Chapter 53: Lecture

Chapter 53: Lecture

Although it wasn’t the top leader, the person’s importance was undeniable. The school leadership had seen them on TV just a couple of days ago.

Beside him were senior officials from the Ministry of Education. These three alone would turn heads wherever they appeared.

They had anticipated that officials from the Ministry of Education might come, and even that leaders would arrive, but they never expected such high-ranking individuals.

After recovering from the shock, Principal Zeng quickly gestured to the finance manager at the back of the group, “You’re young and quick, go inform Lin Qiao right away.”

At least let her know in advance so she won’t be caught off guard.

Seeing that the person had hurried off, Principal Zeng, along with the other leaders, went forward to greet the visitors. The visitor was very approachable, with a gentle smile on his face, “Since it was a suggestion raised by a teacher from your school, we decided to come here first. There’s no need to be nervous; just carry on as usual.”

Who could possibly act as if nothing was out of the ordinary?

Given the high-ranking visitors, just being their first stop was an honor in itself. After all, there were several prestigious affiliated high schools in Yandu.

Principal Zeng, with a cautious smile, said, “Welcome, welcome. It’s a great honor for our school that you’ve come.”

“Where is your laboratory located?” The visitor, seemingly not having much time for small talk, asked while stepping forward with a smile.

Principal Zeng and Vice Principal Qi quickly led the way, and a group of people went to the experimental building.

The experimental building was actually quite ordinary, and from the outside, it didn’t look much different from the teaching buildings, except for the words on the wall: “Explore continuously, strive for knowledge.”

The visitor obviously thought these words were quite good and stopped to look at them for a while, “Who wrote this?”

“Our school’s Vice Principal, Qi Yuan,” Principal Zeng introduced the Vice Principal Qi standing next to him.

Vice Principal Qi was quite composed, adjusting his glasses and saying, “The funds allocated by the state had to be used wisely, so we wrote it ourselves. It’s not very good.”

“I think it’s quite good,” the visitor said, taking another look before walking inside, “The calligraphy is good, and the heart to do practical things for the students is even better.”

This was praise, and the school leaders all breathed a sigh of relief, quickly following the visitor’s pace and leading him to the chemistry laboratory.

Lin Qiao was inside making preparations, checking each experiment station and the equipment and reagents to see if there were any omissions.

Knowing who had arrived, she didn’t show any signs of nervousness. For one, she was the type who remained calm in the face of challenges. For another, Old Master Ji’s name appeared in history textbooks, yet at home, he was still exasperated by his granddaughter, so it was best to just maintain a normal mindset.

Whether a person was genuinely preparing or just putting on a show, the experienced visitors could tell the difference.

The Ministry of Education had the school’s list of teachers and classes for the public lesson. “Is this the Lin Qiao who made the suggestion to the leader?”

Principal Zeng nodded.

“A very solid comrade,” the visitor said, and by then, Lin Qiao had noticed them and walked up to greet them confidently.

She was dressed simply in a white shirt and black western-style pants, with her hair neatly tied back. This neutralized much of the sharpness in her features. Though she looked young, her poise and confidence made her age almost irrelevant.

Since she taught chemistry, Principal Zeng asked her to introduce the lab and its equipment to the visitors.

She spoke with clear logic, being very familiar with everything in the laboratory, and the deputy leader from the Ministry of Education nodded slightly, saying in a low voice, “She has a very solid teaching foundation.”

Having risen through the ranks from a teaching position and previously serving as the principal of a prestigious university, for him to say this meant that she was truly solid.

After a brief tour, the preparatory bell rang, and students began to enter from the front door.

For this public lesson, Lin Qiao chose Class 4, a class she knew well and worked closely with. Seeing so many officials seated at the back, the students were initially a bit nervous, especially quieter students like Li Xiaoqiu, but their attention was soon drawn to the experimental equipment on the tables.

However, they had worked with Lin Qiao a few times before and knew that they shouldn’t touch the equipment and reagents until the teacher had explained the experimental process and usage.

The students sat on the stools behind the lab benches in groups of three, their eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation, almost as if they were about to write "expectation" and "excitement" on their faces.

"Did Teacher Lin not rehearse with the students beforehand?" the deputy leader from the city education bureau asked Principal Zeng in a low voice.

His question drew the attention of the others.

Principal Zeng explained in a low voice, "For this kind of public class, to avoid any issues during the lesson, they often go through the process in advance."

Confident and experienced teachers usually go through the process in advance, while those who are less confident might even do a trial run, but it was clear that Lin Qiao had not done so. Skipping the rehearsal was quite bold, but it also meant the students’ anticipation was at its peak. Lin Qiao’s class, however, was clearly ready to dive right in, eager to get started.

When the class bell rang and Lin Qiao truly began her lesson, they realized that her courage to start directly came from more than just boldness.

