Chapter 118: Being Taken Away

　　When Jiang Youtao came, Gu Nianwei went back. Jiang Youtao brought Fu Shaohua into her dormitory, with the courtyard gate and the door of the room wide open.

　　Fu Shaohua took out a painting from the bag on the back of his bicycle.

　　From the last time they left until now, this is the painting Fu Shaohua drew after they returned from Beishan last time. From outlining to the completion of the painting, he took it 100% seriously.

　　Jiang Youtao slowly unfolded the painting. She didn't have much artistic talent, but she could still see the difference between beauty and ugliness.

　　This is an oil painting. On a rocky mountain top, a girl with loose pigtails is looking into the distance. The vast tracts of farmland, woods and distant mountains are beautifully rendered in yellow, green, brown and red.

　　Jiang Youtao couldn't help but look at it again and again: "I didn't expect you could draw."

　　Fu Shaohua saw Jiang Youtao staring at the painting, his eyes full of love for the painting, and his slightly nervous mood relaxed.

　　He said: "My father has a classmate who studies painting. I have been learning painting from him since I was ten years old." Later, his teacher was reported, and the person who reported him was one of his most valued students.

　　It has been six years since his teacher was demoted, and this is the first time Fu Shaohua has picked up a paintbrush. He had wanted to pick up a paintbrush countless times before, but he always thought of the senior brother who had been so kind to him. He never thought that a man who respected his teacher and took good care of him would do such a thing!

　　Now the teacher has been demoted to the northwest Gobi Desert, but he is reaping the benefits of reporting the teacher and working as a teacher at Shuimu Academy of Fine Arts. He lives a happy life. It's really unfair.

　　"So beautiful." As a child who grew up in an orphanage, Jiang Youtao was particularly envious of people with talents. She looked at Fu Shaohua with admiration in her eyes.

　　Fu Shaohua's mood, which had become depressed because of thinking about the past, suddenly became better.

　　He said, "The other day was Mid-Autumn Festival. I wanted to spend it with you, but our company organized a Mid-Autumn Festival party and we had dinner together. I couldn't miss it, so I didn't come. Yesterday I had an urgent letter to deliver, so I delivered it first. It was to Helegou. It took a day to go back and forth."

　　Helegou is the farthest village in Zaoxiang Commune. There are not many people in that village because more than 20 years ago, the young people of Helegou agreed to go out to save the country together. Thirteen people went out, but none of them came back as they all died on the battlefield.

　　What Fu Shaohua was anxious to send was the pensions paid to the thirteen young men by their units. When they died, the country was at its poorest. Now that the national finances are not so tight, those well-known national heroes have received subsidies every year.

　　Jiang Youtao also knew about Helegou's affairs. She didn't say much: "It's okay, it's just right for you to come today."

　　Jiang Youtao looked at him with a smile: "Fu Shaohua, I have started a small business and now I need help. Can you help me?"

　　Jiang Youtao's voice was very gentle, like a gentle breeze.

　　As a man, a normal man, who can refuse the earnest request of his beloved?

　　Anyway, Fu Shaohua couldn't do it. He didn't even ask what the business was. He patted his chest loudly and said, "Whatever you want, I'll help you as long as you tell me."

　　Jiang Youtao likes Fu Shaohua's initiative to do a work. She said, "It's not difficult. It's just frying melon seeds or boiling melon seeds. It's not tiring at all."

　　Fu Shaohua thought it was something else, but it turned out to be just this? Fu Shaohua felt that he needed to correct the impression he had left on Jiang Youtao: "This is nothing, is there anything else I can do?"

　　Fu Shaohua hinted to Jiang Youtao that some heavy work could be done, such as changing light bulbs, lifting things, carrying manure, and chopping firewood.

　　He can do it all! He's strong and he's really good.

　　Fu Shaohua was full of anticipation, he especially wanted to show his powerful side in front of Jiang Youtao.

　　"That's it."

　　Fu Shaohua was a little disappointed: "Okay, when will it start?"

　　Jiang Youtao smiled particularly sweetly: "Don't worry, we have to wait a few more days. I will call your unit when the time comes, and you can come up to help me."

　　"No problem!"

　　Fu Shaohua agreed immediately.

　　In the evening, Jiang Youtao cooked dinner herself and called Gu Nianwei to eat together. It was getting dark, so Jiang Youtao sent Fu Shaohua out of the family compound. When she came back, she saw Teacher Zheng coming out to take out the trash.

　　Teacher Zheng said to Gu Nianwei, "Did you know that a family of people from the Public Security Bureau moved into Teacher Zhou's yard?"

　　Jiang Youtao was busy outside except for classes, so how could she know this? "I don't know, how come the family members of the Public Security Bureau are living in our family compound?"

