Chapter 45 "These two kids are holding back their anger..."

Since the introduction of slate pencils, writing in class has become much smoother, but Shu Ran's heart has not been completely at ease. The scarcity of resources continues, and the mysterious snail fairy has never appeared again. Pencils and erasers have become treasured possessions that the children cherish, and they are used very sparingly.

More importantly, the integration of Bayan and Saidar, children from the pastoral area, is far more complex than Shu Ran imagined.

That afternoon, Shu Ran was teaching the word "unity". She wrote the word on the blackboard with a slate pencil.

"Classmates, 'unity' means thinking in the same direction and working together. Just like the students in our class, some come from the company and some come from pastoral areas. We study together, and that is 'unity'."

She tried her best to explain, her gaze sweeping over the children below. The children from the company, including Shitou and Shuanzhu, listened attentively, while Bayan and Saidar seemed somewhat bewildered. They stared at the words on the blackboard, their eyes filled with unfamiliarity and effort.

Adil sat beside them, occasionally explaining quickly in a low voice in the local language, his brow furrowed, looking more tired than anyone else.

In class, they practiced writing the word "unity." Shu Ran distributed the limited number of pencils to each group in turn. When it was Bayan's turn, he held the pencil with clumsy yet forceful movements, as if it were not a pencil but a wild horse that needed to be tamed.

Tiger, who was next to me, finished writing his own and was eager for a pen. He reached out and grabbed it, saying, "It's my turn! Hurry up!"

Bayan instinctively gripped the pencil tighter, but Hu Zi yanked it, and the tip snapped off with a "snap".

"Hey! You owe me my pencil!" Tiger suddenly became anxious and shoved Bayan. Bayan stumbled from the shove, and although he didn't fall, his face turned red, and he uttered a series of rapid and angry words in the local dialect. Although it was incomprehensible, the anger was obvious.

Saidar immediately stood up, stood in front of Bayan, and glared angrily at Huzi.

Adil suddenly stood up, separated the two men, and yelled at Hu Zi in Chinese: "He didn't do it on purpose! It was wrong of you to push him!"

Tiger protested, "Who told him not to let go! The pen broke!"

"Alright! Stop it, all of you!" Shu Ran stepped forward immediately, her tone stern.

She picked up the broken pencil, looked at it, sighed inwardly, but remained calm on the surface: "A broken pencil can be sharpened. But once the harmony between classmates is damaged, it's hard to repair. Tiger, Bayan is just learning to use a pencil and isn't skilled yet. You should wait patiently, or tell the teacher. You can't grab it, and you certainly can't push people. Apologize to Bayan."

Tiger pouted, clearly unwilling, but under Shu Ran's gaze, he still muttered softly, "I'm sorry."

Shu Ran then looked at Bayan and Saidar, softening her tone, and through Adil's translation, said, "Bayan, Saidar, we need to share the tools and take turns. After you're finished writing, you should pass it to the next student. Understand?" She gestured as she spoke.

Bayan was panting heavily, his anger still burning in his eyes, but looking at Shu Ran's calm face and then at Adil, he finally nodded.

A minor conflict was temporarily quelled, but Shu Ran knew that the root problems, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and resource competition, were far from being resolved.

She saw Adil sit back down, his face showing a weariness and irritability beyond his years. He was caught in the middle, having to appease both sides, and struggling to do so.

After school, Shu Ran deliberately kept Adil behind.

"Adili, thank you for today." Shu Ran handed him a clean cloth so he could wipe the dust off his hands. "Without you, it would be even more difficult for the teachers to communicate with them."

Adil took the cloth, didn't look up, and said in a muffled voice, "They... are stupid. They don't understand what we're saying. They don't know the rules either." His tone was full of complaint.

Shu Ran squatted down in front of him, looking him straight in the eye: "It's not that they're stupid, Adil. It's that you learned the language and rules here before them. You arrived earlier and learned faster than them, so you were able to help the teacher, Bayan, and Saidar. That's a remarkable skill." She gave him a thumbs up.

