The middle school student named Han Ye before her was the son of Director Han. So what was Qiao Lanshu, as a mother, to Han Wenlin?
Teacher Qian was stunned for a moment, her heart fluttering with unease as she felt these relationships were becoming messy.
She forced a smile and spoke: "Director Han, you're not joking with me, are you? Didn't you say your ex-wife had already..."
Han Wenlin walked into the office with a serious expression. He glanced at the people around him, nodded at Qiao Lanshu, and explained to Teacher Qian: "Comrade Xiao Qiao is my son's godmother."
Then, he added: "Let's set aside personal matters for now and focus on official business. Teacher Qian, what happened today? I heard my son caused trouble for you here?"
Teacher Qian's expression shifted several times. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.
How was she supposed to explain this?
And Qiao Lanshu!
She kept insisting that Han Ye was her son, but why didn't she clarify he was her godson?
What a mess...
Teacher Qian's heart raced with panic. She felt that Han Wenlin's gaze toward her was cold and distant.
It was different from when they had met before.
She was a primary school teacher, only in her twenties, young and pretty, with a respectable job. Through a matchmaker, she had been set up with Han Wenlin for a date.
Although Han Wenlin was remarried and had a son, he was the director of the provincial public security bureau—not a county or city bureau—so his status was hardly ordinary.
Besides, his son was already in middle school. A stepmother wouldn't have to take care of the boy, since in just a few years, he would be entering the military. He wouldn't disrupt the life of Han Wenlin and his new wife.
Moreover, Han Wenlin was only in his thirties, tall and strong, with an impeccable character.
Teacher Qian was very satisfied with him.
After their first meeting, Han Wenlin had chosen her from among three potential matches, thinking she was suitable for further courtship.
So three days ago, they had a second meeting and even had a meal together.
It had seemed like a done deal.
But then today's incident happened.
Teacher Qian felt flustered and anxious, with a hint of regret.
She didn't know how long Han Wenlin had been standing at the door or how much he had overheard.
Had he caught everything she had said in scolding Han Ye?
Actually, it wasn't just Teacher Qian who deflated; even Wang Lanying's arrogance faded when she saw Han Wenlin.
Her husband was merely the deputy section chief of the municipal education bureau's logistics department, with no real authority over the education department, let alone adult education.
He could bluff his way through scaring a few teachers, but faced with a provincial-level official, she dared not act too arrogantly.
So, Wang Lanying jumped in before Qiao Lanshu could speak: "This is all a misunderstanding. It was just some roughhousing among the kids during class—a trivial matter. There's no need to blow it out of proportion. The children are still young, only seven years old. What do they really understand?"
Han Wenlin listened and roughly understood the situation: Li Taohua had been bullying Xiaxia.
But why was Han Ye here?
Han Wenlin asked Teacher Qian: "Disrupting the class was indeed Han Ye's fault. As his father, I apologize to everyone on his behalf. I've failed in teaching my son; I'm truly sorry to all of you."
Teacher Qian quickly said: "It's nothing, nothing. Actually, Han Ye just wanted to care for his sister. This can't be blamed on him..."
Han Wenlin then said: "In that case, should we let him go back to class?"
What else could Teacher Qian say? She nodded in agreement.
Han Wenlin had always been fiercely protective of his own, so he immediately said to Han Ye: "There's nothing for you here. Hurry up and get back to class."
Han Ye didn't want to leave just yet: "No way. My mom and my sister are still here."
Han Wenlin glared at him in anger.
Qiao Lanshu quickly interjected: "Han Ye, you go back first."
Han Ye was about to say something more, but Qiao Lanshu shot him a stern look: "Be obedient."
Han Ye: "..."
Han Ye rubbed his nose and said to Han Wenlin: "You better help them out, or I won't recognize you anymore."
Han Wenlin was exasperated, pointing at him: "Get lost, now."
This rascal couldn't go a single day without stirring up trouble!
After Han Ye left, the few people in the office stood there in awkward silence. Teacher Qian didn't dare say a word.
With a public security bureau director standing right there, who would dare cause trouble?
Qiao Lanshu looked at Wang Lanying and said: "Solving this matter is simple. Have Li Taohua apologize to Qin Qiaoxia, and then transfer her out of this class. She can't be in the same class as Qin Qiaoxia."
Wang Lanying's face darkened: "Teacher Qiao, even with a public security bureau director here, I still have to say this: if anyone should be transferred, it should be your daughter. Why should it be my daughter?"
Wang Lanying snorted coldly: "An apology is fine, but you have to apologize to me too. You just stabbed me with a pen!"
Qiao Lanshu turned to look at Teacher Qian: "Teacher Qian, what do you think?"
