Chapter Eight: Resource Allocation in a Small County Town

In a small town, a "female teacher" is a highly sought-after prize in the marriage market. With summer and winter vacations and the ability to teach children, they are universally adored by the older generation.

Those with higher-status, tenured positions—like teachers at vocational colleges, technical schools, or primary schools—are generally snapped up by civil servants or those within the government system. Only the less stable, contract-based teaching roles, such as preschool teachers, ever trickle down to the likes of ordinary people.

Logically, Chen Yunjin and Gu Yin seemed like a decent match: a preschool teacher in an unstable position and a driving school instructor. Chen Yunjin was a stunning beauty, and Gu Yin was... well, presentable enough. Life in a small town would not have been too stressful for them.

When they first met, Chen Yunjin happened to be learning to drive. To bridge the distance between them, Gu Yin even paid her driving school fees, and he spent the entire practice period fussing over her and looking after her needs.

Alas, once she got her license, she stopped interacting with him.

At first, Gu Yin was puzzled, but later he heard that she had just landed a stable, permanent position at a nearby vocational school during that time.

In a small town, especially in this part of Shandong, it doesn't matter what the position is; as long as it is an official, tenured role, it is essentially a "carp leaping over the dragon's gate." It is a matter of bringing honor to one's ancestors, and family members can hold their heads high when they go out during the holidays. Moreover, such news spreads easily through the surrounding villages, as the background check process requires inquiries with village committees and local officials.

How could someone with a permanent government position hang out with a driving instructor whose job and income were unstable? Her family wouldn't have allowed it, either.

Perhaps realizing the distance between them, Gu Yin stopped pursuing her. At most, they would exchange greetings if they bumped into each other, and that was the extent of it.

Rumor had it that the vocational school where Chen Yunjin worked was in the nearby university town, so she happened to be renting an apartment in Gu Yin's neighborhood. Whether by coincidence or not, she lived on the third floor of the building right next to his—the east unit. It truly was a case of "enemies meeting on a narrow path"—or rather, constantly running into each other.

"I’m off."

After nodding to Uncle Liu, Gu Yin picked up his stir-fried noodles and left.

It had rained, and the uneven ground was covered in puddles. Gu Yin dodged them, sidestepping pairs of lovers and couples out for a late-night bite, and passing by middle-aged retirees waiting out their days without a care in the world. His slender figure looked lonely and desolate.

He arrived home around seven. Gu Yin’s home was not in an out-of-the-way location; it was just a few minutes' walk from the pedestrian street. Since his car had been in an accident today, he hadn't driven it into the complex, fearing his family would worry.

"You're back?"

Inside the kitchen, hearing the commotion, a middle-aged woman walked out carrying a white box filled with skewers of green peppers and potato slices, smiling at Gu Yin.

The woman was not thin; in fact, she was a bit plump, but her face bore a sickly pallor. Her temples were graying, and she walked with a slight limp. Despite this, she still worked tirelessly in the kitchen.

Wang Yan, Gu Yin’s mother. They were a single-parent family. Gu Yin’s father had passed away from illness when he was nine, and he and his younger sister, Gu Yue, had been raised by their mother, who ran a fried-skewer stall in the snack street.

Mrs. Wang had suffered from kidney stones for years. It was said that she hadn't recovered properly after childbirth, leaving her with a host of health issues. These past two years, coinciding with menopause, all her ailments had flared up at once—liver problems one day, kidney issues the next, and even a bone spur on her foot that made walking difficult.

"What are you doing, Mom..."

Gu Yin dropped his things and stepped forward to take the skewered peppers and potatoes from her hands.

"Didn't I tell you to stop doing this? The doctor said you can't stand for long with your feet like that. Why are you still doing this?"

A bone spur is incredibly painful. Usually, doctors recommend injections or surgery, but at her age, neither was a good option, so she had to settle for useless, ineffective treatments like medicated patches or minor needle-knife therapy. People always said it was just a phase and would pass after menopause, but those years were agonizing regardless.

"It's fine, it's fine..." Wang Yan waved her hand and offered a helpless smile. "Your sister is still in school, and you aren't married yet. I haven't finished my duties; what would be the point of sitting around idle all day?"

"..." Gu Yin was silent for a moment before asking, "Where is Gu Yue? Isn't she back from school yet?"

His sister was a sophomore in high school and had just turned seventeen at the end of the year. She had grown into a beautiful, bright girl. She hadn't gone to evening self-study today because she had a cold, so she should have been home by now.

"She went out." Mentioning Gu Yue, Wang Yan frowned and said offhandedly, "You should have a word with her when she gets back. I saw her from upstairs meeting with a young man earlier. If she's starting to date..."

"?"

Gu Yin’s mouth twitched. He thought to himself, *Which little punk dares to lay a finger on my sister? Is he tired of living?*

"I doubt it. She’s sensible," Gu Yin replied.

As they were talking, the door opened. A girl wearing a black-and-white high school uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail, her figure slender and tall, walked in.

Seeing Gu Yin, she pursed her lips into a faint smile: "Brother, you're back?"

The light in the entryway was dim, casting shadows over her cascading, ink-black hair. Her face was pale and delicate, completely devoid of makeup, yet her features remained sharp and distinct. Just looking at her, one could feel the youth and purity that belonged only to her age.

"Where did you go?"

Recalling what his mother had said about some "young man," Gu Yin gritted his teeth and said sternly:

"I see your cold is better. Pack your things and get back to evening self-study right now!"

Gu Yue, who had just stepped through the door only to be scolded, furrowed her brows. Her pink lips pouted slightly as she opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. A moment later, she stomped her foot in frustration, let out a huff, and walked into her room.

"Really spoiled her..."

They say an older brother is like a father, but Gu Yin was a slave to his younger sister. Because they had lost their father early, he felt protective of her, and Gu Yue had been pampered by Gu Yin since she was a child.

By the time he realized he had spoiled her, it was too late to play the role of the strict authority figure. Now, Gu Yue wasn't even afraid of him.

"You, don't just focus on your sister; worry about yourself for once."

Wang Yan sat on the sofa, looking at Gu Yin with a mixture of headache and self-reproach. She pondered aloud:

"It’s the end of the year again. Time flies, and you can't keep going on like this. Your uncle called me today and said he’s scouted another young girl for you. She just graduated from university and is also a teacher..."