"What are you looking at?!" Sun Ling glared after being choked into silence for a long time.
"What do you mean 'what'?"
"Me!"
"What do you mean 'me'? Jealous because I'm pretty? It's just how my parents made me. If your genes aren't good, you should go home and think about it. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you look how you please. I'm not a parent who spoils children."
With that, Chen Lishu carried the basin in her hands and headed straight to the bathroom to wash up.
As the dormitory door closed, a long silence fell upon the room.
No one had realized that Chen Lishu, who always appeared to be smiling, was actually someone not to be trifled with.
"What are you looking at?!" Sun Ling finally looked up, her gaze sweeping over the curious glances, and said irritably.
Damn it, Chen Lishu is just a country bumpkin! ...
In Qingshan Village, since there was no electricity yet, and to save on kerosene, families would go to bed early as soon as it got dark.
It was the waning moon that night. The dim moonlight cast shadows across the village. A figure, not very tall, stood at the entrance of a house. Acting like a thief, the person first looked around cautiously. Seeing no one paying attention, they quickly opened the courtyard gate and slipped inside the house.
Soon, a kerosene lamp was lit inside, illuminating the face of the newcomer. It was the widowed Liu, who had been in prison.
After a year in prison, she hadn't lost weight; instead, she had gained some. Her face was rounder, making her already small mung bean eyes seem even more squinted.
Widowed Liu first casually placed the tattered cloth bag she carried on her arm onto the kang. She looked around, but didn't see her two sons. She then noticed that the house was covered in dust, as if no one had lived there for a long time. Muttering curses, she first fetched water to wipe down the kang. Tired and sleepy, she didn't bother whether the quilt was clean or not. She blew out the lamp and lay down to sleep.
The next morning, as widowed Liu was about to prepare some food, she discovered there wasn't a single grain of rice left in the house. Since being in prison wasn't a matter of pride, she had intended to lay low for a few days before venturing out. Now, she had no choice but to go to Chen Mancang's house to borrow grain.
"Liu's family is out? When did they get back?" Old Mrs. Chen, who was tending the stove to make breakfast, opened her eyes a little wider as she saw her come in.
"She got out early for good behavior," widowed Liu said with an awkward smile, not wanting to elaborate. She then moved to go inside and find Zhang Chunhua.
Old Mrs. Chen pressed on, "Did your two boys get out too?"
Widowed Liu was startled. "What? What did Auntie say?"
Old Mrs. Chen hadn't expected widowed Liu to not know about this. She quickly explained everything: "The third son of the Gu family sent them in. You know, you all live in the same village, and that child has been like that since he was young."
Coupled with the "little beasts" from her own family, those two parents were indeed formidable.
Hearing that her sons had also been imprisoned, and that Chen Lishu was once again involved, widowed Liu felt both anxious and resentful. She dropped the idea of borrowing grain and turned to leave.
"Why is Liu's family leaving?"
"Something came up at home," she said hastily and hurried out of the courtyard gate. She had to quickly find someone to spend money on to get those two troublesome boys out.
...
"Teacher, did you call for me?"
When Chen Lishu pushed open the door to Chen Yinchu's office, she was surprised to find several people already seated inside. As she entered, they all turned to look at her.
"This is the student I told you about, Chen Lishu. It was her suggestion to establish an English Corner."
Chen Yinchu introduced her and then smiled at Chen Lishu, saying, "These are the leaders and teachers from the department. Don't be nervous, come and sit down."
"Greetings, leaders and teachers."
It was her first time meeting so many leaders and teachers from the department. To be honest, Chen Lishu was a little nervous. Among them were the principal and the head of the department who had spoken at the opening ceremony.
"Young people always have more ideas than us, and their thinking is more active and open. Unlike my old bones, since you want to understand the situation in detail, I've called her over. She can explain it to you thoroughly and we can see if we should implement it."
Chen Lishu knew this was an opportunity Chen Yinchu had specifically arranged for her to shine. Grateful, she didn't hesitate and explained everything she knew in detail.
"... It would be best to do it at night, so that everyone can't see each other's expressions clearly, which will make them more relaxed and able to speak their minds."
Those present were all in education. They knew that what Chen Lishu was proposing would be of great help to everyone in improving their English. If done well, it could become a significant feature and highlight of the school. With the next round of admissions approaching, a good reputation would also greatly help in attracting students.
"Young people truly have more ideas than us. I think this proposal is excellent." The principal smiled and nodded, giving his affirmation and support to the matter.
After seeing the leaders leave, Chen Yinchu turned to Chen Lishu and said, "How about you take charge of this English Corner?"
"Me?" Chen Lishu's first thought was to refuse. "Teacher, I've never organized any activities for classmates. It would be bad if it failed."
"With me overseeing it, how could it fail? Besides, the school values this matter, and it's an opportunity for you to grow. Just do your best, and if you encounter any difficulties, tell me directly."
Since he had put it this way, Chen Lishu couldn't refuse. Moreover, since the principal had agreed, it was essentially a green light.
Upon returning to the classroom, Chen Lishu shared the news with Zhang Xue and Li Zhiwei.
"Really?" Zhang Xue exclaimed, both surprised and delighted upon hearing her words. "Lishu, you're amazing! I'll be the first to sign up."
Li Zhiwei smiled and raised his hand, "I'll be second."
Feng Pangzi swallowed what he was eating. "I'll be third."
"..."
Sun Ling listened to the lively discussion behind her, feeling a pang of resentment. "How can the teacher do this? I'm the class organizer and I also have a position in the student union. Why give such an important matter to her?!"
Jiang Yuwei's delicate face was also tense. Although she said nothing, her fingers, clenched in exertion, had already poked a hole in the page of her book.
Chen Lishu scheduled the event for every Friday evening from 6 PM to 8 PM. Before starting, she and Zhang Xue created a poster to publicize it, detailing the general activities, time, and location of the English Corner. They then went to the department to photocopy a few dozen flyers and distributed them to people whenever they had a chance.
Soon it was Friday afternoon. Chen Lishu borrowed a radio and some tapes from Chen Yinchu. Zhang Xue, Li Zhiwei, and Feng Pangzi were already rehearsing.
"Lishu, listen to my pronunciation. Is it standard? Will people laugh at me if I speak incorrectly later?"
Li Zhiwei sat on a chair with his legs crossed, frowning. "I told her it's fine, but she insists on asking over and over again. Women are so troublesome, it's making me nervous."
"Thank you for your help this time. I'll treat you to a meal at the People's Restaurant tomorrow," Chen Lishu said with a smile.
Thanks to the three of them running around, she wouldn't have been able to manage it so well on her own.
Li Zhiwei's spirits immediately lifted. "I want braised pork."
Feng Pangzi chimed in, "I want sweet and sour pork."
Zhang Xue looked at Chen Lishu and chuckled sheepishly, "They're all ordering meat, so I don't want to be special. I want Lion's Head meatballs."
Chen Lishu: "..." This way of ordering was as good as asking for her life.