Chapter 173 Calling Teacher Wen’s Mother
There are only three days left until school starts.
In order to prepare for the new semester, Fang Wei went to get a haircut this morning and just returned home from town.
Unlike the rainy weather in Shanghai, it is sunny on the island now. It rained in the past two days, but the rain stopped long ago.
Because Teacher Wen only taught them for a year in his previous life and then resigned and left the school, Fang Wei felt quite uneasy this summer vacation. He would take the initiative to call Wen Susu every ten days or half a month to ask about her recent situation.
Maybe it was the butterfly effect brought about by his rebirth? In this life, Mr. Wen didn't seem to be in danger of leaving his job...
As the summer vacation is about to end, Fang Wei feels very relaxed. He just called Teacher Wen last week. She seemed to be in good condition on the phone and was about to return to the island to start the new semester.
It seemed a little early to say this. Fang Wei had just parked his bicycle in the yard when he heard the telephone ringing in the living room.
He doesn't have a mobile phone, and when he occasionally needs to contact someone, he relies on a landline.
The social circle on the island is so small that most of the time it is better to walk a few steps and shout at the door than to make a phone call. The phone at home rarely rings.
Feeling something in his heart, Fang Wei couldn't help but startle when he heard the phone ringing. He hurried into the house and ran to the landline phone on the small table next to the coffee table.
When he saw the familiar eleven-digit phone number on the caller ID, he frowned.
——A call from Teacher Wen.
During the two-month summer vacation, he was the only one who occasionally contacted her. This was the first time she called him on her own initiative, and it was near the start of school.
Fang Wei didn't think much about it, picked up the phone and answered the call.
"Hello? Sis."
"Hey! Fang Wei! You know it's me!"
"Of course, when I saw my sister's phone number, I knew it was you."
"Haha, sure. Looks like you took me to heart!"
Hearing the familiar voice on the other end of the phone, Wen Susu, who had been feeling depressed, felt a little more relaxed. She stood up from the bench in the hospital corridor with her phone in her hand and walked to the balcony to watch the rain.
"Sister, is it raining in Shanghai? Why do I hear the sound of rain?"
"Yes, you have a pretty good ear! It's been raining for almost a day. Has it rained on the island?"
"No, the sun is shining brightly. I think it will be nice when school starts."
"It's raining here, but the sun is shining over there!"
"Yeah, it's far away, even the weather is different."
"Summer vacation is almost over. How's your housework going? Have you finished your winter vacation homework?"
"It's all done!"
"That's good."
"..."
"..."
After the greetings, there was silence on the phone for a while.
Before Wen Susu could continue to find a topic, Fang Wei took the initiative to ask:
"Sister, you called me to talk about something?"
"...Don't be so sensitive, okay? Can't I just make a phone call?"
“That’s called carefulness.”
"hehe."
"So, sister, you didn't just make this call casually, did you? Did something happen to you?"
"..."
Perhaps if it was another student, Wen Susu would not tell them about the problems she encountered, but Fang Wei was different. Even though he was very young, she always felt that he was the right person to talk to about her troubles.
Seeing that he asked about it, Wen Susu told him.
"Fang Wei, um...school is about to start, right? You should still remember the registration process and so on."
"I remember."
"I may need to take a leave for a while, and I may not be able to catch up with the start of school. When the time comes, I will tell the school and ask them to arrange a teacher to help take care of the class. Since you are the class monitor, there will be a lot of class management matters, so I hope you can cooperate with the substitute teacher. I will go back to school as soon as possible."
"..."
It is difficult to describe Fang Wei's feelings when he heard this. Wen Susu said that she was asking for leave, but it was really no wonder that he thought of her leaving. At this moment, Fang Wei couldn't help but remain silent.
Is it possible that what is supposed to come will eventually come?
What on earth had happened that made her say such a thing with such difficulty?
"Hello? Fang Wei, are you listening?"
"…I'm listening. Sister, are you in the hospital?"
"Ah? How did you know..."
"I thought I heard a nurse talking."
"...Don't be distracted! Did you hear what I just said? You just listened to the nurse's voice, right?"
"No... Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you sick? Why do you suddenly want to take a leave at the beginning of the school year?"
"No, I'm fine."
"then you?"
"My mother is sick. She just had surgery yesterday to remove her gallbladder. I am in the hospital with her."
"what?"
Fang Wei was stunned for a moment, then asked with concern: "Auntie, are you feeling better now? What did the doctor say?"
