She Only Cares About Cultivation

Tangyuan, having been both a teacher and a parent over the generations, deeply understands the difficulties and helplessness teachers face.

Not all parents like to make trouble, nor are all teachers genuinely responsible. No one is perfect. Being reasonable is sufficient.

Those who report teachers after their children graduate or finish exams have issues not only with their character but may also affect the next generation. After all, the community is so small, and a wrong decision can potentially change a child’s life.

The advantage of An Yi arriving early is that she can clean her dormitory first and then take out her bedding and other items. The dorm isn’t actually dirty; they’re newly built adobe houses with new earthen stoves, which are even covered with waterproof layers. There are cabinets on both sides for clothes and bedding. Overall, it’s quite decent, but there’s concern about how well incoming teachers might get along, especially if they don’t bring their children while she does, which could inconvenience others. Otherwise, there’s nothing much to worry about.

Old Zheng took her for a tour of the school and finally dropped her off at the dormitory, so by the time she was making her bed, he had already left. Then she could bring out whatever she could use in the space, like bedding, a face basin, towels, kettles, teacups—these are the essentials for someone planning lessons. Oh, by the way, each teacher has a desk in the room, probably convenient for staying over in winter?

The children’s dormitory is even simpler, a large shared bed. Not many residency rooms, so boys and girls are separated, all in shared beds.

This primary school doesn’t have many teachers, including An Yi. There are only four. Female teachers generally teach Mandarin and dance, while male teachers teach math and physical education. One dormitory each for male and female teachers, two dormitories for boys, one for girls. There are about three or four classrooms because, aside from classrooms, there’s a teachers’ office, meeting room, and an office for the leader. Finally, two rooms in the corner are reserved for the nursery.

The school has a dedicated kitchen and dining area, but children have to bring their lunch from home. The school can heat it (for free) or sell meals, but that requires extra money. Most prepare their noon meal in the morning and put it in the steamer to warm at the right time. Most bring cornbread and pickles when food is scarce.

Although An Yi hasn’t seen it yet, she imagines it’s not much different. Also, since winters here are so long, during summer vacations, children must chop and bring firewood to school because classrooms and dorms need it for heating. With plenty of forests in the Northeast, it’s preparation for warmth.

Around eight o’clock, after tidying up, she was playing with her daughter in the dormitory when her roommate, Teacher Zhang Li, arrived. She’s the wife from another village, a junior high school graduate, and brought her young son, just over a year old.

Having children is good. It influences each other, preventing complaints.

Zhang Li is five or six years younger than her. Though not considered beautiful, she is very gentle, extremely patient, not a decisive type, speaking softly. But she worries if Zhang Li teaches like that, could she handle fourth and fifth graders? She’s quite concerned.

The bed is long; she occupies half with her child. When Zhang Li arrived, she helped lift the child and watched her tidy up. An Ran played on the bed; the two children looked at each other, eyes filled with curiosity.

Once Zhang Li made the bed, the two children were placed on it and began to crawl and play together.

Zhang Li’s son is called Zhao Xin, with a rugged look. She only learned it’s her younger son because he’s still nursing, so she brought him along.

They discussed their situations, then temporarily sent their children to the nursery. As soon as Mom appears to leave, the cries are incessant, but they have to attend a meeting. They bite their tongues and don’t look back. After some crying, the kids quieted down. It’s a process they must adapt to.

Before sending them to the nursery, the children were fed. Zhang Li breastfeeds, and she uses formula.

At a little past eight, students and parents were arriving at the school. Today involved joint meetings between students and parents. The parents meet in classrooms, supervised by teachers, while students meet on the playground with the guidance director and principal, listening to speeches about the school rules and key points.

The male teacher paired with An Yi is named Song Gang. He’s slightly younger, about twenty-seven or eight. After failing the college entrance examination, he didn’t continue. Previously, he taught junior high in the county. With his family members’ declining health, he wants to stay nearby as the only son. The principal worked hard to secure him for the school.

Why are first through third graders matched with good teachers? Because this stage is very important. A strong foundation allows for more effective learning.

Thus, first to third-grade teachers are high school graduates, while fourth and fifth-grade teachers, Zhang Li and Cao Jilin, are junior high graduates.

The principal suggests that they regularly observe each other’s classes, offering pointers for mutual progress and learning.

The four teachers agree, believing in lifelong learning. As teachers, they should have this awareness.

After today’s tasks were assigned, An Yi and Song Gang went to their class. On the way, they discussed the important points they would present. As An Yi is the homeroom teacher, she enters first while Teacher Song maintains order at the door.

When the parents quieted down, she introduced herself. These parents came from three villages: Liujiatun, Dengjia Village, and Caojia Village. Teacher Cao Jilin is from Caojia Village, An Yi from Liujiatun, and Zhang Li and Song Gang from Dengjia Village.

She was the oldest among them. Though everyone was married with children, An Yi, born in May 1954, is already 34.

Though not tall, her presence was the most effectively commanding among the four teachers.

On the playground, the principal, director, Old Zheng, and an aunt from the kitchen maintained order among the children. In the classroom, after An Yi introduced herself, she began explaining the learning objectives for first to third grade and what the children would learn at school. Everyone was listening seriously when suddenly, a sharp, sarcastic woman’s voice arose.

"You’re the outsider from Liujiatun, right? I heard you were in a Japanese brothel before. Can someone like you teach our kids well? You might even seduce their fathers. No, we need a trustworthy, honest teacher. Someone like this is worrying. Even if she’s ugly, she’s promiscuous at heart. Just thinking about it feels dirty, pugh!"

Everyone was stunned at the woman’s words, looking at her rather than rebuking the teacher, which made the woman a bit dissatisfied.

"Why are you looking at me? I’m talking about this woman; I’m saying she’s unfit to be a teacher."

Hearing this, Teacher Song Gang furrowed his brow tightly. From the brief interaction, he knew Teacher An was a cultured and well-mannered woman. To be slandered right after reporting to work — even if she had such a past, wouldn’t she still be a victim?

Thinking of this, he walked in as the woman was about to speak. An Yi, however, suddenly raised her hand, stopping them.

Then, half-smiling, she looked at the woman, "May I ask, what is your child’s name?"

The woman glared at her warily, "Why do you care about my child’s name? I want you gone, not to remember my child and then seek revenge on him!"