From a county-level lecture hall to a nationally renowned teacher

一

The first snow of December 2005 fell on a Friday evening.

Lin Zhiyuan stood by the classroom window, watching snowflakes drift down from the gray sky. The snow in the city was lighter than in the county town; it melted as soon as it hit the ground, leaving the roads wet and reflecting the dim yellow light of the streetlights. The students had already left school; the classroom was empty, the desks and chairs were neatly arranged, and the blackboard still bore the words from the afternoon lesson—"Qinyuanchun: Snow."

"The scenery of the Northland is magnificent, with thousands of miles of ice and snow."

He picked up the blackboard eraser and carefully wiped away the words, bit by bit. Chalk dust danced in the lamplight like tiny snowflakes. He erased slowly, as if he were doing something that required serious attention.

The phone rang. It was Su Wanqing.

"It's snowing, did you bring an umbrella?"

"I didn't bring any. The snow wasn't heavy."

"You're always like this. The weather forecast said there would be moderate snow tonight, and you didn't bring an umbrella. You came back soaked and caught a cold."

"I'll take a taxi back."

"You always say you'll take a taxi, but you always walk."

Lin Zhiyuan smiled. Su Wanqing knew him too well. He really did plan to walk back, not because he didn't want to spend the taxi fare, but because he wanted to walk in the snow. He had been in the city for almost half a year, and he still hadn't really seen the city at night.

He turned off the lights, locked the door, and walked out of the school building. A thin layer of white had already blanketed the playground; his footprints crunched softly underfoot. He reached the school gate and glanced back. A few lights shone from the Yucai Middle School building in the snowy night, quiet as a painting.

He walked slowly. He continued south along Renmin Road, passing an intersection, a bakery that was still open, and a telephone booth with its lights on. The snow was falling heavier and heavier, and his hair and shoulders were covered in white snowflakes. He exhaled a puff of white breath, rubbed his hands together, and continued walking.

It was almost eight o'clock when they got home. Su Wanqing opened the door and saw that he was covered in snow. She glared at him but didn't say anything. She just took a dry towel and helped him dry his hair.

"The food's still warm in the pot. You eat first, I have a report to write."

"You go ahead and do your work, I'll do it myself."

Lin Zhiyuan changed his shoes and went into the kitchen. There was braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of tomato and egg soup in the pot. He put the food on the table and ate alone. The snow was still falling outside the window; through the small kitchen window, he could see the rooftops of the buildings across the street were completely white.

After finishing his meal, he washed the dishes and walked to the study door. Su Wanqing was sitting in front of the computer typing, her brows slightly furrowed and her lips tightly pressed together. She didn't notice him standing in the doorway. He watched for a moment, then, without disturbing her, turned and went to the living room.

He sat on the sofa, picked up a book, opened it, but didn't read. His mind was a jumble of thoughts—how to teach next week's classes, how to improve Chen Hao's Chinese grades, how Lin Xiaoxi's new essay was progressing, and why Lu Yiming was becoming increasingly silent. As he thought, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and the book slipped from his hands.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he felt someone cover him with a blanket. He opened his eyes and saw Su Wanqing squatting in front of the sofa, tucking the blanket around him.

"Have you finished writing?"

"You're done writing. Why don't you go to bed?"

"Wait for you."

Su Wanqing looked at him, her eyes a little red.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she said, lowering her head. "I just feel like you're too tired."

Lin Zhiyuan reached out and touched her hair. Her hair was soft and smelled of shampoo.

"I'm not tired. I'm not tired when I'm with you."

two

In mid-December, final exams were approaching.

Unlike the county's top high school, Yucai Middle School's second-year students don't have monthly exams, only midterms and finals. However, there are many tests every week, with a small test every two weeks and a large test every two weeks. The results are ranked and posted in the parents' group chat. Lin Zhiyuan doesn't like this approach, but it's the school's rule, and he has to abide by it.

Chen Hao's Chinese language grades still hadn't improved. He scored 72 on the midterm exam, third from the bottom in the class. Lin Zhiyuan called him to his office, but instead of criticizing him, he simply asked, "Where do you think the problem lies?"

