That Year, That Mountain: Chapters 1 & 2

Chapter One: Prologue
"Fuck your grandpa!" Picking up his simple luggage, Qin Zhen gave the locked door
a vicious middle finger!
Forced to teach in a rural area to repay his four years of university loans, Qin Zhen
regretted it the moment he stepped off the bus. Looking at the dilapidated roads and the thatched, mud-brick houses lining the streets, he was stunned. Is this...
is this still my great motherland? Did they send me to Mars to do some development? Muttering to
himself in bewilderment, Qin Zhen went to the township government to report for duty. Unexpectedly, they only made a phone call for him, pointed out
a general direction, and then sent him out.
Stepping outside, he was met with endless rolling mountains, and a sense of fear rose in Qin Zhen's heart. He turned back, thinking of
talking to them again and asking them to see him in, but they had already closed the door and
thrown his luggage out. Seeing this, Qin Zhen was filled with anger and
started cursing right there in the township government courtyard.
After a while, no one came out to pay him any attention. Feeling bored, Qin Zhen had no choice but to pick up his luggage and continue on his way.
Fortunately, after a short while, a tractor, chugging and belching black smoke, caught up from behind.
Qin Zhen flagged it down, explained the situation, and the old man driving readily let him on. Although
the tractor was slow and the ride on the mountain road was bumpy, at least he wouldn't have to walk anymore. Plus, the mountain scenery was indeed
beautiful, and even the air was much fresher than in the big city. His mood gradually improved, and Qin Zhen began
to chat casually with the old man.
"Young man, we've arrived!" After some time, just as Qin Zhen was dozing off, he heard
the voice of the tractor driver. Qin Zhen snapped awake, quickly grabbed his luggage, and jumped off the tractor. Looking around
, he secretly rejoiced: Finally here! Thankfully, the place didn't seem too remote.
"Young man, would you like to come in and sit for a while?" The old man parked his car, walked over with a smile, and asked.
"No, thank you, sir. Could you tell me where to find the village chief?" Qin Zhen
replied with a kind smile.
"Oh, the village you're looking for isn't far. Just follow this road, and it'll be about 20 li (10 kilometers) further in."
"Wh...what?"
Looking in the direction the old man was pointing, Qin Zhen truly felt like dying.
The road the old man pointed to passed directly through the center of the village, cutting into the endless mountains and dense forests behind it, looking
so distant and secluded.
"Twenty...twenty li?"
"Yes." The old man answered, glancing up at the sky. "Since you're not coming home,
hurry up and get going. If you walk fast, you'll arrive before sunset. Although there are no wild beasts in the mountains now,
jackals are still a tough nut to crack after dark."
Watching the old man wave goodbye and the desolate surroundings, Qin Zhen felt a wave of sorrow
wash over him. Looking up at the sky, he knew time wouldn't allow him to hesitate any longer. Gritting his teeth, he shouldered his luggage and
set off towards his destination.
--------------------I-am-a-divider-line--------------------
Qin Zhen breathed heavily, the meager amount of luggage on his back feeling like a mountain. He
had no mind to appreciate the scenery. His already low spirits plummeted to
rock bottom during the long journey! From being full of energy at the beginning to now practically crawling on his hands and feet, Qin Zhen could
n't imagine ever being in such a sorry state.
The hardships of the journey far exceeded his expectations, no wonder the townspeople were unwilling to help him along the way. Qin
Zhen kept thinking, if he had been abandoned at the foot of Mount Everest, he would probably be halfway there by now.
After climbing another nearly 90-degree slope, Qin Zhen collapsed to the ground. All his strength was gone
, even his willpower had been worn down. Looking at the still dense forest and the gradually fading sky, Qin
Zhen gave up on getting up, a bitter smile playing on his lips: "Damn it, this isn't supporting education in the countryside,
it's practically delivering food to the wild animals in the mountains!
" "You, please, excuse me, are you a teacher from the city?"
A weak female voice suddenly rang in Qin Zhen's ears. The sudden voice sounded
like heavenly music to Qin Zhen's ears. He abruptly sat up, looking around, and found a little girl hiding
behind a tree, only her head peeking out, looking at him timidly.
"Yes, yes!" Qin Zhen nodded repeatedly in response. He had never imagined that
encountering someone of his kind in a moment of loneliness and despair could bring such joy.
