Ayalee: Special birthday treat: 1 full chapter unlocked from each of my translations for everyone to enjoy because it’s my birthday today! Enjoy🎉

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Chapter 33.1

“I’m a farmer, how can I not know these things?” Luo Lan chuckled. Zhou Junfang was truly naive, having been sheltered by her in-laws. But the girl was sweet and endearing.

“Sister-in-law, do teachers also have to farm? I heard that elementary school teachers need to grow vegetables. What about grains? Do they have to work in the fields too?”

“You girls can work on the vegetable garden together. Don’t worry, if you don’t know how, I’ll ask my nephew to help. You receive the grains every month at the brigade, you won’t have to work in the fields.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

Luo Lan led Zhou Junfang while Zhou Junhui guided Mother Zhou. They quickly traveled the ten-plus miles to their production team. The grains had all been harvested, and the party secretary was busy sending supplies to the commune. Luo Lan didn’t find anyone at the party branch, so she continued to ask around and made her way to the warehouse.

On the way, she encountered the fourth daughter-in-law of the Wang family, who curiously eyed her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Mother Zhou and the younger daughter walked behind her, and she leaned closer to Luo Lan, whispering.

“Your mother-in-law looks quite young.”

“Yeah, she’s not yet sixty.”

“That’s not old. She doesn’t farm, so she looks younger than the women in our brigade. Your two sisters-in-law are also good-looking. Have they found partners yet?”

“Not yet, there’s no rush.”

“Oh, just so you know, that old couple at home is both bedridden, and the three brothers take turns supporting them,” she said, laughing gloatingly.

“Humph, back then, she made us eat the thin soup while her sons got the thick one. Now that she can’t move on the bed, her eldest daughter-in-law is ruthless. Last week, when it was her turn, she only got half a bowl of thin porridge a day, complaining about her going to the toilet and not giving her enough water.”

“Serves her right.”

“Exactly. Her lower half is all infected, and none of her sons are willing to help her clean up. My husband even wanted me to take care of it, and we had a big fight. He doesn’t care about his parents. He wants to act like a filial son while I do all the hard work.”

“So did you clean up for her or not?”

“Clean what? Every time the old woman moves, she curses in pain. Who would want to help her like that?”

This truly felt like poetic justice. In her youth, she neglected her duties and treated her daughters-in-law poorly, and now she was experiencing the same bitterness.

“By the way, why are you bringing your mother-in-law and sister-in-law to find the secretary?”

“My sister-in-law will be a substitute teacher here in our brigade. I’m asking you to look out for her. Thank you in advance!”

“No need to be so polite. I’ll definitely help if I can. Your sister-in-law is really lovely, so fresh and delicate, like cotton.”

“Yeah, she’s a city kid and hasn’t experienced hardship.”

While chatting, they finally arrived at their destination and located the secretary. The man led them to the school, which had been established after the liberation. Back then, when resources were scarce, they didn’t have money to build a school, so it was set up in the temple in the north of the village. Now that the old customs were being eradicated, the spacious courtyard was sufficient for teachers and students.

“Principal He, Principal He!” The secretary called out as he entered, and a middle-aged man came out from the eastern room in response.

“Secretary, what brings you here today?”

“I mentioned the substitute teacher before. This is her.”

Zhou Junfang was a bit timid, but her sister-in-law and mother had already prepared her before coming. Although she felt a little shy, she didn’t hide behind anyone. She smiled gently at the newcomer beside her.

Today, she wore a checkered jacket, and even in a simple style, she looked far from dull. The sight of such a pretty young girl coming to be a teacher left Principal He somewhat flabbergasted.

“How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

She was of age, but looked quite young. In this era, rural areas lacked teachers, so as the principal, he welcomed those willing to come. Now he worried whether this girl could manage the students. He figured he could help out if needed. A little intimidation might keep them in line.

“Alright then. Since you’re new, you’ll be teaching first grade. This year, there are forty-one students, and you’ll be in charge of language and math for the whole class. You’ll have to familiarize yourself with the environment first.”

Principal He pointed to the west room. “The first-grade classroom is in there. This room has three sections, and there’s one room in the back for the teacher to stay in. Come, let’s go take a look.”

At eleven in the morning, all the kids were in class. As they entered, every student stared curiously, whispering to each other about which one was the new teacher.

The three-section room was quite spacious, and the room in the back was also large, around twenty square meters. Inside, there was a kang, an old-style cabinet, and a desk similar to the students’ desks for grading homework.

“Looks good,” Mother Zhou commented. She wasn’t a picky person. The room just lacked a few details, but they had already brought bedding today and could gradually add more things later.

“In winter, we can cook here, but what about summer?”

“Over there, we’ll share that small room,” Principal He pointed to a low building in the yard.

“Alright, let’s clean it up first.”

“Let the students help. Don’t be fooled by their age. They’re used to doing chores, so they can sweep the floor and fetch water.”

With Luo Lan around, they didn’t let the kids fetch water; she took the school bucket to draw water from the well. At this time, there weren’t many chores, and many women had stopped working. On her way, she inevitably ran into acquaintances, exchanging pleasantries before quickly returning with the water.

Cleaning and tidying up, the four women worked together and soon had the room spotless. They spread the bedding on the kang, and the stove was lit, with the chimney placed against the wall to keep warm and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Looks good. The brigade provides charcoal, so it won’t be cold here.”

