle-aged man stepped forward and helped Lin Nanzhi up. She rubbed her arm—thankfully, it wasn’t dislocated, just a ligament strain. She shook her head and said, “I’m fine, thank you, sir!”

“What kind of driving is that?!”

The bus driver, who had a fiery temper, stopped the vehicle and immediately rolled down the window to yell at the small car in front. “Do you have any idea how dangerous this road is?! Are you in such a rush to reincarnate?! Even if you wanted to overtake, didn’t you see me coming?! If you’re not going to use those eyes of yours, why don’t you donate them to someone who will?”

The driver of the small car was quite something as well. Despite almost causing an accident by overtaking recklessly, he showed no remorse whatsoever. Instead, he got out of his car, completely self-righteous, and started shouting back at the bus driver:

“You’re the one with issues! Your whole family has issues!

Didn’t you see the big ‘TRAINEE DRIVER’ sticker on my car?

I’m a newbie on the road! Shouldn’t you be giving way to me?”

Lin Nanzhi, still young and nursing her injured arm, had been offered a seat by the kind man earlier. Now, sitting by the window, she watched the scene unfold.

People always say that ‘road menaces’ are female drivers, but clearly, that’s not always the case!

Here was a prime example.

Not only was his driving terrible, but he also didn’t even understand traffic laws.

New drivers aren’t allowed on highways—this is something every driving student knows. Granted, this was a small, less regulated city, but taking responsibility for one’s actions was still basic common sense.

“Hey! What kind of logic is that?! Just because you’re a new driver, you’re automatically in the right?” The bus driver, just as hot-tempered, fired back immediately, and soon, the two were locked in a shouting match.

Passengers on the bus eagerly leaned forward to watch the drama unfold, each determined to get the best view of the commotion.

Squished by the crowd, Lin Nanzhi found her face nearly pressed against the glass. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Typical.

People love drama.

Always eager to be at the frontlines of gossip.

Even when there are more pressing matters at hand.

—-

Lin Nanzhi glanced at the clock on the bus—it was 11 a.m. Even without this incident, they wouldn’t have reached the city until noon, and by then, the education bureau would already be closed. Since she had time to kill anyway, she might as well enjoy the drama. By the time they got to the city, it would already be around 1 p.m.

And so, despite being squished uncomfortably, Lin Nanzhi happily indulged in the spectacle.

Over an hour later, traffic police finally arrived to resolve the dispute, and the bus was able to continue on its journey.

Due to the delay and the lack of speed monitors on this stretch of the highway, the bus driver, now impatient, sped all the way to the city, making the trip in just forty minutes.

Lin Nanzhi, having eaten nothing all morning, was starving. After getting off the bus, she bought a local specialty—fried rice cakes unique to Wumeng—and ate as she made her way to the education bureau.

Her hometown, Wumeng City in the southern province, was still relatively underdeveloped. In her memory, these past two years had seen little progress. The city center had few high-rise buildings; many areas still consisted of old apartment blocks, and some places even had mud or red-brick houses.

The education bureau was located in an alley in the northern district’s market area.

She casually tossed her food wrapper into the trash bin at the entrance before stepping inside.

—-

The education bureau was small, enclosed by red-brick walls. The inside walls were painted white and covered with patriotic slogans in red ink, urging students to study hard. On both the left and right stood two-story buildings, with a three-story building in the center. The rest of the area was landscaped with greenery, making for a pleasant view.

This was her first visit to the bureau, and she wasn’t sure whom she needed to speak to. But that didn’t matter—whoever she found first would do.

People in this city were still relatively warm and welcoming.

Just as she was about to ask for directions, a young woman in a black suit walked over. She appeared to be in her early twenties, carrying a stack of documents. Upon seeing Lin Nanzhi, she smiled and asked, “Little sister, what brings you here?”

“Are you from the education bureau?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I want to report some teachers at my school for disrespecting students, discriminating against those with lower grades, failing to take action when students are slandered, and even resorting to corporal punishment without investigating the situation properly.”

At these words, the young woman’s warm smile instantly disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.

“Which school are you from?”

“Qingya Middle School, Class 2-1.”

The woman immediately led Lin Nanzhi into her office and handed her a blank sheet of paper. “Write down your complaint,” she said before leaving to inform the relevant personnel.

—-

In recent years, new policies had been implemented to focus on reducing student dropout rates, especially in regions like theirs.

Qingya Middle School and Jingning Middle School were the only two rural middle schools under Zhaoyang District’s jurisdiction. Due to their remote locations, managing them was challenging.

Even after nine years of compulsory education, dropout rates remained high. There were at least 800 to 1,000 dropouts annually. The government had been pushing for solutions, even instructing officials to personally call students to convince them to return. But at best, only about 1% ever came back.

Everyone was at a loss over how to tackle the issue, especially under pressure from higher authorities.

But today, this student’s visit sparked an idea.

Since these were rural schools, most teachers were locals from Wumeng City, with only a handful being assigned from outside. Many local teachers still held outdated beliefs, resorting to physical punishment and verbal abuse.

Previous inspections of these schools had found nothing suspicious. But if what this student said was true, had they been deceived all along?

Perhaps the constant dropout problem finally had an explanation.

This matter needed to be taken seriously.

Soon, Lin Nanzhi finished writing her report, just as the young woman returned—with a bottle of milk. She handed it to Lin Nanzhi with a smile.

“Can you tell me the details?” she asked.

Lin Nanzhi recounted everything—the week of mistreatment they had endured and the school’s inaction.

The more she spoke, the angrier the woman became.

As a fellow woman, she was enraged. She recalled similar experiences from her own school days, making her even more furious. Slamming a hand against her chest, she promised, “Before the end of the month, we will investigate thoroughly and give you a proper response.”

It was already December, so there were only about ten days left until the end of the month—not too long to wait.

Having understood the process, Lin Nanzhi prepared to leave. Before she did, the woman handed her fifteen yuan for travel expenses and urged her to buy something to eat while waiting for updates.

The bus fare alone cost six yuan for a round trip, and while her school had a cafeteria, meals weren’t free.

She lived on campus and had a weekly allowance of fifty yuan, which she had to stretch carefully.

—-

Today was Friday, and she had less than ten yuan left. She gratefully accepted the money with a smile, thinking that once she earned her own money, she would pay it back.

For now, she really needed that fifteen yuan.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t even have enough to get home.