After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 33
Chapter 33
The old man at the bicycle repair stall had been there for over twenty years. Yu Qingtang had always taken her bicycle to him for repairs. Later, a bicycle shop opened a few hundred meters from the school, and many students, preferring the seemingly more "professional" store, started taking their bicycles there. The old man's business dwindled.
Yu Qingtang, however, remained loyal, often stopping to chat with him if she arrived at school early enough.
After graduating, she hadn't visited him, even after becoming a teacher at the school. She would only occasionally glance at his stall from afar. Seven or eight years had passed. Perhaps he had forgotten her.
Yu Qingtang watched them for a moment, then entered the school gates.
Cheng Zhanxi, her brow furrowed in concentration, was gesturing animatedly. Her sign language vocabulary was limited, many of the signs fading from her memory due to lack of use. She would learn them, forget them, relearn them, and forget them again. Facing the old man, who was chuckling silently at her efforts, she resolved to practice more. If she ever found Momo, she didn't want to be stuck with only a few basic phrases. It would be too embarrassing.
As Cheng Zhanxi entered the office, Yu Qingtang looked up from her desk, her gaze intense and meaningful.
Cheng Zhanxi self-consciously touched her face.
What was it now?
Yu Qingtang stood up, her expression neutral. "I'm going to the classroom," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi immediately replied, "I'll come with you." Then, changing her mind, she said, "Actually, I won't go."
The relationship between Class 7 and Yu Qingtang was strained. She didn't want to exacerbate the situation by constantly being by Yu Qingtang's side, making the students resent Yu Qingtang even more.
Yu Qingtang gave a quiet "hmm" and left.
At the door of Class 7.
Yu Qingtang, as usual, stood outside the classroom, watching as her students, dressed in their uniforms, arrived, some alone, others in groups of two or three.
Some greeted her politely, "Good morning, teacher," and Yu Qingtang would nod in response.
Others simply walked past, as Yu Qingtang wasn't blocking the doorway.
One student, after greeting Yu Qingtang, stood before her, seemingly hesitant to leave. She looked up at Yu Qingtang, her gaze meeting Yu Qingtang's.
Yu Qingtang: "??? Is something the matter?"
The girl quickly looked down. "...No," she mumbled.
Yu Qingtang said indifferently, "Go inside."
The girl entered the classroom, glancing back at Yu Qingtang before disappearing inside.
Five minutes before morning reading, Li Lan appeared at the end of the hallway, her ponytail neat and tidy, her uniform clean and crisp, a stark contrast to the other students. She was a pretty girl.
Regardless of her position as class monitor, she had a presence that drew the eye.
Yu Qingtang, checking on the students already in the classroom, heard Li Lan's footsteps and turned, her gaze quickly sweeping across Li Lan's face, too fast to register the small mole on her nose.
"Good morning, teacher," Li Lan greeted.
"Go inside," Yu Qingtang replied.
Li Lan remained where she was. Lowering her voice so only Yu Qingtang could hear, she said, "Ms. Yu, I need to talk to you."
Yu Qingtang, unable to avoid it, looked at her, her gaze settling on Li Lan's forehead, avoiding her clear eyes and the mole on her nose. "We can talk during evening self-study," she said calmly. "Focus on your morning reading now."
"Okay," Li Lan replied quietly, her head down as she entered the classroom.
Yu Qingtang heard the volume of the morning reading drop slightly, followed by muffled whispers, then gradually returning to normal.
Yu Qingtang recalled the female biology teacher's words.
—"Cultivate your informants in the class, your eyes and ears. It's too much work for one person to keep an eye on so many students."
—"Aren't the class representatives supposed to do that?"
—"That depends on whether the representatives are on your side or the students' side. If everyone's conspiring against you, you're in trouble."
Yu Qingtang, her hand resting on the railing, looked down the hallway, her expression unreadable.
"Good morning, Ms. Yu!" a cheerful voice called out from behind her.