"It's nothing serious, just gallstones and acute cholecystitis. She'll be fine after the surgery and resting for a while. She may have to stay in the hospital for half a month. My dad has to take care of company matters, and there's no one at home to accompany her, so I thought about taking a leave and going back to school after my mom is discharged from the hospital..."
"Well, that's indeed necessary. Don't worry, sister. I will keep an eye on the class and explain it clearly to other students."
"Yeah, I feel relieved when you're here. If there's anything, just call me and tell me."
If only things were that simple.
Fang Wei could hear the subtle changes in her emotions. Many times, she seemed to be hesitant to speak, but in the end she said nothing. She was probably afraid of bringing her headache to him.
"Sister, is there anything else? You can tell me, maybe I can help."
"...Haha, it's nothing. Besides, how can you help?"
"If you don't believe me, you must be in trouble!"
"No."
"Yes, I am sure something is wrong, please tell me quickly, sister!"
"..."
After Fang Wei's repeated questioning, Wen Susu broke down, sighed, and finally told him the whole story.
After listening to Wen Susu's story, Fang Wei finally understood the whole story, and at that moment, he finally understood why Wen Susu was troubled...
In fact, he had always guessed that Teacher Wen's family did not agree with her coming to the island to teach, and now it was completely confirmed. However, he did not expect that this sudden illness would be like a fuse, igniting the conflict that had been submerged, to the point where it was almost irreconcilable.
Perhaps if it weren't for this accident, the mother and daughter would not have been so confrontational, but who can say for sure about such things? After all, the contradiction is real, and if it is not resolved, it will accumulate over time and eventually explode.
"Sister, what do you think?"
"What about you? From your perspective, what do you think I should do?"
Wen Susu did not answer his question, but asked back.
"As long as you don't regret what kind of person you want to be and what kind of life you want to live, it's fine. Allow others to be others and yourself to be yourself. Just follow your heart. Not all choices have to be correct. As long as you want, you can choose the option you like. So, whether you plan to continue teaching on the island or resign and return to Shanghai, as long as it is your sincere decision, I will support you unconditionally."
"..."
Fang Wei's words made Wen Susu feel warm in her heart. After a long silence, she sighed softly:
"If only my mom and the others could think like you..."
"So, have you decided to return to the island to teach?"
"Well, you've just started the second year of junior high school, and I've been taking care of you all the time. I'm worried about letting someone else come, so I told my mom that I'll take care of you until you graduate from junior high school."
"What did Auntie say?"
"She didn't say anything, maybe she agreed..."
"..."
Fang Wei could roughly imagine what the scene was like.
This is not acquiescence at all; it is clearly surrender after being helpless. This is true for Wen Susu and her mother as well. It is just that both of them surrender to each other after taking a step back. The deep-seated contradiction still exists.
However, this result is different from her previous life. Wen Susu chose another path this time and continued to teach at Baitan Middle School.
It is hard to say whether this is the right choice, but Fang Wei knows that this is closely related to the butterfly effect he brought about, so he naturally cannot stand idly by.
The root of the problem is the contradiction between the mother and daughter in their relationship. A mother who loves her daughter but has an overly strong desire to control her, and a daughter who loves her parents but longs for herself...
Wen Susu was right. Fang Wei, who was still young and far away on an island, really couldn't help much with this thorny conflict. If the problem was to be solved, the two parties involved would have to slowly change their mindsets and understand each other.
Understanding is a closer distance than blood ties, but it is something more difficult to obtain than blood ties.
Of course, Fang Wei was not completely without any solution. Since Wen Susu called him, he had to do something to help her.
"Hey~ My rebellious period has arrived, you don't want me to be your senior." Wen Susu sighed and said sadly. Fang Wei couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "My youth really came too late!"
"Anyway, I've had enough. I've been following your instructions for more than 20 years. It's time for me to be willful for once! Tell me you're on my side!"
"...Of course I'm on your side."
"That's good."
Fang Wei thought for a moment and then asked, "Sister, is Auntie asleep now?"
"With your eyes closed, you definitely haven't slept. What's wrong?"
"Can I talk to my aunt on the phone?"
"……what?"
Wen Susu was stunned, not quite understanding what this brat was trying to do. Who was the teacher? As a student, you wanted to talk to the teacher's parents on the phone?
"Why, what do you want to tell my mother?"
"Nothing, just chatting. We are a three-party relationship now. Auntie is the parent, sister is the teacher, and I am the student. I think if I speak a few words on behalf of the students, Auntie may have a better understanding and appreciation of what sister is doing."
