chapter 15

Even if the whole village pointed and scolded her behind her back, she never explained a word.

Then she suddenly became a teacher in the community's junior high school.

In the future, not only will she get five work points, but also a monthly salary of more than ten yuan. This was simply more than old Fourth's earning.

With such an iron rice bowl, who would dare to talk Fourth's wife's shortcoming?

Use that old saying, what Fourth's wife did was called 'endure self-imposed hardships'.

What's more old Fourth, that guy really makes one envy. He was able to make money before. But now he can't make money and got to dig field. However, his wife can make money.

Although it was only 13 yuan a month, which was far from what old Fourth earned before, there were still work points. After adding up those five work points, how much was that?

So old Fourth's life was pretty exceptional.

He married marry such a wife who can cook, take care of the family, and can make money. No one can compare.

Second Brother was emotional when he heard it. Second Sister-in-law wept even more sadly.

She wanted to compare with Lin Qing He, but she will never outmatch her in this life.

Second Brother can approximately grasp her thoughts and didn't bother about her. Once she cried it out, she'll think it through.

In fact, many in the village had the same feeling as Second Brother.

The village had kept on talking about Lin Qing He behind her back regarding the matter of her spending habits and never entering the field,

They have seen someone who didn't know how to live, but never to this extent. A perfectly fine person actually didn't work to support themselves. Can you believe this?

If the saliva can drown people, then who knows how many times the previous Lin Qing He drowned.

Who would have thought that Lin Qing He was studying in private by herself? And out of nowhere, she threw out such a big surprise.

In one swoop, all the educated youths were suppressed. They couldn't refute a word. She became the official staff of the community's junior high school.

This was really amazing.

They used to think that Lin Qing He dressing up as a city folk was very ostentatious. But now, the more they looked, the more they felt that this was the style that a teacher should have. She had studied, so she had that kind of temperament.

The two full scores were spread throughout the few production teams in the community. Not a false exaggeration added.

After all, all ten miles radius and eight villages had caught a wisp of Lin Qing He's reputation. She was the only strange one who won't go to the field.

Right now, when this was spread, it had become a legend. Without even needing Lin Qing He giving the script, everyone can make up the studious image of she studying hard for all these years without caring about the slanders outside.

When she goes out, people's gazes toward her were filled with admiration. And when they saw her, they were willing to say hello.

Lin Qing He wasn't that cold and clueless about socializing. When people greet her, she will also reply and not act too rude.

It's just that the generation gap was there. It was really impossible to communicate, so she didn't say much.

Her title had also instantly changed from Da Wa's mother to Teacher Lin.

Lin Qing He went home with a basket of wild vegetables on her back. Finally, she can breathe. It was very exciting to be a teacher in the community's junior high school. But it had been so many days, and unexpectedly, the heat of this still didn't drop at all.

What's more, she had been praised until she blushed when she heard it. Was that her? Did she have it that hard?

Still, Lin Qing He liked the title of Teacher Lin.

Not long later, San Wa came back. Lin Qing He was forming the dough in the kitchen and said to San Wa, who was outside the window: "San Wa, wash the wild vegetables. I will make wild vegetable dumplings for you tonight."

"Okay." San Wa answered, and then went to wash the wild vegetables.

This kind of work was already very familiar to him. Lin Qing He often got him to do chores, even if he was the youngest son of the family. What should be done was never cut down.

It's just in terms of food, Lin Qing He treated him very preferentially.

For example, when he wanted to eat milk mantou, Lin Qing He will make them for him even if it's troublesome.

"Mother, there are still many people outside who praise you." San Wa beamed while washing the wild vegetables.

With how glorious his mother was now, as her sons when they go out they felt they had a lot of face.

They all say 'this is Teacher Lin's youngest son. He is so good-looking, so handsome, and has beautiful eyes, etc...'

What they said was really pleasing.

Lin Qing He chuckled, "Had anyone praise you?"

"They did. They said Teacher Lin's youngest son looks like Teacher Lin. He must be smart in the future!" San Wa replied.

"Ain't that right. My San Wa is smart." Lin Qing He nodded.

Then she was a little helpless.

Really, the people in the village have never thought about it. Although she did well on the exam as a teacher, it didn't mean if she can teach students?

It seems that in their mind, if she can score a double hundred on exams, then she can definitely teach.

If this was another inexperienced person, they would be a little frustrated.

However, Lin Qing He didn't. She had worked as a tutor before. The grades of the students she taught had improved by leaps and bounds.

When she was in college, she had worked part-time. How could she rest when she had to rely on herself to support herself?

So she was really experienced in teaching students.

What's more, it was the first year of junior high school. She had already remembered it by heart. There won't be a problem. This wasn't a lie.

Da Wa and Er Wa will soon get off school.

The two brothers were also very high spirits these days. Lin Qing He had beat them down frequently- don't get too smug.

"Mother, what are we eating tonight?" Da Wa asked.

"Wild vegetables and pork dumplings." Lin Qing He answered.

Da Wa acknowledged and then went with Er Wa to get the candy. One for each person. As they snacked on it, they grabbed the pigweed basket and went out.

Both brothers had to go gather pigweed.

It was four o'clock now. They didn't come back until half-past five.

Lin Qing He let them be. She continued to work with San Wa. When the dumplings were all wrapped up, then she finished. Once the guys return, she'll cook it then.

Lin Qing He went to get the soles.

Mother Zhou brought little Su Cheng over and smiled when she saw that she was sewing the soles of the shoes: "Occasionally, take a break. I never see you rest once all day long."

When Mother Zhou said this, she felt ashamed.

It wasn't easy for Fourth's wife. She let her whole family lived comfortably and still had time to study and get grades to suppress the educated youths. Why didn't she(Mother Zhou) think of acting considerate before?

Lin Qing He didn't know what her mother-in-law was thinking, otherwise, she would have been speechless.

"It's okay. I must take advantage of the time I have to make two more pairs for Qing Bai as spares." Lin Qing He said.

Once the school start, then it'll be really busy.

"From now on, leave the needlework to Mother. You only need to take care of teaching. Mother is free to cook the meals." Mother Zhou smiled.Previous

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Become a Patron!Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest12 comments:Pomelo31 October 2020 at 05:05Thanks for the translation work, as always!

For me, it's hilarious to see how Lin Qing He's image in her village went through such a roller-coaster ride. It's really good writing on the author's part, illustrating the contrast between Lin Qing He's worldview and the villagers'.

She'd seemed like an idle woman who just wastes her husband's money simply because she chose not to work since all the work available then was in the fields. She looked especially stubborn/egotistical because other people badmouthing her never made her care, while it's just her modern outlook of 'my life is my life, and your life is your life, and we'll keep out of other people's life'.

Yet once her talent at studying comes forth and she actually aced the tests, they thought her studious and patient! That she had the strength of character to study while enduring the harsh words and opinions of most of the villagers! This way, they ascribe virtues to her that she'll freely admit she didn't have. All because they were imagining themselves in her shoes, and most (if not all) villagers couldn't really stand other people badmouthing them when it doesn't have an ounce of truth.

I always enjoy when the writer made such a good study of the way the people from the era thinks, and just how very different Lin Qing He is from them because of that.