My Wife is the Vicious Supporting Character from an Era Novel - Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Borrowing Food, a Reversal of the Original Plot
The crowd erupts in an uproar.
Wu Weiguo frowns. “Just because you say it’s wrong doesn’t mean it is. Are you the teacher or am I? I personally wrote that problem, and it was reviewed by teachers from other schools. How could it be wrong?”
Two female teachers step forward. One nods in agreement, while the other looks at Wen Miao and says, “Actually, I agree with this comrade. The problem might be wrong, but there wasn’t enough time to verify it during the exam. I didn’t say anything at the time.”
Since Wen Miao brought it up, the only fair thing to do is to verify her claim. Li Xiangdong, sweating profusely, discusses the matter with the other village heads. They decide to have the teachers go back to the school and solve the last math problem.
Upon hearing this, Shen Niannian bites her lip and steps forward. “Village head, is it really worth wasting so much time for the sake of Wen-zhiqing? The villagers have to work, too. This is a huge delay.”
Ji Baiqing speaks up before Li Xiangdong can. Her voice is calm, but her words are sharp. “If you’re so worried about delaying work, you can go back to the fields.” Some of the villagers who are enjoying the show agree. “Yeah, it’s almost noon. How much time can it take? If you think it’s a waste of time, you can leave.”
Li Xiangdong looks at Shen Niannian and makes a quick decision. “Let’s go. Let’s see if the last problem is wrong or not.”
The village heads and teachers head to the office. They pull out the math test, and the three teachers work on the problem for twenty minutes. Finally, Wu Weiguo stands up, wipes his sweat, and says proudly, “I told you Wen-zhiqing shouldn’t interfere with our work. The problem is correct, and Shen Niannian’s answer is correct!”
Wen Miao calmly steps forward. “This step is wrong. There is no such way to solve the problem.”
The female teacher who agreed with Wen Miao earlier instantly relaxes. “Right! I also thought this step was wrong. This is not how you solve it, which means the problem itself is flawed.” She takes out a test paper and adds the points to make it a perfect score. The name on the paper is Wen Miao’s. “With this correction, the first place goes to Wen Miao,” she says.
Shen Niannian suddenly goes crazy. She snatches Wen Miao’s test paper and screams, “How is that possible?! How could she get first place?!”
Ji Baiqing quickly moves to shield Wen Miao from Shen Niannian’s frenzy. Her eyes are cold, and her voice is chilling. “How is that impossible? Wen Miao studied every day to prepare for this exam. She even taught Xiaomi, and Xiaomi loves her.”
At that, Xiaomi pokes her head out from the crowd and says firmly, “Yes! Wen Miao-jie teaches patiently. I learned it right away!”
The female teacher, Zheng Man, looks at Wen Miao with more satisfaction. She has been a teacher for over twenty years and is highly respected in Xiaoshi Village. Wen Miao is experienced, hardworking, and gets along well with children. She is a perfect fit for a teacher. She tells the village head, “Wen-zhiqing is very good. Let’s pick her.”
The village heads agree, and they announce that Wen Miao will be the new teacher. Just as they are about to disperse the crowd, Ji Baiqing picks up Shen Niannian’s test paper. She looks at it and then at Wu Weiguo’s notes. She feigns surprise. “Teacher Zheng, Shen-zhiqing’s test steps are exactly the same as Teacher Wu’s.”
Shen Niannian’s eyes widen. She tries to grab the paper from Ji Baiqing. “The problem can only be solved in a few steps! Give me my paper!” she says nervously.
Ji Baiqing, being tall, holds the paper up and hands it to Zheng Man, while holding Shen Niannian back to prevent her from destroying the evidence. Zheng Man looks at the papers, and her expression becomes serious. It is normal for test steps to be similar, but it’s rare for them to be exactly the same. She finds the answer key Wu Weiguo wrote before the exam. She compares the papers and is shocked. The answers are identical.
She throws the paper at Wu Weiguo’s face. “Teacher Wu, what is the meaning of this? Did you leak the questions to Shen-zhiqing?”
The other female teacher says, “I also heard the Chinese teacher say that someone’s answers were exactly the same as the correct ones.”
Wu Weiguo gets flustered. He is about to admit his mistake, but Shen Niannian touches his hand. He closes his eyes and says, “I… it’s my fault. But Wen Miao still got first place, so what’s the big deal?”
Ji Baiqing laughs. “If Wen Miao hadn’t known the last question was wrong, Shen Niannian would have gotten the job.”
Tears stream down Shen Niannian’s face. She sobs, “Brother Wu didn’t mean it! I told him I didn’t need the answers, but he thought I was perfect to be a teacher, so… so I…”
Wu Weiguo, hearing this, quickly adds, “Yes! Shen Niannian is so gentle. She’s perfect to be a teacher. Wen Miao dresses up every day. She doesn’t look like a teacher at all.”
