I am a Big Player
Chapter 275 - 273. The final lesson, return trip (second update)_1

Chapter 275: 273. The final lesson, return trip (second update)_1

The afternoon after school the next day, Ren He led a group of rambunctious kids from the Qinghe Club towards the county town. Everyone on the bus was as crazy happy as if they had just been released from prison. Initially, he had thought Zip County was run-down, but now it seemed quite prosperous, as if...

Interestingly enough, when it came time to teach the real kids, each of these rambunctious kids was more serious than the next. Everyone wanted to impart their knowledge in the simplest way possible, even starting to prepare their lessons.

When Liu Bing first arrived at Qing He Hope Primary School, he had boasted that with his level of math, he didn’t need to prepare to teach the children. However, when he actually started teaching, he found he couldn’t help but use high school terminology, which was quite embarrassing. The kids couldn’t understand a word.

So, Liu Bing started to quickly flip through elementary school textbooks during his free time to brush up on his knowledge and get into the mindset of a primary school teacher.

Once they reached the county town and had signal, everyone began to noisily call their families. Although they had been out and about before, they had never experienced such tough times. When they felt the hardship, they yearned for their loved ones; after all, isn’t that why so many people miss home, because it’s good there?

The parents were quite worried too; not hearing from their children for two days, they thought something might have happened. Ren He was a little concerned these parents might not want their children to endure hardship but to his surprise, Jiang Haoyang’s parents actually asked to speak to Ren He. The first thing they said was thank you.

They had noticed Jiang Haoyang gradually losing weight over the semester, not unhealthily, but rather a healthier physique, and his overall demeanor had also improved significantly. They learned from Jiang Haoyang that it was the club’s president who had been making them exercise, and they had also heard about the murder game the club played. They marvelled at how No.4 Middle School had produced such a remarkable young man who even managed to overshadow the school’s geniuses.

It was a sense of achievement, the feeling of being recognized for one’s accomplishments.

Just when he thought no one would appreciate his efforts in charity work, someone said, "You’re doing great."

In a society that scorns poverty rather than prostitution, where everyone is busy making money and just surviving, Ren He thought people would find him boring. Yet, he suddenly discovered the kindness around him, a very warm feeling.

In the end, Jiang Haoyang’s parents even suggested Ren He should come over for dinner sometime. Ren He responded with a laugh, agreeing politely. He was not one to refuse such courteous invitations. Whether he would actually go was another matter entirely.

Ren He also found a landline and called the police to report the two tomb robbers, providing their location as well.

By now it had been a full day and night, and those crooks stuck in the pit were probably in agony, wishing for death. The place was secluded, a valley where people might not pass by even once in half a month. The crooks had chosen that spot for this very reason, so they couldn’t even dream of someone coming to rescue them...

Passing by a roadside stall selling noodle soups and steamed buns, Jiang Haoyang and the others salivated with longing before turning hopeful gazes towards Ren He. Their money had all been collected by Ren He; how could they eat without money?

"Forget about it. If I don’t wring every bit of fat from you during these 15 days, it would be a wasted trip," Ren He said cheerfully.

Fifteen days sounded like a long time, but in reality, it was over in the blink of an eye. Carrying water had chafed the shoulders of Liu Bing and the others raw and swollen, but after hauling water, they sat down at the table, earnestly preparing their lessons, determined not to neglect their teaching duties.

And Ren He went further by recounting tales of the outside world to the children, trying to spark in them a desire to learn.

Indeed, he was successful. After class, some children would ask, "Teacher, is the outside world really like what you’ve described?"

Ren He smiled and said, "Aren’t we the best proof? And there’s also that car outside."

"I must study hard and go out to see for myself," the children declared earnestly.

And Ren He could only hope that this aspiration would take deeper root in their hearts.

On the 15th day, Ren He stepped onto the lectern, "Today is our last day here, and I hope everyone will remember the lessons we’ve taught and the words we’ve said."

When the children heard Ren He say it was the last lesson, they were stunned, "Teacher, are you going back to the outside world?" There was reluctance and sadness in their voices.

Children are actually the purest and also the most sensitive; their nerves haven’t been toughened by the sands of reality, nor have they been tainted. That’s why they could genuinely feel that Ren He and his colleagues truly had their best interests at heart, which is what gave rise to those feelings of reluctance to part ways.

The five teachers had arrived with clean complexions, but after these 15 days, each face was dark and almost unrecognizable, having not bathed even once—their bodies reeked.

There was little difference between them and the children in front of them now.

But Ren He and his colleagues were joyful inside. At first, everyone was not accustomed to only brushing their teeth twice a day without being able to wash their faces, but they endured, and it turned out that not bathing wasn’t a death sentence after all...

These past few days, Liu Bing and Jiang Haoyang almost died laughing when they looked in the mirror; they resembled refugees fleeing from war, utterly miserable, with clothes torn from gathering firewood—it was a sorry state.

Yet, they were still joyful at heart because they had indeed persevered.

In the last lesson, everyone went on stage to give the children a blessing, but as they spoke, the children below had already started to cry. When one person takes the lead in such things, it tends to spread...

It got to the point where Liu Bing and the others couldn’t help but cry themselves, promising, "We will come back to see you, definitely!" Liu Bing had even thought it through—if the scholarship money came through after the final exams of the new term, he would return here and buy each child a new winter coat. The reason Ren He had taken everyone to the county town yesterday was to help buy a cotton-padded jacket for each child; the price wasn’t high, and it was distressing to see so many children with holes in their clothes.

When Ren He started the pickup truck to begin the return journey, the children silently followed behind the vehicle, eventually unable to hold back their tears.

"Why don’t we stay with them for a few more days?" Liu Jiamin said through tears; in fact, she had been frustrated by the children’s mischief over the past two days, but now that it was time to leave, she really couldn’t bear to do so.

Ren He suppressed his emotions and said calmly, "Can you stay with them for a lifetime? Haven’t we already told them everything they need to know? They have to walk their own path from now on, and no one can help someone else for their whole life."

This was Ren He’s philosophy. The span of 15 days was far too short, and life was tough for the children here, so Ren He had decided to use "Harry Potter" to try to save them. The problem was that all he could do was create the conditions for learning and let them know how wonderful the world outside was.

Beyond that, he was powerless.

It could even be said that he did have the capability to take these children directly to the city, but how many could he take? How many could he support? If he was caring for these children, who knew whether his good intentions might lead to bad outcomes?

Ultimately, they had to rely on themselves; Ren He would act as if he had never been here.

A thousand-mile journey—I only accompany you for a single leg, and from then on, I no longer concern myself with blizzards or sunshine.

Return journey!

...

Something came up today, so there are only these two guaranteed Chapters. Consider it a rest after the burst, as I’m not in the best of spirits...