126. A Grand Display

Wei Kun followed Bai Jinyan into the room, his shoulders slumped in defeat. No sooner had he stepped inside than he recoiled with a sharp gasp. He lifted his foot, peered at the floor, squeezed his eyes shut, and shook his head violently before glancing around the room.

"Since when has Rainbow Village become so wealthy?"

Wei Kun squatted down to feel the floor, peeling back a small corner of the carpet to peek underneath. "Three layers of carpet?" He kicked off his shoes, stepped inside in his socks, and felt the walls. "And paneled with wood? What for?"

"Soundproofing. Wenwen dislikes noise." Bai Jinyan placed the person down on the large bed, tucked the quilt in, and sat to the side.

"Whose room is this?" Wei Kun asked, puzzled. He looked at Bai Jinyan, whose face had inexplicably flushed red, and let out an 'oh' as if he had stumbled upon some juicy gossip. "Housing is incredibly tight in the village; we even had to squeeze into the classroom by the skin of our teeth... My, my, young man, you ought to take care of your health!"

"It’s not what you’re thinking!" Bai Jinyan snapped, annoyed. "Can’t you just go teach your class?"

"I know, I know. I’ve been there—I understand perfectly."

"...Are you sure you’ve been there?"

"..."

"..."

"That’s going too far! Don't single people have human rights? I can't live like this!" Wei Kun roared and slammed the door behind him.

"Please pull the door shut, and try to be quiet, thank you," Bai Jinyan added, twisting the knife.

Wei Kun stumbled, nearly face-planting, and after grumbling to himself for a long while, he sulkily closed the door and stomped off, still muttering under his breath.

When he reached the classroom, he found it completely empty. Puzzled, he wandered around the village and asked several elderly residents basking in the sun. Following their directions, which were nearly impossible to decipher, he headed toward the back of the village.

Bypassing several rows of dilapidated mud huts, Wei Kun arrived at the only open space behind the village. It had once been designated for gardening, but because the village conditions were so poor and the seeds sent by the county died regardless of what was planted, it had long been abandoned.

At this moment, a crowd of children and adults from several neighboring villages had gathered, surrounding a... helicopter.

"Rainbow Village has a helicopter now?" Wei Kun stood there, dazed.

"Dr. Wei is here!" Village Chief Ge called out joyfully, pushing his way through the crowd. He brandished a textbook, his face beaming with excitement as he thrust it toward Wei Kun. "Books! The children have books!"

Wei Kun’s mouth twitched, his head recoiling as he tried to dodge the book that was about to poke him in the eye. "Chief Ge, your hand—careful, you’re about to poke my eye out."

The Village Chief finally regained his composure, let out a few embarrassed chuckles, and pulled his hand back. "Sorry, sorry, I’m just so happy." He stroked the textbook in his hands, his face filled with reverence and emotion. "We finally have textbooks..."

Wei Kun gestured toward the helicopter behind them, asking curiously, "What’s going on? Did government aid arrive?"

"No, no, this was sent by Teacher Chen. Not only books, but desks, chairs, and clothes as well..."

"Teacher Chen? The volunteer teacher for next semester?"

"No, no, it’s... it’s Teacher Bai’s friend. Haven’t you seen her? The one who looks like a fairy!"

"Oh... Bai Jinyan’s little girlfriend," Wei Kun realized.

"Girlfriend?" Village Chief Ge paused, then had the same realization. "No wonder... By the way, where are Teacher Chen and Teacher Bai? The children didn't see them this morning. If that Mr. Cui hadn't called me to bring everyone here to pick up the supplies, the children would have been worried sick."

As if to confirm his words, several children swarmed over and surrounded Wei Kun.

"Dr. Wei, where did Teacher Bai go?"

"Dr. Wei, where is Teacher Chen?"

"Dr. Wei, is Teacher Bai abandoning us? They brought all these things—are they leaving?"

"I don't want Teacher Bai to leave, *sob*... I don't want the books, I just want Teacher Bai back..."

"I don't want the books either! Dr. Wei, can you take us to find Teacher Bai?"

"Dr. Wei..."

Wei Kun felt a massive headache coming on. Seeing the children ignore the books they had dreamed of, their eyes red-rimmed and fearful that their temporary teacher would leave, he scrambled to comfort the little ones.

"No, no, Teacher Bai isn't leaving. Teacher Chen is ill, and Teacher Bai is taking care of her."

"Teacher Chen is sick?" The children's bright, shining eyes were filled with sincere and unmasked concern.

"How did Teacher Chen get sick so suddenly? Is she alright?" Village Chief Ge asked with equal concern.

"She’s fine, just a bit of homesickness and a sensitive stomach. She’s already taken medicine; she’ll be better after a few days of rest." Wei Kun explained briefly. Seeing that it didn't sound serious, the Village Chief finally relaxed.

"Dr. Wei," little Yu Dian tugged at Wei Kun’s shirt. "Can we go see Teacher Chen?"

"No need. That lightbulb... ahem, I mean, Teacher Chen hasn't woken up yet. Everyone go back to the classroom for lessons first, and you can visit later."

"Dr. Wei, are you teaching us today?"

"Dr. Wei, what does 'lightbulb' mean?"

Wei Kun massaged his forehead. "A lightbulb is... like a candle. It provides light, but it's much brighter and doesn't have the risk of catching fire..."

As he explained, he ushered the children, now carrying their new books and clothes, back to the classroom, using the lightbulb as an introduction to their natural science lesson.

Wei Kun was a bona fide medical doctor from Nanjing University. Although usually a bit unconventional, using his talents to impress a group of children was like using a butcher’s knife to slaughter a chicken.

Upon returning to the classroom, Wei Kun was shocked once more.

He had been to this classroom in Rainbow Village before. Like countless other dilapidated shacks in the mountains, it had been covered in dust with drafts blowing through from all sides. Dozens of dirty children would squeeze inside, sitting on the dusty ground, staring with longing at the only blackboard in the front, passing around the single available textbook.

But now...

Wei Kun rubbed his eyes.

The old, broken classroom had somehow been fitted with the same soundproof wood paneling, and the previously empty windows were now fitted with two glass panes.

While the carpet hadn't been laid, the floor—usually filthy—had been scrubbed clean. Fifty sets of wooden desks and chairs were neatly arranged. The rickety blackboard that required someone to hold it steady was gone, replaced by a massive, three-meter-long blackboard nailed directly to the wall. In front stood a podium with boxes of white and colored chalk, and the old rag used for erasing had been replaced by a proper blackboard eraser.

"This is quite a grand gesture..."

Desks and chairs weren't the main issue; many people could afford to replace equipment. The problem was that it couldn't be transported in.

On the day Chen Ruowen arrived, her off-road vehicle couldn't get within fifteen kilometers of the village. Large cargo trucks were out of the question—they couldn't get within twenty kilometers, and the rest of the way had to be carried by hand. Very few people could carry such a haul over twenty kilometers of rugged mountain trails; the danger was immense.

And to have it delivered via helicopter, like Chen Ruowen’s family had done—even fewer people would be willing to spend the money for such a thing. After all, helicopter transport costs couldn't exactly be written off as charitable donations.