Chapter 28: Ostracized by the Teacher

The shrill sobs of Sister-in-Law Liu came from next door. Fu Xiaoxiao exchanged a glance with Lu Chen, then stepped outside and saw Wang Lu standing at the doorway, utterly at a loss as he watched Sister-in-Law Liu wail.

At last, she understood why Wang Lu had thought she seemed different just now.

She had been far too calm.

Compared with Sister-in-Law Liu, this was the real reaction when something happened to one’s man...

“Little Wang.” Fu Xiaoxiao walked over. The moment Wang Lu saw her, he hurriedly appealed to her for help.

“Sister-in-Law, please help me persuade Sister-in-Law Liu. Company Commander Liu isn’t dead—he’s only been injured a little...” Seeing her reaction, Wang Lu was frightened. He had merely said that Company Commander Liu had been injured; before he could finish the sentence, Sister-in-Law Liu let out a howl.

Though he had been mentally prepared, her cry still made him jump.

“Sister-in-Law, don’t cry yet. Little Wang said it’s only a minor external injury.” Fu Xiaoxiao stepped forward, supported her, and helped her sit down in a chair.

“That’s what he said last time, too, but the result was that half of my Old Liu’s leg was burned. It took six months to heal.” Wiping away her tears, Sister-in-Law Liu shot Wang Lu an accusing look.

Wang Lu blinked innocently and forced out a bitter smile.

The way she put it, one would think he had blown Company Commander Liu up himself.

“Sister-in-Law, this really is only a minor injury. It’s nothing serious! He came back safely, and injuries can be nursed slowly.” After Fu Xiaoxiao comforted her for a while, Sister-in-Law Liu finally calmed down.

When Fu Xiaoxiao came out of the Liu household, Wang Lu cast her a grateful look.

“Sister-in-Law, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, Sister-in-Law Liu would have cried for ages. I’m terrible with words and don’t know how to comfort people.”

Wang Lu let out a sigh of relief. Every time he had to deliver news like this, it nearly cost him half his life. If any of these wives cried themselves into trouble, he simply could not bear the responsibility.

“Were there many people injured this time?” Fu Xiaoxiao asked.

Wang Lu nodded. “More or less, everyone suffered some injury. The severity varies.”

“Because Battalion Commander Lu is unconscious, they can’t travel too quickly, so he’ll be transferred back later. He should be brought back tonight. The others will probably return this afternoon.” Wang Lu explained it all to Fu Xiaoxiao.

“Thank you for telling me.” After thanking him, Fu Xiaoxiao turned and went home.

Lu Chen poked out his little head. When he saw Fu Xiaoxiao return, his eyes glimmered with tears.

“It’s all right. Daddy Lu will be back tonight. Then we’ll go see him.” Fu Xiaoxiao coaxed him gently.

“All right.” Lu Chen nodded obediently, his eyes still shining with tears.

Back in the kitchen, Fu Xiaoxiao served out the rice she had cooked and began making fried rice with cured pork. Once the pork had released its fragrant oil, she added the greens and stir-fried them briefly, then poured in the cooked rice and tossed everything together. After seasoning it, a steaming, wonderfully fragrant pan of cured-pork fried rice was ready.

“It smells so good.”

It had been who knew how long since Lu Chen had eaten meat. The moment he caught the scent, he clung to Fu Xiaoxiao’s side and refused to leave.

“Smells wonderful, doesn’t it? Careful not to burn your mouth. Blow on it first!” Seeing how ravenous he looked, Fu Xiaoxiao filled two bowls and carried them outside, with Lu Chen following eagerly behind her.

“Mmm—mmm—mmm...” Lu Chen could hardly wait. He blew on the food once or twice, then stuffed it into his mouth. Even after scalding himself, he refused to spit it out, instead covering his little mouth and running around the courtyard.

Fu Xiaoxiao chuckled. She gently blew on the rice in her own spoon and happily took a bite.

The savory fragrance of the cured pork, the freshness of the greens, and the soft, tender rice blended into an incomparable delicacy—a taste so blissful it made her sigh with contentment.

