Chapter 1257: Baring the Heart

From Wang Zhen's account, Zhao Fusheng learned.

Originally, the parents here did not place much importance on their children's education. Later, that senior student came and went door to door, reasoning with the parents, telling them that only by sending their children to school could they have a chance to leave the village and change their fate.

'The senior told them, 'Is it not said that kings, nobles, generals, and ministers are born to their station? No one is destined to suffer in life from birth; a good life has never been the exclusive right of the wealthy.' Wang Zhen said to Zhao Fusheng, looking toward the distant mountains and forests, speaking calmly: 'I have to admit, the senior was remarkable. He could always use the simplest words to convey the most correct truths to everyone.'

Zhao Fusheng remained silent. He had many doubts that needed Wang Zhen to resolve one by one.

'Let's eat.' Wang Zhen smiled at Zhao Fusheng.

He now lived behind the school. Though the room was small and somewhat plain, Wang Zhen kept it very clean. Zhao Fusheng waved his hand, signaling Zhang Qian and the others to withdraw, and entered the room with Wang Zhen.

'It's a bit简陋, don't mind it.' Wang Zhen said to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng shot him a glare: 'Get out of here. Why be so polite with me?'

Wang Zhen smiled and asked: 'I can only accommodate you here. What about your men?'

After a moment's hesitation, he said: 'Otherwise, let them rough it in the village for the night?'

Zhao Fusheng nodded: 'No problem.'

At that moment, Zhang Qian's voice came from outside: 'No need for that trouble. We'll make do in the classroom up front. In the army, we've been in worse conditions.'

Zhao Fusheng and Wang Zhen were both startled, then laughed and nodded: 'Alright, then go borrow some bedding from the village and let them get by for the night.'

Since it was mid-April, the weather was no longer so cold, so Zhao Fusheng didn't mind Zhang Qian and the others spending the night in the classroom.

It was evident that the villagers respected Wang Zhen. He went out for a short while and soon returned followed by several people carrying bedding. Zhang Qian and his men simply spread it out, and there was no problem.

At dusk, Zhao Fusheng and Wang Zhen each lay on their beds. Since there was no electric light, they used a kerosene lamp. Under the dim yellow light, stars occasionally twinkled in the sky outside the window, lending a unique tranquility.

'After you got out, why didn't you come to the capital to find me?' Zhao Fusheng asked first.

He had never understood why Wang Zhen, after being released from prison, didn't seek him out. Even a phone call would have been good, given that the resources Zhao Fusheng now possessed were enough to help him establish himself in society.

Even if he didn't contact him, he should have contacted Tan Kaixuan or Wen Yu. After all, these people had always regarded him as a friend and had spared no effort to help him even after he went in.

If it was because of a stubborn personality, Zhao Fusheng felt it didn't quite fit, because the current Wang Zhen appeared quite open-minded, completely devoid of his former traces. It seemed that the two years in prison had transformed his character.

'What would I find you for?'

Wang Zhen chuckled lightly upon hearing Zhao Fusheng's words: 'I know that whether it's you, Old Tan, or even if I went to Wen Yu, that guy would find a way to arrange a job for me. After all, among you three, even the worst-off is now a deputy-section-level cadre.'

'But if that were the case, my life wouldn't really be any different from before.' Wang Zhen rested his head on his hands, looking at the ceiling: 'After I got out, I went back to school and found that I was far removed from this world. The things people talked about, even the aura about them, felt very unfamiliar to me. My family was still the same. My parents used the money I earned to buy a few storefronts, planning to use them for my and my brother's weddings. They don't regret their original decision because they don't know how much money you've made now.'

Zhao Fusheng remained silent. He understood Wang Zhen's mindset. After a major upheaval, people often experience a spiritual confusion.

Even Zhao Fusheng himself, after first discovering his rebirth, was truly disoriented for a while.

'So how did you end up here?' Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and asked Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen smiled silently and slowly said: 'When I went to school, I happened to run into the senior recruiting people to teach here. Unexpectedly, he recognized me. I chatted with him a bit, and he didn't mind that I had been in prison. He took the initiative to bring me along here.'

Then Wang Zhen chuckled: 'You know, before this, all the village elementary schools in Yunxi County had volunteer teachers. But because it was too hard, once their teaching term ended, they chose to leave. Only the senior persisted. Um, later something happened to him. I was elsewhere at the time, so I volunteered to come here.'

He put it simply, but Zhao Fusheng understood. So it turned out that because of the student council president, Wang Zhen intended to stay in this mountain village as a rural teacher.

To be honest, Zhao Fusheng had great respect for idealists. Though he himself couldn't match their selfless dedication, precisely because of that, he believed such people deserved everyone's respect.

'Actually, I understand that those who chose to leave weren't wrong. The environment here is too harsh. A place where even bathing is a problem—how can you expect those girls to endure? There are too many things to guard against.' Wang Zhen said softly: 'Maybe you don't know, but sometimes, female volunteer teachers are often the easiest to bully.'

Zhao Fusheng frowned. He had occasionally seen some news about this in later years and asked: 'What, some of our school's alumni have been bullied?'

Though he had already graduated, if anyone bullied those alumni who came to teach, Zhao Fusheng wouldn't hesitate to use his influence to seek justice for them.

Wang Zhen smiled silently at Zhao Fusheng's words: 'You're still the same as before. But it's not as serious as you think. The alumni who came here were all personally recruited by the senior. He specifically stated the situation and didn't allow female students to come. Even if some insisted, he arranged for them to go to the county town, not to the grassroots villages.'

Zhao Fusheng frowned and said solemnly: 'Is it that serious?'

He was smart and naturally understood what Wang Zhen meant, but he still couldn't imagine things being as可怕 as Wang Zhen described.

Wang Zhen's cold laugh rang out, tinged with sarcasm: 'You know, many so-called rural female teachers who initially came to teach weren't really willing to stay in the countryside. It was because they were violated and had no choice but to remain. Do you really think those villagers are simple and honest? Poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people. Not every village has the淳朴 folk customs like the one I'm in now.'

Zhao Fusheng remained silent. He admitted that Wang Zhen knew more than he did, but clearly, what Wang Zhen knew wasn't all as美好 as the idealists described.

'By the way, what exactly did you call me here for?' Zhao Fusheng asked Wang Zhen.

Since Wang Zhen wanted to be a teacher here, why did he inexplicably call him over? Was he planning to ask him to fund the construction of a Hope Primary School here?

'I discovered something related to the senior's death. Among the people I know, besides you, no one is considered a big shot, so I could only turn to you.' Wang Zhen said softly.

Zhao Fusheng frowned. Clearly, the senior's death shouldn't have been an accident as Wang Zhen had said, otherwise Wang Zhen wouldn't have brought it up. It seemed there were other hidden circumstances.

'You mean the senior didn't die in an accident?' Zhao Fusheng asked Wang Zhen directly.

Zhang Qian and his men had already checked the surrounding area. There were no unidentified people nearby, and even if there were, they couldn't escape Zhang Qian's eyes.

After all, with eleven special forces soldiers who had been on the battlefield and seen blood, Zhao Fusheng felt very confident.