For the first two years of their marriage, Jiang Qiaoxi worked tirelessly at Morgan Stanley’s Asia-Pacific headquarters. He often put in 18-hour days, frequently working through the night. Especially during the six months when Lin Yingtao was studying for her exams in Portland, he barely took a single day off.
By the time Lin Yingtao returned to China with her certification in the summer of 2013, she had originally planned to find a job in Hong Kong with her AMI certificate. This would allow her to live with Jiang Qiaoxi. At the time, she thought she couldn’t find a suitable Montessori kindergarten position with appropriate compensation near their hometown.
However, what they hadn’t anticipated was how rapidly mainland China was developing.
In 2013, national housing prices skyrocketed, increasing by over 20%. When Lin Yingtao visited her former professors at Beijing Normal University, one of them informed her, “Just a few days ago, a large real estate developer from your hometown partnered with a national education group to open the first Montessori kindergarten in the provincial capital. They came here asking if any students would be willing to get certified in the U.S. They’re offering to cover several tens of thousands in tuition fees, but you’d have to sign a five-year contract. Since you already have the certification, you should call them right away!”
Unexpectedly, Lin Yingtao became one of the first certified Montessori teachers in the provincial capital, with a starting annual salary of 180,000 yuan.
This turn of events was so incredible that even the kindergarten found it astonishing to recruit a young teacher from a top-tier university with an AMI certificate in their local area.
“This certificate is very expensive and difficult to obtain,” they remarked during the interview. “What made you decide to pursue it?”
Lin Yingtao couldn’t help but laugh, “It was my husband’s suggestion because the original salary was too low…”
The interviewer responded, “You’re only 23 and already married? Ms. Lin, your husband is quite foresighted!”
Lin Yingtao explained, “He attended a Montessori school in Hong Kong.”
She called Jiang Qiaoxi to tell him about the kindergarten’s partnership with the real estate developer: “I’m not sure if I can ask for a discount… Uncle Cai came with my parents today to look at the apartment layouts. They all thought it was quite nice. Uncle Cai seems interested in buying a place here too.”
Jiang Qiaoxi replied, “Then let’s buy one.”
“Are you sure?” Lin Yingtao asked in a lowered voice.
Jiang Qiaoxi chuckled helplessly, “If prices keep rising, we might not be able to afford it later.”
“Alright, let’s buy then,” Lin Yingtao said. “Mom and Dad told me today that they have an investment fund maturing soon. They can lend us 200,000 yuan, but I think we should have enough on our own.” She paused, then added, “The prices are rising so quickly, and the sales office is packed with people. How big of an apartment should we get?”
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “Yingtao, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I’ll call you back this afternoon.”
Later that afternoon, Lin Yingtao was asking Huang Zhanjie on WeChat about how to choose an apartment layout—after all, Huang Zhanjie had studied architecture in college. However, Huang Zhanjie admitted that he had spent most of his college days writing novels and knew little beyond sketching CAD drawings and making models: “You’re better off asking Cai Fangyuan. He knows this stuff!”
Suddenly, Lin Yingtao received a text message from the Bank of China, informing her that a sum of money had been transferred from the Hong Kong branch to her account that morning. It was over 700,000 yuan.
Lin Yingtao stared at the figure for a while before trying to call Jiang Qiaoxi, but he was probably in a meeting and didn’t answer.
At eleven o’clock that night, he called back. He sounded exhausted and his voice was hoarse, likely still working. “Is it enough for the down payment?” he asked.
“It’s more than enough,” Lin Yingtao replied, feeling concerned. “But wasn’t all your money tied up in investments?”
Jiang Qiaoxi explained, “This was money I had saved with my cousin’s wife. My cousin didn’t need it, so we decided to keep it in our account.” He paused, then added, “Let’s buy a bigger place!”
Lin Yingtao laughed, “How big?”
Jiang Qiaoxi joked, “Big enough that I can come back once it’s renovated.”
Lin Yingtao felt sad. Jiang Qiaoxi was working himself to exhaustion in Hong Kong, barely finding time each day to call her. He was the type of person who completely neglected his quality of life when living alone, working day and night as if risking his life.
For a while, Lin Yingtao had hoped Jiang Qiaoxi would quit his job at the investment bank. But Cai Fangyuan had said that working at Morgan Stanley was a lifelong dream for many elite students, and it wouldn’t make sense to leave after just a year: “He needs to work there for a few more years to make it easier to switch jobs later.”
Lin Yingtao understood that Jiang Qiaoxi needed to quickly accumulate wealth in the short term. He didn’t want to return to their hometown empty-handed after leaving in such a hurried and desperate manner.
Expressing too much concern would only make Jiang Qiaoxi feel more remorseful about not having time to be with her, leaving her alone to worry.
So Lin Yingtao said nothing.
In early 2014, Jiang Qiaoxi called Lin Yingtao and her parents from Hong Kong to inform them that he had submitted his resignation. However, he still had ongoing projects to complete and might need to stay for a few more months. He also apologized that he wouldn’t be able to return home for the New Year.
