Chapter 10: Midnight Visit (Part 2)

  Pang Haiyan told the story of Xue Lian. She remembered that year, Long Dahai's family had a double happiness, and after Geng Zhonglin was rehabilitated, he asked Pang Haiyan to return to the city or let his son Long Tianxiang further his studies; Xue Lian also successfully passed the entrance examination for the normal school. However, due to economic problems, Xue Lian stayed behind. The Pang family came to propose a marriage and were willing to help Xue Lian with her re-reading of academic credentials, but Xue Lian did not re-read and instead became a private teacher.

  "Let's have another drink, Mom!" Pang Haiyan refilled Long Shanhe's cup and poured one for herself. Tears streamed down her face as she choked back the bitter wine. "At first, I was stunned by what I saw before my eyes. It's hard to imagine that Xue Lian would be so tolerant and forgiving, and that Tianxiang would have such a strong desire to learn and spirit! I cried. I stared blankly at Long Tianxiang, who had already been crying, and finally agreed with Long Dahai's opinion."

  Pang Haiyan wiped away her tears and laughed: "I didn't expect that after Tianxiang graduated, another difficult problem arose. I had to go to Yizhong to substitute teach. On my way back from borrowing money, I encountered a thug and got blood all over my forehead. As I passed by Tianzi Niang's grave, someone jumped down from the pagoda tree on her tomb, and as soon as they saw me, they took off running. Pang Shunxing rushed over to chase after them, but when he turned around, the person had vanished into thin air, leaving only the pagoda tree still swaying in the wind. Tianxiang finally arrived at Yizhong, where she taught a remedial Chinese class and served as the class advisor. Later, Tianxiang returned to Xiaolonghe Town's Huai Shu Yuan Elementary School, where she became a teacher. Not long after that, she entered the town's education research office and became a researcher." Pang Haiyan said, raising her cup in a toast with Geng Fenghuang once again.

  They drank and had snacks. Suddenly, Pang Haiyan saw Geng Fenghua light up a cigarette, and her previously relaxed eyebrows furrowed again. She nudged Long Shan Hui and said, "If Long Dahe doesn't take care of the fundraising for building the tower, I'll be the death of him!"

  Longshan looked at his godmother and then at his godfather, advising: "This time the school is merged and relocated, you have to run to the front. This was researched by the School Committee, the Party Committee and the government..."

  "What's the use of getting approval from the party committee and government? Don't scare kids with big buns!" Long Dahai, with his jacket open and belly exposed, yelled while scooping a large piece of dog meat from the plate to give to Geng Fenghuang.

  Geng Fenghuang was just about to eat when suddenly a stone flew in from outside the fence and smashed the plate of dog meat.

  "Xue Lian——!" Long Shan Hui was taken aback. In a daze, a woman with a elegant and refined demeanor appeared in the courtyard, her eyes filled with tears as she approached Long Shan Hui, wanting to recount their parting scene, but then quietly disappeared amidst her tears.

  "Who? Who? Xue Lian?" Long Dahai looked around the courtyard, staring at Long Shan who was as still as a wooden chicken. "She's been gone for so long! Do you think she's gone mad!"

  "Aren't you ashamed to say that? They were in love, but she married Pang Shunxing. Button up your jacket." Pang Haiyan threw away the dog meat in her companion's hand and buttoned up her companion's jacket.

  "Geng Fenghuang said: "I and Xue Lian are like sisters..."

  "How dare you say that? Feng Huang, if it weren't for your meddling, Xue Lian wouldn't have jumped into the river to kill herself."

  "But anyway, that's all in the past. The fact that Xue Lian can come to our doorstep shows her sincerity. Besides, considering Long Shan Hui's reputation, it won't be that bad, right?" Pang Haiyan looked up at the big Chinese scholar tree outside the courtyard, everyone knew she was pretending to be nonchalant, but in reality, her heart was more painful than anyone else's, and when Long Shan Hui shouted Xue Lian's name in surprise, she endured the pain.

