After coming home, Chen Hu went straight to his room and immediately fell on the bed, taking deep breaths.
His pride was more bruised than his body, and he buried his face in the pillow to hide from the world.
On the other side, after hearing that he had failed to outrun Su Rui and then collapsed, Madam Chen wanted to go check on him. But Meixiang stopped her.
"Mom, leave him alone. He will be fine after some rest. Don't disturb him right now, and don't bring up what happened. Children at this age have their own pride. He would not be willing to admit that he lost to someone younger."
Madam Chen hesitated but finally nodded. She knew her daughter was right.
Meixiang then ruffled Su Rui's hair and praised her softly before they all went to eat breakfast together. Old Chen was also at home due to the cold. They all ate their breakfast in the kitchen beside the stove to stay warm. The fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow over the simple meal.
Madam Chen took Chen Hu's breakfast to his room before coming back out to eat her own.
After breakfast, Chen Meixiang wiped her mouth and stood up.
"Mom, please take care of Su Rui while I am gone," she said, pulling on her cotton-padded jacket.
Although she was not fully relaxed leaving her daughter in her mother's care—not after what had happened last time—she had no choice. She couldn't take Rui Rui to town with her. But after I get the job, Chen Meixiang thought as she stepped out of the gate and began walking toward town, I will move to the school with my daughter. Then she will always be by my side.
---
When she reached the school, it was still half an hour before the gates would officially open. The morning mist hung low over the empty grounds, and her breath came out in small white puffs.
Upon seeing the familiar face, the gatekeeper—Uncle He—immediately called her inside the small cabin. "Come in, girl. It's warm in here."
Chen Meixiang smiled gratefully and stepped inside, rubbing her hands together.
"You girl, why did you come out this early?" Uncle He asked, pouring her a small cup of hot water.
Chen Meixiang accepted the cup with both hands and thanked him first. "Uncle He, thank you for your kindness yesterday. I didn't want to be late and lose this job opportunity. Better to arrive early than to keep them waiting."
Uncle He nodded approvingly. "Good attitude. Sit and warm yourself. I will take you to the interview when the time comes."
As the clock struck nine, more and more people started coming in. Meixiang also stood up to go out, but Uncle He told her to wait a moment as he was searching for someone.
Seeing a short and chubby woman who resembled about four parts of Uncle He approaching, he waved his hand to signal her to come over.
Upon seeing who it was, the woman immediately ran toward him. As she neared, she found another woman sitting in the office.
Uncle He invited her inside. "This is the girl I told you about. Her name is Chen Meixiang from Hongqi Village. And this is my daughter, He Ping. She teaches primary school kids here. She joined last week."
Chen Meixiang immediately greeted He Ping. At first, she had thought this girl was some relative of Uncle He, never guessing that she was actually his daughter—He Ping was short and chubby while Uncle He was tall and slender. The resemblance was subtle but there.
He Ping immediately smiled and greeted back. Her father had told her about Meixiang yesterday, but she hadn't expected the woman to be this beautiful, with such sharp features. She had thought it would be some middle-aged woman, not this striking young widow.
After seeing that it was almost time, Uncle He shooed them out. "Go, go quickly before the recruitment starts."
Upon leaving the office, they turned toward the dean's office building, where the recruitment would take place.
"Did you bring all your documents?" He Ping asked while walking.
"Yes, Uncle He told me the day before yesterday. I brought my household registration booklet, my late husband's martyr certificate, my middle school graduation certificate, and a letter of recommendation from the village committee," Meixiang replied, patting the cloth bag she carried.
"Good. The household registration booklet is the most important. They will want to verify your status and age," He Ping said.
"I also brought my identity card and a few photos, just in case," Meixiang added.
"You're well prepared. That's good. Some people come without anything and then wonder why they are rejected," He Ping said with a nod.
"Uncle He warned me. I didn't want to take any chances," Meixiang replied.
They walked a few more steps before He Ping spoke again. "Don't be nervous. Just answer their questions honestly. They are looking for someone responsible, not someone with fancy words."
Meixiang nodded, taking a deep breath.
After entering the office building, they found only clerks working inside. No other person who had come for recruitment could be seen yet.
He Ping pointed toward a row of wooden chairs against the wall. "Wait here. I have a meeting with the dean."
Meixiang sat down and watched He Ping disappear through a side door. She smoothed her clothes and checked her documents one more time.
While she was waiting, people started pouring in. Before the interview even began, thirteen people were already standing in the hallway. Among them, eight were males and five were females.
Males cannot apply for the girls' hostel caretaker position, Meixiang thought, scanning the crowd. So that leaves the five women. But out of these five, three look young and educated—they are probably here to apply for teaching positions, not caretaker. That narrows the scope down to two women: me and that other woman over there.
She glanced at the other woman—a plain-faced, sturdy-looking person in her thirties, dressed in patched but clean clothes. They exchanged brief nods but did not speak.
Meixiang took a deep breath. We will see when it comes.
A clerk came out of the office and started calling candidates inside, one by one. Time ticked by slowly. Meixiang watched as people entered and exited—some with hopeful expressions, some with worried frowns.
As she had predicted, after several rounds, only three women remained in the waiting area, including herself.
The door opened. A candidate walked out, looking dejected.
The clerk called her name. "Chen Meixiang."
She immediately got up, smoothed her shirt one last time, and entered the door.
---