Ji Baiqing’s eyes turn cold. She punches Wu Weiguo in the face. “What makes you look like a teacher? Who are you trying to seduce?” she says.
Wu Weiguo holds his nose. “I’m just wearing normal clothes,” he says.
Ji Baiqing counters, “What’s wrong with Wen Miao’s clothes?” Wu Weiguo is speechless. He looks at Ji Baiqing’s clenched fist and doesn’t dare to say anything.
Wen Miao gently takes Ji Baiqing’s hand. “Teacher Wu is so ugly, no wonder he thinks everyone is trying to seduce him. He can’t even dress himself up. Someone told me he looks like a toad, and now I can see it.”
Wu Weiguo has a long face and a bumpy complexion. He looks like a toad. The crowd starts laughing. The villagers have always disliked Wu Weiguo, so they are happy to see him humiliated. Someone shouts, “He’s a white-skinned toad!” Another says, “He looks like a bumpy outhouse!” “He’s a pig!” “Pigs are better. You can eat them!”
Li Xiangdong, who already likes Wen Miao because of the lotus flowers, doesn’t say a word. Ji Baiqing isn’t done yet. She asks Li Xiangdong, “Village head, this man not only leaked the questions but also slandered a female comrade. How can a person like that teach children?”
Li Xiangdong glares at Ji Baiqing. “That’s enough—”
Ji Baiqing interrupts him. “Teacher Zheng, who got second place in the exam yesterday?”
Zheng Man looks at the scores. “Li Wenwen,” she says.
Li Xiangdong’s words change. “I think Wu Weiguo’s bad habits mean he can’t be a teacher. My daughter, Li Wenwen, can take his place. She is a hardworking child and got second place.” No one objects.
Li Wenwen points at herself in shock. “Me?”
Ji Baiqing smiles. “Yes, you.”
The villagers go home, laughing. Wu Weiguo stands there, unable to believe he lost his job. Shen Niannian, pretending to be concerned, says, “Brother Wu, are you okay? I’m sure you’ll find a better job.”
“Get out!” Wu Weiguo shouts. Shen Niannian flinches, and tears fill her eyes. “Brother Wu?” she says. Wu Weiguo instantly regrets shouting at her. He takes out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. “I’m sorry, Niannian. I didn’t mean to. I’m just upset.”
Shen Niannian moves away from him. “It’s okay, Brother Wu. I know you’re upset. You should calm down. I’m… leaving.” She looks at him with teary eyes and runs away.
Wu Weiguo stands there for a while, wanting to chase her, but he stops himself. He punches the table. “Wen Miao, Ji Baiqing, just you wait.”
…
“Do you think Wu Weiguo will cause us trouble?” Wen Miao asks on the way back. Ji Baiqing gently rubs her head. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid.” She knows that since the plot has changed, they will have to deal with some people. Wu Weiguo is not a big deal, but she is more worried about Shen Niannian and Lu Yan. One likes to use others to get what she wants, and the other is ruthless. She thinks to herself, if they try to hurt Wen Miao, she will make sure they are dealt with.
The school has no summer or winter break. Students go to school during the offseason and stay home during the busy farming season. Wen Miao starts teaching the next day. Ji Baiqing has to go to town to slaughter pigs, so she can’t walk her to school.
She finishes work quickly, cooks rice, and fries some pork with vegetables. After lunch, she goes to the school to pick up Wen Miao. At noon, the children rush out of school. Ji Baiqing waits for a while until she sees Wen Miao walking with Li Wenwen. They are laughing, and Ji Baiqing feels a little annoyed. What are they talking about that makes my wife so happy?
Wen Miao sees Ji Baiqing and says to Li Wenwen, “Is Baiqing here to pick you up? You guys are so close.”
Wen Miao smiles. “Are we? I’m going home now. See you this afternoon.” She jogs to Ji Baiqing. “Why are you here?” she asks, pretending to be surprised.
“To take you home for lunch,” Ji Baiqing says. “What were you two talking about?” she asks casually.
Wen Miao smiles as they walk home. “Wu Weiguo came to the school and begged Teacher Zheng to get his job back. Li Wenwen said he looked even more like a toad today.”
“Oh,” Ji Baiqing says. “That is funny.”
After about twenty days of teaching, the school closes for the harvest season. It’s mid-July, and the rice is ready to be harvested. The villagers are working non-stop to harvest the rice, thresh it, and plant the next crop. A single rain can ruin the harvest. No one knows when the first rain will come, so they have to hurry.
Ji Baiqing’s family is working non-stop. When she isn’t in town, she is in the fields. The rice fields are huge. Wen Miao stays home to cook and wash clothes. She packs the meals and takes them to the fields. She feels bad for Ji Baiqing, who comes home at nine every night and falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.