Adil paused in wiping his hands, quickly glanced at Shu Ran, then lowered his head, his expression relaxing a little.

“But it’s too tiring for you to always translate, and it slows down their learning too,” Shu Ran continued. “I’d like to think of a way to use more gestures and drawings in class from now on. Can you also help me think of ways to help them learn faster, okay?”

Adil was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“And another thing,” Shu Ran lowered her voice even further, “when Bayan and Saidar came home, did their parents… ask about what happened at school? Did anyone… say anything bad about them?” She was worried that these minor conflicts would be amplified if they got back to the pastoral area, affecting the opinions of Old Aken and other herders.

Adil thought for a moment and shook his head: "Turdi is happy. Ayman is learning to read and sing." He pointed to the empty seats of Bayan and Saidar, "They didn't say anything. Maybe they forgot." Conflicts between children come and go quickly, but adults are much more sensitive.

Shu Ran was slightly relieved, gave Adil a few more instructions, and then let him go home.

She tidied up the classroom, locked the door, and pondered how to improve her teaching. Looking up, she saw Xu Junjun leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, looking at her with a somewhat serious expression.

"What's wrong?" Shu Ran walked over.

Xu Junjun winked at her, and the two headed towards the clinic.

Xu Junjun closed the door before whispering, "I went to change Zhou Wenbin's dressing this afternoon."

"Change his dressing? What's wrong with him?" Shu Ran was taken aback. Since the incident with the enemy agents, Zhou Wenbin seemed to have been claiming illness and rarely moved around the company.

"He said he twisted his back and scraped his arm while helping to move seed boxes delivered by the agricultural research institute a few days ago." Xu Junjun pouted. "But when I look at the injury on his arm, it doesn't look like a scrape. It looks like... he was cut by something sharp. The wound is quite deep and in an awkward location. It's hard to imagine that he would have made such a mess himself."

Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat: "What did he say?"

"He stammered and said it was scratched by the metal sheet on the box. His eyes were darting around, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat, not from pain, but from nervousness."

Xu Junjun recalled, "When I cleaned his wound, I noticed an old needle mark a little above his elbow, with some bluish discoloration around it. I casually asked if he had received an injection at the Agricultural Research Institute, and he kept saying no, no, looking extremely flustered."

"A sty?" Shu Ran frowned. In this day and age, getting injections was not a common occurrence, especially in a place like a military unit.

“Hmm.” Xu Junjun nodded, her voice even lower. “Moreover, his whole demeanor is off. Although he used to complain and blame others, he still had a certain intellectual pride. Now… when I got him his medicine, there was a foreign language book on his table. I glanced at it, and it looked like a Russian book.”

"Russian?" Shu Ran was surprised. There weren't many literate people in the team, let alone those who could read foreign books, especially Russian ones.

“Ranran,” Xu Junjun grabbed Shu Ran’s arm, her fingers a little cold, “I always feel like something’s wrong with him. Very wrong. Last time he tried to test Xiulan, but he didn’t succeed. Now Xiulan is busy with the little sanitation worker work with us, and she’s become more clever, not as easily fooled as before. I always feel like he’s up to no good.”

As the two were talking, they heard Sister Wang and Li Xiulan talking outside. A moment later, Li Xiulan came in carrying a winnowing basket containing some dried medicinal strips that needed to be sorted.

"Teacher Shu, Sister Junjun." Li Xiulan's face was flushed from working, and her eyes were much brighter; she was no longer the timid girl she had been before.

“Xiulan, perfect timing,” Xu Junjun asked casually, “You’ve been going to the sideline team lately, does Technician Zhou still go there often?”

Li Xiulan paused in arranging the strips of cloth, then shook her head: "I haven't seen him for many days. Sister Cuihua said that he seems to have asked the company for leave, saying that his back injury has flared up and he needs to rest."

