Chapter 16.2

Once the father and son had left, Su Ting moved a stool and sat down opposite Duan Xiaoying, then looked up at her.

Although Su Ting hadn’t interacted much with Duan Xiaoying, she wasn’t unfamiliar with her. Duan Xiaoying was a topic of conversation around the family compound, and during the time Su Ting spent at the playground, she often heard people mention her.

It wasn’t that she was exceptionally beautiful. Although she had a full figure, a well-defined waist and legs, and her facial features were fairly delicate, meeting the aesthetic standards of the time, modern values placed more emphasis on inner qualities. It was impossible to rely solely on looks to get by.

Nor was it because of her particularly unconventional style. In fact, she had a good reputation in the family compound. She was gentle in nature and got along well with everyone.

She became a topic of conversation primarily because she came from a working-class family, had an urban household registration, a high school education, and, in 1968, didn’t go to the countryside like many others. Instead, she worked in a national state-owned factory as a clerk.

She ate government-issued food and had access to public benefits, making her situation one of the best among the military wives in the base.

Yet, she had married a man eight years older than her, who also had three children from a previous marriage.

Although Duan Xiaoying explained that she wasn’t interested in the man’s status, only wanting him to treat her well, even now, many military wives believed she had been charmed by Han Bin.

Well: “charmed” was Su Ting’s interpretation; others phrased it more delicately, suggesting she wasn’t entirely clear-headed.

But it was universally acknowledged that Duan Xiaoying had good character. Generally speaking, stepmothers had a bad reputation. It was considered good if a stepmother ignored her stepchildren after marriage, and it was common for them to treat the children poorly. However, Duan Xiaoying was an exception. She truly treated Han Bowen and his siblings as her own children.

Since marrying Han Bin, the three children had not only worn clean, neat clothes, but had also grown fairer and plumper. They smiled more often, and it was obvious that they were living well.

People thought of her as a kind-hearted person.

Whether Duan Xiaoying was kind-hearted or not, Su Ting didn’t dare to judge, but it was true that she was lucky.

Pingchuan Island wasn’t large, and there were few factories, with very few job opportunities. For military wives who followed their husbands here, it was common to wait two or three years without any job assignment.

But Duan Xiaoying had been arranged to teach at the Military Primary School less than two months after following her husband.

This wasn’t just because she had a high school education. Though there weren’t many military wives with high school education, out of the hundreds of military wives, there were always about ten or so who had attended junior high or high school. Not all of these military wives had jobs, however.

What made Duan Xiaoying particularly lucky was that she had a good neighbor, Chen Lin.

Chen Lin also had a high school education and was lucky herself. When she followed her husband to the military base, it just happened to be when the Military Primary School was expanding its intake. She, along with two other military wives, was hired there.

Because Duan Xiaoying knew Chen Lin, she got the inside scoop on the school’s recruitment and, through Chen Lin’s help, was given a chance to give a trial lesson, eventually landing the job.

After hearing how Duan Xiaoying got the job, Su Ting could only think one thing: How could people’s luck be so different?

Of course, she only envied her in her heart. Su Ting was lazy and didn’t have much patience for teaching children. She found it tough enough to tutor He Yan, and if given the chance to teach elementary school students, she would have backed out herself.

As for the jobs outside the family compound, she had her eye on just three: working as a clerk at the Women’s Federation, at the Military Family Resettlement Office, or as a saleswoman at the grain station.

The first two were administrative jobs—easy work—and the latter only required a few busy days at the end of the month, with the remaining 20-some days free to slack off. There were no higher-ups to supervise, and just thinking about it was relaxing.

But all three jobs had one thing in common: there were few positions, and they were highly sought after.

For someone like her, a newcomer who followed her husband to the island, and whose husband’s position and her own background weren’t particularly outstanding, these jobs were basically out of reach.

That was why Su Ting started drawing comic books. Since she couldn’t find a light and stable job, she might as well do something relaxing.

After her wandering thoughts, Su Ting raised her hand and glanced at her watch.

Eight minutes had passed, but Duan Xiaoying was still holding the enamel cup, showing no intention of speaking.

Duan Xiaoying had patience, but Su Ting didn’t have the time to waste. She spoke up: “Teacher, if you have something to say, just say it.”

Only then did Duan Xiaoying move, switching the enamel cup to her other hand and saying: “The reason I’m here is because of He Yan’s grades. He didn’t do very well this time. Do you know about it?”

“Yes, he told me.”

Duan Xiaoying expected Su Ting to say more about it, but after waiting for a while, Su Ting didn’t speak up again. Unable to hold back, she asked: “And then?”

Su Ting asked, confused: “What then?”

Duan Xiaoying’s brow furrowed slightly.

