After tidying up the newspapers on the kang, Lin Fang stacked them in the order of the serialized novels and placed them in the corner without tying them up with a string. Next, she didn’t plan to study in the classroom but instead prepared to wash up and then crawl into bed. There wasn’t much else she could do—evening self-study time was approaching, and during that period, the dormitory wouldn’t have electricity. If she wanted to read with night vision or do anything else, she’d have to wait until the other students left.
Picking up her toothbrush cup and the basin leaning against the wall, Lin Fang squeezed her way out sideways. The tap was in front of the dormitory. She needed to fetch some cold water first, then mix it with hot water from the thermos. She’d wash her face, then rinse her mouth, spitting the water into the basin before finally pouring it all out. This was a habit she’d developed since living in the dorm, and the other students did the same. Because the space was so cramped, this routine ensured everyone only needed to make one trip in and out.
As she stepped outside, Lin Fang froze. Staff Officer Shangguan and Teacher Su were still there. Lin Fang found it odd—all the girls had already dispersed, so why were these two still lingering? Were they planning to stand guard like door gods? Though she thought this, she couldn’t say it out loud. Instead, she smiled and greeted them, “Teacher Shangguan, Teacher Su, are you two patrolling?”
Teacher Su didn’t respond, turning his face away expressionlessly. Staff Officer Shangguan walked up to Lin Fang and handed her a black lacquered board. The board was about a meter long, thirty centimeters wide, and two centimeters thick. Lin Fang didn’t understand his intention and looked up at Shangguan, who stood a head and a half taller than her, silently questioning with her eyes.
Shangguan explained, “Didn’t you say this afternoon that you needed a wooden board to use as a desk? I happened to have this one lying around, unused and taking up space. Might as well give it to you. Waste not, want not.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you, Teacher Shangguan.”
Lin Fang hadn’t expected Shangguan to remember her request, let alone personally deliver the board. She quickly set down the things in her hands and took the black lacquered board. Its surface was smooth and refined, and it had some weight to it—clearly not just any ordinary plank. Lin Fang thought that if she placed this board on the back seat of her bicycle, it might get scratched, which would be a shame. She considered returning it, but before she could speak, Teacher Su had already turned and left, with Shangguan following closely behind. Left with no chance to refuse, she swallowed her words.
As soon as the two left, the girls who had slipped away earlier returned, crowding around Lin Fang to examine the board and asking what kind of desk she planned to make with it. Dou Yalin asked pointedly, “Why is Staff Officer Shangguan so nice to you? What’s your relationship with him?” Her tone was dripping with jealousy.
*Hah, a little girl’s getting jealous*, Lin Fang thought, amused. She replied, “Whatever your relationship with him is, that’s my relationship with him too.”
With that, Lin Fang ignored Dou Yalin, who was left speechless, and joked with the other girls, “Weren’t you all gone? How’d you come back so fast? Be honest—were you hiding somewhere to sneak a peek at the handsome guy?”
“Hmph!” Dou Yalin stomped away. The others laughed and chatted with Lin Fang for a bit before scattering to their own tasks.
Lin Fang first carried the black lacquered board into the dormitory, carefully placing it on her bunk, then went back out to fetch water. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and filled the basin with cold water again, setting the enamel basin near the stove. Since there weren’t many people in the dorm at the moment, no one fought her for the spot by the stove. She could wait leisurely for the water to warm up so she could soak her feet.
Now that she had a board to lay newspapers on, she still lacked ink and brushes, so calligraphy practice was still out of the question. But Lin Fang was eager to practice, so she scooped half a cup of water from the basin with her toothbrush cup, placed it on the edge of the kang, sat down, propped the board on her lap, and began tracing characters on it with her right index finger dipped in water.
Dou Yalin, unable to resist her curiosity, returned to the dorm to investigate why Shangguan had given Lin Fang a board. Seeing Lin Fang “ruining” the board with water, she snorted disdainfully before heading back to the classroom for self-study. Lin Fang shook her head—just a lovestruck teenage girl. No need to take her seriously.
As soon as the evening self-study bell rang, the dormitory’s electricity was cut. The others left for the classroom, leaving Lin Fang in the dark. She continued tracing characters for a while until her fingers grew numb, then placed the board on the bicycle seat in front of her bunk. Testing the water temperature in the basin, she found it slightly scalding—perfect for soaking her feet. She didn’t rush to take the basin down immediately. Instead, she first used the restroom, spread out her bedding, and tidied everything up before finally soaking her feet. This was a habit she’d developed in her past life—soaking her feet before slipping straight into bed. Now, without servants to pour out the foot-washing water, she had to do everything herself, but she didn’t slack off.
Today was her first day back at school since her rebirth, and it had been eventful. At noon, there was no food in the cafeteria, so she went into town for a meal, witnessed the so-called “restoration” of ancient books, and even helped an old man. While eating, the meatball (nickname for a classmate) snatched her bowl, thinking she was eating too much because she was suicidal. The earnest lecture that followed was rare for the usually unserious meatball—Lin Fang felt a warmth in her heart.
On the way back, she’d thought of a way to earn some pocket money, but without capital, she’d have to shelve the idea for now.