"Xiulan," Shu Ran said, taking Li Xiulan's hand seriously, "If Technician Zhou contacts you again in the future, no matter what he says or what he brings, don't be alone with him. Tell me or Sister Junjun immediately. If you really can't, go to a crowded place, understand?"

Seeing the solemn expressions on Shu Ran and Xu Junjun's faces, Li Xiulan seemed to realize something and nodded nervously, "Yes, I'll remember."

That night, Shu Ran lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), tossing and turning. Zhou Wenbin's image lingered in her mind. A disillusioned idealist cast to the frontier by the times, a highly educated intellectual with overseas connections, a man desperately wanting to escape this place. What plans would he have for his journey back to the city?

Over the next few days, Shu Ran dealt with cultural clashes in the classroom, tried to teach in a more intuitive way, and encouraged Adil to lead Bayan and Saidar, while secretly keeping an eye on Zhou Wenbin's movements. He indeed kept a low profile, rarely even going to the cafeteria.

That day, Xu Junjun found Shu Ran and pulled her aside: "Ranran, I...I might know what happened to Zhou Wenbin's needle mark."

"What happened?"

“I…I went upstairs a couple of days ago and secretly looked through his medical records.” Xu Junjun had clearly mustered a great deal of courage. “His records show that he suffers from severe hereditary asthma and needs to be injected regularly with a special pain reliever. This kind of medicine is rare in China. I remember he once complained that his parents used to send him this medicine from abroad, but then they lost contact with him…”

"Medicine sent from abroad?" Shu Ran was surprised.

“Yes.” Xu Junjun nodded. “Moreover, the file also mentions that he was assigned to the agricultural research institute to support the frontier because of his family background, and then due to some issues, he was put in our company for on-site guidance. It’s called guidance, but you know what I mean. He’s staying in a single room, not because of preferential treatment, but because his illness sometimes flares up at night and disturbs others…”

I see.

The image of an abandoned, ill, resentful, and desperate person suddenly becomes clear. Parents abroad, medication discontinued…

"What about the sty he had last time?" Shu Ran asked Xu Junjun, puzzled.

Xu Junjun shook her head: "I don't know either."

Shu Ran thought for a moment and said, "I'll go back and talk to Xiu Lan. We still need to be more vigilant."

Two days later, in the evening, Shu Ran was grading the children's homework written on scrap reports with slate pencils in the classroom when Adili ran in, panting and looking panicked.

"Teacher Shu! Something terrible has happened! Bayan... Bayan and Saidar... are fighting with someone! They're... they're over at the haystack behind the company headquarters!"

Shu Ran was startled and dropped her pen to run out with Adil.

Beside the haystack, chaos reigned. Bayan and Saidar, like two enraged leopard cubs, were wrestling with two of the more unruly older boys in the company, shouting angrily in their local dialect. Several other children watched and cheered.

"Stop!" Shu Ran shouted sharply, rushing forward to separate them.

Bayan's eyes were bloodshot, and he had a scratch on his face. Saidar's robe was torn. The two older children opposite him hadn't fared much better; one was clutching his stomach, and the other had his hair a mess.

"What happened?!" Shu Ran's tone was stern, with a hint of decisiveness.

A group of children watching chimed in with their explanations. Apparently, the two older children had learned a few lines of a cheesy song and were mocking Bayan and Saidar, calling them "shepherds," saying they "smell like mutton," and "can't understand human speech." They had also stolen a small, smooth white stone from Saidar's pocket, intending to use it as a charcoal pencil.

The language barrier exacerbated the misunderstandings, ridicule turned into shoving, and the shoving ignited the pent-up grievances and anger, which turned into fists.

Looking at Bayan and Saidar's stubborn yet aggrieved eyes, and at the small white stones they were clutching tightly, Shu Ran felt a pang of sadness and unease in her heart.

She severely criticized the two provocative older children, ordered them to apologize, and threatened to report them to Secretary Chen, suggesting that they be severely punished.

The older kids' legs went weak when they heard this, and they quickly apologized again, saying they would bring delicious food next time to make up for what they owed.