Teacher Qian: "..."
Han Wenlin also fixed his gaze on Teacher Qian, his expression stern.
Awkwardly, Teacher Qian said: "Li Taohua, bullying classmates is wrong. First, apologize to Qin Qiaoxia."
Li Taohua stood there, glanced at Wang Lanying, and stayed silent.
Wang Lanying gave a slight nod. Li Taohua lowered her head and muttered to Qin Qiaoxia: "I'm sorry."
Qin Qiaoxia glanced at Li Taohua with a hint of disdain and looked away.
Teacher Qian watched her anxiously: "Qin Qiaoxia, Li Taohua has apologized. Don't you have anything to say?"
Qin Qiaoxia: "Teacher, I have nothing to say. I don't plan to forgive her, so I don't want to talk to her right now."
Everyone: "..."
Han Wenlin looked at Qin Qiaoxia with a hint of admiration, thinking to himself that she was indeed Qin Yuanzheng's daughter—strong-willed and independent.
Wang Lanying's face turned ugly. She glared resentfully at Qiao Lanshu and Qin Qiaoxia and said: "My daughter has already apologized, Teacher Qiao. Shouldn't you apologize to me? You stabbed me just now!"
Qiao Lanshu snorted coldly: "I won't apologize for something I didn't do wrong. Wang Lanying, you'd better keep your daughter in check. If there's a next time, just wait."
Then, she said to Teacher Qian: "Teacher Qian, let's consider this matter settled for now. I hope you arrange Li Taohua's transfer as soon as possible. If she's still in this class tomorrow, I'll have to talk to the principal."
Teacher Qian felt threatened.
But with Han Wenlin present, she couldn't lash out.
She only said: "Transferring classes isn't that easy. There are procedures to follow. It's not something we can just do on a whim. But I'll submit the application; rest assured about that."
In the end, she still didn't agree to the transfer, just talked about submitting an application. Who knew how long that would take?
Qiao Lanshu was also a homeroom teacher and knew that transferring a student wasn't just up to the homeroom teacher.
So she accepted Teacher Qian's response.
She silently decided that if Li Taohua wasn't transferred within three days, she would go to the principal or even the education bureau.
And so, the matter was finally settled.
Han Wenlin hadn’t really been able to help much, but he felt that Teacher Qian’s character wasn’t quite up to par, so he didn’t talk much with her. Once the matter was handled, he prepared to leave.
Seeing him about to go, Teacher Qian quickly caught up.
She smoothed her hair and said with a smile, “Director Han, didn’t you mention last time that you’d be free this weekend? How about we go to the cinema?”
Han Wenlin turned to glance at her, his expression distant, and replied, “Sorry, but I’m not free this weekend.”
With that, he walked off without giving her another look.
Teacher Qian stood there, watching his retreating back, her face a mix of embarrassment and frustration. What did Han Wenlin mean by this? Was he backing out on her?
...
Qiao Lanshu walked out of the school with Xiaxia and asked her, “How about Mom gives you a few days off? You can rest at home first. Once that Li Taohua gets transferred, you can go back to school, okay?”
Xiaxia shook her head. “It’s fine, Mom. After today, that Li Taohua shouldn’t dare to bully me anymore.”
At least on the surface, Li Taohua would have to hold back a bit.
After all, Li Taohua now knew that Xiaxia had a fierce older brother in middle school and a mother who would stand up for her.
Xiaxia wasn’t the kind of person with a fragile heart. She saw everything clearly. Most of the time, she chose not to say anything simply because she couldn’t be bothered to argue with people like that.
Qiao Lanshu looked at her and said quietly, “It’s not Li Taohua I’m worried about. I’m afraid Teacher Qian might target you.”
Xiaxia lowered her voice too and said, “Mom, you can be even more at ease about that. Just now, Uncle Han told Teacher Qian to take good care of me, and she agreed.”
Qiao Lanshu could tell that the atmosphere between Han Wenlin and Teacher Qian was off, but that was because she was an adult.
Yet Xiaxia had picked up on it too. Qiao Lanshu ruffled her hair and said in astonishment, “You little girl, how come nothing gets past you?”
Xiaxia smiled triumphantly. “Of course! I’m the smartest.”
Qiao Lanshu felt a bit wistful. Xiaxia might not say much or make a fuss, but she was actually the sharpest of them all.
Still, her too-easygoing nature wasn’t great. She never fought for anything, and sometimes she couldn’t even be bothered to pursue things when she was bullied, because she didn’t care. If it didn’t really hurt her, she thought it wasn’t worth her time.
But wouldn’t that make her look like a fool or a pushover in other people’s eyes?
