bestfiction Chapter 267: Backstabbed?
Chapter 267: Backstabbed?
"I know I won't tell Aunt Song. Have some water. Aunt Song and my mom are on the afternoon shift today and won't be back until midnight."
Then, Xiaoting hurriedly ran into the yard and brought in the steamed buns she had bought earlier.
In the kitchen, Aunt Song and her mother had prepared the dishes that morning. The two sat at the table and began to eat the simple meal.
The two were eating when they suddenly heard Wang Yong's sharp and sarcastic curses coming through the wall from across the room.
“Why did you come back? Isn’t it good to stay in Shanghai? Why did you come back? You’re just another freeloader. Your mother alone isn’t enough, you have to bring this burden back with you.”
"How can you be so shameless? Go back to Shanghai right now. This isn't your home, this is mine!"
Each sentence was harsher than the last, piercing everyone's ears.
Hearing these words, Xiaoting felt a pang of sadness and quickly took Lin Dongzhe's hand.
“Lin Dongzhe, I know you mean well. Zhou Qing is pitiful, and I sympathize with her too. But even if we sympathize with her, we can’t let them live in our own house.”
In the face of reality, compassion is sometimes powerless.
Lin Dongzhe nodded, looked up at Xiaoting, and forced a bitter smile.
“Xiaoting, you’re quite reasonable, just like Uncle Zhuang. There are three Uncle Zhuangs in this courtyard now. You and Brother Tunan are just like Uncle Zhuang. Fortunately, Pengfei is on my side.”
Xiaoting looked at Lin Dongzhe and couldn't help but smile.
"Eat quickly, I need to watch you do your homework after you finish eating. This is what Aunt Song told me. I'm in charge of your and Pengfei's studies until my brother comes back."
Speak of the devil, and he appears! Pengfei and his classmates returned from playing outside, carrying a bag of osmanthus cakes.
"Xiaoting Dongzhe, I'm back."
But as soon as he entered the room, he keenly sensed that something was wrong, and he put the osmanthus cake in his hand on the table.
"Dongzhe, why are you looking so listless? Did Xiaoting scold you again?"
Lin Dongzhe picked up the paper bag Pengfei had brought back, took out a osmanthus cake from it, stuffed it into his mouth, and mumbled something indistinctly.
"Yes, you guessed right."
He knew in his heart that his listlessness wasn't because of what Xiaoting said, but because Zhou Qing's experience had left him feeling uneasy.
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Zhuang Chaoying was writing lesson plans in her office; the senior high school students hadn't started their summer break yet.
Teacher Zhang, holding a small can of tea, approached with a warm smile.
"Teacher Zhuang, would you like some tea? This is genuine West Lake Longjing tea that my wife brought back from her business trip to West Lake. Please have a taste!"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Chaoying put down her pen, stretched her slightly sore wrist, and looked at the can of tea.
"Oh, you must try it! I've heard so much about West Lake Longjing tea."
As he spoke, he stood up, poured the remaining tea from his cup into the bucket next to him, and deftly pinched a small amount of tea leaves from Old Zhang's tea bucket and put them in.
Immediately afterwards, he picked up the thermos and poured hot water into the cup, and steam rose up instantly.
He gently covered the teapot with the lid and said with a smile, "This aroma alone is so comforting."
Teacher Zhang leaned back in his chair and chatted casually.
"Teacher Zhuang, the Spring Festival is really early this year, it's on January 26th. Can we start our holiday earlier too?"
Zhuang Chaoying leaned back in her seat, nodded slightly, adjusted her glasses, and pondered.
"Pretty much. Based on previous years, it should be a little earlier. I reckon the holiday will start in about a week. The school will probably hold a meeting next week to announce the specific dates."
As the two were talking, there was a sudden knocking sound at the door.
Zhuang Chaoying turned her head. "Come in, the door's unlocked."
A male student pushed open the office door and stood somewhat awkwardly at the doorway, saying...
"Teacher Zhuang, the principal wants to see you in his office."
Zhuang Chaoying smiled and nodded. "Okay, I understand, thank you, classmate."
"You're welcome, Professor Zhuang," the male student replied politely before leaving.
Teacher Zhang looked at Zhuang Chaoying and said with a half-joking smile, "It might be that the principal wants to discuss with you about giving extra classes to the senior students during the holidays. This time, it's going to be difficult to get an early holiday."
Zhuang Chaoying stood up and straightened her clothes. "We'll drink the tea when we get back. I'll tell you the good news when I return."
He thought to himself that even if it was about tutoring, he could manage to get a reasonable arrangement, and maybe it would even bring good news.
After saying that, he walked towards the principal's office, still thinking about how he could drink freshly brewed West Lake Longjing tea when he got back.
A short while later, he arrived at the principal's office and knocked on the door.
"Please come in".
Zhuang Chaoying pushed open the door and went in, then closed it behind her. "Principal, you wanted to see me?"
The principal sat at his desk, a cigarette between his fingers. He took a deep drag, then exhaled the smoke to the side, and gently ground the cigarette butt in the ashtray.
Then, he stood up, walked quickly to Zhuang Chaoying's side, and pointed to the sofa. "Sit down, Chaoying."
The principal's expression turned slightly serious, and he paused before continuing.
"The Education Bureau just called and asked you to come over. Chaoying, have you offended someone recently?"
The principal sensed something unusual in the other person's tone on the phone and felt a little worried. He thought Zhuang Chaoying was a rare good teacher who often brought him small gifts when she went out and would visit him and his wife during holidays. So he thought he had to give Zhuang Chaoying a heads-up.
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Chaoying frowned instantly, wondering who she had offended.
How did it get the attention of the Education Bureau?
He quickly recalled the recent events in his mind, but he couldn't figure out what went wrong.
"Principal, has someone written a letter of complaint against me?"
The principal nodded slightly.
"As expected of Teacher Zhuang, your reaction is quick. But judging from your tone on the phone, it shouldn't be anything serious. Teacher Zhuang, you should go and take a look."
Zhuang Chaoying stood up. "Okay, thank you, Principal. I understand now, I'll head over right away."
His intuition told him that this matter might not be as simple as it seemed.
After leaving the principal's office, Zhuang Chaoying went straight to the Education Bureau.
All the way, he was racking his brains trying to figure out who would do such a dirty trick behind his back.
Soon, he arrived at the director's office and knocked on the door.
"Boom boom boom!"
"Come in," came the director's calm voice from inside.
Zhuang Chaoying pushed open the door and walked into the office. "Director, you wanted to see me?" His gaze immediately fell on the letter in the director's hand, and his heart tightened. It seemed his guess was correct.
"Teacher Zhuang, please sit down. This is a letter I received in the suggestion box last week. Please take a look." The director said, handing over the letter.
Zhuang Chaoying took the letter and pondered to herself. The director's attitude was just as the principal had said. It seemed that nothing serious had happened. But who was stabbing her in the back?