"I don't know." Chen Hao leaned back in his chair, looking nonchalant.

"You said you liked listening to stories last time, so I've been telling stories in every class since then. Have you listened?"

"I heard it."

"Did you hear me?"

Chen Hao was silent for a moment, then said, "Teacher Lin, it's not that I don't want to learn, it's that I can't concentrate. I get a headache whenever I see classical Chinese, and I feel sleepy whenever I see reading comprehension exercises. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Lin Zhiyuan looked at him. This boy was full of energy when playing basketball, but he became listless in class. It wasn't that he was stupid, it was that his mind wasn't on it.

"Chen Hao, I have a question for you. What do you want to do in the future?"

"Play basketball. Join the provincial team, play in the CBA."

"Do you even know that you need academic subjects to play basketball? If your academic subjects aren't good enough, you can't even become a sports specialist."

Chen Hao fell silent.

"I don't need you to get a high score, I just need you to pass. Passing is enough. Is it difficult to get 90 in Chinese?"

"It's not difficult."

"Then why didn't you pass the exam?"

Chen Hao lowered his head, thought for a while, and said, "Teacher Lin, please tutor me."

Lin Zhiyuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected Chen Hao to offer tutoring.

Are you sure?

"I'm sure. I don't want others to look down on me."

Nobody looks down on you.

"Yes." Chen Hao looked up. "Lu Yiming looks down on me. He thinks I'm a sports student and I'm brainless."

Lin Zhiyuan thought of Lu Yiming. That boy, who had excellent grades but a withdrawn personality, did not really associate with Chen Hao.

"How about this, I'll give you half an hour of extra tutoring every Wednesday afternoon after school. Bring your textbooks, and we'll go through them from the beginning."

"it is good."

three

The make-up classes started on Wednesday.

Chen Hao's foundation was even worse than Lin Zhiyuan had imagined. He couldn't distinguish between content words and function words in classical Chinese, couldn't find the main idea in reading comprehension, and his essays lacked even the basic structure. Lin Zhiyuan started explaining from the very basics, going through each point slowly and in great detail.

Chen Hao studied diligently. He stopped being so carefree and sat down in his chair with a pen in hand, writing down everything Lin Zhiyuan said. His notes were neat and his handwriting was better than usual.

"You can be quite impressive when you get serious," Lin Zhiyuan said.

"I can certainly do a decent job when I'm serious," Chen Hao grinned. "It's just that I'm usually too lazy to be serious."

"Could you please be more serious in the future?"

I will try my best.

During the third tutoring session, Chen Hao brought a basketball. After the lesson, he handed the basketball to Lin Zhiyuan: "Teacher Lin, let me teach you how to play basketball. You're too thin; you need to exercise."

Lin Zhiyuan looked at the basketball, then at Chen Hao: "I can't play."

"I'll teach you. It's very simple, just dribbling and shooting."

The two went to the playground. It was almost dark, and there weren't many people on the playground. Chen Hao taught him how to dribble, but after a few dribbles, the ball went away. Chen Hao retrieved it for him and then taught him how to shoot, but he missed the target completely. Chen Hao smiled, and he smiled too.

"Mr. Lin, your way of playing ball is completely different from your way of teaching. You know everything in class, but you know nothing when you're playing ball."

"Everyone has their own expertise." Lin Zhiyuan said, panting. "I'll teach Chinese, and you'll teach me how to play ball."

"make a deal."

From that day on, every Wednesday after their tutoring classes, the two would go to the playground to play basketball for half an hour. Lin Zhiyuan's skills improved slowly, but he enjoyed the feeling of running and sweating on the court. Su Wanqing said he looked better, and he attributed it to playing basketball.

four

In late December, Lin Xiaoxi published an essay in the school magazine.

It was about her grandmother, the same piece she'd shown Lin Zhiyuan before. The school magazine editor loved it and gave her a full page. When Lin Xiaoxi received the sample copy, her hands were trembling with excitement.

"Teacher Lin, look, my name is printed on it!"

"I saw it. Congratulations."

"You helped me revise it. Without you, this article would never have been published."

