Less than half a minute later, he hurriedly ran back and took away the mule that had been forgotten under the basketball hoop.
Chen Yunqi stood by the window and laughed.
Looking at his watch, it was already past 1 a.m. A cold wind blew into the room through the not-so-tight door. Chen Yunqi took off his damp clothes and draped them at the foot of the bed. He poured a basin of hot water, quickly washed himself, changed into a clean sweatshirt, brushed his teeth, blew out the candle, and crawled into bed.
It was my first time sleeping on a bed like this. When I turned over, the straw under the mattress made a slight rustling sound, but strangely, it brought me peace of mind. The thick cotton quilt was incredibly warm under my body.
The curtains swayed gently, but not a ray of moonlight shone through the window. The flashlight that San San had left behind was placed beside her pillow.
In the unfamiliar environment, Chen Yunqi quickly fell into a deep sleep, exhausted.
A note from the author:
--- This story takes a heartwarming and serious approach. The plot and characters will have many conflicts and twists in the later stages, so there will be a lot of foreshadowing and setup in the early stages. Please be patient, and you probably won't be too disappointed, hehe.
Chapter Five: Heavenly Clouds
Chen Yunqi had a dream; he dreamt of Yu Xiaosong.
In his dream, he returned to his elementary school classroom. The math teacher was writing problems on the blackboard, and Yu Xiaosong, who was sitting in front of him, was wearing that familiar brown sweater. He turned around and asked to borrow an eraser.
Chen Yunqi picked up the eraser from the table and placed it in Yu Xiaosong's outstretched hand. Yu Xiaosong grabbed the eraser along with Chen Yunqi's fingers. He gave Chen Yunqi a sly smile, grabbed his hand and pulled hard, causing Chen Yunqi's chest to press against the edge of the table, his entire upper body leaning forward.
The teacher on the podium finished writing the problem, turned around, saw them, and shouted, "What are you two doing! If you don't want to attend class, go stand outside!"
...
Chen Yunqi woke up with a start, his fingers, hidden under the covers, unconsciously rubbed together for a moment, feeling as if the warmth left by Yu Xiaosong in his dream still lingered between his fingers.
Faint sounds of laughter drifted from outside. He sat up, grabbed his watch from beside his pillow, and saw that it was already 10 a.m. So he quickly got up, dressed, and prepared to go find Tang Yutao.
As soon as he opened the door, a gust of cool wind rushed into the room and hit his face, instantly waking him up. Outside, there were children everywhere, most of them wearing black and red school uniforms. Some were playing basketball, some were kicking shuttlecocks and jumping rope, and some were running around chasing and playing.
Several children were gathered at the doorway, lying on the ground covered in dirt, playing with bricks and stones. When they saw Chen Yunqi come out, they all looked up at him.
Tang Yutao was playing ping-pong with several children, shouting and yelling. When he saw Chen Yunqi come out, he immediately dropped his racket and shouted at him, "You're up!" Then he jumped up the stone steps by the playground and walked up to Chen Yunqi, saying, "How did you sleep? Are you settling in?"
"I'm fine, I slept very soundly, it's been a long time since I've slept this well," Chen Yunqi replied with a smile.
"That's good!" Tang Yutao patted his shoulder. "Go wash up, and then I'll take you to San San's house for lunch. San San came over this morning, but you were still asleep, so I didn't wake you."
Two classes had already been held in the morning, and it was now break time. Chen Yunqi nodded, preparing to turn around and go back inside. Several curious children gathered around, some shyly hiding behind Tang Yutao, pushing and shoving, asking Tang Yutao all at once, "Teacher Tang, who is this?"
Tang Yutao immediately put on a serious expression, pushed up his glasses, and said loudly to them, "Classmates! This is our new teacher, Ms. Chen. Say hello to her!"
As soon as he finished speaking, more children heard him and quickly gathered around, joining the scattered children in calling out—
"Hello, Teacher Chen!"
Caught off guard by the swarm of children, Teacher Chen fetched a basin of hot water to wash up while they watched him closely. The children gathered around the sink to watch Chen Yunqi brush his teeth, grabbing at his toothpaste and face wash, loudly pronouncing the product names and unfamiliar English words on the packaging.
