Regarding Han Ye being suspected of having a crush on a classmate, Han Ye himself didn't take it seriously at all.
Qiao Lanshu, at first, also didn't think it was a big deal.
After all, it really wasn't anything major—teenage boys and girls developing feelings for each other, having crushes, passing notes, writing love letters—that was all perfectly normal.
But if the other party had some other intentions, well, that was a different story.
Qiao Lanshu worked for a while, and two hours later, she left the school and walked over to the teacher's office of the neighboring middle school.
Zhao Yanfang had just returned from her home visit as well.
The two met in the corridor outside the office, and Zhao Yanfang's expression wasn't looking too good.
Qiao Lanshu studied her face, walked over, and asked, "Teacher Zhao, you're back from the home visit?"
Teacher Zhao nodded, looking a bit weary. She walked closer and said in a low voice, "Teacher Qiao, let’s talk in the office."
The two entered the office and found chairs to sit on.
Teacher Zhao picked up her cup, took a sip of water, then let out a sigh and said to Qiao Lanshu, "Teacher Qiao, have you talked to Han Ye yet?"
Qiao Lanshu nodded and relayed what she had discussed with Han Ye, saying, "He said that girl is just a regular classmate to him. Going to the hillside together was just having some casual conversation—it wasn’t the kind of relationship everyone is imagining."
She didn’t mention that Han Ye had said the girls in the class were ugly and that he would never get involved with any of them.
Han Ye was already a handful; Qiao Lanshu figured she ought to cover for him a bit, otherwise he’d end up offending too many people.
Qiao Lanshu added, "Also, he only helped the girl up because she had fallen—he didn’t do anything improper to her. Teacher Zhao, I trust Han Ye’s character, and you know him as his homeroom teacher as well. He’s not the kind of person who lies, nor is he someone who would do something and then be all wishy-washy about admitting it. If he really had something going on with a girl, he would have owned up to it right away."
Aside from Han Ye’s personality, no one at home kept tabs on him anyway—he had plenty of freedom.
If he was having a little romance, so what? Han Wenlin couldn’t discipline him anyway, or rather, he couldn’t control him. What difference would it make if he admitted it?
Since he denied it, then there must be nothing going on.
Teacher Zhao listened to Qiao Lanshu’s explanation, sighed again, and said, "I went to visit Liu Wenqiu’s family today. She stayed locked in her room, refusing to come out, crying the whole time. Her parents both work on construction sites—they’re not educated and can barely speak Mandarin. I tried to communicate with them, but we just couldn’t make any headway."
Saying this, Teacher Zhao looked a bit embarrassed.
She was a young teacher who had just been assigned here from out of town, and she hadn’t yet gotten used to the climate, nor could she fully understand the regional dialect.
But she only said, "People in her family aren’t easy to reason with. I gave Liu Wenqiu three days off, and she’ll come back to school on Monday. I’ll also tell the other students in class that they’re not allowed to tease her about this anymore. Teacher Qiao, don’t worry—it’s not a big deal. However, when Liu Wenqiu comes back to school on Monday, I hope Han Ye can apologize to her."
Whether or not Han Ye was at fault, this matter involved him.
Having him apologize would also help protect the girl’s fragile self-esteem.
And besides, Han Ye was the leader of the troublemakers in the class—if he took a stand, it would do more than ten lectures from Teacher Zhao ever could.
Qiao Lanshu nodded at once. "No problem. I’ll go tell that brat when I get back."
After they finished talking, both of them assumed this matter was pretty much settled.
Qiao Lanshu went back to work, and after clocking out, she headed to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy groceries.
Han Ye, after school, went to the elementary school as usual to pick up Qin Qiao'an and Qin Qiaoxia, and the three of them walked home together.
On the way, Xiaxia suddenly said, "I saw Li Taohua at school today."
Li Taohua was in second grade now, while Xiaxia had skipped a grade and was in third.
Qin Qiao'an immediately asked, "You saw her? Did she bully you again?"
Xiaxia shook her head, looking rather smug. "Of course not! But last time she had people chase me, and I had to hide in a dry well. So this time, I put a caterpillar on her shoulder."
Qin Qiao'an was speechless. "Xiaxia, are you still a three-year-old? Even two-year-olds don't pull pranks like that, do they?"
Xiaxia: "..."
Han Ye cracked his knuckles and asked, "She didn’t mess with you today, did she? Didn’t say anything bad about you?"
