Chapter 75: Chapter 75: The Consequences of Courting Disaster
Gu Xiaoqing had no idea that someone was scheming against her family.
Gu Xiaoqing continued her schooling.
Because of Li Zuoxin’s leave of absence, Principal Gu had been substituting classes.
No one dared to give Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Juying a hard time.
At most, Li Fengying, along with two or three close friends, would come and make snide remarks to Gu Xiaoqing from time to time, but generally, they got along quite harmoniously.
In terms of studying, Gu Xiaoqing was putting in a lot of effort, especially since she never attended middle school in her previous life and had almost forgotten all the education from elementary school in this life. So, she worked diligently to keep up.
Her determination also motivated Gu Juying.
Both of them were quite eager to learn.
Li Fengying could not stand Gu Xiaoqing at all. Initially, Li Fengying had no intention of targeting Gu Xiaoqing, but as events unfolded, her resentment towards Gu Xiaoqing grew immensely.
They originally thought that Gu Xiaoqing’s good days would end once Li Zuoxin returned.
After all, wasn’t Li Zuoxin trying to curry favor with her, knowing who her father was?
That was Li Fengying’s leverage.
Using connections to bully others.
Initially, she didn’t even want to wait for Li Zuoxin, but no matter how many times Li Fengying went to the principal’s office to drop hints about her father’s identity,
unfortunately, Principal Gu clearly ignored them and paid no heed.
Li Fengying realized that her strategy wouldn’t work with the principal.
People were not buying it.
There was nothing she could do.
So Li Fengying could only wait for Li Zuoxin to return to have a chance to deal with Gu Xiaoqing.
However, evidently, fate did not give that opportunity to Li Fengying.
Because, just three days after Li Zuoxin took his leave, a new teacher arrived.
He was said to be a fresh university graduate this year, named Fang Nan.
A young man of twenty-three, not only handsome and distinguished but reportedly also a top student from the Normal University, excelling in every subject.
Of course, this stunned all the students.
This teacher was truly a jack-of-all-trades.
Especially for the rural students who had hardly ever seen the world, this teacher who had returned from a big city was almost worshipped by them.
Gu Xiaoqing also met Teacher Fang Nan, but she was merely curious why such a teacher, who obviously grew up in the city, would want to teach in such a remote rural area.
Afterward, in the gossip Li Fengying gathered, Gu Xiaoqing also learned the reason: it turned out that Fang Nan’s parents were military leaders, and due to their long-term engagements with military duties, Fang Nan actually grew up in their county town and even attended high school there.
Because Fang Nan’s grandmother lived in their county town, Fang Nan had a special feeling for the place.
After graduation, he returned to this land, and completely disregarded his family’s connections, requesting a transfer himself to teach in a small rural middle school.
This news shocked many people.
Who wouldn’t want to live a city life?
Yet someone would rather endure hardships in the countryside than live in a big city. This was something many students in the class couldn’t comprehend.
However, Gu Xiaoqing understood; after all, her experiences over the years had taught her much about human nature. Fang Nan was a person of deep feelings.
Because he couldn’t bear to part with his grandmother.
That’s why he developed an affection for this land as well.
But what Gu Xiaoqing valued more was that a new teacher had arrived, and the principal personally explained that Fang Nan would be teaching the first-year students specifically.
This was out of concern that the school’s chaotic teaching methods might scare off this new college graduate.
But apparently, no one expected Fang Nan’s adaptability to be so strong. Within just a couple of days, he was already comfortably teaching the first, second, and third-year students.
The students also enjoyed Fang Nan’s classes very much.
Fang Nan was witty, humorous, and intelligent, leading the students like a big brother down the path of knowledge.
Those subjects that used to be obscure and difficult suddenly became clear and understandable, and even students who previously had little interest in studying gradually developed a significant interest in learning.
Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Juying were among them.
Gu Xiaoqing originally had little advantage in academics but was willing to work hard. Now, with such a unique teacher, her progress was indeed rapid.
Even Principal Gu, seeing the children’s happy and excited faces every day, felt a constant joy in his heart, having unearthed such a promising teacher, how could he not be pleased?
The school’s academic atmosphere reached unprecedented heights.
Principal Gu was comforted by the thought that the graduating exams for the third-year students would likely yield good results.
Of course, not everything was rosy.
Li Zuoxin returned tardily, a week after Fang Nan started teaching.
When he went to the office to report back, his attitude was astonishingly sincere. The usual arrogance and haughtiness seemed to have vanished instantly, and all those rebellious and superior airs seemed to have disappeared from his very essence.
He was bowing and scraping in front of Principal Gu, repeatedly apologizing, saying his health had been poor and that the timing of his illness was unfortunate, causing distress to the old principal. He claimed he returned as soon as he felt slightly better because he was afraid of delaying the students’ learning.
These words sounded very pleasant, but unfortunately, they didn’t move Principal Gu at all.
Principal Gu directly handed over a transfer order he had prepared in advance to Li Zuoxin.
This was a transfer to Shichuan County Middle School.
It bore the bright red stamp of the Education Bureau.
Upon seeing it, Li Zuoxin’s knees went weak.
But he forced himself to maintain composure and spoke at length with Principal Gu about his difficulties, only for Principal Gu to offer a busy schedule as an excuse and leave.
Li Zuoxin was furious inside.
He wandered outside the classroom, seeing the new Fang Nan blending in seamlessly with the students, and anger burned in his heart and lungs.
This was like having his job forcefully taken away.
Shichuan County Middle School, though it appeared to be a county middle school, this county was not the same as this one.
Shichuan County was a different county, two hundred miles from Liuhe County.
It seemed like a promotion, but only Li Zuoxin knew it actually moved him further away from his wife and kids.
The hope of transferring back became even slimmer.
Thinking about it pained his heart.
He never imagined that his mere temper tantrum would lead to such drastic changes, escalating from just a dispute between two students to a confrontation with the principal, now ending with him being directly kicked out.
Just wait and see, he’s not someone to be trifled with either.