When I woke up the next day, Meng Wan had already left.
The turned-off lamp, the neatly folded blanket, and the closed door made Li Susu momentarily unsure if she was having a sweet dream, until she saw the piece of paper on the table…
She couldn't hide her smile as she threw off the covers and rushed out. But when she saw Meng Wan's room door open and didn't see her, she paused for a moment.
She ran to the kitchen outside the courtyard, where Grandma Li was putting cooked corn and sweet potatoes into bowls.
"Grandma, where's Teacher Meng? Where did Teacher Meng go?"
"Teacher Meng said she was going to check out the surroundings and went out early this morning. She should be back soon. Take the plates out and get ready to eat."
As Grandma Li spoke, she handed the plate to Li Susu, reminding her to be careful as it was hot.
"Okay, are we taking the teachers to school today?" Li Susu held the bag in her hand, about to step out, but then pulled her foot back.
"Yes, it's still early, no rush, take your time." It's only six o'clock, but it's already quite bright outside.
"Okay." Li Susu placed the things on the small table in the yard and looked around.
"Grandma, how long has the teacher been gone?"
"It's been half an hour, I don't know if she didn't sleep well, but she got up earlier than me. She even helped make breakfast."
As they were talking, the clock in the room started striking six o'clock.
"Good morning, Su Su."
Su Su, whose gaze was drawn to the clock, turned around and immediately became shy upon seeing Meng Wan, losing all her previous liveliness.
Good morning, teacher.
“This girl came looking for you as soon as she got up, but she’s quiet now that you’re back.”
"Grandma~" the little girl said coquettishly, somewhat dissatisfied that her grandmother had embarrassed her.
"Grandma, is there anything I can help you with?" Meng Wan patted Su Su's head and walked into the yard with her. They saw Grandma Li slowly coming out of the kitchen, leaning on her cane.
"No, hurry up and eat. You have to eat your fill. It's over that hill to get to school. Even you young people with good legs will have to walk for an hour."
Meng Wan raised an eyebrow. She was fine, but she wondered how the others were doing.
"Do you need to come back at noon?"
"No need, the school provides lunch at noon. In the summer, school starts at eight in the morning and ends at five in the evening."
What about winter?
“In winter, it gets light late and dark early. To prevent accidents from happening to the children, we start class at nine and finish at four. If the weather is bad, we'll start half an hour earlier,” Li Susu continued.
Meng Wan listened and put the peeled egg into her bowl.
Grandma Li watched but didn't stop her; she simply gave Meng Wan the egg she had peeled. Li Susu smiled and ate it.
She was swinging her legs, and it was clear she was in a good mood.
After breakfast, the two went to the village entrance to meet up with the others. Meng Wan held Su Su's hand as Su Su told her along the way what could be done in the village in different seasons.
They would catch frogs in the fields and cicadas in the trees. They had to help in the fields before leaving home during the day and cook and do laundry when they came back at night. But Li Susu was a little luckier; the land was rented out to someone else. She and her grandmother raised chickens on weekdays and sold the eggs at the market on weekends.
When the two arrived, some people and students had already arrived.
"SuSu!" The friends gathered together.
"Susu, your hair looks so beautiful today." Before leaving the house, Meng Wan saw that she still had time, so she braided a simple plait for her.
Because she applied hair oil and combed her hair properly yesterday, Su Su's hair looked much shinier than yesterday.
"Teacher Wanwan did my hair, isn't it beautiful?" Su Su shook her hair and showed off to her friend.
"It looks good, I want to get it done too, but my hair is too short."
Long hair is difficult to manage, so boys usually shave their heads into buzz cuts for easier work, while girls keep their hair short for easier management. They usually have their hair cut by the village barber for five yuan a time.
The children chattered excitedly, and Meng Wan also joined her team members.
"Oh, you're really something, dragging us into this," his companion joked.
"What can we do? She's just too outstanding." Meng Wan's reply drew a chorus of praise.
She ignored their teasing and told them a fact that was hard to accept.
"You mean, we have to climb a mountain for an hour every day to go to school, and then climb another hour back at night?" He Miao's eyes were full of disbelief.
Meng Wan nodded and patted her on the shoulder.
"The good news is that the downhill section is easier and should take less than an hour."
"Thank you," He Miao said, her eyes filled with resentment.
"You're welcome." Meng Wan's lips curled up, revealing a hint of slyness.
He Miao sighed, ultimately having no choice but to accept this fact.
Within five minutes, everyone had arrived. The group marched towards the school in a grand procession.
A dozen or so children chattered and laughed all the way, seemingly already used to the journey. To take care of the slightly older mentor, Village Chief Wang and Teacher Wang stayed at the back to accompany her and chatted with her about the children's situation.
Su Su stayed close to Meng Wan, holding her hand tightly the whole time. Looking at the others, panting heavily, and then at Meng Wan, who showed no signs of fatigue, she felt a strange sense of pride.
"What's wrong?" Sensing Li Susu's gaze, Meng Wan looked down at her.
"Teacher, aren't you tired?"
"Then how come you don't get tired?" Meng Wan asked back.
"We walk this route every day, we're used to it."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
