Chapter 136: Turning the Tide

Xiao Hei was brimming with excitement, firing off several shots at the hoop, though unfortunately, none of them found their mark.

Ming Han walked over to correct his shooting form. Unexpectedly, the moment Xiao Hei released the ball, it didn't even graze the rim.

A group of children burst into raucous laughter, which left Xiao Hei feeling deeply aggrieved. He had intended to make a name for himself, hoping to impress the prettiest girl among them—a child named Xiao Hong.

"Brother Han, are there any shortcuts to getting good quickly?"

Ming Han shook his head. "Xiao Hei, we play basketball to enjoy the process and the fun of it. You don't need to worry so much about how well you play."

Xiao Hei eyed Ming Han skeptically, thinking to himself that the only reason to play basketball was to woo girls. "Brother Han, hearing you say that, you must still be a single dog, right?"

Wow! To hear such words from a ten-year-old child—Ming Han’s jaw nearly hit the ground.

"Um... children shouldn't ask so many questions."

Xiao Hei grew even more smug. "Brother Han, I’m not bragging, but I’ve already had three girlfriends. Right now, I’m pursuing the prettiest girl in our class, Xiao Hong."

Ming Han felt a sudden urge to cry. Three girlfriends at age ten? Is your life running on cheat codes?

Ming Han teased, "So, what do you and your girlfriends usually do?"

Xiao Hei grew even prouder. "I always share half of the steamed bun I bring from home with my girlfriend. And if anyone bullies her, I fight them."

This answer was impossible not to chuckle at.

"Xiao Hei, if you were back where I come from, you’d be considered a winner in life!"

Xiao Hei looked down his nose at Ming Han. "Brother Han, you look decent enough; why don't you have a girlfriend? Brother Han, as your 'Little Brother,' I really feel embarrassed for you!"

Ming Han was stunned. He was actually being looked down upon by a brat.

"Brother Han, I think Sister Su Lei is very pretty and cute; she’d be perfect for you. Want me to help you out?" Xiao Hei offered.

Ming Han thought to himself that the big sister was two full years older than him—there was a generation gap, so how could they possibly be together?

"No need."

Xiao Hei rested his chin on his hands and said, "Brother Han, you don't have to be shy. Your business is my business."

With that, Xiao Hei walked away with his hands behind his back. Ming Han even heard a few sighs—the kind of lamentation one feels when someone fails to live up to expectations. Ming Han was left completely dumbfounded.

The group of children was practicing basketball with balls that usually just sat unused at the school. Having overheard the conversation, especially the part about Ming Han not having a girlfriend, the little boys shook their heads in unison. Their previous admiration for Ming Han was gradually replaced by sympathy.

Yes, pure sympathy.

Ming Han felt awkward. "Why are you looking at me like that? Get back to practicing."

The child who called himself "Young Master Yun" said to Ming Han, "Teacher Ming, I’m sorry. I didn't know your situation was so pathetic."

Pathetic? Is not having a girlfriend considered pathetic?

The children nodded in agreement, whispering to each other as they began to console Ming Han.

"Teacher Ming, don't be discouraged. I believe you will find your own happiness."

"Teacher Ming, you must keep going toward happiness..."

The more they spoke, the more tragic it sounded. Ming Han sighed; these were children corrupted by soap operas.

After the P.E. class, the children gradually dispersed from the playground, preparing for their next lesson: math, taught by the senior who had traveled with them.

Ming Han was busy tidying up the sports equipment. Here, even a single ping-pong ball was considered a treasure.

A little girl timidly walked up to him. "Teacher Ming, may I ask you a question?"

Ming Han looked at her and smiled. "Sure! What’s your name?"

The girl answered shyly, "My name is Xiao Hong."

So this was the girl Xiao Hei had been pining for; she was indeed very cute.

"What is it, Xiao Hong?"

Xiao Hong asked, "Teacher Ming, are people who play basketball all bad?"

Ming Han was surprised. Why would a little girl ask such a thing? He asked her, "Do you think Brother is a bad person?"

Xiao Hong shook her head. "Teacher Ming is handsome and kind!"

Ming Han was satisfied with the answer. It seemed the aesthetic judgment of most girls was quite similar, unlike that little brat Xiao Hei.

"But Teacher Ming, my brother often says that it was those basketball-playing jerks who ruined his life."

Ming Han didn't know the reason behind Xiao Hong's words, so he could only offer comfort. "Maybe you misheard, Xiao Hong!"

That evening, the village chief invited the four volunteer teachers to his home for dinner.

The chicken, usually reserved for the Lunar New Year, had been stewed by the chief's wife for their meal.

The village chief was excited. "Today, you two young brothers must have a few drinks with me."

Since signing his contract, Ming Han had rarely touched alcohol, but this time, he didn't refuse.

The senior student was also in high spirits. "Village Chief, I want to drink too. Brothers, let's not stop until we're drunk!"

The senior was actually very easy to get along with and was very passionate about this volunteer work. She taught Chinese to the children with great dedication.

The village chief nodded repeatedly. "Good, good, good! It’s a happy day; everyone must drink and enjoy themselves."

The chief’s wife had prepared a chicken stew, a stir-fried cabbage, and spicy tofu.

After several rounds of drinks, the chief was clearly tipsy. "I must thank you young people for everything. If not for you, many of our local children would never keep up with the curriculum."

The senior student smiled. "This experience is a trial for us as well. It will be very helpful for our future."

Although it was the truth, the chief knew that if they had wanted a "trial," they could have chosen places with much better environments. In a remote, impoverished area like this, the living conditions alone would scare most people away.

After the topic shifted, Ming Han remembered Xiao Hong’s strange question and asked the chief, "Village chief, does Xiao Hong have an older brother?"

The chief nodded and sighed deeply. "Yes. And he was the only high school student from our village in decades to get into the Municipal No. 1 High School. He had such a bright future."

"What happened to him later?"

Seeing the look of regret on the chief's face, everyone was curious.

"Because he was straightforward by nature, he offended some powerful and influential people at the high school. Later, because of some incident, he was expelled."

The senior student was indignant. "How could they do that? That’s so unfair!"

Though she complained, everyone knew—where in this society had there ever been fairness?

"Xiao Hui's family is poor. His parents are migrant workers elsewhere, earning little. They thought they could turn their lives around through their son, but in the end, this was the result." The chief shook his head...

"For us poor people, when we walk out into society, do we have to act with our tails tucked, walking on eggshells? Because one slip-up, and we offend someone we could never hope to provoke. The consequences are something we absolutely cannot bear. Tell me, is it really that hard for us to rise up?" The more the chief spoke, the more agitated he became, his tone filled with resentment on Xiao Hui's behalf.

Yet, no one refuted him, because the story of a carp leaping over the dragon's gate is, after all, nothing more than a fairy tale.