"Ring, ring, ring," the bell for the end of the first class rang. Chen Tianming picked up his civics textbook and lesson plan and walked out the door. The school campus was not large, and it didn't take long to get from the teacher's dormitory to the classroom building. A brisk three-minute walk was sufficient, while a leisurely pace may take about five minutes. The interval between classes was ten minutes, which meant that a leisurely five-minute walk to the classroom would have Chen Tianming arriving just as the bell rang to signal the start of class. He had timed his morning routine to perfection, knowing that being a teacher didn't hold much in terms of a "prosperous path" but eager to avoid fines for being late or leaving early. Of course, that occasion he missed the meeting was an exception. "Ring, ring, ring," the bell for the start of the second class sounded, and Chen Tianming had just stepped into the doorway of class 3-1. Despite his degree in Chinese literature, he couldn't teach the subject upon returning to the school—Principal Li, plump and round-faced, claimed there was no vacancy in Chinese but that they needed a civics teacher for the first year. So, Chen Tianming took up the task, picking up the once-familiar politics textbook. Like that, three years had passed; the freshmen he initially taught were now juniors, and he had followed the school cycle to teaching the third year. "Teacher, you're here," the civics class representative, Xiao Hong, chirped as she came up to relieve Chen of the homework books. The 16-year-old girl was maturing nicely. Almost one hundred sixty centimeters tall with a melon-seed face, she would undoubtedly become a beauty that men would swoon over in a few years. While she caught Chen's attention, he knew well that she was his student, and although tempted, he didn't dare step over the line. Handing the graded homework over to Xiao Hong, he told her, "Please return these to the students. Thank you for your work." "It's nothing," Xiao Hong replied with a sweet smile, turning to take the books back into the classroom, a whiff of her faint fragrance lingering in the air. Finally, a break. Teaching two consecutive classes was really taxing. Such was the norm for the third year of middle school—double periods of the same subject, leaving both students and teachers exhausted. A glance at the clock showed it was past ten; time to head back to the room. For lunch, he pondered whether to cook or hit the town for fast food. Chen Tianming's home was in the county city, and he was assigned to this closest town only ten kilometers away after graduating, thanks to his father's prayers and offerings. He knew that two-thirds of the teachers came from the county city; unable to secure a place in the city's education system, they were delegated to the nearest township. Truthfully, Chen didn't want to be a teacher, yet if not teaching, what else could he do? Chen typically handled his own lunches and went home for dinner. If there was some school business, or he was on the night duty, or had early morning classes the next day, he'd reluctantly spend the night in what was euphemistically called the "teacher's dorm." Essentially just bungalows with walls that barely qualified as walls, the rooms were passable for habitation in calm weather but practically sacrificed to the revolutionary cause in the face of typhoons or hail. Exiting the classroom building, Chen spotted their principal, Li, chatting up a young and pretty female teacher. As the weather was hot, the lady dressed lightly, while the portly Principal Li, seemingly concerned she wouldn't hear him well, kept leaning in close to her as he spoke. "Darn lecher," Chen cursed silently. A principal who was hardly diligent, sidling up to any source of money or women, could hardly run a school well. However, Li's absentee management style meant slacked supervision over the teachers, turning a blind eye to early departures and tardiness. As a result, department heads or vice-principals were loath to come down on anyone, for fear of negative responses during faculty reviews. "You need to be more attentive during class; don't let students sleep," Chen overheard Principal Li earnestly advising the female teacher. "I, I know, Principal. I'll be mindful of that," the teacher replied, head down, nervously acknowledging the critique. It was not a flattering moment to be caught by the principal like this, especially as a newcomer unfamiliar with many school matters. And rumors had it that Principal Li loved to exploit any small fault. Li, noticing the teacher's anxiety—satisfied with having made his point—smiled more relaxedly and said, "Don't feel tense; I'm only mentioning it. After all, it's not good for students to sleep during class. You're a young and beautiful teacher, quite capable—you'll correct this. I have high hopes for you. If you improve your class and overall quality, I'll give you more responsibilities." His eyes strayed as he spoke, seeking the chance that had just presented itself, a chance he wouldn't let slip by. Unfortunately, his short stature didn't allow him a view of what he desired. After all, even a young teacher dressed lightly would dress appropriately for the environment. Li, searching left and right, high and low, to no avail for something to excite him, lamented, "Ah, it's a pity I'm often too busy, or I'd personally guide and tutor you on how to run a class successfully. The new teaching standards can be challenging, but they're a trifle for me. Back in the day, I was an expert in teaching—a promising new talent in the county!" The female teacher had no choice but to listen; she couldn't really argue with the principal, could she? "Guidance, tutoring, what nonsense. This old lecher probably has ulterior motives... what a scoundrel!" Chen internally rebuked. Suddenly, Chen got an idea. He turned around, smiling broadly, and addressed the principal, "Principal Li, there you are! What's going on?" Principal Li, surprised by someone's presence, straightened up, feigning respectability, and responded, "Oh, I'm just discussing a matter with Teacher Liu. Have you finished your class? Teacher Chen," his gaze shifting to the textbooks in Chen's hands. "Yes, I've just finished. Actually, Principal, the teachers are wondering how much the Teacher's Day bonus will be this semester?" Chen purposefully raised a concern shared by many and a headache for Li. Too much from the bonus would empty the principal's wallet, while too little would stir complaints among the staff. "Well, this issue... we will have a leadership team meeting to discuss it. It's not easy for our teachers, you know, right? Teacher Liu?" Principal Li shifted his gaze back to Teacher Liu, softening his tone. "Yes, life is not easy without money," Teacher Liu nodded. She would welcome a little extra as well. Of course, how much the bonus would be was up to Principal Li—the meeting was just a formality. Realizing Chen stood there like a pole, obstructing his view and not looking to leave, Li waved them off, "You two chat, I've got business to attend to." "Teacher Chen, I've been recently assigned here. Please advise me in the future," Teacher Liu Meiqin addressed Chen. "This, this, of course," Chen replied, initially uninterested in chatting with Liu, who was young and not unattractive but not quite Chen's type. He was looking for an excuse to leave when the view before him caught his eye. Standing at 178 centimeters, he could easily see from above what Principal Li had failed to. "Teacher Chen?" Liu Meiqin, puzzled, looked up to find that the handsome male teacher seemed a bit speechless. "Oh, yes, of course," Chen quickly brought his gaze back up like a child caught in the act, answering her absent-mindedly.