Lu Chen’s grief had been healed by that bowl of fried rice. After finishing it, he patted his round little belly in satisfaction.

Watching his contented expression, Fu Xiaoxiao felt cheerful as well.

Good food was the finest cure of all.

She took out a lunchbox and filled it to the brim, then reached for Lu Chen’s little hand.

“Come on. We’re taking lunch to your brother!”

“Yes.”

Lu Chen happily followed Fu Xiaoxiao toward Upper River Village.

Without Wang Lu this time, Fu Xiaoxiao simply held Lu Chen’s hand and walked all the way to the village. It was lunchtime, and villagers sat in groups along the edges of the fields, eating their meals.

“Hey, aren’t you the one who rid our village of that—what was it...?”

An elderly woman recognized Fu Xiaoxiao’s face and greeted her with a smile.

“Hello, Aunties.” Fu Xiaoxiao nodded and smiled.

“Where are you headed?” Several older women gathered around, asking curiously.

“I’m taking lunch to my eldest son.” Fu Xiaoxiao pointed toward the elementary school ahead.

“Oh, your older boy! Then hurry along. Don’t let the child go hungry.” Once they heard that, the women stopped bothering her and sat back down to continue eating.

“We’ll chat another time.”

Fu Xiaoxiao brought Lu Chen to the school. Many children were running about wildly, while some had already left the grounds to go home for lunch.

When the two of them found the classroom, they saw Lu Lin sitting alone at his desk in the empty room.

“Xiao Lin.”

Seeing the solemn expression on his face, Fu Xiaoxiao could not help calling out to him.

“Brother!”

Lu Chen ran toward Lu Lin in excitement.

Hearing Fu Xiaoxiao and Lu Chen’s voices, Lu Lin looked up in surprise. The gloom in his eyes vanished.

“Aunt Fu made cured-pork fried rice. It’s delicious!” Like a treasure he was proudly presenting, Lu Chen placed the lunchbox in front of Lu Lin.

The instant the lunchbox was opened, the rich aroma of meat filled the room. Lu Lin’s famished stomach immediately issued an impatient summons for food.

“Growl, growl...”

“Hee-hee, you must be starving, Brother! Eat quickly!” Lu Chen cheerfully took out a spoon and placed it in Lu Lin’s hand.

“Have you eaten?” Lu Lin looked at Lu Chen and asked seriously.

Lu Chen patted his round little belly, and just then, a burp rose up.

“Burp...”

Fu Xiaoxiao was amused by his cuteness.

“Don’t worry. He’s eaten until he’s completely full. Hurry and eat, or it’ll get cold!” Fu Xiaoxiao sat down at the desk in front and smiled at Lu Lin.

Lu Lin took a bite. Light immediately sparked in his eyes, and he began eating spoonful after spoonful at astonishing speed.

“Ah! That smells so good! Hey, what are you eating?” The aroma of the cured-pork fried rice drifted outside, attracting several children who had been chasing one another around.

“Fried rice.” Lu Lin glanced at them and answered blandly.

“It smells so good—and there’s meat...” Seeing the fried rice in Lu Lin’s lunchbox, the children stared at it with undisguised envy.

To be able to eat meat even before the New Year—how enviable.

“If you let us have one bite, we’ll be your friends. How about it?” One of the older children looked at Lu Lin, longing in his eyes.

“No.”

Lu Lin refused without hesitation.

“Hey! Teacher Xu won’t let us play with you, but I’m willing to play with you. Just let me have one bite!” The child grew anxious when Lu Lin rejected him.

Fu Xiaoxiao frowned when she heard that.

“Teacher Xu won’t let you play with him? What does that mean?” She beckoned to the child.

Lu Lin pressed his lips together and said nothing.

The child looked at Fu Xiaoxiao and fell silent.

Fu Xiaoxiao took a handful of sweets from her pocket.

“If you tell me, I’ll give you these.”

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! During class just now, Teacher Xu asked him a question, but he couldn’t answer it. Teacher Xu called him stupid and told us to stay away from him—to never be friends with a fool!”

The moment the children saw the sweets in Fu Xiaoxiao’s hand, they forgot all about their teacher and eagerly told her everything that had happened.