The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 600 - 569: Downcast, I Don’t Want to Be a Pooper Scooper_1

Chapter 600: Chapter 569: Downcast, I Don’t Want to Be a Pooper Scooper_1

Huo Yingjie and He Tiantian did not return until 4 a.m.

He Tiantian was exhausted, but she didn’t sleep, instead she nestled against Huo Yingjie’s chest.

Huo Yingjie knew that He Tiantian had few friends, and losing one so suddenly had left her heartbroken. He understood and gently patted her back through the blanket.

The loud crowing of the rooster from the backyard heralded the break of dawn.

He Tiantian rested with her eyes closed, but when she heard the cock-a-doodle-doo, she started to get up.

It was a bit overcast outside, and a fine drizzle floated through the sky.

There was no wind, so it wasn’t cold.

Huo Yingjie got up, put on a raincoat, and went to fetch water, greeting people from the village along the way.

Perhaps it was the departure of the Snake King, or the absence of sunshine due to the rain, but He Tiantian felt somewhat downcast, unable to muster any energy all day.

The most spirited one at home was He Doudou.

He Doudou was the nickname of He Tiantian’s younger brother; his formal name was left for their grandmother abroad to decide.

Huo Yingjie understood He Tiantian and did not talk much with her, knowing that in such a situation, she needed to adjust on her own.

Meanwhile, in the mountain cave halfway up the hillside, after sunrise, Huashan and Cui Ying slowly woke up.

The blood that had flowed from their noses was now dry, leaving them looking a bit disheveled.

But at this moment, they didn’t care about their appearance; they started to circulate the cultivation techniques within their bodies and were overjoyed.

After one full cycle, Cui Ying exclaimed excitedly, "Senior brother, my cultivation has improved."

"So has mine!" Huashan replied with excitement, "Although it was dangerous, the benefits were plentiful. If we encounter such events again in the future, we shall return here."

"Right," Cui Ying said, "Senior brother, did you see clearly what that was last night?"

Hearing this, some of the joy in Huashan’s heart diminished as he shook his head, "I didn’t see it clearly, but I remember our master said that it should be a Tribulation. With the Spiritual Energy so thin, humans can barely cultivate, so I’m puzzled how that creature could have cultivated to the point of facing a Tribulation."

Cui Ying, after listening, shook her head and said, "I didn’t see clearly either, but I’m certain Qijia Village is an extraordinary place. I plan to write to father and ask him to visit. If this place is suitable for cultivation, then we’ll stay here."

Huashan pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, Qijia Village is quite nice — the villagers are honest and live peacefully."

"Yes, since we haven’t found the reason, we must continue searching," Cui Ying said, believing that if they hadn’t found the reason, it was because they weren’t capable enough and needed to work harder.

"We’ve been out for quite a while; it’s time to return," Huashan said, "Otherwise, we might arouse suspicion."

As they descended the mountain, to avoid drawing attention, Huashan caught several fish, weighing two to three pounds each, when passing by the Dark River, and brought them back to the educated youth spot.

With the addition of the fish, the other educated youths didn’t pay much attention to their early departure.

Spring rain is as precious as oil, nourishing all things. It rained continuously for two days before finally clearing up.

It was not yet time for spring plowing, but Qijia Village had a matter even more important than spring plowing to attend to.

Village Chief Qi had all the young people from the city called to the village branch.

He Tiantian was among the educated youths and was also included.

Huo Yingjie followed close behind, curious as to why Secretary Qi wanted to see He Tiantian.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Secretary Qi said with a smile, "Please, take a seat, everyone."

"I went to a meeting in the county yesterday, and the funding for the school has been secured, we start construction tomorrow," Secretary Qi said with a grin, "The reason I asked you all to come today is to discuss the matter of recruiting teachers for the school."

Wang Lei and Zhang Qingshan’s eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Being a teacher was much better than manual labor.

"Secretary Qi, we are certainly willing to be teachers, but is it really allowed by the policy?" Wang Lei asked with concern, wanting to be a teacher but worried about becoming the target of criticism if policies changed one day.

Secretary Qi chuckled and replied, "You don’t need to worry about that; almost all the primary and secondary schools outside have started classes. Although I can’t guarantee there won’t be any issues, here in Qijia Village, if the policy is not favorable, I’ll disband you immediately so you won’t be implicated."

Wang Lei felt somewhat reassured by these words and said, "Then we’ll be troubling you, Secretary Qi."

"I’ve made a rough estimate; our primary school is quite large. With the Yu Hong Class and the five grades, we’re probably looking at five to six hundred students," Village Chief Qi said, "With about fifty students per class, that’s more than a dozen classes, so we need more than a dozen teachers. You are all educated youths, have been to school, and are young. You’ve been responsible for the literacy work in the village and have done a fine job, which is why I’m asking you first. If you’re willing, I’ll report your names."

Zhang Qingshan, upon hearing this, chuckled and said, "Being a teacher is something we, of course, are willing to do, but we’ve also settled down and need to support our families, so what about the salary..."

Zhang Qingshan was straightforward and clever, but not malicious, which made Secretary Qi have a good impression of him.

It’s always better to be open and clear about everything upfront instead of whispering behind each other’s backs.

"Regarding the salary, the commune has temporarily set it at 15 yuan a month, ten jin of rice, ten jin of rice, and twenty jin of cornmeal," Secretary Qi explained, "Of course, this salary is a bit low, not even as good as what you would earn with work points. That’s why I talked to Third Aunt Qi. For the teachers’ salaries, Third Aunt Qi will add an extra ten yuan per person each month, making it twenty-five in total. For urban couples like you, that’s fifty yuan in total, which is quite high."

The prospect of earning fifty yuan, plus getting food, was considered good, not just in the countryside but also in the city.

Wang Lei, Zhang Qingshan, and the others, upon hearing this, nodded in agreement, "Indeed, that’s very good."

He Tiantian was also very pleased, now that the Snake King had left, and she no longer needed to go to the back mountain. If possible, she too would like to be a teacher, even if it was just for first grade!

She didn’t want to be a poop scooper anymore!

Just as everyone started to sign up, Qi Shuli came in from outside and, after sitting down, said casually, "Village Chief, having all the teachers in the school be young people from the city isn’t quite appropriate!"

Wang Lei and the other young city-dwellers were startled; it seemed there might be a twist yet!

Qi Shuli wasn’t afraid of the educated youths and said with a laugh, "Don’t look at me like that. You come from the city and are literate, which I acknowledge, but this village isn’t your hometown. If one day you leave, we won’t be able to recruit new teachers immediately, which would delay the students’ learning here."

Although Village Chief Qi didn’t hold Qi Shuli in high regard, upon reflection, he had to admit that Qi Shuli’s words made sense.

"What would you suggest then, Accountant Qi?" Secretary Qi inquired, as they were all from the same village, he couldn’t dismiss Qi Shuli in front of others.

Qi Shuli chuckled and replied, "Actually, it’s quite simple and fair. We have a few junior high school graduates in our village who can become teachers too!"