Yu Qingtang withdrew her hand and turned around.
It was Lian Yabing, her math representative. The girl had become increasingly lively lately. She had been quite reserved before, but perhaps she had been influenced by Tong Feifei and the others.
"Good morning," Yu Qingtang replied, her expression unchanged.
Lian Yabing, her eyes crinkling at the corners, seemingly unfazed by Yu Qingtang's indifference, entered the classroom.
Wu Peng, the PE representative, arrived late.
Tall and lanky, he stood before Yu Qingtang with his head down.
"Why are you late?" she asked.
"My alarm didn't go off. I overslept," he mumbled.
"Set multiple alarms next time. Go inside," Yu Qingtang said.
Xiang Tianyou, the habitual latecomer, also arrived late.
This time, he had a new excuse. He had seen an old man struggling to push his bicycle uphill and had helped him, hence his tardiness.
Yu Qingtang let him in, planning to call him to her office for a talk later. She would review the advice she had received from the senior teachers before then.
When the first period ended, Yu Qingtang, holding her lesson plan and textbook, called out towards the back of the classroom, "Xiang Tianyou, come to my office."
Xiang Tianyou, having barely managed to stay awake during class, was about to collapse onto his desk for a nap when he heard his name. He froze.
Lai Xin clasped his hands together in mock sympathy. "Congratulations, Xiang ge, on your seventh summons," he said. [Note: "Seven captures, seven releases" (七擒七纵) is a Chinese idiom referring to a strategy of capturing and releasing an enemy multiple times to demoralize them.]
Guo Fang, kicking Xiang Tianyou's desk playfully, said, his voice full of schadenfreude, "Go on, Xiang ge! Zhou Zhiruo awaits! Be careful!"
Xiang Tianyou made a throat-slitting gesture at Guo Fang and stood up, a playful smile on his face. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll be fine."
A frequent visitor to the teachers' office, he sauntered to the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. "Reporting for duty," he drawled, his voice laced with amusement.
Five out of the eight teachers in the office frowned.
Not including Yu Qingtang and Cheng Zhanxi.
Yu Qingtang, her expression unchanged, said, "Come in."
Cheng Zhanxi, as Xiang Tianyou passed by her desk, smiled and said, "Our 'Flying Feet' has arrived."
Xiang Tianyou's usual cockiness seemed to falter slightly. "Ms. Cheng," he said respectfully.
Cheng Zhanxi casually asked, "What did you do to upset Ms. Yu this time?"
Xiang Tianyou rubbed his nose. "I was late," he mumbled.
"Helping an old lady cross the street again?" Cheng Zhanxi teased.
"You know about that?" Xiang Tianyou asked, a slightly embarrassed laugh escaping his lips. He cleared his throat. "I should go now," he said quietly.
"Go on. And don't be late again. It's not that hard to wake up on time," Cheng Zhanxi said.
"Okay, I know." Xiang Tianyou replied.
Yu Qingtang, listening to their conversation, was surprised by Xiang Tianyou's immediate admission of guilt. There was none of his usual flippancy when dealing with her. She paused, her pen hovering over the paper.
Xiang Tianyou: "Ms. Yu?"
Yu Qingtang, snapping out of her reverie, said, "Ms. Cheng is right."
Xiang Tianyou & Cheng Zhanxi: "???"
Yu Qingtang, her voice cold and impassive, said, "I spoke to your parents. They said you left the house early this morning. You would have had plenty of time to help not just one, but ten old ladies cross the street. What's the real reason you were late?"
Xiang Tianyou's confession was swift and straightforward. "I went to an internet cafe," he said.
Yu Qingtang asked, "You skipped class on purpose?"
Xiang Tianyou smiled. "No, not really. I just lost track of time. The game was intense," he said, preempting Yu Qingtang's lecture. "I'll take out the trash this week," he offered obediently.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
With the next class about to start, Xiang Tianyou, having received a brief lecture, left the office unscathed.
