Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 264 - 263: Prawn Crackers

Chapter 264: Chapter 263: Prawn Crackers

"Ugh, look at my memory," Wang Shumei smacked her forehead and said to Lin Nianhe, "Niuwa came right after you stepped out. The principal is looking for you."

"Okay, I’ll go there first." Lin Nianhe didn’t forget to tell Wang Shumei, "I’ll talk to Brother Qian about the provincial city stuff when I get back."

Wang Shumei pulled on her arm and whispered, "You don’t need to mention it to Sister Zheng. It’s the same when my brother makes deliveries back to our hometown."

"She brought it up herself," Lin Nianhe soothed, "I’ll talk about it when I get back. I’m going to see what the principal needs."

"Alright, we’ll talk when you get back."

"Um... Sister Shumei, Shanshan and Xiao Jun fell asleep at my place, please look after them when they wake up."

"Sure, don’t worry."

Lin Nianhe ran out the door, first pinched Niuwa’s little face, then asked him, "Do you know what the principal wants?"

Niuwa shook his head with his lips still greasy, "I don’t know, Principal Mother is in a very good mood though."

"That’s good then."

The autumn heat this year was particularly fierce; even a short walk made you sweat profusely.

On both sides of the village school gates, the phrases "Self-reliance" and "Hard Struggle" were written in red paint, so straight as if measured with a ruler.

"Uncle Team Leader’s leadership is really something," Lin Nianhe said with a pursed lip and a chuckle as she looked at the words, "They really put in a lot of effort."

Niuwa looked up at her and whispered, "It was Teacher Wang Dong who wrote them while leaning on a bamboo pole."

Lin Nianhe opened her mouth and then changed her words, "The bamboo pole comrade has really put in a lot of effort."

Niuwa covered his mouth and giggled, but in a blink of an eye, he grew puzzled, "Sister Hehe, Uncle Team Leader said we’re to write slogans for the autumn harvest, so why write these eight characters?"

Lin Nianhe pondered seriously for a moment and answered, "Because no matter when and where, we always need to strive for self-reliance and work hard. Uncle Team Leader wants to remind us at all times!"

Niuwa’s eyes brightened, "Oh, Uncle Team Leader’s leadership is indeed something."

Just then, Li Dahe came out of the village school and glanced at them, commenting, "That’s because these two walls are neither too long nor too short; four characters fit perfectly on each side."

Lin Nianhe: "..."

Niuwa: "..."

The two silently looked up at the white clouds in the sky, wordless.

After a while, Lin Nianhe tugged at Niuwa’s little hand, "Niuwa, look, doesn’t that cloud look just like a check mark? It seems to think I’m right."

Niuwa clutched Lin Nianhe’s fingers tightly, "Yeah, Sister Hehe is right."

Li Dahe: "..."

"You two..."

"Shhh..." Lin Nianhe raised her index finger to her lips and spoke with earnest, "Uncle Team Leader, please don’t interrupt my ideological education class for Niuwa."

Niuwa nodded along, adopting an "I’m listening intently" expression.

Li Dahe’s lips twitched twice, rolled his eyes at them, and resisting the urge to kick them both, walked away with hands behind his back.

Lin Nianhe clutched at her heart, pulling Niuwa into the village school, not wanting to look at those eight characters any longer.

"Principal, I’m here."

"Ah, I’m in the kitchen, come here."

Lin Nianhe, leading Niuwa, made her way toward the kitchen and could smell the fragrance of oil before even entering.

In an enamel basin beside the stove were a heap of shrimp chips. Principal Wu, wearing an apron, was tossing a small handful of shrimp chips into the fryer.

"My goodness, is it New Year’s today? You’re actually willing to fry shrimp chips?" Lin Nianhe walked over with a smile, rolling up her sleeves and saying, "Let me do it."

"No need for you." Principal Wu pointed at the basin filled with shrimp chips, "Eat, they have just come out of the fryer."

