PCJ – Chapter 69 The whole school is on holiday

The brats were still very afraid of the principal. Upon hearing his roar, they timidly prepared to return to the classroom.

Gong Ziyuan heard the principal’s voice, feeling as if a savior had descended from the heavens. A surprised smile spread across his face. However, seeing the children about to enter the classroom, he quickly shouted, “Don’t move! No one is allowed back to the classroom.”

Oh my goodness, you, a newcomer, are actually trying to challenge me. In front of so many students, you’re embarrassing me. Do you really not regard me as your leader, Principal?

“Gong Teacher, what’s the matter with you? It’s time for class, why aren’t you letting the students return to the classroom? Your behavior is seriously affecting the order of the school’s teaching. I will take strict action! You need to reflect on your actions.” Ma Lisong naturally had to uphold his authority as principal in front of so many students.

“Principal, we really can’t let the children go back to the classroom! There are so many snakes in there!” Gong Ziyuan was almost stunned by Ma Lisong’s scolding, but he quickly reacted.

“Snakes?” As soon as Ma Lisong heard the word, he felt a headache coming on. Just a while ago, he had been troubled by snakes at home. Snakes were everywhere—inside the house, in the livestock pen, in the chicken coop… If they encountered snakes on normal occasions, they would just beat them to death with a stick. But today’s situation was a bit strange. Ma Lisong’s family didn’t dare to deal with the snakes directly. They only used iron tongs to pick them up and threw them into the mountains.

Not only Ma Lisong’s family, but every household in the village was being disturbed by snakes. Because of the snake incident, a gloom had descended over the entire village.

After dealing with the situation at home, Ma Lisong hurried to the school, only to receive such a hair-raising piece of news upon arrival.

Where did so many snakes come from? This was a question that lingered in Ma Lisong’s mind. Although Meizi Village was scattered sparsely throughout the Meishan Mountain Range, various poisonous and non-poisonous snakes often visited the village. However, a large-scale invasion of the village like this was something Ma Lisong, who had lived for several decades, had never experienced before.

“Principal, what should we do now?” Gong Ziyuan saw Ma Lisong dazed and quickly asked.

Who should I ask if not you? Ma Lisong rolled his eyes. “Calm down! What’s there to panic about over a trivial matter? Let me think about it.”

Gong Ziyuan couldn’t help but admire the principal. He was calm in handling things, which was why he could be the principal. However, he had no idea that Ma Lisong’s mind was also in a mess at the moment, not knowing what to do. If one or two of these children were to get hurt, it would be a disaster.

No, we absolutely cannot let the students get into trouble. Ma Lisong immediately made up his mind. “Since the classrooms are not safe, let’s have a temporary holiday today. Students, go home quickly. Be safe on the way home and stay safe at home. Not only has there been a large number of snakes in our school today, but many snakes have also been found invading the village. So, students, please be extra careful. Go home and wait for further notice. When the school confirms that it is safe to resume classes, the teachers will come to inform the village.”

Gong Ziyuan was full of admiration. The principal was indeed the principal, able to make such careful arrangements in such a short time.

“Everyone, go home. Wait for the school’s notice.” Gong Ziyuan quickly conveyed the principal’s instructions.

Ma Lisong wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and, feeling Gong Ziyuan’s gaze on him, said somewhat embarrassedly, “I was in a hurry today and sweated a lot.”

“Principal, thanks to your timely arrival, otherwise I really wouldn’t know what to do.” Gong Ziyuan didn’t think much about it.

Ma Lisong nodded and straightened his sweat-soaked white shirt. “You handled it very well. By the way, were there any snakes in your room last night?”

“I don’t think so. I slept very soundly last night. When I woke up, I hadn’t even made breakfast yet, and I found snakes in the classroom. As for my room, oh, I’ll go check.” Gong Ziyuan broke out in a cold sweat. He had slept so soundly last night that he didn’t know if there were any snakes in his room. Who knows, there might be a snake in his bed right now.

“Wait, Teacher Gong, find a stick first before entering the room, and be very careful!” Ma Lisong hurriedly reminded from behind.

After receiving the notice to attend class, Zhang Jiaohua didn’t leave immediately. He had already sensed that something was wrong with this matter. Although he had seen someone kill the Snake King yesterday, he wasn’t sure if there was any connection between the snake disaster and the incident of killing the Snake King. After all, he had only encountered things related to the Meishan Water Division in his dreams. But what he was concerned about was whether his safety talisman had any effect on the snake group.

“Teacher Gong.” Zhang Jiaohua followed behind Gong Ziyuan.

“Jiaohua, why haven’t you gone home yet?” Gong Ziyuan turned around and saw Zhang Jiaohua following behind him, puzzled.

“I’m wondering if Teacher Gong needs any help.” Zhang Jiaohua didn’t mention that he was here today for a post-visit.

Gong Ziyuan believed him, feeling touched by Zhang Jiaohua’s kindness. He had originally wanted to politely decline Zhang Jiaohua’s offer, but after some thought, he swallowed back his words.

“Zhang Jiaohua, are you afraid of snakes?” Gong Ziyuan had a purpose in asking this question. Regardless of whether Zhang Jiaohua was afraid or not, he himself was very afraid. Having someone accompany him might bolster his courage, even if the other person was just a child.

“Not really. Many kids in the village usually play with snakes.” Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t really afraid of snakes. Just now, he had seen that there seemed to be only non-poisonous or mildly venomous snakes in the classroom. With this kind of snake, any kid in Meizi Village would dare to catch them barehanded. They would simply walk over, grab the snake’s tail, lift it up, and shake it hard, rendering the snake unable to resist. This was a skill that children in the mountains had developed from a young age.

“That’s good. You stay behind the teacher. Be very careful.” Gong Ziyuan found a branch outside, feeling a bit more secure. At least he could ensure that he had a self-defense weapon when he encountered snakes on the narrow path.

When they left, Gong Ziyuan gently closed the door of the room, causing it to creak open. There was a gap of about a palm’s width between the door and the ground, wide enough for a snake to slip through. This discovery made Gong Ziyuan’s heart race. Could it be that he had shared his bed with a snake last night?

Zhang Jiaohua felt the aura of the safety talisman. After all, it was a talisman he had made himself, and it quickly resonated with him, creating a strange connection. This indicated that the safety talisman was indeed working.

As the door opened, Gong Ziyuan took a small step back, almost bumping into Zhang Jiaohua who was right behind him. When nothing fell from the window, Gong Ziyuan slowly walked forward.

As soon as he entered the room, Gong Ziyuan looked around but couldn’t find any trace of snakes. He shook the blanket, but there was nothing inside. Finding nothing, Gong Ziyuan finally felt relieved. Especially knowing that he hadn’t shared his room with snakes last night, he felt much more comfortable.