"Little sister, are you from Moon Pool Village? How far is it to your village?" Qin Zhen
asked anxiously, rubbing his hands together.
As Qin Zhen nodded repeatedly, a little girl 　　slowly
emerged from behind a tree. She wore a nearly faded school uniform and oversized, unrecognizable trousers, and had shoulder-length hair . 　　Her face was dirty, making it impossible to discern her features, and even her hair was streaked with straw 　　. Her eyes, however, were large, round, and bright, but unfortunately, they 　　were filled with wariness. 　　"This, this." Sensing the wariness in the other girl's eyes, Qin Zhen frantically rummaged through his luggage, 　　searching for his identification. "Little sister, I really am a teacher. Look, this is my certificate… Oh, wait a minute 　　… I finally found it!" The little girl only glanced at the certificate Qin Zhen handed her, not taking it. 　　Her eyes, however, timidly scanned Qin Zhen up and down for a while before she nodded and 　　said, "I believe you are a teacher. The village chief told me to wait for you here." 　　Completely ignoring the little girl's almost predatory gaze, Qin Zhen slung his luggage back over his shoulder and 　　cheerfully said, "Then please lead the way. I'm exhausted. All I want now is a hot meal." 　　As soon as he finished speaking, all sorts of delicious food flashed through his mind, tempting Qin Zhen so much that he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of saliva.

Water gurgled and his stomach rumbled loudly.
"Hehe." The little girl couldn't help but laugh at Qin Zhen's disheveled appearance, her eyes sparkling.
Suddenly realizing her mistake, she quickly turned and left.
Qin Zhen scratched his head sheepishly, adjusted his luggage, and hurried after her.
---------------------I-am-a-divider----------------------
After following the little girl for a while, they finally arrived at their destination. The little girl led Qin Zhen
to the village school and then left. Qin Zhen was too embarrassed to ask when they would go to the village head's house, so he
simply observed the place.
The school was converted from an old temple. The
place the little girl had led Qin Zhen to, intended as his lodging, was a side hall of the temple. It contained some simple furniture; it seemed
a teacher had lived there before. Qin Zhen shook his head, trying to shake off the oppressive feeling in his heart.
He quickly started tidying up the room.
Creak!
The sound of a door opening interrupted Qin Zhen, who was working diligently. He turned around and saw a little girl
carrying a wooden bucket full of water. She was using her elbow to push open the door while
struggling to lift the bucket over the threshold.
Seeing the effort in the little girl's bright eyes, and imagining her thin arms straining with
all their might to carry the water, Qin Zhen felt a pang of sorrow and quickly went to take the bucket from her.
The little girl straightened up, smoothed her hair, and gave Qin Zhen a smile. Her eyes curved
into beautiful crescent moons with the smile, sparkling with gratitude. Although the smile
looked strange against her dirty face, a warm feeling welled up in Qin Zhen's heart.
"From now on, you can leave these things to the teacher," Qin Zhen said gently. All
the resentment that had accumulated in his heart seemed to melt away in that instant with that smile.
The city kids were probably snuggled in their parents' arms at this time, snacking on their after-dinner treats while
watching TV. Looking at the girl, who barely reached his chin, Qin Zhen felt a pang of heartache. Seeing
the straw tangled in her hair, Qin Zhen found it unsightly and gently removed it all.
The girl froze, her big eyes blank for a moment before she snapped back to reality. She jumped back several steps, head
bowed, and whispered, "The village chief wants you to wash your face and come eat."
Qin Zhen smiled, turned, and pulled a towel from his luggage, handing it to the girl. "Here," he said, "wipe
your face first. Look how dirty you are. What kind of girl doesn't take care of herself?"
The girl's big eyes lit up at the sight of the brand-new towel, but then dimmed again. She didn't
take the towel; instead, as if startled, she shook her head and backed away.
Qin Zhen hadn't expected such a simple action to elicit such a strong reaction from the girl. A thought flashed through his mind
, and he realized the little girl was probably afraid he'd find her dirty.
Thinking this, Qin Zhen deliberately put on a stern face and said in a low voice, "Come here! Will you be studying here in the future?"
The girl's eyes flashed with that soft light again, and she nodded timidly.
Qin Zhen continued with pity, "You don't want to listen to your teacher? Come on, wipe your face clean first, and we
'll go eat together!"
Chapter Two: Li Mei's Past
"After decades of reform and opening up, China's development has made tremendous progress. However, in education,
development is extremely uneven!"