"I only offered a suggestion. You wrote the article, and you're the author; it has nothing to do with me."

Lin Xiaoxi shook her head: "No, it's all thanks to you. You taught me how to turn my thoughts into words."

Lin Zhiyuan looked at her and suddenly remembered the first time he published an article. It was in college, when he published an essay in the school magazine about the river in his hometown. He was just as excited when he saw his name in print. At that time, he thought he would become a writer someday. Later, he became a teacher and didn't become a writer. But he taught students who could write, which made him happier than if he had become a writer himself.

"Lin Xiaoxi, do you want to be a writer when you grow up?"

"Yes," Lin Xiaoxi said without hesitation. "I want to write many, many stories so that many people can read them."

"Then you need to read more, write more, and observe life more. You can't become a writer by sitting at home; you need to go out, see more people, and experience more things."

"I understand, Ms. Lin. I will try my best."

After Lin Xiaoxi left, Lin Zhiyuan sat in his chair, looking at the school magazine she had left behind. He flipped to her article and read it again. The article was more mature than before, the language more concise, and the emotions more restrained. She had improved very quickly.

He put the school magazine into his drawer. This drawer was already quite full—student letters, photos, greeting cards, and sample copies of published works. From Zhou Haitao to Chen Yutong, from Chen Yutong to Lin Xiaoxi, one graduating class after another, one student after another. His drawer grew fuller and fuller, and so did his heart.

五

On the eve of New Year's Day, Lin Zhiyuan received a greeting card.

It was sent from Beijing. He opened the envelope; inside was a postcard with a picture of Peking University's gate on the front and a message on the back: "Happy New Year, Professor Lin. I've arrived in Beijing and seen a bigger world. Thank you. — Zhou Haitao"

Lin Zhiyuan stared at the postcard for a long while, stunned. Zhou Haitao had been admitted to Peking University's graduate program? He remembered Zhou Haitao saying he wanted to take the graduate entrance exam, but he never expected him to get into Peking University.

He picked up his phone and dialed Zhou Haitao's number.

"Zhou Haitao, you got into Peking University?"

"Teacher Lin, I was just about to tell you. I received my acceptance letter last month, but I wanted to wait until it was confirmed before letting you know."

Why didn't you say so sooner?

I want to give you a surprise.

Lin Zhiyuan held his phone, unsure what to say. He remembered that thin boy, wearing a faded T-shirt, sitting in the last row by the window, writing in his essay, "I want to leave with my head held high." He really left. From Tangcun Township to the county seat, from the county seat to the provincial capital, from the provincial capital to Beijing. He traveled a very, very long way, farther than anyone could imagine.

"Zhou Haitao, do your parents know?"

"I know. My dad cried. He's never cried before, but he cried that day."

Lin Zhiyuan's eyes welled up with tears. He took a deep breath to keep his voice from trembling.

"Study hard in Beijing. Come back and be a good teacher."

"Teacher Lin, I will. I will be a good teacher like you."

六

On New Year's Day, Lin Zhiyuan and Su Wanqing did not go out.

The two slept in until they naturally woke up, then went to the market together. Su Wanqing picked out the vegetables, while Lin Zhiyuan carried the bags. The market was bustling, crowded with people, and filled with shouts and calls. Su Wanqing haggled with a fishmonger and finally got a two-yuan discount, making her as happy as if she had found money.

"You've learned how to manage a household now," Lin Zhiyuan said.

"Did I not know how to manage a household before?"

"You weren't very good at it before. Now you're getting better and better."

"That's because I have to support you." Su Wanqing rolled her eyes at him. "How can you manage without being frugal with the little salary you earn?"

Lin Zhiyuan smiled but didn't refute. He really didn't earn much. After being transferred to the city, his salary increased somewhat, but the cost of living in the city was also higher than in the county. Rent, utilities, food, transportation—there wasn't much money left each month. Su Wanqing's salary was higher than his, but she never mentioned it; she covered most of the household expenses.

"Lin Zhiyuan, I have something to tell you," Su Wanqing said while picking out vegetables.

"What is it?"

