Translator: 549690339
Shen MO raised an eyebrow slightly.
—Interesting. He had not yet gone upstairs to apologize, but the others had already come down to offer their apologies first.
The female teacher appeared to have fair eyebrows and clear eyes, with small wrinkles at the corners that were gently curved, showcasing a polite smile.
Noticing that Shen MO and Teacher Chang showed no intention of taking over, she gently placed the earthen jar aside, kindly saying, “The rice and vegetables are all cleaned thoroughly. If you find it to your liking, I’ll bring some more down later. There are many students, so we tend to cook in large quantities…”
Her gentle explanation not only came across warm-hearted but also subtly hinted that the porridge was very “clean”, meaning nothing had been tampered with, showcasing her meticulousness.
Shen MO got the impression that the woman was very cautious.
But of course, caution was necessary. After all, leading a bunch of middle school students and suddenly encountering strangers, it was naturally in her best interest to avoid any hostility.
“Thank you.” Shen MO took the jar, diffusing the tension with just a few words, “We’ve just arrived in Yangzhou and are looking for a temporary place to stay. We won’t stay for long.”
Teacher Chang also explained from the sidelines, “We came to Yangzhou to look for someone. We didn’t expect such heavy fog in the city. We live on Jhor Road. Rest assured, we are not bad people.”
The female teacher glanced over Shen MO and Teacher Chang’s faces, then glanced at Tan Xiao, who was puffing and panting while moving luggage not far away. She didn’t ask more questions.
She merely gave an euphemistic smile, “We’re also temporarily stopping here. You carry on with what you were doing, I have students to attend to. I’ll head upstairs first.”
As she went upstairs, a few students were peeking out from upstairs, seemingly worried that their teacher might be in trouble downstairs.
Seeing that their teacher had safely returned, they sighed in relief in unison.
Watching this scene, Chang Weicai sighed repeatedly, lamenting to Shen Mo,”Xiaoshen, the world is in chaos now. We are all compatriots, and in the future, when we come across each other, we should try to help each other.”
Shen MO nodded, “We should indeed.”
It wasn’t mere lip service. He indeed thought that it would be silly for a group of people to fight amongst themselves after a disaster.
Teacher Chang let out a few more sighs, perhaps recalling the uncertain fate of his students and feeling melancholic.
“You should go inside and rest,” Shen MO pointed at the dormitory on the first floor.
Teacher Chang waved his hand dismissively. Unable to relax due to his restless mind, he went over to help Tan Xiao organize their luggage.
Tan Xiao had just piled his luggage haphazardly. The old man had a more meticulous approach, arranging everything separately, ensuring that food wouldn’t be stored alongside foul-smelling shoes.
Shen MO watched for a while, but didn’t interfere. He picked up the jar and headed to Bai Youwei’s dormitory.
The vegetable congee was boiling until it turned into a creamy and aromatic mixture, the scent filled the room as Shen MO entered. Bai Youwei caught a whiff of it.
Her clear and bright eyes instantly lit up and said, “I’m hungry.”
This was the first time he heard her express hunger since he started feeding her two days ago.
It seemed that instant noodles and biscuits were indeed not suited for her.
“The teacher from upstairs sent it.” Shen MO placed the earthen jar on the table. Just as he was wondering where to find a spoon, he noticed a small wooden spoon hanging from the rope tied around the lid of the jar.
That female teacher was indeed very meticulous.
The small earthen jar, somewhat resembling a traditional Chinese medicine pot used for brewing herbal medicines, contained enough porridge for two people.
Bai Youwei took out a packet of wet wipes, pulled one out to wipe the spoon, and started eating from the jar.
She ate, spoonful by spoonful, saying not a word, but seemed entirely focused on her meal.
“Aren’t you afraid they’ve put poison in it?” Shen MO asked jokingly.
“Ha, she would dare?” Bai Youwei’s lips curved into a sly smile, like a cat that had gotten the cream.”A woman, leading a bunch of brats in this place, probably lives in constant fear. She wouldn’t have the time to perpetrate any misdeeds, much less willingly cause trouble.” Shen MO chuckled.
What Bai Youwei said matched his thoughts.
“Um… the congee is really well-cooked.” Bai Youwei’s cheeks bulged as she ate, then asked, “Hey, does she have a sick student?” Shen MO was slightly startled, “Why do you say that?”