10. Extreme Egoists
Fang Shuning, wearing slippers, came downstairs with a "tap tap tap~" sound and warmly invited the two inside to chat. The first floor was completely unkempt, so Fang Shuning led them up to the second floor and sat them down in front of the large window where she smoked. There was a small tea table, a tatami mat, and a rocking chair in front of the window. A night breeze occasionally drifted in from outside, making it quite comfortable.
The two sat down, and Fang Shuning took out two bottles of Coca-Cola sugar-free from the side and placed them in front of them. Then she sat down and looked at Liu Yi with a grin.
Liu Yi felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at. Unlike Song Jiuchen, Fang Shuning and Liu Yi had each other on WeChat, but they remained silently in each other's friend lists, like corpses lost in the sea.
Fang Shuning was excited when she saw Liu Yi, but after calling him up and sitting face to face with him, she didn't know what to say. She could only smile and look at him.
They exchanged polite greetings first. She asked her when she had returned, what she was doing there, and how long she would be staying. She asked her the same questions again, and they went back and forth.
It turns out that Liu Yi is now a teacher at Xitang Primary School.
The two reminisced, like old friends reunited. Song Jiuchen, unable to get a word in edgewise, and not wanting to feel awkward being ignored, carefully opened the bottle of cola. A short, sharp hissing sound, like a sprite suddenly releasing its grip, escaped. A wisp of white smoke billowed from the bottle, accompanied by the crackling of tiny carbon dioxide bubbles, condensing into a fleeting haze at the rim.
They started drinking.
The moment the bottle was opened, Fang Shuning glanced at Song Jiuchen subconsciously, but only for a second before looking away.
As if suddenly remembering something, Liu Yi, unaware of Fang Shuning's subtle actions, excitedly invited Fang Shuning to go with him to the village committee to teach the children if she had some free time recently.
Fang Shuning refused without hesitation. She wasn't the kind of person with the patience to teach children; she was afraid she might hit them. Besides, it was a holiday, why bother teaching kids? Let them have some fun and give them a happy childhood.
Liu Yi suddenly frowned involuntarily and said, "There aren't many children left in the village now, only a few dozen including those from neighboring villages. Families with some means have taken them out to work. Those who haven't are from families with limited means; their parents work away from home, leaving the children with their grandparents. Those in their fifties and sixties still have to work, while those in their seventies and eighties don't have the energy. They have no idea that today's children can't be like their generation, where just having enough to eat was enough. Calling it 'school' is really just like a daycare in the city—providing a place to watch them, preventing them from running around, and ensuring their safety. I was thinking, maybe I could take this opportunity to teach them things they can't learn from textbooks."
Liu Yi is not a talkative person, but once he starts talking about children, he can't stop.
Given their current upbringing, they have limited access to the world, and their only source of information is the internet. However, the content on the internet is of extremely varying quality, a double-edged sword. For easy communication, mobile phones and internet access are essential in every household, even though this is quite normal these days. Many older family members don't take their children's phone use seriously, even thinking it's fine for them to stay home quietly playing on their phones. Until recently, I discovered they were imitating those online "energetic young men and women," making videos, playing games, secretly spending money on in-game purchases, and secretly applying makeup, etc. This trend is unacceptable. So, I'm thinking of using their summer vacation to try and correct their values.
Today, Song Jiuchen and I discussed cleaning up the empty rooms in the village committee office and using them as classrooms. If you have time, you could go and see for yourself. Besides, you're a law student, so you could teach the kids about the law. It would be a good way to help me out.
Fang Shuning was puzzled. Wasn't there a school? Why did they have to go to the village committee? And why was Liu Yi doing all this? Weren't there any other teachers?
Liu Yi spread her hands, looking helpless. The "double reduction" policy itself promotes holistic education and explicitly restricts tutoring. Even though our purpose isn't academic tutoring, and it's purely for public benefit, we can't openly do it at school! As for the teachers, besides Liu Yi, all the other teachers at the school are from out of town and have gone home for the holidays. Now she's all alone.
Hearing this, Fang Shuning finally understood that Liu Yi was purely doing this out of love. Fang Shuning admired people with such a spirit of "self-sacrifice and selfless dedication," but she could never become that kind of person. She was willing to applaud and sing the praises of those who were adorned with halos, and even unconsciously shed a few tears of emotion when she saw such videos. However, that was all.
In Fang Shuning's own mind, she is an extreme egoist. However, she never sees this as a derogatory term. She is self-centered but not selfish; she benefits herself but does so without harming others. Given the right time and place, she is also willing to do something meaningful.
For example, right now.
"Does it include meals?" Before Liu Yi could answer, Song Jiuchen interjected, "Yes, the village committee does."
Liu Yi glanced at Song Jiuchen speechlessly, thinking: "The village committee provides meals? Does that mean those things that look and smell terrible, you barely manage to cook, and sometimes even dogs wouldn't eat them, calling them food is an insult to food?" But he didn't say anything to refute it, he just sighed silently, hoping that Fang Shuning wouldn't scold him after learning the truth.
"Okay, I'll go. But we have to agree on this first: if I can't teach it, I'll back out."
The three chatted for a while longer before parting ways at 10 o'clock. One went back to the village committee, and the other went to school.
Fang Shuning had slept all afternoon and was now wide awake. Seizing the opportunity, she pulled out her laptop and began researching legal education for children and teenagers. Fang Shuning wasn't one to easily agree to things, but once she did, she would take it very seriously.
