After a brief reunion, Lin Han had to get up early the next morning to see Nan Sheng and the others off back to the county town. Was he tired? The answer was certainly yes, but he accepted it gladly, even though his wife hadn't given him a single good look.
"Darling, I'll drive to pick you up when you're off work!"
His answer was Nan Sheng's merciless back; she was out of sight in no time.
Sizhe was feeling a bit smug. "Dad, is Mom annoyed that you drink? Really, can't you just quit?" He remembered one time when his dad drank so much he was incoherent, and Mom was so disgusted she didn't even sleep in the same room.
Lin Han couldn't be bothered with his son. What did this brat know? He and his mother were just fine...
The days passed, and soon it was time for school to start. Nan Sheng took Sizhe to register at the middle school, while Lin Han took Siqi to register at the elementary school—she was now a proud elementary student.
At the school, students who lived far away had already brought their luggage. Seeing most people carrying large and small bags, Nan Sheng discussed with her son, "How about I bring a set of bedding for you later? Even if you don't want to board, you could go back to the dorm for a nap at noon."
Sizhe refused. He always felt his mother treated him like a child. If he wanted to sleep at noon, he could just nap at his desk. No need to be so fussy.
"Forget it, it's too much trouble."
"Listen to me. We'll decide after we check out the dorm."
Although Nan Sheng kept a low profile, her identity made it impossible to stay unnoticed. Shortly after entering the classroom, she was recognized by a parent.
"You're Director Nan from the Discipline Inspection Commission, right? We've met before. Do you remember?"
Nan Sheng looked completely blank; she really didn't know this older gentleman.
Once her identity was revealed, she and Sizhe immediately became the center of attention. People came over to say hello, hoping to get on her radar—it was one after another. What should have been a simple enrollment turned into a personal meet-and-greet, which was rather embarrassing.
To extricate herself, Nan Sheng asked the teacher where the dormitories were, saying she wanted to take a look. The result was that both the teacher and other parents wanted to go along, claiming it was to let the children drop off their luggage first.
It was truly a treatment fit for a star.
Sizhe's homeroom teacher, Teacher Hao, stayed by Nan Sheng's side to guide her. "Director Nan, don't worry. I'll be personally responsible for everything regarding student Lin Sizhe at school. Just let me know if there's anything."
Seeing her son's lack of enthusiasm, Nan Sheng knew he was feeling uncomfortable. Children often don't understand the social interactions of adults.
"Teacher Hao, no matter what job we do, the essence is to serve the people. You don't need to be overly polite to me. Treat Sizhe the same as everyone else; don't go easy on him."
"Yes, yes, I understand!"
Teacher Hao immediately realized Nan Sheng was a humble person. He would maintain an appearance of equal treatment.
Arriving at the dormitory area, Nan Sheng clearly felt the living conditions weren't great. It was damp, and every room was crammed with beds. She immediately dismissed the idea of having her son come here for naps.
Teacher Hao had been observing Nan Sheng's reaction and said, "Director Nan, we do have single rooms here. We could reserve one for student Sizhe."
This was just flattery. There were no single rooms for students; those were for teachers.
Hearing this, Sizhe immediately shook his head frantically. What was this teacher trying to do? He didn't want to stand out like that. Fortunately, Nan Sheng had no such intention either.
"Teacher Hao, you've misunderstood. Sizhe doesn't need to board; he can commute. I just came to see the students' living conditions."
Even before enrollment, Nan Sheng had bought Sizhe a bicycle. Not wanting to attract more attention, she gave a few instructions and left first.
Only then did Teacher Hao take Sizhe back to the classroom. One could imagine that Sizhe's future school life wouldn't be as carefree as he had hoped.
"Mom, I don't think going to school here is any fun at all."
Over a month after school started, Sizhe finally couldn't hold back and complained to Nan Sheng. "Mom, my classmates act so strange around me. They're especially afraid of having conflicts with me. Whatever I say, they agree. It makes me uncomfortable."
Nan Sheng motioned for Sizhe to have some fruit. At his age, he already had the ability to think independently, and Nan Sheng planned to have a good talk with him.
After all, with her and Lin Han's positions, their children's lives were bound to be affected.
"Son, if you had to choose one place to live—Huaishan Town, the military family compound, or where we live now—which would you prefer?"
Sizhe didn't hesitate at all. "The family compound!"
Nan Sheng began to guide him to think for himself. "So, what aspects of living in the village or in the county town made you feel uncomfortable?"
Sizhe thought carefully and replied, "In the village, people often said my sister and I were motherless children. Sometimes we got bullied. Living in the county town, the teachers and classmates are overly polite to me. I always feel they're a bit afraid of me. I can't even find a good friend to play with."
Nan Sheng sighed helplessly. They say it's lonely at the top, and she hadn't even gotten that far, yet life had already undergone earth-shattering changes. No wonder the child was unhappy.
"Son, I owe you an apology. If I hadn't taken this position as Director of the Discipline Inspection Commission, you wouldn't be facing things like this."
Seeing Sizhe about to object, Nan Sheng laid it out plainly.
"You didn't feel this way in the family compound because the families who could accompany the military had to reach a certain rank. Although there were differences in positions, the kids you played with came from similar family backgrounds, so there weren't many concerns.
"But it's different in the county town. There are more children from ordinary families and ordinary workers' homes. Your father is a regiment commander, and your mother is a government official. For most people, that's something to look up to.
"The parents of your classmates have surely warned them repeatedly not to offend you, because offending you means offending your father and mother—a consequence they can't bear."
Sizhe muttered, saying he wouldn't just tattle, and that his parents were reasonable people.
"That's your perspective. Over time, once people understand your character, they'll definitely change their view of you. Actually, even if you went back to school in the town, you'd experience something similar. If you don't believe me, go back and ask Xu Baoliang."
"So I just have to wait, then?" Sizhe was also resigned. It seemed poverty had its troubles, and wealth had its melancholy.
"You can't change how others think. You can only adjust your own attitude!"