After sleeping all afternoon, she went to fetch hot water and ran into the girls’ idol. Not only did she learn about Fu Hongxia’s indifferent father, but she also became the object of some little girl’s jealousy. Thinking of this, Lin Fang felt a small flicker of pride. *Hah, I’m no longer a teenage girl at heart, but it’s still nice to occasionally receive attention from a handsome guy.*
And then there was Teacher Wang’s early appearance—what did that mean? Teacher Wang had been kind to her in her past life. Now that she was reborn and her physique had changed—no longer the weak, sickly girl—she ought to repay Teacher Wang in some way. Even if it was just helping take care of Teacher Guo, who had Alzheimer’s. But how should she approach Teacher Wang?
Lying in bed, Lin Fang reflected on the day’s events. As she did, the desolate land surrounding the school surfaced in her mind. She felt like she was overlooking something, but despite having slept all afternoon, her body clock—honed over two lifetimes—told her it was time to sleep. Before she could ponder further, she drifted into a hazy slumber.
She slept dreamlessly—the best night’s rest since her rebirth. The next morning, she woke up hungry, well past the second class of the day. Breakfast time was long over, and lunchtime hadn’t arrived yet. With no food vendors near the school, the nearest restaurant was at least a ten-minute walk away—and even then, there might not be any food available at this hour. Lin Fang rolled over and went back to sleep. If she held out a little longer, she could wait for lunch.
But her growling stomach refused to let her rest. Annoyed, she opened her eyes and resolved to find a way to realize her plan soon—setting up a small food stall near the school. A monopoly business would not only earn her money but also satisfy her appetite. The best location would be right at the school gate.
Teenagers aged fifteen or sixteen were always hungry. As the saying went, “A growing boy eats his father out of house and home.” Even if students ate a full breakfast, most would be hungry again by the second class. If there were food sold right at the school gate, those who could afford it could grab a snack during breaks—filling their stomachs while she made money. What a perfect arrangement! *Ah, if only I had the capital…*
After lazing in bed a little longer, Lin Fang decided to get up. The last class of the morning was history—her favorite.
The history teacher, surnamed Xiang, was even taller and more handsome than Staff Officer Shangguan, with charm that worked on both genders. He was the idol of the entire school. More importantly, Teacher Xiang always sprinkled his lectures with historical anecdotes, teaching in an unconventional style—often without even bringing the textbook, relying instead on his vast knowledge and optimism. His classes were pure enjoyment, which was exactly why Lin Fang loved them.
Dragging her feet until the third class ended, Lin Fang strolled leisurely into the classroom. But when the bell rang and the class monitor called, “Stand up!” the entire class was stunned—Lin Fang most of all. Teacher Gao, trembling slightly, walked up to the podium.
The students glanced at Staff Officer Shangguan, who had escorted Teacher Gao to the door, then almost unanimously turned to look at the back of the classroom. Xiang Meili—Teacher Xiang’s sister, who stood at an impressive 175 cm—was in their class, seated in the last row. The students hoped she might explain why their tall, handsome history teacher had been replaced by the short, wrinkled Chinese teacher.
Xiang Meili was indeed beautiful, as scholarly and elegantly poised as her brother. But the sudden collective attention flustered the usually composed girl, turning her face bright red with embarrassment.
“Heh, no need to stare at Xiang Meili. Teacher Xiang had an urgent matter and swapped classes with me. Like it or not, this old man is already here, so you’ll just have to make do with me for this lesson.”
Teacher Gao was known for his stern, humorless demeanor—so his sudden attempt at joking left the students bewildered. They stopped staring at Xiang Meili but remained tense, sensing that Teacher Gao was acting unusually today and might spring some strange surprise on them.
As usual, Teacher Gao first tested Lin Fang on the Four-Corner Method mnemonic rhymes, then called her and several other students to the blackboard to analyze character structures before finally commencing the day’s lesson.
His teaching was methodical and uninspired, leaving students bored. Lin Fang had never paid much attention to his classes before, usually sleeping through them. But having slept so much from last night until this morning, she was wide awake now and decided to focus. Meanwhile, some classmates had already dozed off at their desks.
Teacher Gao was indeed acting strange. Since midterms were tomorrow, no new material was being taught. Instead, he spent the class summarizing key points from the past semester. But he kept zoning out—pausing mid-sentence, lost in thought—leaving the students baffled. Even those who usually slept through lectures woke up from the unnatural silence.
After snapping out of it again, Teacher Gao sighed. “Forget it. Review on your own.”
“Teacher Gao, are you okay?” Lin Fang voiced the question on everyone’s mind. The class waited quietly for his answer.
Teacher Gao shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s just… I’ll miss you all. Today is my last class with you. After midterms, I won’t be teaching anymore—stepping down from the podium I’ve stood on for decades, retiring completely.” The melancholy in his tone was unmistakable.
The students exchanged glances, unsure how to react to this sudden news.
They hadn’t enjoyed Teacher Gao’s classes much, but that was mostly due to laziness. Now, seeing the old man’s sorrow, their youthful hearts ached with sympathy, though they didn’t know how to comfort him. The class monitor reacted first, standing up to say, “Teacher Gao, tell us where you live. We’ll visit you often.”
“It’s not far—just the faculty housing across from No. 1 High School.”
Lin Fang was stunned. That was where Teacher Wang lived. *How come I don’t remember seeing Teacher Gao there before?*
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