Chapter 184: What Fun Can Two Women Have?

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: What Fun Can Two Women Have?

"Really? That’s wonderful!"

Seeing Lu Tingting’s face on the verge of tears, Shen Yanzhi realized he had accidentally spoken his thoughts aloud and quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Teacher Lu, what I mean is, you can go home and reunite with your family. They must miss you very much. I wish you a safe journey back in advance."

Lu Tingting’s lips trembled in a pout. "Teacher Shen, I’m not stupid. You just find me annoying and can’t wait for me to leave. Don’t you like me even a little? Am I really that detestable to you?"

"I’m sorry, Teacher Lu. I’m sure you’ll meet someone who is a perfect match for you in the future."

Lu Tingting returned to the guesthouse, completely dejected.

As soon as she entered the guesthouse courtyard, she heard a familiar "Hey~" from above.

She looked up and glared, cheeks puffed in anger, at Jiang Moli, who was waving at her with a showy smile from behind the second-floor railing. "What do you want?"

"Don’t be so downcast. It makes you look short."

Lu Tingting shot her a fierce glare.

Huffing indignantly, she went upstairs and stormed into Jiang Moli’s room. "It was all your terrible idea! It was completely useless."

"Could it be that you’re the one who’s useless?"

Lu Tingting couldn’t take it anymore. "Am I that ugly?"

Jiang Moli stepped forward, patted her shoulder, and consoled her, "No need to be so sad. Look at it from another angle: even if you are a toad, you’re a toad with ambition. After all, you did once pursue a swan."

This made Lu Tingting cry out of pure frustration.

The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the school held an evening gala.

As night fell, a flickering bonfire illuminated the schoolyard as brightly as day.

A piano that had been gathering dust for a long time was carried to the base of the flagpole platform.

Shen Yanzhi, dressed all in white, sat at the piano. His long, slender fingers danced across the keys, producing a beautiful melody.

Accompanied by the piano, the students swayed their heads and sang in a loud chorus, "The stars in the sky are silent, the children on the ground are thinking of their mothers..."

Their clear, resonant voices pierced the night sky.

The students’ young, innocent faces were cast in a vivid, lively glow by the red flames.

From time to time, Lu Tingting raised her hand to wipe away tears.

’This is so sad. I don’t want to leave.’

Jiang Moli teased her, "If you’re so reluctant to leave, why don’t you just stay?"

Lu Tingting glared at her with red, watery eyes. "Why don’t you stay?"

"I have other things to do back home."

"Oh, cut the crap. You just think it’s too poor here."

The two of them had barely exchanged a few words when the song suddenly stopped, replaced by the children’s voices speaking in unison:

"Teacher Jiang, Teacher Lu, thank you for your selfless dedication and diligent teaching. You’ve worked hard!"

Tonight’s event was both a Mid-Autumn gala and a farewell party for the two of them.

Lu Tingting began to cry uncontrollably.

After the gala ended, Jiang Moli helped clean up the area.

"Teacher Moli."

Jiang Moli turned around, breaking into a smile at the sisters, Zhong Xinxin and Zhong Xi’er, who had called out to her.

"What’s up?"

Zhong Xinxin asked shyly, "After you go back to your hometown, can I write you letters?"

Jiang Moli beamed. "Of course, you can. Once you’ve written a letter, just give it to Camp Commander Lu, and he’ll mail it to me."

Zhong Xi’er blinked her bright eyes and asked in a clear, crisp voice, "Teacher Moli, will you come back someday?"

The adoration in the girl’s eyes warmed Jiang Moli’s heart, making it go soft.

She stroked the girl’s cheek. "You and your sister must study hard in the future—not for your parents, not for your teachers, but for yourselves. The more you read, the more choices you will have in the future."

The two sisters nodded earnestly.

’Even though the other families always spoke ill of Teacher Moli behind her back, saying Moli didn’t do proper work and was gluttonous and lazy...’

’...in their hearts, Teacher Moli was a very, very good person.’

’She not only taught them how to sing and perform in skits, but she also told them about the wonderful world outside and even took them into the city to broaden their horizons.’

’Their short month together had left a deep and vibrant memory on their entire childhood.’

’They would never forget Teacher Moli for the rest of their lives!’