The professor on the podium spoke while projecting
pictures reflecting the realities of education in remote rural areas. But those blurry pictures looked exactly like what Qin Zhen had seen and heard on his way to Moon Pool Village
.
"As everyone knows, education is key to national rise and rejuvenation. However, given the current situation, our country
cannot yet achieve universal access to education in all areas. Those of you here surely understand this."
"The country helped you when you were in your most difficult time (referring to student loans). Now, we need
your help to the country again! Of course, this is entirely voluntary; you are not forced. It
is not unpaid. Spending five years supporting education in remote areas will earn you special government subsidies in addition to your regular teacher's salary
. Furthermore, after five years, all your student loans will be wiped clean!"
"Think about it, we were all born into this big family of our country, so why can you sit
in a spacious, bright classroom to study, while they—" The professor paused, switching to a different scene. "And they can only
hope?"
The scene showed a girl sitting in a dimly lit classroom converted from a dilapidated temple,
diligently reading a book, her beautiful eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.
Wait, why does the girl in the scene look so familiar? Qin Zhen shook his head. Wasn't this
the little girl who took him to Moon Lake Village yesterday? What? Wasn't I at Moon Pool yesterday? How did I end up here
?
Looking around, the crowd around me was the same people who had hosted me at the village chief's house last night. Everyone's eyes
were filled with disdain as they looked at me with contempt.
"Ah!"
Qin Zhen shouted, suddenly sitting up. He realized he was sleeping in his bed at Moon Pool School. He
shook his head with a wry smile, got up, dressed, and went out into the yard.
The sun was high in the sky, and the bright sunlight illuminated a vibrant green landscape. Qin Zhen stretched,
took a deep breath of the fresh, sweet air, and smiled contentedly. The countryside wasn't so bad after all.
"Teacher, you're up. The village chief wants you to get up and go to his house for breakfast."
Qin Zhen smiled at her.
This little girl had given Qin Zhen quite a surprise after washing her face yesterday. She was a very pretty child;
aside from her pale complexion and thinness, possibly due to long-term malnutrition, she was undeniably a
beautiful young woman!
Today she had changed her school uniform color, but she was still wearing those baggy pants. This extremely incongruous feeling...
Qin Zhen felt uneasy. He frowned, carefully avoiding the little girl's gaze.
For some reason, every time he saw those clear, large eyes, Qin Zhen felt a pang of heartache from the light within them
.
"Oh, right, I forgot to ask you yesterday, what's your name?" Qin Zhen asked with a smile. Looking at the
little girl before him, he couldn't help but sigh. City children were incomparable to rural children. Her clothes
were probably hand-me-downs from her older siblings or given to her by someone else.
"My name is Li Mei," the little girl, no, Li Mei, answered crisply. The
wariness in her gaze towards Qin Zhen was gone, replaced by curiosity.
"How old are you?"
"15!"
"15?" Qin Zhen couldn't help but be curious. She was that old? Yesterday she seemed to have said
she wanted to study here. He taught elementary school, after all. Besides, apart from her height
, she didn't look 15 at all.
Li Mei became embarrassed under Qin Zhen's scrutiny. A blush gradually rose on her fair face, and she slowly lowered
her head, her long eyelashes fluttering. After a while, she said in a soft voice, "It's my age in the traditional Chinese way."
"Oh, right, how come you—" Qin Zhen suddenly stopped, remembering something the village chief had said about this child yesterday
. What was it? This damned wine is really no good; when you drink too much, you can't remember anything.
"Teacher, have you washed your face? I'll go get you some water." Li Mei, who had lowered her head shyly, didn't notice
Qin Zhen's reaction for a while. She looked up and found Qin Zhen inexplicably lost in thought
. A smile involuntarily appeared in her big eyes.
"Oh, no, I'll go get it. You can take me."
Qin Zhen quickly replied, snapping out of his reverie. Then he turned around, went into the house to get the bucket, and followed Li Mei.
"Shall we go together later?" Qin Zhen asked.
"No, I'm not going."
Qin Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and an uneasy feeling rose within him. Qin Zhen looked at Li Mei, seemingly remembering something
.
"Have you had breakfast?" Qin Zhen asked carefully, choosing his words carefully.
"No, we'll eat together at noon," Li Mei replied softly.