The children watched curiously, and Luo Lan raised a teaching stick she found on the podium, tapping it on the desk. Instantly, the kids fell silent and returned to their seats.

“Let’s get to know each other.” She pulled her sister-in-law over, “This is Teacher Zhou, your new teacher for all subjects. Let’s give her a warm welcome!”

The children obediently applauded. Zhou Junfang felt a bit shy but encouraged herself inside. She knew her sister-in-law had set the stage for her, and now it was her turn to shine.

“Hello everyone, my last name is Zhou, and you can call me Teacher Zhou.”

“Hello, Teacher Zhou!”

Since there were no classes in the morning, they spent time getting to know the children. When noon came, and school was over, Luo Lan led them to her sister-in-law’s house. She had arranged to have lunch with her earlier when fetching water.

Last time, Luo Lan brought eggs from her sister-in-law, and this time, Mother Zhou carried a few pounds of dried noodles. One should reciprocate in relationships and not take advantage of family.

Seeing her come, her eldest sister-in-law happily went to greet them at the door. “I didn’t mention it earlier because there were too many people. A few days ago, the youngest son fell ill again, and thanks to that medicine you gave us, it worked wonders! Oh my, it’s really effective. Just one spray, and he’s back to normal. With it, I’m not afraid of him suddenly running out of breath anymore.”

“How old is Xiaowu?”

“Seven years old. Why?”

“He should be going to school, right?”

“Kindergarten. I heard other brigades have it, but we don’t. Here, kids go straight to first grade at eight or nine.” As she spoke, she glanced at Zhou Junfang. “Junfang will be my daughter’s teacher from now on. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask your sister-in-law.”

Zhou Junfang smiled obediently and followed her sister-in-law into her in-laws’ house. Not seeing Zhou Qingshan, her eldest sister-in-law asked her why Zhou Qingshan wasn’t there. Mother Zhou instantly grew tense, but Luo Lan gently patted her thigh to help her relax.

“He’s on a business trip and won’t be back for a few days.”

“Oh, I see.”

“By the way, sister-in-law, are the pots and bowls I used before still around?”

“They are. I kept them for you. You’re going to use them for Junfang, right? Just wait a moment, I’ll find them for you.”

“No rush, we can look for them later.”

“It’s no trouble, they’re right over there.”

A pot, two bowls, a pair of chopsticks, and a small cutting board. The knife wasn’t a kitchen knife but a narrow blade, resembling a modern fruit knife. People today might find it awkward, but once accustomed, it was still quite useful.

They had a simple lunch at her sister-in-law’s. Her elder brother had four sons; the eldest was eighteen and supposed to get married this year. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like the wedding might be postponed.

“There’s no place to live, and the bride isn’t willing to live here.”

“What can be done? Building a house isn’t something that can be done overnight.”

“Let’s build it. Even a grass house needs at least two rooms. The second son is growing up too. They’ve already made five mud bricks, and the beams and rafters will need to be cut from the mountain in winter. The biggest headache now is finding someone to build it. There’s no place to borrow so much grain.”

“I can help you borrow a hundred pounds of grain.”

“Really?” Her elder brother exclaimed. With that hundred pounds of grain, it would solve a big problem.

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Oh sister, how can I thank you?”

“You can pay me back slowly. No need for thanks.”

Her eldest sister-in-law quickly added, “Of course, you have to pay her back. Borrowing that grain has already solved a huge issue.”

As she chatted with her elder brother and sister-in-law, they often glanced at Mother Zhou. When they saw that she had no objections, they felt immense gratitude towards their family-in-law.

“With Junfang here, you can rest assured. I’ll go check on her every day. With our family’s standing in the village, no one would dare to cause trouble.”

Mother Zhou smiled in thanks. “Thank you, family-in-law. I’ll feel at ease.”

Though she said that, leaving her daughter, who had never been away from her, was still worrying. She suggested to Luo Lan that perhaps she could stay for a few more days.

“She doesn’t cook well. I need to teach her properly. Plus, the kitchen isn’t fully stocked. I’ll weave a few baskets for her.”

“Alright, then I’ll go back with Junhui.”

After this ordeal, Zhou Junhui seemed much steadier now. “Mom, I’m working the night shift the day after tomorrow. I’ll come by to bring you some things after work.”

“Okay, be careful on the road.”

Mother Zhou also decided to stay, giving Zhou Junfang a sense of security. During the afternoon class, she felt much bolder, and since the kids hadn’t learned pinyin in language class and had just started writing numbers one to ten in math, she had to start from scratch.

Teaching the children and watching them write the letters or numbers she asked for on the stone tablets brought her endless joy.

“Mom, being a teacher is great!”

“As long as you like it.”

Her younger daughter was in such a good environment with these innocent children. It was truly a great place to be. The only downside was the poor treatment, which required support from home. Fortunately, her sister-in-law was kind and willing to help.

“Your brother married a good daughter-in-law.”

“Mom, are you missing my sister-in-law?” After finishing school, Zhou Junfang was learning to cook with her mother. “Why don’t you go back? I feel like I can manage.”

“Manage what?” Mother Zhou playfully chided her, “I brought two bags of flour today; making porridge is simple. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the team to get you a month’s worth of rations and teach you how to cook other dishes. You can’t have porridge every day.”

“You can also make congee. That’s easy too.”