Chapter 37: The Teacher is Back

Chapter 37: The Teacher is Back

"Xiao Xiao! We heard someone was bitten by a venomous snake."

"Are you okay?"

Ye Changyuan and Ye Changsheng came to find Ye Xiaoxiao as soon as class ended.

Ye Xiaoxiao explained: "It's a classmate of ours, but it's not serious. She should be fine if she gets to the hospital quickly."

Ye Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief and then advised, "Don't go up the mountain alone to gather firewood. I'll help you when it's your turn."

Ye Changyuan also patted his chest and said, "Right, and there's me too. You probably can't light the stove, so I'll come to your class to help you then."

Ye Xiaoxiao smiled at the two of them, "Got it, let's head out early; it'll be dark by the time we get home."

All three carried backpacks filled with books and homework.

As they left the school gate, Ye Mei was already waiting.

"I knew you'd be coming home today; take these two pounds of meat with you."

Ye Xiaoxiao waved her hand, "Second sister, we already have meat at home."

Ye Mei stuffed the meat into Ye Changyuan's hands, "I got this meat through a friend, no coupons needed, so I bought extra. Take it home and enjoy it."

Ye Changyuan grinned, "Thank you, second sister."

Ye Mei waved her hand, "Go on, don't wander off, and be careful."

The three walked from the county town back to Songlin Town. There were no streetlights back then, and it was dark by the time they got home.

Miao Fengshan knew the kids would be back and had been waiting at home.

When he saw them return, he immediately served the food.

Miao Fengshan: "The food's warm in the pot, saved just for you."

Ye Xiaoxiao was very sincere, "Grandpa, I've really missed your cooking."

Miao Fengshan: "How's school? Are you settling in okay?"

Ye Xiaoxiao was wolfing down her food, "Settling in fine, except the school food isn't great."

Miao Fengshan: "That's just how it is in our county town. If we could manage it, we'd have your mom come to the county town to help with cooking."

Ye Changsheng directly dismissed the suggestion, "My mom's really busy; she not only works at home but also takes care of the two little ones. How could she come to help us?"

Ye Changyuan, however, widened his eyes slightly, "Then let my mom come; I think she has more free time."

Ye Changsheng knocked him on the head, "Nonsense, how is auntie free? The house still needs her care, and grandparents are living with you."

Ye Changyuan sighed, "What to do then, maybe I should learn how to cook."

After a long discussion without reaching a conclusion, they just went to sleep after dinner.

The next day, after breakfast, Ye Xiaoxiao first went to the pharmacy to check.

Song Guangjing had already returned.

"Master, have you returned?"

Ye Xiaoxiao entered the backyard and saw Song Guangjing in the room, with many wooden boxes of various sizes piled up in the outer room.

"How is the learning environment at Baichuan No.1 High School?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Everything is fine. By the way, Master, yesterday a classmate of mine was bitten by a snake on the back hill of the school."

Upon hearing this, Song Guangjing immediately showed his professional concern and put down what he was holding.

"Do you know what type of snake it was? We have a specific remedy for snake venom at home. Today, you'll learn how to prepare the antidote for snake venom."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Alright."

She described the appearance of the black and white banded snake to Song Guangjing.

Song Guangjing then taught Ye Xiaoxiao how to prepare the medicine.

After studying for half a day, Song Guangjing told Ye Xiaoxiao to take a break.

"Master, do you need to sort out the things in these boxes?"

Song Guangjing didn't pay much attention, "These are just some old things from the past, mostly useless, but there are a few ancient books that might be useful to you."

He opened a box, and dust flew out, revealing some ancient books with yellowed pages.

However, Ye Xiaoxiao understood the value of these medical books.

She saw a medical book inside that, in the era she had previously lived in, had been auctioned for tens of millions.

Although it was a different time and space, some aspects of history and reality overlapped.

This also proved that Song Guangjing's identity was extraordinary.

"Study these books well, and of course, the college entrance exam is also crucial. You must get admitted to Jinghua University," Song Guangjing reminded again.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

Song Guangjing thought his words had put pressure on his disciple, so he added, "Just do your best."

Even if she couldn't get into Jinghua University, he would find a way to have the Chinese Medicine Department accept Ye Xiaoxiao.

He was just worried that saying it in advance would make his disciple complacent, so he wanted her to focus on studying hard now.

After some internal struggle, Ye Xiaoxiao had already made a decision.

"I understand, Master, I will do my best."

Song Guangjing: "Good child, Master will give you some lucky money."

Ye Xiaoxiao waved her hand, "Master, didn't you already give me some before the New Year..."

"That was New Year's money; this is lucky money."

Song Guangjing didn't care about this small amount of money, he said, "I came back and saw that you've been taking care of the pharmacy a lot; this is what you deserve."

Ye Xiaoxiao had no choice but to accept it.

...

After a day of learning at the herbal medicine shop, Ye Xiaoxiao and her two companions were ready to head back to the county town on Saturday afternoon.

As No. 1 High School started its term, the residential area buzzed with activity.

Next to the house rented by Ye Xiaoxiao and her brothers lived a middle-aged couple, the husband being a teacher at No. 1 High School.

The wife was currently unemployed and stayed at home every day.

After a few days, they got to know Ye Xiaoxiao and her siblings well.

"You're back," greeted Mrs. Sun, whom Ye Xiaoxiao knew, smiling, "Hello, Auntie Sun."

Ye Changyuan said, "Auntie Sun, you've cooked, the aroma is wafting out."

"Yes, just finished. Would you three like to try my cooking?"

Ye Changyuan said, "No, no."

Food was tight in every household, and while giving a bun was fine, having the three of them eat at someone else's house was out of the question.

Ye Changyuan retreated to his room to hit the books.

Ye Changyuan was buckling down on his studies to meet his family's hopes.

Although he struggled with many problems.

But with the help of two academic aces, he felt he had made significant progress.

Ye Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, had an idea. She waited until Auntie Sun had finished eating and was washing the dishes, then grabbed a basin and followed her to the washroom.

Ye Xiaoxiao casually chatted, "Auntie Sun, what do you usually do at home when Teacher Zhang is teaching?"

"I don't have much to do, usually just shuttling the two kids, cooking, doing laundry, and sometimes taking on some paper box assembly to kill time."

Assembling a hundred paper boxes only earned ten cents; the job barely paid anything.

And with Auntie Sun's family depending solely on her husband's modest income, their daily life was pretty tight.

After grasping the situation, Ye Xiaoxiao proposed her plan: "Auntie Sun, my two brothers and I are all senior high school students, our daily routine is the same as Teacher Zhang's.

If it's not too much trouble, Auntie Sun, could you cook a bit more each day.

We're young and not exactly kitchen whizzes.

If it works for you, we could chip in a bit extra each month for your efforts."

Hearing this, Sun Yuzhen pondered carefully.

"Xiao Xiao, are you serious? If you can't cook, I can lend a hand, but how can I accept your money?"

Ye Xiaoxiao clarified, "Auntie Sun, if it comes to that, we'd be hiring you, and we must pay you accordingly."

Sun Yuzhen smiled shyly, "You decide, Auntie's fine with it."

Ye Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, "How about five yuan a month, plus the cost of the food?"

Sun Yuzhen said, "No problem at all."

This five yuan was more than what one could earn from assembling paper boxes in a month, and besides, helping with cooking was just a minor task.

Ye Xiaoxiao, having sorted out the meal situation, was also quite pleased.

Finally, she could satisfy her stomach properly.