　　"It is said that they have been taken in. After all, among all the family compound in the county, only our middle school's family compound has extra houses. Aren't there still a few empty rooms left? I think in a few days, there will be more that will here."

　　Jiang Youtao nodded: "Do you know this new guy?"

　　Teacher Zheng's target is from the Public Security Bureau. Teacher Zheng shook her head and said, "I don't know him. He just transferred here this year. He is a leader. We don't know him."

　　The middle school's staff quarters haven't had anyone from outside living there for many years. The fact that it's being rented out this time probably means that the person must be extremely powerful.

　　Teacher Zheng has gotten first-hand information about this leader from her boyfriend: "It is said that he is only 26 years old. He was the deputy head of the regiment before he was demobilized. It is said that he was seriously injured, so he had to be demobilized. And our municipal bureau thinks highly of him. It is said that the leaders of the municipal bureau informed our county education bureau, and the education bureau told the principal, and they agreed to let him move in."

　　Jiang Youtao was really surprised. A 26-year-old deputy head of the group had an extremely bright future no matter in which era.

　　How many people work hard for half their lives but still cannot reach the goal.

　　"He is really young and promising." Jiang Youtao sighed.

　　Teacher Zheng also said, "That's right." After that, Teacher Zheng gossiped about Jiang Youtao again, "Who was that boy you sent out just now? He's so handsome."

　　Teacher Zheng was almost stunned. It was the first time in her life that she had seen such a handsome man. Compared with him, her partner was so gray that he looked like a stone on the roadside.

　　"He's my boyfriend." National Day is coming in two days, and it will be her 18th birthday. By then, they will go to the movies and their relationship will be confirmed.

　　Teacher Zheng was happy: "That's great, you two are both good-looking, and your children will definitely be good-looking too."

　　Jiang Youtao smiled shyly, she didn't think that far ahead. It didn't matter whether she had a child or not, she didn't want to have one for the time being.

　　Gossiping all the way from the family compound gate to the house, they happened to see a man carrying something into Teacher Zhou's room. Teacher Zheng nodded at Jiang Youtao and said, "Do you think he looks young?"

　　Jiang Youtao couldn't see anything from the back, but she was very supportive: "Yeah."

　　As the two were talking, Teacher Xu's wife came back and asked, "Teacher Zheng, have you eaten yet?"

　　Teacher Zheng put on a professional smile and said, "I came out to throw away the trash. Where did Xinlan come from?"

　　Teacher Xu's wife's surname is Lian, Lian Xinlan. She said, "Go for a walk outside. I'm going home first."

　　Lian Xinlan walked away with a twisted waist.

　　Teacher Zheng looked down on her, but didn't say anything. But Teacher Zhao, who came out carrying the garbage, looked at Lian Xinlan with such a fierce look that sparks were about to appear.

　　Teacher Zheng said to Jiang Youtao: "See, Teacher Zhao is very hostile to any woman."

　　"She's like a dung beetle, treating a pile of shit like a treasure. But who wants to be a dung beetle like her?"

　　This sentence touched Jiang Youtao, who laughed so hard that tears came out. Liu Shiyong also came out. When Lian Xinlan just passed by and flirted with him, Liu Shiyong almost drooled.

　　Zhao Yaqing wanted to rush up and fight with Lian Xinlan. In that way, she really looked like a dung beetle.

　　Teacher Zheng gave Jiang Youtao a look that said "see, I'm right?", and then continued: "See, Lian Xinlan is the only one who doesn't like Liu Shiyong. Which man Lian Xinlan has been with is not better than Liu Shiyong? Liang Xinlan just feel disgusted by her look, so she teased her, but Zhao Yaqing took it seriously."

　　Teacher Zheng clicked her tongue, then shook her head and went back.

　　Jiang Youtao pushed open the yard door and returned home. Gu Nianwei had already washed the dishes and everything.

　　"Why did you take so long to come back? Are you reluctant to let him leave so soon?" Gu Nianwei joked.

　　"Why would I be? It's just that I met Teacher Zheng on my way back and talked to her for a while. She said the family that moved in across from you is a new leader of the Public Security Bureau. I also saw Teacher Xu's wife and exchanged a few words with her."

　　Gu Nianwei nodded: "I know about the matter of the house across the street." She then said: "You just said you need my help with something, what is it?"

　　Jiang Youtao chuckled twice: "I have a small business selling melon seeds. Now I want to expand the scale, but I don't trust others, so I want to ask you to join me."

　　Gu Nianwei sighed, "You hid it well enough, Youtao. You haven't told me anything for such a long time."

