Chapter 31 is probably... about finding that Teacher Shu...
The berth next door was empty; Zhou Qiaozhen had packed up her bedding and moved out before dawn. The oppressive atmosphere in the dugout eased somewhat with her departure, but Shu Ran felt a weight on her heart.
Shu Ran lay on her side on the bed, her back against the earthen wall.
What did Chen Yuanjiang see in that silent glance last night? What did he guess? The water seeping slower and slower beneath the tamarisk bushes…
She rolled over, her fingertips unconsciously touching the inside of her waistband through her thin shirt. There was a pocket sewn there, the hard texture still lingering. It was the last bit of the face cream box, wrapped in oil paper and stuffed inside.
As soon as the sky began to lighten and turn a pale gray, Shu Ran got up.
She picked up the cypress bucket from the corner, intending to report the damage to the logistics department first.
"Ran, are you really going to fetch water?" Sister Wang also woke up, propping herself up halfway, her voice filled with worry, "Your back isn't fully healed, and that bucket is heavy..."
"It's alright, big sister." Shu Ran tried to make her voice sound as relaxed as possible. "I'll pack less and make more trips. I've already said what I'd do, so I have to do it." She paused, her voice lowering slightly, "That broken bucket... I also need to report the damage to the logistics department."
Li Xiulan also woke up and silently looked at Shu Ran without saying a word.
The logistics department was actually set up in a small dugout next to the warehouse. The door was open, and the room was dimly lit by a kerosene lamp. Old Yu, who was in charge of managing the miscellaneous items, was sitting there yawning.
Shu Ran went inside and placed the broken bucket on the ground. "Master Yu, could you please report this damage? Last night, while fetching water, the bucket hoop broke due to its age, and the bucket itself cracked. It's unusable now."
Old Zhang squinted at the broken bucket and sighed, "Sigh, this bucket is old enough... Alright, I'll register it for you. But we'll have to wait for a new bucket; there aren't any spares in the warehouse right now. We'll have to make do with the old one for now." He turned around and picked up two cypress buckets with fairly intact hoops from the corner, handing them to Shu Ran.
Shu Ran thanked them, took the two old buckets, and was about to leave when the light at the doorway was blocked.
It's Chen Yuanjiang again.
He had clearly just finished some mysterious mission; his dark blue military jacket was damp with dew, his trousers were tucked into his high riding boots, which were speckled with mud, and he was carrying a package wrapped in oilcloth.
Chen Yuanjiang's gaze swept over the pair of liberation shoes on her feet.
Yes, those shoes... Shu Ran always remembered what Sister Wang said.
"Officer Chen, did you ask Sister Wang to give me these Liberation shoes?"
Chen Yuanjiang hummed in agreement and said nothing more.
Shu Ran felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, but forced herself to continue, "Sister Wang said it was... my teacher quota? But I've never heard of such a quota before. These shoes look quite new. If they were yours personally, I can't take them; I can't take advantage of the public or you personally. I..."
She paused for a moment, as if considering her words, "I'll try to go to the supply and marketing cooperative later and buy you a new pair."
She didn't want to owe this undeserved favor.
Chen Yuanjiang frowned slightly, his gaze shifting from her face to the old bucket she was carrying. "Hmm, is the bucket broken?"
Shu Ran rolled her eyes inwardly: Isn't that a rhetorical question?
But outwardly she answered truthfully: "Yes, the hoop broke when I was carrying water last time."
Chen Yuanjiang nodded, stepped aside to clear the way to the doorway, and looked outside. His tone was businesslike and indifferent: "The new barrels will have to wait. Use the old ones for now, and be careful." He paused, then added, "...The flagpole, I checked it this morning, it's still stable."
After saying this nonsensical sentence, he stopped looking at Shu Ran, walked straight to Old Zhang's table, put down the oilcloth bundle in his hand with a dull thud.
Shu Ran stood there, momentarily bewildered. What did he mean? Her question about the shoes was lightly brushed aside, replaced only by a word of advice about the flagpole and the bucket.