As Chen Yunqi brushed his teeth, he looked into the distance. The sky was still overcast, and the surrounding clouds and mist made it seem like he was in a fairyland. The school was right on the edge of the cliff. Standing here, he could see the majestic mountain peaks on the opposite side, which were also surrounded by clouds and mist, appearing and disappearing as if they were thousands of miles away, yet also as if they were right next to him.
He washed his hair under Tang Yutao's disdainful gaze, then patiently dried it with a towel before following Tang Yutao out to San San's house for dinner. On the way, Tang Yutao grumbled about how fussy Chen Yunqi was, saying that he himself hadn't washed his hair for days, and that he was just a rough guy anyway, so no one would notice if he washed it.
Three houses were empty, and the doors were unlocked. A large rooster was leisurely pacing in the yard, corn was piled up next to the stone mill, and some farm tools such as baskets, sieves, and plows were hanging on the yard wall.
Tianyun Village is an Yi village, with a small number of Han people living among them. The Yi people still live a somewhat primitive lifestyle; their houses are all built of wooden planks and are quite simple, with all the houses having basically the same layout.
The main room of San San's house contained only a square table and two long benches, with no other furniture. Several other rooms were located to the left and right of the main room. Entering one of the adjacent rooms, a small fire pit had been dug in the center of the floor, with a round iron frame supporting it and a pot on top for boiling water and cooking. There were no chairs or stools to sit on, only straw mats on the floor. An old, greasy cupboard stood in the corner, with several thermos flasks on the floor and several washbasins stacked beside them. A thick rope stretched along one wall, draped with towels and clothes. Above the fire pit, under the roof, a wooden rack hung with sausages and cured meat, blackened and covered in dust by the rising smoke.
“The Yi people here are the White Yi, and in many ways they have been assimilated by the Han Chinese. However, some older people still maintain the Black Yi lifestyle; they don’t even have beds at home, they sleep on straw mats,” Tang Yutao said, plopping down on the straw mat and lifting the lid of the pot in front of him, which contained stir-fried chili and meat slices. He picked up a match from the ground, skillfully struck it, lit a few scraps of paper, and stuffed them under the dry firewood in the pit.
The flames gradually rose, and Chen Yunqi sat down beside him, helping to loosen the pile of firewood from time to time. There were no windows in the room, only light filtering in from the main room and the glow of the flames. Several teacups sat by the hearth, containing remnants of black tea leaves. Tang Yutao stirred the food in the pot and asked, "Would you like some tea? It's mountain tea oil, very bitter."
Just as Chen Yunqi was about to suggest that they could give it a try, Tang Yutao added, "But I don't know how to cook, hehe."
Chen Yunqi smiled helplessly and asked again, "Where did San San and the others go?"
Tang Yutao said, "They bring their own lunch when they go to work in the fields, so they don't come back at noon. San San's house is the closest to the school. Besides San San, his family also has a daughter. His daughter is a good student, and we have found her a one-on-one sponsor and sent her to a junior high school in the county. His parents are very grateful to us, so their house has become our canteen."
The Yi people are very hospitable. They believe that the most sincere way to treat guests is to invite them to eat at their home. Even if there is nothing fancy to eat, they will warmly welcome even strangers who are just passing by, regardless of whether it is mealtime or not. They will make a cup of oil tea, cook a meal, and see them off when they leave, telling them to come back again when they have time.
Once the food was heated up, Tang Yutao went to the cupboard, found a bowl, scooped out the food, poured a bowl of rice into the pot, added some water, and covered the pot to simmer.
Mountain people cook simply, eating pork raised by themselves. They don't even need oil when stir-frying, and there are hardly any seasonings, but because the meat is of good quality, it's very delicious. Tang Yutao said that the Bai Yi people buy soy sauce, vinegar, and other condiments to cook, just like the Han Chinese, while the Hei Yi people simply boil meat in a pot and eat it, using nothing but salt and Sichuan peppercorns. Green vegetables don't grow in the mountains; they only grow potatoes, corn, and Sichuan peppercorns.
The dishes were a bit spicy, and the rice was leftover from the previous day, but Chen Yunqi found it delicious and appetizing. He ate a large bowl of rice, and then picked up the bowl to wash it, but Tang Yutao took it and put it in a pot to soak in water, saying that he would wash it all at once after dinner.
