Chapter 132: The First Paycheck

As more family members ventured out, many who spotted Qian Yuxiang standing by the wall couldn't help but mutter disparaging remarks under their breath, a testament to how poor her reputation truly was.

"Why haven't they come out yet?"

Qian Yuxiang didn't care about the gossip; she had been up since dawn and was ravenous, waiting solely for the beef soup.

When the five familiar figures finally appeared, her heart sank at the sight of their empty pot. However, noticing the disheveled, defeated state of the children, she realized they must have failed to sabotage the soup with dirt as she had intended. Her mood instantly brightened—if she couldn't have it, nobody else would!

"Er Ya, well? Did you toss the dirt in?"

"Hmph! Toss the dirt? If my brother hadn't grabbed us and run, we would have been beaten today!" Er Ya glared at Qian Yuxiang, her own temper flaring.

"This..." Qian Yuxiang hadn't expected such an outcome.

Just then, the youngest girl began to cry from hunger. Annoyed, Qian Yuxiang kicked her. "Crying, crying, all you ever do is cry, you useless thing!"

Zhu Daqiang pulled his sister away and roared at Qian Yuxiang, "You only know how to yell at your younger siblings! If you're so capable, go get the beef soup yourself!" He shoved the pot toward her and led his siblings home.

Qian Yuxiang didn't dare vent her anger on her eldest son. She could only stomp her feet, pick up the pot, and trudge home.

...

At Xia Yan’s home, the atmosphere remained lively, unaffected by the earlier petty incident.

She hadn't expected the adults to be absent, but a group of children had arrived instead. She recognized many of them, and the children, naturally bold, greeted her with "Teacher Xia" at every turn. Each child held a bowl, lining up neatly at the kitchen door—far more well-behaved than the group from before.

"Everyone, stay in line. Don't worry, the vermicelli is finished, so Teacher Xia is cooking another batch. Just wait five more minutes." Xia Yan beamed at the queue of children; she was quite enjoying her role as the "queen of the kids."

Inside, Wang Guilan had already set the table, waiting for the children to eat.

"Mom, I'm heading to school. Don't be late!" Lin Hongzhuo, bag packed, waved from the doorway.

Xia Yan checked the time. "Walk slowly with your brother! I’ll be at school soon."

As she spoke, the beef soup was ready.

"Do you all like spicy food?"

"Yes! I want extra spice!"

"Me too! This chili oil smells so good!" the children chimed in, waving their chopsticks in excitement.

"Alright, if you all want it, I’ll add it for everyone," Xia Yan said. She lined up their bowls on the stove, ladled the soup, and added a small spoonful of chili oil to each. It was quite potent, so she was careful not to overdo it for the youngsters.

After giving the pot a good stir, she ladled out servings, adding extra beef to every bowl. Wang Guilan stepped in to help. In the center of the table, Xia Yan placed a jar of chili oil and fresh cilantro, opting not to put the herbs directly into the pot since many children at that age weren't fond of them. As each child approached, Xia Yan reminded them to be careful not to burn themselves.

By the time the children finished, no other adults had arrived. She figured they were likely too shy, preferring to send the kids instead.

After cleaning up, Xia Yan noticed there was still half a pot of soup left. She turned to Wu Qiuhua, "Sister-in-law Qiuhua, let me get a basin. You should take the rest home for your husband to taste."

Wu Qiuhua waved her hands frantically. She had already felt awkward being the only adult to show up; she couldn't possibly take food home too. "No, no, Sister Xia, how can I? You should keep it for yourself."

"Why be so formal? You've helped me so much since you arrived; it's just a pot of soup." Xia Yan filled a basin to the brim and added a bowl of beef offal for good measure. After some insistence, Wu Qiuhua finally accepted.

Xia Yan filled another basin for Wang Guilan to take home for lunch. Wang Guilan didn't refuse—she knew that being polite with Xia Yan was a lost cause.

With everything taken care of, Xia Yan checked the time and headed to work. At school, the children were busy with morning reading. She peeked into her sons' classroom; her younger son was bobbing his head while reciting loudly, looking nothing like his calm, composed elder brother.

"Teacher Xia!"

"Principal Li, good morning."

"You weren't here yesterday, so I have this for you." Principal Li handed her an envelope.

"What is this?"

"Your wages. We usually pay at the end of the month, but you were absent yesterday."

"Wages? But I've only been here for a week." Xia Yan opened the envelope to find six one-yuan notes and a grain coupon. She hadn't expected to be paid before the New Year.

The salary for a resident teacher was twenty-five yuan a month, plus grain and meat rations. While it didn't compare to the benefits of teachers in the town or city, Xia Yan was more than satisfied.

"Don't underestimate this first week; the students have taken quite a liking to you," Principal Li said, looking very pleased with her performance.

Xia Yan felt wonderful with her pay in hand.

"By the way, Teacher Xia, there’s an educated youth at the ranch named Zhuang Lili. You know her, right?"

"I do." Xia Yan found it strange—Lü Hongxia had asked about Zhuang Lili last time, and now the Principal was asking, too. Despite her dislike for the woman, she nodded.

"The thing is, the school is looking for an art teacher, and I thought of the educated youths at the ranch. I went to ask them." Principal Li paused, then asked, "Since you know Zhuang Lili, do you think she would be suitable for the position?"

Xia Yan chuckled inwardly. So that was the game.

"Teacher Li, I've only just met Zhuang Lili recently. We weren't very close back at school..." Xia Yan stated honestly. The Principal's expression clearly showed he wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"I see. Well, I'll look into it further."

"Understood, Principal Li. If there's nothing else, I'll head to class."

"Very well."

...

At the ranch, Huang Qiang poured a glass of water and offered it to Zhuang Lili with a sycophantic grin. His intentions were obvious to anyone with eyes.

Zhuang Lili, however, was secretly hoping Huang Qiang would seduce Xia Yan, which would clear her own path to Lin You.

"What? Still pining for her?"

"I..."

"With your cowardice, you don't even dare to admit it. My advice? Don't bother. It’s a waste of time."