Yu Qingtang rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
The chemistry teacher, taking off his glasses, looked at Yu Qingtang sympathetically and sighed. "These students…" he said, shaking his head.
Most students at No. 1 High had earned their place through hard work and academic achievement. Of course, there were always a few exceptions, those whose families had bought their way in. They were usually placed in the average classes, and Xiang Tianyou was one of them. Even experienced teachers found them difficult to manage, let alone Yu Qingtang, a new teacher.
Ge Jing, the female biology teacher who had shared her homeroom teacher experiences with Yu Qingtang, said kindly, "Just do your best, Xiaoyu. Some students you can reach, some you can't. Just focus on the ones you can. They're still young, just starting high school. Don't be discouraged. Just do what you can, and don't blame yourself."
Female teachers were often more emotionally invested in their students. Ge Jing herself had often been driven to tears by her students when she had been a homeroom teacher.
Yu Qingtang: "I'm fine. Thank you, Ms. Ge," she said.
Yu Qingtang's phone buzzed.
She opened it.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: [Animated heart emoji]
Yu Qingtang replied with a series of ellipses.
Cheng Zhanxi: [Are you in a bad mood?]
Yu Qingtang: [No]
Cheng Zhanxi, looking up at Yu Qingtang's blank expression as she stared at her computer screen, thought: If that's not a bad mood, I don't know what is.
Deciding not to disturb her, Cheng Zhanxi opened her sketchbook and started drawing. With a few quick strokes, she sketched a chibi-style figure of Yu Qingtang, sitting at her desk, blowing bubbles, just like a goldfish. It was a perfect representation of Yu Qingtang's current state.
A rhythmic "thump thump thump" sound echoed through the office.
Yu Qingtang looked over.
Cheng Zhanxi tore the page from her sketchbook and handed it to Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang took the drawing, looked at it, and then: "..."
Why did she always look so adorably silly in Cheng Zhanxi's drawings?
"Ms. Cheng."
"Yes?"
"Nothing. Here you go," Yu Qingtang said, handing the drawing back.
As they passed the paper back and forth, Ge Jing, the biology teacher, teased, "You two are like middle schoolers passing notes. What secrets are you hiding? Can we see?"
Cheng Zhanxi tucked the drawing back into her sketchbook. "Actually, you can't," she said mysteriously.
Cheng Zhanxi noticed Yu Qingtang had zoned out again, completely oblivious to their conversation.
Cheng Zhanxi's heart sank.
During Class 7's second PE lesson that week, Cheng Zhanxi praised her students for their performance at the sports meet, both the athletes and the cheerleaders.
Since Cheng Zhanxi hadn't seen the opening ceremony performance, the students performed it for her again.
Cheng Zhanxi, her face full of amazement, showered them with praise. The students beamed with pride.
Since they had performed the dance at the opening ceremony, not everyone was at the same level. Cheng Zhanxi had the students who had participated in the opening ceremony lead the dance, as a warm-up exercise, then had them choose their own activities – basketball, soccer, badminton, or simply relaxing and chatting.
Cheng Zhanxi, usually surrounded by students during PE class, mostly girls who preferred chatting with her to playing sports, found herself unusually alone that day. It was rather strange.
Looking around the field, she saw Li Lan and a few other class representatives huddled under a tree, seemingly discussing something. Curious, she walked over. As she approached, their conversation abruptly stopped, clearly not wanting her to hear.
Cheng Zhanxi, smiling sweetly, asked, "What are you talking about?"
Lian Yabing glanced at Cheng Zhanxi, a troubled expression on her face, then looked down, the other girls following suit.
Li Lan, her voice calm, said, "We were discussing the math problems from this morning."
Cheng Zhanxi: "So studious! Were they difficult?"
Li Lan: "A little."
Cheng Zhanxi: "Remember to take breaks. PE class is for you to relax and recharge. You can't study effectively if you're exhausted."
"We know, Ms. Cheng. We're going to play badminton now," Li Lan said, and led the group away.