Chen Yunqi took out a cigarette and a lighter and handed them to Tang Yutao, but Tang Yutao waved his hand repeatedly and said, "Thanks, but I won't." So he finished his cigarette by himself, put the cigarette butt out in the fire pit, and then got up and went back to school with Tang Yutao.
Tianyun Primary School has a total of 27 students, divided into two classes according to age.
There are three classes each morning and three in the afternoon, covering only a few simple subjects: Chinese, math, music, art, and physical education. Sixteen children aged eight and above form a large class, learning textbooks for grades 4-6, while eleven children under eight form a small class, learning textbooks for grades 1-3. A few other high-achieving students, thanks to Tang Yutao's efforts, have secured one-on-one sponsorships and are attending regular schools in the county, returning home once a week.
Besides Tang Yutao and Li Hui, the school currently has another local teacher surnamed Sheng, named Sheng Xuebing, who is the only villager with a junior high school education.
After graduating from junior high school, Mr. Sheng returned to his village to become a teacher. His dedication to educating students was once reported by the media, after which charitable enterprises began to sponsor the primary school, building four classrooms and a small playground, and donating basketball hoops and ping-pong tables. He also received continuous, albeit sporadic, donations from various sources. A few years ago, he was nominated by the media for the "Touching China" Person of the Year award, but unfortunately, he was not selected.
When Tang Yutao and his group were assigned to the school's volunteer association, the local education bureau attached great importance to it, with leaders personally leading the teachers up the mountain to arrange their work. Teacher Sheng's halo of being "the hope of the whole village" was largely stolen. Not only that, but all the donated materials, along with Teacher Sheng herself, were subsequently managed by the volunteers. As a result, Teacher Sheng and Tang Yutao and his group were at odds, treating each other coldly, each teaching their own classes and going their own way.
“Song Feifei disliked Teacher Sheng the most, especially when she discovered that Teacher Sheng secretly took the donated medicine back and sold it to the villagers.”
Tang Yutao's last class in the morning was a physical education class for the small group. After leading a group of children in a fake set of radio calisthenics, he distributed a few basketballs and jump ropes to the children to play with. He then sat on the stone steps by the playground with Chen Yunqi and chatted about Teacher Sheng without any regard for the fact that several children were listening nearby.
"I know, I know!" A little boy with snot hanging from his nose tugged at Chen Yunqi's sleeve and shouted, "Teacher Sheng's pinyin is all wrong! He plays drums at night and falls asleep in class during the day! He also drools, and it's all over the podium!"
A little girl in yellow clothes quickly chimed in, "Teacher Tang, when Teacher Sheng was asleep, Sheng Qinzhi poked his nose with a twig!"
Chen Yunqi asked the little boy named Sheng Qinzhi with amusement, "What is 'beating the drum'?" Sheng Qinzhi replied, "Beating the drum means beating ghosts!"
Several children chattered excitedly, eager to explain the meaning of "playing the drum" to Teacher Chen. Their incessant chatter made it impossible for Chen Yunqi to hear them, so he turned to Tang Yutao. Tang Yutao replied, "Well, it's quite complicated. I'll take you to see it another day."
At lunchtime, the students scattered to go home for lunch. A small wooden hut had been built next to the school, which Tang Yutao and Li Hui converted into a makeshift kitchen. They would occasionally cook for themselves, and villagers often had their children bring vegetables and cured meat for the teachers, sometimes even eggs. Aside from Song Feifei, Tang Yutao and Li Hui's cooking skills were practically nonexistent; they spent most of their time eating and drinking at students' homes.
On Chen Yunqi's first day, the two felt it was necessary to show their welcome as hosts. They were discussing whether to stir-fry some shredded potatoes for lunch and ask someone for some chili peppers and meat when several students living nearby came over to invite the teachers to their homes for lunch. The two rough men stared at each other for a long time before finally giving up on cooking themselves. They put down the potatoes in their hands and took Chen Yunqi to freeload a meal.
The three of them followed the little girl in the yellow dress they had seen in PE class home.
The little girl's name is Li Yan, and she lives on a hill not far away. Li Yan is 7 years old this year, her older sister Li Xue is 10 years old, and her 16-year-old brother Li Jun has gone out to work.
