Chapter 121 Neighboring Country Education Delegation

The news of the successful pilot program of mobile teaching sites quickly spread throughout the division headquarters and even reached higher levels.

The team led by Shu Ran not only successfully carried out literacy and basic hygiene education in remote pastoral areas, but also became a model of "departmental collaboration and service to the grassroots" because of their perfect cooperation with the security patrol team and the vivid report by Yang Zhenhua from the publicity department, which was featured in news reports throughout Xinjiang.

Shu Ran's name is no longer just associated with Qiming Primary School in the Livestock Company, but with an innovative grassroots education model.

That afternoon, Director Sun called Shu Ran to his office, his face showing undisguised satisfaction and expectation.

"Xiao Shu, please sit down." Director Sun, unusually, personally poured her a glass of water. "Your pilot project this time was a great success! The results were better than expected! It not only solved the educational problems of children in pastoral areas, but also promoted ethnic unity. More importantly, it explored a new way to efficiently utilize resources and break down departmental barriers under existing conditions!"

Shu Ran took the water glass and said modestly, "It's all thanks to the director's excellent leadership, the joint efforts of all the colleagues in the department, and the strong support from the security department, logistics department, and other departments."

"Hey, don't be so modest with me." Director Sun waved his hand, his smile fading and his expression turning serious. "It's precisely because of its remarkable effectiveness that the Corps Headquarters attaches great importance to it! They've decided to promote the model summarized by your group, as well as the interdepartmental collaborative work methods, as a model experience for educated youth supporting border construction and carrying out grassroots work throughout the Corps!"

Shu Ran was shocked. A rollout across the entire army? This had an even greater impact than she had anticipated!

Director Sun looked at her and continued with the important news: "The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Education Department has directly issued an order to establish a roving guidance group for grassroots education and educated youth work methods. You, Comrade Shu Ran, will be the group leader! The group members will be drawn from the core members of your original pilot group. In addition, the Corps Department will also draw several key personnel from other divisions to supplement the group. Your task is to travel throughout the next three months to the other divisions under the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps to share your experiences and provide on-site guidance, helping each region establish an education and work model suitable for its local conditions!"

The itinerant guidance team! The team leader! The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps that has traveled all over Xinjiang!

The news made her feel dizzy for a moment. This was no longer just being a project leader within a division, but a qualitative leap in her career platform.

She quickly suppressed her excitement, her mind racing. This meant she would be free from the interpersonal conflicts and resource limitations of her mentor, and could unleash her potential in a wider arena. This was undoubtedly a huge leap forward in her career.

"Director, thank you for the trust placed in us by the organization and leaders!" Shu Ran stood up, her tone firm. "I will do my utmost to lead the guidance team well, live up to the expectations of the Corps, and effectively promote the successful experience of our X Division, combined with the actual situation of each division!"

"Good! That's the kind of spirit I need!" Director Sun nodded with satisfaction. "Time is tight and the task is heavy. I'll give you a week to prepare. The Corps Command will send the team member list and preliminary itinerary directly to you. If you need any support from the division, just let me know."

"Yes!" Shu Ran replied, already sketching out a blueprint for the tour in her mind.

The news quickly spread throughout the Education Department, and the way Shu Ran was looked at by her colleagues changed completely, filled with admiration and envy.

Previously, some people might have thought that her promotion was too fast and that she was not experienced enough, but this time, it was a direct appointment by the Corps Headquarters, a recognition earned through her solid achievements and abilities.

Xiao Zhang, the junior staff member, excitedly circled around Shu Ran: "Team Leader Shu! That's great! The Education Section can really hold its head high now!"

Even the veteran cadres who had previously expressed some reservations came over to offer their congratulations, their words tinged with admiration. Shu Ran responded politely to each of them, her attitude neither humble nor arrogant. When arranging the handover, she remained organized and composed, maintaining composure throughout the situation.

After work, Shu Ran returned to her dormitory, still feeling somewhat excited. She opened the window, watched the lights gradually illuminate the division headquarters compound, and took a deep breath. Her stage, which had already expanded from the tool shed of the livestock company to the division headquarters office, was about to expand once again.

"Knock, knock, knock." A knocking sound rang out on the door.

Shu Ran was a little surprised. Who could it be at this time? She walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was Chen Yuanjiang.

He was still wearing that crisp military uniform, but it seemed he had just come back from outside, as there was still some dust on his epaulets.

He looked at her with deep eyes, filled with a complex mix of emotions: concern, pride, and perhaps even a hint of worry.

"Deputy Director Chen?" Shu Ran stepped aside to let him in. "What brings you here?"

Chen Yuanjiang entered the room, his gaze sweeping over the pot of wildflowers on the windowsill before settling on Shu Ran's face. "I heard you're going to lead a team on a tour of guidance?"

He's very well-informed. Shu Ran nodded and poured him a glass of water: "Yes, I just received the mission. I'm going to seven other divisions for three months."

Chen Yuanjiang took the water glass, but didn't drink it; he just held it in his hand. "The scope is vast. In some places, the situation is more complex than here, and the conditions are even more difficult." He paused, his voice low, "We need to pay special attention to security. Not every security department is like ours..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Shu Ran understood what he meant. He was worried about her safety after she left him.