"Go ahead," Cheng Zhanxi said.
Lian Yabing, as they walked away, glanced back at Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi's smile faded.
She had a feeling their conversation had been about Yu Qingtang.
...
"Ms. Yu, when are you planning to talk to Li Lan?" Cheng Zhanxi asked, unable to contain her worry. It was the fourth period, and they were the only two left in the office.
Yu Qingtang, grading papers, paused and looked up at her. "During evening self-study. Why do you ask?"
"No reason." Cheng Zhanxi didn't mention what she had seen during PE class, as it felt like tattling, and implied a lack of trust in Yu Qingtang's abilities. Instead, she said vaguely, "Li Lan seems a little… off lately. You should talk to her and clear the air."
"Okay. Thank you, Ms. Cheng," Yu Qingtang replied.
Cheng Zhanxi, still worried, stayed in the office after school, ordering takeout.
Yu Qingtang, returning from the cafeteria, was slightly surprised to see her still there.
Cheng Zhanxi made up an excuse. "My new neighbor has a dog that barks all night. I can't concentrate at home. It's quieter at school," she said.
Yu Qingtang didn't question her further. "You can call the police," she suggested.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled. "I'll give them a couple more chances. If it doesn't stop, I'll call the police," she said.
Yu Qingtang hummed in agreement and sat down at her desk, turning on her computer.
Ms. Cheng seemed to be in a good mood, her usual cheerful self.
The printer whirred, spitting out freshly printed test papers. Cheng Zhanxi, curious, picked one up, glanced at it, and immediately recoiled as if she had been attacked by a biological weapon, dropping the paper back onto the desk as if it were a hot potato.
It was full of math problems! Such torture!
Yu Qingtang's lips twitched slightly at her exaggerated reaction.
Cheng Zhanxi, seeing the hint of amusement in Yu Qingtang's eyes, leaned back in her chair, a smile spreading across her face.
"Good luck, Ms. Yu," she said, giving Yu Qingtang a thumbs-up as the bell rang.
Yu Qingtang, reaching the doorway, turned back and gave Cheng Zhanxi a complex look.
Cheng Zhanxi, her enthusiasm unwavering, continued waving her fists. "Go, go, go!" she cheered.
Yu Qingtang, her expression unchanged, walked out of the office, then stopped a few steps away, a smile spreading across her face. She stood there for a moment, savoring the warmth of Cheng Zhanxi's support, before composing herself and heading towards Class 7.
Lian Yabing had already distributed the homework before evening self-study. Yu Qingtang spent half the period reviewing the problems, then handed out a new set of practice papers.
"Class monitor, come with me," she said.
The students looked up as Li Lan followed Yu Qingtang out of the classroom, whispers filling the air.
The disciplinary committee member said, "Quiet down."
The classroom fell silent.
Out in the hallway, the wind blew, ruffling Yu Qingtang's hair. She smoothed it back, her gaze steady as she looked at her class monitor.
"If you have any complaints about my teaching or my management of the class, please tell me," she said calmly.
Li Lan was silent for a while, then asked, "Do you remember, teacher, after our first monthly exam, our math scores were the second highest in the entire grade level, even higher than one of the top classes?"
Yu Qingtang nodded, recalling the event.
Class 7's math scores were outstanding, even higher than their physics scores. Everyone had been surprised by their performance. The math department head had even praised Yu Qingtang, asking her to share her teaching methods. Yu Qingtang had attributed it to the fact that math was her subject, and to her diligent teaching.
Li Lan continued, "Do you remember what you said when the results were announced?"
Yu Qingtang looked at her, saying nothing.
Li Lan answered her own question. "You said, 'Good work. Keep up the good work'," she said.
Yu Qingtang said calmly, "Was there something wrong with what I said?"
Li Lan said, "There wasn't anything wrong with your words, but you weren't looking at us when you said them."