She pursed her lips, stopped asking questions, and whispered, "Thank you, Officer Chen." Then, carrying the bucket, she squeezed through the door of the logistics department, somewhat laboriously, past Chen Yuanjiang.
Shu Ran glanced back and saw Chen Yuanjiang with his back to her, whispering something to Old Zhang. His back was straight and distant.
Regardless of whether it was part of the quota, Shu Ran decided to buy another pair to return it.
She suppressed the turmoil in her heart, picked up the bucket, and walked towards the saline path leading to the floodplain.
As they approached the flood dam, they saw several early-rising women queuing to fetch water. Their hushed voices drifted on the wind and crept into Shu Ran's ears.
"...You bet! It was quite a commotion last night! Even the security officers were alerted..."
"Tsk tsk, they say they're checking the suitcase? What are they checking? What good stuff could a capitalist's daughter have in her suitcase?"
"Who knows! Zhou Qiaozhen has really messed up this time; the company commander has sent her to the third platoon..."
"Hey, I overheard a Kazakh fellow villager exchanging grain coupons at the supply and marketing cooperative yesterday evening mentioning something... a Han Chinese female teacher, is she dishonest? Going out in the dark in the middle of the night... to get water? Doesn't sound like she's from a respectable background!"
Shh! Keep your voice down! Someone's coming!
The discussion abruptly stopped.
Shu Ran's expression remained unchanged as she straightened her back and walked over.
"Everyone's chatting, aren't they?" Shu Ran looked around and said with a serious expression, "Hey, have you heard? Big news!"
Several women in line curiously gathered around to listen to the gossip.
Shu Ran said mysteriously, "The one who moved out of our dorm got punished!"
"Who, Zhou Qiaozhen?" someone couldn't help but ask.
Shu Ran nodded: "Yes! They said she was spreading rumors, and the organization is going to deal with her properly! I heard that while she was reporting on others, someone else was also reporting on her, and that person was someone she was very close to!"
The women around looked at each other, all intimidated by Shu Ran's fabricated story. They were afraid that the other party would report them to the company headquarters, and if the higher-ups took action... they dared not even think about the consequences.
Soon, they silently returned to the water-fetching group.
No one spoke until Shu Ran finished fetching the water.
Shu Ran carried the water back to her dormitory, and with her last bit of strength, she poured the little water left in the bucket into the water tank.
Water splashed up, and a shallow layer finally accumulated at the bottom of the tank, far from being full.
Shu Ran leaned against the edge of the water tank, panting heavily. Physical labor was truly exhausting; she was grateful for her education, which had allowed her to secure a relatively easy task.
*
The door to Chen Yuanjiang's office was ajar. He sat behind the old, peeling wooden table, on which lay several sheets of paper covered in writing. He was looking down, holding a small, gleaming knife, intently sharpening a pencil. Thin wood shavings swirled down, piling up in a small heap on his desk.
"Knock, knock, knock." The knocking was very soft, with a hint of hesitation.
"Go in." Chen Yuanjiang didn't stop sharpening the pencil.
The door was gently pushed open, and it was Xiao Liu, the company's security officer. He quickly closed the door behind him, strode to the table, and lowered his voice: "Officer Chen, there's been some trouble in the pastoral area! Old Aken from Aishan's family took a whip and gave that kid Adil a good beating! It's quite a commotion!"
Chen Yuanjiang stopped holding the knife, looked up at Officer Liu, and asked, "Why?"
"Hey, what else could it be?" Officer Liu leaned forward, lowering his voice even further, with a hint of vivid description. "It's just that little saga! They say Teacher Shu Ran stole water, went out to wander around in the middle of the night, and is of bad character! Old Aken absolutely refuses to let Ayiman go back to Qiming Elementary School, saying he's afraid she'll corrupt the girls of the grasslands! Adil talked back a bit, got whipped, and I heard he was so angry he was like a mad bull, and rushed out and came right here to the company!"
He paused, then added meaningfully, "I guess... he went to find that Teacher Shu. Someone just saw him rushing towards the tool shed, his fists clenched tightly!"