Wen Susu blinked her eyes. Fang Wei's suggestion made her brain light up!
It seems to be true!
Just like when your parents don't agree with you doing something, it's hard to gain their understanding just by arguing with them. If you can hand in a report card, perhaps it will be easier to gain their understanding.
And Fang Wei happened to be her most proud student and the teaching answer she was most satisfied with!
"Sister, please let me try."
"Okay, but remember to be careful when you speak. It's best to be tactful. My mother is very difficult to convince. She is also very strong in the company... But I don't think she will take her anger out on you."
"Don't worry, I'm measured."
"Then wait a moment."
Wen Susu took her cell phone, walked back to the door of the ward and gently opened it.
In the ward, Li Jun did not sleep as expected.
Seeing her daughter come in and seem to have something to say, she simply closed her eyes again and lay calmly on the bed, not wanting to say anything more to avoid more quarrels.
"mom……"
"..."
"You're still awake?"
"..."
"Well, I just called our class monitor and told him about the start of school."
Li Jun finally opened his eyes and asked, "When are you leaving?"
"I asked for leave from school."
Wen Susu said, "Don't go to Baitan for now. Wait until you are discharged from the hospital and you are better before going back. I will stay at home with you during this period."
"..."
Li Jun sighed.
Now that her daughter has grown up, Li Jun is sure that she can no longer ask her to follow her arrangements in everything as she did before.
Maybe he failed to convince her to stay in Shanghai, but he promised that she would come back after teaching this class of students, and he even took a long vacation to accompany her to recuperate. Under the current circumstances, he probably couldn't ask Susu to make more concessions.
No matter how much they quarrel, Li Jun is actually a very rational person. This does not affect her feelings for her daughter. She just feels a little frustrated for some reason. After all, her daughter has always been her pride. But can such a rebellious daughter still be considered her pride?
Seeing that her mother's mood and attitude had eased a lot, Wen Susu reached out and handed her the phone.
"Whose phone is it? Your dad's?"
"…It's not my dad's, it's my student, the monitor of our class, his name is Fang Wei. I just talked to him on the phone about your hospitalization, and he wanted to come and say hello."
"...?"
Li Jun was stunned. Why did she feel that her daughter was still like when she was in school? The teacher was calling her!
Now that my daughter is a teacher, it would be fine if a leader like the principal called to greet her, but it turned out to be her student! Isn't it all messed up...
Although she thought so, Li Jun still took the phone from Wen Susu. She was actually very curious about what kind of students her rebellious daughter could teach, and why she had to go back to that broken island to teach...
Seeing her mother answered the phone, Wen Susu was very smart and hurried over to help raise the bed a little so that she could sit halfway.
She knew her mother very well and she never showed weakness in front of outsiders, even now that she had just undergone surgery.
Seeing her mother's inquiring look, Wen Susu also whispered a reminder: "Fang Wei, our class monitor."
After taking a deep breath, Li Jun's mouth naturally showed a professional smile, and he spoke softly on the phone:
"Hello? Xiao Fang?"
To be honest, if Fang Wei hadn't known that Wen Susu said her mother had just undergone surgery, he wouldn't have been able to tell from the voice that this was a patient lying in a hospital bed!
Just from these details, he could tell what kind of person Teacher Wen's mother was. No wonder she was said to be strong...
Of course, his tone was not aggressive at all, but rather quite polite and friendly, and he did not show any disrespect just because he was just a student.
"Hello, Auntie! Do you know me?"
"Well, I just heard from your teacher Wen. She should have told you that your aunt has been sick and hospitalized recently, and there is no one to take care of her. Your teacher Wen may have to take a leave of absence for a while before she can go back."
"Auntie, I know. Teacher Wen and my classmates chose me to be the class monitor. When encountering these emergencies, I must help share the class affairs. Auntie, just let Teacher Wen take care of you and don't worry about the class. The health of your family is the most important. I took the initiative to call you, and I also want to say hello to you on behalf of our class. I hope you can recover soon."
Li Jun thought her daughter was desperate and actually asked her students to act as lobbyists, but after the phone call, she found that it was not the case...
This young man named Fang Wei seemed to be here just to show concern for the patient's condition. He spoke very politely and his logic was clear. It was totally unimaginable that these were words that a fourteen-year-old boy could say.
This phone call seemed to build a bridge, allowing Li Jun to see the distant little world where her daughter was teaching, and she became somewhat interested.
