Chapter 14

After saying goodbye to the children, He Xianqiu carried her cibao and guaizao fruits back to the educated youth compound.

By then, the other educated youths had also returned from their exams. She saw a few of the male educated youths sitting in the main hall and greeted them.

“You’re back!”

“Mm.” Song Wenzhong nodded with a smile.

Seeing she was holding a big pile of wild fruits, He Xianqiu shared some with them. Though the young men declined at first, she still pressed some into their hands.

Just as she was about to leave, Sun Xiaoyan came in. The moment she walked in, she grabbed He Xianqiu’s hand anxiously.

“Comrade He, how did you finish your exam so quickly earlier? Didn’t you say you weren’t prepared?”

He Xianqiu frowned, her voice cool. “I didn’t have many questions—they were all drawing.”

Sun Xiaoyan froze for a second, then mumbled weakly, “Oh, I see.”

He Xianqiu didn’t bother to engage further. She turned and went back to the dormitory.

She didn’t know that after she left, Sun Xiaoyan ran into Zhao Yaling.

After He Xianqiu departed, Sun Xiaoyan also walked out. She had just stepped outside when Zhao Yaling called to her.

“Comrade Sun.”

Sun Xiaoyan looked up nervously. “Comrade Zhao, did you need something?”

Zhao Yaling gave a gentle smile. “How did you feel about today’s exam?”

Sun Xiaoyan looked dejected. “I couldn’t answer so many of the questions…”

Zhao Yaling’s expression flickered with a trace of disdain at her pitiful look, but it quickly vanished, replaced by her usual gentleness. She sighed.

“Ah, I couldn’t answer a lot of them either. But when I saw Xianqiu finish so early, I thought she must have done well. She looked so calm—it must have been easy for her.”

Sun Xiaoyan muttered, “She passed? But the day before yesterday when I asked her for review materials, she clearly knew…”

She obviously knew. Why didn’t she tell me? If He Xianqiu had shared, she could have answered more questions. Sun Xiaoyan resented her silently.

She completely forgot that He Xianqiu had said her exam was about drawing and that she didn’t really remember her high school lessons.

Zhao Yaling said softly beside her, “I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm, but still, we’re all educated youths. It’s hard to justify not helping each other.”

Sun Xiaoyan lowered her head. “Yes… We all live here, but she wouldn’t help.”

Seeing that Sun Xiaoyan was already dissatisfied with He Xianqiu, Zhao Yaling felt pleased.

Then she sighed with feigned helplessness. “But you’ll get used to it. She was spoiled by her family, so she can be a bit willful and domineering.”

At that moment, He Xianqiu was sitting on her bed, oblivious that someone was already planting seeds of discord against her.

After she divided the wild fruits among her roommates, she sat down to eat the cibao and guaizao.

The sweet and sour taste suited her perfectly, and she squinted contentedly.

Once she finished, she went to eat dinner and took a bath. Then she lay on her bed.

Since she had no books to read, she just stared up at the ceiling in a daze, eventually drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, she got up with the other educated youths and went to the elementary school to see the exam results.

The school gate was packed with people. The names of those admitted were written on red paper, and everyone crowded around it.

He Xianqiu, being tall, could see over people’s heads, but even with her 5.2 vision, she couldn’t make out the writing from that distance. The paper was only a little larger than an A4 sheet.

So she waited outside the crowd for people to thin out before going closer.

Standing there, staring at the ground, she felt a bit bored. Suddenly, someone stepped out of the crowd and called out in delight,

“Xianqiu, you passed!”

He Xianqiu looked up and saw Zhang Zhijuan. The moment she understood what was said, her mood soared.

She beamed. “What about you? Did you pass?”

Zhang Zhijuan couldn’t hide her smile and nodded. “I passed.”

They exchanged a happy glance and went into the school together.

Thirteen people in total had passed the exam. They all stood near the entrance, waiting to be interviewed.

He Xianqiu spotted some other educated youths—Sun Xiaoyan, who had pestered her for high school notes, the older brotherly Song Wenzhong, and the female lead of this world, Zhao Yaling.

Since they were a bit farther away, they didn’t notice her standing in the corner.

But those who were closer kept stealing glances at her.

After a while, the interviews began. A stern-looking female teacher came out and called, “Song Wenzhong, come in.”

He Xianqiu watched as Song Wenzhong answered and walked in. He seemed quite nervous.

About twenty minutes later, he came back out. Then the next person went in.

He Xianqiu felt tired from standing so long, so she found a spot to sit down.

When she heard her name, she stood up and answered, walking into the classroom.

Inside, the room was filled with worn but still sturdy desks and chairs. The principal, who also served as Qinggang Elementary’s head, sat at the front.

The teacher who’d brought her in briefly explained the requirements.

He Xianqiu listened attentively. Once the instructions were over, she began her lesson.