With Adil's translation, Bayan and Saidar calmed down a bit, muttering the words Shuran had once taught them: "It's okay."

When Shu Ran returned to the clinic with Bayan and Saidar to treat their wounds, her heart was heavy. The difficulty of cultural integration weighed on her heart like a mountain.

As Xu Junjun applied red medicine to Bayan, she sighed, "These two kids are holding back their anger. I'm afraid this isn't over yet."

Just then, Chen Yuanjiang appeared at the door of the clinic. He had obviously come after hearing about the fight.

His gaze swept over the injuries on Bayan and Saidar's faces, his expression unchanged. He simply nodded to Xu Junjun and then looked at Shu Ran: "Teacher Shu, I understand the situation. I will handle this matter. The literacy campaign cannot be sabotaged by anyone, and maintaining national unity is also part of my job."

He didn't offer much comfort or blame anyone; he simply stated his position: the organization is taking care of this matter.

After saying that, he left the clinic without lingering.

The next morning during break, the classroom door was gently pushed open. The two older boys who had fought the day before—Shugen and Gouwa—stood awkwardly in the doorway, their heads drooping, being held by their parents on either side. Shugen's father, usually so loud, spoke in a low voice, sounding embarrassed: "Teacher Shu, are you busy?"

Shu Ran looked up at the sound and, seeing the scene, understood most of it. She put down her slate pen and went to greet them: "Father Tree Root, Mother Dog Doll, what's going on?"

Gouwa's mother was a straightforward person. She pushed her son forward half a step and said apologetically, "Teacher Shu, we brought these two rascals here to apologize to Bayan and Saidar! We've heard about what happened yesterday. They were just being nosy and bullying the new students. They deserved to be punished!"

Tie Dan's father nodded in agreement, then placed his large hand on the back of Tie Dan's neck and pushed him into the classroom: "Hurry up and go in! Apologize properly to them!"

Tie Dan and Gou Wa were pushed and shoved by their parents, and slowly walked up to Bayan and Saidar, who were looking at a picture book with Chuncao and Xiaoya.

The two pastoral children tensed up immediately upon seeing them, their eyes filled with wariness and a hint of lingering grievance. Adil also immediately stood beside Bayan and Saidar.

The other children in the classroom quieted down and watched this scene with curiosity.

Tree Root blushed, staring at the tips of his shoes, and mumbled in a mosquito-like voice, "I...I'm sorry...yesterday...I shouldn't have taken your stone...I shouldn't have said those things..."

Gouwa muttered along, "Sorry...we were wrong..."

They spoke Mandarin quickly, and Bayan and Saidar clearly didn't understand everything, but their apologetic gestures were clear. The wariness on their faces faded, replaced by a hint of confusion and helplessness, and they both looked at Adil.

Adil pursed his lips, looked at the earnest-looking Shugen father and Gouwa mother, then at the embarrassed Shugen and Gouwa, and finally took on the responsibility of translation, explaining a few words to Bayan and Saidar in the local language.

Bayan stared blankly at the tree roots, then looked down at the clean white pebble in his hand that had been stolen and returned. Saidar, meanwhile, secretly glanced at Gouwa.

Seeing this, Tree Root's father took out two pieces of sugar made from beetroot from his pocket and stuffed them into Bayan and Saidar's hands, chuckling, "Kids, take these! If Tree Root ever bullies you again, tell your uncle, and your uncle will beat him up!"

Dogwa's mother quickly added, "Yes, yes, let's play together from now on. We're classmates, so we should help each other out!"

The language barrier still exists, but the kindness from the elders has been conveyed.

Bayan and Saidar held the candy, and looking at the sincere faces of the adults and children before them, the ice in their hearts melted away. Bayan hesitated for a moment, then held the small white stone in his hand towards the tree root. Although he didn't say anything, his meaning was clear.

Tie Dan was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved his hands: "No, no, no, I don't want it, it's yours..."

