Indeed, they were fine after crying for a while.

Some say women are made of water, but Xia Xiaolan didn’t think that was entirely true.

Principal Sun and Old Wang were the ones made of water, while the female teachers all greeted her with smiles.

“Where’s Teacher Sun?”

Xia Xiaolan was asking about Sun Tian.

She quite liked Sun Tian.

Teacher Qi lowered her voice, “She must be out walking with her boyfriend. Sun has found herself a boyfriend, a newly assigned teacher this year, a proper graduate from teachers’ college, ten times better than that Zhao Gang from before!”

Zhao Gang was that male teacher who had persistently pursued Sun Tian and even taken money from Xia Ziyue to sabotage Xia Xiaolan’s college entrance exam, getting caught sneaking into rooms at night.

His conduct was so poor, he was completely unfit to be a teacher.

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t shown mercy – after consulting with Principal Sun, she’d sent Zhao Gang to prison!

Sun Tian had such bad luck, being targeted by Zhao Gang right after being assigned to the county’s No. 1 High School.

Hearing she had found a boyfriend now, Xia Xiaolan was happy for her. Just then, Sun Tian came bouncing up the stairs.

Still that round face, with a sweet smile that warmed hearts.

“Xiaolan, how did you come back? Weren’t you studying in America?”

“Teacher Sun, long time no see! I was just an exchange student in America for a year. The final exams there ended early, so I came back to Anqing to see everyone.”

She had indeed come specially to see all the teachers at school. Not in any hurry now, she chatted comfortably with the teachers in the office about recent happenings!

Few people knew about her business affairs, and the teachers wouldn’t ask about such things – they were more interested in her studies and life.

How was Tsinghua? What about Cornell University in America? These institutions seemed very distant to the teachers of Anqing No. 1, yet they dreamed of sending their students there.

Was this strange?

No, not at all.

Teachers who stayed in township schools might not have high degrees themselves, but they could still produce university graduates.

Some teachers improved through teaching practice, year after year at the podium, breathing in chalk dust, working in difficult conditions, yet still producing graduating class after graduating class, becoming excellent teachers through practice.

For Principal Sun and Old Wang, they would dedicate their whole lives to Anqing No. 1. Seeing the school improve made them willing to cry a few more times.

If only there were more students like Xia Xiaolan!

Xia Xiaolan brought gifts for everyone. Principal Sun was naturally happy, but that wasn’t what made him happiest.

What made him happiest was something else:

“You are Anqing No. 1’s most eye-catching banner, our living advertisement. Only if you keep becoming more excellent can Anqing No. 1’s banner stay standing, and the school keep getting better!”

What did Principal Sun fear? He feared talent becoming mediocre!

He always told students about Xia Xiaolan, not to show off his own judgment, but to let students feel the power of having a role model. The better Xia Xiaolan did, the more confident Principal Sun became. He had to tell those students that the hardships of studying had rewards… Don’t believe it? Just look at Anqing’s outstanding alumna Xia Xiaolan – she came from a poor rural family, worked while studying, yet persisted in her education.

Principal Sun wanted to announce over the school speakers right now: Provincial top scorer, Tsinghua student, studying in America, step by step – students, studying really can change your fate!

Xia Xiaolan felt embarrassed by Principal Sun’s words.

She had cheated, after all.

Principal Sun didn’t care about any of that. Now if anyone tried to attack Xia Xiaolan, tried to break the myth of a poor student’s rise, Principal Sun would be the first to ferociously fight back.

“Don’t you want to give a talk to your junior schoolmates?”

Talk about what?

Xia Xiaolan felt she still wasn’t quite ready. What was she now? In architecture, she hadn’t made a name yet; in business, she wasn’t a mogul yet. Perhaps many people thought Xia Xiaolan was already quite impressive, but to herself, she was still middling.

She wanted to fly higher against the wind before coming back to give a speech at her alma mater.

“Principal, please wait a while longer. I don’t think the time is right yet.”

Principal Sun urged, “I don’t mind waiting, but don’t make me wait until my retirement!”

“Give me five years, please give me five years.”

Principal Sun counted on his fingers – in five years he wouldn’t be retired yet, so this was acceptable.

Xia Xiaolan apologized to Principal Sun and others for the unreasonable trouble caused by Liang Huan and Aunt Liu Fang. She didn’t want to acknowledge the mother and daughter as relatives, though to outsiders, they were indeed connected by blood:

“I really didn’t know they would cause such trouble at school, wasting your and all the teachers’ goodwill—”

“What does this have to do with you? Who becomes your relative isn’t something you can decide. By the way, is your cousin Xia Ziyue still on the run? Has she been caught yet?”

Xia Xiaolan shook her head, “Not yet.”

Principal Sun had once had high hopes for Xia Ziyue, truly caring for her.

Later, Xia Ziyue had destroyed her image in Principal Sun’s heart with her own hands.

Perhaps Xia Ziyue felt that a high school principal in a small county couldn’t help her anymore, so it didn’t matter if the relationship was ruined… But Principal Sun didn’t think that way, and Xia Xiaolan hadn’t broadcast that Xia Ziyue was now a fifth mistress to a rich man in Hong Kong.

If she had said that, all the teachers who had taught Xia Ziyue would be disappointed!

The teachers might even start doubting themselves – was this the student they had taught?

They hadn’t just taught textbook knowledge, but moral character too.

Because of Old Zhao the gate guard’s warning, Xia Xiaolan asked one more question about Liang Huan going to Beijing to repeat a year, wondering which Beijing high school had accepted her transfer from Anqing No. 1.

Principal Sun was embarrassed: “I don’t know about that.”

Few people could stand Liu Fang’s former official’s wife’s manner, especially when she spoke with that affected tone.

They looked down on Anqing No. 1, and absolutely refused to repeat the year there, saying they would transfer to Beijing – Principal Sun could only issue the transfer certificate.

As for where she transferred to?

Principal Sun had no interest in knowing.

Xia Xiaolan was going to have a meal with the teachers; Little You had already arranged everything at the state-run restaurant in Anqing County.

“Sister Xia, I’ve asked around in Beijing – no one has come making trouble.”

Oh?

So Liang Huan really did go to Beijing to repeat a year – had she been small-minded to suspect otherwise?

Surely Comrade Ah Fen hadn’t directly given Liang Huan contact information, making it unnecessary for Liang Huan to find her way through ‘Blue Phoenix’…

Xia Xiaolan dismissed the second guess herself.

While Comrade Ah Fen might have a moment of weakness, with Grandmother Yu overseeing things in Beijing – Grandmother Yu never made confused decisions, even beating her own son when necessary – how could she tolerate the Liang family’s antics? She would definitely have informed Xia Xiaolan early on.

Xia Xiaolan suppressed her doubts.

With her current wisdom, she wouldn’t let such small matters affect her, continuing to eat and drink normally with Principal Sun’s group.

Xia Xiaolan also saw Sun Tian’s boyfriend – he had proper features, not extremely handsome, but with a clean demeanor.

According to Teacher Qi’s gossip, this new male teacher wasn’t just a teachers’ college graduate – his whole family was in education. The young man was quite good, from a nice family, didn’t need Principal Sun’s promotion at all – he simply liked Sun Tian and had sincerely pursued her for several months.