The Twelfth Snowflake

The office fell silent, save for the hum of the air conditioner. The teachers were stunned, unable to believe a student would dare kick Wen Shiyi in the face.

Wen Shiyi lay on the ground, her face swollen from the kick, twitching like a fish out of water.

Shen Qiancheng pressed on relentlessly, raising her hand and swinging it down in a wide arc. The heavy whoosh cut through the air like a clap of thunder, making Wen Shiyi scream.

"Smack!"

The crisp slap landed on Wen Shiyi's already swollen cheek. Shen Qiancheng sneered, "I never did like symmetry. Since your left cheek is still presentable, I'll just hit that side."

Wen Shiyi struggled to get up, but Shen Qiancheng had her pinned down, leaving no room to move.

Shen Qiancheng straddled Wen Shiyi and slapped her left and right.

"You couldn't even keep your own kid from ending up in a vocational school as a hoodlum, and you still have the nerve to be a homeroom teacher and ruin students' lives?"

"When your son harassed Liao Xue, you, as her homeroom teacher, saw she was easy to bully and expelled her without even investigating!"

"You hypocritical bastard."

Wen Shiyi finally snapped back to her senses and shouted, "What are you all standing there for? Pull this lunatic off me!!!"

The teachers finally snapped out of it and rushed to intervene.

The Village Chief saw the situation going south and stepped in to sway the fight, pushing the teachers aside.

"Miss Shen, are you alright?"

Shen Qiancheng had slapped Wen Shiyi more than a dozen times, her hands red and trembling, her face a mask of vicious murderous intent.

The Village Chief was immediately frightened. Miss Shen had always been sharp-tongued and indifferent, never so out of control and frenzied.

Shen Qiancheng was pulled out of the crowd by the Village Chief, her eyes blazing as she glared at Wen Shiyi.

Wen Shiyi's hair was a mess like a bird's nest, and her right cheek was swollen like a date cake, the color matching too. Her eyes were squinted shut, and she glared back at Shen Qiancheng with unsteady breath.

Seeing this, Shen Qiancheng moved to strike again but was caught around the waist by the Village Chief.

"Calm down, calm down, Miss Shen. Killing someone is a crime."

Wen Shiyi screamed, her voice nearly piercing the glass, "Throw her out! Throw her out!!"

Shen Qiancheng rolled her eyes and scoffed, "No need to trouble yourself. Just wait for your termination notice tomorrow."

With that, Shen Qiancheng turned and left, giving the door another kick on her way out.

Shen Qiancheng descended the stairs with light steps, but she felt like she was forgetting something.

The Village Chief stopped and said, "Miss Shen, didn't we come to get Liao Xue reinstated?"

Reinstated? In this rundown school? To slave away day and night just to get into a third-rate college? Liao Xue couldn't even afford that.

Shen Qiancheng waved her hand dismissively. "Such garbage school. Studying here would send you straight to the Mariana Trench."

The Village Chief: "..."

Shen Qiancheng stomped her feet in frustration. "How troublesome!"

"Village Chief, where's the principal's office?"

"You're asking me?" The Village Chief pointed at himself. "I've never been here either."

It would be better to go back and ask those teachers than to ask him.

In the courtyard of a farmhouse, water splashed loudly. A girl so thin that her shoulder blades showed through her clothes squatted by the electric well, drawing water, pouring it, scrubbing clothes, all in one fluid motion as she did the laundry.

Sunlight fell on the girl's lashes, and a gentle breeze stirred, as if afraid of blowing away her frail body.

On the porch, the door was suddenly thrown open. A strong draft swept through, making the girl shiver.

A middle-aged woman with red eyes came out, snatched the plastic bottle of detergent from the girl's hand, and snarled, "You little slut, using so much detergent to wash clothes—are you trying to get back at me?"

"You don't understand the principle of 'if you don't plan carefully, you'll end up poor.' You're just pretending not to hear again, aren't you? When you go to your husband's family, they'll despise you."

Liao Xue said nothing, calmly scrubbing the collar where no detergent had been spilled, rubbing over and over until her hands turned red, her wrists deathly pale—a stark contrast.

Go on, go on. Once you're done, it'll be over.

Mother Liao was used to throwing her weight around at Liao Xue every day, knowing full well that Liao Xue wouldn't fight back. The more she spoke, the more excited she got, until a knock sounded.

"Hey, sister-in-law, are you home?"

It was the Village Chief's voice. What was he doing here so late?

Liao Xue thought, Why is he back so early? I haven't gone to pick up Miss Shen yet.

Mother Liao opened the door warily. The Village Chief never came without a reason, and he was in cahoots with Shen Qiancheng. What good could come of his visit? "What does the Village Chief want?"

Sensing Mother Liao's reluctance, but knowing that a smiling face never invites a slapped hand, the Village Chief wore a grin and called inside, "Is Xiao Xue there? Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue, come see what goodies Uncle has brought you."

Liao Xue, who had been rinsing clothes, stood up. Looking for her?

Liao Xue wiped her damp hands and walked to the door. Before she could greet anyone, the Village Chief shoved an envelope into her arms.

She opened the narrow envelope and found a notice inside—a reinstatement notice, with the five big characters bolded at the top.

In that instant, after a ringing sound in her ears, Liao Xue could no longer hear anything else. In front of her eyes and in her ears, all that existed was this reinstatement notice.

