There was nothing to pick about. Tian Tian casually tried out the guitar chords and the quality of the strings, and quickly settled on a style, asking the boss to pack it up.
Before she could ask the boss for the price, Chen Dong Yang very readily walked to the counter with his phone.
The two items added up to over seventeen thousand yuan. The boss gave a discount, making it fifteen thousand flat. Chen Dong Yang paid the money without batting an eye.
The boss politely helped them load the items into the car. Tian Tian watched the contented Chen Dong Yang and was speechless for a moment before tapping her phone a few times.
“I’ve transferred the money to you.”
“We’re not a couple now, nor are we truly married. I don't want to take advantage of you.”
Chen Dong Yang took out his phone to check, and indeed, it was true.
Alipay showed a deposit of fifteen thousand yuan.
After pestering her for a few days, she still maintained the same attitude. Chen Dong Yang felt it was necessary to have a serious talk with her.
“Tian Tian, it was my fault before. I took your affection for granted, never even pursued you, and somehow ended up with you, making you suffer so much with me.”
“Now, I’ve thoroughly realized my mistakes and want to correct them. Please don’t keep pushing me away like this. Give me a chance.”
“I’m not asking you to accept me immediately, but at least don’t keep pushing me away. Let’s start over, let me follow the proper steps, and pursue you again, step by step. Can we stop being awkward and causing trouble for our lives?”
To be honest, in a poor, remote village thousands of miles away, having a man who was wholeheartedly devoted to her and followed her everywhere felt quite good.
Unfortunately, Tian Tian still couldn’t accept it.
It was too fast. Not even a month had passed, and to put it bluntly, Shang Jin Cheng’s five-day mourning period wasn’t even over yet, and she was already letting go of everything and embracing life again. Wouldn’t that be too superficial?
She dared not imagine what Ge Er was going through every day.
If she were shedding tears every day, while Tian Tian was happily embracing her boyfriend, wouldn’t that be a ridiculous situation?
Tian Tian also didn’t want to punish Chen Dong Yang because of her own psychological issues.
However, whenever she thought of Shang Jin Cheng, of Ge Er, of the child who lost their father before even being born, she couldn’t help but feel sad.
Seeing her looking fine just moments ago, her expression gradually darkened after his words, Chen Dong Yang knew she must have thought of Shang Jin Cheng.
She was surely blaming him in her heart again.
Terrified, he quickly changed his tune, “I’m not trying to force you, Tian Tian, don’t rush. I’m not in a hurry either. I believe time heals all wounds. You’ll get better, Ge Er will get better, and we can all return to normal life. Please don’t be like this.”
“Just pretend I said nothing. I’ll never bring this topic up again. Don’t make things difficult for yourself.”
The two drove back to the roundabout. Teacher Tang hadn’t arrived yet.
Tian Tian leaned against the car window, lost in thought. Chen Dong Yang didn’t dare to speak, silently accompanying her.
After an unknown amount of time, Teacher Tang walked towards them unsteadily on the road ahead, carrying several large plastic bags.
Tian Tian finally came back to her senses. Seeing Teacher Tang struggling with so many things, she glanced at Chen Dong Yang.
“She’s here. Go down and help her.”
Chen Dong Yang had already seen her but didn’t want to move.
Firstly, he disliked Teacher Tang’s personality and feared that if he interacted too much with her, she would cling to him like sticky candy, impossible to shake off.
Secondly, besides Tian Tian, he didn’t want to interact with any other woman. Even if there was no possibility, he had to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Moreover, Tian Tian was clearly toying with him.
She knew that Teacher Tang had ulterior motives towards him.
Pretending not to hear, Chen Dong Yang remained seated and unmoved.
Tian Tian called him again, “Didn’t you see Teacher Tang? She can’t carry it. Go down and help her with it.”
Chen Dong Yang remained steadfastly unmoved and refused, “I’m not going.”
“Whether she can carry it or not, what does it have to do with me? I’m not her boyfriend. Besides you, I won’t help any other woman.”
Uh oh, he just said he would stop talking about boyfriends, and now he was taking the opportunity to declare his status again.
Tian Tian gave him a side-eye and got out of the car.
Helping load the items into the trunk, Teacher Tang saw the zither and the guitar and couldn’t help but exclaim.
“You really spared no expense. You bought them as soon as you decided. How much did it cost?”
“Miss Jiang, your monthly salary is so low. Buying two instruments must have cost at least a year’s salary, right? I really don’t understand what you’re trying to achieve.”
She had at least received an education, so why did her words always carry a hint of materialism?
Tian Tian felt that Chen Dong Yang was right. She shouldn’t have helped her; she should stay away from such people.
She replied curtly, “I’m not trying to achieve anything. I’m doing it for self-satisfaction, for peace of mind.”
As dusk began to creep in, by the time the three of them returned to the school, it was already dark.
There was nowhere to put the zither, so it had to be placed in the office.
After running around, everyone was sweating.
Tian Tian was helping Teacher Tang carry her things to the dormitory. Seeing Teacher Tang’s slender fingers hooking several large plastic bags, Chen Dong Yang couldn’t bear it and snatched them from her.
The two women walked in front, with him following behind.
Especially Teacher Tang, who was sweating profusely and kept talking about needing to shower as soon as they got back.
“We’ve basically walked the whole week’s distance today. I’m exhausted. They better thank me properly.”
Speaking of showering, Tian Tian remembered the large iron pot from that day and hurriedly asked where she would wash.
“Where will we wash?”
Teacher Tang gestured with her chin towards a corner at the bottom left of the courtyard wall.
“See that spot?”
Tian Tian had noticed it during the day. In the corner, a black cloth was hung on a bamboo pole, resembling a semi-circular tent. It looked strange and didn’t match the courtyard at all.
Could there be something hidden behind the cloth?
Was this the bathing area?
Tian Tian was surprised again but still held onto a sliver of hope.
“I see it. What about it?”
“That’s the bathing area. Teacher Li and I set it up.”
“…”
Behind the classroom was a row of low, flat houses, divided into four large rooms, housing all the boys and girls in the school.
At this hour, the students hadn’t slept yet. The dormitories were noisy with conversations.
And the student dormitories were not separated from their area by a courtyard wall, with no obstacles, only a row of teaching buildings in between.
With so many students who could potentially rush out at any moment, they were bathing in the courtyard with just a piece of cloth covering them?
Seeing the young lady’s astonishment, Teacher Tang seemed quite pleased.
She even boasted, “This is already quite good. When we first arrived, we didn’t even have this. The ground was all dirt. We used a bucket to mix some warm water and stood in it to wash, always having to put a wooden board underneath. Sometimes we’d splash mud all over our legs. It’s much better now, be content.”
Tian Tian was utterly speechless and looked at the spot again.
“What about winter? In such cold weather, wouldn’t standing there to wash freeze to death?”
“Winter? In winter, we go to the bathhouse.”
Tian Tian followed the chattering sounds and glanced back at the dormitories behind them.
“What about the students? Where do they get hot water? And where do they wash?”