Ch 20: The Unfilial Children Trembles in Fear (QT)

That’s right. Yun Xi donated money to the orphanage specifically to make the ungrateful children suffer. Her money could go to many children. She could give it to anyone she wanted.

Just not to her ungrateful biological children.

Because Yun Xi became the first person in the city to engage in charity work and donated such a large amount of money, public opinion of her improved even more.

The entire city knew about her now.

Some called her Sister Li.

Some called her Teacher Li.

Some called her Auntie Li.

Some called her Grandma Li.

Some called her Mother Li.

Whenever people mentioned her, there was no longer any jealousy.

Most people were still struggling just to make ends meet. Yun Xi had already risen to a height beyond their reach.

Nobody envied her anymore.

They simply looked up to her.

The children she sponsored frequently wrote letters to her, always addressing her as “Mother Li.”

Whenever she had time, Yun Xi wrote back.

Her letters were never long. She simply offered a few words of encouragement.

To those children, that warmth meant everything.

As principal of the vocational school, Yun Xi personally taught driving and vehicle repair.

Her classes had the largest enrollment.

After all, she had once placed first in the province in driving competitions. That alone sounded authoritative.

Now that she was willing to teach, many people naturally wanted to learn.

Once they mastered the skill, they could become drivers for various organizations and earn twenty yuan a month.

The other classes had fewer students, but they still attracted enrollments.

This was because Xu Ziyan had announced that tuition would be half-price for first-year students.

Anyone who enrolled could switch classes within a week if they discovered the subject was not suitable.

In other words, one tuition payment allowed students to explore any subject in the school.

The only catch was graduation.

Students had to pass examinations.

If they spent a few days sampling every skill without mastering any of them, they would fail the exams and receive no diploma.

After becoming famous for so many years, Yun Xi had earned the complete trust of a portion of the population.

Those people felt that anything she did would succeed.

The moment they heard tuition was half-price, they immediately enrolled their unemployed children.

Sister Qin was still somewhat worried.

“With benefits like that, won’t the school be overwhelmed? What if there are too many students and not enough teachers?”

Yun Xi smiled.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be that many students.

“My reputation may be big, but this is still my first time opening a school. Only a small group truly trusts me.

“Besides, now that the college entrance examination has been restored, many people are already studying. Others have jobs.

“Among those who are idle, many don’t want to learn anything. Others don’t want to pay tuition because they’re afraid they won’t successfully learn a skill.

“In the end, there won’t be many people who actually come.”

Sister Qin hesitated.

“Should we try to advertise? We can all help.”

Yun Xi shook her head.

“The school is still imperfect in many ways.

If there are too many students now, I won’t be able to manage them properly.

This is actually ideal.

After one year, when students graduate and find jobs through their skills, the school’s reputation will establish itself.

At that point, I won’t need advertising. Students will come naturally.

If too many people come now, we won’t have enough teachers.

Running a school is a long-term endeavor. It can’t be rushed.

I know exactly what I’m doing. Don’t worry.”

Hearing that, Sister Qin felt relieved and happy for her.

As Yun Xi had predicted, the school attracted enough students to avoid feeling empty, but not so many that it became crowded.

Some people privately sighed.

“Sister Li just can’t sit still. She always has to be doing something.

This school is probably going to fail.

Honestly, she was such an excellent driver. Wouldn’t it have been better to stay in the city government until retirement?

People would kill for a job like that.

Even selling the position could have brought in hundreds, maybe thousands of yuan.

But she just resigned.

What a waste.

And she was incredible at business too. How long did it take her to turn that tiny shop into a marketplace?’

“She practically revived all of Yangliu Village.”

“If she’d just focused on that, it would’ve been fine.”

“But why open a vocational school?”

“Do ordinary people have the ability to run a school?”

Others responded,

“But Sister Li isn’t ordinary.

“Nobody believed in her when she opened her shop either. Look how successful it is now.

“Maybe the school will succeed too.”

Even so, very few people were optimistic.

The main reason was that there had been no college entrance examinations for ten years. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. People simply didn’t place much value on schools anymore.

They also believed that high schools and universities at least offered state-recognized diplomas.

But a privately operated vocational school?

Would anyone recognize those credentials?

If students spent years there only to discover the education was worthless, they would have wasted both time and money.