Standing on the podium, she exuded even more composure and confidence than when she was checking the equipment earlier. Her entire teaching demeanor was relaxed.

This relaxation came not only from her thorough understanding of the lesson content but also from her absolute control over the pacing of the class.

She knew exactly where and how to engage the students, ensuring that not a single student zoned out during her class.

This was quite remarkable, as some veteran teachers, even after a lifetime of teaching, still lectured monotonously, causing students to feel drowsy.

When the students actually started the experiments, they were so engrossed that they even forgot about the leaders sitting behind them, fully engaged with enthusiasm.

"The class is well-taught, and the laboratory is well-built," the visitor said with a smile as he stood up after the students finished their first experiment.

His assistant immediately explained that the visitor had to leave soon as he had other matters to attend to and had made time to listen to half of the class.

Being a busy person, it was already commendable that he had made time to listen to half of the class.

Several school leaders immediately stood up to see him off, but he waved his hand to stop them, saying, "Continue listening; don’t affect the students."

Lin Qiao was checking the experimental results in the aisle and giving praise or guidance on the students' performance when she noticed this and came over. The visitor paused for a moment, waiting for Lin Qiao to approach, and then encouraged her with a few more words before smiling kindly, "Is General Ji doing well?"

With this smile, Lin Qiao realized that it was different from the previous approachable demeanor, confirming that he knew General Ji.

Her tone carried a bit of a junior’s respect, "He's doing well, but his blood pressure is a bit high. My mom has been watching him closely and not letting him eat too much salty food."

"That must be tough for him," the visitor said with deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, "He used to love hunting birds in the mountains and fishing in the rivers."

After saying just these few words, the visitor left with his entourage. Soon after, the main leader from the city education bureau also left, leaving only the deputy leader and others to stay until the end.

This deputy leader had a lot of teaching experience and always spoke to the point. Lin Qiao chatted with him, finding the conversation quite engaging and beneficial.

He also seemed to enjoy the conversation, but as he obviously didn’t have much time, he prepared to leave soon. Before leaving, he mentioned Xu Li, saying that she was a good teacher with great ability, but unfortunately, she had sacrificed too much for her family. If she had pursued further studies, she could have already advanced to a teacher training college.

This was truly an eye-opener for Lin Qiao, as she didn’t know that General Ji and Xu Li had so many acquaintances. No wonder Zheng Huifang always brought up Lin Qiao’s in-laws when she was being sarcastic.

The city education bureau staff were the last to leave. While the big leaders were present, they hadn’t had a chance to speak, but now they chatted a bit more with Principal Zeng and Vice Principal Qi. "You’ve really struck gold. The higher-ups didn’t even go to those affiliated middle schools of the universities; they came here first."

Principal Zeng, always cautious, was still a bit unsure. "How did we do? Did we mess up?"

"If you had messed up, they wouldn’t have even stayed for ten minutes. Do you really think they have that much free time to sit through your class?"

The city education bureau staff were familiar with them and spoke more casually.

By this time, most of the students had returned to their classes, leaving only Lin Qiao with a few class cadres and course representatives to clean up the laboratory. Principal Zeng and Vice Principal Qi saw them off all the way to the school gate, when Vice Principal Qi then asked, "I remember that excellent current staff members who haven’t completed an undergraduate degree can directly apply for a graduate program, right?"

No one expected him to ask that question. Not only were the officials from the education bureau surprised, but even Principal Zeng was momentarily stunned.

Vice Principal Qi explained, "There's a national policy that allows outstanding in-service employees who haven't completed a bachelor's degree—but possess equivalent knowledge—to be recommended by their unit for direct graduate study applications. Our school's teacher, Lin Qiao, intends to pursue further studies. Do you think she meets the requirements?"

Principal Zeng, aware of this, chimed in, "Her expertise is on par with, if not better than, that of a university graduate. It would indeed be a waste of talent to have her spend four years on an undergraduate degree."

Lin Qiao's skills were so impressive that, even if you covered her face, people might mistake her for a veteran teacher with years of experience.

However, the education bureau official still hesitated, asking, "She looks quite young. How many years of teaching experience does she have?"

Upon hearing the question about teaching experience, Principal Zeng knew this matter wouldn't be easy to resolve, but he answered truthfully, "Just six months."

Vice Principal Qi, who had raised the topic, elaborated, "Although she's only been at the school for six months, her achievements are obvious to all. Not only can she provide valuable feedback to school leadership, but she also teaches exceptionally well and is beloved by the students. She's truly a rare talent."

"What you say is true, but six months is still too short. Even by next year, your recommendation will be hard to approve unless..."

Principal Zeng and Vice Principal Qi asked almost in unison, "What kind of outstanding contributions are you referring to?"