　　But she also had a lot of secrets, so Gu Nianwei changed the subject in time: "Okay, I agree, just let me know whenever you need something."

　　As early as when various flavors of melon seeds appeared in the county cinema, Gu Nianwei guessed that it was related to Jiang Youtao, but she didn't ask. She was not curious about where Jiang Youtao fried so many melon seeds. She had a space, so why can't others have one too?

　　"Then I won't be polite." Jiang Youtao didn't say that she wanted Gu Nianwei to participate.

　　The business has not started yet, so it is too early to say anything now.

　　"Then I'll go back. I had students do a test this afternoon and I have to correct it and give a lecture tomorrow."

　　Jiang Youtao hadn't let her class take Chinese exam yet, and she had nothing to do in the evening, so she asked, "Do you need my help?"

　　Gu Nianwei was just waiting for this sentence. She reached out and stopped Jiang Youtao's arm and walked out: "Let's go, let's go."

　　As soon as the two of them went out, they shivered at the cold air outside.

　　Jiang Youtao said: "It's getting colder and colder. We need to wear more clothes."

　　"Yes, I think it's getting colder earlier this year than last year. We have to buy some coal and firewood in a few days, otherwise we won't be able to survive this winter."

　　The winter in Northeast China is really freezing cold.

　　"Okay, I'll ask Aunt Xu in a few days to see if she has any extra firewood and send some to us."

　　The two walked to Gu Nianwei's room. Gu Nianwei took out the test paper from the desk in the room and gave half of it to Jiang Youtao. Jiang Youtao took out the red pen she carried with her.

　　Halfway through grading, Gu Nianwei couldn't help but say, "Guo Xiaotao, I've told him so many times that he must check and recheck after finishing the test. Look at this question. The solution is correct, but because of carelessness, he wrote the wrong quantity, which led to a wrong result. He can't get any points for this question."

　　Guo Xiaotao is a problem student in the class. He is smart, knows how to draw inferences from one example, and usually has good academic performance. But he is too careless. He would rather sleep after finishing his work than check it more.

　　Children like this really make teachers worry. No matter how much they talk to them, it's all in vain.

　　"Li Xiaolan has made great progress. I remember that in the last exam, there were quite a few big red lanterns on her math test paper, but this time there were fewer." Jiang Youtao happened to be correcting Li Xiaolan's test paper.

　　Li Xiaolan and Guo Xiaotao are completely different students. Li Xiaolan is very serious and has a very good attitude towards learning. After finishing the test paper, she always calculates it again on the draft paper, so that she can check the mistakes in time and make up for the lost points.

　　Gu Nianwei nodded in agreement: "This child is really good. I think she has a chance to enter a technical secondary school next year."

　　Gu Nianwei had already finished grading a test paper. She had only made two strokes when her brows furrowed. "How come Liang Ligang's grades are getting worse and worse? I remember when I took over their class from Teacher Zhao, his grades were pretty good, especially Liang Ligang. I saw that he always scored 100% in math."

　　"How come his grades dropped so much after I took over? Just for math, he didn't even get 40 points this time. Take this question for example, I just taught it in the class before the exam, but he couldn't recognize it after changing some numbers."

　　"He's falling behind in Chinese very quickly."

　　Jiang Youtao was deeply impressed by Liang Ligang. In addition to this reason, there was another reason: Liang Ligang was on Teacher Zhao's recommendation list.

　　Gu Nianwei was so angry about marking the test paper, Jiang Youtao was too lazy to go back and just slept in the same bed with Gu Nianwei.

　　The next day they went to work together.

　　During the break of the first class, people from the Education Bureau and the Public Security Bureau came and walked straight up to Zhao Yaqing.

　　"Teacher Zhao, someone reported you for taking money to send students to technical secondary schools. We have clear evidence. Please come with us."

　　Zhao Yaqing's face turned pale in an instant. She looked around in panic, only to find that her colleagues were looking at her with surprise.

　　Zhao Yaqing felt a chill on her wrist and found handcuffs on her wrist.

　　Zhao Yaqing was taken away, but the inspection team from the Education Bureau stayed. They took away all the transcripts of the classes Zhao Yaqing had taught over the years, including this year's.

　　As soon as the inspection team left, the whole school was in an uproar. Both teachers and students started discussing the matter intensely. Several students, led by Liang Ligang, who had good academic performance when Zhao Yaqing was teaching but whose academic performance plummeted after Zhao Yaqing left, became the focus of attention.

　　This news spread like wildfire and reached Qiu Fang's eyes in less than half a day.

　　Qiu Fang now lives in the house arranged for her by the Women's Federation, and she was so happy that tears came out.

　　Zhao Yaqing got her retribution. From today on, she can no longer harm other students!