Chapter 4, Under the Fence (02)
Uncertain of how long she had slept, Tan Ruyi suddenly awoke, only to hear a rustling sound in the darkness. Her heart immediately raced to her throat, and just as she was about to speak, she caught a whiff of a strong smell of alcohol. Following that, a person heavily collapsed onto her, pressing most of their body weight down on her. Tan Ruyi was so frightened that she forgot to breathe. Cautiously, she reached out her hand and touched the firm bone of a shoulder, only then realizing it must be Shen Zizhuo. She turned on the bedside lamp and pushed Shen Zizhuo slightly, "Mr. Shen"
Teacher Ma sat beside Tan Ruyi, with Liang Jingchuan opposite them. The three of them chatted about the situation in the class, when Teacher Ma suddenly asked Tan Ruyi, "Xiao Tan, do you have a boyfriend?"
Like a pan-fried bun, it was unclear how long it had been simmering. Shen Zizhu finally turned over and released her. Tan Ruyi quickly scrambled up from the ground and immediately walked towards the exit. When she reached the door, she paused for a moment, turned her head to glance at the person on the bed, hesitated for an instant, but ultimately turned back to cover him with the blanket and then turned off the bedside lamp
She crouched down and picked up the torn photograph. In the photo, Xia Lan looked radiant, and the man beside her was also quite charming. The photo was well taken, unlike the overly retouched and artificial ones that Tan Ruyi had seen in the studio. Tan Ruyi sighed, set the photograph aside, and began to sweep up the shards of glass on the floor.
Shen Zizhuo let out a nasal sound of "mm" but did not move. His body was heavy, and Tan Ruyi exerted some effort to free herself from his weight. Just as she was about to sit up, he suddenly reached out his arm and pulled her in, holding her tightly. He was only wearing a shirt, and his body was quite cool; perhaps that was why he instinctively embraced the only source of warmth in front of him
Fortunately, the kitchen was spared from disaster. Tan Ruyi successfully found the kettle and boiled a pot of water, then asked Xia Lan if she had eaten dinner. Xia Lan had been lying in bed all day; had it not been for her intense hunger and discomfort from the fever, she originally had no intention of going out. Tan Ruyi then helped her by cooking a bowl of noodles and simmering a small pot of congee on the stove
During the break, the office organized a group purchase to watch a movie. In her excitement, Tan Ruyi also signed up to participate. The organizer was Liang Jingchuan, the mathematics teacher of the first-year (Class 7) students taught by Tan Ruyi. He joined the school three years earlier than Tan Ruyi and is four years her senior, yet he still possesses some childlike qualities, which allows him to easily connect with the children in Class 7. The overall mathematics performance of Class 7 is also the best in the entire grade.
Liang Jingchuan saw Tan Ruyi raise her hand to sign up and smiled, saying: "Teacher Tan, just now Teacher Ma was still worried that you wouldn't go and was planning to encourage you."
Tan Ruyi struggled, but Shen Zizhuo tightened his grip, wrapping his arms around her firmly. His chin rested against her shoulder as he said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Don't move." His voice sounded as if it emerged from deep water, carrying the unique muddled heaviness of drunkenness. Even if Tan Ruyi wanted to move, she found herself unable to do so, and could only temporarily allow him to hold her. She turned her head to look, and whether it was due to the lighting or not, she felt that Shen Zizhuo's complexion was a few shades paler compared to before their departure last week, with slightly sunken eyes, appearing somewhat haggard. The warm breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol, gently brushed against her face, and Tan Ruyi disliked this smell, so she turned her head away.
No, it is not, "Tan Ruyi explained awkwardly, 'I just live here... temporarily live here.'"
Liang Jingchuan glanced at Tan Ruyi, smiled, gently touched the tip of his nose, and then took the movie poster to persuade other teachers.
Tan Ruyi scanned the surroundings and discovered a shattered glass photo frame on the floor near the bedroom. Inside, a large photograph was torn in half, which at first glance appeared to be a wedding photo. Tan Ruyi immediately understood, glancing at Xia Lan, feeling a twinge of sympathy—she had quarreled with her husband and was unwell, yet there was no one nearby to take care of her
After Tan Ruyi returned home, she was still savoring the harmonious atmosphere of the hot pot meal. Since the next day was Saturday and there were no classes, she picked a novel from Shen Zizhuo's study, treating it as a way to relax. The novel turned out to be unexpectedly captivating, with a plot full of twists and turns. Even after taking a shower, Tan Ruyi was still preoccupied with the ending, so she decided to read it all in one go. She took the book to her bedroom, turned off the main light, and crawled into bed, reading by the light of the bedside lamp.
Tan Ruyi's hometown is filled with three to four-story buildings. After the return of farmland to forest, people who migrated from the countryside still tend to live together out of habit. The relationships among neighbors are close-knit, and often when one family has a matter, a simple call brings eager assistance from others. Although it is true that the aunts and neighbors tend to gossip when they gather, this atmosphere is something that cannot be experienced in the apartment buildings of the city
Teacher Ma glanced at Liang Jingchuan and said with a smile, "Without mentioning other aspects, one thing that is quite good about our school is the balanced gender ratio. You made the right choice coming here; you won't have to worry about not finding a boyfriend in the future"
She re-laid the bedding in the study and lay down after turning off the lights. After a bout of fright, her drowsiness had vanished without a trace. She turned over and stared intently at the few rays of light filtering in through the window, extremely faint, yet still breaking through the heavy darkness, illuminating the vague outlines of the objects in the room
Tan Ruyi had been living in the city for more than half a month, and the woman who stood up for her was the first neighbor she had met. The woman's name was Xia Lan, and she happened to live in the same building as Tan Ruyi. When Tan Ruyi went to a nearby pharmacy to buy medicine for her, she noticed that Xia Lan was walking unsteadily, as if she might fall at any moment. Feeling concerned, she volunteered to escort her back.