Shu Ran felt a warmth in her heart. Looking at his furrowed brows, she deliberately spoke in a relaxed tone, "Deputy Director Chen, don't worry. I'm now the leader of the roving guidance group appointed by the Corps, representing the image of the Corps. Wherever we go, the local leaders will always ensure basic safety. Besides," she smiled, "a very important aspect of our guidance group's working methods is 'relying on local organizations and coordinating the strength of all parties,' which of course includes the security department. I will make full use of the 'leveraging' techniques I've learned from you."

Chen Yuanjiang looked into her bright eyes, which held no fear, only eager excitement and confidence. His expression softened slightly as he placed the water glass on the table and took a small leather-bound notebook from his military uniform pocket, handing it to her.

"Take this."

Shu Ran took it, opened it, and saw that it contained some notes.

"I'll jot down some things," Chen Yuanjiang said succinctly. "The names and personalities of the main leaders and security personnel of each division, as well as information on border areas and key transportation routes that need attention—whatever I know, it's all written on the first few pages. It may not be complete, but it might be useful."

Shu Ran looked at the first few pages of the notebook with penmanship and thought: This is not "possibly incomplete" at all, this is clearly a guide to connections and intelligence, and it was given to her so easily.

“This…” Shu Ran stroked the rough cover of the notebook.

"Take it." Chen Yuanjiang's tone left no room for doubt. "It won't hurt to know more about things when you're out there." He looked at her intently. "Be careful in everything you do, stay calm in the face of trouble, and don't be reckless. Keep in touch."

"Mmm." Shu Ran hugged the notebook tightly to her chest and nodded emphatically. "I will. Thank you... Yuanjiang."

This was the first time she had called him by his name without his surname in private.

Chen Yuanjiang stiffened slightly, as if some emotion was surging in his eyes. He glanced at her, his gaze seemingly trying to etch her into his very being. In the end, he merely raised his hand and gently brushed her forehead with his knuckles, touching it briefly before pulling away.

"I'm leaving." He turned around and strode away, his back straight and his steps a little lighter than when he came.

Shu Ran touched the spot he had just touched, then looked down at the heavy notebook in her arms and smiled.

A week later, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps' grassroots education and educated youth work methods roving guidance group officially set off.

A military truck carrying Shu Ran and her five team members left the division headquarters.

The work of the roving guidance team was not without its challenges. As Chen Yuanjiang had predicted, the situations in each division were complex and varied. Some division leaders took it seriously and cooperated actively; others were perfunctory, considering it mere formalism; and still others, with numerous factions among the local educated youth, did not take Shu Ran, the young team leader who had been parachuted in, seriously.

With her grassroots experience, flexible working methods, and the tips in her notebook, Shu Ran resolved crises time and time again. She no longer simply preached the old model, but emphasized adapting to local conditions, helping various regions analyze their own strengths and weaknesses, and find the most suitable path.

She led her team deep into the most remote companies and pastoral areas, living and eating with the local educated youth and herdsmen, and gradually won their respect and trust through her actions and achievements.

During this period, she maintained contact with Chen Yuanjiang mainly through letters.

The letters were written with restraint, mostly exchanging observations from various places and difficulties at work, with occasional mentions of health, yet between the lines lay a concern that only they could understand.

The three-month-long roving guidance tour was drawing to a close, and the guidance team arrived at its final stop—the Y Division, located near the border. The Y Division faced the most challenging conditions, had a diverse ethnic composition, and carried a high risk of infiltration by foreign forces.

Shu Ran was extremely cautious and strictly followed procedures to communicate with the local security department. Although the work progressed slowly, it was still relatively smooth.

That day, the guidance team was in a field classroom at a border company, helping the educated youth figure out how to combine agricultural production knowledge with literacy education.

The team instructor rushed over, his face beaming with excitement.

"Team Leader Shu! Urgent notice from the division headquarters! You are to immediately bring your core members back to the division headquarters!"

Shu Ran's heart tightened: "What happened?"

The instructor, panting, said, "It's great news! Huge good news! We received a notice from above saying... that an education delegation from a neighboring Central Asian country has added a last-minute change to their itinerary and will be visiting our Y Division tomorrow! They specifically requested to see our mobile yurts and field classrooms, saying they saw the reports and are very interested! The division headquarters has ordered that we make sure to do a good job of receiving and showcasing them. You, Group Leader Shu, are an expert in this field and must accompany and explain everything throughout the visit!"

A delegation of education officials from neighboring Central Asian countries? Designated for a visit?

Not only Shu Ran, but all the team members were stunned. This was completely unexpected. The tour was about to end, yet it had attracted the attention of foreign guests.

Shu Ran quickly calmed down; this was a challenge, but also an opportunity.

"Understood!" Shu Ran made a decisive decision. "Xiao Wang, Xiao Li, you two come back to headquarters with me immediately. The rest of you stay here and continue to refine the details of this display point, making sure it's done to the best of your ability!"