  "This is all because I brought up unpleasant things. Let's talk about school - Geng Fenghuang came to our Huaiyuan Garden to raise funds for the construction of a teaching building, and we need your support too!" Longshan consoled Long Dahai.

  "What do I know? How many bowls of dry rations can an old minban teacher eat, I'm not clear? Geng Fenghuang used to be the principal of a famous school for migrant workers' children, now he's a young town head sent by the city government, what use are we old locals?"

  "Who doesn't know Dragon Bai Wan?" Geng Fenghua thought to have a drink with Long Dahai, "Today I can drink with the famous billionaire of Xiaolong City, what an honor! Cheers!"

  "You're quite bold! How many tables of women are enough for you? Whoever calculates me will be cut off by me!" Long Dahai said coarsely again.

  "You've really had too much to drink. Let's go!" Geng Fenghuang stood up, wanting to leave the small courtyard, but was stopped by Pang Haiyan.

  "The school really needs your help, Geng Fenghuang came from the city and it's not easy for him either. If you don't support him, who will?" He said while also taking a sip of his drink.

  "Longshan Association, you want me to have 10,000 or 80,000. But for school use, I won't be like a meat bun hitting a dog, going but not returning?"

  Longshan looked at Long Dahai, whose eyes were hanging with a smile, but hid a serious expression. He also became serious and said: "It's precisely because of the school that I'm looking for you, I wouldn't bother you personally!"

  Moved by Long Dahai, he picked up the wine and touched it with Long Shan. Then he rushed to Geng Fenghua and said: "No matter how bitter we can't be bitter to our children, no matter how poor we can't make our school poor. Take that 3000 yuan donation away."

  Pang Haiyan went into the house and brought out a teapot, took out a deposit slip, "The contracted payment, the suspended salary and allowance you have calculated, let Tianxiang send it over. Old Yu doesn't want to be fooled either." Pang Haiyan fetched her bag, took out an invoice book, scribbled a few strokes, tore off a page and handed it to Geng Fenghuang, then indicated that Longshan would collect the money first.

  Geng Fenghuang put the receipt on the stone table, feeling very heavy in her heart. "Is life fair to us? We shed tears of struggle and blood rain for the education of our hometown, but who has ever given us a certificate? Private schools owe the government every day, while when can the government repay what it owes to private schools? Geng Fenghuang was about to collapse, if she let the white snake eat her! No one would be able to explain."

  Longshan Hui's heart felt sour, so sour. He handed the money over to Geng Fenghuang first, left the small hut, and walked towards the riverbank, treading on the damp grass in a daze.

  The bright moon hangs on the top of the big pagoda tree, and the sound of the Long River and the frogs in the river are harmonious, like a grand chorus in summer night.

  "Tonight I won't be able to sleep." Pang Haiyan walked out of the house and headed straight for the old locust tree.

  Geng Fenghuang and Longshan had already left the small courtyard of Long Dahai and arrived at the ferry terminal, looking at the gurgling water and the village and school bathed in moonlight. Geng Fenghuang couldn't help but sigh: "Why doesn't this bridge have a deck? Such a beautiful place is missing a beautiful bridge!"

  "If it weren't for this bridge, perhaps our Huai Shu Garden teaching building would have been built too!" Long Shan said.

  "But why did this bridge stop like this?" Fenghuang Ge was very puzzled.

  "The development zone is busy attracting investment, who cares about this? In the past, they had set up a framework, and the teachers of Huai Tree Garden and the local masses had petitioned for the town to build school buildings. They used this as an excuse to stop the construction that had just been completed!" Long Shan sat at the edge of the boat, wanting to take off his shoes and let his stinky feet be completely liberated, but thinking of Geng Fenghua standing beside him, he put his smelly feet back in his shoes and stood up.

  "Sit down! I'm used to it. I find it hard to understand what repairing a bridge has to do with raising funds for a teaching building?"

  Thief

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