Her impression of Su Ting had never been very good.

At first, she thought Su Ting didn’t know how to behave, since she hadn’t interacted much with the neighbors during the half-month she’d been on the island. Later, she began to think Su Ting was two-faced. The way she acted at home when He Dongchuan was present was completely different from when he wasn’t around.

When Su Ting first followed her husband to the island, the He family hadn’t eaten at the canteen, as Su Ting managed all the meals. But as soon as He Dongchuan left home, Su Ting changed—she stayed home all day, and all meals were bought by He Yan from the canteen.

Duan Xiaoying had thought that once He Dongchuan returned from his mission, Su Ting would at least put on an act. She did, but only when he was home—at night or on Sundays. On regular days, breakfast and lunch were from the canteen.

Because of these things, Su Ting’s reputation had been rapidly declining.

Originally, Su Ting’s reputation, whether good or bad, didn’t concern Duan Xiaoying. But since they were both stepmothers, she couldn’t help but feel that her actions reflected poorly on all stepmothers.

If Su Ting had bad character, people wouldn’t just say that about her. They would generalize it to the entire group, saying: “How many good stepmothers are there? They’re all like that!”

In Duan Xiaoying’s view, once a woman decided to marry a man with children, she should be prepared to be a mother and take care of the kids after marriage. If she didn’t want to take care of someone else’s children, she should have married an unmarried man—there were plenty of young men to choose from.

Women like Su Ting, who married and then refused to take proper care of the children, were like a piece of rotten food—ruining not only the child’s life but also tarnishing the reputation of all stepmothers.

It was truly infuriating!

Hearing Su Ting’s rebuttal, Duan Xiaoying’s expression instantly darkened. “As an outsider, it might not be appropriate for me to say some things, but…”

As a young person who had read many novels, Su Ting immediately understood that what Duan Xiaoying was about to say would not be pleasant. She quickly responded: “If you know it’s inappropriate, then don’t say it.”

Duan Xiaoying was momentarily taken aback, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Ignoring Su Ting’s words, she continued: “He Yan is my student, and our families live so close. We’re both stepmothers, so even though it might not be entirely appropriate, I still want to advise you.”

Su Ting rolled her eyes, ready to speak, but Duan Xiaoying cut her off. “Even though He Yan isn’t your biological child, since you married Colonel He knowing he already had a child, you should treat He Yan well.”

Su Ting thought to herself, I’m not the one eager to be a stepmother. I never imagined I’d end up as a mother, and besides, she replied: “I think I treat He Yan quite well.”

This statement completely changed Duan Xiaoying’s perception of Su Ting’s thick skin, leaving her momentarily speechless. After a long pause, she regained her composure and said: “If you really cared about He Yan, your attitude wouldn’t be so cold after he ranked at the bottom. As his teacher, I hope you’ll put more effort into him.”

Su Ting realized that Duan Xiaoying hadn’t come for a home visit but rather to lecture her. Her expression turned cold as she replied: “Teacher Duan, from the moment you sat down, you’ve been criticizing me, saying I don’t treat He Yan well or put effort into him. So, let me ask you: do you know the reason he scored so poorly this time?”

Duan Xiaoying didn’t quite understand the question, hesitating before answering: “He Yan… He’s not very bright in his studies. Although he’s very serious in class and submits his homework on time, the error rate in his assignments is quite high.”

Su Ting let out a soft laugh. “It seems you don’t know.”

Hearing the sarcasm in her voice, Duan Xiaoying furrowed her brows. “I know that, as a parent, it’s hard to admit that a child isn’t very smart, but you can’t avoid the facts. I believe that hard work can make up for lack of talent. As long as He Yan puts in the effort and you guide him, his grades will improve eventually.”

“I really don’t like you saying He Yan isn’t smart, because my perspective is the opposite.” Su Ting said, her face darkening. “He Yan’s poor grades this time are because, before coming to Pingchuan Island, he was in the Seedling Class, and he only attended first grade for a month!”

“How…”

Seeing the surprise on Duan Xiaoying’s face, Su Ting raised an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me? Didn’t He Dongchuan mention this when he enrolled He Yan?”

Of course, that was impossible. Although the policies at the time weren’t as refined as in later years, there were still school records, and unless a student was a new enrollee, they needed documentation from the previous school.

He Yan had attended the Seedling Class in the capital and therefore didn’t have a standard elementary school record. When He Dongchuan transferred him to the second-grade class here, he must have explained the situation.

Duan Xiaoying, being the head teacher of the second-grade class, knew all of this.

She was so surprised, which clearly showed that she had not taken the matter to heart. It was because of this that she had not remembered it in time and had blamed He Yan’s poor exam performance on him not being smart enough.

Now the question arose: since she could forget something so important, was her concern for He Yan genuine?

