Chapter 10: Campaign

Zhao Ke understood the whole story after returning home and reacted calmly.  

There weren’t many easy jobs in the production team, so it was normal for others to try to take it. She would certainly compete, but she didn’t care much about immediate gains or losses. These weren’t as important as her current mood.  

However, the other three were completely overconfident. They all believed that being a primary school teacher was something Zhao Ke could easily secure. After all, it couldn’t be harder than getting into a factory, could it?  

Thus, their concern for Zhao Mian far exceeded whether Zhao Ke would successfully be elected.  

Zhao Jianguo worried, “Your sister has a soft temperament. Will she endure grievances and keep it to herself?”  

Zhao Ke blew on the hot fish soup. “I have informants.”  

Yu Xiulan frowned, “Your sister’s not like you, never lets yourself suffer a loss. Will she skip getting extra dishes in the cafeteria just to save money?”  

Zhao Ke took a sip, burning her tongue, and hissed, “I have informants.”  

“The first day Da Jie left, I already missed her.” Zhao Feng, eating the so-so food, was quite distressed. “Will she tell us soon that she’s dating someone and then marry into another family quickly?”  

Zhao Ke repeated, “I have informants.”  

Their worries were all dispelled with those three sentences. All of them stared at her without blinking.  

Zhao Ke finished her soup slowly, smacked her lips, and commented, “Mom, you added too much water.” The soup didn’t need to be milky white, but it was overly diluted.  

Yu Xiulan slapped away her hand reaching for the ladle. “You’re so picky! Don’t drink anymore!”  

Zhao Ke shrugged and gave up without caring.  

Yu Xiulan asked, “What kind of informants do you have?”  

“Master Yu keeps an eye on anyone she likes. She’s strict, but she handles any issues. I’m familiar with the cafeteria ladies, especially one with whom I have a good relationship. Before I left, I specifically asked for her help. As for Da Jie’s relationship prospects…”  

The factory’s male workers—there would certainly be plenty eager to please.  

Zhao Ke pursed her lips, “I told Da Jie not to be soft-hearted or thin-skinned. Take a year or so to get to know them. If anyone oversteps, my friend Xiaowen will let me know.”  

Zhao Mian would definitely listen to Zhao Ke. A year or so… it wouldn’t be too late.  

Relief showed in Yu Xiulan’s eyes, but she couldn’t help asking, “How do you have so many acquaintances?”  

“The more friends, the more paths. It’s just helping out when I can.”  

People aren’t fools. Zhao Ke never built relationships for personal gain, so her friendships naturally formed. Mutual help among friends was simply a matter of reciprocity.  

Yu Xiulan and Zhao Jianguo exchanged a glance, feeling both proud and a little wistful. Since Zhao Ke entered the factory, they’d realized their child had grown up.  

At this moment, Zhao Feng stealthily reached for the ladle.  

“Smack!”  

He got hit again.  

Zhao Feng retracted his hand, rubbing it pitifully. “But Jie didn’t drink it…”  

Yu Xiulan rolled her eyes, “Drinking so much water at night—don’t you know you’ll have to get up to pee?”  

Realizing not every child was as sensible or capable, Yu Xiulan’s disappointment vanished instantly. She turned and instructed Zhao Ke, “Your uncle said the school is short a teacher, and the kids can’t attend class easily. You’ll substitute for a few days.”  

Zhao Ke didn’t mind either way. After confirming she needed to be at the school the next day, she cleaned up and went to rest.  

The next morning, she got up early to review the lesson plans Da Jie had left behind.  

Yu Xiulan and Zhao Jianguo saw her and spoke privately, “She may look lazy, but she takes everything seriously.”  

After breakfast, Zhao Ke prepared herself and headed out.

From her home to the primary school in the west of the village, Zhao Ke had to pass through the entire village, including Zhao Er Nai’s house.  

Zhao Fangfang, with her big belly, was sweeping the courtyard. When she saw Zhao Ke, her eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact.  

Zhao Ke maintained her usual attitude, cheerfully greeting her. She glanced at Zhao Fangfang’s hand supporting her lower back and casually asked, “Where’s Jie Fu?”  

Zhao Fangfang glanced awkwardly toward the house and forced a laugh, “He… he’s reading.”  

Zhao Ke nodded and said nothing more.  

Zhao Fangfang, biting her lip, glanced at the cloth bag in Zhao Ke’s hand and asked, “Where are you going?”  

“To substitute for a few days.” Zhao Ke looked down at her watch. “Fang Jie, I’m short on time, so I’ll be off.”  

After Zhao Ke left, Hu Hezhi, just waking up, opened the window and complained, “The captain is too biased. Letting Zhao Ke substitute will give the members a preconceived notion.”  

Zhao Fangfang mumbled, “What can we do about it?”  

“Of course, we should have Nai go to the team committee to demand ‘fairness.’”  

Zhao Fangfang could only set down the broom, support her belly, and go find her grandmother.  

Meanwhile, Zhao Ke arrived at the school.  

The primary school in the production team had only three teachers, including the principal Gu Hongguang. One was Gu Hongguang’s educated youth wife, Wu Ying, and the other was Zhao Mian.  

Each was responsible for two grades: the principal taught the higher grades, Teacher Wu taught third and fourth grades, and Zhao Mian taught the newly admitted first and second graders.  

Before Zhao Mian joined, when there were fewer students, Principal Gu and Teacher Wu had taught all the students themselves.  

Not only Zhao Ke’s siblings, but many parents of current students had once been students of Principal Gu and Teacher Wu.  

The couple had no children of their own, treating the village’s children as their own. They warmly greeted Zhao Ke, with Teacher Wu personally leading her to the classroom. “We didn’t expect you to switch jobs for Xiaomian, but given your close relationship since childhood, Lao Gu and I aren’t surprised.”  