"I am pregnant."

The bag in Lin Zhiyuan's hand fell to the ground. Vegetables rolled out, and a round cabbage rolled into the middle of the road.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I'm pregnant." Su Wanqing looked up at him, her eyes filled with both laughter and tears. "Two months along."

Lin Zhiyuan stood there, frozen in place. People around him were watching him, and the fishmonger called out to him, "Young man, you dropped your vegetables!" But he couldn't hear anything. He only saw Su Wanqing's face, only the smile and tears in her eyes.

"Why...why didn't you say so sooner?"

"I want to tell you after things stabilize."

"So tell me now, is it stable?"

"It's stable. The doctor said everything is normal."

Lin Zhiyuan squatted down, picked up the fallen cabbage, and then held Su Wanqing's hand in his. Her hands were cold, and her fingertips were rough from years of washing her hands. He held those hands for a long time.

"Su Wanqing".

"Um?"

"Thank you."

"You're here again." Su Wanqing smiled, tears streaming down her face. "If you say thank you again, I'll get angry."

"Thank you for giving me a home."

Su Wanqing didn't speak. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried. It wasn't a suppressed cry, but a cathartic, joyful cry. People came and went in the market; some turned to look at them, some smiled, and someone remarked, "What a loving couple." Lin Zhiyuan held Su Wanqing in his arms, standing in the middle of the market, feeling that this was the happiest moment of his life.

Seven

On the way home, Lin Zhiyuan held Su Wanqing's hand the whole time.

He walked slowly, afraid she would get tired. Su Wanqing said, "I'm not a patient, why are you walking so slowly?" He said, "You have someone in your belly, I have to be careful." Su Wanqing smiled and didn't pull her hand away from his.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"Anything is fine."

"You can say whatever you want."

"It's fine either way. Boys and girls are both our children."

Su Wanqing thought for a moment and said, "I want a girl. Girls are considerate."

"Then it's a girl."

"Can you decide?"

"I can't. But we can hope."

The two walked home under the bright sunshine, which shone brightly on the sidewalk. The plane trees along the roadside had lost all their leaves, their bare branches swaying in the wind. In the distance, someone was flying a kite; a small red kite floated in the sky, its string long.

"Lin Zhiyuan, tell me, who do you think our child will look like?"

"Like you. Beautiful."

"Like you. Smart."

"You're the best. You're both beautiful and smart."

Su Wanqing smiled, a very happy smile. She pulled her hand away from Lin Zhiyuan's and took his arm. The two of them walked home arm in arm like that.

Eight

That evening, Lin Zhiyuan called his parents and told them that Su Wanqing was pregnant.

The mother cried on the other end of the phone, and the father said beside her, "Why are you crying? This is a good thing." The mother said, "I'm happy," and the father said, "If you're happy, then laugh. Why are you crying?" They argued for a few moments, then laughed together again.

"Zhiyuan, you must take good care of Wanqing," her mother said. "She lives alone in the city, so please help with the housework."

"I know."

"Don't just know it, you have to do it."

I will try my best.

"Not as much as possible, but absolutely necessary."

Lin Zhiyuan hung up the phone and went into the study. Su Wanqing was sitting in front of the computer, writing something. He walked over and hugged her from behind.

"What did your mom say?"

"Let me take good care of you."

"Your mother is right."

"I will."

Su Wanqing turned her head and looked at him. The light from the table lamp shone on her face, revealing her fair skin and bright eyes.

"Lin Zhiyuan, do you think we'll be good parents?"

"meeting."

How did you know?

"Because we're all learning. No one is born knowing how to be a parent; everyone learns."

Su Wanqing nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. The two sat there in silence. A gentle night breeze blew outside the window, causing the curtains to sway slightly. In the distance, the faint sound of children's laughter seemed to come from a very far place.

Lin Zhiyuan closed his eyes and silently thought to himself: From today onwards, he is not only a teacher, not only a husband, but also a father. His life has gained another role, another responsibility. He doesn't know if he's doing a good job, but he will try his best. He will be as serious as a teacher and as devoted as a husband.

He will try his best to be a good father.