Chapter 196: Here It Comes!

[Is it just me, or is this scene kinda sweet?]

[Qi Pei’er is so cute, and that song was amazing!]

[Nan Zhi is amazing too, she was so patient comforting Qi Pei’er! Friendship for the win!]

[I have to say, the idea of making music with water glasses is brilliant. It saves money and gets the kids interested in music. Even my little rascal saw it and started fiddling with them at home! Says he wants to be a professional water glass player!]

[Huh? Why’d Nan Zhi suddenly walk out?]

[Looks like she’s heading for the cafeteria! Does this mean…]

[It’s happening! It’s happening! My favorite part—the Food show segment! Woohoo!]

…

Nan Zhi walked into the cafeteria.

It was called a cafeteria, but it wasn’t very big.

It was about the size of three classrooms, including the kitchen in the back.

Most of the tables and chairs were new, the walls were painted a pristine white, and the floor was spotless. Overall, it looked to be in good condition.

But in the back kitchen, certain details told a different story.

For instance, while there was no lack of ingredients, the variety was limited. A quick survey revealed only potatoes, cabbage, and other inexpensive vegetables. There was a scattering of meat and eggs, but not much.

This couldn’t help but remind Nan Zhi of the kindergarten Nan Yi attended. Every week, the menu was sent to the parents’ phones. It was rich and varied, even featuring international cuisine. Professional nutritionists calculated the precise nutritional ratios for the children, with pork, beef, lamb, fish, shrimp, and seafood served in rotation…

That dazzling menu stood in stark contrast to the meager, monotonous ingredients before her.

The viewers didn’t know what Nan Zhi was feeling, but their hearts ached as well:

[The kids’ meals are so bad. Is that all the vegetables they get? I thought they wouldn’t be short on ingredients in the mountains!]

[The farmers have to sell the vegetables they grow. These must be provided by the school as part of tuition, so they’d stick to the most affordable ingredients.]

[Sob… as a mom, I can’t stand seeing this. It reminds me of my kid complaining that the pineapple was bland and wanting to throw it out yesterday… Starting today, I’m going to teach him to appreciate his food!]

[Is there a link for donations? I’d like to help, even if it’s just a little.]

[Yeah! The show should just set up a donation account! We trust you guys!]

…

At the same time, however, came the questions:

[The school looks so nice, but this is all the kids eat?]

[Shouldn’t there be a special charity breakfast fund or something? Why is the food so bad? Doesn’t anyone else think something’s wrong?]

[I don’t think the principal and teachers here are like that…]

[They might not be the only ones handling the money!]

…

The discussion in the comments was drifting in a suspicious direction.

Even the production staff behind the scenes were about to step in.

Just then, Nan Zhi saw a figure come in, huffing and puffing as they carried a basket of vegetables.

She rushed over to help, but just as she reached out her hands…

The person quickly shook her head.

“No, no, I’ve got it!”

That familiar voice.

Nan Zhi was surprised.

“Teacher Zhang?”

‘Teacher Zhang is the principal, why is she hauling vegetable baskets?’

Teacher Zhang looked up, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

“Oh, it’s Teacher Nan.”

Without another word, Nan Zhi insisted on helping.

She wasn’t very strong, but she gritted her teeth and strained, managing to lift one side of the basket.

Teacher Zhang laughed heartily.

“Let’s do it together.”

She put her back into it, and the basket Nan Zhi had struggled to budge was lifted in an instant.

Nan Zhi didn’t let go, helping carry the basket over.

They finally set it down. Nan Zhi wiped the sweat from her brow and saw that Teacher Zhang was drenched in it.

She asked hesitantly,

“Why are you here working all by yourself? Where is everyone else?”

Teacher Zhang waved a dismissive hand.

“The other teachers all have classes, and Old Lei is getting on in years. I can’t keep bothering him.”

Old Lei was the elderly gatekeeper they had met at the school entrance.

Nan Zhi was silent for a few seconds before a crucial question occurred to her.

“What about the cook?”

She already had a hunch.

Sure enough, Teacher Zhang patted her chest.

“That would be me! Surprise! My cooking isn’t half bad!”

Nan Zhi said, “…Then I’ll help you.”

Teacher Zhang’s first instinct was to refuse, wanting Nan Zhi to focus on teaching the children.

But then Nan Zhi told her that Qi Pei’er was already teaching music class, that it was going well, and that the students were loving it.

“That’s wonderful!”

Teacher Zhang said as she bent down to move more things,

“I knew you two teachers would be great. Take Teacher Xiao Qi—she’s just a little too nervous. I heard she graduated from the Music University? That’s an excellent school! It’s a shame we don’t have a piano here. Even an electronic keyboard would be nice, just to let the children know that there are so many beautiful things in this world…”

Teacher Zhang rambled on.

Nan Zhi listened patiently.

After they worked together to wash a full basket of potatoes, Teacher Zhang pulled over two stools and had Nan Zhi join her in peeling them.

Seeing Nan Zhi’s long, beautiful hands, Teacher Zhang naturally assumed she didn’t know her way around a kitchen and began to instruct her.

“Just hold the knife like this, and peel. Be careful not to cut yourself.”

Nan Zhi just hummed in agreement, offering no further explanation.

[I’m holding my tongue so hard right now.]

[Teacher Zhang, you have no idea who you’re talking to.]

[Chef Nan being taught how to peel potatoes! This is the scene of the year, hahaha!]

[Don’t worry, Teacher Zhang is in for a big surprise!]

[Wait, but what about the questions from before? They still haven’t been answered.]

[I’m ready to report them.]

…

Fortunately, the viewers’ confusion was soon cleared up.

Because Nan Zhi then naturally asked about the ingredients:

“Is this all you have for vegetables? The children just eat potatoes?”

Teacher Zhang kept her head down, peeling as she spoke:

“This is already much better. Years ago, the children had nothing to eat at all. Most came to school on an empty stomach and went home the same way. The ones who were slightly better off would bring a little stir-fried rice from home and eat a handful for lunch. The school itself was in bad shape back then, too. It was just a mud-brick building. Whenever it rained hard, we were terrified it would collapse…”

She recounted the school’s past in a flat, casual tone.

But for those listening, the words were suffocating, making it hard to breathe.

It was only then that Nan Zhi learned Teacher Zhang had been the principal here for over twenty years.

She was originally from Cuishui Village herself.

After she graduated from high school, she saw that the village children had no school. To get an education, they had to walk for miles to the elementary school in the next town. So, she decided to start a school right here in the village.

She poured her heart and soul into the school and its students, never marrying or having children of her own.

She said with a smile,

“These students are all my children! If you don’t believe me, go look at the wall in my office. Even now, my children come back to visit us every year!”

She brushed past all the hardships, but when she spoke of her pride, Teacher Zhang’s eyes shone with a joyful light.

Nan Zhi gazed at her, a profound sense of admiration welling up inside her.

“You’re truly incredible.”