The interview consisted of a mock class, to see if she could teach clearly and engage students.

Holding a piece of chalk, she drew a few simple animals on the board and told some little stories, making the lesson neither dull nor noisy—just lively and interesting.

The principal, Cong Hongliang, watched her teach and felt very satisfied. The class was engaging and clear, with detailed instruction on how to draw.

When He Xianqiu finished, he stood up and said with a smiling face, “You taught very well.”

He Xianqiu smiled back. “Thank you.”

After that, she went back out to wait for the results, while another person went in.

By the time it was her turn, there weren’t many people left. Within a few dozen minutes, the interviews were over.

Principal Cong came out to announce the final candidates. He Xianqiu stared at him, listening carefully for her name.

When he called it, she broke into a bright smile.

But when she didn’t hear Zhang Zhijuan’s name, her joy dimmed. Only she and Song Wenzhong had made it from their group.

She looked at Zhang Zhijuan, worried. Zhang forced a smile. “It’s okay.”

Seeing how she struggled to hide her disappointment, He Xianqiu felt that any attempt to comfort her would only be hollow, so she let her friend process it in peace.

They returned to the compound together. Zhang Zhijuan quietly lay down on her bed, while He Xianqiu went to sit outside in the main hall.

Outside, Sun Xiaoyan was standing with her head down, dejected after failing the interview and missing her chance to be a teacher.

Zhao Yaling stood beside her. Every time she thought about He Xianqiu passing, she felt uncomfortable. Why should she have succeeded?

An idea struck her, and she began speaking. She sighed,

“Comrade Sun, we’re actually not inferior at all.”

Sun Xiaoyan murmured, “Really…”

Zhao Yaling looked at her vacant expression, a flash of disgust crossing her eyes, but she maintained her gentle tone.

“The principal was just too demanding.”

Then, as if offhandedly, she added,

“Xianqiu passed, but her family is very wealthy. This job probably means little to her. Being a teacher is easy—anyone can do it…” She sounded regretful. “If only I’d chosen art, too.”

Sun Xiaoyan’s eyes flickered at her words. Zhao Yaling had been watching her reaction closely, and when she saw that Sun understood what she was hinting at, she felt satisfied.

If I can’t pass, at least I can make trouble for He Xianqiu.

After that, Zhao Yaling went back to the dormitory, while Sun Xiaoyan stood there motionless.

He Xianqiu, sitting in the hall, saw Zhao Yaling return and didn’t react. She nibbled a milk candy, lost in thought.

Suddenly, someone stood in front of her. He Xianqiu looked up—it was Sun Xiaoyan.

“Do you need something?”

Sun Xiaoyan hesitated, then said, “Comrade He, could you…not take the teacher’s position? Your family is so rich.”

He Xianqiu was startled. “Why?”

Sun Xiaoyan stammered, “If you don’t take it, then maybe I’d have a chance. After all, being an art teacher must be easy…”

He Xianqiu was stunned. “Are you out of your mind? Even if I refused, that doesn’t mean they’d pick you. You still need to know how to draw. And why should I refuse? I passed fair and square.”

What kind of thinking was this? How could she even say that out loud?

But Sun Xiaoyan didn’t seem to hear her. She insisted,

“Comrade He, your family is wealthy, and I have to scrimp and save just to eat. I often go hungry and have to send my extra rations home so my little brother can eat well. This job means everything to me. Can’t you give it up so I’d have a chance?”

Hearing this increasingly absurd talk, He Xianqiu was furious.

“How you eat and how your family lives has nothing to do with me. What right do you have to ask me to give up the job I earned? Even if I didn’t take it, someone else who applied for art would get it—not you.”

No wonder I thought she looked so thin and sallow when I first saw her. She’s basically a parasite.

And the logic here is unbelievable. What does she mean I should give up my job so she can take it? That’s impossible.

The commotion drew the other educated youths over. They had heard part of He Xianqiu’s reply already. The way they looked at Sun Xiaoyan turned instantly strange.

Seeing everyone staring, Sun Xiaoyan flushed with embarrassment but still said,

“Comrade He, even if you don’t become a teacher, you’d still be fine. Your family is rich. Couldn’t you just not take it?”

He Xianqiu was speechless. “I wasn’t the only one who chose the art exam. Even if I gave it up, it wouldn’t be handed to you. And what does my family’s wealth have to do with whether I should accept a job I earned on my own?”

When Sun Xiaoyan heard that there were other candidates for the art position, her face went pale. She murmured,

“There were others? How could this happen…”

He Xianqiu was beyond exasperated. Sun Xiaoyan still didn’t realize the problem was herself.

This kind of unreasonable demand—who would agree to it?

She hadn’t passed, so she tried to guilt-trip someone else into quitting so she could have a shot.

And just because someone was wealthy, they were supposed to give up a hard-won opportunity to someone else?

What brain-dead logic.