Xiaxia shrugged and said, "No. When she saw me, she was scared out of her wits. I guess you guys scared them all last summer, so now they’re too afraid to do anything."
Xiaxia then turned to Qin Qiao'an and said, "I used one of those fuzzy white caterpillars. She got a rash all over her neck and face. She couldn’t even finish class—she got taken to the office to apply medicine. I even saw her when school let out."
Xiaxia looked very pleased with herself.
She had already disliked Li Taohua when Li Taohua had used a desk to shove her before.
She had pretty much let it go since Mom and her brother had already avenged her.
But then Li Taohua went and had people chase her again.
Even though Xiaxia had always been a good-natured girl and wasn’t one to hold grudges, that experience in the dry well hadn’t been pleasant, so Xiaxia bore a grudge against Li Taohua now.
As she spoke, she pulled out a clear bag from her pocket with three or four caterpillars still squirming inside. "Look, it’s this kind."
The moment the two boys saw those bugs, they let out a yelp and jumped several feet back.
Han Ye said sternly, "Qin Qiaoxia, throw those bugs away right now!"
Qin Qiao'an looked terrified. "Xiaxia, why don’t you just go back and read a book or something? Don’t touch these kinds of bugs."
These caterpillars were poisonous. Wherever they stung, it would itch like crazy—similar to mosquito bites in the mountains, swelling up into big welts that spread in patches and were unbearably itchy.
It was horrifying.
Back when Han Ye was at his most mischievous, he had once placed one of these caterpillars on the teacher’s podium. That day, he was punished by having to stand through an entire class, and his parents were called in.
Xiaxia watched the horror-stricken faces of the two boys and quietly tossed the bugs into the bushes by the roadside.
Qin Qiao'an was still grossed out, rubbing his arms and grimacing. "I’m telling Mom when we get back that you were playing with caterpillars."
Xiaxia: "..."
Xiaxia let out a sigh and said, "They’re just bugs. Look at you two—so scared it’s laughable."
Han Ye gave Xiaxia an odd look from head to toe, then tugged on her pigtail and said, "Regardless, you are never touching bugs again, got that?"
The sight of such a sweet, soft-looking little girl suddenly pulling bugs out of her pocket had genuinely startled Han Ye.
Right then and there, he discovered the beauty of studying.
As long as Xiaxia focused on her books, she wouldn’t be messing around with bugs—that was way too frightening.
The three siblings got home, and Qiao Lanshu was already cooking in the kitchen.
Qin Qiao'an, the worrywart of an older brother, immediately herded Xiaxia off to wash her hands. "Scrub those guilty paws of yours properly, and use soap! They might be poisonous!"
Xiaxia was shooed over to the sink, where, under the stern gazes of her two brothers, she quietly washed her hands with soap.
Qiao Lanshu heard their voices and called out from the window, "Han Ye, come in here for a moment."
Han Ye acknowledged with a quick reply and jogged into the kitchen, eagerly helping Qiao Lanshu wash the vegetables. "Mom, what did you need me for?"
Qiao Lanshu continued chopping vegetables as she spoke. "I talked with your Teacher Zhao today. She said that girl will be back at school on Monday. When she returns, you should apologize to her, and then this whole thing will be settled."
Han Ye was clearly reluctant. He rolled his eyes inwardly and said with some displeasure, "Mom, if I apologize, doesn't that mean it becomes my fault?"
Qiao Lanshu said patiently, "No, it won't. Teacher Zhao will explain things clearly in class and will also talk to the girl. Your apology is just to show the other students a certain attitude, so they'll stop mocking her."
Hearing this, Han Ye didn't argue further. He just nodded. "Fine."
Then he started complaining again. "Honestly, girls are such a pain. From now on, I'll take a detour whenever I see them."
Qiao Lanshu laughed. "You just haven't grown up yet. When you're older, you'll gradually discover and appreciate the beauty of girls. When that day comes, you'll want to get close to them, but they might not even give you the time of day."
Han Ye thought about it and figured such a thing would never happen to him.
He was sure he'd never fall for any girl, because he found them all quite annoying.
As far as Qiao Lanshu was concerned, this matter was settled. After talking with Han Ye, she moved on.
When Qin Yuanzheng came home, she mentioned it to him. Qin Yuanzheng was sitting at his desk looking over blueprints. When he heard this, he asked, "What does that girl look like? Have you seen her?"
Qiao Lanshu was holding a book at the bedside. She shook her head. "No, I haven't seen her. But Han Ye said they're all pretty ugly and that he can't stand any of them."
