119. The Fairy Teacher
Two people pressed tightly against each other through two thin layers of clothing. In that moment, Bai Jinyan felt his blood rush at least twice as fast as usual.
He struggled to control himself and gently helped her onto the chair.
“Where did it bite you?”
“Calf.”
Bai Jinyan crouched down, using the dim candlelight to cradle Chen Ruowen’s legs in his arms.
On her originally smooth and fair calves, a bright red mark stood out starkly.
He examined the fresh wound carefully and then squeezed some medicine from the box Chen Ruowen had tossed aside, applying it to the red spot.
“This medicine smells awful...” Chen Ruowen frowned.
“But it works,” Bai Jinyan replied.
He fetched a small basin of water, helped her wash the feet that had gotten dirty from wandering barefoot around the room, and inspected them thoroughly. After confirming there were no other injuries, he helped her put on her shoes. Then, he sprinkled insect repellent around the bed and inspected the bedding for any suspicious creatures.
“That should do it for now.”
Having dealt with the sudden emergency, Bai Jinyan was about to leave when Chen Ruowen tugged at his sleeve unhappily.
“Can’t you stay with me?”
Chen Ruowen had already braced herself for Bai Jinyan’s usual earnest reassurances followed by his departure, but unexpectedly, he nodded.
“Alright.”
Once he agreed, Bai Jinyan didn’t hesitate. He tidied up the bedding, and for the first time, the two lay down side by side.
At first, Chen Ruowen chatted excitedly, pulling Bai Jinyan into casual conversation. But once they settled, exhaustion from the day’s fatigue washed over her.
Her voice gradually faded away, interrupted by a few scattered yawns as she nestled her head into Bai Jinyan’s embrace.
“Ruowen?”
After an unknown amount of time, Bai Jinyan spoke softly.
Chen Ruowen didn’t answer. Her eyes were gently closed, long lashes resting on her eyelids. One hand instinctively clutched Bai Jinyan’s collar, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips.
In the darkness, he could not see her clearly, only feel her warm presence in his arms, hear the steady rhythm of her breathing.
“Good night.”
...
When he opened his eyes the next morning, Bai Jinyan was already gone, leaving behind half of the warm bed and a neatly written note.
“There’s porridge on the table. Remember to eat.”
---
The clothes washed last night were folded tidily and placed neatly by the bedside.
Chen Ruowen changed back into her own clothes, brushed her teeth and washed her face with the supplies Bai Jinyan had prepared, drank the still-warm bowl of porridge, and stepped outside.
She had arrived too late the previous night to see the true face of Rainbow Village until now.
Outside, everything was bathed in a yellowish hue.
Several rows of houses, all missing bricks and tiles, stood clustered together. Between them lay yellow earth, occasionally sprouting a few withered wild grasses that added a faint touch of green to the village.
At this hour, the village was mostly empty, save for the faint sound of youthful voices nearby. Chen Ruowen followed the sounds to a similarly dilapidated house.
“Clouds rise to bring rain, dew gathers into frost. This means when clouds ascend and meet cold air, rain forms; at night, dew cools and turns to frost. These two lines describe the natural phenomena of clouds, rain, frost, and dew...”
Bai Jinyan was reciting the Thousand Character Classic.
Chen Ruowen was a bit speechless. Isn’t that an ancient teaching text? Shouldn’t modern children be taught something like “A mile or two, a few homes in the mountain village” that’s more relevant to their lives?
She doubted whether these children even knew what clouds, rain, dew, and frost really were.
“Teacher, is rain the rain that falls from the sky?” a voice inside spoke in imperfect Mandarin.
Chen Ruowen peered through the window and saw a little boy with a dirty face raising his right hand, his expression full of curiosity.
“Yes, it’s the rain that falls from the sky.”
“That’s wonderful.” The boy propped his chin in his hands, eyes full of longing. “It hasn’t rained in our village for a very long time. If it rains, the crops will grow.”
A sharp pang pierced Bai Jinyan’s heart. He swallowed the sting in his eyes and forced a smile.
“It will rain. Nowadays, rain is not only a natural phenomenon but can also be created artificially. When you grow up and learn how to induce artificial rain, come back to help improve the village environment. Rainbow Village will surely get better and better.”
The boy’s eyes sparkled as he clenched his fists.
“It will definitely rain. Then I’ll make it rain every day in our village. Father and mother won’t have to worry about the harvest anymore.”
A child sitting next to him spoke enviously.
“Little Raindrop, when the time comes, you must help our village make it rain too. I don’t want my parents carrying water from the mountain every day anymore...”
“Me too!”
“Teacher Bai, please tell us more about artificial rain!” the children pleaded.
...
Twenty minutes later, Bai Jinyan announced the end of class. The dozen or so children reluctantly stopped asking questions, then jumped up from their seats and swarmed around the podium, chattering nonstop.
There were so many kids and even more questions. Their Mandarin was far from perfect, and Bai Jinyan wasn’t sure if he understood all their queries, but he kept smiling and answering without pause, not even taking time to drink water.
Finally, after answering all their questions, it was time for the next class. Chen Ruowen had waited outside for nearly an hour and a half, her legs aching from standing, before Bai Jinyan hurriedly finished the morning lessons.
---
Even after leaving the classroom, a circle of children surrounded him.
“Teacher Bai, when will you visit my home?”
“Teacher Bai, today you talked about…”
“Teacher Bai…”
Bai Jinyan answered the children’s questions one by one. When Chen Ruowen stepped forward, he finally noticed a visitor outside his classroom.
“What are you doing here?” Bai Jinyan asked in surprise.
Chen Ruowen pouted dramatically.
“I’ve been waiting for an hour and a half! Didn’t you see me?”
“Sorry, I didn’t notice…”
“You didn’t see me standing right here, looking so beautiful?”
“Uh…”
Just as Bai Jinyan was about to explain, Little Raindrop tugged at his sleeve and looked up eagerly.
“Teacher Bai, is this pretty sister also our teacher?”
Bai Jinyan smiled and nodded.
“Yes, this is Teacher Chen. She came all the way here to teach you.”
The children’s eyes lit up immediately. The dozen or so kids stood at attention, then bowed to Chen Ruowen, calling out in scattered yet spirited voices,
“—Hello, Teacher Chen!”
Caught off guard by such sudden enthusiasm, Chen Ruowen awkwardly shifted aside.
“Um... hello to all of you too.”
Little Raindrop in the front row looked up at Chen Ruowen, his eyes sparkling as if stars twinkled within.
“Teacher Chen, are you a fairy who descended from the heavens?”
Chen Ruowen smiled softly.
The children here seemed a bit simple and naïve, but... they certainly had good taste!