Chapter 708 : In Need of a PE Teacher
Chapter 708: In Need of a PE Teacher
A dilapidated small school situated on a mountain.
One teacher, 27 children of various ages.
Classes could only be held with everyone sitting in the same classroom.
Over the course of a morning, Chen Fan witnessed firsthand how Su Ruochu conducted her lessons.
First, she taught a few phonetic sounds to the first graders, then taught some Chinese characters to the second graders, followed by a text lesson.
Finally, there was math for the third graders, and art for the fourth and fifth graders.
Watching Su Ruochu patiently explain things to the children over and over, and seeing the pure desire for knowledge in the children's eyes,
Chen Fan began to understand why Su Ruochu had chosen to come here as a volunteer teacher.
At the end of the first lesson, some children took out two lunchboxes from their backpacks.
One was prepared by parents for Su Ruochu, and the other was for the child.
"Teacher Su, my mom prepared some food for you today."
"Teacher Su, my mom made stir-fried eggplant..."
"Teacher Su, eat mine, my dad stewed potatoes."
Seeing the group of children chirping around Su Ruochu, standing on tiptoes with lunchboxes raised above their heads, Su Ruochu smiled and said,
"Didn't I tell you not to bring food anymore? The teacher has enough food here."
"It was my mom who told me to bring it."
"My dad said if I didn't bring it, he'd break my legs..."
Su Ruochu smiled and said, "Then how about we all eat together?"
"Okay."
Su Ruochu smiled and waved at Chen Fan, who was standing outside the door.
"Today, teacher wants to introduce a guest to you all."
Looking at Chen Fan walking into the classroom, Su Ruochu smiled.
"This is teacher's boyfriend, Chen Fan. Why don't you call him Uncle Chen?"
Chen Fan quickly waved his hand, "Just call me Brother Chen."
Su Ruochu gave Chen Fan a helpless glare.
At this moment, a little boy spoke up and asked, "Teacher Su, is he really your boyfriend?"
"Yes, he is."
"Are you two married? Do you have a baby?"
"Haha..."
The group of students burst into laughter.
Suddenly, a little girl stood up and shouted, "What are you laughing at? Xiao Hai, if you dare to talk nonsense, I'll drag you out for punishment."
This girl wore clothes patched all over, was skinny, and even her hair had turned a bit yellow due to malnutrition.
However, when she stood in front of these children with her hands on her hips, she looked quite intimidating.
Su Ruochu smiled and waved her hand.
"Teacher doesn't have a baby yet, because we're not married. When we get married in the future, then we can have a baby."
The group of children noisily sat down together and started eating breakfast.
Su Ruochu, while serving rice to Chen Fan, smiled and said,
"These children are usually very naughty, but they're all very good, very innocent, with no bad intentions."
"The one who just spoke is called Xiao Hai. He's only in second grade, but he's the naughtiest one in the school."
"The girl who stood up to criticize him is called Yan Ni, a third-grade student, and also the best student among these children."
"Yan Ni's family situation isn't very good. Her mother ran away with someone, and her father works away from home. This girl lives with her grandfather."
"Her grandfather's health isn't good, so her father thinks that for a girl, as long as she can recognize words and write her own name, it's enough. He doesn't want her to continue studying and wants her to go out to work and earn money."
"A few days ago, I went for a home visit. Her father absolutely refused to let her come back to school. It was only because her grandfather insisted that I was able to bring the child back..."
Su Ruochu chattered on, seemingly having endless stories about her students.
Chen Fan just smiled and listened.
The children from the mountains all had very poor educational foundations, and their families didn't expect them to get into university.
In fact, the main reason most parents were willing to send their children here was to hope they could recognize a few words, so they wouldn't be deceived when they went out to work in the future.
But Su Ruochu didn't think this way. She was genuinely teaching each child seriously.
She told the children that only by studying hard could they go out, leave this mountain, and change their lives.
After eating, Su Ruochu took out the snacks Chen Fan had brought back yesterday.
The group of children immediately became excited, shouting and screaming as if it were a festival.
After each child received their snacks, they all happily ran to the playground outside to play.
Su Ruochu and Chen Fan sat on the steps at the classroom door, watching the children frolic and play.
"When are you planning to go back?"
Chen Fan joked with a smile, "What? You want to drive me away already?"
Su Ruochu shyly said, "Of course not. I'm just asking."
Chen Fan smiled, "I plan to stay here with you for two days. By the way, what else do you need here? It's best to make a list, and I'll help you solve it when the time comes."
Su Ruochu thought very seriously, "Actually, what the children lack most is teachers."
"I alone am ultimately too weak, sometimes I really can't manage everything."
Chen Fan smiled bitterly, "I can't help you with the lack of teachers, that's something for the education bureau to handle."
Su Ruochu smiled, "I've already submitted an application before. The town said that when my volunteer teaching ends, there will be teachers coming down to take over for me."
Chen Fan looked at the children on the playground, "I asked Old Feng to buy some stationery and sports equipment."
Su Ruochu's eyes lit up.
"That's great. These kids are too naughty, always running around everywhere. There's no sports equipment here, so when I give them PE lessons, I can only have them run laps around the playground..."
Chen Fan lovingly held Su Ruochu's small hand, "I just feel that you being here alone, having to be a teacher and also take care of the daily necessities of those boarding students, is too hard."
Su Ruochu's beautiful eyes once again curved into crescents.
"It is hard. But I enjoy it."
"I feel that in this life, one should have some pursuit. Some pursue food and drink, some pursue physical enjoyment, while I pursue spiritual fulfillment."
Chen Fan smiled as he stroked the back of her hand.
"I've decided to stay here for a few more days to keep you company."
"Also, it seems the children are lacking a PE teacher, I could fill in for that."
Su Ruochu smiled and shook her head.
"Actually, you don't need to specially stay here to keep me company, your company has so many things..."
"No matter how many things the company has, nothing is more important than accompanying my wife."
Hearing this, Su Ruochu tilted her head and smiled sweetly.
At this moment, a tattered ball rolled over.
Chen Fan picked it up casually, and only then noticed that this was no soccer ball at all, but a cloth ball sewn together from rags, stuffed full of wheat straw.
A group of little boys nervously ran over.
"Can you give the ball back to us?"
The naughtiest child stepped forward to ask. Chen Fan remembered his name was Xiao Hai.
Chen Fan stood up with a smile, bouncing the ball in his hand.
"Would you like me to join you for a game?"