Yu Qingtang didn't remember, but she thought it was possible. She vaguely recalled her students sitting up straight, their faces full of pride, their eager, expectant gazes making her uncomfortable. She had instinctively looked away.
Li Lan continued, her voice trembling, "At the beginning of the semester, we all liked you. We even bragged to the other classes. We were all motivated in your class, and you were a good teacher. We all wanted to do well, to make you proud. Some of the students who were struggling with math spent their breaks studying, asking their classmates for help, catching up little by little. Our good grades proved that our hard work had paid off, but your reaction made us feel like our efforts were meaningless.
"Many of us thought you were just not good at expressing your emotions, that every teacher has their own personality, that not everyone is like Ms. Cheng. We didn't ask for much, just for you to acknowledge us, to truly see us, not just to offer empty praise. We're people, not data points. We're not machines that can be motivated by simple commands. We'd rather not have any praise at all than receive insincere compliments.
Whether our grades improve or decline, whether we follow the rules or break them, you always look at us with the same indifferent expression. You're never happy or angry, never sad or disappointed. Your tone never changes. We work so hard, yet we never see you smile." Li Lan's voice choked with sobs. "Do you… do you not like us? Do you even hate us?"
Yu Qingtang remained silent, her gaze steady on Li Lan.
"We practiced so hard for the sports meet performance. We were afraid of going home late after practice, so we used our evening self-study time. The entire class helped us clear the classroom, cheering us on. And you? Did you even come to see us practice? Did you even ask about our progress? We faced so many difficulties. Some of us cried while practicing. You wouldn't know."
"And on the day of the sports meet…" Li Lan sniffed, then stopped. "Never mind," she said.
After a moment, she continued, her voice calmer, "Later, I realized you didn't hate us. You just didn't care about anything beyond our studies. You weren't interested in getting to know us, like a heartless teaching machine."
Li Lan smiled, a bitter smile. Her eyes were red and teary.
She exhaled, trying to sound indifferent. "It's fine. It's kind of cool, even. We can learn on our own. We don't need your praise. It's not like we're children." she said. "We understand you have your own personality. We have to respect that. We do enjoy your classes, though. You're pretty, you're a good teacher, and you're very dedicated."
"But…" Tears suddenly streamed down Li Lan's face. She quickly wiped them away, but they kept coming.
Overwhelmed by her emotions, she stood there, crying uncontrollably, then, between sobs, revealed the most hurtful truth. "You don't even remember our names…" she choked out.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was disappointment.
Li Lan, and the other Class 7 students, had initially adored Yu Qingtang. Learning that she didn't even know who they were had been a crushing blow, a mixture of hurt, disappointment, and resentment.
Their hard work went unacknowledged, their efforts unanswered, their very existence unseen. They shouldn't have to bear this at such a young age.
Yu Qingtang leaned against a pillar in the hallway, watching as Li Lan, her eyes red and swollen, turned and walked back into the classroom, leaving Yu Qingtang in her prolonged silence.
Li Lan buried her face in her arms, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Her deskmate put down her pen and paper and gently patted her back.
The other class representatives exchanged worried glances, sighing softly.
Lian Yabing bit her lip, staring down at her test paper, her mind blank.
Yu Qingtang didn't return to the classroom.
Cheng Zhanxi, waiting in the office, became restless after the first period ended, and went to Class 7, but Yu Qingtang wasn't there. She only saw Li Lan crying at her desk, her head down, the back of her head towards the classroom door.
Cheng Zhanxi called Tong Feifei out into the hallway.
Tong Feifei didn't know what had happened either. She only knew that Yu Qingtang had called Li Lan out for a talk, then Li Lan had returned to the classroom in tears.
Tong Feifei, never one to miss an opportunity for drama, said, "Do you think Ms. Yu was crying too?" Then, shaking her head, she scoffed, "No way. Ms. Yu would never cry for us."
Cheng Zhanxi didn't ask any further questions, deciding to wait for Yu Qingtang at the classroom door.
