Chapter 38: Teacher Zheng, I Have Good News for You

The dust of the era, when it falls upon an individual, becomes a mountain.

After chatting with his younger sister for a while, Zheng Fei realized that after Zheng Yuanshan had been sent away, he had been singled out for special attention. Those years had been incredibly bitter. Originally, Zheng Fei had felt quite speechless toward the man, but upon learning the truth, all that remained was a sigh.

"Brother, Papa asked me to bring you a quilt. Aside from the pastures, we have the most cotton where we are. It’s not very thick, but it’s very warm."

Seeing her pull a quilt from the cloth bag, Zheng Fei realized that was what had been filling such a bulky bundle. Knowing she had carried it all the way from such a distant place, he felt genuinely touched. Since he only had one bed and had originally intended to let her sleep on the floor, he felt truly embarrassed to suggest it now that she had given him such a fine quilt.

Seeing that she looked exhausted but was still holding herself up, Zheng Fei said, "You must not have slept on the train. You go ahead and rest on the bed first."

The girl smiled wearily. "No need. We herdsmen rarely sleep in beds; lying on the floor is fine."

Zheng Shuyao cleared a space in the room and spread out the cloth bag, which actually contained a smaller quilt inside. She wrapped herself directly in it and went to sleep, drifting off in less than five minutes. Seeing how exhausted she was, he figured she probably hadn't dared to sleep at all on the train.

Zheng Fei lit the kerosene lamp and continued drawing by its light; he was now working on the second chapter. The first installment of *Wind and Cloud* had a generally excellent story. Although it featured a complex character like Kong Ci, in this era, readers had a high capacity for acceptance; even if their worldviews were shattered, there was no need to modify anything. If this were the era of online novels in the future, daring to write such plot points would likely get the author roasted into social withdrawal by readers.

The only thing Zheng Fei really wanted to change was that when the protagonist group first defeated Xiong Ba, they should have finished him off right then and there. There was no need to drag it out for later chapters. After all, what Zheng Fei hated most was the "saintly" nature of protagonist groups that let the villains reclaim the upper hand. Come to think of it, he didn't know who had invented that trope, but it was truly disgusting.

Halfway through his drawing, Zheng Fei felt it was getting too cold. Looking back at his sister, who was curled into a ball, he draped the new quilt she had given him over her. Herdsmen’s homes had stoves, so sleeping on the floor wasn't too cold, but it was different here—stoves were a luxury, and coal ration coupons were limited. It seemed he would have to buy a bed soon; Shanghai would only get colder, and while sleeping on the floor for a night or two was fine, it would take a toll on her health in the long run.

***

Drowsy, Zheng Fei went to bed, but when he woke up, he found the new quilt back on himself. It was truly warm.

However, the girl was nowhere to be seen in the room. When Zheng Fei opened the window, he saw her sitting in the alleyway with Mrs. Huang from next door, washing clothes—it seemed she had washed his clothes, too. She was chatting and laughing with Mrs. Huang, while little Yun sat to the side, listening with great interest to her stories about the far-away lands.

As Zheng Fei came out to brush his teeth and wash his face, Grandpa Sun from next door remarked, "Your sister is much more diligent than you. Unlike you, sleeping until this hour."

Zheng Shuyao, having finished the laundry, came over to Zheng Fei. "Brother, is there anything else you need help with?"

Zheng Fei thought for a moment. Aside from household chores like cleaning, laundry, and cooking, there wasn't much she could help with. "No, go get some rest."

"I'm not tired."

Considering she said she was only thirteen—an age when, logically, she should be in middle school—Zheng Fei asked, "Did you attend primary school over there?"

Zheng Shuyao shook her head. "No, we herdsmen rarely attend school. But during the years Father was bedridden, he taught me a lot. My Chinese and math are still quite good."

"I see."

Just as Zheng Fei was contemplating this, Wang Haoran happened to pass by their door. Seeing Zheng Fei, the boy hugged the wall, his expression as if to say, "You can't see me, you can't see me." The more he acted like that, the more Zheng Fei noticed him. He beckoned with his finger. "Wang Haoran, come here for a second."

Hearing his name, Wang Haoran panicked, but his feet moved uncontrollably toward Zheng Fei.

"What grade are you in?"

"Fourth grade."

"Only fourth grade?" Zheng Fei frowned. He thought primary school was a five-year system, but never mind—four or five, it felt about the same. "Take out your textbooks."

Seeing Zheng Fei wanted his textbooks, Wang Haoran really wanted to cry. If his books were snatched away, he wouldn't just be scolded by the teacher for not having them in class, he’d be made to stand in the corner. He didn't dare tell his family either; the last time Zheng Fei took his eraser, he thought his father would stand up for him, but instead, his father had beaten him.

"Stop dawdling. Can you be faster? I'll just look for a moment and give them back."

Wang Haoran quickly handed over the books and "stood in the corner" nearby, though his attention was entirely fixed on the strange girl. She looked different from everyone else in the alley—her eyes were so large, her neck so long, and she was exceptionally tall, a whole head taller than him.

After receiving the books, Zheng Fei immediately handed them to his sister. "Take a look. Do you know the content here?"

Zheng Shuyao flipped through the Chinese textbook. "I know most of it. Father taught me a lot of Chinese; I can recite many of these."

"Not bad. Try the math."

Zheng Shuyao flipped through the math book and pointed to one of the exercises. "You got this one wrong. The correct answer is 37. And this one is wrong, too."

Zheng Fei was quite satisfied with the result. It seemed he needed to talk to the neighborhood committee, finalize her household registration, and then arrange for her to enroll.

Wang Haoran, however, was confused. Was Zheng Fei stopping him just to find someone to check his homework?

When Wang Haoran left the alley, he felt very dejected. Zheng Fei had just said that the girl was only thirteen—only two years older than him. But she was truly tall, and he felt like she could pick him up with one hand. She was also very pretty. But what hurt him the most was that as he was leaving, Zheng Fei had commented that he was too short. Wang Haoran felt very aggrieved; it wasn't like he chose to be this short—his father was only 1.5 meters tall, what could he do?

***

After eating breakfast at Mrs. Huang's house, Zheng Fei took Zheng Shuyao to the neighborhood committee to handle all the necessary procedures. Perhaps because he had gifted Director Wang a charcoal sketch, the paperwork went through remarkably easily. The committee even provided a letter of introduction; as long as he presented it to the school, Zheng Shuyao would likely be able to start classes after the New Year.

That same evening, when Zheng Fei finished the final errands and returned home, he found a pot-bellied, middle-aged man chatting and smoking with Grandpa Sun at his doorstep. Seeing Zheng Fei, the man’s face broke into a smile. "Teacher Zheng, you're finally back. I have some good news for you."