The official from the education bureau spoke frankly, "Unless she has made some notable professional contributions—like inventions or won awards. After all, special exemptions for graduate admissions are mostly granted to non-normal universities these days."

This was a valid point, and Lin Qiao's intended application might not have been to a normal university anyway.

Clearly, Lin Qiao's young age and short tenure made it difficult for her to directly apply for graduate studies, especially when most people her age were still undergraduates. Principal Zeng and Vice Principal Qi had no immediate solution and had to set the matter aside for the moment, seeing off the education bureau official first.

Despite the setback with Lin Qiao's graduate school application, the school had other reasons to celebrate. This public demonstration class was undeniably a success. Within a few days, the Ministry of Education held a meeting where the school was specifically praised and even featured in the education system's newspaper.

For such a small school, this was a rare moment of recognition. Principal Zeng carefully cut out the newspaper article, saved it, and publicly praised Lin Qiao during a meeting.

Zheng Huifang was not present at this meeting; instead, two substitute intern teachers attended. The meeting went off without a hitch, and everyone seemed to be on the same page.

After the meeting, Mr. Gao remarked, "I heard those two intern teachers are teaching quite well."

This was somewhat ironic. It was one thing for Lin Qiao and Zheng Huifang to be outshone, but for two brand-new interns to surpass them was a real blow to morale.

If the school had been short of teachers, Zheng Huifang might have found a way to return for a year or so, and if she had improved her skills during that time, she might have stayed on. But now, with even the intern teachers outperforming her, there was no chance the parents would allow her to return.

At first, Zheng Huifang made a scene when she left, but within days, she became unusually quiet and reported to the support staff department.

This completely shocked everyone. The Class 3 homeroom teacher, who didn't teach chemistry, couldn't help but ask, "I thought her husband had some influence. Couldn’t he have helped her return?"

The school had hesitated to make any moves against Zheng Huifang for two reasons. First, Principal Zeng was soft-hearted and protective of existing staff. Second, the family members of military personnel were not easy to relocate. He had been through tough times and was especially cautious, which made him appear indecisive.

This time, after being collectively reported to the education bureau, there was a legitimate reason to act. What surprised everyone the most was that Zheng Huifang accepted the reassignment quietly.

Being a teacher, though not highly paid, meant a clean job with manageable workloads. Support staff roles were different, involving all kinds of tasks.

Any positions related to procurement had already been filled, and the easier jobs with less work were not available to her. After being reassigned to the dormitory management, Zheng Huifang stayed home for several days without reporting for duty. The support staff department did not hesitate and assigned her to manage the dormitories.

Currently, the dormitory only housed a few unmarried staff and intern teachers, including Song Jing, who had taken over her classes, and another male intern teacher.

This must have been quite a blow. It was easy to imagine Zheng Huifang being angry every day seeing the two come and go from work. It was unclear who had arranged it this way.

It wasn’t until two days later that the real reason behind Zheng Huifang’s sudden compliance became clear: her husband was under investigation, and she had no choice but to keep a low profile.

Whether it's true or not, and whether they've actually found anything, they're keeping it tightly under wraps, so there's no way to find out. But she's been quite active lately, constantly talking about using connections to get back to the school. She might have caught someone's eye, which led to her husband being investigated, so she wouldn't dare cause any more trouble.

"This incident came at just the right time. If she had moved around a bit, she might have actually made it back," said Mr. Gao as he prepared the midterm exam questions.

Lin Qiao was also involved in setting the exam this time, with each of them contributing half. Mr. Gao focused on theoretical questions, while she handled the experimental ones.

Hearing Mr. Gao's remark, the Class 3 homeroom teacher next to him smiled at Lin Qiao and said, "The timing is too perfect. I wonder if it's a student's parent or someone's spouse behind this."

"Someone's spouse?" Lin Qiao didn't realize who she was referring to at first, but after a while, it clicked that she meant Ji Duo. "That's impossible. He never gets involved in these things."

"He didn't get involved even when you were being bullied?" The Class 3 homeroom teacher didn't believe her. "I've never heard that Captain Ji is so easygoing."

Ji Duo was far from easygoing; his methods were quite ruthless.

When he was first transferred here, some people, thinking he was young and not from around here, tried to play tricks on him. He ended up dealing with all of them, and he did so quite effectively. To this day, the soldiers under his command are the most obedient and of the highest quality.

But Lin Qiao knew their relationship hadn't reached that level yet. How their marriage began was clear to her, even if others didn't know.

Still, the Class 3 homeroom teacher's comment left a mark on her mind. On her way home that evening, she couldn't help but take a few more glances at her husband.

Indeed, he looked quite handsome. With the cooler weather, he had put on his military coat again, which added an extra layer of austerity and uprightness.