Chen Yuanjiang didn't ask any more questions. He immediately got up and decisively picked up the dark blue military jacket draped over the back of the chair.
"Go to the pastoral area." He remained calm, but his hands continued moving.
"Huh? Now?" Officer Liu paused for a moment, then asked instinctively, "What about Qiming Elementary School... what if Adil acts up again..."
“Company Commander Ma is in charge of the company. You,” Chen Yuanjiang put on his coat, his gaze sweeping over Officer Liu, “come with me to Aishan’s house. To understand the situation and communicate.” He paused, then added, “Education is policy.”
Looking into Chen Yuanjiang's unfathomable eyes, Liu, who had been eager to watch the spectacle, quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes! I'll go get the horse right away!"
When Chen Yuanjiang and Officer Liu arrived at Old Akhen's yurt, Old Akhen was sitting at a small table, with Turdi sitting below him, his head bowed. Ayman was curled up in her mother's arms, her eyes red and swollen like peaches, and she had already cried herself to sleep.
Chen Yuanjiang untied his riding whip and placed it at the doorway before striding in. Officer Liu followed closely behind, appearing somewhat uneasy.
"Old Aken." Chen Yuanjiang didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the point: "I heard that you have opinions about the teaching work at Qiming Elementary School? About Comrade Shu Ran."
"Hmph!" Old Aken didn't even lift his eyelids, vigorously rubbing the handle of his riding crop on his knee. "Opinion? Chen Yuanjiang, I dare not have an opinion! I only have one question: the teachers sent from above, running out to steal water in the middle of the night and loitering around outside, what kind of behavior is this? Is this what you teach our kids?"
He stared at Chen Yuanjiang and questioned, "My Ayiman is a pure snow lotus! I cannot let her be corrupted! Qiming Elementary School, our child cannot go there!"
Chen Yuanjiang listened quietly, his face expressionless, until Old Aken finished speaking before he spoke:
“Old Aken, it’s good that you care about the children’s growth. The government supports education so that the next generation, whether they are Han Chinese children or Kazakh children, can read and understand, learn more survival skills, and also understand the great principles of the country.”
His tone turned serious. "Stealing water and staying out late at night are very serious offenses. We cannot draw conclusions before the matter is thoroughly investigated, and we certainly cannot let this delay the child's learning opportunities."
He looked at Turdi, who had remained silent, and asked, "Turdi, what do you say?"
When Turdi was called out, he glanced at old Akhen's ashen face, sighed, and lowered his head again.
Chen Yuanjiang's gaze finally settled on Old Aken's face. "Education is a national policy, and Comrade Shu Ran was appointed as a literacy teacher with the approval of higher authorities. I will personally investigate those rumors about her. If they are false accusations or fabrications, the Corps will deal with them. If they are true, we will not tolerate them!"
His gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the yurt: "But before the matter is clarified, is it really for the child's good to have their studies ruined because of a few baseless rumors?"
Old Aken stared into Chen Yuanjiang's unfathomable eyes, but couldn't find a rebuttal.
*
In the tool shed, the morning classes had just ended.
Shu Ran was bending over a low stool, carefully folding the scrap paper covered with crookedly written "person" characters into a small square and stuffing it into Xiao Ya's little pocket. "Take it home and show Mom and Dad. Xiao Ya learned to write the 'person' character today, that's great!"
The little girl looked up with her rosy cheeks, smiling shyly yet proudly.
"Teacher Shu," Shi Tou leaned closer, lowered his voice mysteriously, and rummaged in his tattered pocket with his little hands. Finally, he pulled out something wrapped in a dirty little handkerchief and quickly stuffed it into Shu Ran's hand. "It's for Ayiman! My mother gave it to me yesterday, but I couldn't bear to eat it."
The handkerchief was opened, revealing a small piece of sugar made from beetroot, covered in cotton wadding and bits of pocket material.
Shu Ran was about to say something.
"Bang--!"
The classroom door, which was already flimsy, was kicked open violently.
Adil barged in.
He pointed at Shu Ran and said loudly in broken Chinese:
"You! Bad! Teacher!"
A note from the author:
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