My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Poverty-Stricken Mountain Area. “Crushed Pear and Snow”

After leaving Provincial Highway 317, the road became narrow and rough. You Feifan and I were jolted awake by the severe bumps. He He looked in the rearview mirror and explained, “Sister Qiu Qi, we have passed Dege County. The school is almost here. Honestly, this road is terrible for tires!”

You Feifan pressed her face against the car window; if curiosity kills the cat, people like her would be the first to die. She excitedly tugged at my sleeve: “I’ve never been deep into a mountain like this before! It feels so mysterious!”

Looking at her innocent and lovely appearance, a sudden thought struck me: I wanted to pinch her cheek. Her skin looked so delicate; it must feel particularly nice. She suddenly leaned in, staring into my eyes, and then said with a mischievous, wicked smile: “Qiu Wuming (Nameless Qiu), why are you staring at me so lecherously?”

“I’m going to slap you to death, you shameless thing!”

With that, I pressed my palm against You Feifan’s face, pushing her far away. You Feifan giggled, then held her stomach, trying to suppress her laughter as she continued to tease: “A woman who says one thing but means another, your face is red as a tomato~”

I raised my hand to cover my face, wondering why I was burning up. I glared fiercely at You Feifan: “I’m warning you, don’t make such boring jokes!”

She stuck out her tongue at me, made a face, and then rummaged through her backpack for a can of Red Bull, which she handed to He He to help him stay awake. This fun continued until we reached our destination. You Feifan stood at the dilapidated, out-of-shape gate of Hope Primary School, her face aghast, and the backpack she was carrying dropped to the ground with a thump.

The harsh environment before her must have exceeded You Feifan’s expectations. Now, she was speechless, just standing there awkwardly, unsure whether to go in or stay put. He He picked up her backpack and teased provocatively: “Hey, if you want to go back now, you still have time. It’ll be dark soon.”

You Feifan pointed at the teaching building, which barely qualified as a shack, and questioned: “This can be called a school?”

At this moment, a head peeked out from the thatched hut, followed by several more, like a group of little forest elves. They had eyes that sparkled brighter than the sun, moon, and stars, staring at us three long-distance guests with immense curiosity.

Then, a little child dragged an adult out of another thatched hut. If I wasn’t mistaken, she must be Professor Zhang, the person He Mu mentioned who we were supposed to meet. The professor looked to be in her early thirties, about the same age as You Feifan and me. She was wearing a thick, old military cotton coat, walking out hunched over, looking like she hadn’t woken up and was perpetually cold.

The little one holding her hand chattered loudly in Tibetan, leaving us stunned. Professor Zhang squatted down, stroked the child’s head, muttered a few words back, and casually sent the child back to the classroom.

I smiled and walked a few steps forward, attempting to shake hands with Professor Zhang. She raised her hand, brushed past my fingertips, and scratched her ear. I could only withdraw my hand awkwardly and introduce myself: “I’m Qiu Qi, this is You Feifan, and this is He He. We are here to…”

“I know who you are. He Mu already informed me. Here, I’ve arranged your accommodations.”

Saying this, Professor Zhang pointed to two tents beside the three thatched huts. She continued to scratch her ear lazily: “Resources are limited. You’ll have to make do.”

The first to gasp in surprise was He He. He adjusted the guitar slipping from his shoulder and said incredulously: “It’s already this cold! You’re making us sleep in tents? How heartless!”

Professor Zhang rolled her eyes at He He, adopting a completely indifferent attitude: “This is the environment here. If you can’t handle it, go back. Who asked you to come?”

Faced with Professor Zhang’s poor attitude and an even worse environment, You Feifan was the quickest to accept and adapt. She strode confidently into the school, which didn’t even have a fence, and immediately hooked her arm over Professor Zhang’s shoulder. Her first words were: “Hi, I’m You Feifan. What’s your name again? Are you running this school alone? I studied accounting. Are you hiring a math teacher? Wow, where do the kids usually live? What are we eating tonight? I sleep very soundly. Can I share a bed with you…”

I could feel Professor Zhang’s anger level skyrocketing, and I could also sense that You Feifan’s brazenness was reaching dangerous levels.

“My name is Zhang Qingyue. I am the school principal. We do not hire teachers without a teaching certificate. Students are day students; they just live quite far away. I haven’t prepared your meals. You can only sleep in a tent.”

Professor Zhang answered all of You Feifan’s questions clearly and concisely. You Feifan pouted, defeated, and squatted on the ground, then looked up at the children inside the hut. The little ones must rarely see outsiders; the curiosity in their eyes was practically overflowing as they looked at us. I glanced sideways at the containers stacked two high not far away. I didn’t know how many He Mu had prepared, but they took up a considerable amount of space. They were completely covered by tarps. Transporting these things here must have cost a lot of manpower and money, but it was my sincere contribution.