So this was the wonderful news Miss Shen mentioned? Miss Shen actually got a reinstatement notice for her? Miss Shen must be exhausted, which is why she had the Village Chief bring it, right?!

The first to react was Mother Liao, who had clearly seen the words above: "Reinstatement notice? What's that for?"

The Village Chief kindly explained, "Xiao Xue can go back to County First High School. When September comes, she can attend classes with the seniors. Xiao Xue, you've fallen behind a year. When you go back, you'll need to work twice as hard to keep up with the pace and intensity."

Liao Xue, back to County First High School? Then who would marry? She'd already taken half the bride price.

Mother Liao's eyes rolled, and she grabbed Liao Xue, shoving the Village Chief out the door. "Village Chief, don't bother seeing us out."

Mother Liao turned and clutched Liao Xue's arm, as if afraid she might sprout wings and fly away. 'They expelled you, didn't they? So why let you back? Liao Xue, are you growing wings now, hiding these things from your mother?!'

'You know perfectly well why you were expelled. I worked hard to find someone willing to take you, so don't be ungrateful. What's so good about school, slaving away from dawn to dusk? If you marry, you'll have endless blessings. Think it over carefully. Don't come crying later that your mother didn't warn you.'

Mother Liao 'earnestly' tried to convince her, having no intention of letting Liao Xue go to school.

'If you really go to school, I won't give you a single cent!'

When soft words failed, Mother Liao resorted to hard tactics, forcefully trying to snatch the reinstatement notice from Liao Xue's hands.

Liao Xue snapped back and shouted, 'What are you doing?!'

The shout seemed to drain all the strength from Liao Xue's body, its volume shocking both people present.

Mother Liao raised her hand, her eyes wide with disbelief, her face scrunching up.

'Liao Xue, you ungrateful wretch, daring to yell at me!'

Before she could finish, Mother Liao's hand swung high, about to come down on Liao Xue's face.

Liao Xue raised her hand and caught Mother Liao's arm. Her brain had no time to react before she had flung Mother Liao off, sending her stumbling back several steps before she could stop.

'Rebellion! Liao Xue, I'm your mother! How dare you hit me!'

Liao Xue looked at Mother Liao coldly, her eyes like ice that had never melted in a thousand years. It was the first time Mother Liao had seen such aggressive scrutiny from her own daughter, and she felt a chill of fear.

'Liao Xue, you'd better go marry obediently. Do you think going back to County First will erase everything? Don't forget why you dropped out. Go hungry for a few days and think it over.'

Liao Xue had been submissive for so many years that Mother Liao never thought she would dare to defy her. The outburst just now was merely Liao Xue's venting before giving in.

The small courtyard was not big, and the small door closed off the beautiful scenery outside.

The Village Chief had been snubbed, but since the item had been delivered, he should head home. After all, there was still a certain master waiting at home.

That master, Shen Qiancheng, upon returning home, had impatiently had the Village Chief's wife heat up some Yunnan Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles. When it was brought to the table, the smell of cheap flavoring stung her nose, but the artificial fragrance was indeed tempting.

Shen Qiancheng picked up a strand of rice noodle with her chopsticks and was about to put it in her mouth when she saw the Village Chief enter with a grim expression.

Shen Qiancheng put down her chopsticks and raised an eyebrow. 'Did you give it to Liao Xue?'

The Village Chief nodded. 'Yes, handed it over.'

Shen Qiancheng asked smugly, 'Did you tell her I did it?'

The Village Chief shook his head. At that moment, he couldn't get a word in.

Shen Qiancheng was deeply disappointed. The rice noodles suddenly lost their appeal. She had never done a good deed before, and now that she had finally done one, the recipient might not even know it was her.

What a loss. A great loss.

Shen Qiancheng looked dejected, and even the fragrant rice noodles in her mouth lost all taste.

Maybe she should climb over the wall tonight and tell her?

Shen Qiancheng pondered the possibility, but what excuse could she use?

Missing Liao Xue?

Tsk, she wouldn't miss Liao Xue.

The Village Chief coughed softly and said, 'Miss Shen, it's unlikely Liao Xue will go back to school.'

This interrupted Shen Qiancheng's thoughts, and she was a bit annoyed. 'Don't bother me... what do you mean, unlikely? Didn't she get the reinstatement notice?'

Night fell silently, stars studded the sky, clustering around the bright moon. Wispy clouds drifted in the wind, and the whole village was quiet, making the croaking of frogs even more pleasing to the ear.

The Village Chief's door was pounded on urgently, as if someone intended to break it down.

Woken up, the Village Chief threw on a coat and grabbed a flashlight. Who could be coming at this hour?

'Whatever it is, come back tomorrow morning. We're all asleep.'

As his voice faded, the knocking grew more intense, accompanied by kicks at the door.

The Village Chief recalled how Shen Qiancheng had kicked the door, but he had seen her go back to her room and not come out again. She couldn't be locked out.

So who was that outside, not sleeping at this hour?

The Village Chief had just pulled the bolt when a figure darted in, so fast he didn't even see who it was.

The figure was agile, in three quick strides reaching Shen Qiancheng's room.

The Village Chief, still groggy, looked closely and realized the figure was not Shen Qiancheng at all.

Shen Qiancheng, full from her meal, had gone to bed early and was now deep in a sweet dream, unaware that someone had jumped to her bedside.

She only felt someone tugging at her arm, even shouting in her ear, "Where did you take Liao Xue?!"