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墨書 Inktalez
"I'm really sorry, this child doesn't quite understand," I said apologetically to Li Hua.
"It's nothing. Children at this age are like that; they have a strong defensive mentality. It will get better once they become familiar," Li Hua said understandingly.
I smiled at her, but suddenly, as I lowered my head, I collided with Xiao Ran's gloomy gaze.
We then chatted about Xiao Ran's basic situation at school, but there wasn't much to discuss. I didn't know much about Xiao Ran's studies, and she wasn't willing to talk much with Li Hua, so after half an hour, it was mostly a procedural Q&A.
"Teacher Li, could you leave a phone number? It would be convenient to contact you if anything comes up with Xiao Ran," I asked as our conversation came to an end, pulling out my phone.
"Of course," she replied and then gave me a string of numbers. After I noted them down and dialed the number, she looked at the incoming call on her phone in surprise. I raised my phone to show her, and she smiled in understanding.
After that, Li Hua took Xiao Ran to report to her class while I headed to the Vice Principal's Office to try and establish a connection.
China is a society built on personal relationships, where networking is unavoidable. Although Xiao Ran's quiet nature meant she wouldn't cause trouble at school, I instinctively thought it was better to leave a good impression.
The office door was closed. I leaned in to listen and heard slow footsteps inside. I adjusted my slightly wrinkled suit from moving around, cleared my throat, and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
I turned the doorknob and walked in. "Hello."
A greasy middle-aged man with a balding head stood by the desk in an old shirt, looking somewhat frustrated. He held a thermos cup and asked, "Who are you?"
I extended my hand as I approached him. "Hello, I'm the parent of the new transfer student."
"Transfer student?" He glanced at my outstretched hand, frowned slightly, put down his thermos cup, and shook my hand briefly. "What can I do for you?"
This question put me in an awkward position, but it was certainly not beyond my ability to handle. "The child just transferred here, and I thought it would be good to familiarize myself with the school's environment and communicate with you more. It would make it easier to resolve any issues that may arise in the future."
"Issues?" He raised his sparse eyebrows. "Was the child not doing well in school before? Is she mischievous?"
His communication skills were truly... "Of course not! The child is a girl; she's usually very well-behaved and has always been among the top in her studies. She definitely won't cause any trouble for the school."
"Is there anything else?" He straightened his large belly and said, "Our school has strict management and complete regulations. The teachers here have decades of teaching experience, and she will receive a good education. You can rest assured."
"Of course, I believe that. I did some research when choosing a school, and your school has a history of over a hundred years with the highest enrollment rate in the city. I feel very assured about Xiao Ran being here."
"Mm," he nodded, turned around, sat down in his chair, looked up at me, and asked indifferently, "Is there anything else?"
I wanted to be more tactful, but his attitude was too rigid. After pondering for a moment, I took out a bank card from my jacket pocket. Just as I placed it on the table, he refused it aloud, saying, "There's no need for this. Take it back. There are no backdoors here. As long as the child studies hard, our teachers will treat her fairly."
I couldn't tell he had some principles. Seeing his firm attitude, I didn't say much more and took back the bank card, smiling as I said, "Then I'll trouble you in the future."
There aren't many people who I can address as "you" like this, but what can I do? I'm a parent, and he's the principal.
During our first meeting, I had a good impression of Principal Liu. Although he had a bit of an academic air about him, he was rare among contemporary people in not being overly materialistic.
What happened later made me deeply regret my thoughts at that moment. If only I could turn back time, I would never have transferred Xiao Ran to this school to endure the humiliation from that beast.
As for Li Hua and me, we were both adults and not looking to get married; our relationship developed quickly.
I didn't have many connections in Lin City. Everything was waiting to be explored; work was challenging as I was establishing myself in a new market, and life was lonely living alone in an apartment.
Two weeks after Xiao Ran started school, I called Li Hua.
"Teacher Li, it's me, Xiao Ran's dad."
"Oh, Mr. Xu," Li Hua's voice was lively with suppressed excitement. "Is there something you need to talk about at this hour?"
I glanced at the clock; it was already past nine in the evening. "I'm sorry to disturb you so late. Are you busy?"
"No, not at all," she replied quickly. "I just finished showering and was planning to go downstairs for dinner."
Showering—this was an ambiguous reminder. I immediately said, "Haven't you eaten yet? How about this: I want to know how Xiao Ran has been doing in her studies lately. Let's have dinner together; what do you think?"
"That might not be appropriate."
I have seen many tactics of reluctance mixed with invitation. "Last weekend, I heard Xiao Ran mention that they had a test recently. Since Xiao Ran just transferred here, I worry she might fall behind in her studies. It's hard to explain over the phone, so why not meet in person? I'll drive to pick you up. What's your address?"
"Um—" she hesitated for a moment, "Alright, my home is at Building XX, XX Community, XX Road."
"I'll be there in ten minutes," I said without calculating the distance. "Make sure to wear an extra layer when you go out; it gets chilly at night. I wouldn't want to take you out for dinner and then have you catch a cold—that would be my fault."
She giggled, "Got it."
The next events unfolded naturally. I drove to her community and parked downstairs without even eating dinner, heading straight to my apartment. After our intimate encounter, I ordered takeout from the entrance of the community.
After a hurried meal, we eagerly rolled back into bed. It had been over half a month since I had been with a woman during my time in Zhaotong. Arriving in Lin City, I hadn’t yet figured out the local scene, and I was also put off by the idea of hiring a call girl. So tonight, I was filled with enthusiasm.
Afterward, Li Hua and I lay naked on the bed, both covered in sweat and breathing heavily from exhaustion. Li Hua rested her head on my arm, pulled the blanket up to her chest, turned away from me, and said quietly, "Is this really okay?"
Women are always like this—wild at heart yet pretending to be reserved. To put it bluntly, they act like a whore but still want to maintain an image of virtue. I'm tired of this insincerity but had to respond nonchalantly, "Why not? We're adults; this kind of thing is normal."
"But Xiao Ran..." she hesitated.
Hearing Xiao Ran's name made me feel irritated. I withdrew my arm from around Li Hua's neck and took a cigarette from the bedside table. Lighting it up, I took slow puffs and said, "Setting aside Xiao Ran for a moment, I'm a man and you're a woman; it's only natural for something to happen between us."
Perhaps my attitude was too indifferent; Li Hua turned back to face me and quietly observed me smoking for a while before saying wistfully, "Why is it that every man I'm interested in is already married?"
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