At the end of January, there was an unexpected development. Jiang Qiaoxi saw his name on the global employee promotion list at Morgan Stanley.
In April, Jiang Qiaoxi finished his main project responsibilities and handed over the remaining work to his colleagues. He resubmitted his resignation, which had previously been ineffective.
In June 2014, Jiang Qiaoxi finally returned to his long-missed hometown. By then, only four months remained until the wedding date he and his wife, Lin Yingtao, had initially agreed upon.
Hong Kong is a stuffy, humid city.
In contrast, their hometown is dry, sometimes going a month without a drop of rain.
So when it rained that day, Jiang Qiaoxi was completely unprepared.
Lin Yingtao messaged him on WeChat: “The weather forecast said it would rain last week. You should pay more attention… I left an umbrella in your car, check the storage compartment.”
She then asked, “Are you meeting with those people from Beijing today?”
Jiang Qiaoxi stood at the entrance of the parent reception area of the Montessori International Kindergarten, holding an umbrella. Dressed in a suit, he looked like a young father. Other couples had made appointments waiting in the reception area. The teacher in charge said they would soon be taken on a tour of the kindergarten: “Please remember to stay quiet.”
The kindergarten didn’t separate children into different age groups; instead, they practiced mixed-age teaching.
As the parents listened to the teacher’s quiet introduction in the corridor, Jiang Qiaoxi put away his umbrella and walked alone to the window of the “White Horse Class.” He peered inside.
In the White Horse Class, about ten children aged three to six were seated around three dining tables, waiting. Each had a plate in front of them with eggs, meat, and vegetables, as well as a small bowl of rice. They seemed ready to start their meal.
Jiang Qiaoxi caught a glimpse of Teacher Lin’s profile.
Teacher Lin wore a short-sleeved blouse with puff sleeves and flowing wide-leg pants, her hair tied in a simple high ponytail. She stood by the table, her voice gentle as she led all the children in expressing gratitude for their food.
“…Let’s thank the uncles and aunties who prepared our food and the big brothers and sisters who served our dishes and rice. You’ve all worked hard! Thank you!”
Lin Yingtao spoke softly and slowly, surrounded by a chorus of small voices imitating her words. She then led the children in saying, “Now, let’s eat!”
That afternoon, Jiang Qiaoxi met with several private equity fund managers from Beijing. Although Jiang Qiaoxi had worked at Morgan Stanley for two years, he was still only 24 years old. The people he met were all his seniors, and their words carried hidden meanings. After the meeting, they invited him to dinner, but he politely declined. He drove back to the kindergarten, arriving just before 5 PM when parents started picking up their children.
Jiang Qiaoxi walked to the entrance of the White Horse Class, but the main teacher, Lin Qile, was no longer there. Only the teaching assistant and the caregiver were in the classroom, reading picture books with the few children whose parents hadn’t arrived yet.
As soon as Jiang Qiaoxi appeared in the doorway, several children looked up at him.
An older boy, probably around six, stared at Jiang Qiaoxi’s crisp suit for a while before asking, “Are you here to chase after Teacher Lin too?”
Another girl with naturally curly hair, acting like a big sister as she hugged a younger child, looked up and said loudly, “Teacher Lin is already married! And Teacher Lin’s husband is smart and handsome!”
“How do you know?” the boy mumbled.
“My mom told me,” the girl replied, glancing up at Jiang Qiaoxi again.
Even the caregiver and teaching assistant looked up. Jiang Qiaoxi unconsciously reached up with his left hand to touch his face, the wedding ring visible on his ring finger.
“Excuse me, where has Teacher Lin Qile gone?” he asked the two adults.
The caregiver and teaching assistant were both recent female college graduates. The caregiver looked up, unconsciously staring at Jiang Qiaoxi’s face for a moment. She blinked rapidly, exchanging a smile with the teaching assistant beside her, and said with a blush, “Teacher Lin is married!”
“I know,” Jiang Qiaoxi nodded, “I just want to know where she went.”
White Horse Class’s main teacher, Lin Qile, had finished her teaching duties for the day. She sat in her office, recording each child’s progress and planning the next day’s work.
There was a knock on the office door. Lin Qile looked up and stood with a smile, “Ah, you must be Wang Yuelin’s parents?”
Jiang Qiaoxi stood outside her office window, which was half-open, allowing him to hear Lin Qile’s voice.
“Montessori education primarily uses mixed-age classes,” Lin Qile patiently explained to the two parents. “The older children naturally take the initiative to help the younger ones, while the younger children unconsciously imitate and observe how the older children work. This creates a space for our children to grow independently.”
The little girl’s father suddenly said, “Is it similar to… the kind of kindergarten we had at the oil field when we were young, where all the children from the entire work unit were together?”