If she didn’t care about He Yan that much, why had she come to find Su Ting to say these things?

It was truly intriguing.

Duan Xiaoying felt extremely regretful in her heart. She had indeed forgotten about this matter.

She had so many things to do every day. From the outside, people thought teaching was an easy job; just teaching a few classes a day was enough, but in reality, the workload was quite heavy.

The military primary school had five grades and twelve classes, but there were fewer than ten teachers. This meant that each teacher had to teach at least six classes a day. If they also had additional duties, their schedule was basically full every day.

Although Duan Xiaoying didn’t have extra duties, she was the homeroom teacher for Class 2 of Grade 1, and there were many class-related tasks. She had to prepare lessons and grade assignments, which could only be done during her free time.

But she hardly had any free time. Once she got home, she had to cook, clean, and do the laundry for the entire family. Ever since she became a teacher, she hadn’t gotten into bed before eleven o’clock, and she usually woke up before dawn.

She was so busy every day that she could barely remember her students’ past performance. She taught three classes with over a hundred students in total.

What’s more, He Yan sat at the back of the class, his grades weren’t good, and he wasn’t particularly mischievous. He really didn’t stand out in class. If it hadn’t been for his poor exam results dragging down the class average, and if she hadn’t known about his family situation, she wouldn’t have gone to his home to visit.

But now, it was too late to regret. Since He Yan had been in the Seedling Class at his hometown, his poor performance this time was understandable. Consequently, her reason for the home visit was no longer valid.

Duan Xiaoying tried to find an excuse to leave, but as soon as she raised her head, she saw the slightly mocking look in Su Ting’s eyes. She couldn’t help but clench her hands and force a stiff smile, saying: “I didn’t think of these things; it’s truly my fault. But I think since He Yan is so smart, we, as parents, should pay more attention to guiding our children, to prevent them from neglecting their studies. Don’t you think so?”

Before Su Ting could answer, Duan Xiaoying quickly changed the subject, saying: “Just like He Yan, if you could watch him while he does his homework and spend more time guiding him, I believe the work he submits wouldn’t have so many mistakes, and he could have done better on this exam…”

Su Ting interrupted, saying: “Teacher Duan, I think we should first clarify everyone’s responsibilities. As parents, our job is to take care of the child, earn money to support the family, and send him to school. But you teachers, your responsibility is to teach and nurture the child. If the child is mischievous and unwilling to learn, you can ask us parents for help, but if the child is smart and willing to learn, the rest is your job as teachers.”

Without waiting for Duan Xiaoying to respond, Su Ting continued: “Like this time, when Xiao Yan didn’t do well on the exam, I think the problem lies more with you teachers. If you had paid attention to the fact that he hadn’t attended primary school before and arranged for another student to help him, with his intelligence, I don’t think his score would have been so low. Teacher Duan, don’t you think so?”

Heh, isn’t this just passive-aggressively shifting the blame? Who can’t do that!

…

Thinking that Su Ting and Duan Xiaoying might call him back at any moment, He Dongchuan didn’t let He Yan run off too far. Instead, they stayed on the beach to play.

After dinner, the beach was bustling. The adults either gathered together to chat or took walks along the shore, while the quieter children built sandcastles, and the more mischievous ones formed sandballs and threw them at each other. He Yan was one of the latter.

He Dongchuan ran into some familiar people and chatted with them for a while. When he casually turned his head, he saw He Yan in the middle of a sand fight, covered in sand, and immediately felt a headache coming on.

He didn’t care about the conversation anymore and, with a dark face, called He Yan back.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they bumped into Duan Xiaoying, who was walking hurriedly out. She paused, glanced at the father and son, forced a smile, and nodded before walking away without saying a word.

He Yan looked up in confusion and asked: “What’s wrong with Teacher?”

He Dongchuan gave him a light slap on the head and gently pushed him, saying: “Don’t worry about it, go wash up quickly.” He then led the way into the house.

Inside, Su Ting was placing enamel cups on the dinner table. When she saw them enter, she casually asked: “Back already?” as if nothing had happened.

“Mm.”

He Dongchuan responded, pointing to his son, saying: “Is there any hot water at home? He was playing in the sand and got covered in it, needs to wash his hair and take a bath.”

“There’s some in the thermos.” Su Ting replied, then noticed the sand covering He Yan and asked in surprise: “Did you get attacked?”

“They were hit worse than me—ah!” He Yan hugged his head and looked at his father. “Why did you hit me?”

He Dongchuan said irritably: “Stop talking nonsense, go take a bath. Are you proud of being covered in sand?”

He Yan stuck out his tongue, pouted, and made a noise of agreement before going into the bathroom to draw his bathwater. After taking off his clothes, he suddenly remembered something and ran out naked, asking: “Where’s my clothes?”

