Evening Stars Chapter 15
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 15
That morning, Xu Nanheng went to the hospital not only to print exam papers but also to pick up the custom-made school uniforms. Fang Shiyou had brought them back the previous day and loaded them into his pickup truck.
Xu Nanheng wasn't in a hurry to look at the uniforms. Once the papers were printed, he grabbed the bundle, said goodbye to Fang Shiyou, and slipped away. Fang Shiyou wanted to ask if he'd had breakfast, but by the time he opened his mouth, Xu Nanheng was already two miles down the road.
He first dropped the exam papers in the office on the third floor. No one was there, so he strolled back down the stairs slowly, feeling a bit irritable.
Sticking to his rule of not smoking on campus, Xu Nanheng stepped outside the yard and lit a cigarette. He had woken up very early that morning, snapped awake by anxiety. For the first time, he truly understood what his own teachers used to say: ‘I'm anxious for you all, so anxious that I can't even sleep.’
Back then, he'd thought they were exaggerating.
Now, Xu Nanheng was so anxious he couldn't sleep.
When he finally did wake up, it was already 8:40. He saw a WeChat message from Teacher Tan Xi, saying that starting this week, he'd only have one day off, with regular classes on Saturdays.
Xu Nanheng immediately protested indignantly: How could he hold remedial classes? Didn't the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture region have a Department of Education?
Only then did Tan Xi explain that he and a few other teachers had carefully reviewed the Ministry of Education's document banning make-up classes and noticed the key word ‘paid.’ Since he neither collected class fees nor drew a salary in Daliang Mountains, the rule didn't apply. He'd even emailed the ministry to explain the situation.
Tan Xi said in his message that his students' foundations were far too weak. Many of them hadn't even grasped elementary-level material, so trying to learn junior high school content was a disaster. Without make-up classes, it simply wouldn't work.
Xu Nanheng felt the same way, but he couldn't ignore what Sonam Tsomo had said. If they held classes on Saturdays, how would those students, who were also the main labor force in their household, manage both sides? The phrase ‘manage both sides’ came to his mind, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Holding remedial classes still required the principal's approval.
After finishing his cigarette, he thought of a compromise. He called Sonam Tsomo, and it took her a while to pick up.
Xu Nanheng: “Teacher Sonam! Where are you right now? I've thought of a way for the children to have remedial classes. Are you free today so we can talk?”
The background on her end was quiet. Her voice was as gentle as always, as if nothing in the world could faze her. “Teacher Xu, today's not very convenient. I'm at the hospital with Dolkar for her follow-up. But you can send me a message on WeChat. I'll check it while Dolkar's doing her MRI.”
Xu Nanheng quickly said, “T-then, please focus on what you're doing. We can talk about it during the Monday meeting.”
He was standing facing the front door of Class 1, the same spot where he and Fang Shiyou had sat talking for quite a while the night before. He had thought he'd come to terms with things, believing he just needed to do his best, just as Fang Shiyou had suggested.
Xu Nanheng had indeed taken those words to heart. To him, ‘doing his best’ meant ‘giving it everything he had.’
Monday's routine meeting.
Third-floor office.
Xu Nanheng started by talking about the school uniforms. He had already discussed the matter with Sonam Tsomo, and the uniforms would be distributed to the students under the school's name. As for the placement exam, all subjects would be tested over a two-day period.
The last matter Xu Nanheng brought up was remedial classes.
As soon as the topic came up, Sonam Tsomo looked a little helpless. Xu Nanheng continued, “I understand your concerns, but I have thought of a balanced approach. We can organize remedial classes in small groups.”
He continued, “Take our Class 2 for example. There are thirty-two students. We can divide them into three groups. This Saturday, the first group will attend remedial classes. The teachers not teaching that day can help those students' families with farm work, and the other two groups, after finishing their own chores, can join in to help. We have five teachers, which is enough for a rotation. Also, I hope that evening self-study sessions can be…… put on the agenda. We can organize these sessions in groups as well, with teachers going to help the group members at their homes.”
In Beijing, a plan like that would have offended his colleagues. Who was he to tell others to work during their time off? But this was a poverty-stricken mountainous area, and he couldn't afford to worry about such things.
He did, however, intended to provide some form of compensation through Sonam Tsomo. For instance, in two weeks it would be the fifteenth day of July in the Tibetan calendar, so he planned to ask Fang Shiyou to buy some fruits and snacks from the county or the city, to be distributed to the teachers through the principal.
Since the remedial classes were unpaid, giving cash directly wouldn't be appropriate.
Yet while Xu Nanheng was still doing the math in his head, the other teachers immediately agreed to his idea.
Teacher Tsering looked at him with some concern and asked, “Teacher Xu, will you be able to handle it?”
“Me?” Xu Nanheng was puzzled. “Of course I can. I proposed it, so naturally I can do it!”