Qin Yuanzheng chuckled. "That little rascal sure has high standards. If he thinks all twenty-odd girls in his class are ugly, then he's destined to never find a wife."
After all, not everyone was as lucky as he had been.
Qin Yuanzheng continued with a smile, "But that's Han Wenlin's problem to worry about. We don't need to get involved."
Luckily Qin Qiao'an was still young and a little boy, so the couple could enjoy a few more peaceful years.
After finishing with the blueprints, Qin Yuanzheng took apart a damaged pistol he had brought back.
Qiao Lanshu came over to look and was a bit shocked. "That's a real gun?"
She had thought it was a model when he brought it in.
She lowered her voice. "How did you bring a real gun home? Isn't that allowed?"
Qin Yuanzheng continued disassembling it and said, "This one was decommissioned. I've already repaired it. I'm keeping it at home, but I'm worried those two boys might get their hands on it, so I'm taking it apart to be safe."
Then he lowered his voice further and added, "Society has been a bit unstable lately. Theft and robbery cases happen from time to time, and human trafficking of women and children is on the rise. Be careful when you go out, and if necessary, this can serve as protection."
He went on, "It's been about two years since our dog Dahuang passed away. Tomorrow I'll bring a puppy back from the military base and raise it in the yard as a guard dog."
Qiao Lanshu nodded. Although they lived in the military compound with a guard at the gate, having a little dog didn't require much effort, and the kids would enjoy it.
So that weekend, Qin Yuanzheng took the three children to the military base to pick out a little black puppy.
Xiaxia was the one who chose it. She said the puppy's eyes seemed to speak.
Han Ye teased her. "Now you see human feelings in a dog?"
Still, he accepted the puppy.
The three siblings happily made a doghouse and cooked bones for the pup, keeping themselves busy.
After a pleasant weekend, Monday brought trouble.
Teacher Zhao rushed into the high school teachers' office and found Qiao Lanshu, looking worried. "Teacher Qiao, something terrible has happened. That student, Liu Wenqiu, tried to kill herself."
Qiao Lanshu was stunned.
This was the first time she had encountered something like this.
She stood up quickly, her expression tense with shock. "Is she dead?"
Teacher Zhao quickly clarified, "No, no. She tried to hang herself, but her family found her in time and rescued her. Her father has gathered some workers and come to the school carrying sticks. They're making a scene, asking everyone where Han Ye is, and they said they're going to beat him to death."
Teacher Zhao lowered her voice. "I've already sent Han Ye out through the back gate. I told him to run home and hide. This is no small matter — those people will actually use force."
Qiao Lanshu was silent for a moment.
Her expression turned cold. "What are they trying to do? Just because they shout the loudest, they think they're in the right? They come to the school without even knowing the facts? Where's security? Have them handle it — keep them outside the school gate and confiscate their weapons. If they fly into a rage and attack the school, grabbing any random student to beat up, what then?"
Zhao Yanfang was also shaken by this incident.
She said, "Security is already out. The men haven't gotten into the school. They've been kept at the gate, but they're making a racket, shouting insults, and they've attracted a crowd of onlookers. It's having a bad influence."
Qiao Lanshu was worried about Han Ye. "Did Han Ye really go home?"
Zhao Yanfang nodded. "I told him in no uncertain terms to go straight home, and he said he understood."
Zhao Yanfang sighed and added, "The dean said it wouldn't be appropriate for Chief Han to show up publicly in this situation. If he did, those people would say the Public Security Bureau is abusing its power, which would reflect badly on them. So they sent me to come talk to you about how to handle this."
Of course, Han Wenlin could still come, but he'd have to take off his uniform first.
But with time being short, coming to find Qiao Lanshu was the fastest option.
Qiao Lanshu was silent for a long moment before speaking. "Teacher Zhao, I think your dean is wrong. This isn't something we should try to handle ourselves. We should call the police. If it were just one person coming to talk, then we could sit down calmly as the parents of the children involved. But when someone shows up with a group of people and weapons, ready to start trouble, that clearly means this isn't up for discussion. In that case, I'm afraid to go out there myself, because I don't want to get beaten up. Better to call the police. The officers have legal authority and weapons. Them showing up will be far more effective than two women going out to face those men, don't you think?"
Zhao Yanfang was quiet.
She was persuaded and nodded hesitantly. "Teacher Qiao, you make a good point."