He Dongchuan was about to ask Su Ting what they had discussed earlier, but when he heard the voice, he turned around and nearly choked on his breath. “Why are you running around naked?”

“Looking for my clothes!” He Yan said matter-of-factly.

With a serious expression, He Dongchuan said: “Go back inside. How can you run around like this, shameless?”

“But I’m just a kid.” Noticing the dark expression on his father’s face, He Yan quickly stopped teasing him. He retreated back into the bathroom, saying: “Then what about my clothes?”

“I’ll find them for you!” He Dongchuan replied, walking outside to grab He Yan’s clothes that had been changed out yesterday from the clothesline. He took them into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

When he came out and raised his head, He Dongchuan saw Su Ting sitting at the dining table, smiling at him. He cleared his throat and said: “This kid really needs to be taught a lesson.”

“He’s still young. Just teach him properly.” Su Ting responded.

He Dongchuan nodded and sat across from Su Ting, asking: “We came back just in time to see Teacher Duan leaving. Her face didn’t look too good.”

Su Ting’s expression turned cold. “Mm, and then?”

“What did she come to talk to you about?”

“Well, she had a lot to say, like the conduct of a stepmother, how to be a good stepmother, and also what I could improve on at work.” Su Ting asked with a half-smile: “Colonel He, which part of the conversation would you like to hear?”

He Dongchuan wasn’t slow-witted and easily picked up on the sarcasm in her tone. He quickly stood up with a sense of urgency, saying: “What’s going on with Han’s wife? I didn’t think you were lacking in your work. What right does she, an outsider, have to criticize? No, I’m going to talk to him and sort it out.” He started to walk toward the door.

Seeing that he was really going to leave to talk to Han, Su Ting’s frosty expression finally softened. She called out: “Fine, what’s the point of going to Colonel Han about this? Even if he could make Duan Xiaoying apologize to me, it would be insincere and pointless. And who knows, maybe he also thinks I’m not a good stepmother and should learn from his wife, the industry benchmark.”

He Dongchuan said seriously: “Why should you learn from his wife? I think you’re pretty good, she should learn from you.”

Su Ting couldn’t help but laugh but didn’t fully believe He Dongchuan’s words.

She knew full well how well she was doing as a stepmother.

It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly good either. She couldn’t say she was perfect, but she wasn’t so arrogant to say she had done a great job. She would call it somewhere in between, neither bad nor good.

Could she do better? Yes.

Did she want to do better? No.

She wasn’t the original person, didn’t rush to become a stepmother, and wasn’t thrilled to “mother” someone after crossing into this book.

In truth, if it weren’t for having to return to the original person’s registered household after the divorce, fearing the family might notice something was off; if it weren’t for considering that He Yan was the Male Protagonist and wanting to build some rapport with him to eventually get in his good graces; if it weren’t for the fact that He Dongchuan was decent and she thought she might get some help from him, she would have long since asked for a divorce.

After staying, the only thing she was willing to do, within her capabilities, was to take care of He Yan a little.

But to expect her to be like Duan Xiaoying, wholeheartedly dedicated to her stepchild, sorry, she didn’t have that level of dedication.

However, these were her private thoughts. She would never say them out loud to He Dongchuan. She didn’t want to be seen as an oddball and be studied like a specimen.

He Dongchuan was unaware of Su Ting’s thoughts and was still pondering Duan Xiaoying’s words. He was somewhat confused. “Why did she come to tell you all that?”

Su Ting snorted: “Who knows? She’s out of her mind!”

He Dongchuan: “…”

Although He Dongchuan and Su Ting had spent some time together before the mission, they were either on the train or busy with their wedding preparations. Additionally, with his personal issues, they hadn’t talked much. After they arrived on the island, it was his busiest time, and because of Su Ting’s relentless pursuit, he didn’t even have time to hide from her, so they hadn’t had much conversation.

They only truly got to know each other after he returned from his mission.

At the base, things were less hectic, and Su Ting no longer pursued him so aggressively. They were finally able to sit down and talk. While the outcome was that his past understanding of her was almost entirely overturned, it also allowed him to understand her better.

She could be childish at times, even arguing with He Yan, a six-year-old.

She could also be fawning, saying all sorts of flattering words for a bite to eat.

And she was very petty—after a single argument with Wang Lixia, she never spoke to her again.

But she could also be mature and rational, treating others kindly. Although she didn’t want to associate with Wang Lixia, she hadn’t intentionally argued with her or spoken ill of her behind her back.

But now, she bluntly said that Duan Xiaoying was out of her mind!

This showed that Su Ting was truly angry this time.

Hmm, He Dongchuan made a mental note of it.