Teacher Tsering quickly waved his hand. “No, no, that's not what I meant. We'll all be fine, since we're used to helping students loosen the soil, herd yaks, and carry dried yak dung. Those are chores you definitely have never done in the big city.”
Teacher Tsering spoke plainly, because reality itself was plain. But Xu Nanheng looked at him steadily and said, “Ah, so that's what you meant. I've thought about that too. It's fine. I've got two good hands and feet. If the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old kids can handle the work, why wouldn't I?”
“It's very dirty and exhausting,” Teacher Tsering said.
“As long as we can hold remedial classes,” Xu Nanheng replied. “Every bit helps, even if……”
He steadied his breathing and his emotions, then turned his gaze to the principal. Meeting her eyes, he said, “Even if they stop studying after junior high and go out to work, at least if they've learned some English, their wages might be…… a bit higher.”
That was all an educator could do in the end.
The principal approved the plan. Both classes would hold extra lessons in groups. During the first period of school, the teachers explained the arrangement to the students. Xu Nanheng had intended to excuse Dolkar from the sessions because of her petite build, but to his surprise, she was delighted. The best part for her was being able to work alongside her classmates on Saturdays.
Monday was filled entirely with exams, with Xu Nanheng proctoring. That night, he stayed up late grading papers for all three subjects, drinking his last packet of instant coffee in the process.
On Tuesday, he switched shifts with Teacher Tsering to proctor another full day of exams.
During the lunch break, he sent a WeChat message to Fang Shiyou asking if he had any extra coffee. Fang Shiyou said he'd bring some over, but Xu Nanheng stopped him. He decided to walk to the hospital himself and have a smoke along the way.
As usual, Xu Nanheng didn't bother taking out his lighter. When he was about to ask for a light, Fang Shiyou simply held the lighter steady and lit the cigarette for him.
“Look at those dark circles,” Fang Shiyou said, lighting his own cigarette as he gave Xu Nanheng a once-over.
Xu Nanheng took a deep drag and exhaled toward the sky. “Yeah, can't help it. There's no time anymore. Every day feels urgent. I'm treating third-year junior high like it's third-year senior high.”
Fang Shiyou held his cigarette between his fingers. “Then when you go back to teach third-year senior high, you'll already have the experience.”
“True,” Xu Nanheng nodded. He patted the pocket holding his instant coffee and asked, “You gave me so much. Do you still have any left for yourself?”
Fang Shiyou didn't answer directly. He just said, “Looks like your consumption's pretty high.”
He had bought a good amount of coffee back in the county town. Fang Shiyou calculated that it had been emptied in less than a month.
Xu Nanheng sighed. “Instant coffee doesn't really work that well. I have to mix two or three packets in one cup. I think I've built some kind of caffeine tolerance. There's such a thing, right? Caffeine tolerance?”
Fang Shiyou nodded. “Yeah. It mainly stimulates the central nervous system. If you drink a lot over a long time, your body builds tolerance.”
“Exactly. Instant coffee just doesn't hit anymore.” Xu Nanheng put the cigarette back between his lips and pulled out his phone, eyes lowered but not looking at the screen. “Thought I wouldn't have to trouble you again, but looks like I will.”
“Go on,” Fang Shiyou said. “What is it?”
“I'm buying myself a capsule coffee machine.” Xu Nanheng tapped a few times on Taobao. “I'll have it shipped to your hospital. Bring it over the week after next.”
“Alright.”
The two finished their cigarettes and tossed the butts into the trash bin by the hospital entrance. Stretching lazily, Xu Nanheng patted his pocket and said, “Thanks.”
“For what?” Fang Shiyou smiled.
“Oh right, I still need to buy a mug.” Xu Nanheng pulled out his phone again, opening Taobao as he muttered to himself, “Something spill-proof and leak-proof, so I can bring it when I'm out working in the fields.”
“Working in the fields?”
“Yeah.” Xu Nanheng briefly explained the remedial class plan to him. Once he accepted someone, he tended to talk more, his words coming easily. After finishing, he grumbled, “Damn, the shipping fee alone could buy me a McDonald's meal.”
The shipping fee was a little expensive, but not that exaggerated. Just as he was about to put his phone away and return to school, Fang Shiyou said, “Wait a second.”
“Hm?”
“So…… you teachers plan to take turns helping with the students' farm work during the remedial classes, right?” Fang Shiyou thought for a moment. He'd seen what Tibetan farm work was like. “You…… wait here a minute. I'll get you something.”
Xu Nanheng was puzzled. “Get me what?”
Fang Shiyou didn't answer. He soon came back, not from his office, but from the parking lot, carrying something from his car.
“Here.” Fang Shiyou handed it to him.
Xu Nanheng took it and read aloud, “……Yunnan Baiyao Pain Relief Patch? Isn't this for Choedon's grandfather?”
Fang Shiyou looked him sincerely and firmly in the eye and said. “Trust me. You're going to need it.”