Switch Mode

TYAM Chapter 35.2

On Saturday, Peng Xingwang went off with his dad to have some noodles, and the two of them packed up simply and set off.

Once the car was on the newly built highway, Jiang Wang slowly began to introduce Duan Zhao.

“He’s Kuang Ye’s classmate in university. Remember him? He’s the guy who helped find you a hospital bed last time.”

“Duan Zhao not only teaches math at Provincial No. 1 Middle High School1No.1 Middle (Yizhong) is the name of the school. It’s a high school still but also wants to collaborate with me on compiling the ‘Golden Twelve Volumes’. He’s a very smart guy.”

“More importantly,” Jiang Wang paused for two seconds, lowering his voice slightly, “…he’s also the nephew of the old principal of Provincial No. 1 Middle, so he’s very familiar with teacher recruitment.”

Ji Linqiu understood the implication behind his words.

Previously, when Jiang Wang had asked if he wanted to teach in the provincial capital, Ji Linqiu thought it was just a casual suggestion. He didn’t expect this person to act so quickly.

“Everything else can be worked out,” Jiang Wang pondered, “You’d need to retake the high school teacher qualification exam, but you can start working and then make it up later. The school can turn a blind eye.”

“But Provincial No. 1 Middle High School is strict about teachers’ educational backgrounds as a reference for their abilities. They require at least a bachelor’s degree. I’m… not sure about your situation.”

“Oh,” Ji Linqiu said softly, “I graduated from Beijing Normal University2Normal Universities are university specializing in pedagogy/teaching how to be teachers.”

“….”

Jiang Wang was stunned for a moment, as if he had misheard.

“You studied in Beijing?”

Ji Linqiu smiled, as if this experience was nothing special.

“I also have a high school teacher qualification certificate, it’s in the side cabinet of the study on the second floor.”

Graduating from a prestigious university in Beijing at the beginning of the century was incredibly valuable.

“You… didn’t stay there to teach?” He chose his words carefully, “If you had chosen to stay after graduation, you might have already been allocated housing in Beijing by now.”

“I filled in for voluntary relocation at that time.” Ji Linqiu said calmly, “After teaching in the mountains for a long time, it felt the same wherever I went.”

“Maybe I was too straightforward when I was young. I thought the kids in Beijing had good conditions, and it was the small places that lacked teachers.” He recalled his choice back then, lowered his eyes, and smiled again, “My dad was so angry. He called me eight times urging me to change my mind and almost bought a train ticket to see me.”

Jiang Wang stared at the road ahead and said after a while, “Back then, you probably didn’t notice your own existence.”

Because he couldn’t see himself, he could only see other children in the world.

It was like wanting to hug them so he could feel warmth himself.

“I still often don’t notice,” Ji Linqiu half-joked, “Fortunately, you keep coming around, so it’s much better than before.”

“Jiang Wang, thank you.”

The man glanced at him, “If you keep being so polite, you can walk to Yuhan yourself. It’s too mushy.”


At precisely noon, Buwang Bookstore on Bibo Avenue officially opened, with two long strings of firecrackers crackling loudly and bundles of barley piled outside the store entrance, shining golden and conspicuous.

While other shops usually had flower baskets at their openings, only this one had barley at the door. Passersby were puzzled at first but soon smiled knowingly.

Boss Jiang gave a brief speech and then cut the ribbon, officially opening the three-story bookstore, which was soon crowded with people.

Not only did residents from nearby communities come to join the fun, but two middle and high schools to the north and west were just a fifteen-minute walk away. They had already received targeted flyers catering to their interests and had come by at ten in the morning asking if the store was open.

Jiang Wang had been a bit anxious before the opening, but seeing the composition of the customer flow and the afternoon’s sales volume, he was genuinely relieved.

Naturally, the evening was spent dining with friends, and everyone had a great time.

Duan Zhao had a small ponytail, looking both spirited and a bit roguish, and he was quite entertaining to talk to.

He hadn’t expected that the teacher from the small town was a top student from Beijing Normal University. Initially hesitant about Jiang Wang’s proposal, he was now determined to get Ji Linqiu’s phone number.

“If my second uncle knew I missed out on such a good teacher, he’d twist my ear!”

“Teacher Ji, don’t be fooled by our Provincial No. 1 Middle’s less-than-stellar college entrance exam results this year, our international department has plenty of top students, and several have won awards abroad.”

“If you come teach with us, the benefits are great, and there are plenty of opportunities for advancement. The school even pays for your housing. It’s totally worth it!!”

“Alright, alright, give him some time to consider.” Jiang Wang reached out to block Ji Linqiu’s drink, “Take it easy, he’s my close friend, don’t force drinks on him.”

Kuang Ye was gnawing on a sauced bone and punched Jiang Wang upon hearing this.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll get jealous? You talk nonsense all day!”

After punching him, he patted Ji Linqiu’s shoulder vigorously, “Brother, have a great time in Yuhan before you go back. I’ll tell you all the fun places — hey, that building, you have to check it out!”

