Epiphanies of Rebirth (重生之豁然)

Chapter 6

Hu Yu soon learned about the boycott, then she heard the school canceled Class 5's English lessons. It frightened her so much she wanted to rush to the principal's office to apologize, but her students stopped her.

Who says A must say B; moreover, half of the reason they did it was to get back at Li Yurong for bullying Hu Yu. Besides, what was the difference between having or not having a teacher like Li Yurong? Even Hu Yu's own son, Gao Sheng only felt vengeful glee. Li Yurong harassed Hu Yu for so long but didn't suffer any consequences—on the contrary, it was smooth sailing for her. This time, she experienced an unprecedented fall, enough to shame her for a few years. Perhaps now that she ran with her tail between her legs, she'd learn to behave herself.

In order to convince Hu Yu, Gao Sheng and a few of Class 5's students showed her the notes they took listening to Lin Jingzhe explanation. The content was clear and easily understood, who knew how much better than anything Li Yurong had ever taught them. Finally, Hu Yu let herself to be coaxed by them and agreed to let the things continue as they were.

Hu Yu felt helpless. She hated her own clumsy tongue, because of which she failed to create a good environment for the students. She hated Li Yurong for being such a wretched waste of a teacher, and she even hated the school leadership. They actually canceled English class for third-year students! It was ridiculous!

Though she was denied work benefits, was not included in the official teachers' quota, and suffered all kinds of injustices, Hu Yu patiently endured. But this time, for the first time, she was disappointed with the school where she'd been teaching, giving her all, for so many years.

However, she was also a little comforted—the children were quite obedient to Lin Jingzhe and were now doing their assignments, putting in many times more effort it than usual.

She embraced the stack of textbooks and the revised curriculum she'd spent several days researching, and which the school's headship rejected without a sliver of hesitation. The timid att.i.tude she formed because of being constantly doubted and questioned was replaced by the unprecedented firmness of mind.

Give a try, a voice in her head said. Try it.

Cla.s.s Five had no path of retreat, and their results couldn't possibly be any worse.

Try it, what's the harm?

Baima Street was close to Jiefang Road. By day, it was a commercial street, but after night fell, it hosted many the night market. It was Liyun Town's busiest place.

Gao Sheng couldn't hide his excitement at the thought he'd soon meet the Liyun Town's "mafia boss." He carried Lin Jingzhe's bag and walked down the stalls. Even the fragrance of grilled skewers from the barbecue stall didn't slow his steps. Occasionally, he'd get too far ahead and have to backtrack to his irritatingly slow friend.

"Jingzhe, Jingzhe." He daydreamed of the future. "What should I do if Zhou Haitang's big brother recognizes my worth? I heard not only is he powerful, but also—rich! You know the game room on the street behind the school? It's owned by him. Zhou Haitang must've burned a ton of incense in front of his ancestors' graves to get to know this guy."

Burned incense? Don't you mean dug up their graves and desecrated corpses? Lin Jingzhe ambled, staring at the ground, both hands in his pockets. His lowered head made people unable to see the expression on his face. "Uhm," he replied perfunctorily.

He wasn't listening to Gao Sheng. Instead, he recalled the memories of his past life.

The public order in Liyun Town was poor and would be for years to come. Before the government took severe measures to deal with criminal activities, all kinds of gangs and underworld dwellers had free run of the place.