The two sisters, hand in hand, skipped and hopped ahead, leading the way. Tang Yutao told Chen Yunqi that Li Yan was Li Hui's goddaughter, a ritual performed according to mountain customs. After being recognized as a goddaughter, Li Hui and the Li family became one family. So, even from a distance, Li Yan's father stood in front of the door, waving a kitchen knife and shouting at them:
"In-laws—hurry up—dinner's ready—"
Once home, Li Yan became less reserved, constantly calling Li Hui "godfather" and showing him her picture book to Li Hui and Chen Yunqi. She would also affectionately climb onto Li Hui's shoulder and jump onto his back.
Li Yan's father was a man with slightly graying hair and triangular eyes. He was wearing a faded denim jacket and army green rubber boots, and was cleaning a slaughtered chicken in the yard. He was a lively, enthusiastic, and somewhat rough farmer. Today, the couple had no farm work to do and were resting at home. Hearing that a new teacher had come to the school, they hurriedly killed the chicken and prepared food, asking their daughter to call the teacher over for dinner.
Li Yan's mother was burly and looked quite imposing, but when she smiled, she had two sweet dimples. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, adorned with small trinkets on a yellow hair tie. She stood next to Li Yan's father watching him kill a chicken, exchanging playful insults with him, but when she turned to Li Hui, she was all sweet and affectionate, calling him "in-law" with great warmth. The lively chatter in the courtyard made Chen Yunqi feel very cozy.
The midday sun peeked out from behind the clouds, its warm rays shining down on him. Chen Yunqi sat on a small stool, squinting and resting his chin on his hand as he looked at everything before him.
Li Yan's mother sized up Chen Yunqi, her voice rising eight octaves: "Wow! Teacher Chen is so handsome! You say you don't have a girlfriend? What do you think of me?"
Tang Yutao and Li Hui laughed heartily, clearly unfazed by the uninhibited style of rural women. Even Li Yan and Li Xue laughed along, seemingly understanding but not quite, without finding their mother's behavior frivolous. Li Yan's father gritted his teeth and cursed, "You old peacock, do you think anyone would even look at you?! Go cool off somewhere else and play!"
Chen Yunqi laughed too: "Sister, don't joke around. I'm afraid I'll get beaten by my brother-in-law and won't be able to eat."
Hearing Chen Yunqi call her "sister" so politely, Li Yan's mother was overjoyed. She toiled in the fields all day long, and now she finally had a chance to flirt with a young man, a fair-skinned and delicate boy from out of town. She couldn't be happier. She immediately put on a fierce look and said, "If he dares not give you any, I'll cook him tonight!"
After saying that, she looked at Chen Yunqi with a smile and said, "My dear little brother, you should come to your sister's house to play often. Another day I'll have your brother-in-law slaughter a sheep for you to eat!"
Li Yan's father grinned slyly to the side, joining his wife in saying, "Slaughter, slaughter, slaughter! No need to wait for another day, let's slaughter tonight, eat meat and drink wine."
The chicken was killed for Teacher Chen to eat, but unfortunately, Teacher Chen hadn't finished digesting his previous meal and couldn't eat much now. However, he couldn't resist his sister and brother-in-law's enthusiasm and ate quite a bit.
Chen Yunqi didn't expect this man to be so impulsive. After lunch, Li Yan's father ignored all objections and insisted on going out to look for sheep. The cattle and sheep of the mountain people are all free-range. They go out into the mountains every now and then to look for any stragglers or those that have rolled down and died, so they can be picked up and cooked for meat.
Seeing that he couldn't stop him, Li Yan's father had already dashed out the door and run far away. Li Yan's mother leaned against the door and looked at Chen Yunqi with a smile, saying, "Don't be afraid, my good brother. You are a benefactor. Eating a sheep is nothing. Come over tonight, you must come, have a couple of drinks with your sister and brother-in-law."
Tang Yutao also reassured him, "It's okay, don't be embarrassed. Everyone is very welcoming. You'll get used to it."
Chen Yunqi was so full that he wandered around the playground for half a day after returning to school and even played basketball with the children for a while. He wasn't actually very good at basketball, but he did play soccer for a period of time in junior high school.
In the afternoon, Tang Yutao took the newly arrived teacher, Chen Yunqi, to the classroom to teach an art class to the younger students. Without any prior preparation, Chen Yunqi simply drew a cartoon rabbit on the blackboard with chalk and had the students imitate it. He had been learning to draw since elementary school and continued until graduating from high school. He had originally planned to apply for an art major, but later decided to go to S City. He wasn't interested in any of the specializations offered by the S University's School of Design, and ultimately chose finance.
