Page 808

"How long is each class?" He Teng asked.

"One hour," responded He Zhilan.

He Teng did some quick calculations and said, "So that means you have to stand for four to five hours a day?"

Upon this realization, He Teng started to worry that He Zhilan might not be able to handle it. Although she used to be busy all day before, she hadn’t been standing continuously. Being busy while sitting and while standing are not the same.

"Yeah." He Zhilan didn’t think much of it and chuckled lightly before asking, "By the way, brother, did you water my flowers this morning when you left?"

"No." He Teng answered particularly briskly. However, in reality, he had stood by the windowsill for a good while that morning, watering the plants one by one, and even played with the Mimosa for a while before leaving.

"Bro~ just help me take care of them for a few days! When the weekend comes, I’ll stay at the military base, and then I can do it myself!

" He Zhilan pleaded with He Teng in a negotiating tone, genuinely worried that when she would go to the military base on the weekend, all her flowers and plants would be dead.

He Teng didn’t utter a word, and He Zhilan took his silence as consent. After reminding He Teng to take a nap at noon, she happily ended the call.

Sometimes, really, it seemed that being a teacher used to be so enviable—always instructing others, braving the wind and the rain yet respected by all—an excellent occupation. But it was only after truly experiencing it for herself that He Zhilan knew what hardship was.

Standing for four to five hours a day at the lectern, lecturing tirelessly—while she poured her heart and soul into her teaching, not all the students necessarily absorbed it.

In many students’ eyes, English wasn’t an important subject, many opting to secretly use the class time to do homework for other classes, or to study for them.

As a teacher, He Zhilan felt not only disrespected but also as if she was talking to no avail, her words wasted.

Upon discussing with other teachers from the same school who taught the same subject, they all treated such behavior as nothing extraordinary. Exhausted, He Zhilan no longer had the energy to scold those who did other homework during her class.

To be honest, even though she had only been a teacher for a week, He Zhilan didn’t like the job in her heart.

Many things were not as she had imagined. It was hard work, but it felt like it was all in vain.

Unlike other teachers, although the job was hard, their efforts seemed worthwhile. Seeing students listening intently and studying hard, and then achieving good results, made the fatigue feel worthy for a teacher, even worth dying for.

Before she knew it, it was Friday. Since all teachers were required to attend a meeting on Friday, He Zhilan had to wait until early Saturday to return home.

At that moment, at the military base, He Teng was extremely worried.

One could say that this was the first time in his life he was so troubled over something.

After a long deliberation, he finally decided to knock on the political commissar’s door.

"Is your wife at home?" asked He Teng as soon as Chen Zheng, the political commissar, came to the door.

"Yeah, I’ll call her!" Chen Zheng thought He Teng was there to see him and was about to ask what He Teng needed. When he heard that it was his wife He Teng was looking for, he gave He Teng a puzzled look and then turned to call his wife, who was busy in the kitchen.

The commissar’s wife came out from the kitchen and said, "He Teng? What’s up?"

"Sister-in-law, when Zhilan came over last time, did you buy a jasmine plant with her?" asked He Teng.

"Yes, what about it?" The commissar’s wife nodded, puzzled.