"...1. Basic legal knowledge introduction; 2. Legal scenarios closely related to daily life; 3. Safety and self-protection education; 4. Values and behavior guidance; 5. Interactive and practical education; 6. Age-appropriate education; 7. Collaborative education with parents and schools..."
"...Simplifying legal concepts, explaining what the law is in language children can understand..." Fang Shuning muttered to herself, feeling utterly overwhelmed. This was much more troublesome than when she had learned it herself. But what could she do? If she was going to take on this task, she had to grit her teeth and do it!
After typing and writing for what seemed like an eternity, Fang Shuning finally felt sleepy. Without hesitation, she immediately lay down on the bed and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow!
When she woke up again, it was five o'clock in the morning. She had drunk too much cola before bed and was woken up by the urge to urinate. After using the toilet, Fang Shuning was no longer sleepy, so she simply changed her clothes and went out for a walk to breathe in the fresh morning air.
Stepping out of the house and walking north along the street for about 200 meters, you'll see a field stretching out on both sides of the main road. At first glance, it seems quite vibrant and full of life.
A thin layer of mist still clung to the path. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the distant mountain ranges were blurred, like a watercolor painting rendered with light ink wash. The dew was heavy, and glistening water droplets clung to the edges of the corn leaves, rolling off at the slightest touch and wetting the shoes.
The soil was dry, making a soft "crunch" sound when stepped on, with cracks forming on the surface. Occasionally, a grasshopper would hop away from my feet, its wings brushing against the sorghum stalks with a crisp "smack." Wild thistles and dandelions by the roadside, glistening with dew, swayed gently in the morning breeze, their fluffy seeds sparkling with tiny points of light.
A wind blew from the other side of the open field, carrying the scorched scent of wheat stubble and the fishy smell of water from the distant irrigation canal. Poplar leaves rustled overhead, casting dappled shadows. The sunflowers at the edge of the field had already turned eastward, their flower heads still glistening with night dew, like a handful of scattered diamonds.
As the sun just crept over the horizon, the entire field suddenly came alive. The shadows of the clods of earth were stretched long, and the dew on the spiderwebs began to shimmer. In the distance came the creaking sound of a water pump, mixed with the coughs and spitting of early-rising farmers. A few sparrows were startled from the millet field, their wings cutting through the morning mist, landing on the telephone poles in a string of musical notes.
After walking a short distance, my trouser legs were covered in burrs and tribulus terrestris. As the sun rose higher, the air steamed, and mirages began to shimmer on the distant concrete road. The cicadas hadn't started chirping yet; only a few greenbottle flies circled around the donkey dung by the roadside, emitting a dull buzzing sound.
Fang Shuning closed her eyes, savoring the beautiful moment. But the instant she opened them, Song Jiuchen's large face appeared before her. Fang Shuning was startled and nearly fell off the ridge. Luckily, Song Jiuchen reacted quickly and caught her.
Fang Shuning steadied herself and, without saying a word, slapped Song Jiuchen on the back.
Just like back then, when Song Jiuchen sat down at the table in front of Fang Shuning, the slap he received was powerful and resounding!
"Are you crazy? That big face of yours, standing right in front of people, scaring them to death! That's intentional homicide! Damn it, I want to sue you right now!" After slapping him, Fang Shuning wasn't satisfied and wished she could go back and write the indictment right now! She wanted the judge to sentence Song Jiuchen to death!
Song Jiuchen realized he was in the wrong and had no choice but to apologize quickly. Unfortunately, Fang Shuning wouldn't listen to anyone when she was angry! "I just saw you had your eyes closed and wanted to know what you were doing, so I came to take a look. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry." Song Jiuchen's tone and expression were sincere, but Fang Shuning, on the other hand, was not sincere.
"Want to know what I'm doing?"
"kindness."
"I'll absorb the essence of the sun and moon and become a spirit in no time. Once I'm a spirit, the first thing I'll do is eat you!" After saying that, he left without looking back, ignoring Song Jiuchen's shouts from behind. He treated it as mere nonsense.
Fang Shuning felt that Song Jiuchen really had some flaws, but unfortunately, he wasted his good looks!
I didn't have Aunt Tian's pie today; instead, I had Uncle Cui's steamed buns with chive, egg, and wood ear mushroom filling, served with a bowl of millet porridge and a chili and vinegar dipping sauce.
The dough had risen just right; each plump, white dough ball was rolled out and filled with a generous amount of filling. Fingers deftly pinched crescent-shaped pleats, and after steaming, the dough gradually became translucent in the rising steam, revealing glimpses of the emerald green filling inside, making one's mouth water.
Biting through the soft, chewy skin, the pungent aroma of chives, the rich flavor of eggs, and the crispness of wood ear mushrooms explode on the tongue. The salty and savory taste of dried shrimp sneaks into the gaps between your teeth, and the sesame oil, coated with the juice, slides down your throat... Even vegetarian fillings can be satisfying; you'll want to eat three in a row to feel truly satisfied!
After breakfast, they would take a nap, then wander around the village to check on Liu Yi's "Sunshine Project" progress, find out when Teacher Fang's mini-class would start, and maybe even ask Liu Yi for a free meal... After dinner, the two would lie together and chat idly until sleepiness came over them.
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