Lin Zhilan was exceptionally beautiful and dressed with great elegance. The moment she entered the school, she became the center of everyone's attention.
It was just that no one dared to come up and talk to her.
Others were afraid of being rejected, but not Zhao Weidong. He ditched his companions and went straight up to hit on her.
Lin Zhilan gave him a glance and continued walking without saying a word.
Zhao Weidong didn't mind her coldness and kept talking, "Looking at the direction you're heading, you're going to the teaching building, right? Are you in the nursing class?"
"No."
"Then what's your major?" Zhao Weidong stepped a bit closer. He smelled of vanishing cream, a scent so strong it was almost choking.
Lin Zhilan stopped in her tracks. "Please stay away from me."
"Oh, okay," Zhao Weidong wasn't intimidated by her cold demeanor at all. He moved two steps to the side and raised his voice slightly. "I'm in the traditional Chinese medicine class, but my dad said that after this semester, he'll transfer me to the clinical class. Studying Chinese medicine is the only way to have a future nowadays, don't you think?"
He spoke casually, but his desire to show off was practically overflowing.
Lin Zhilan checked her watch.
It was almost time for class. She didn't have time to argue with this idiot, so she gradually picked up her pace.
Zhao Weidong followed her closely. "Where are you from? Is your home in Yangcheng? What do your parents do?"
Seeing that Lin Zhilan ignored him, he smiled again. "By the way, are you free after school today? I'll treat you to a meal at the state-run restaurant."
The more Zhao Weidong looked at Lin Zhilan, the more satisfied he felt.
She was truly beautiful.
Fair skin, thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and her lips looked rosy, though he couldn't tell if she was wearing any makeup.
Moreover, judging by her dress, speech, and manners, her family background must not be bad either.
More importantly, she was a college student.
Zhao Weidong was calculating shrewdly in his mind.
He liked pretty girls, but his parents insisted he date a girl with a good family background.
The girl in front of him was so pretty and seemed like she didn't lack money.
If he brought her home, his parents would definitely be pleased.
Immersed in this wonderful fantasy, Zhao Weidong followed Lin Zhilan all the way to the classroom.
When they reached the classroom door, he said in pleasant surprise, "You're also in the Chinese medicine class? How come I haven't seen you in class before?"
Lin Zhilan lifted her chin. "Go in. It's time for class."
"It's fine, the teacher isn't here yet."
There were already about twenty people sitting in the classroom, men and women of varying ages.
The youngest looked under twenty, while the oldest appeared to be middle-aged.
As soon as Lin Zhilan appeared at the door, the talking in the classroom noticeably lowered, and everyone's eyes turned toward her in unison.
Zhao Weidong noticed those stares and felt faintly uncomfortable.
He took a step forward, turning sideways to block Lin Zhilan, and yelled at the people inside, "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen a person before?"
Most people came to school to actually study, not to pick fights.
Zhao Weidong looked so arrogant that it was obvious he shouldn't be provoked, so the others unanimously withdrew their gazes.
Satisfied, Zhao Weidong turned back to Lin Zhilan and said, "Let's go, I'll help you find a seat."
Lin Zhilan gave him a sidelong glance and walked straight to the podium.
Zhao Weidong thought she didn't understand. Just as he was about to call out to her, he saw Lin Zhilan take a piece of white chalk from the podium and neatly write three characters on the blackboard.
Lin Zhilan.
Lin Zhilan put the chalk back in the box, dusted off her hands, and turned to Zhao Weidong. "Classmate, please return to your seat."
The classroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Zhao Weidong froze for a few seconds. His face flushed bright red, and he practically fled to the last row of the classroom to sit down.
"My name is Lin Zhilan," she said, scanning the classroom. "I am your teacher for the Prescriptions course this semester. From now on, I will be teaching you for the entire day every Saturday."
This had been negotiated between Lin Zhilan and the school.
To accommodate her work on the island, her classes had to be compressed into a single day.
Fortunately, the other teachers had no objections, so the arrangement was settled.
After Lin Zhilan finished speaking, the classroom immediately buzzed with noise.
Whispers of "so young" and "so pretty" could faintly be heard.
Lin Zhilan tapped the blackboard. "Alright, quiet down. Class is about to begin."
"Teacher, you didn't bring a book..." a girl reminded her timidly.
"That's fine. You all come from the frontlines of workers, peasants, and soldiers, so your foundations are different. Some know a bit of medical theory, while others are completely unfamiliar with it. For the first class, I'll assess your basic knowledge."
"How much do you know about traditional Chinese medicine?"
No one spoke.
"Let me rephrase. Has anyone had contact with traditional Chinese medicine before?"
A male comrade in his thirties stood up and said he had studied under an old Chinese medicine doctor at the commune clinic for half a year. He could recognize a few dozen herbs and do acupuncture on a few basic acupoints.
Another female comrade said she had been a medic in the army and learned some battlefield first-aid, but didn't know much about Chinese medicine.
An older man mentioned that bone-setting was passed down in his family, but he couldn't explain the theory; it was all hands-on experience.
That was it for the rest.
Lin Zhilan realized that assessing their foundation essentially meant they had no foundation.
"Alright, I have a general idea. Since everyone's foundation is different, we'll start from the very basics. What is a prescription? You probably think of the 'Songs of Prescriptions' first. For today's first class, we won't talk about prescriptions yet. We'll start with how Chinese medicine diagnoses and treats illnesses."
She turned around and wrote four characters on the blackboard.
Theory, Method, Prescription, Medicine.
The students below quickly started taking notes.
Lin Zhilan felt somewhat comforted. The students selected to be here were certainly smart enough. As long as they were willing to learn, even the poorest foundation could be built upon.
Lin Zhilan's lecture was profound yet easy to understand, and her speaking pace was neither too fast nor too slow.
She rarely looked at her lesson plans, but the prescriptions, medicinal properties, and compatibility taboos were like they were ingrained in her mind, coming to her effortlessly.
After one class, everyone felt wanting more and wished she would keep talking.
Lin Zhilan didn't drag the class out. As soon as the bell rang, she stopped immediately.
"Class dismissed. Take a ten-minute break, and we will continue shortly."
The students began to stand up, either gathering to discuss or heading out to use the restroom together.
Sitting in the last row, Zhao Weidong had been on pins and needles for the entire class.
The classmate he had tried to hit on had become his teacher. His previously inflated ego was instantly punctured, leaving behind an indescribable sense of frustration and embarrassment.
However, Zhao Weidong's lust didn't die easily. Lin Zhilan was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.
He wasn't willing to give up just like that.
Besides, the face he had just lost could all be won back if he managed to woo her.
But he couldn't sit still anymore, so he took advantage of the break to sneak back home, planning to ask his dad to investigate Lin Zhilan's background first.
The bell for class rang soon after.
Lin Zhilan took a sip of tea. Just as she was about to resume class, she noticed the empty seat in the back. Raising an eyebrow with a smile, she asked, "Who is the class monitor?"
