"Hello, Principal Grandpa."
During meal time, dozens of students lined up in order. It seemed they rarely saw outsiders, and seeing the richly dressed Gu Bai, they appeared somewhat shy but still smiled and greeted Jin Shulin.
Jin Shulin just watched with a cheerful expression as the students lined up with various utensils in front of the "canteen," eyes brimming with contentment.
"Principal Jin, I see these students are no older than 10 or so. Doesn’t your school have higher grades?"
Gu Bai asked, puzzled.
Upon hearing Gu Bai’s question, Jin Shulin paused for a moment, then gently shook his head and sighed, "We used to have 5th and 6th grades here, but as more students dropped out to farm, we canceled those grades to save on expenses. Students of age, if they didn’t drop out, went to another school with slightly better conditions."
"Don’t they enjoy the nine-year compulsory education here?"
"Of course, they do! As long as they are citizens of Hua Country, everyone can enjoy nine years of compulsory education!"
"So why do students still drop out if school is free?"
"You are a noble living in a big city, unaware of the world at the bottom. Children over ten in such remote rural areas are already considered labor. Attending school still costs money, while returning home to farm can already help share the family’s responsibilities."
Gu Bai fell silent again, having no authority to speak on these matters.
Suddenly, Gu Bai noticed the teacher serving food in this so-called "canteen" was a girl not much older than him.
With long hair spread out, her face wasn’t clearly visible; only occasionally from afar could he see her curved smile.
The girls Gu Bai usually encountered at this age mostly wore sophisticated makeup and dressed sensuously, but this girl only wore a plain long gown, slightly faded from washing. Oil stains from serving food could be seen on her sleeves. If he had met her elsewhere, Gu Bai might have thought of her as unkempt. Yet in this context, Gu Bai felt she radiated purity.
If his guess was correct, she should be one of the five volunteer teachers at Heba Village Primary School.
Noticing Gu Bai’s gaze, Jin Shulin softly introduced her to Gu Bai, "Her name is Yan Shen. Like you, she’s a university student. Last year, her school arranged for her to volunteer here, and she never went back.
I asked her about it. She said she couldn’t part with the kids here, so she took a year’s leave and planned to volunteer for a year. Speaking of which, she’s been here for nearly a year and a half. I advised her several times, only then did she decide to volunteer until this winter break.
Such a good child at the prime of her life shouldn’t have her future delayed because of these children.
Moreover, our school originally didn’t provide lunch; the children used to bring their own. Now the lunch costs are all covered by her alone. Like you, Gu Bai, she’s also a kind person."
After hearing Jin Shulin’s words, Gu Bai’s gaze towards Yan Shen changed instantly.
"Principal Jin, you’re mistaken. She and I are different. Her kindness is genuine, while mine carries a purpose."
After speaking, Gu Bai opened the attribute panel towards Yan Shen.
Appearance: 101 ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩
points for appearance?
Didn’t the system say the highest appearance score is 100?
What’s with this 101? Has her appearance exceeded the limit?
Originally curious about this girl, seeing the attribute panel, Gu Bai’s curiosity grew even stronger.
It wasn’t just the typical inner motives of an old lecher, but more so wanting to see what a girl with such an exceptional appearance looked like.
After waiting about ten minutes, all the students’ lunches were distributed, and only then did Gu Bai support Jin Shulin towards the "canteen" window.