So most people continued to wait and watch.

Yun Xi ignored all the noise.

As soon as enrollment ended, classes began immediately.

Not a single lesson was wasted.

Her goal was simple:

Teach students the maximum amount of practical knowledge in the shortest possible time.

Every classroom had a bulletin board in the back.

But instead of artwork, the boards displayed wage charts.

The charts clearly listed jobs associated with each skill and their starting salaries.

They also included notes about job availability and competition levels.

Everything was clear at a glance.

Students immediately understood why they were there.

They were there to learn skills and earn money.

The wage charts gave them a concrete goal.

They reminded students constantly not to waste time.

Every extra day spent idling meant another day of tuition paid and another day of income lost.

When Xiao Zhang learned about the school, he specifically gathered many of the newest technical books from Beijing and mailed them back.

Yun Xi simply established a library at the school.

The shelves were filled entirely with practical books.

Students could borrow them anytime.

Whenever they encountered something they didn’t understand, they could ask Yun Xi or the instructors.

If a teacher didn’t know the answer, that teacher was expected to research the issue and learn it before teaching the students.

The academic atmosphere grew stronger and stronger.

People who had been observing from the sidelines were astonished.

After hearing about the classroom wage charts, many began to think that mastering a trade through vocational school might actually be better than taking the college entrance examination.

University graduates still had to worry about where they would work afterward.

A trade skill, however, could lead directly to employment.

One culinary student returned home and cooked for his family.

His knife skills alone made it obvious he had learned something real.

A tailoring student repaired and altered clothes for relatives.

The garments immediately looked much better.

Although none of them had graduated yet, the results were already visible.

Naturally, their families proudly shared these stories with neighbors and relatives.

Word spread.

Enrollment gradually increased.

Finally, the first driving class taught by Yun Xi graduated.

The class had more than a dozen students.

All of them learned driving and vehicle repair.

Their abilities varied, but every one of them passed the graduation examination and received a diploma.

When they nervously applied for driving positions at organizations that owned vehicles, they expected a difficult process.

Instead, the mayor had already spoken with everyone beforehand.

The organizations immediately arranged practical driving tests.

Anyone whose skills met standards would be hired.

There was already a shortage of drivers, and experienced drivers rarely wanted apprentices.

The talent Yun Xi had trained became useful immediately.

Some graduates discovered local positions were already full and found jobs in neighboring cities instead.

No matter where they went, they all successfully found employment and began earning wages.

The discussions exploded.

A single phrase spread rapidly:

“If you attend Principal Li’s vocational school, you can find a job.”

Soon the entire province knew.

Young people who had failed the college entrance examination suddenly discovered a new path.

Some families even borrowed money to pay tuition and send their children there.

Enrollment tripled almost overnight.

The mayor later invited Yun Xi for tea and said with emotion,

“When you first proposed opening a vocational school, I wasn’t sure it would work.

I never imagined you would provide so many skilled workers for the city.

You’ve helped countless young people solve their employment problems.

I’m not exaggerating when I say there are fewer idle troublemakers wandering the streets now.

Public security has improved too.

Sister Li, you’ve made another tremendous contribution to our city.”

Yun Xi smiled.

“As long as I can help, that’s enough.

“I’m one of this city’s people.

The villagers treated me well.

My coworkers and leaders treated me well.

And so many others throughout the city showed me kindness.

When I was at my lowest point, they gave me light and hope.

So now I want to do my part for everyone too.

I want to give something back.”

“Good! Sister Li has always had a strong sense of social responsibility and civic awareness. This time, the city has decided to give you an award in recognition of your contributions and to encourage you to keep up the good work. On a personal level, all of us care about you as well. We hope you stay healthy and don’t work yourself too hard.”

Yun Xi often visited the mayor’s mother during holidays and festivals, and they had become quite close. Hearing this, she smiled and agreed, saying she would take better care of herself.

Soon afterward, Yun Xi’s vocational school was awarded the title of Advanced Collective, while Yun Xi herself was named an Advanced Individual. The province also granted her an Outstanding Contribution Award.

These honors added another layer of prestige to both Yun Xi and the school, raising the school’s reputation even further.