When the second period started, Yu Qingtang appeared.
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her eyes. There were no traces of tears. "Why are you here, Ms. Cheng?" Yu Qingtang asked, her voice still cool and calm.
Cheng Zhanxi made up an excuse. "I get scared alone in the office," she said.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
"I need to go to class now," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi readily agreed. "Go ahead," she said.
They hadn't finished grading the papers, so there wasn't much teaching to be done. Yu Qingtang hesitated at the classroom door for a moment, then entered.
The students were unusually quiet, the atmosphere somber.
Li Lan was working on her test paper, her head down. Yu Qingtang glanced at her briefly, then looked away. "Continue with your work," she said.
She walked around the classroom, then left.
Cheng Zhanxi was still waiting outside.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi lowered her voice. "What did you and Li Lan talk about?" she asked. "Did you resolve your issues?"
Yu Qingtang replied with a simple "Yes."
Just as Cheng Zhanxi was about to ask another question, Yu Qingtang interrupted her, her expression slightly cold. "I don't want to talk about it," she said.
"…Okay," Cheng Zhanxi replied.
Yu Qingtang looked at Cheng Zhanxi for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry."
Cheng Zhanxi: "?"
Yu Qingtang didn't offer any further explanations, her gaze lifting to the moon hanging high in the sky, her figure bathed in the moonlight, an aura of loneliness and isolation surrounding her.
Cheng Zhanxi remained a few steps away, neither approaching nor retreating.
She stayed with Yu Qingtang until the end of evening self-study, walking back to the office with her, and then parting ways at the school gates. Worried, Cheng Zhanxi discreetly followed Yu Qingtang, only turning back after seeing her enter her complex and receiving a "safe" message.
Thursday morning.
Yu Qingtang was preparing her lessons in the office. Cheng Zhanxi, while working, kept glancing at her.
Yu Qingtang's demeanor in the past few days had been worrying.
While she seemed outwardly the same as before, there was a tension about her, a fragility, as if she were a tightly wound spring about to snap.
A knock echoed at the office door.
Tao, the head of the academic affairs office, stood at the doorway, his eyes scanning the room, his gaze settling on Yu Qingtang. "Ms. Yu," he said sternly, "come to my office."
Yu Qingtang closed her lesson plan and stood up.
Cheng Zhanxi's heart sank. "Director Tao," she asked quickly, "what's this about?"
Tao's expression remained impassive. "This doesn't concern you, Ms. Cheng. Mind your own business," he said.
Yu Qingtang glanced at Cheng Zhanxi, her eyes filled with complex emotions, a look that made Cheng Zhanxi's heart ache, a sharp, piercing pain.
In the director's office.
Yu Qingtang sat opposite Tao's desk, a cup of hot tea in front of her.
"Ms. Yu," Tao began, his tone softening slightly, mindful of her status as a new teacher and a woman, "I've called you here to discuss the situation in Class 7."
"Go ahead," Yu Qingtang replied.
Tao steepled his fingers, choosing his words carefully. "We've received complaints from parents requesting a change of homeroom teacher for Class 7." He opened his drawer, hesitated, then took out a piece of paper and handed it to Yu Qingtang. "This is a petition signed by the Class 7 students, initiated by the class representatives, requesting a new homeroom teacher," he said.
Yu Qingtang took the paper, her eyes skipping over the printed text, falling on the handwritten signatures.
There were fifty students in Class 7. The number of signatures clearly exceeded half the class.
Yu Qingtang didn't look up for a long time.
Tao, his voice cautious, asked, "Ms. Yu?"
Yu Qingtang gave a quiet, almost inaudible response.
Tao's voice softened further. "We acknowledge your teaching abilities, but perhaps the role of a homeroom teacher isn't the best fit for you. Therefore, the school has decided…"
...
The door to the director's office opened.
Yu Qingtang blinked, momentarily blinded by the sunlight, then saw Cheng Zhanxi standing in the hallway, a worried expression on her face.
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