Lanpu - Chapitre 8
"Teacher, what did you just say? How did you write that quadratic equation as 'The moon shines brightest in my hometown'?"
"Hey teacher, freeze for 5 minutes! Are you spacing out or daydreaming?"
As the class was about to end, there was a sudden commotion outside. Many students ran to the corridor to watch. "What's going on? Why isn't the teacher doing anything?" I muttered to myself, while my own students were also getting restless.
"Look everyone! A fairy has descended to earth!"
"How can there be such a beautiful woman! She's dozens of times more beautiful than movie stars!"
I heard several teachers outside talking amongst themselves. A thought flashed through my mind, and my whole body trembled. "It's Xiaoyue!" I shouted. Only Xiaoyue's unparalleled beauty could cause such a commotion.
Immediately, I dashed into the corridor, and the students in the class followed suit, scattering like birds and beasts. One of them said behind me, "I was worried that the teacher would become a gentleman and not even look at the pretty girls. What a waste!"
At that moment, I immediately saw Xiaoyue walking towards my teaching building. Notably, she wasn't wearing her uniform; instead, she was dressed in a Michelle dress—snow-white and light green plaid, ankle-length, with a small pale purple flower on the chest—quite unique. She looked like a pure, beautiful, and ethereal flower fairy, radiating a holy glow, dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful, inspiring endless reverie.
No wonder nearly a thousand male and female students, as well as teachers of all ages, were stunned and mesmerized in the teaching building!
---janeadam
Reply [15]: Chapter Seven Ancestor Worship
In the afternoon, the station was bustling with people. Xiaoyue and I stood side by side at the exit of the platform.
I couldn't contain my excitement, mostly stemming from a mix of exhilaration and pride. Just imagine how astonished my parents would be to see me with such a fairy-like girlfriend! Do you know what they've been calling me these past two years? A good-for-nothing!
Of course, I felt a little uneasy, wondering if Xiaoyue would get along with them.
Strangely, the moment the thought crossed my mind, Xiaoyue seemed to sense it immediately. She placed her hand on my arm and gave me a comforting smile. Her incomparably beautiful appearance, even through a thin veil, could not conceal her captivating charm, making me feel as happy as if I were floating on clouds.
Because Xiaoyue was so beautiful, attracting 100% attention, and for the safety of the people of Ruli County (I heard there were three car accidents on the way when Xiaoyue came), at my suggestion, Xiaoyue wore the veil that ancient beauties often wore.
This reminded me of what happened at school this morning: when my superiors, colleagues, and all the students saw Xiaoyue and me holding hands, gazing at each other with tender affection, there was a chorus of "thumps" as people fell and screams of glasses shattering—the most mediocre, lazy, idle, and unambitious teacher in the entire school had actually plucked the most beautiful flower in the world, like a toad climbing on a swan, the contrast was just too great.
Then I left with Xiaoyue, skipping class. Behind us, over a thousand teachers and students were completely silent, except for the sound of the national flag fluttering on the flagpole in the playground. After we were out of their sight, a huge explosion of noise and arguments immediately erupted.
It is believed that from now on, Ruli County will have another topic that can last for several years.
At that moment, the station's public address system announced: "Train 783 from the provincial capital is about to arrive. Passengers, please pack your belongings and prepare to board."
Immediately, the two large doors at the entrance to the waiting room opened wide, and two train attendants checked tickets at the doors. People rushed in. Although Ruli County is small, its train station is quite large and well-managed because it is an important transit point for travel from the coast to the inland areas.
In the crowd, I carefully shielded Xiaoyue from the front and back, but later realized it was completely unnecessary, because Xiaoyue used some kind of clever trick, and everyone who tried to squeeze next to her was immediately blocked and slid away by an invisible force wall.
The train slowly pulled into the station, stopped, and the engine emitted the sound of exhaust fumes as it shut off. One by one, the doors opened.
Then, I saw my father and mother. It was as if by some kind of blood connection that we saw each other at the same time.
They waved to me, looking radiant, because they had flown from Jiangsu to the provincial capital and then taken a direct luxury train to Ruli County. Their faces did not show the weariness and exhaustion typical of travelers.
It's been almost a year since I last saw my dad. He's still the same as ever, with a square face and a high forehead. He has a dignified and profound image, giving people a sense of security and gravitas. He has a high nose and bright, piercing eyes. He has been my idol since I was a child. He is the kind of person who you can tell at a glance is destined for great things.
I rushed over and hugged my father tightly. My mother couldn't help but shed tears, wiping them away with her hands. She would come home every month or two to take care of me for a week or two, so she wasn't as emotional as we were.