Vocational schools were a product of the opportunities unique to that era. For many young people who felt lost and uncertain about the future, the school clearly laid out several possible paths. As long as they worked hard and kept improving themselves, they would inevitably find a place in society.

Since Yun Xi had decided to run the school, she intended to do it properly.

Someone once privately suggested that she slow down the curriculum.

“If you stretch the program out to three or four years, wouldn’t that be better? Universities take that long too. A vocational school lasting several years sounds perfectly reasonable. Then you could collect tuition for much longer.”

Yun Xi rejected the idea immediately.

She wasn’t running the school to squeeze money out of people.

That would make the whole thing meaningless.

She wanted the teachers to teach practical knowledge every class period. The faster students learned, the better.

Students who excelled could even apply for early examinations and graduate ahead of schedule.

If a student spent an entire month wasting time and refusing to learn, Yun Xi would call in the parents to discuss whether the student should switch specialties or withdraw altogether rather than continue wasting tuition money.

Parents trusted the school more and more.

They felt it genuinely prioritized students’ interests and wasn’t trying to exploit anyone.

As a result, they trusted Yun Xi even more.

Her name became known in every household. She had already become one of the most influential figures in the region.

Meanwhile, the city government began constructing a residential complex for employees.

Staff members who wanted apartments could purchase them at half price. Those without money could continue living in the free employee dormitories.

It was one of the government’s employee benefits.

During a meeting, the mayor brought up Yun Xi.

“Sister Li has always lived alone. She was once one of our own colleagues. Why don’t we let her buy a unit in the employee housing complex as well? She can be neighbors with everyone. We’ll see each other more often, and it will also be safer for her. If anything happens, we’ll all be nearby to help.”

No one objected.

Even setting aside the fact that most of them already had good relationships with Yun Xi, being on friendly terms with someone of her status and influence was a good thing.

Besides, the employees were buying their apartments at half price. Yun Xi would be paying full price.

She wasn’t receiving any special discount.

The arrangement was simply for convenience and security.

So everyone readily agreed.

When Yun Xi heard about it, she was delighted.

It wasn’t that she worried about her safety. She simply found that her growing reputation attracted endless people trying to curry favor with her.

Living near familiar city government colleagues would be much more comfortable.

She intentionally waited until all the government employees had selected their apartments before choosing hers.

To her surprise, one of the remaining units was a spacious three-bedroom apartment with an excellent location.

Most employees had limited budgets and small families of three, so two-bedroom units were sufficient.

That was how Yun Xi managed to pick up such a good apartment.

Soon she purchased furniture and moved into her new home.

Many employees at the school and marketplace were people from Yangliu Village. When they heard she was moving, they naturally came to help.

Yun Xi applied for permission and invited both the villagers and her former city government colleagues to celebrate her housewarming at the government cafeteria.

Most of the villagers had never even entered an apartment building before.

A large three-bedroom apartment was beyond anything they had ever imagined.

Some of them still shared a heated brick bed with siblings.

Meanwhile, Yun Xi had an entire bedroom for herself, a separate study, and even a walk-in closet.

The living room and kitchen were spacious.

There was even a modern bathroom with a toilet.

Many of them had never seen a flush toilet before.

When they returned to Yangliu Village, the entire village erupted into discussion once again.

Dong Zhihong was complaining about insects in the fields and weeds that never seemed to disappear when he noticed how lively the village had become.

Jealous, he grumbled to Wang Huijuan,

“It must be something about that old woman again. She’s already forty-eight years old. Why does she keep stirring up trouble every single day? Isn’t she afraid she’ll wear herself out?”

Wang Huijuan rolled her eyes.

“All you do is curse her behind her back. Why don’t you say it to her face?

If you were really capable, you’d bring her back home. Then that marketplace and that school would belong to us.

You call yourself the eldest son, but you’re completely useless.”

Dong Zhihong glared.

“Say that again and I’ll beat you to death! You women are all the same. Long hair, short vision…”

“Bah!”

Wang Huijuan cut him off.

“Even the old lady said it. You’ve got short hair and short vision.

And don’t look down on women. If you make me angry enough, I’ll divorce you and go find work in the city myself.

Then we’ll see who lives better.

You won’t even have a hot meal to eat or clean clothes to wear.

Other than running your mouth, what can you actually do?”