Shu Ran felt a warmth in her heart as she watched this scene. She stepped forward and gently said to Bayan and Saidar, "Bayan, Saidar, Shugen and Gouwa have realized their mistakes, and this is their apology. Let's accept their apology and remain good classmates, okay?" As she spoke, she gestured with a "make up" sign.

Adil translated simultaneously. Bayan finally nodded and whispered something in the local language. Adil translated, "He said 'It's okay.'"

Seidar nodded slightly.

The commotion had subsided for the time being. Tie Dan's father and Gouwa's mother said a few more words like "We've caused trouble for Teacher Shu" and "The children are being ignorant" before leaving with their children.

The atmosphere in the classroom relaxed. Xiao Ya curiously peered at the candy in Bayan's hand, while Chuncao pulled Saidar to look at her new hair tie. Although communication was still somewhat awkward, the barrier seemed to have thinned a little.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Shu Ran led the children in a simple game in the afternoon – “Find a Friend.” Even Bayan and Saidar, with the help of Adil and Shu Ran, were able to participate, albeit somewhat clumsily, and laughter frequently erupted in the classroom.

Seeing the smiles on Bayan and Saidar's faces, Adil finally felt relieved.

After school, the children chattered away as they left. Shu Ran packed her things, locked the classroom door, and turned around to see Chen Yuanjiang standing not far away, watching them.

"Officer Chen?" Shu Ran was somewhat surprised.

Chen Yuanjiang strode over, his gaze sweeping across the classroom: "Are you alright today?" He was asking about the children's fight and apology during the day.

"It's alright now." Shu Ran shook her head. "The parents are very reasonable, and the children have made up."

"Hmm," Chen Yuanjiang responded, as if this was just an opening remark. He was silent for a few seconds, then looked into the distance and suddenly mentioned casually, "The old wind gap area has been quite chaotic lately. Remind the children not to run around there."

Shu Ran replied, "I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Commissioner Chen. I will remind the children."

Chen Yuanjiang withdrew his gaze, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

*

A few days later, one evening, in the sideline team.

Li Xiulan and another female worker were busy taking the last few slabs of freshly pressed tofu out of the molds and moving them to a ventilated wooden rack to dry.

Li Xiulan moved nimbly, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead, but a satisfied look on her face. Lately, she'd been helping Xu Junjun with note-taking, which had helped her recognize more characters and improve her organizational skills, making her work at the tofu shop feel more organized.

"Xiulan, this piece is a bit broken at the edge. Let's put it aside and mix it with some scallions and sesame oil tomorrow," said Wang Cuihua, a female worker standing nearby.

"Okay, Sister Cuihua," Li Xiulan replied, carefully placing the somewhat irregular piece of tofu into a bamboo basket next to her.

Just then, a figure sauntered into the tofu shop. It was Zhou Wenbin. He was holding an empty lunchbox, a somewhat forced, gentle smile on his face.

"Sister Wang, Comrade Xiulan, are you still busy? You've worked so hard!" he greeted them, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the rows of white tofu on the wooden shelf, finally settling on the bamboo winnowing basket containing the scraps of tofu.

"Oh, Technician Zhou is here to make tofu? Just a moment, it'll be ready soon," Wang Cuihua replied warmly.

"No rush, no rush, you guys are busy." Zhou Wenbin said, walking over to the wooden shelf and observing the tofu with great interest. "Sister Wang, Xiulan, your tofu is getting better and better. It's so white and tender, it looks very appetizing."

"Technician Zhou, you flatter me. I did it the old way," Wang Cuihua said with a smile.

Li Xiulan didn't say anything, but quickened her pace in moving the tofu, wanting to put the last few sheets in place and make tofu for him as soon as possible.

For some reason, every time Zhou Wenbin appeared, especially with his seemingly gentle praise, she felt a little uneasy, unlike when she was helping out at the clinic.

"Hey, watch out!" Zhou Wenbin suddenly exclaimed, as if he had tripped over a protruding wooden block by the stove. He stumbled and his arm bumped into the edge of the bamboo winnowing basket containing scraps of tofu.

