Arriving in the 1980s
"Xu Tangmian, what are you up to? If you can do it, then do it; if you can't, then get out!"
The head of the teaching department slammed his fist on the table, and with two fingers, he threw a "joint petition" bearing more than a dozen red handprints at Xu Tangmian's face without any mercy.
"You're amazing! You're incredible! I've been teaching at Hongxing Elementary School for so long, and this is the first time I've seen a school receive complaints from more than a dozen parents. Teacher Xu, you've truly opened my eyes!"
Xu Tangmian stood silently in front of the director's desk, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Are you mute? Speak up!" The head of discipline grew increasingly angry, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, exasperated. "You used this act in class, and now you're doing it again? You're here to be a teacher, not to put on a silent show!"
Xu Tangmian sobbed twice, sniffling, and said, "Director, those students' parents can't even read many words. How can you listen to their one-sided story?"
"I didn't just listen! I have eyes!" the director said angrily. "I watched your class long before the parents complained."
"You're asking me to substitute for a perfectly good math class, and instead of teaching the students the four arithmetic operations, you're making them derive them themselves? Are you crazy?"
"You don't specialize in teaching math, fine, I understand. But your original specialty is language arts, so why don't you teach students to read texts and recognize characters? You just keep asking, 'Are you the teacher and are they the teachers?'"
Xu Tangmian sniffed. "Director, this is Socrates' 'midwifery technique,' which means..."
"Fuck your mother!" the director couldn't help but curse. "You get back to your parents right now and apologize to them. Once you've calmed them down, I can still keep your job."
Seeing that Xu Tangmian didn't move, he yelled again, "Why are you glaring at me? You expect me to clean up your mess? Don't even think about it!"
"I quit!" Xu Tangmian shouted as she rushed back to her classroom, stuffed her newly paid salary into her pocket, grabbed her ID card and a few clothes, and headed out.
I'm speechless.
She was an outstanding teacher at a provincial-level model high school. Suddenly, she was transported to 1986 and was complained about for her teaching quality. Who could she turn to for justice?
Without any special abilities, background, or family, Xu Tangmian couldn't figure out how she had transmigrated.
"Could it be that because I got into a fight at Grandpa's funeral, Grandpa's spirit appeared and brought me here to teach me a lesson?"
Looking back on her smooth-sailing 25 years, Xu Tangmian could only think of this one setback.
But it was the other party who first spoke rudely and insulted my grandfather.
My grandfather lived in a cowshed in the countryside when he was young. After that, he worked diligently all his life. When he passed away in his old age, his funeral was disrupted by people.
The other party came aggressively, saying that her grandfather had killed her friend when he was young, but when she asked her grandfather's former colleagues and friends, they all said that the person deserved it.
Even her father said that the man was a real "scoundrel," and as her grandfather's most beloved granddaughter, she naturally had to speak up for him.
Before she could find out the truth and present the evidence to the two of them, she was first thrown into this strange era by God.
She endured the loneliness of living alone in a leaky, empty classroom.
She endured the fact that she was never full and had no meat at every meal.
She would mimeograph exam papers for students every few days, and each time her hands were covered in ink, she would endure it.
She couldn't stand being pointed at and insulted, especially with foul language.
So what if she is Xu Tangmian now, and no longer Xu Tongtong, the granddaughter of Xu Zhilian, the secretary of X Province? As long as she goes to Beiping, finds her grandfather who is now forty years old, and reveals her identity to him, her grandfather will definitely understand her.
Even if I couldn't reveal my identity, Grandpa was such a kind person; if I told him I was from the same hometown, he would still give me some money. Grandpa was always very kind to people from his hometown.
Besides, going to Beiping would allow her to ask the truth face-to-face. Xu Tangmian felt that the person was just taking advantage of the fact that the person was dead and couldn't speak. Once she found her grandfather, she would definitely be able to get to the bottom of this.
Clutching Xu Tangmian's ID card, she walked to the station, took a bus, and went to the train station.
Xu Tangmian slapped his money and ID card against the window and politely leaned out, saying, "Comrade, could you please give me a train ticket to Beiping?"
"Letter of introduction." The ticket seller glanced at her.
"What letter of introduction?" Xu Tangmian asked, puzzled.
The ticket seller, not wanting to explain further, simply stuck his head out and called out, "Next!"
A man behind her suddenly stepped forward and shoved her aside. Xu Tangmian, clutching her ID card and money, muttered angrily, "Why won't they sell me a ticket?"
A kind-hearted woman in the group couldn't bear to see her like this, so she reached out and beckoned her over, saying with a smile, "First time going out, huh?"
Xu Tangmian walked over, smiled, and nodded. "Yes, may I ask how to get a letter of introduction?"
The older sister added, "Since you should be at work now, go to your company's HR department to get it. Just tell them where you're going and what you're going to do; they'll definitely know how to write it."
Her workplace… considering the workplace that treated her like an animal, and the head of discipline who pointed his finger at her and yelled at her, how could they let her out?
Her stomach rumbled a few times, but Xu Tangmian thought to herself, "Never mind, eating is the priority." She had overslept and missed breakfast this morning because of class, and it was almost noon. She decided to eat something first.
Her hands naturally went back into her pockets, and the next moment her scalp tightened.
broken!
Where's the money?!
When Xu Tangmian first transmigrated, she always carried a wallet, which she usually kept in an inside pocket. However, since Xu Tangmian was living at school, she rarely carried a wallet. This time, she was in a hurry and just casually stuffed her wallet into her pocket.
The original owner was accidentally injured while trying to break up a fight. Xu Tangmian dared not live in that area anymore, especially since the wall covered in blood was frightening to look at, so she applied for accommodation at the school.
