"The children are very cute and sensible. Whenever I see their eyes full of desire for knowledge, I feel that all the hard work is worth it." When Bai Xiao talked about her students, there was a gleam in her eyes, which was a heartfelt love for the cause of education.
"Sister Bai Xiao, you are amazing." Zheng Wanqing praised sincerely.
"In fact, teaching in a girls' school is not just about imparting knowledge, it has a more important meaning." Bai Xiao lowered his voice slightly and his expression became serious.
Zheng Wanqing's heart moved, and she felt that there was something behind her words. She couldn't help but ask curiously: "Sister Bai Xiao, what do you mean by this?"
Bai Xiao carefully looked around, and after confirming that no one was around, she slowly approached Zheng Wanqing and said in a barely audible voice, "Wanqing, you and I both know that the world is like this..." Her slender fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the teacup, "The foreigners in the concession are constantly increasing their troops, and the warlords are fighting each other. The people can't even have a stable meal. How can we, who are educated and sensible, stand by and watch?"
The round fan in Zheng Wanqing's hand suddenly stopped, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.
"You mean..." Zheng Wanqing's voice was as soft as a whisper, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened the tassels on the fan handle.
Bai Xiao let go of her hand and took out a slightly old copy of "Female Commandments" from her sleeve and handed it to Zheng Wanqing. Zheng Wanqing opened it and found that the pages were densely covered with comments: "Why can't women participate in marriage?", "Foot binding is a bad habit that harms women"... The handwriting was beautiful but powerful enough to penetrate the paper.
"I teach them "Instructions for Women" and "Biographies of Women" every day in the girls' school," Bai Xiao's lips curled up with a sly arc, "but in fact, I quietly plant these new ideas in their hearts." She suddenly lowered her voice, "Last month, three female students cut their braids and joined the women's rescue team."
At this moment, footsteps suddenly came from outside the pavilion, and the two fell silent instantly. When she saw that it was the maid who came to add tea, Bai Xiao immediately changed her tone to normal: "This Longjing tea is fresh, it must be the new tea of spring?" After the maid left, the sharpness in her eyes was revealed again.
Zheng Wanqing's chest rose and fell violently, and her slender fingers unconsciously clenched the bamboo bones of the fan. She looked at Bai Xiao's resolute profile, admiring her courage and worrying about her safety: "Sister Bai Xiao, do you...do your brother know about these things?"
"Yuheng he..." Bai Xiao sighed slightly, a trace of loneliness flashed in her eyes, as if she was shrouded by a layer of faint dark clouds.
The scene of that evening reappeared before her eyes. Under the old locust tree at the back door of Gospel Hospital, Zheng Yuheng pressed her against the mottled wall, his white coat stained with the smell of disinfectant. "Don't come to me again." His voice was hoarse, but his arms around her waist were so tight.
She smiled bitterly and shook her head: "If you see me, you will hide, and you will only say a few words when I mention you."
Zheng Wanqing felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. She covered Bai Xiao's trembling hand, and said with a little guilt in her tone: "My brother is a fool..." Her voice choked, "He is always afraid of getting you into trouble. I know exactly what he thinks of you. He has always kept the handkerchief you gave him like a treasure. In my heart, you have long been my sister-in-law. If I hadn't introduced you to each other, you wouldn't have fallen into such a tangled situation..."
Bai Xiao smiled softly and patted Zheng Wanqing's hand gently: "Wanqing, you don't have to blame yourself. I can't thank you enough. If it weren't for you, I might have married a stranger according to my parents' orders and the matchmaker's words, and lived a dull and numb life. I have always regretted meeting Yuheng. We have a deep regret in our souls."
A petal slowly fell on the stone table, and Bai Xiao gently brushed it away: "Wanqing, Mingya Girls' School is now in need of a Chinese teacher." She looked into Zheng Wanqing's eyes with a burning gaze, "With your talent, it is more than enough to teach those girls. If you can come, you will definitely bring more inspiration and help to the children."
Zheng Wanqing felt conflicted. She knew that Bai Xiao was right, but her worries were tangled in her mind.
Bai Xiao seemed to see her hesitation and said with a smile: "Wanqing, you don't have to rush to make a decision on this matter. If you have considered it, send someone to Mingya to find me. I welcome you anytime."
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