She planted her hands on her hips and fired right back.

Unlike before, she was no longer afraid of him.

From a distance, Dong Zhijie saw the couple arguing.

He immediately assumed it had something to do with Yun Xi again.

He had heard she moved into a new home.

Those villagers were such shameless followers, he thought.

Was moving into a new house really worth all this excitement?

Why did they keep talking about it after returning to the village?

Exchanging a glance with Wang Xuefen, he pulled down his straw hat and slipped into the crowd to listen.

“You should’ve seen that mattress,” someone was saying excitedly.

“It was so thick. No mattress pad needed at all. So comfortable!

“All the quilts were stored neatly in closets. Only one blanket was left on the bed, covered with a beautiful zippered duvet cover.

“When it gets dirty, you just wash the cover. No need to pick out stitches and resew everything like we do.

“The bedroom was so neat and clean. Just looking at it made you feel comfortable.”

Another villager chimed in.

“And that sofa in the living room. They call it a fabric sofa.”

“Way more comfortable than those wooden couches everyone else has.”

“The coffee table was huge too.”

“There was an entire tea set on it.”

“Most of the pieces I didn’t even recognize. I only knew the teapot and teacups.”

“Principal Li brewed tea for all of us.”

“I only had a small cup, but wow, it tasted amazing.”

Someone else jumped in eagerly.

“Do you know what a walk-in closet is?”

“It’s an entire room dedicated just to clothes!”

“I couldn’t believe it.”

“There were rows of wardrobes packed full of clothing.”

“I don’t think I could wear that many clothes in an entire lifetime.”

“And every single outfit looked expensive.”

“There was even a full-length mirror in the middle of the room.”

“I’ve only ever seen large mirrors in big government buildings before.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone have such a huge mirror inside their own home.”

“So convenient.”

The speaker shook his head in disbelief.

“Principal Li has really made it. An entire room just for clothes. I couldn’t have imagined something like that before.”

“The bathroom was even better,” another person said.

“You don’t have to squat anymore. You just sit on the toilet.

“Then after you’re done, you press a button and everything flushes away. There’s also a sink with running water. You don’t even need to carry water to wash your face or hands.”

“And there’s a mirrored cabinet on the wall. You store toothbrushes and cosmetics inside, then close the door and use it as a mirror. Who came up with something so clever?”

Someone sighed dreamily.

“If I could live in a place like that, I’d be satisfied for the rest of my life.”

“You definitely can,” another replied immediately.

“Principal Li said so herself.

“She said that as long as we work hard, keep improving ourselves, and seize opportunities, one day we’ll all live in apartments like that.

Maybe even better ones.

Isn’t life improving year after year?”

“That’s right!”

“Principal Li never talks nonsense.

She sees further than anyone else and always predicts things correctly.

If she says the future will be better, then it definitely will be.

We all need to work harder.”

The village chief took the opportunity to encourage everyone.

“Principal Li’s school and marketplace always give priority to people from our village.

So everyone needs to work hard and do a good job.

Don’t throw away the opportunities in your hands.

Miss this chance and you may never get another one.

Treasure it and keep striving.”

The crowd immediately responded:

“Work hard!”

“Let’s all work hard together!”

Meanwhile, Dong Zhijie and Wang Xuefen returned home looking utterly miserable.

Both were filled with resentment.

After a long silence, Wang Xuefen finally spoke.

“You used to be the most promising child in your family.

And the reason you made the old lady angry wasn’t even that serious. You and I secretly ate good food without sharing it with her.

That’s not some unforgivable crime, is it?”

She paused before asking carefully:

“Can you really not win her back?

Maybe you should try.

Kneel down.

Cry.

Bow and admit your mistakes.

Tell her you truly know you were wrong.

Maybe she’d let us move over there and take care of her.

We could look after her meals, her daily life, everything…”

“Once we take care of everything at home, won’t she be able to focus on the school and marketplace in peace? If it works out, our daughter can go to school in the city too. We can have the old lady ask someone to look after her. Even if she doesn’t study well, maybe she can become the old lady’s personal apprentice. Later, she could even enter the city government as a driver.”

How could Dong Zhijie’s heart not waver?

Such a wonderful apartment. Today was the first time he had even heard of it, and he did not know whether he would ever have the chance to see one in this lifetime. Yet his mother lived in one alone and enjoyed life.