My dad patted my shoulder firmly, then pushed me away, laughing loudly, "Good lad, you've changed so much in just one year! Alright, alright, let's stop being so mushy and make this funny. Let me see your Xiaoyue, what kind of girl she is, that she's changed so much that I don't even recognize my son!"
My mother also looked at Xiaoyue behind me with curiosity, who was wearing a black veil and looked mysterious.
Xiaoyue approached the two elders, gently lifted the veil to reveal her stunning beauty, and with a faint smile, gracefully bowed to my parents. Her voice, as clear and melodious as a nightingale's, said, "Uncle, Aunt, Xiaoyue greets you."
As I expected, in an instant, my parents' eyes widened, staring at her without blinking, "Ah—"
He let out a cry, his mouth agape and wouldn't close, looking as if he had seen a ghost—no, more like a deity.
Not only that, the entire station seemed to freeze instantly. The once bustling platform suddenly fell silent, wave after wave, until the entire station seemed to be infected and all came to a standstill.
If it weren't for Xiaoyue's otherworldly and ethereal beauty, her stunning looks would have given off an eerie feeling.
As expected of a man who has seen the world, Dad was stunned for a moment before quickly recovering. He said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I thought our Xiaoyue was too vain and had pimples on her face, so she had to cover it up. Now—" He looked at the frozen crowd around him, touched his nose, and smiled bitterly, "You'd better put the veil on quickly, otherwise we might not be able to get home."
Only then did Mom wake up, hurriedly put down her luggage, took off a jade ring from her hand, placed it in Xiaoyue's hand, and said gently, "This is a pair of jade rings, a family heirloom of the Luo family. One is in my hand, and the other is on Axin's father. His father has already given his ring to Axin, and now I am giving this one to you."
I noticed they had forgotten to bring the gift they bought from Jiangsu, and instead immediately started promoting our family's most precious heirloom, as if they were afraid Xiaoyue would run away and wanted to establish a good relationship before they felt at ease. My father watched from the side, smiling, not at all surprised.
On the taxi ride home, Xiaoyue whispered to me, "You look like your mother, and you have the same personality."
"Yes!" I said with a laugh, "That's why my dad keeps urging me to give him a grandson like him so he can inherit his business. You'll have to help me with that!"
A blush immediately appeared on Xiaoyue's fair face. She lightly spat and said in feigned annoyance, "Aren't you ashamed!"
I was overjoyed to hear this, realizing that she hadn't directly objected and wasn't truly angry.
The parents in the front seats seemed to have overheard our whispers, and they both turned around and smiled at us, causing Xiaoyue's pretty face to turn red with embarrassment, forcing her to lower her head.
---janeadam
Reply [16]: That evening, my relatives and friends all came to gather, chat and eat. The three floors were crowded with people. My father observed that Xiaoyue did not like socializing, so he asked me to sit with her in my study and talk privately. In the end, it was only under my uncle's strong request that my father let Xiaoyue show her face.
Then, because of this appearance, the decibel level in the whole house dropped by more than half. They seemed worried that Xiaoyue would be unhappy, and they even became careful when they spoke, which greatly frustrated my dad, who always loved liveliness and freedom.
My mother would come in from time to time to talk to Xiaoyue. She seemed to particularly like Xiaoyue, and Xiaoyue also got along very well with my mother. They would chat endlessly about everyday things, even more and more vividly than they told me. Sometimes they would even send me out of the study so that the two of them could have a private conversation, probably exchanging some funny stories from my past that hurt my self-esteem, or discussing how to deal with me. You know, no one in the world knows me better than the two of them.
I asked the principal for a week's leave because I'm going to accompany my parents back to our hometown to pay respects to our ancestors tomorrow. My dad wants to stay at our old home for a week to catch up with his childhood friends. I also want to stay with my dad and spend more time with Xiaoyue.
I was really lucky to get permission to take leave by phone this time. I thought it was a flimsy excuse, but she agreed without me having to say much.
“Xiao Luo, I understand and support your filial piety. However, after you come back, you have to talk to me, Vice Director Yang, and Director Chen about your romance—we care about you, you must bring your beautiful girlfriend back to us to see her.”
I gave a wry smile and could only agree for now. I figured I could just make up a cliché love story later. Honestly, if I told them how Xiaoyue and I fell in love while fighting evil spirits together, they wouldn't believe me. They'd think I was making fun of their low intelligence!
The next morning, we set off from Ruli. My father borrowed a Santana from a friend and drove us to a small town 20 kilometers away from the city: Kuokou Town.