Mu Huanhuan lowered her head, rushed out of the alley, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when she couldn’t see the people around anymore.
The young people in the alley looked at each other and smiled, "Sister-in-law is so shy."
"Of course, my sister-in-law is a virtuous one who deserves to be a teacher. Do you think she's the same as your slut?"
"Tsk, I also want to find a pure one."
"Big brother is really capable."
Tao Ran planned to go to a ramen restaurant outside for dinner when he saw them talking together. Seeing Tao Ran coming, a young man said, "Brother, teach us how to pick up girls too."
Tao Ran looked puzzled, "Do you need me to teach you about picking up girls?"
"Brother, don't be humble." The young man said with a mean smile, "I saw that teacher come out of your house yesterday with my own eyes."
"..." Tao Ran coughed in disguise without explaining and said, "She is rather shy and doesn't like us talking about these things. So then, don't get too close to her. Just take care of her quietly."
"I understand. Our sister-in-law is a teacher."
Tao Ran nodded reservedly, walked up to the young man, and patted his shoulder, "It's actually quite easy to chase girls."
The young man's eyes widened, and he looked attentive.
Tao Ran said solemnly, "As long as you look attractive, you'll be fine."
Everyone: "..."
Everyone stared at Tao Ran's handsome young face that made people feel good at first glance, and then remembered that their faces were not very pleasing at first sight. Everyone fell into silence. They were contemplating buying a white shirt dominating the major night shows by wearing it.
Tao Ran wandered out to eat noodles. He was not in a hurry now. The critical link in the blackening of the vicious female partner in the novel was that Mu Huanhuan found Zhong Xiao and asked to intimidate or even kidnap the heroine. But now Tao Ran was Zhong Xiao. So long as he didn’t do it, Mu Huanhuan couldn't do it.
Mu Huanhuan rode to the school. The high school she worked for was a private school. Most private schools were not comparable to the key schools in the country. So, to attract more students, private schools could only try their best to increase the admission rate. How to increase the admission rate? It treated male teachers as cattle and female teachers as men. Let the teachers work hard to make up lessons for students and watch them learn.
Therefore, the staff of this school changed frequently, and the Principal liked to squeeze the inexperienced new teachers. New teachers had low wages and were particularly motivated. The Principal’s favorite thing to do was to interview new teachers.
When Mu Huanhuan arrived at the school, the early self-study was over. Because the first class was hers, she started to prepare when she got to the office. Before she was ready, the Principal called her at the office’s door. Mu Huanhuan followed the Principal into the office with a blank face. The Principal said kindly, "Sit down, Xiao Mu, don't be so restrained."
Mu Huanhuan sat down gracefully and said, "Is there anything the Principal is looking for from me?"
The Principal said, "It's been more than a month since you came to the school. I have seen your performance this month. It can be said that you are outstanding among the new teachers."
Mu Huanhuan was, of course, very happy that her ability was affirmed. She smiled and said, "I will continue to work hard."
The principal said kindly, "I think it's time to consider your position now."
Being permanent means that the job is stable and the salary would be increased. Mu Huanhuan said happily, "Thank you, Principal. When will the contract be signed?"
"Don't worry about signing the contract. I think your ability is outstanding. I'm afraid you won't have the opportunity to be a normal teacher. I don't know if you want to be the headteacher." The Principal added, "The headteacher’s salary is even a little higher."
Mu Huanhuan didn't know the twists and turns here. She was really short of money now. How could she quit before she could earn more? She nodded and said, "I'm willing to try."
The Principal immediately laughed until his eyes were almost gone. He said, "The headteacher of Class 3 is a foreigner and wants to go home to get married. I recommended to the headteacher for you to practice in Class 3 for a month. If you are competent, the school will officially sign a contract with you in a month."
Mu Huanhuan went out in a dizzy state, holding a form in her hand with the tasks of the headteacher and the class schedule of Class 3 written on it. She felt that her brain would explode just looking at it, but she had to hold on to her teeth to live.
When she returned to the office, a teacher asked her what the Principal called her for. Mu Huanhuan told her. The female teacher in her thirties looked at her sympathetically and said, "Oh, you are just stupid. Do you think any teacher in the school wants to be the headteacher? Those headteachers come every day earlier than the students, and those who leave are faster than the students. If you can stay longer than the students, the salary will be 500 higher than ordinary teachers. However, the bonus will be deducted if the monthly test scores are not good. No one wants to be the headteacher, and you also promised to try to be the headteacher for a month..."
Mu Huanhuan was not stupid. She just had no social experience. After listening to the teacher's words, she knew that she had been fooled. But what could be done? She really needed a job, so she could only smile reluctantly without saying anything.
At five o'clock in the afternoon, Mu Huanhuan came back in a hurry. She didn't have time to enter his room, so she went straight to Tao Ran's yard. Tao Ran was cooking in the kitchen, and Mu Huanhuan rushed to the kitchen door and said, "When is the meal ready?"
Tao Ran said, "Just wait."