I walked toward the containers. Zhang Qingyue stopped and looked at me. You Feifan also stared curiously at the containers. I reached out and touched the tarp. The tarp quality seemed good and could be repurposed. I turned to He He and also signaled You Feifan to come and help carefully unload the tarp. Zhang Qingyue stood still. The children all ran out of the hut and gathered around Professor Zhang, eagerly expecting a magic trick from the three of us.

It took over an hour to completely remove the tarp. The containers had been modified, with welded doors and windows. The bottom containers were set up as classrooms and a combined teachers’ office and living space. The upper containers were fitted with many bunk beds, enough to accommodate all the children.

The top right of the second-story container had lightning protection grounding devices, and the rest of the roof was covered with solar photovoltaic panels. The corner of the first floor housed a bathroom, and hot water could be heard running from the faucet. I could imagine how much work He Mu had done in my absence. He Mu had given everyone here a surprise; this man’s wild, romantic gestures were astonishing.

Most importantly, new school bags, stationery, textbooks, educational materials, and even instant dry rations—gifts for the children—were neatly placed in the corner. A note was placed on the desk, left specifically for me by He Mu, detailing the uses of the tarp and precautions for lightning protection and electricity use.

The children were shy and only dared to watch the excitement from the doorway. Zhang Qingyue stood leaning against the door with her arms crossed. She pressed the switch a few times, and the lights in the container flashed on and off, eliciting excited cheers from the children. You Feifan darted from upstairs to downstairs, then rushed up again, running back and forth several times. As she passed me again, I grabbed her arm: “Stop right there! Why are you running?”

You Feifan gestured wildly: “Getting familiar with my living environment! Did you arrange all this? It’s so cool!”

At this point, Zhang Qingyue called out: “Miss Qiu, a private chat.”

Just as I stepped out, You Feifan pulled He He, and the two clapped their hands, calling to the children outside: “Hurry up and come inside, it’s cold out here!”

I always felt like she was going to lead these kids astray! Walking into Professor Zhang’s simple office, she stood with her hands tucked into her sleeves, looking at the containers outside the window, and finally, a slight smile touched her lips: “Money is truly amazing. Even charity can be wildly imaginative.”

I found a stool, sat down, and crossed my legs, responding: “No matter what, our intentions for poverty alleviation are good.”

“Why not just donate money? Why go through all this trouble?”

“Donating money is too cliché, and it might not even reach the children’s hands. Improving their educational environment is more meaningful. I’m curious, Professor Zhang, why you are isolating yourself here.”

…

From 2017 to 2018, having made the four seas my home, I had grown accustomed to the joy of traveling alone. Although I still hadn’t covered the entire vast country, my presence was left on the street corners of various cities as I indulged in food and drink.

“How are things lately? Are you having fun?”

“I wanted to ask how the company is doing! If I don’t call you, can’t you be proactive and call me more often?”

“Everything is great, better than you imagine. I visit Qin Yun regularly and tell her about the progress of our plan in detail. Oh, right, Lucky curls up on the balcony every day, basking in the sun and dozing. I took him to the vet. The doctor said he’s old and told me to take good care of him so he can live out his final years peacefully. You must be safe out there and take care of yourself.”

He Mu’s voice on the phone was light. I was parking the car while smiling faintly and saying: “It’s been a while, I miss you all… Chongqing’s hot pot is so spicy, but the more you eat, the more satisfying it is, especially the fresh tripe. Blanched for seven seconds, it’s addictively crunchy! I went to Hongya Cave; it was packed with people. I also paid a visit to your friends. They said they haven’t seen you in years and thought you were dead.”

“What a bunch of poisonous tongues. Since you’re in Chongqing, stop by Chengdu. I’ve leased a hostel there. Go take over and manage it. Maybe we’ll soon welcome the long-awaited new friend.”

I breathed onto the rearview mirror and wiped it: “I still can’t figure out why you’re so certain that You Feifan will leave and eventually meet us.”

“The things that happened between You Feifan and Lan Feiyi over all these years, I’ve studied them over and over until I know them by heart. Through one event, we can analyze her personality. Through countless events, we can see the direction of her behavior. Thanks to Guan Shuyun, these two lovers are now constantly fighting. We should add fuel to the fire and intensify their conflict.

“I just want to break into Lan Feiyi and Guan Shuyun’s world as quickly as possible. I’ve waited too long for You Feifan to be our ‘door knocker,’ and my patience is running thin. So… after the arrangement is complete… Xiao Qi, it’s time for your performance.”

I stood on the heights of Nanshan, a cigarette dangling from my mouth. From here, one could overlook the most beautiful cityscape of Chongqing. I heard the night view is even more enchanting if you come in the evening. A city embracing rivers, surrounded by bridges, with the straightforward scent of beef tallow hot pot—no wonder the lyrics speak of living in seclusion in this mountain city.

Holding my phone, I extinguished the cigarette butt and said leisurely, “This world owes us too much, so everything will happen just as we wish…”