Now that Wang Xuefen put it this way, he was tempted.

The old lady was already forty-eight. At fifty, one knew the mandate of heaven. How many more years could she live? After so much time, shouldn’t her anger have faded?

Maybe he should try.

Dong Zhijie found his best clothes, cleaned himself up, and went to the city government family housing compound.

He paced outside, thinking about how to get Yun Xi to come out, when a car drove over. He hurriedly stepped to the roadside.

The car stopped at the gate, waiting for the guard to open it. He instinctively looked inside and discovered that the driver was actually Yun Xi.

“Mom?” Dong Zhijie’s eyes widened in shock. “This… this is your car?”

Yun Xi had not closed the window. Hearing the voice, she looked over. With one glance, she knew what Dong Zhijie had come for, so she said,

“It is my car. I earned it through my own ability.

Before, you relied on becoming a teacher and looked down on the whole family. I taught you that there is always someone better, that you shouldn’t be arrogant or complacent, that you shouldn’t look down on people because of their occupations, and that you especially shouldn’t treat your own family that way.

You thought I was just an ignorant farm woman and dismissed my words with contempt.

Now I also hope you can be self-reliant and strong. Don’t be a dodder flower. Use your real ability to earn money.

You’ve seen it. Opportunities are everywhere now. Go out more, look around more, and find the path that suits you. Don’t waste your thoughts on me. I will not acknowledge you again, and I will not give you anything. Don’t come again.”

Yun Xi rolled up the window and drove into the compound.

The gate closed in front of Dong Zhijie, as if separating him and Yun Xi into two different worlds, leaving him unable to touch her ever again.

He could not help taking two steps forward, watching the car gradually drive away.

The old gatekeeper called out,

“Hurry home. At my age, I still earn my own money. A young man with sound hands and feet should go work hard for himself.

Principal Li has already treated you well enough. She even spoke to you earnestly and told you so much. You need to take it to heart, understand?

All right, all right, hurry up and leave. Outsiders aren’t allowed to loiter at our gate. If you keep lingering here, I’ll call someone.”

Afraid of losing face, Dong Zhijie quickly ran away.

But he had not taken Yun Xi’s words to heart. Instead, he felt deeply humiliated.

Back then, he had looked down on all of them, and the person he had looked down on most was his shrewish mother, who only knew how to farm, work, and quarrel with others.

Now, it was that very mother who was living the best life, even reaching a height he could not climb to.

He felt as if his face had been peeled off and trampled. Walking down the street, he felt as though everyone was looking at him.

Many people in the city government knew him and knew he was Yun Xi’s son. Did other people know too?

Paranoid and suspicious, Dong Zhijie rushed home as quickly as possible. He collapsed dejectedly on the threshold, holding his head in both hands.

He did not dare go out onto the streets at all. He feared people pointing at him. How could someone like him go out, look around, and find opportunities to make money?

Humiliated into anger, he thought, Yun Xi knew so many paths and had helped so many people find work. Why couldn’t she directly tell him how to make money?

All she said was empty talk. Yet that gatekeeper actually thought Yun Xi was kind for telling him so much. Which sentence was actually useful?

Wang Xuefen grabbed him anxiously.

“How was it? Did you see the old lady? What did she say?”

Dong Zhijie pushed her away and said stiffly,

“It was useless. She said she won’t acknowledge us again, won’t give us anything, and told us to rely on our own abilities if we’re capable. She also said opportunities are everywhere outside.”

Wang Xuefen froze, then asked,

“What did you say? Did you kneel to her? Did you kowtow and admit your mistake? Did you cry and beg?”

“No! There were other people there. How could I do those things?” Dong Zhijie turned his head away impatiently.

Making him kowtow and admit fault was something he could never do in this lifetime.

Wang Xuefen grew furious.

“You didn’t do anything, so how could the old lady possibly forgive you? You finally went there once, and this was all you did? Is your brain flooded? Are you sick?

The greatest opportunity was placed right in front of you, and you were acting lofty for whom? Sulking for whom?”

Dong Zhijie shouted,

“She just won’t acknowledge me anymore. What can I do? Maybe even if I died in front of her, she wouldn’t frown!”

