Chapter 13.1 Little Swallow, Wearing a Flowery Dress

Seeing Ruan Wenhui’s expression, Shu Qingyao was slightly stunned.

She had originally thought that Ruan Wenhui and Jiang Xun had gotten together after they met at the company.

But looking at her expression, it was clearly…

Love at first sight.

Jin Zhuang yelled for the educated youths to leave, and Shu Qingyao didn’t have time to think further. After everyone had left, she went into her room, took out the remaining three kilograms of flour, and found Old Liu in the kitchen, asking him to help her steam four steamed buns every morning. She would eat one herself, and the remaining three would be taken to Xie Hezhang.

Old Liu smiled and agreed.

These three kilograms of flour wouldn’t make many steamed buns. Eating four a day, they would be gone in a little over a week.

She would have to wait until the weekend to go to town and buy some meat. Then she would make braised pork and meat buns for Xie Hezhang.

Shu Qingyao imagined herself feeding Xie Hezhang in the future, making him strong and healthy, and her whole being felt much more energetic.

The seventeen-year-old Xie Hezhang was handsome, but he was still too thin, too frail. It made her uncomfortable to look at him.

…

Fang Han hung around the entrance of the educated youth dormitory, watching the commotion, then swaggered off to the wheat field.

Their task today was to cut wheat. There were already villagers working in the field.

When they saw Fang Han coming, none of the villagers in Helian Village even glanced at him, treating him like air.

This kind of treatment was something they, as “landlord’s children” with bad backgrounds, had long been accustomed to. Fang Han didn’t care. Seeing Xie Hezhang bending over to bundle wheat, he pounced on him, his tall figure almost crushing Xie Hezhang against the wheat stack.

“Damn it, what are you going crazy for early in the morning!”

Xie Hezhang kicked him.

“Bro, Hezhang.” Fang Han winked at him, “Guess what I heard when I passed by the educated youth dormitory just now?”

Xie Hezhang frowned, impatiently kicking his butt, “Go work!”

“That female educated youth said in the dormitory that she’s going to chase after you! My god, I heard it at the door!”

Xie Hezhang paused in his work, raised his head expressionlessly, and said coldly, “If you don’t finish your work today, don’t expect me to help you.”

They were underage, so their work points were two points less than those of adult men, only eight points. And the squad leader didn’t like them, so the tasks assigned to them were already heavy. If they didn’t finish today, they might even be deducted half a point.

This guy Fang Han was already late, and he was still chattering away. It was annoying to look at him.

Xie Hezhang kicked him aside.

“Go work.”

“Bro, don’t you know which female educated youth it is? It’s the one who struck up a conversation with you in the public dining hall a few days ago, the one who’s the prettiest…” Fang Han continued to chatter.

Xie Hezhang narrowed his eyes dangerously at him with his sickle, and Fang Han shut up obediently, “Uh… I’m going to work.”

He immediately slipped away.

His Hezhang hit hard.

Xie Hezhang lowered his eyes and continued to bend over to cut wheat.

[That female educated youth said in the dormitory that she’s going to chase after you!]

He believed that Shu Qingyao was capable of doing such a thing.

After all, he had never seen a woman as bold as Shu Qingyao.

She was delicate and weak, yet she was so enthusiastic in front of him, daring to say anything.

Were all the girls from the city so shameless?

Xie Hezhang frowned slightly.

A strange feeling of annoyance welled up in his heart.

*

Shu Qingyao took the letter of introduction and found the principal of the elementary school.

The village cadres in Helian Village valued education. Although it was a private elementary school, the teaching building they built was actually quite good, with white walls and blue tiles, looking very sturdy.

The elementary school was a five-year system, with only three classes per grade, each with about twenty students. Although it wasn’t many compared to city schools, there weren’t many students in the village who could successfully finish elementary school. The higher the grade, the fewer students there were.

By the fifth grade, the three classes had been merged into one.

Parents usually only let their children who couldn’t work yet go to school to learn a few characters. When they got older, they would take them to work together to earn work points. For rural people, studying was a waste of time, and it was more important to work and earn work points.

