Chapter 4: The Absent Ones

                                

The student still did not respond. He Lizhen said gently,
“Then let’s introduce ourselves first—just briefly—so the teacher can get to know everyone.”

“Ah…” The students finally reacted. A few boys in the back row shouted,
“Don’t bother! We’ve done this so many times. Roll call will tell you everything.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the whole class echoed in agreement.
He Lizhen felt the situation slipping out of her control, so she quickly clapped her hands. The room fell silent.

“Don’t you want to introduce yourselves?” she asked.

“No—we think—” the students replied in unison.

“Then I’ll call names.” He Lizhen opened the roll book. “When I call you, stand up so I can get to know you.”

“Jiang Xin.”
“Here.”

“Song Jiali.”
“Here.”

…

Each time she called a name, she looked up.

“Wu Yueming.”
“No!” a boy shouted loudly. The class burst into laughter.

He Lizhen paused, raising her head. “Didn’t come?”

A girl lying lazily on the front desk said, “Brother Kun won’t come if he doesn’t want to.”

Brother Kun?

He Lizhen lowered her head. Only one name remained after Wu Yueming.

“Wan Kun.”
“I didn’t come,” the boy said again.

He Lizhen looked at him. “Why not?”

“Who knows,” another student chimed in. “It’s the first day of school. Doesn’t matter anyway.”

He Lizhen frowned but didn’t press further. “Let’s begin class.”

Once she started lecturing, her nerves eased. The words flowed more smoothly, and the students gradually settled—though many grew sleepy. By the second half, some were dozing, others snacking.

She didn’t criticize anyone. It was her first class, and she didn’t want conflict. Besides, she had prepared her lesson so tightly there was no room for discipline.

When the bell rang, several phones chimed with alarms set to mark the end of class. Amid laughter, He Lizhen left with her books.

Back in the office, she met Hu Fei heading to his next class. She quickly said,
“Teacher Hu, two students didn’t come.”

“Wu Yueming and Wan Kun?” Hu Fei replied without looking up.

“You know?”

“Mm. Don’t worry. They never come.”

“Why?”

“They’ve basically given up. Parents can’t reach them. They skip more classes than they attend.”

“Then how can we find them?”

Hu Fei glanced at her. “Why bother?”

He Lizhen realized she might have overstepped—Hu Fei was the homeroom teacher of Class 6. Before she could apologize, Hu Fei pulled a small notebook from his drawer, placed it on her desk, and said,
“Here are the students’ contact numbers. Both only have mobile phones. If you want to try, go ahead. I have class.”

After he left, He Lizhen opened the notebook.

“I’d advise you to leave it alone.”

The voice came from behind. Peng Qian, the biology teacher, was looking into her mirror.

Since they were the same age, He Lizhen felt more at ease with her. She walked over.
“What do you mean? Why not care?”

Peng Qian rubbed her eyes. “You’re new, so your enthusiasm is understandable. But some students really aren’t worth the worry. It’s better when they don’t show up—especially Wan Kun.”

“He’s just a student. Why troublesome?”

Peng Qian widened her eyes. “You really don’t know.” She leaned closer.
“Last year, during finals, he quarreled with Teacher Yan from the Academic Affairs Office. They dragged him out for discipline. When he returned, he simply placed his hand on the desk. Guess what happened?”

“What?”

“The entire exam was canceled.”

“What?!” He Lizhen gasped. “Canceled?”

“Yes. He didn’t say a word. Just put his hand down, and that was enough.”

He Lizhen recalled novels and films. “Is he the boss of the school? Do others follow him?”

“Not exactly. Every school has its cliques. But Wan Kun barely stays here. Wu Yueming follows him, and no one knows what they do outside. Rumors say his family is wealthy, with a big business.”

He Lizhen shrugged. “Oh.”

“Anyway, as long as he doesn’t cause trouble, the school turns a blind eye. So my advice—leave it alone.”

But He Lizhen worried. Attendance and performance affected class averages.

“There’s no solution,” Peng Qian said. “You’re just unlucky. Teacher Hu has already adapted.”

Back at her desk, He Lizhen stared at Wan Kun’s name and the mobile number beside it. After long hesitation, she closed the book.

That evening, she couldn’t shake the thought. Finally, she dialed the number.

The phone connected quickly.
“Who?”

The background was noisy. He Lizhen said, “Hello, is this Wan Kun?”

“Mm. Who are you?”

“I’m your Chinese teacher.”

Silence.

“Hello? Can you hear me?” she asked nervously. The noise faded, as if he had stepped into a quieter place.

“Chinese teacher?” Wan Kun’s voice carried a hint of laughter. “My Chinese teacher is a man.”

“Ah… yes. Teacher Zhao can’t continue. I’m new. My surname is He.”

Wan Kun said nothing.

“School started today. Why didn’t you come?”

He chuckled. “School started today? I forgot.”

He Lizhen frowned. He wasn’t serious. “Can you come tomorrow? And bring Wu Yueming.”

“I don’t know.”

Her tone hardened. “I don’t care what your previous teacher allowed. You must attend my class. Otherwise—”

Wan Kun looked up at the gray night sky. “Otherwise what?”

“Otherwise, I’ll tell your parents.”

Silence. Only his breathing. Then he sneered, crushed his cigarette, and hung up.

He Lizhen sat weakly, whispering to herself, “Why do I feel I have no authority at all? Was I too soft?”

For three more days, neither boy came. She gave up calling.

On the weekend, she bought furniture for her new apartment. The courtyard-style house was noisy, neighbors shouting from dawn. She couldn’t sleep, so she prepared lessons.

Monday arrived. At the flag-raising ceremony, the faded flag hung like rotten cloth. Teachers and students mumbled the anthem. He Lizhen yawned.

Suddenly, a boy shouted, “Brother Kun!”

Startled, she turned. Two tall figures entered through the school gate, walking toward the building. Neither wore uniforms. Before she could see their faces, they disappeared inside.

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