Qiao Lanshu sent Xiaxia back to the classroom, her heart full of worry.
This couldn’t go on. Today there was Li Taohua, tomorrow there would be a Wang Taohua or a Niu Taohua.
After thinking it over, Qiao Lanshu decided to let Xiaxia skip a grade.
Xiaxia had always been clever and done well in school. If she studied the third-grade material and took the skip-grade exam, she could end up in the same class as her big brother, Qin Qiao’an.
That way, with her brother watching over her, Qiao Lanshu could rest easy.
Having made up her mind, Qiao Lanshu went back to work. She planned to discuss the idea of Xiaxia skipping a grade with Qin Yuanzheng when he got home from work that evening.
Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Li Taohua did stop pressing her desk against Xiaxia’s, but she kept glaring at Xiaxia with venomous eyes.
Xiaxia just focused on the lesson and pretended not to notice.
Starting from the second period, Teacher Qian arrived early and moved Li Taohua to a different seat.
Another classmate was placed behind Xiaxia instead.
Teacher Qian looked at Xiaxia with a complicated expression. She still didn’t like Qin Qiaoxia, but considering Qin Qiaoxia’s connection to Han Wenlin, she suppressed her displeasure.
She said to Qin Qiaoxia, “If anything comes up in the future, come tell me, and I’ll handle it. Don’t go complaining to your brother or anything again. Making a big deal out of things is bad for everyone, got it?”
Qin Qiaoxia nodded, looking every bit the obedient student. “I understand, Teacher. I’ll be careful.”
Teacher Qian left, feeling stifled.
After Wang Lanying left the school, the spot on her arm where Qiao Lanshu had jabbed her was still throbbing.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Her daughter had only stabbed the other girl a few times, but Qiao Lanshu had jabbed her dozens of times in return!
And on top of that, her daughter had apologized, but Qiao Lanshu refused to say sorry!
When she thought about it, she’d come out on the losing end and let her daughter down too.
Wang Lanying sneered inwardly.
That Qiao Lanshu usually seemed so refined, but behind the scenes, she’d hooked up with the Public Security Bureau director!
And claiming that Han Ye was just her godson—who would believe that?
Qiao Lanshu had to be having an affair with Han Wenlin. The two of them were messing around in an improper relationship, with corrupt morals and tainted character. The school should fire someone like that!
Wang Lanying remembered that Qiao Lanshu had recently been recommended by the school as an Outstanding Teacher of the Year, as well as a Five-Good Youth award.
She immediately went home and wrote a letter of complaint. Before noon, she personally took the letter to the City Education Bureau.
Her husband worked in the bureau’s logistics department and happened to oversee matters like this.
She handed the letter directly to him, explained the whole story from start to finish, and told him to handle it right away—reject all of Qiao Lanshu’s award nominations, and not only that, but also give her a disciplinary sanction!
Demote her, publicly criticize her!
Wang Lanying’s husband was a big, dark, chubby man who looked very much like their two children in appearance and build.
He looked at the complaint letter and hesitated. “Are you sure there’s something going on between them?”
Wang Lanying said firmly, “Absolutely! That Qiao Lanshu has been working here for two or three years, and I’ve never once seen her husband. He’s probably either divorced or dead. And this Director Han’s son is already in middle school and calls her ‘Mom’ nonstop. For something as trivial as this, the director himself went to school to back her up. If they’re not having an affair, I’ll cut my head off for you!”
Wang Lanying kept rambling. “I always thought Qiao Lanshu had no connections, yet she acts so recklessly at school, never showing respect to anyone. Our principal and dean are always siding with her. I used to think they had the hots for Qiao Lanshu, but it turns out she’s got a director backing her.”
“Hmph,” Wang Lanying continued. “I can’t touch a Public Security Bureau director, but I can still go after Qiao Lanshu, a teacher. You handle this quickly. If she doesn’t accept it, just follow the procedures and investigate her. Something’s bound to turn up!”
Her husband couldn’t talk her out of it, but he was still cautious.
Before rejecting all of Qiao Lanshu’s award nominations, he used his access to check her files.
Qiao Lanshu had been directly assigned to teach at the school after graduating from university.
She had an impressive academic record and work history.
The file only listed her father’s details, and under the ‘spouse’ column, it said Qin Yuanzheng, with the occupation listed as ‘military.’
So he told Wang Lanying, “See, she has a husband, and he’s a soldier.”
Wang Lanying sneered, "That's right. Her husband is a soldier, so her moral misconduct is even more serious! While soldiers are out there protecting the country and enduring long separations from their spouses, she couldn't bear the loneliness and got involved with another man. What do you think of that? What she did is criminal. Firing her was getting off easy."
……