“How do you know it won’t work if you haven’t tried?”

“I just know it won’t work! It can’t work!”

The two had a fierce argument and were exhausted in both body and mind.

Once, they too had been a loving young couple. Together, they had secretly cooked extra food outside, quietly hidden private savings, dressed up their daughter, and looked forward to dividing from the family one day, building a big house, finding a chance to transfer to the city for work, becoming official teachers, moving their household registration there, and living better and better as a family.

Now, the affection between them had been worn away through argument after argument.

Perhaps the rift had appeared from the day Wang Xuefen’s family came demanding money. Later, the hardship and exhaustion of life caused them to blame each other, until no trace of their former love remained.

Wang Xuefen stared blankly for a while, then said,

“Let’s divorce.”

“What?” Dong Zhijie looked at her in disbelief.

Wang Xuefen said,

“When I married you, it was because you were a teacher, you gave a decent bride price, and you promised to help me become a scorekeeper so I wouldn’t have to farm. I wanted a good life.

Now you can’t give me anything, so don’t delay me anymore.

And the child. Can you bear to let her keep living like this? I’ll take her with me. My mother will help me care for her. Even if I remarry later, I won’t change her surname. You can see her whenever you want.”

Wang Xuefen said many things.

The more Dong Zhijie listened, the angrier he became. This clearly was not a sudden idea. She had wanted to divorce him for a long time. She had even thought about remarrying.

For the first time, he was so furious that he slapped Wang Xuefen.

Wang Xuefen jumped up and scratched his face bloody, then took the child and ran back to her maternal family.

Afterward, a large group of Wang family members came over, took away Wang Xuefen and the child’s luggage, beat Dong Zhijie, and forced him to go through the divorce.

Dong Zhijie refused to agree and ran to the Wang family to take his daughter away.

Who knew his daughter would hug her grandmother and frown.

“Dad, you have no vision and no ability. Don’t stop me from finding another path. My grandmother treats me very well. Here, I can eat meat more often. Do you insist that I follow you and live a bitter life?

Back then, didn’t you dislike Grandma for trapping you and delaying your chance to live well by not dividing the family sooner? Didn’t you also complain that eating anything good secretly was too troublesome?

I think so too. Usually, when I want to eat something good, Mom tells me not to tell you. Tsk, so annoying. So I don’t want to follow you. I want to follow Mom and Grandmother.”

Dong Zhijie looked toward Wang Xuefen.

Wang Xuefen dodged his gaze and turned her face away.

Only then did he realize that after life grew difficult and the family’s food worsened, his wife had secretly eaten good food with the child behind his back without letting him know.

He wanted to curse them, but he felt that the curse would include himself too, because back then, he had done the same thing to Yun Xi.

Yun Xi had once said that children learned by example. If they did not set a good example, their children would treat them the same way in the future.

Sure enough, she had been right.

Now he was experiencing what it felt like to be despised and deceived by his own child.

He even immediately wanted to curse, “Ingrate!”

Only now did he finally understand Yun Xi’s feelings.

After the divorce procedures were completed, Dong Zhijie returned to the empty, broken house and remembered his childhood.

Back then, his mother had raised the four of them alone. She always had endless work to do. He had known his mother worked hard.

When had he begun disliking her for arguing with others like a shrew?

When had he begun despising her for having no ability and failing to let him live a good life?

When had he begun disliking her for not being pretty or fashionable enough, so that he felt embarrassed at school to tell others what his mother was like?

Now, he and his wife could not even support one small household or raise one child properly.

Back then, his mother had raised four children all by herself.

Without experiencing it, one truly did not know how difficult it was, nor how little one was actually worth.

Unfortunately, now that he knew, it was already too late.

His mother would not give him another chance, nor would she acknowledge him again.

Back then, they had despised their mother so much.

With her actions, she had proven that she simply had never had the chance to study, never had the chance to work, and had only been dragged down by life. Given one opportunity, she could climb upward, and faster and higher than anyone else.

In contrast, now that their mother had told them to rely on their own abilities and stand on their own, they had accomplished nothing.

As for the so-called opportunities everywhere, he could not find them at all. He understood nothing and could not tell what counted as an opportunity.

Perhaps he should try everything.

After all, things were already like this. What if one attempt led him onto a very good path?

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