During the break, he met the legendary Teacher Sheng.
Teacher Sheng was in his forties, quite short, and had an unpleasant face. After finishing his lesson in the senior class, he stared at Chen Yunqi for a while with his shifty little eyes. Chen Yunqi greeted him politely, but he only nodded slightly and hurriedly left with a displeased expression.
Chen Yunqi watched his departing figure, dressed in a decent down jacket and hiking boots, carrying a respectable briefcase. Li Hui, standing beside him, scoffed, "Heh, see that? He secretly took those clothes from the donated supplies."
After school that evening, Chen Yunqi washed his dirty clothes in a basin of cold water, his fingers turning bright red from the icy cold. He rubbed his hands and waited with Tang Yutao at the school gate for Li Hui to change, planning to go to Li Yan's house for dinner together. Everyone waited in the cold wind, but Li Hui dawdled and didn't come out for a long time. Tang Yutao grew impatient and was about to lose his temper, wanting Li Yan to knock on the door and call his godfather to hurry up.
As darkness fell, a figure slowly approached from afar.
San San was wearing a hooded windproof cotton coat, and the evening wind made his hair a little messy.
Perhaps it was because Chen Yunqi was filled with gratitude for the help he received yesterday, perhaps it was because San San was the first local he had met here, or perhaps it was because San San was handsome and clean-cut, which made him feel good about him. In any case, when he saw him, Chen Yunqi couldn't help but smile. As he watched San San approach, he felt the light in the boy's big eyes shining on his face.
It's so beautiful.
San San noticed Chen Yunqi's gaze and blushed slightly, his fair face instantly turning a faint blush, like the sunset glow on the horizon. He smiled and looked at Chen Yunqi for a moment, then asked, "Where are you going? My mom has finished cooking and is calling you to come eat."
Chapter Six: Drunkenness
Before Chen Yunqi and Tang Yutao could speak, Li Yan jumped in front of San San and exclaimed, "They're coming to my house to eat mutton!"
San San paused for a moment upon hearing this, then gently patted Li Yan's head and said, "Oh."
The atmosphere was a little awkward. Chen Yunqi saw a hint of disappointment in San San's eyes and felt inexplicably guilty. Tang Yutao, on the other hand, said to San San in a generous manner, "Please tell Auntie that Uncle Li is too kind to refuse, so we'll come to your house for dinner tomorrow night."
Chen Yunqi nodded quickly, almost patting his chest to guarantee, and said, "I'll definitely go tomorrow." The 1.9-meter-tall man looked very sincere when he said this, like he was coaxing a sullen girlfriend.
Seeing his expression, San San couldn't help but smile and whispered in response, "Okay."
Li Hui finally came out after changing his clothes. Tang Yutao punched him and cursed, saying that Song Feifei didn't need to take so long to change clothes, and that she was changing in the dark and didn't know who she was showing them to.
Li Hui retorted, "Let my little Yanzi see, her godfather is handsome and dashing."
Tang Yutao looked at him with disdain: "You think you're so handsome? Do you think Xiaoqi doesn't exist?" He then turned to Li Yan and asked, "Li Yan, tell me, is your godfather more handsome or Teacher Chen?"
Li Yan showed no respect for her godfather, saying with a grin, "Teacher Chen is beautiful! Godfather is too dark-skinned, and he has pockmarks on his face."
It wasn't until earlier today that Chen Yunqi finally got a clear look at Li Hui. Li Hui was dark-skinned and thin, with small eyes, a bulbous nose, and pockmarked cheeks. His clothes and appearance were typical of a typical nerdy guy, and his oily skin and hair made him look like he had just come out of an internet cafe after spending three days and three nights there.
Li Hui scooped Li Yan up in his arms and tossed her over his shoulder, spinning her around as if to throw her off. At the same time, he pretended to be angry and said, "You little bastard, you're such a traitor!" Li Yan laughed and screamed as he threw her around, her limbs flailing wildly in the air.
Tang Yutao pushed up his glasses and said, "The eyes of the masses are discerning. Putting aside Xiaoqi, San San is many times better looking than you, okay?"