A delicate beauty takes a place in a marriage, while a cold, rough man seduces her every night.

The book "On the Nourishment of Qi and Blood" quietly peeked out from under the blanket.

It really came in very handy.

Xiao Jingye had already overcome a major hurdle after reading only half of the book. He was determined to finish it and study its contents carefully.

The title page was written in a very formal style, with phrases like Yin and Yang, Qi and Blood, and self-cultivation.

The contents inside are surprisingly unique, and it even comes with black and white illustrations.

Xiao Jingye read a few chapters and applied what he learned; to his surprise, it actually worked!

The book says that one should never be impatient in anything.

First, you need to gently caress and kiss them until they feel weak all over and relaxed, then gradually move on to the main topic.

The process was long, but also quite enjoyable.

The moment they truly embraced was a physical and mental tremor unlike anything they had ever experienced in the first half of their lives.

Only when Zeng Yumei called them to dinner from outside the courtyard did Xiao Jingye slowly release her.

Qiao Qingyan's chest rose and fell slightly as she took deep breaths to even out her breathing.

Xiao Jingye raised his hand to wipe away the trace of saliva that had spilled from the corner of her lips, his voice low and gentle: "I'll go to the kitchen to get some rice."

Not long after lunch, the village postman delivered a letter.

The envelope was sent from Beijing. In the letter, He Yannian said that they would probably have to postpone their visit until after National Day.

Qingyan wrote a letter back to her brother using the new fountain pen that Xiao Jingye had bought.

The pen feels substantial in the hand and writes smoothly and effortlessly, which Qingyan really likes.

-

When Qiao Qingyan returned to school on Monday, the news that she had ranked first in the written test had already spread throughout the office. Several teachers greeted her with smiles and went up to congratulate her.

"Teacher Qiao, I heard you got first place in the written exam! That's amazing! You've practically got a spot as a public school teacher this year!"

"Yes, congratulations in advance! We knew you would succeed."

Qingyan smiled gently and answered each question humbly.

My gaze swept to the right, and Teacher Yu's desk was empty; she hadn't come to school today.

During the break, Qingyan ran into Principal Zhou and casually asked him about it. Principal Zhou said that Teacher Yu had asked for leave because of family matters.

The results will be announced this Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, Principal Zhou went to the Education Bureau for a meeting. On Friday morning, he arrived at the school and convened all the teachers in the principal's office to convey the various work arrangements issued by the Education Bureau.

Everyone sat around the long table in the principal's office.

At the long conference table, Ms. Sun's seat was empty; she had taken leave for more than half a month due to family matters. Everyone else was present.

Teacher Yu just returned to work today after her leave, and happened to be sitting diagonally opposite Qingyan.

She kept her eyes down the whole time, and didn't say a word while the other teachers took turns speaking, which was unusually quiet.

Principal Zhou's gaze lingered on the teacher and Qiao Qingyan for two seconds each, then he picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of strong tea, and slowly began to speak:

"I went to the Education Bureau yesterday and received the official notification regarding the results of the competitive selection process for teachers transferred from private to public schools."

Qingyan listened attentively, while Teacher Yu looked up at the principal.

Principal Zhou cleared his throat and began by saying, "The number of public school positions is limited this time. Teachers who are successfully selected should dedicate themselves to teaching even more in the future; those who are not selected should not be discouraged, as there will still be opportunities to apply for the position next year."

Qingyan's heart leaped into her throat, pounding wildly.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't expecting anything. After all, we'd fought so many battles day and night, and the more we valued it, the more nervous we became about the outcome.

The atmosphere froze for a few seconds. Principal Zhou took a document out of his bag, glanced at Qingyan, and handed it to Teacher Yu.

"Teacher Yu, the Education Bureau has officially issued your appointment notice. Congratulations on becoming a public school teacher."

The sound struck Qingyan's heart like a heavy hammer.

Her Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and she stood there, stunned, unable to process what had just happened.

Teacher Yu seemed surprised. She glanced at Qingyan, then pointed to herself: "Me?"

"Yes, it's you," Principal Zhou replied in a deep voice.

The other teachers all looked surprised; clearly, this result had exceeded everyone's expectations.

The meeting ended, and everyone gradually dispersed.

Qingyan struggled to her feet and slowly got up, walking towards the door. Behind her came Principal Zhou's comforting voice: "Teacher Qiao, don't be discouraged. One competition doesn't mean anything. You're young, try again next time."

Her fingers, hanging limply at her sides, trembled slightly. Qingyan suppressed the bitterness welling up inside her and turned to Principal Zhou to politely ask the question that had been nagging at her:

"Principal Zhou, may I ask what our combined assessment scores were?"

Principal Zhou shook his head: "The overall scores will not be made public for the time being. I only received the final admission list at the meeting yesterday."

He added at the end, "This result is the final judgment."

