She Only Cares About Cultivation

Poor Director hadn’t even said a word before An Yi swiftly wrapped things up. What else could he say?

He just nodded: "Ah, yes, go quickly. The principal over there should be finishing soon."

As soon as An Yi left, before the parent could start her unruly display, the Director, full of disgust, waved her away.

"You should leave. Our stance is the same as Teacher An’s. Teacher An is a good teacher, a good mother, and an upstanding socialist. Your words have insulted her character. If she chooses to sue you, you’d definitely lose. So I advise you to be cautious with your words and actions. Otherwise, you might not only have to pay money but also end up behind bars. If you don’t believe me, try it? Now leave, take your child and see if the Red Star Team will accept you!"

After saying his piece, the Director opened the door and left, ignoring the woman who was still crying and wailing behind him.

Later, Old Zheng brought the child over, persuaded the mother and son out, and closed the school gate. Although the child cried and the woman wept, Old Zheng remained unmoved, muttering with a broom in hand.

"What kind of people are these? Teacher An has already been unfortunate enough, and yet you still rub salt in her wounds. And you call yourself a woman? How come you’re even more venomous than us men?"

...

The cries of the mother and child were loud, drawing curious stares from many students, who were then pulled aside by their parents for a lecture.

"That classmate’s mom is insulting a teacher, and the child has been refused admission before even starting school. So remember, you must respect your teachers at school, study well, listen carefully, reason things through, and don’t be a ruffian, understand?"

The children listened and nodded in agreement, promising their parents to respect their teachers and study diligently.

With that, the parents had nothing more to do. Old Zheng opened the main gate and watched the parents leave, while the defeated mother and son sat at the school gate. The woman’s face was streaked with tears, and the child, having rolled on the ground, was both sweaty and tear-stained, resembling a messy raccoon.

Not until this moment did the woman realize the gravity of the situation. She dared not go home, fearing she’d have no explanation. She hoped to see Teacher An again, but Old Zheng refused.

"Do you talk without thinking? How can you say such things without a second thought? What are you thinking? Back then, so many women suffered such fate, with countless children and elders losing their lives. The fact that we survived is already an incredible feat. Here in the Northeast, which village hasn’t been ransacked multiple times? Look at how many houses in the village are still empty? We’ve only had a few good days, and you’ve already forgotten everything?"

"It’s the Japanese you should hate. Why take it out on innocent Teacher An? They too were once just weak girls, just maidens. The liberation army barely saved them, and yet you think you have the right to corner them to death again? What gives you that right?"

Old Zheng became more emotional as he spoke, tears falling down as he continued, "My wife and daughter were tortured to death, my son skewered on a bayonet... I haven’t emerged from that shadow all these years, my back was injured too, so I can’t do heavy work. The village took care of me, found me this job, I cherish my current life very much. I don’t understand how people like you can be so ungrateful? Aren’t you a woman? Don’t you know the pain they suffer lasts a lifetime? Have you seen any injured woman getting married? And if so, it must have been a kind-hearted man..."

Old Zheng became more heartbroken, more sorrowful, finally shutting the door, speaking through it.

"You should go. I won’t let you in today, no matter how much you beg. Hearts are flesh and blood, and your venomous words show you’re not a kind person, and your child will also be influenced by you. People say if the deal doesn’t go through, the friendship remains, but you’ve burned your own bridges. Do you think crying can offset everything? Dream on!"

...

Only those who have been hurt by the Japanese can truly empathize, and Old Zheng was one of them.

The woman in front of him might have been lucky, as no one in her family died at the executioner’s hands, allowing her to spew such harsh words so easily.

Old Zheng didn’t want to hear her so-called explanations; he only knew that Teacher An and the women like her were innocent, they were victims, and that was enough.

This world has never been short of people of justice. Perhaps An Yi doesn’t know what Old Zheng has done, but it’s right for every Chinese person to remember this history.