"Why don't you take care of yourself?" Qin Zhen said softly, not asking further. He
sensed the bitterness in Li Mei's voice. Although he couldn't see her eyes, he could imagine that Li Mei
must have some unspeakable sorrow.
After returning from fetching water, Qin Zhen took out all the snacks from his bag and gave them to Li Mei. Seeing her
cheerful and lively eyes, Qin Zhen felt particularly satisfied.
"Village Chief, that child Li Mei..." After drinking two bowls of porridge, looking at the smiling village chief, Qin
Zhen wanted to ask about Li Mei's situation, but he was too embarrassed and became somewhat hesitant. "They
already told you, and you forgot right away? That's too disrespectful!"
"You don't want to take care of that child anymore? Then kick her out. The village has done its duty to her. Sigh...
From now on, it's up to fate." The village chief sighed wistfully.
"Hmm! Hmm!—Ah?" Qin Zhen listened and nodded, but suddenly, he felt something was off
. He quickly looked up and interrupted the village chief, "Village chief, that's not what I meant."
After a while, the village chief realized that Qin Zhen had completely forgotten what he had said yesterday.
He pointed at Qin Zhen with a trembling hand and started cursing.
"Well, you little bastard! So you didn't listen to a word I said yesterday? You
just treated this old man's words like farts! How can you insult someone like that? You..."
The village chief was a thin, frail old man in his sixties with a terrible temper! Yesterday at dinner, several other villagers
specifically brought up this matter with Qin Zhen. Even the village chief's wife joked that he must have eaten too much gunpowder
to be so thin.
Seeing the old man's overflowing anger, Qin Zhen dared not risk offending him. With a smile and
gentle persuasion, he finally calmed the old man down and also learned a thorough understanding of Li Mei's situation.
Li Mei was an unfortunate child. When she was ten, her father accidentally fell to his death while hunting in the mountains.
Her mother then fell ill from grief. At a young age, Li Mei began doing countless chores, wholeheartedly
caring for her mother.
Later, seeing her daughter suffer so much for her, her mother felt immense pressure. On one hand, she wanted to
end it all, but she worried that Li Mei was too young. Yet, if she lived, she would only bring Li Mei greater pain.
Eventually, Li Mei's mother couldn't bear the immense mental pressure and went insane. Finally, on a stormy night two years ago,
he fell ill and ran into the mountains, following in his father's footsteps.
To pay for his medical treatment, Li Mei's family incurred considerable debt. After both adults in the family died, debt collectors came knocking
. With no other option, they had to sell their house. But how much could a house in the mountains fetch?
Even after paying off the debts, they hadn't cleared much of it. Seeing that Li Mei was truly desperate, the debt collectors had no choice but to give up.
Li Mei's father had been the only son in his family for generations, with few relatives. And because her mother's relatives
hadn't received their money back when they sold the house to pay off debts, they were unwilling to help Li Mei. In Li Mei's family, a married
daughter was considered like water spilled from a cup. While she was alive, people would show some consideration and help her, but after she died, who would raise a
half-grown child who could only eat and couldn't work, and didn't even bear their surname?
Thus, Li Mei became homeless. At first, the villagers would take turns looking after
her, but this couldn't continue. Just then, the teachers at the school couldn't bear
the hardships of the village and left, so the village head arranged for Li Mei to live at the school. Every year, they would try to
secure a few hundred yuan in education-related funds from the county and township to support Li Mei.
After listening to the village head's story, Qin Zhen remained silent for a long time. He knew Li Mei's situation very well. Qin Zhen was also
born into a single-parent family; his mother died of illness when he was very young. His father, too
, died of illness just as he was admitted to university. He had experienced far too much of the coldness and cruelty of human relationships in this world.
"Village Chief, leave Li Mei to me." Qin Zhen took a deep breath, suppressing
the tears welling up in his eyes, and raised his head, speaking firmly.
"Alright!" The village chief, who was puffing on his pipe, slapped his thigh upon hearing Qin Zhen's words, saying,
"Brother Zhen, I always believed I hadn't misjudged you. Don't worry, Li Mei won't be too much of a burden.
Not everyone in the village is ungrateful; if everyone helps each other out, a few years will pass easily."
Qin Zhen nodded, but his heart felt incredibly heavy. This teaching job was exceptionally difficult. But seeing
the backwardness here, seeing the village chief's sincere expectations, and remembering the words he'd dreamed of that morning, Qin Zhen finally
made a silent resolution: I'll do my best!

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