When the cleanup was almost done, Jiang Moli prepared to head back to the guesthouse.

Her gaze swept around, and she saw Lu Tingting squatting on the flagpole platform like a little mushroom, staring into space.

She walked over. "Let’s go. Time to go back and sleep."

Lu Tingting looked at her with red-rimmed eyes and said in a muffled voice, "I don’t want to go back."

"Then you can sleep here."

After saying that, Jiang Moli turned and walked away.

Lu Tingting stared at her retreating back. Seeing her get farther and farther away, she quickly hopped off the platform and chased after her.

’That damn woman. She really left without me.’

’She probably couldn’t wait to leave me here.’

Back at the guesthouse, Lu Tingting didn’t go to her own room but followed Jiang Moli to her door.

Jiang Moli looked at her. "Why are you following me?"

Lu Tingting said haughtily, "My legs are attached to me. Why do you care where I go?"

Jiang Moli grinned. "Fine. Then you can come in and help me pack."

"In your dreams!"

Inside the room, Jiang Moli paid Lu Tingting no mind and found her luggage bag to start packing.

Lu Tingting wandered around like a lost soul.

"What’s this?"

Jiang Moli turned to see Lu Tingting holding a sorghum wine bottle that was about half-full with a rose-colored liquid.

It was the rose wine Jiang Wenjuan had given her a couple of days ago, saying it was good for one’s complexion.

Lu Cheng hadn’t been around for the past two days, and she didn’t like drinking by herself when she was down, so she had left it untouched.

"Rose wine."

Hearing that it was wine, Lu Tingting twisted off the cap, sniffed it, and said to Jiang Moli, "Get me a cup. I want to drink."

"How about I prepare some bar snacks for you, too?"

"I’m glad you know your place."

Jiang Moli laughed in exasperation.

Still, she got two cups, poured the wine, and took out some dried fruit snacks she had bought earlier, placing them on the table as an accompaniment.

’They say wine can drown a thousand sorrows, but she wondered if it could do anything for the gloom in her own heart.’

The rose wine lived up to its name. It had a rich rose fragrance and the light sweetness of honey. It tasted quite good.

Jiang Moli downed the rest of her glass in one go. She picked up the bottle to pour some more when Lu Tingting suddenly slammed her hand on the table.

"I don’t get it!"

Jiang Moli poured more wine. "If you can’t figure something out, just let it go. In a couple of days, you won’t even remember it."

Lu Tingting stared at her with eyes like a rabbit’s. "You managed to marry my third uncle. How am I any worse than you? Why won’t Teacher Shen even look at me? Why?"

Jiang Moli sipped the sweet rose wine and offered some half-hearted comfort:

"It’s okay. Maybe one day, your Teacher Shen will appear before you in a formal suit, holding a bouquet of flowers, and say gently, ’Excuse me, you’re in my way.’"

Lu Tingting’s mouth puckered like a fish’s. A second later, she burst into a loud wail.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside.

Seeing a travel-worn Lu Cheng walk in, Jiang Moli’s eyes filled with a delight she herself hadn’t even noticed:

"What are you doing back here?"

"Third Uncle, WAHHH..."

"What’s wrong with her? Did you hit her?"

Looking at his weeping niece, Lu Cheng asked in a tired, hoarse voice.

"She’s heartbroken."

Hearing this, Lu Cheng didn’t spare his niece another glance and sat down next to Jiang Moli, looking at her with doting black eyes.

"I took a day off. I’ll take you to Kun City to catch your train tomorrow morning."

His eyes were webbed with bloodshot veins, and the stubble on his chin had grown thick.

One could only imagine how hard he must have pushed himself just to get this one day off.

A wave of tenderness washed over her heart. Jiang Moli stood up. "I’ll go get you a glass of water."

"I’ll just drink yours."

With that, he picked up the enamel mug in front of her, but upon lifting it to his face, he realized it was wine and put it back on the table.

"You two seem to be having a good time."

"What kind of good time can two women have by themselves?"

Jiang Moli picked up the thermos, only to find it was completely empty.

When Lu Cheng was around, the thermos was always full of hot water.

With him gone for this period, her life seemed to have fallen into disarray.

The room was messy, there were footprints on the floor, and the thermos was no longer kept full of hot water.