An An was filled with doubt by Zhou Qin's words. Was his dream really that funny? Or was it not good enough?
As he was lost in self-doubt, An An heard Huo Rou's words.
Light rekindled in his eyes. He looked at Huo Rou and received an affirmative answer.
"An An, every profession has its respected aspects and value. There is no distinction between good or bad."
"Our school is for cultivating elites, not for letting children, after receiving so much quality education, go back to be farmers in the countryside," Zhou Qin said dismissively, her voice trailing off.
"Exactly. We send our children here so they can achieve great things," someone from the parents chimed in.
"The family's business needs to be inherited by the children. If he studies so much and then becomes a farmer, what will happen to the family?"
"I think the teacher is right. Why be a farmer? We study so hard every day, we're definitely meant to stand out!"
The classmates also began to agree.
"I think so too. Why would An An want to be a farmer? Does farming require so much study?"
"He's so smart. What a waste of schooling."
…
Clearly, An An's idea was not well-received by everyone, and the classroom buzzed with discussions.
An An lowered his head amidst the classmates' chatter and asked softly, "Mom, is being a farmer really not good? But…"
Listening to the discussions, Zhou Qin's expression became even more smug.
*Hmph, country bumpkin. If you want to keep farming, don't come to school!*
Huo Rou also heard the surrounding chatter, her expression turning unpleasant. She could tell that Teacher Zhou Qin held some animosity towards her.
Hearing An An's dejected question, she first lowered her head and patiently said, "Being a farmer is also very good. An An, don't deny your dream."
"Teacher Zhou, as a teacher, you should first learn to respect the dreams of your students," Huo Rou said, looking directly into Zhou Qin's eyes. "You belittle them at the slightest provocation. That's not how a teacher should educate their students."
"An An's mother, I have to say this to you. Even though you work the land in the countryside, you shouldn't instill such ideas in An An. Who doesn't want their child to do well? But you, on the other hand, want An An to go back and be a farmer?" Zhou Qin glanced at Qin Ningyi, wishing he could see the true nature of this country bumpkin.
"Since he has a sharp mind and has come to Yuchang City to receive a good education, he should repay society and make the greatest contribution with his knowledge, not be underutilized by returning to farming," Zhou Qin felt her argument was sound.
The surrounding parents began to echo her sentiments. This was clearly what they thought, and even if some didn't, it didn't stop them from agreeing with such noble ideas of repaying the country.
She should win this round, Zhou Qin thought.
"As expected of a son of the soil, it's not surprising he'd have such ideas," Zhou Qingyan, An An's deskmate, whispered mockingly.
An An heard Zhou Qingyan's words and glared fiercely at him.
It was one thing for Zhou Qingyan to be unhelpful, and another for him to treat her poorly, which was a matter of choosing bad friends. But how could he speak about his mother like that!
When An An got angry, his sharp gaze was identical to Qin Ningyi's. As a child, Zhou Qingyan couldn't withstand such a look and turned his head away, avoiding An An's gaze.
"What are you so proud of? Still a little idiot with no ambition," Zhou Qingyan's mouth, however, didn't stop. Even with his head turned, he muttered quietly.
"Say that again!" An An gritted his teeth and roared at Zhou Qingyan beside him.
Qin Ningyi, who was closer, also heard these words. As an adult, he wouldn't stoop to bickering with a child, but he had already planned out Zhou Qingyan's family's future development in his mind.
At this moment, An An's roar made him realize An An had heard Zhou Qingyan's mumblings.
"What did I say? Why are you so fierce?" Zhou Qingyan glanced at An An from the corner of his eye and feigned innocence.
The class fell silent because of An An's sudden shout, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.
Qin Ningyi cast a cold glance at Zhou Qingyan's mother, who was smiling obsequiously, and calmly called out, "An An."
An An's temper cooled slightly at Qin Ningyi's calm voice, and his grievances surfaced. "Dad, he said bad things about Mom!"
An An was somewhat sad. It was one thing for everyone to laugh at his dream, but now they were also speaking ill of his mother.
Qin Ningyi patted An An's back, patiently comforting him.
Huo Rou didn't care about these petty squabbles. She was only afraid that An An would no longer dare to voice his dreams because of this.
"Teacher Zhou, I disagree with what you're saying." Although Huo Rou's voice was sweet, it carried an oppressive air of authority that made Zhou Qin's smug smile freeze.
"If there were no farmers, where would the grain and vegetables come from? You have no reason to look down on farmers."
As a teacher, Zhou Qin obviously couldn't admit to looking down on farmers. She spoke words of contempt without saying it directly. She naturally disagreed with Huo Rou's statement. "I am not looking down on farmers. I just think An An is so smart, he should do something more valuable, somewhere he is needed more."
"Then you are wrong," Huo Rou's words were firm. "Grandpa Nong from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences researched high-yield rice that saved so many lives. Grandma Yao developed high-yield vegetables, allowing people to afford a diverse range of vegetables every meal… These are farmers, and their value is immeasurable."
"An An has such a dream, and I am proud of him. As long as he wishes it, he will surely become their successor. Isn't the survival of billions of people around the world a place where he is needed?"
Zhou Qin retorted, "Grandpa Nong and Grandma Yao didn't even complete their university studies before dedicating themselves to agriculture. If An An wants to be like them, he might as well start farming in the countryside right now. After a few decades of hard work, there's a slim chance."
A mocking glint appeared in Huo Rou's eyes. "Grandpa Nong and Grandma Yao's knowledge is no less than any university professor's. Teacher Zhou, your perspective is narrow."
"Exactly! Teacher, An An wants to be someone like them! To help our farming uncles increase their yield, so that more people in the world can eat well and eat healthily!" Hearing Huo Rou's words, An An gained confidence.
When he had accompanied Huo Rou to visit the farmers in the neighboring village, he had heard the stories of Grandpa Nong and Grandma Yao.
An An had heard from Uncle Xiao Yao that because of the two of them, this country had become the only country in the world where no one starved to death.