They say men look sharp in dark clothes, and women in light ones. With that figure and the military uniform, she could skip a few meals even without seeing his face.

At first, Lin Qiao's gaze was quite proper, but as she continued to look, it became a bit less so. Ji Duo paused at the doorway, noticing her gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Do you remember that Teacher Zheng who competed with me for the open class?" Lin Qiao's admiring gaze was still on her husband's broad shoulders. "I heard her husband is being investigated."

In the military, Ji Duo never took off his rank insignia, which added to his authority. Hearing this, he remained very calm, just lightly nodded, and put on his military cap before heading inside, giving no indication whether he knew about it or not.

Lin Qiao thought that it was impossible for him to be involved. She hadn't asked for his help, so why would he bother with her business for no reason?

She let the matter slip from her mind and continued to put the newly dried seat cushion covers on the sofa.

Unexpectedly, seeing her busy, Ji Duo casually took one of the cushions to help her cover it. As he did, he asked, "Her husband is being investigated? Is she still causing you trouble?"

Was he just asking casually, or was there more to it?

Lin Qiao stopped what she was doing and studied his face carefully, but she couldn't tell anything. When she stared at him, he even furrowed his brow slightly.

Should she ask?

If she asked and it turned out to be nothing, she’d look like she was overthinking things. But if she didn't ask, his words had piqued her curiosity.

Lin Qiao continued to stare at him, and Ji Duo, having finished covering the cushion and placing it back on the sofa, also didn't move for a moment as they locked eyes. It was as if they were both waiting for the other to speak.

Would Lin Qiao be the one to break the silence?

She could.

Meeting his calm and emotionless gaze, she suddenly blinked. "Don't I look pretty today?"

The sudden shift in topic caused Ji Duo to pause slightly, despite his usual ability to hide his emotions.

But that wasn't the end. Lin Qiao knelt on one knee on the sofa beside him and leaned even closer. "If I’m not pretty, why were you staring at me without saying a word?"

Though Ji Duo still didn't say anything, he instinctively leaned back into the sofa.

If Lin Qiao put a Tang Monk hat on him, he’d probably give her a straight-faced, "Sir, please be respectful."

This made Lin Qiao much more comfortable. It was better than trying to guess what he was thinking, leaving her unsure whether he was serious or just teasing.

She was really too lazy to guess. If he had something to say, he could just say it. If not, she wasn’t going to probe into it.

Just as Lin Qiao was about to straighten up, the man leaning on the sofa suddenly lifted his gaze and said, "It's getting dark early lately."

His tone and expression were the same, but when their eyes met, it felt like there was more to it.

Without needing his reminder, Lin Qiao understood what he meant, as the sky outside had already darkened.

In their current position on the sofa, if she moved just a little closer, the scene from a certain night would instantly flood her mind.

Lin Qiao instinctively tried to pull away, but before she could, her ankle was gently caught.

Before she could react, she lost her balance and ended up kneeling between his legs, her hands bracing against his chest.

The next second, her waist was held tightly by Ji Duo, who pulled her closer, his low voice near her ear, "Still have questions?"

With all retreat cut off, Lin Qiao simply stayed still. "If you’re not worried about someone showing up and ruining your perfect Captain Ji image, I don’t care."

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Cuiying’s voice came from outside.

"Xiao Ji! Xiao Ji, can you hear me? There's a phone call for you!"

Talk about bad timing. Even a jinx wouldn’t work this fast.

Ji Duo hadn’t planned to do anything. He just wanted to see how far she would push him, since she wasn’t asking any questions.

Hearing Liu Cuiying calling, he responded and let go of Lin Qiao.

Unexpectedly, Lin Qiao didn’t move. Instead, she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Why did you let go? Why didn’t you continue?"

Now that it was safe, her courage turned out to be bigger than anyone’s. Ji Duo looked at her, then picked her up and moved her aside, giving her a pat. Lin Qiao wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but the pat landed right on her lower back, just above her hips.

When Ji Duo came back from the call, his expression had changed, carrying a new weight. "An elder from last time had some trouble. I need to go to the hospital."

Hearing that it was his childhood friend’s grandfather, Lin Qiao didn’t say a word. "Should I leave the door open for you later?"

"No need. If I come back late, I'll go straight to the military unit," Ji Duo said, having already called for a ride, waiting for Xiao Fang to pick him up.

Lin Qiao waited with him for a while, and when the sound of the engine came from outside, they went out together. She was also heading to the canteen for dinner.

As Ji Duo opened the car door, he remembered how she had stood there silently the last time he left, watching him drive away.

She stood quietly by the car, watching him drive away, as if the door between them marked two separate worlds that didn’t need to meet.

The emotions he thought had faded suddenly resurfaced. Without hesitation, Ji Duo turned, took her hand, and said, "Come with me."