After Xia Lan finished, she lay down on the sofa to rest. Tan Ruyi wrung out a cold towel and placed it on her forehead. Xia Lan closed her eyes, pressed the towel down, thanked her, and then asked, "Which family do you work for as a nanny? I hope it doesn't interfere with your job"
The night was exceptionally quiet, and by the time she reached the last sentence, it was already late at night. A gray moth had unknowingly perched on the light bulb of the desk lamp. Tan Ruyi closed the book, brushed it off with her hand, turned off the light, and went to bed.
Xialan let out a soft "oh" and fell silent.
Tan Ruyi walked in, carefully avoiding the items on the ground, "Please sit for a moment, I will help you boil some hot water."
Xia Lan did not contact her. Tan Ruyi was still somewhat worried, having knocked on the door upstairs once, but received no response. A cold is not a serious illness, so it is likely that Xia Lan has already recovered from her fever. In today's interactions between people, one must always carry a degree of caution. Since Xia Lan did not take the initiative to express her needs, it would not be appropriate for her to impose her goodwill. There is a public class on Friday, and Tan Ruyi felt uncertain, spending each day reviewing materials and checking courseware, gradually losing the energy to concern herself with others' matters.
Fortunately, the effect that day was surprisingly good. It was about a classical Chinese text, and she had prepared a wealth of audio-visual materials. Drawing on her experience of creating PowerPoint presentations during her studies, she cited references and made extensive use of multimedia methods, which earned her praise from the academic affairs director and the head of the Chinese language department. After class, when the head of the Chinese language department communicated with her, she complimented her particularly beautiful chalk handwriting. This was the first time since arriving in the city that Tan Ruyi felt a surge of energy, and the accumulated frustration of recent days was instantly alleviated.
It seemed that the sedative component in the antipyretic medication was taking effect, and Xia Lan gradually fell asleep. Tan Ruyi got up and went to the kitchen to keep an eye on the porridge on the stove, turning off the heat once it was ready. Tan Ruyi then helped Xia Lan change to a fresh towel, and from the same chaotic bedroom, she found a fleece blanket to cover her.
The movie was not particularly exciting, and it could not compare to the lively atmosphere of the teachers from the office gathering for dinner and chatting after work, which attracted Tan Ruyi. Tan Ruyi felt that it was truly a lucky day; amidst the swirling steam, she enjoyed cooking lamb while listening to the other teachers share amusing stories. She felt an unusual sense of tranquility in her heart, experiencing a sense of stability for the first time, as if in this vast and bustling city, she had finally found her own place to stand.
Teacher Ma is the homeroom teacher of Class 7 and teaches English. She is drinking a beverage made from the fat sea and, upon hearing the words, looks up and smiles, saying: "I am not worried, what should I be worried about"
Xialan, however, was completely unconcerned, directly stepping over the mess to the water dispenser to fill her cup. The switch of the water dispenser was on, but the water jug was already empty. She irritably shoved it aside and placed her cup down.
In middle school, Chinese language classes are usually scheduled in the morning. Tan Ruyi generally returns to the office to grade assignments right after class. The volume of Chinese assignments is low; apart from the weekly journal, there is a major essay each month. Additionally, there is a workbook that students complete according to the teaching schedule, which can be collected and checked every three to four days. Therefore, Tan Ruyi often has ample time, unless faced with special situations such as open classes.
"No," Tan Ruyi answered instinctively. After saying this, she suddenly realized that this answer seemed incorrect; however, upon closer examination, it did not seem entirely wrong either. After hesitating for a moment, she still chose not to mention her affair with Shen Zizhu.
After finishing dinner at the school cafeteria, she took the unfinished materials home to continue her studies. She prepared in this manner for several consecutive days, feeling anxious in her heart, yet she could only do her best and leave the rest to fate
After sitting for a while and seeing that Xia Lan showed no signs of waking up, she stood up and planned to return. Before leaving, she noticed the broken glass at the bedroom door and, fearing that Xia Lan might carelessly step on it, went to find tools to clean it up
After completing these tasks, Tan Ruyi left a note for Xia Lan, writing down her phone number and floor, advising her to reach out to her whenever needed
Tan Ruyi smiled and simply stated that she only wanted to focus on teaching the book well for the time being, with no other plans. This statement was heartfelt and entirely genuine. Not to mention the awkward contractual relationship she had with Shen Zizhuo, given the current dire situation, it was necessary to first address the issue of basic sustenance before discussing anything else
Tan Ruyi originally planned to deliver and leave, but seeing her like this, he truly could not rest easy, "Um, Miss Xia..."
Xia Lan glanced at her and said, "Come in, no need to change your shoes. The maid just quit, and the house is not tidy."
Upon opening the door, a foul odor immediately wafted out from the room. Tan Ruyi glanced inside and saw that the interior was in complete disarray, resembling the aftermath of a typhoon. Against the wall by the entrance stood a half-person-high cardboard box, haphazardly stuffed with clothes. The floor was littered with scattered debris and scraps of paper, leaving no clean spot to set foot in the entire living room.