The school was very understanding of her situation, but the rural primary school couldn't even afford to spare funds for a broken window, let alone a dormitory for her. In the end, the principal reluctantly arranged for a classroom to be vacated so that Xu Tangmian could move into the school.
Living at the school doesn't cost her any money. With the school's arrangement, she gives a little money to the elderly couple who run a breakfast stall near the school gate every month, and she usually eats with them.
Modern people are so used to using mobile phones that they don't have the habit of properly protecting their wallets.
Xu Tangmian searched his entire body thoroughly before finally finding an old pocket watch in his pocket.
She had never seen a pocket watch like this before; it looked quite old and probably belonged to the original owner.
Judging that the pocket watch could still be exchanged for some money, but not knowing if it would keep running, Xu Tangmian opened the pocket watch cover and saw a devastatingly handsome photo inside.
In 2023, the Chinese entertainment industry was rife with the ugly ducklings of capitalists.
Xu Tangmian hadn't seen such a face in a long time, one that was impeccable in both features and temperament. She couldn't help but sigh, "The old man is still so pure."
This is a completely natural, handsome face, with no additives whatsoever. He's also her favorite type of old-fashioned man, looking like he was ripped out of a 1960s propaganda poster.
I vaguely remember seeing this face in my grandfather's old photos.
Xu Tangmian always felt that she admired her grandfather too much. In addition, due to the influence of her family since childhood, she has always preferred handsome men with a strong sense of justice, even if they are a bit straight-laced, to gentle men who love to say sweet words.
If a handsome guy can love only her, provided he has a good figure, good character, and good abilities, that would be the best thing ever.
Thinking of this, Xu Tangmian glanced at the pocket watch again.
This must be the original owner's dream lover or boyfriend, right? They're eating really well.
But now is not the time to be infatuated! After searching her entire body, Xu Tangmian could not find the few dozen yuan she had brought with her. She stood helplessly in the middle of the hall.
It must have been stolen.
Remembering that she seemed to have seen the police insignia outside when she arrived, Xu Tangmian walked out of the station without hesitation.
Just as she stepped off the train, something bumped into her. Xu Tangmian bent down to pick it up, and it turned out to be a wallet!
She'd lost her own wallet, but found someone else's—what luck! She opened it and found several dozen yuan—more than enough for a meal. Her stomach was still rumbling, and she was sweating slightly.
Xu Tangmian looked around, trying to find the owner, but it seemed no one had lost any money. After thinking for a while, she found the lost and found window in the station, held her wallet tightly, paused for a long time, and finally mustered up the courage to walk to the window.
"Hello comrade, may I borrow your paper and pen?"
The staff member didn't ask any questions, pulled out a neatly clipped black pen from his breast pocket, tore a page from the notebook, and handed it to her.
Xu Tangmian walked to the side and wrote on a piece of paper, stroke by stroke: "I'm here to help in an emergency, I won't take it for nothing."
He took out twenty yuan from his pocket and put the pocket watch and the note back into his wallet.
She handed the wallet to the staff member and politely explained, "I found this at the station, and I'm returning it to you now. Thank you for finding the owner."
She had only walked a meter or so when a tall, young man wearing a mask darted past her and headed straight for the lost and found.
Xu Tangmian didn't pay attention, but the next moment she heard the man say urgently, "Excuse me, has anyone found a black wallet?"
She stopped.
After asking him a few questions, the staff handed him the wallet and pointed in their direction.
This is terrible!
Xu Tangmian turned to leave, but the man immediately called out to her, "Wait a minute, lady!"
He caught up with him in a few steps, took off his mask, and found that he looked exactly like the person in the pocket watch photo!
Does he not recognize himself?
Xu Tangmian had no choice but to stop and pretend to be nonchalant as she asked him, "What's wrong?"
The man took out the wallet he had just found, smiled shyly, and said, "The staff just said that you found the wallet. You're such a good person."
As he spoke, he opened his wallet and pulled out a banknote. Before he could hand it over, his gaze lingered on the pocket watch and the note in the inner pocket.
Xu Tangmian silently turned around, waiting for a chance to slip away, but the man seemed to have eyes in his forehead and took a big step to block her way.
He pulled out the note, glanced at it, then pulled out his pocket watch and waved it in front of her, looking puzzled: "What does this mean?"
There was no way to avoid it, so Xu Tangmian gritted her teeth and said, "It means exactly what it says! My wallet was stolen, and I just happened to find yours. I'm here to help you out in an emergency."
"Really?" He seemed unconvinced.
Xu Tangmian sighed, took out twenty yuan from her pocket and handed it to him, then took the pocket watch from his hand and walked away.
"Wait a minute." The man stopped him again.
"I've already given you all the money!" Xu Tangmian retorted angrily.
But the next second, the man handed her the banknotes again, saying, "Since it's an emergency, you can keep it."
He left after he finished speaking, leaving Xu Tangmian alone to ponder his words.
No, she's not a beggar!
Xu Tangmian chased after him again, returned the money to him, and said in a huff, "I don't want your money."
The man suddenly laughed and said, "You picked up my wallet, so consider this your reward."
The back-and-forth arguing was a waste of time, but Xu Tangmian wasn't one to take advantage of others. She handed the pocket watch to the man, saying firmly, "Consider it a loan from you. Take this and pay me back when you repay the loan!"
The man pushed it back.
Neither of them took it; the pocket watch fell to the ground with a thud, spilling out the photograph inside.
Upon seeing that the pocket watch had fallen, the man repeatedly apologized and hurriedly picked up the watch and the photo to hand them to her. But the next second, Xu Tangmian clearly saw his expression change drastically in horror.
The man, clutching the photograph and pocket watch, pressed her with a sharp gaze, "Where did this come from?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