Qingyan forced a slight smile and nodded, "Okay, thank you, Principal, I understand."

A strong-willed person always finds it hard to accept failure.

From preparing the application materials to studying day and night for nearly a month, she attended classes during the day and studied at night, memorizing every knowledge point thoroughly, so she was able to answer questions with ease in the exam room.

In order to get a high score in the open class, the lesson plan was revised and polished no less than ten times, and the process was practiced at home several times.

So even though her lesson plan got wet and all the writing was blurry that day, Qingyan was still able to walk onto the stage calmly and deliver the open class smoothly in excellent condition.

This is all the result of her hard work.

Top of the written exam list, and delivered a flawless performance in the open class;

He comes from a respectable family and graduated from a key high school in the provincial capital, where he excelled academically.

During my two years of teaching after graduation, I taught multiple courses including Chinese, mathematics, and physical geography. I was diligent and conscientious, and my teaching methods were always innovative.

Although I haven't been teaching for very long, I was awarded the title of Outstanding Teacher by the school last year.

She never showed any arrogance, but the moment the written test results came out, she was already certain that she had at least a 70-80% chance of winning the job.

Just like when she was in school, she could vaguely guess that she would be the top student of the semester without even waiting for the end-of-semester announcement.

Now, her confidence has been shattered by reality.

She acknowledged that Teacher Yu was equally excellent, had a longer teaching career, and was diligent and conscientious in her daily work. Qingyan was happy for her that she had been elected as a public school teacher.

However, this joy did not conflict with the immense disappointment of her inner confidence being shattered.

After putting in so much effort and having your hopes dashed, anyone would feel bad.

She had been holding back these emotions all day. She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and, with her eyes stinging, earnestly finished the lesson for her students.

When I left work, I smiled and said goodbye to my colleagues, including Teacher Yu and Teacher Zhang.

Walking on the road, the dark clouds seemed to press heavily on my head, making my chest feel tight and I couldn't breathe.

Qingyan comforted herself: It's just a competition, there will be other opportunities next year.

But why? She got first place in the written exam, almost a perfect score!

It's okay, there will be another chance next year.

But why? She was clearly superior.

She kept convincing herself that the education bureau leaders must be fair and impartial, and that it must be that she herself had shortcomings.

Sitting on the back of the bicycle, Duoduo noticed that her sister-in-law was unusually sullen today. She thought it was because her sister-in-law had found out that she had asked Brother Li Jun for candy, which made her angry.

She hugged her sister-in-law's waist tightly and asked cautiously, "Sister-in-law, why are you unhappy?"

"It's okay." Qingyan's voice was a little choked up.

She wasn't a sore loser, nor was she narrow-minded; it was just that her expectations were too high in the beginning. When the disappointment hit, the sense of loss and grievance surged exponentially, making it hard to breathe.

As autumn approaches, the days grow shorter and it gets dark earlier.

When the two arrived home, only a few streaks of dark red sunset glow remained on the horizon.

The familiar motorcycle was parked at the door, so it seemed that Xiao Jingye had arrived home.

Qingyan felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes suddenly welled up with a strong, aching sensation.

Duoduo was the first to jump off the bicycle. Zeng Yumei, who was watering the flowers in the yard, saw the two of them and looked at them with gentle and loving eyes.

"Our Duoduo and Qingyan are back from school."

"Mom!" Duoduo skipped and hopped into the main room.

Qingyan parked her bicycle, lowered her head, and whispered "Mom," before following her inside.

His tone was low and somber, a stark contrast to his usual cheerful demeanor when he came home.

Zeng Yumei paused in her watering motion and looked at her back with concern.

Inside, Xiao Jingye had just finished showering and changed his clothes. He was wearing a white tank top and his usual loose plaid shorts, looking fresh and relaxed, with a faint scent of soap.

When he saw his wife enter the door, he raised the corners of his lips, ready to speak, but the moment he saw her expression, his smile vanished.

Qingyan's nose had been stinging the whole way, and she had been holding back her emotions. But the moment she saw him, her mental defenses completely collapsed.

Her fair face was red at the corners of her eyes, and her pink lips were pouting in grievance, making her look like she had suffered a great injustice and was pitiful.

When she met his gaze, two strings of tears uncontrollably slid down from the corners of her eyes.

Images flashed through my mind of him riding his bike to take me to the exam venue, going into the city to buy review materials, and staying up all night with me to memorize and practice questions.

She couldn't help but let her imagination run wild, wondering if he was also disappointed in her.

Looking at her pitiful little face, Xiao Jingye's heart sank. He quickly stepped forward: "Why are you crying? What happened?"

Qingyan stood before him, all the emotions she had suppressed throughout the day bursting forth, choking back sobs as she quietly wept:

"Xiao Jingye, I failed the job competition. All those days and nights of preparation were for nothing."