"Oh." Mu Huanhuan was so hungry today. Smelling the aroma from the kitchen, she asked, "What do you have for dinner?"
Tao Ran waved the spatula and said, "Braised chicken wing tips, shredded pork with green peppers, fried vegetables, and a mushroom soup. How about it, do you like it?"
Just hearing them, Mu Huanhuan couldn't bear it anymore. If she did like it? She nodded quickly and walked to the rice cooker diligently. Then, seeing that the rice was not cooked yet, she took out the bowls and chopsticks and stood aside to wait for the meal to start.
Tao Ran looked at her like this and said, "Why are you so hungry every time? You didn't eat at noon?"
"I ate a can of eight-treasure porridge at noon." Mu Huanhuan said, "Since I found bugs in the school cafeteria yesterday, I never want to set foot in the cafeteria again."
Tao Ran's mouth twitched, and he said, "You... are you referring to the meal at night?"
Mu Huanhuan lowered her head in shame and whispered, "My salary will be raised next month, and I will not eat your food for nothing."
Tao Ran didn't want to be entangled in this issue, so he put a plate of fragrant wingtips into Mu Huanhuan's hands and said, "Bring it to the dinner table. You have some food first. You look like a refugee."
Mu Huanhuan held the plate and ran out quickly, finishing a chicken wing in three or two bites. It was so delicious that Mu Huanhuan felt that Tao Ran’s dinner beside Xin Zhao was the only thing supporting her to stay outside. After the wingtips were cooked, the rest of the dishes were faster. Mu Huanhuan watched Tao Ran quickly bring out the remaining dishes while eating the chicken wings.
She was a little embarrassed. After all, she had started eating ahead of time, so she stood up and said, "You wait, I'll serve the meal."
Tao Ran sat in his seat and watched Mu Huanhuan take out the meal, then lowered his head and ate like a dedicated chipmunk. He saw that Mu Huanhuan was really too skinny, and her clothes were so thin that the shoulder blades could be clearly seen from behind. He asked, "What did you eat in the morning?"
Mu Huanhuan, "Eight-treasure porridge, I bought a box of eight-treasure porridge online."
"..." Tao Ran was also dazed. She only ate two cans of eight-treasure porridge a day. Why didn't she faint from hunger?
Mu Huanhuan was eating so fast that Tao Ran had to speed up his meal. After eating, she hurriedly cleaned up the tableware and chopsticks. Then, Tao Ran brewed a pot of tea and said, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let’s have a cup of tea and take a rest."
Mu Huanhuan said bitterly, “I can’t, I have to go back to school soon."
Tao Ran was puzzled, "Why do you go to school at night?"
Mu Huanhuan, "I need to look after the students for evening self-study."
Tao Ran instantly remembered that when he was in high school, the headteacher always stood silently in the dark outside the window during evening self-study. Then as long as he took out his mobile phone, he would be found out immediately. The teacher would confiscate his mobile phone and call the parents. Looking at the busy Mu Huanhuan, he really had no way to associate her with this terrifying creature. He didn't know how Mu Huanhuan's students viewed her.
When Mu Huanhuan arrived at the school, she sat down on the podium of Class 3. The classmates did not dare to speak when they saw her coming, but the tiredness and boredom on their faces were also evident. Of course, high school students were exhausted, especially students in such private schools. Mu Huanhuan probably knew that they didn't like her, but she couldn't do anything.
She moved the stool to the corridor outside the classroom. The wind was calm at night. She sat outside alone, and the classroom was buzzing quietly. She didn't really want to care whether the students were chatting. Instead, she took out her mobile phone and found the familiar name in the address book. Even without flipping through the address book, she could accurately recite that person's number.
Mu Huanhuan hesitated for a long time with her finger on the screen and finally clicked it.
She put the phone to her ear and listened to the beep quietly.
"Hello?" The call was connected, and a pleasant male voice said, "Huanhuan?"
"Yeah." Mu Huanhuan's voice carried an expectation that she hadn't noticed, "Ah Xin, the day after tomorrow is Sunday. Let’s have a meal together. I haven't seen you for many days."
There was silence over the phone for a while, and then Xin Zhao replied, "The company has been busy recently, so let's do it another day."
"Oh." Mu Huanhuan said in a calm voice, "But I don't have much free time except on weekends, just have a meal together, don't you have time at all?"
"Sorry." Xin Zhao said, "I really don't have time." Then he hung up the phone.
Mu Huanhuan put down her phone and looked at the night scene of the campus by herself. At that moment, she didn't know how she felt that she still kept calling Xin Zhao. Maybe it was her pride. Perhaps she knew it was useless. She grew up in love with him, leaving home for Xin Zhao to work, enduring exploitation by her boss, and bearing that dilapidated room.
Xin Zhao had no idea how determined she was to leave the comfort of her own home. He had no idea what it was like to hide in her rented room and eat instant noodles until she wanted to vomit and swallow them.
She wanted to cry a little, but the classroom behind her was full of students. So she held back as if nothing had happened.