With a whoosh.

The bamboo winnowing basket was knocked over and fell to the ground, spilling out the broken pieces of tofu, which were covered with loose soil and grass clippings.

"Oh dear!" Wang Cuihua exclaimed in surprise.

"I'm so sorry! Look how clumsy I am!" Zhou Wenbin immediately apologized repeatedly, hurriedly squatting down to pick it up. "Oh, it's all my fault! I wasn't paying attention while walking! This... this is such good tofu, what a waste!" He sounded annoyed, and the tofu he picked up was covered in mud and dust.

"It's alright, it's alright, Technician Zhou, it's just some scraps, it's nothing!" Although Wang Cuihua felt sorry for the scraps, she didn't know what to say and quickly came over to help pick them up.

Li Xiulan was also stunned, looking at the mess of tofu on the ground, and then at Zhou Wenbin who looked remorseful.

Even though this tofu is broken, it's still food! It was made through her and Wang Cuihua's hard work grinding, curdling, and pressing. And just like that... it's been wasted?

Zhou Wenbin put the few pieces of filthy tofu he had picked up aside, stood up, and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Sister Wang, Xiulan. Here's what we'll do: these dirty pieces are on me! I'll pay for them! No, I'll pay double! I absolutely cannot take advantage of public resources!" He spoke righteously and sternly, then took out some money and tried to give it to Wang Cuihua.

“Oh, Technician Zhou, really, it’s not necessary! A few pieces of broken tofu, what’s the point…” Wang Cuihua repeatedly declined.

"No! You have to pay! This is a matter of principle!" Zhou Wenbin insisted, forcibly stuffing the money into Wang Cuihua's hand. However, his gaze turned to the intact tofu on the wooden shelf next to him. He said, trying to make amends, "Sister Wang, please give me two good pieces, the most square and thickest ones in the middle. I'll improve our meals tonight."

Li Xiulan watched all of this silently.

Zhou Wenbin's every step was impeccable, making him seem so reasonable and principled. But why... did the feeling of unease in her heart not only not disappear, but instead become even stronger?

Looking at the broken pieces of tofu on the ground, and then at the two pieces of the whitest and tenderest tofu that Zhou Wenbin had specially picked out, an indescribable feeling welled up inside her.

Zhou Wenbin paid the money, placed two pieces of tofu in an enamel basin, apologized to Wang Cuihua again, and gave Li Xiulan a reassuring smile: "Xiulan, don't take it to heart, it was purely an accident. I'll be going now." He turned and left the tofu shop with unhurried steps.

"Xiulan, stop standing there, quickly clean up the floor," Wang Cuihua sighed and called out.

Li Xiulan didn't move. She stared at Zhou Wenbin's retreating figure as he disappeared through the door, recalling the book he had given her, his eloquent words about "returning to the city" and "changing one's destiny," and his probing questions about her and Shu Ran in the cafeteria...

She used to think those words were the concern and guidance of cultured people, but now, looking at the mess all over the place, those words have a completely different meaning to her!

"He...he did it on purpose!" Li Xiulan looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice filled with grievance, "He...he did it on purpose!"

Wang Cuihua was startled and quickly covered her mouth: "Oh dear, you can't say things like that! Technician Zhou is an intellectual, a cadre! He's already apologized and paid compensation, what more do you want? Stop thinking nonsense! Hurry up and get ready!"

Li Xiulan's mouth was covered by Wang Cuihua, and the surge of passion was forcibly suppressed. Looking at Wang Cuihua's disapproving eyes, she knew that there was no use saying anything more, so she silently squatted down to pick up the pieces of tofu.

That night, the cold moonlight shone on the company. Most of the dugouts were dark and silent. The tofu shop had already been cleaned up and its doors were tightly shut.

The pile of discarded tofu scraps was quietly changing, thanks to the lingering warmth and moisture of the day. Grayish-green mold spots were slowly growing and spreading from the cracks inside the tofu.