Lin Nianhe didn’t hesitate, taking two shrimp chips and giving one to Niuwa.

The two of them stood by the stove, crunching on shrimp chips, like two little mice.

After finishing a piece of prawn cracker, Lin Nianhe finally asked, "What did you call me over for? It couldn’t just be to eat prawn crackers, right?"

Principal Wu, holding a skimmer, scooped out the puffed-up prawn crackers from the oil, carefully draining them before turning to look at Lin Nianhe and nodding, "Yes, it was to have you come over and eat some prawn crackers."

"Ah?"

Lin Nianhe’s eyes widened.

Principal Wu placed the prawn crackers into a bowl and shoved the bowl into her arms, saying, "You two go back to your room and eat, don’t get in the way here."

Lin Nianhe was baffled, looking down at Niuwa.

Niuwa returned her glance with an equally bewildered look and shook his head.

Lin Nianhe watched Principal Wu pour the oil from the wok into a bowl and couldn’t help but ask again, "What exactly are you up to? This is making me anxious."

"Tch."

Principal Wu capped the bowl and covered the near-empty wok as well, before taking off her apron and pushing Lin Nianhe out as she said, "What’s the matter, I can’t pamper you? Every day, you’re not big, but your worries are heavy, thinking about this and that, why?"

Holding the bowl, wary of spilling the prawn crackers and unable to not leave, Lin Nianhe could only say, "It’s so sudden, anyone would be panicked, it’s not my fault."

Principal Wu dragged her back into her own room, waited for her to put down the bowl, then knocked on her head.

Lin Nianhe looked at her innocently, her eyes full of questions.

Principal Wu felt a bit helpless, sighed lightly, then said, "Shumei’s brother and sister came to visit her. So I thought I’d make something nice for you to eat."

Lin Nianhe: "...?"

Sister Shumei’s family came to visit her, and you made something delicious for her?

She didn’t understand the cause and effect here.

Principal Wu reached out to brush away the stray hairs by Lin Nianhe’s temples, her gaze softening with sympathy.

"Shumei’s home is close by, her brother can come anytime he has the chance. Xiao Lan is careless; although she always mentions going home, spouting it out means nothing... But you, keeping everything to yourself, appearing as though nothing’s wrong, you’re the one with the heaviest heart."

Principal Wu pulled Lin Nianhe down to sit and patted her hand, "Alright, eat the prawn crackers, then later go to the brigade’s office and make a call home."

Lin Nianhe gazed at her, pursing her lips, unable to speak.

So the principal, she was afraid she was homesick, which is why she made prawn crackers especially to comfort her.

Lin Nianhe’s nose tingled, and her eyes reddened.

The home she thought of couldn’t be reached by phone calls.

Even if by some miracle she could get through, no one would answer.

"Ah yo yo, such a big girl and still crying, wait until Niuwa teases you," Principal Wu said as she embraced Lin Nianhe into her arms.

She patted her back, just like a mother comforting her daughter.

"There, no more crying. Look, the autumn harvest is just around the corner, and not many months after that it’ll be the New Year, with the home leave holidays. You’ll be able to go home then..."

Lin Nianhe leaned on Principal Wu’s shoulder, her tears soaking her clothes.

She gently nodded, whispering in a low voice, "Mhm, I’m alright."

Wiping away her tears, Lin Nianhe straightened up and gave Principal Wu a smile.

Principal Wu pinched her face, urging, "Eat up, eat plenty."

"Mhm!"

Lin Nianhe picked up a piece of prawn cracker but then offered it to Principal Wu’s mouth.

"Eh? What’s this for? I don’t like to eat these things, too salty..."

"Just eat, eat. If you don’t eat, I won’t eat either."

"Yeah, if you don’t eat, neither will we."

"Hey, you two little ancestors... Alright, alright, I’ve eaten, but don’t you dare put any more in my mouth..."