“Yes, exactly,” Lin Qile nodded eagerly, “My parents worked for the power company, and it was the same for us. When we were little, we were all in one class because there weren’t many children. The children were like brothers and sisters—”
Before she could finish, the phone on her desk rang. Lin Qile picked up the receiver.
“Ah, Xiaojin is still in the classroom reading picture books,” Lin Qile said into the phone. “The teaching assistant is with her… Okay, you’ll be here at 6:40? I’ll go check on her in a bit.”
Lin Qile continued talking with the young couple for a while longer. The parents seemed reassured and thanked her repeatedly before saying goodbye.
After they left, she lowered her head, took out her phone, opened WeChat, and quickly typed a message. She put down her phone and continued writing her work plan.
Jiang Qiaoxi stood outside the window, looking at Lin Qile’s desk. It was neat, truly giving the impression of someone who had entered the workforce: a few books, some file folders, a pen holder, and a potted plant. He noticed the photo frame on the corner of the desk.
The frame held a family photo taken last year during the first day of the Lunar New Year, featuring Jiang Qiaoxi, Lin Qile, and her parents—a family of four.
He lowered his head and took out his phone to check it.
Yingtao had asked on WeChat: “What time will you be home after your meeting tonight?”
Jiang Qiaoxi dialed a number and held the phone to his ear.
Lin Qile continued writing her work plan for the next day, not looking up as she picked up the desk phone receiver.
“Hello, this is Lin Qile, the main teacher of the White Horse Class.”
There was silence on the other end.
Still writing, Lin Qile spoke again, “Are you a parent here to pick up your child?”
“Hello, Teacher Lin,” Jiang Qiaoxi said, “My name is Jiang. I’m here to pick up our little cherry blossom and take her home.”
Since starting work, Lin Qile has adopted a soft and polite tone when speaking to others, always courteous and somewhat formal.
Jiang Qiaoxi suddenly thought, if he were to lose her, would he only ever hear her address him in this tone?
Lin Qile returned to the White Horse Class and crouched down to speak with the little girl named Xiaojin. Xiaojin looked up at her teacher, a large picture book open on her lap. With her big eyes wide, she nodded vigorously, her two pigtails bouncing.
“Yes, that’s my husband…” Lin Qile smiled as she explained to her two young colleagues, “…We’re about to have our wedding ceremony. He just came back from Hong Kong… The invitations have just been printed. I’ll bring them tomorrow…”
The rain had stopped. Jiang Qiaoxi held his wife’s hand as they walked toward the parking lot across the street from the kindergarten. As soon as they crossed the road, Lin Yingtao suddenly threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist, all traces of a teacher’s reserve gone.
“Why did you come?” Lin Yingtao bounced in his arms, looking up at him with delight. “You didn’t even tell me in advance!”
Jiang Qiaoxi looked down at her.
It was already the fourth day since his return from Hong Kong.
“I wanted to come yesterday,” he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair, “but somehow there were so many things to do.”
Lin Yingtao held back a smile and carefully examined his face again. She lowered her voice and said gleefully, “My colleagues said you’re much more handsome than in the photos… They didn’t even recognize you!”
Jiang Qiaoxi listened, turning his head to look at the traffic light, seeming quite pleased with the compliment.
Mr. and Mrs. Lin were busy preparing dinner at home when Lin Yingtao entered, announcing, “Mom, Dad! We’re home!” She carried a shopping bag into the kitchen, saying, “I bought the soy sauce.”
Jiang Qiaoxi came in and changed his shoes. Looking up, he saw that the TV in the living room was replaying “A Bite of China.”
Mr. Lin came out of the kitchen and said, “Qiaoxi, come take a look at these wedding invitations. Should we send them to your former bosses, colleagues, classmates, and teachers in Hong Kong?”
Mrs. Lin was plating the dishes and said to Lin Yingtao, “Your dad has been writing invitations all day at home.” She then turned and added, “Old Lin, if people are coming from Hong Kong for the wedding, we need to cover their airfare and arrange hotels!”
Mr. Lin replied from the living room, “A child’s wedding is a very meaningful day! I just wanted to ask Qiaoxi if there are any close friends he’d like to invite to witness the children’s happiness.”
Jiang Qiaoxi took off his suit jacket and looked through the invitations his father-in-law had written, as well as the proposed guest list—which was full of uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas from Yingtao’s childhood at the mountain work site.
He smiled, then looked up to see his mother-in-law bringing out steaming dishes. He rolled up his shirt sleeves and stood up to help, “Mom, let me take that.”
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Note for this Our Generation – Chapter:
“A Bite of China” (舌尖上的中国): This is a food documentary series directed by Chen Xiaoqing and produced by China Central Television (CCTV). The first season premiered in 2012, and the second season began airing on April 18, 2014.
This popular documentary series showcases the diverse culinary traditions and food culture across China. It explores the relationship between food and people’s lives, highlighting regional specialties, cooking techniques, and the stories behind various dishes. The show gained widespread acclaim for its high-quality production and its role in promoting Chinese cuisine both domestically and internationally.