Jiang Wang was happy to spend the last two days of the holiday sightseeing. The next day, he let his friends be the driver and guide, and the group toured from Provincial No. 1 Middle to the scenic ferry, enjoying the river breeze and ending the night at the famous pedestrian street, eating hot soup noodles and Four Seasons Spring soup dumplings.

It was the festive season, and the streets were crowded. Many night market stalls had sprung up, lit by small LED bulbs and bustling with vendors.

“Stockings! Stockings! Five yuan for three pairs! Ten yuan for five pairs!”

“Hey! Memory cards, earphones, data cables, come take a look, guaranteed quality—”

“Grilled giant squid, ten yuan for two skewers! Freshly grilled, come and try!”

Kuang Ye walked ahead, chewing on sugarcane, while Duan Zhao found everything amusing, stopping frequently and bargaining hard, managing to buy five pairs of wool socks for just three yuan.

Jiang Wang was just along for the ride today, occasionally observing Ji Linqiu’s reactions.

When playing in the big city, Ji Linqiu displayed a somewhat youthful innocence.

He seemed curious and excited about everything unfamiliar, with a hint of joy.

He had truly confined himself to the small town for too long.

Jiang Wang even thought that, given Ji Linqiu’s introverted nature, he probably spent his university years studying alone, earning credits diligently, and never spent his parents’ money to go out and have fun.

At this moment, Ji Linqiu was like a beautiful white rabbit that had been hiding in a small cave for a long time.

When he was happy, his fluffy little tail would gently shake.

As they wandered to an intersection, they happened to see a group of female college students buying earrings and ear clips. One of them, with a louder voice, was bargaining with the vendor and comparing styles in the mirror, carefully checking if the designs were too old-fashioned.

Jiang Wang naturally moved closer and fiddled through a few rows, picking out a style he liked.

“Boss, let me try these.”

Kuang Ye whistled.

“That’s quite sexy, Bro.” 

The girls, noticing Jiang Wang’s handsome profile, were suddenly struck by his good looks, showing a mix of nervousness and shyness.

The vendor, who had rarely encountered male customers buying earrings for themselves, awkwardly recommended a few styles.

Jiang Wang, with his deep, sharp features and a rugged, dominant aura, looked even more roguishly handsome with the earrings.

He casually selected a small cross earring and, after some thought, picked out a pair of black and white striped triangular ear clips. He immediately tried them on and showed them off to the others.

“How do I look?”

Duan Zhao rubbed his own ear, saying, “Looks painful. Hurts like hell.”

“…” Jiang Wang turned to the others, “What do you all think?”

The girls huddled together and gave a thumbs up, “Super trendy!”

Kuang Ye, puzzled, said, “It does… look good? I always thought these were just little things for girls.”

“There’s no gender label on them.” Jiang Wang casually pulled Ji Linqiu over, draping an arm around his shoulder, “If you don’t believe me, let him pick one and try it on.”

Ji Linqiu glanced at him, picked up the striped triangular ear clip, and placed it on his right ear, snapping it into place with a click.

His aura immediately became sharp and stylish, adding a lot to his appearance.

The girls, who hadn’t noticed Ji Linqiu before because Kuang Ye had blocked their view, suddenly seemed to have been hit on by something. They started glancing between him and Jiang Wang, giggling non-stop.

Jiang Wang, in a great mood, selected a few more styles, haggled with the vendor twice, and then pulled out his wallet to pay. Noticing the girls still watching them with curious eyes, he overheard their conversation.

The vendor, counting the money, joked, “They said you two make a perfect match.”

Jiang Wang laughed, “Of course.”

Ji Linqiu, who was in the middle of taking off the ear clip, paused slightly upon hearing this.

Surprisingly, Jiang Wang didn’t find this kind of joke offensive.

And it seemed… he was genuinely in a great mood.

It was at this moment that Ji Linqiu realized his own sense of insecurity, and just as he became aware of it, it vanished into thin air.

“Are you taking it off?” Jiang Wang put his wallet away, noticing Ji Linqiu’s movement, “I won’t allow it. You have to wear a matching pair with me.”

Ji Linqiu, calm and collected, said, “I’m just taking it off so you can package it up properly and not lose it.”

The man raised his hand to adjust the ear clip on Ji Linqiu, then handed the camera to the two girls.

“Hey, take a picture of me and my teacher.” He grinned wildly, “Make sure we look like a good match.”

The girl with the long ponytail quickly snapped a photo and handed the camera back to Jiang Wang.

In the picture, one was raising an eyebrow with a roguish smile, the other lifting his eyes with a slight curve to his lips.

Both were outstanding young men, full of talent and youthful vigor.

They truly looked like a perfect match.

  • 1
    No.1 Middle (Yizhong) is the name of the school. It’s a high school still
  • 2
    Normal Universities are university specializing in pedagogy/teaching how to be teachers

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ads Blocker Image Powered by Code Help Pro

Ads Blocker Detected!!!

We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Please support us by disabling these ads blocker.

Powered By
Best Wordpress Adblock Detecting Plugin | CHP Adblock

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset