Chapter 49: The Affection with the Female Teacher

After two days, Chen Yu did not come to Xianhe Township with the technician, telling Wang Jian that he was busy with work and could not come, so he sent a technician instead. Wang Jian expressed his gratitude and, when the technician arrived, welcomed him together with Zheng Shiguang. After a good reception, Wang Jian and Zhu Zhao Ming accompanied the technician to Xinhé Village to guide the vegetable greenhouse planting work.

Upon arriving at Xinhé Village, Lu Fang and Lu Mingxiang met Wang Jian. Wang Jian told them to gather all the households growing vegetables in greenhouses at the village office, where the technician from the province would explain the knowledge about vegetable greenhouses.

When Lu Mingxiang heard that the technician was from the province, his face lit up with excitement. Although he had been growing vegetables for many years, this was his first time interacting with an expert from above, so he went from house to house to gather people with great enthusiasm.

After the people were gathered, the technician first explained some basic knowledge about vegetable planting and the precautions for greenhouse vegetable planting, then led them to the site for detailed guidance and assistance.

Wang Jian listened for a while, then turned and walked out of the village committee office. He suddenly remembered Jie Lianbing and wanted to see how she was doing at the Xinhé Village Primary School, so he went to the school alone.

Classes were in session at the school. After entering, Wang Jian first went to a large office and saw several teachers preparing lessons. They glanced at him and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

He originally wanted to ask if Principal Lu was there, but it came out as, "Is Teacher Jie Lianbing here?"

When a young man came looking for Jie Lianbing, the eyes of the teachers in the office lit up. Since Jie Lianbing started working at Xinhé Village Primary School, she had not been seen with a boyfriend, and the few single male teachers who tried to pursue her were unsuccessful. Currently, Jie Lianbing was fully focused on her work and did not pay much attention to romantic relationships.

Jie Lianbing was an orphan who was found by an old lady from Xinhé Village in the county town when she was only two or three years old. The old lady raised her until she passed away, and Jie Lianbing later became a teacher at Xinhé Village Primary School after graduating from school.

"Teacher Jie is in class. Is there something you need?" someone asked.

"Oh, nothing much. Is Principal Lu here?" Wang Jian then asked about the principal.

"He should be in his office!"

Wang Jian turned and walked toward the principal's office. At that moment, the students were dismissed, and he saw Jie Lianbing walking over with a stack of teaching materials.

"Teacher Jie!" Wang Jian called out happily.

Jie Lianbing, dressed simply, still exuded a natural beauty. Her ponytail was tied back, and her simple attire did not show any hint of luxury, but to Wang Jian, she looked pure and beautiful, evoking a sense of tenderness.

Seeing Wang Jian calling her, Jie Lianbing's heart raced. The female teachers walking with her giggled and looked at her, thinking that a boy was pursuing her, just like the teachers in the office.

However, when Wang Jian approached, Jie Lianbing said, "Town Mayor Wang, why are you here?" The other teachers were stunned, having heard that there was a young town mayor surnamed Wang in the township. Could it be him?

"Teacher Jie, I came to the village office to handle some matters and thought I'd stop by to see you," Wang Jian said with a smile.

These words were quite meaningful, and the female teachers exchanged glances and stepped aside. Jie Lianbing's face turned red, and she stood there at a loss, saying softly, "Town Mayor Wang, is there something you need?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to see how the psychological counseling for poor students is going," Wang Jian said, feeling a bit excited. To him, such a girl was the most genuine.

Hearing this, Jie Lianbing gradually calmed down and said, "Town Mayor Wang, let's go to the office to talk."

Following Jie Lianbing into the office, the teachers who had seen Wang Jian come in were all watching him, convinced that he was Jie Lianbing's new boyfriend.

Wang Jian stood in the office, looking around casually. Jie Lianbing had not yet tidied up her teaching materials when Principal Lu came over. He had just heard that the town mayor had arrived and hurried over to see him.

"Town Mayor Wang, when did you arrive? Why didn't you let us know first?" Principal Lu, who had met Wang Jian once before, walked into the office with a smile.

The other teachers quickly stood up upon hearing this, surprised that a leader from the township had come, and even more surprised that it was the town mayor. Principal Lu then arranged for a teacher to bring Wang Jian a cup of water.

"Town Mayor Wang, please come to my office," Principal Lu said, thinking it would be more convenient to talk in his office.

"Sure, Teacher Jie, come with us," Wang Jian thought for a moment and said.

Seeing that Jie Lianbing had been recognized by Wang Jian, Principal Lu's attitude toward her improved significantly. "Xia Jie, come with us," he said.

Jie Lianbing put down her materials and followed Wang Jian to the principal's office. The office was a single room but well-equipped, with a few leather sofas. Wang Jian sat down on one of them.

Principal Lu took out a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and offered it to Wang Jian, who waved his hand and said, "Old Lu, I don't smoke."

At that moment, the teacher who had brought the water came in and carefully placed it in front of Wang Jian, who smiled and said, "Thank you." The teacher left happily.

"Town Mayor Wang, why do you have time to come here?" Principal Lu asked with a smile.

Wang Jian leaned back in his chair and said casually, "The township is adjusting the agricultural structure in the village, and I thought I'd stop by to see. Old Lu, have you received the funds for the dilapidated house renovation?"

"We haven't received any. We asked Director Ma, but he said the funds would go to the schools with the most severe conditions. To be honest, I think Old Ma doesn't like me and is deliberately not giving us the funds," Principal Lu said frankly.

This was unexpected. Fang Zhiming had said the funds had been distributed to the schools, including to Principal Lu, but it turned out to be a lie. Ma Zenggong had told the township that the funds for the dilapidated house renovation were used for office expenses, while he had deceived Principal Lu by saying the funds went to the schools with the most severe conditions. In reality, the funds had been spent on himself and his close associates.

Wang Jian frowned and asked, "How severe is the situation with the dilapidated houses at your school?"

"Very severe. We dare not let students go into the classrooms anymore," Principal Lu complained.

The situation was worse than Wang Jian had anticipated. The failure to complete the dilapidated house renovation would directly affect the students' learning. Ma Zenggong's neglect was a serious dereliction of duty. If he were not dealt with, it would be a failure of leadership!

"Old Lu, you must ensure the safety of the students. Do not let them use the dilapidated buildings. The township will resolve the house repair issue as soon as possible," Wang Jian instructed.

"I understand, Town Mayor Wang."

The Youth Poverty Alleviation Fund from the County Youth League had not yet arrived. Han Yuting said it had been approved, but Yang Juncai said it had not been received. Wang Jian thought for a moment and said, "The County Youth League has some youth poverty alleviation funds. We will give some to your school when they arrive. You must use them well to help the truly poor students."

"Town Mayor Wang, that's great. A few students want to drop out because they can't afford it. This will help them," Principal Lu said immediately.

Wang Jian nodded. This batch of funds would be a timely relief for the poor students. After talking with Principal Lu for a while, Jie Lianbing sat quietly on the side, not saying a word, but occasionally looking up at Wang Jian, who also looked at her from time to time.

"Principal Lu, the psychological counseling for poor students by Teacher Jie is excellent. You must support her. I came today mainly to see how she is doing, but she needs the school's support to be effective," Wang Jian said, glancing at Jie Lianbing.

It seemed that Jie Lianbing had indeed been recognized by Wang Jian. Principal Lu immediately agreed, "Please rest assured, Town Mayor Wang. We will support Teacher Jie's work."

After Principal Lu finished speaking, Wang Jian said, "Alright, I'll come back to check again. Old Lu, I want to talk to Teacher Jie alone."

Principal Lu's face showed a moment of surprise, but he quickly smiled and said, "Sure, Town Mayor Wang, I'll step out."

After Principal Lu left, Wang Jian looked at the shy and smiling Jie Lianbing and said with a smile, "Teacher Jie, do you think I'm a monster?"

Jie Lianbing looked up at the smiling Wang Jian and felt he was like a big boy. If she didn't know he was the town mayor, she might have become friends with him.

"Town Mayor Wang, why do you ask that?" Jie Lianbing said, her face blushing.

Wang Jian chuckled and said, "Although I am the town mayor, I am also a recent graduate. We are the same age, so it's better to be casual. Come, sit closer to me!"

Jie Lianbing hesitated for a moment, then gathered her courage, stood up, and sat on a chair near Wang Jian. She asked, "Town Mayor Wang, how long have you been out of school?"

"I've been out of school for about a year and a half. What about you? When did you start working?" Wang Jian asked, seeing that Jie Lianbing had relaxed.

Jie Lianbing clutched her clothes and said, "I've been working for more than half a year."

"You are younger than me. To be honest, I don't like being called 'town mayor.' You can call me by my name, and if you call me 'brother,' I'll be even happier," Wang Jian tried to get closer to Jie Lianbing.

Jie Lianbing chuckled and said, "That's not necessarily true. I might be older than you!"

"Who said that? How old are you?" Wang Jian became interested and sat up straight.

Jie Lianbing turned her body and said, "Don't you know you shouldn't ask a woman's age?"

"Ha ha, I forgot. I'm sorry, Comrade Lianbing. But I can tell you I'm 25 this year. Do you dare say you're older than me?" Wang Jian laughed.

Jie Lianbing also laughed, implicitly acknowledging Wang Jian's statement.

Seeing Jie Lianbing's charming smile, Wang Jian felt a surge of uncontrollable emotion. This was the first time he had felt this way since breaking up with Lin Feifei. Since leaving school, human interactions had become filled with utilitarianism, and finding that lost sense of pure emotion was extremely difficult. Could Jie Lianbing be an exception?