Chapter 221: Home Visit

Chapter 221: Home Visit

After daybreak, students arrived at school one after another.

Dirty, ill-fitting clothes, dark but rosy cheeks, and clear, bright eyes—that was Wen Jinye's first impression of them.

Suddenly, unfamiliar adults who seemed out of place appeared in the school.

Wen Jinye and his group's presence also effectively attracted the students' attention.

Her face, tanned and reddened by the sun, couldn't hide her clear, unblemished eyes and brows.

Several children who weren't too shy stopped to watch Wen Jinye.

Her eyes were clear and bright, her skin was fair, her smile was kind, and her clothes were spotless in comparison to theirs.

Like a fairy who has accidentally wandered into the mountains and forests.

Children's kindness is always very direct.

A bright smile curved her lips, revealing shallow dimples: "Are you a fairy? You're so beautiful."

The girl who said this had envy and amazement in her eyes.

His clothes were dirty and tattered, and the shoes he wore were worn out and had lost their original color.

But she looks so beautiful when she smiles.

Brown eyes are the purest windows to the soul.

Another little boy took out red wild berries he had picked on his way to school from his pocket.

He said in somewhat broken Mandarin:

"Sister, here you go. It's very sweet."

But he was also startled by the dirt on his hands.

An awkward expression immediately appeared on his face.

He awkwardly withdrew his hand and wiped it on his clothes.

Wen Jin is not a wooden person without emotions.

After her parents passed away, she lived a life of mistreatment and hardship as a dependent, and she did resent the unfairness of fate and her own misfortune.

Who wouldn't want to taste that candy in the colorful glass jar?

An Yu always praised her for her resilience and courage.

But when I saw these children, their smiles were bright and undisguised, and they had such a cheerful attitude towards life.

Wen Jin then realized that she had been blaming others and complaining too much.

However, suffering is suffering.

Suffering is not something to be celebrated, much less to be compared in terms of superiority or inferiority.

She bent down, patted the little boy's head, and took the wild fruit from his dark hands.

"Thank you."

*

The school has fewer than one hundred students in total.

Teacher Luan Wei'an can call out the name of every single child.

As soon as the teacher on the flag-raising platform blew a whistle, the students, who had been scattered like birds, instantly stood straight in the square.

They were already extremely familiar with the location of their station.

Teacher Luan Wei'an can also tell at a glance who is absent based on the formation.

They can also observe the condition of each child by standing here.

"Where's DouDou? Why hasn't DouDou come to school today?"

She looked at the children who lived closer to Dou Dou's house, "Xiao Rui, Dou Dou took sick leave a couple of days ago, is she still not feeling better?"

The little girl stammered, keeping her head down and avoiding looking into Luan Weian's eyes.

Luan Wei'an realized something was wrong.

She walked over, squatted down in front of Xiaorui, and comforted her with gentle eyes, "Xiaorui, tell the teacher, what happened to Doudou's family?"

"Nothing happened."

Xiao Rui hesitated, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the hem of her clothes.

"Teacher, DouDou herself doesn't want to go to school anymore... She's afraid you'll come looking for her, so she doesn't want me to tell you."

"how so……"

Luan Wei'an was somewhat stunned.

After all, Dou Dou grew up with her grandparents from a young age. Their family was extremely poor, and because they couldn't afford the food fees, her grandparents wanted to force her to drop out of school.

She was crying and trying to ask for help herself.

How could a little girl who clearly loves learning suddenly not want to go to school anymore?

But ultimately, now is not the time to discuss this.

"Alright, everyone, let's go back to the classroom and start class."

Around noon, the program team received all their daily necessities.

In addition, a truck delivered rice, flour, and cooking oil.

It can be considered a donation from the TV station.

Lunch was a large pot of stew prepared by the old principal, consisting of seasonal radishes and tofu.

Luan Wei'an had no appetite. After distributing lunch to the students, she took two clean lunchboxes and gave them to Wen Jinye and the photographer.

"This is the best we can do here. We hope you will be understanding."

When the supplies donated by the TV station arrived, she was no longer as indifferent to the two uninvited guests as she had been that morning.

But there's still a sense of awkwardness and stiffness that makes me reluctant to engage with them too much.

This situation is clearly not conducive to subsequent interviews.

Wen Jin also knew that she had not yet gained Luan Wei'an's approval.

After all, children in mountainous areas are a hot topic that many online celebrities and unscrupulous media outlets want to pursue.

If there's traffic to be gained, they'll keep hyping it up.

If there's no traffic to be gained, then disrupt their lives and leave gracefully.

The reason Jiangbei TV hastily drafted this special feature overnight is actually to attract viewers.

But at least—

It's not just about traffic.

Luan Wei'an continued, "Isn't the formal interview and recording supposed to start tomorrow? Please make yourselves at home today. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

Wen Jinye: "Where are you going?"

“Go on a home visit.”

Wen Jin also instantly thought of the little boy who didn't come to school that morning.

She put down the steaming food in her hands and said, "I think we should get to know each other a bit before the interview. I have already done a good job of learning about your life and contributions to this school. Perhaps you can also learn a little about me."

Luan Wei'an was somewhat surprised: "You're coming with me?"

Wen Jin nodded sincerely.

"That's very far, more than an hour's hike, involving wading through water and climbing mountains. Are you sure?"

Her tone was indescribably cold.

After all, during her years of teaching in the mountains, she had seen many online celebrities and media outlets that were just putting on a show.

There was even an online influencer who, in front of the camera, showed genuine compassion for the cracked hands of left-behind children.

The camera cut off, and he turned around, blatantly showing disdain for the wild fruit the child offered him.

"Take it away, it's filthy. Who knows if there are germs inside?"

Therefore, she is very wary of so-called media people.

The children here already lack material things enough; she didn't want their spirits to be hurt as well.

No amount of explanation can build a bridge of trust without concrete action.

Wen Jin calmly said, "You can try to trust me for now. It's just climbing mountains and wading through rivers. That's the only way those children can get to school. If they can do it, I certainly can too."

There wasn't much fancy language.

The suffering of those children was not exaggerated.

He simply gave her the answer with a gentle yet firm look in his eyes: she definitely could.

Luan Wei'an's attitude softened slightly.

"If you walk too slowly, I won't wait for you."

Wen Jin smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't hold you back."

So on the way there.

climb mountains.

Flowing water.

She took off her shoes and socks, and rolled up her trouser legs to her knees.

She didn't complain at all, even as she walked through the icy stream and over the sharp stones.

As she walked down the winding mountain road, her clothes were no longer neat.

Her low ponytail was loose, with many stray hairs falling out.

But he didn't look disheveled; instead, he seemed relaxed and at ease.

The photographer following behind them, carrying the camera, was panting heavily because of the heavy equipment.

The air in the mountains and forests is fresh, and birds and insects chirp.

Sunlight streamed in through the branches and leaves, casting fleeting shadows.

As they were about to leave the winding mountain path, Luan Wei'an slipped on a dead branch.

Wen Jin instinctively grabbed her.

The photographer suddenly said at this moment:

"Xiao Wen, Teacher Luan, could you please find a better angle? The lighting is perfect here. I'd like to take a picture of you."

Wen Jin also subconsciously turned her head to look at Luan Weian's reaction.

I was afraid she would mind.

Luan Wei'an, on the other hand, seemed somewhat bewildered.

The instant their eyes met.

Wen Jin finally saw a hint of a smile in her cold eyes.

That was an initial form of self-acceptance.