Wen Miao, who hates hard work, wants to help, but Ji Baiqing tells her not to. Wen Miao, not wanting to fight, just cooks delicious food for everyone. She makes sure they have enough to eat. She even goes to town to buy meat so they can have a good meal every day.
The educated youths also have to help with the harvest. No one dares to be lazy. While others get their meals from their families, the educated youths have to send one person back to cook. Shen Niannian is a good cook, so Fang Haiyang and Lu Yan agree to let her cook for them. Pan Hongxia doesn’t have an issue at first. She is used to being ignored. But after a week of getting less food than the men, she gets angry.
She throws her lunch box on the ground. “Shen Niannian, what’s wrong with you? Why do I always get less food? Don’t we get the same amount of grain? I’m hungry!”
Shen Niannian takes a step back. “But… Hongxia, you’re a woman. Women eat less than men. Haiyang and Lu Yan work so hard in the fields. You don’t do as much work as them.”
Fang Haiyang and Lu Yan look at Pan Hongxia with disdain. Pan Hongxia looks at her section, which is bigger than theirs. “I work harder than both of them!” she says.
The educated youths’ argument attracts the attention of the villagers. But they are too tired to care. Most just close their eyes and listen.
Fang Haiyang says, “Are you a pig? Why do you eat so much?”
“If you’re hungry, just ask Niannian for more food. Don’t make a scene like a crazy woman,” Lu Yan says impatiently.
Pan Hongxia is so angry that her hands are shaking. She can’t say anything. She is so hungry in the afternoon that her stomach burns. That night, she goes back to the educated youth’s house to cook. She tries to get some rice, but Shen Niannian stops her. “Wait, Pan Hongxia. This rice belongs to me and Brother Lu Yan. You can’t eat it.”
Pan Hongxia realizes it’s the grain that was given out this month. “Where is my grain?” she asks. Shen Niannian points to a small bag of rice in the corner. “That’s all that’s left!”
Pan Hongxia’s eyes well up with tears. “Shen Niannian, you’re not human!” she says. She takes the small bag and starts cooking. She adds some vegetables and salt to the rice and eats it. For the first time in a week, she feels full. But there is only enough rice for one more day. She doesn’t have much money, and the villagers don’t like educated youths. They would never lend her any food. She has no idea what to do.
The next day, she sees Wen Miao bringing food to the field. Wen Miao is carrying three large lunch boxes. Pan Hongxia swallows. Wen Miao sees her but doesn’t say anything. She goes to the field and gives the food to Ji Baiqing’s family. Ji Baiqing eats and then asks, “What’s wrong?”
Wen Miao shakes her head. “I ran into Pan Hongxia.”
“Stay away from her,” Ji Baiqing says. “They’re not good people.”
Wen Miao nods. Ji Baiqing pinches Wen Miao’s cheeks and gives her some food. She doesn’t eat until Wen Miao is full. That afternoon, Wen Miao brings mung bean soup to the fields. She feels like someone is watching her.
That night, Wen Miao and Ji Baiqing are in the yard. Wen Miao is massaging Ji Baiqing’s back. Ji Baiqing is enjoying it when she hears a soft voice.
“Wen Miao, I need to talk to you.”
She opens her eyes and sees Pan Hongxia. Wen Miao and Ji Baiqing are both surprised. “What do you want from Wen Miao?” Ji Baiqing asks.
Pan Hongxia looks at Wen Miao with teary eyes. “Wen Miao, can I talk to you alone?”
Ji Baiqing gently pulls Wen Miao back to the bench. Wen Miao looks at Ji Baiqing and then says coldly, “There’s nothing to talk about.”
Tears fall from Pan Hongxia’s eyes. She sobs, “I’m sorry, Wen Miao. I shouldn’t have treated you like that. Now I know how you felt. I… I don’t know what to do.” She looks at Wen Miao with pleading eyes. “Can you give me a chance for old times’ sake?”
Wen Miao doesn’t say anything. Ji Baiqing is getting impatient. “Just say what you want. Don’t beat around the bush.”
Pan Hongxia looks at Wen Miao’s face and finally says, “I… I want to borrow some food. Shen Niannian always gives me less food, and I’m hungry. I’ve run out of grain.”
The air is silent. All you can hear are the cicadas.
Ji Baiqing suddenly laughs. “Oh, so that’s why you’re here. You need something from her.” She looks at Pan Hongxia. “Did you forget how you treated Wen Miao? Go beg Shen Niannian. Maybe she’ll lend you some.”
Pan Hongxia’s nails dig into her palm. She looks at Wen Miao. Wen Miao’s face is expressionless. Pan Hongxia is about to leave when she hears Wen Miao’s voice.
“I can lend you fifteen pounds of grain. You can pay me back later.”
Pan Hongxia’s eyes widen. “Wen Miao, thank you! I’ll pay you back!”