"Xiao Fang, how old are you this year?"
"Auntie, I'm fourteen this year, and I'll be in the second grade of junior high school in a few days."
"Did your teacher Wen teach you what you just said?"
"That's not what I just said, but Teacher Wen did teach us a lot. Auntie, you may not have heard of our place. Our school is in Baitan Town, and the town is on an island. Outside the island is the ocean, but Teacher Wen came here. Auntie, have you heard of Ultraman? To us, Teacher Wen is really like a ray of light! We all like her and respect her very much! So thank you very much for raising such an outstanding daughter, and for giving us the honor of becoming her students!"
If Fang Wei was the principal or leader, a call like this would definitely be a call of commendation and consolation!
It just so happened that he was a student, and these were indeed Fang Wei's words from the bottom of his heart. The affirmation from the young man made such words even more sincere and heartfelt.
Unlike the hypocritical adults, the conversation with this young man made Li Jun completely relaxed. Then he looked at his daughter who was eavesdropping with her ear close to the side. How did she look like a teacher at all?
Li Jun couldn't help but smile, and asked curiously, "So how does your teacher Wen usually teach you?"
"Teacher Wen's class is very special! She teaches us Chinese and art. Auntie, do you know that our class's Chinese grades... not only Chinese, but all the grades in all subjects are far higher than those of other classes. Teacher Wen is probably the best teacher in our school! We also did very well in the final exam this time. Everyone is saying that if it weren't for Teacher Wen, our grades would definitely be greatly reduced..."
"Really? Auntie always says she's immature and doesn't know how to teach. Isn't that misleading the students?"
Li Jun said with a smile, not giving her daughter any face at all, which made Wen Susu's eyes widen when she heard it.
"No, Auntie! Teacher Wen is a good teacher, but what makes her different from other teachers is herself. Many people in our class, including me, regard Teacher Wen as an idol. She tells us about the distant world, ideals, and dreams. It is because of her existence that we feel full of hope for the future even in such a remote and poor place. Hehe, I also want to apply to a university in Shanghai in the future to see what a big city looks like!"
Li Jun could probably understand what kind of existence Wen Susu was in the minds of young boys and girls.
Fang Wei's words moved her a little. Li Jun and his wife were also from rural areas. They started from scratch and worked hard to get to where they are today. Naturally, they also understand that children from rural areas have to work many times harder than others to succeed.
After listening to Fang Wei, she clearly realized how important her daughter was to these young boys and girls. It was a choice that could really change many people's lives.
As if he was just chatting, Fang Wei told her a lot of things, including the daily classes, the school sports meet, the spring outing, and he also talked about the time when Teacher Wen came to visit his home, how he learned to cook, and how he caught mice in the dormitory, etc.
Wen Susu had told her some things, but for most things, Li Jun only knew them after Fang Wei told them.
Through these things, Li Jun finally got a clear idea of Susu's life there.
It was not as bad as I imagined. Instead, everything was full of warmth, love and tenderness.
As a result, the remote and poor island that she had never been to gradually became a beautiful place in her mind.
"Aunt, I know you may not agree with Teacher Wen coming to teach here. Even if one day Teacher Wen really leaves us, we can understand. Like you, we also hope that Teacher Wen can live a good life, hope that she is healthy, hope that she is happy, and hope that all her wishes come true. No matter why Teacher Wen came to us, our love and gratitude for her are absolutely true. Even if Teacher Wen is gone, we will live a good life, work hard, and practice for ourselves and for Teacher Wen!"
"...Xiao Fang, are you proud of your teacher Wen?"
"Of course! What about you, Auntie?"
"Auntie...I'm proud of her too."
"No matter when Teacher Wen comes back, please tell her that we are all fine and let her rest assured! Thank you, Auntie! I hope you will recover soon~"
After the call was hung up, Li Jun was silent for a long time before he handed the phone, which had become a little hot from the call, back to Wen Susu.
Wen Susu took the phone and wiped her red eyes in a somewhat cowardly manner. She heard everything Fang Wei said just now.
Perhaps what made her cry the most was what her mother said: she was also proud of her...
She knew her mother's character best, and when she said this, she probably really agreed with it.
"Susu."
"Well?"
"Didn't you say you took a lot of photos there? Can you show them to mom?"
"Mom... do you want to see it?"
"Want to see."
"it is good!"
I don't know when the rain outside the window stopped.
Wen Susu burst into laughter, her face as beautiful as a flower.
(End of this chapter)