Zhao Ke shrugged, looking relaxed.  

Teacher Wu observed her and smiled even more kindly. “Let me introduce you to the students.”  

There were thirteen first graders and eleven second graders in one classroom. When Zhao Ke followed Teacher Wu in, the children all stared at her with curious, bright eyes.  

They must have heard of Zhao Ke from their elders or older siblings but weren’t familiar with her.  

Zhao Ke memorized the children’s appearances as Teacher Wu introduced them. She simply told the children she was the younger sister of the previous Teacher Zhao and that they could call her “Teacher Zhao” too. She said nothing more and began teaching right away.  

Due to limited educational resources, the two grades were taught together. When one grade had a lesson, the other either studied independently or did other activities.  

Sometimes, clever children could keep up with higher-grade lessons. If they passed exams, the school allowed them to skip grades.  

The teaching was very flexible.  

Zhao Ke’s first lesson was for the first graders. While teaching them, she multitasked, writing questions for the second graders on the side of the blackboard. Watching the second graders’ frustrated faces, she felt quite pleased.

Occasionally, when there were mischievous children, Zhao Ke only needed to glance over, and they would immediately sit obediently, without the need to deliberately maintain order.  

After one class, Zhao Ke was at ease, even feeling like she had found her calling.  

This job was perfect for her to “retire peacefully.”  

So much so that when she returned home at noon and learned that Zhao Er Nai had gone to the team committee to make a fuss, insisting that Hu Hezhi also go to substitute, and that the team leader had agreed, she finally felt a slight sense of crisis.  

“Your Er Nai made a scene about fairness, plus Zhuang Zhiqing also signed up. The team leader said the three of you should each take turns for a day.”  

“What about the remaining two days?”  

Yu Xiulan generously said, “I told the team leader that you wouldn’t compete for the substitute opportunity with the other two. They can have the remaining two days.”  

Zhao Ke’s brow moved slightly, but she still smiled, speaking seriously, “Mom, since it’s about fairness, it has to be fair for everyone. If I ‘yield,’ it seems a bit arrogant.”  

“What arrogance?” Yu Xiulan said unhappily, “You’ve read too many books, using such fancy words.”  

She didn’t take it to heart, so Zhao Ke didn’t argue further, just gave her a heads-up in advance: “I’ll keep a normal mindset. If I get it, it’ll be because of my ability. If I don’t, it means the others are capable.”  

Yu Xiulan didn’t think she would lose and waved her off to do her own thing.  

Zhao Ke left.  

In the afternoon, when she returned to the school, she was in the same state as in the morning, not tense due to the slight sense of crisis.  

She easily finished teaching two classes and didn’t hurry home. She went with Teacher Wu to dig for wild vegetables, returning around five o’clock.  

“Why are you back so late?”  

Zhao Ke put down the vegetable basket Teacher Wu had lent her and asked calmly, “What’s wrong?”  

Yu Xiulan, furious, said, “What’s wrong! Your Er Nai’s family is too shameless!”  

It turned out that after visiting Zhao Xinshan in the morning, Zhao Er Nai had spent the afternoon going door-to-door, distributing a couple of eggs here, a few ears of corn there, all to get people to vote for Hu Hezhi.  

Zhao Ke clicked her tongue, “Er Nai is really pulling out all the stops…”  

Normally, the old lady only took advantage, but this time she was actually giving away things. She must be determined to win.  

Yu Xiulan was livid, “Fairness and justice, my foot!”  

Zhao Jianguo calmly suggested, “We can also canvas votes for our daughter.”  

“No way! I’m the women’s director. How can I do that?”  

Just one morning and afternoon, Comrade Yu Xiulan had already learned the lesson of underestimating her opponents, but she could only swallow her bitterness. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have given in…”  

“Sigh—”  

Yu Xiulan hadn’t finished sighing when she looked at Zhao Feng, “What are you sighing for?”  

Zhao Feng drooped his eyebrows, “You wouldn’t understand.”  

Already annoyed, Yu Xiulan snapped, “Get lost! Stop annoying me!”  

Zhao Feng got up gloomily and walked out.  

Yu Xiulan: “…”  

Zhao Ke held back a laugh, stood up, and was about to return to her room.  

Yu Xiulan called her back, looking awkward and, for once, hesitating, “When you’re free, go around the village more. Be more friendly with the uncles and aunts.”  

Zhao Ke countered, “Then don’t be generous on my behalf next time. I’m an adult. I have my principles.”  

“No matter how old you are, even if you’re seventy or eighty, you’re still a child in front of your parents!”  

Zhao Ke said nothing, quietly watching her.  

Yu Xiulan’s gaze shifted, landing on her husband.  

Zhao Jianguo quickly moved aside, pretending not to see.  

Yu Xiulan, furious, kicked him lightly under the table and waved Zhao Ke away, “Fine, fine, I won’t meddle in your business anymore.”  

Though she said that, she would still meddle in the future.  

Since her dad was the one to soothe things, Zhao Ke left after hearing those words.  

As she closed the door, she looked up and couldn’t help but twitch her mouth at the sight.  

Zhao Feng was lying by the window, propping his chin up, staring blankly at the moon, exuding a melancholy air.  

No wonder Comrade Yu Xiulan scolded him. Zhao Ke couldn’t resist either, “Why aren’t you sleeping at night, acting like some brooding young man?”  

Zhao Feng glanced at her wistfully, “On one side is my real sister, on the other side is the one I like. You wouldn’t understand my dilemma…”  

Zhao Ke: “…”  

Are people who want to date all this crazy?