Tian Tian saw the address Chen Dong Yang sent her.
Shan City, Ma Yang County, Qing Shui Town First Hope Primary School.
For some unknown reason, this rustic and unfamiliar line of text gave her a glimmer of hope.
Suddenly, she felt a yearning for that place.
She replied to Chen Dong Yang that she knew, then immediately booked her ticket, packed her bags, and set off for Shan City the next day, right on time.
This was a very underdeveloped fourth or fifth-tier small city. The city center was still over 100 kilometers away from Ma Yang County, and it took more than three hours of bumpy travel by bus to reach the county town.
As soon as Tian Tian got off the bus, a group of middle-aged men driving three-wheeled vehicles surrounded her.
"Miss, miss, need a ride? Where are you going? Guaranteed to get you there, very cheap!"
"Take mine, miss! Where to?"
"This suitcase is yours, right? I'll help you carry it."
Several people crowded around her, competing for business fiercely and rudely, which made Tian Tian very disgusted, even a little scared.
She didn't want to take their rides and wanted to hail a taxi, but her suitcase had already been placed in the back of a nimble driver's vehicle.
She could only suppress her temper and say she was going to Qing Shui Town.
The driver was curious about her. "You're back from a big city, aren't you? Is your home in Qing Shui Town?"
During the back-to-school season, people were usually heading out, so he really couldn't understand why this girl was coming back.
Tian Tian didn't want to chat with him and just asked how much it would cost.
The man said that Qing Shui Town was still quite far from here, twenty to thirty kilometers, and it would cost at least 30 yuan.
For Tian Tian, thirty yuan wasn't a lot.
But she just didn't feel at ease with this man, so she deliberately tried to haggle.
"Ten yuan, are you going or not?"
"How much?"
"Ten yuan. If you go, you go. If not, I'm leaving."
She tried to take her suitcase down, but the driver quickly stopped her.
"Alright, alright, alright, alright, seeing as we're fellow townsfolk, and it's not easy for a student like you, ten yuan it is."
With her heart in her mouth the whole way, she finally arrived at Qing Shui Town.
The driver casually dropped her on the road and drove away.
It was already dusk. Tian Tian stood on the empty, quiet street and looked around. Instead of the expected loess plateau, it had a bit of a market town feel, and her fantasy about the place was largely dashed.
She chose the Ruyi Inn and went to ask the owner if there were any rooms.
The owner, who was yawning out of boredom, looked up from behind the counter. When he saw her, his eyes lit up even brighter than when he last saw Chen Dong Yang.
What was going on lately? Was something big about to happen in town? Why were so many city people coming?
And each one was more good-looking than the last. Could it be that a big star was coming to film a movie?
"Yes, yes, yes. Miss, are you staying alone?"
"What are the prices?"
"Our most expensive room is 78 yuan a night. It's clean and bright. I'll take you to see it."
Tian Tian could hardly imagine how good a room for 78 yuan a night could be, but she had been traveling bumpy all day and really didn't want to look for anything else.
The owner helped her carry her suitcase to the third floor.
When the door was pushed open, it was indeed worth the price.
Tian Tian was a bit of a germaphobe. Seeing the wrinkled bedsheets washed with bleach, the unkempt quilt, and the pillow that had seen better days, she felt a little nauseous.
"May I ask where Qing Shui Town First Hope Primary School is?"
"Hope Primary School. Why is everyone going there?"
Tian Tian keenly picked up on the underlying meaning in his words.
"What do you mean, 'everyone'? Are others going too?"
The owner said, "The day before yesterday, a young man from the city was also asking about it. I found it strange, why so many young people are coming here lately. What are you all here for?"
There was also a young man asking about this place.
Could he also be a volunteer teacher?
Tian Tian didn't think much of it. "I'm here to volunteer teach. Is the school closed now?"
The owner didn't want to miss out on business, so he naturally told her it was closed.
"The health department comes here regularly to check fire safety and hygiene, so you can rest assured, there are absolutely no problems. There's just one thing, there's a water shortage, so you can't shower in the bathroom. You have to go to a dedicated bathhouse."
She figured there wouldn't be any better hotels in such a backward place, so Tian Tian couldn't be bothered to fuss.
"Is there a supermarket nearby?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Don't underestimate our street. We have everything we need. It's right across the street, and there are restaurants too."
Tian Tian paid for the room, put down her luggage, washed her hands, and planned to buy a clean set of bedding to change into.
The so-called supermarket was nothing more than a converted residential house selling daily necessities.
The goods were not high-end, with bright red and green colors, exuding a strong rustic charm.
Fortunately, they were all new, which was better than what was in the inn.
Tian Tian picked out a sky-blue bedding set, which the owner packed in a large red plastic bag. She then went to the adjacent restaurant and ordered a bowl of beef noodles.
After eating her fill, she went back to the inn, changed the bedding, and worked up a sweat.
She then took her phone and clothes and went to the bathhouse opposite.
As soon as Tian Tian left, Chen Dong Yang arrived at the inn.
He tapped his fingers on the tabletop. The owner looked up and, seeing it was him, broke into a surprised smile.
"Xiao Chen, why are you here at this time?"
Chen Dong Yang said, "I'm here to ask about someone. Did a beautiful young lady from the city check in today?"
"A beautiful young lady from the city? Is she your friend?"
From the owner's expression, he knew that Tian Tian must have arrived.
Chen Dong Yang nodded. "Yes, my friend. Is she upstairs now? Which room is she in?"
The owner said, "I thought to myself, why would such a young and beautiful girl come to our place? So she's here to see you. She's here, she's here! She's in room 301 upstairs. But she's not here right now. She just went out."
"Did she go to eat?"
"She probably went to shower. I saw her carrying a bag and heading towards the bathhouse."
Chen Dong Yang thanked the owner and hurried towards the bathhouse.
The bathhouse was simply furnished, also converted from a storefront.
The outer lobby had only one incandescent light bulb, and a table was placed at the entrance.
A tall, stout middle-aged man leaned against the wall playing on his phone. It seemed there were no customers, and it was very quiet.
When Tian Tian walked in, apart from a small fan running in front of the owner, there wasn't a sound.
Even though it was a hot day, because of the peculiar nature of the place and the gender divide, it felt a bit eerie.
Although Tian Tian was dressed very modestly, a plain white t-shirt and casual capri pants.
But her superior appearance and good skin made her stand out everywhere.
The owner felt someone come in, looked up, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Miss, here to shower?"
Although it sounded like a normal question on the surface.
But paired with his build and demeanor, it always made one feel unsafe.
Tian Tian subconsciously felt a bit repulsed and regretted coming in. Just as she was about to lie and say she had the wrong place and turn to leave, a wave of warmth came from her side.
Immediately after, a gentle arm was placed on her shoulder.
"Boss, shower, open a room."