The principal of Helian Elementary School was a woman. She had a kind smile and showed Shu Qingyao around the school. Then she led her to an empty classroom, pointed to a wooden Danfeng brand foot-pedal organ inside, and said to Shu Qingyao, “Teacher Shu, try this piano to see if it’s suitable.”

This foot-pedal organ was donated by a family in the city when the school was first built, but it had been left unused for years because none of the educated youths knew how to play it.

Shu Qingyao knew that the other party was trying to test whether she really knew how to play, so she didn’t hesitate. She said “Okay” and walked over to lift the piano lid, playing “The East Is Red” for the female principal.

Actually, Shu Qingyao was quite skilled at the piano. She had studied under a famous teacher since she was a child and had even participated in several international competitions before she got married. If she hadn’t married Jiang Xun, she might have become a female pianist.

And the unhappiness in her marriage to Jiang Xun had led her to give up the piano for a while. After she married Xie Hezhang, she had picked up the piano again, which she hadn’t played for years, with his support…

When “The East Is Red” ended, the female principal smiled, clapped her hands, and said, “Teacher Shu, although I don’t understand the piano, you play so beautifully. I’ve never heard such beautiful piano music.”

Shu Qingyao smiled.

The foot-pedal organ was the cheapest type of piano, and it was the most commonly used piano in rural elementary schools in the 1970s. The sound quality was naturally not that good, and it was worlds apart from a real piano. But for people who had never been exposed to the piano, it was still a novelty to listen to.

Several black-haired little heads popped out of the classroom window, peeking into the classroom. When they saw Shu Qingyao looking over, they blushed and pushed each other, hiding to the side.

One little head was pushed out, blushing and curiously looking at the young, beautiful female teacher in front of him. Then, he boldly asked, “Principal Xu, is she the new music teacher?”

Principal Xu smiled and said, “Yes, you’ll have one music class a week, and Teacher Shu will teach you. Come on, say hello to Teacher Shu!”

The little head quickly said, “Hello, Teacher Shu!”

Shu Qingyao took out a handful of fruit candies from her small bag and gave them to the children who were making the most noise, smiling and nodding.

There was only one music teacher in the school, and there were twelve classes in total. If each class had one class a week, Shu Qingyao would have to teach about two music classes every day, and three classes on two days. It wasn’t an easy task.

But compared to working in the fields all day long, it was much easier.

Shu Qingyao’s first class was teaching the first graders to sing “Little Swallow.”

Little swallow, wearing a flowery dress, comes here every spring. I asked the swallow why you came, the swallow said the spring here is the most beautiful…

A clear and sweet female voice accompanied by beautiful piano music echoed through Helian Elementary School.

After finishing the last class of the afternoon, the students all went home for lunch.

Shu Qingyao wandered to the office alone, found her desk, and just sat down when she saw a man walk in.

It was Jiang Xun.

Shu Qingyao didn’t really have any feelings for her ex-husband. After all, they didn’t know each other now, and they shouldn’t have any contact in the future.

But she didn’t expect Jiang Xun to come and talk to her.

“Teacher Shu, have you had lunch? I’ll take you to the cafeteria to eat.”

He looked polite and gentle, with fair skin and a scholarly aura. Ordinary girls would really love him.

Unfortunately, Shu Qingyao found him repulsive now.

Taking out her lunchbox from her small bag, Shu Qingyao said, “I brought my own lunch.”

Jiang Xun paused, before he could speak, Tong Yuan walked in with a book in her arms. She seemed surprised to see Jiang Xun there, and she was stunned for a moment. Seeing Shu Qingyao sitting in the office, her face turned ugly. She walked over to Jiang Xun and said, “Jiang Xun, accompany me to the cafeteria for lunch!”

Jiang Xun responded, put down the textbook in his hand, and smiled, “Let’s go.”

Tong Yuan was relieved to see him agree and walked out with him.

“Jiang Xun, tell me honestly, do you have your eye on her?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Then why don’t you agree to be my boyfriend?”

“We haven’t known each other for long, and we don’t know each other well.”

“So you like her type?”