Back at the Y Division headquarters, the atmosphere was completely different. The division leaders personally received Shu Ran, showing unprecedented respect and courtesy.

"Comrade Shu Ran, this visit by foreign guests is of great significance! It not only concerns the image of our Y Division, but also the reputation of our country! You are an authority in this field, and we will all follow your command!" The political commissar of the Y Division held Shu Ran's hand, his tone solemn.

Shu Ran felt a sense of responsibility, but even more so, a sense of excitement and anticipation.

She quickly got to work, coordinating with various departments of the division to determine the tour route, review the content of the explanations, train the educated youth and herdsmen participating in the exhibition, and even prepare contingency plans for potential questions from foreign guests. Her meticulous thinking and excellent organizational and coordination skills impressed the leaders.

In a brief moment of her busy schedule, she wrote a short letter to Chen Yuanjiang, mentioning only the visit of foreign guests.

The following day, the education delegation from neighboring Central Asian countries arrived as scheduled. Shu Ran, as the main escort and guide, was poised and confident, introducing their educational models to them through a translator.

She led the foreign guests on a site visit, and the members of the delegation gradually became more attentive, surprised, and even shocked, after initially listening politely.

They witnessed how, under such difficult conditions, the Chinese people were able to persistently promote the popularization of education using such creative and effective methods.

Especially at a mobile yurt teaching site, when they saw an elderly Kazakh woman wearing reading glasses, trembling as she wrote her name under the guidance of educated youth, the members of the delegation couldn't help but sigh.

After the visit, at the symposium, the head of the delegation, with gray hair, said to Shu Ran and the school leaders with deep emotion: "We have benefited greatly from this trip. Your dedication and wisdom in pursuing education under extreme conditions are deeply admirable. This flexible and adaptable education model at the grassroots level, which is closely integrated with production and life, is also of great significance for our country. You have truly succeeded in allowing the seeds of knowledge to take root and sprout even in harsh soil."

These words, conveyed through translation, filled all the Chinese present with immense pride and honor.

Shu Ran was somewhat excited. She knew that their efforts had gained recognition across national borders.

In the month following the departure of the foreign guests, everyone in Division Y held Shu Ran in even higher esteem. The division leaders specially hosted a banquet for the guidance group, during which they praised her highly.

However, just as the banquet was at its most lively, Shu Ran received an unexpected message: Chen Yuanjiang had arrived at Division Y and was waiting for her at the division's guesthouse.

Shu Ran thought that, given his current status, he would never easily leave Division X to come to Division Y on the border unless there was an urgent official business. She apologized to the division leaders and hurriedly went to the guesthouse.

Pushing open the door to the guesthouse room, Chen Yuanjiang was standing by the window, gazing at the pitch-black night outside. Hearing the door open, he turned around.

He seemed to have lost some weight after not seeing her for several months, and when he saw Shu Ran, his sharp eyes softened with tenderness.

"Why are you here?" Shu Ran closed the door, walked over quickly, and asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Chen Yuanjiang did not answer immediately, but looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment to make sure she was alright, before he spoke: "Foreign guests are visiting, and the security department has temporarily assigned me here to assist in ensuring everything goes smoothly."

So it was for security. Shu Ran breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a strange sense of disappointment.

She smiled and said, "Everything went smoothly; they just left."

"I know." Chen Yuanjiang walked to the table, picked up a newspaper, and handed it to Shu Ran. "Take a look at this."

Shu Ran took the newspaper. The front page headline was a brief news item about a visit by foreign guests, accompanied by a photo of her in profile explaining something to them outside the yurt. The headline was eye-catching: "Qiming Primary School on the Gobi Desert—Central Asian Education Delegation Praises the Grassroots Education Model of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps."

"Qiming Primary School on the Gobi Desert..." Shu Ran murmured, her heart warming.

“You did a great job.” Chen Yuanjiang looked at her. “Even better than I expected.”

Shu Ran raised her head and met his gaze.

The room fell silent. The longing that had accumulated over the months of separation quietly filled the air at this moment.

Shu Ran looked at the meticulously buttoned collar of his military uniform, then suddenly remembered something. She took out the military water bottle from her satchel, shook it, and smiled, "Deputy Director Chen, I've taken the water bottle you gave me everywhere I go, I've never missed a single one. It's just that the water doesn't seem as sweet as the one you gave me back then."

Chen Yuanjiang's gaze fell on the kettle, and his eyes softened instantly. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

He reached out, but instead of taking the kettle, he gently grasped her hand that was holding it.

"Really?" He looked down at her, his voice hoarse. "Then...maybe I didn't fill it up for you myself."

Shu Ran's heart was pounding wildly, and she looked up at him, "So, Deputy Director Chen, how do you plan to compensate me?"

Chen Yuanjiang tightened his grip on her hand slightly, and raised his other hand as if to touch her cheek, but stopped in mid-air. In the end, he simply used his fingertips to gently rub her lips, which were a little dry from days of travel.

"I'll wait for you to come back. When you come back, I'll fetch the sweetest well water for you and fill it up."

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Xiao Zhang's excited voice: "Team Leader Shu! Team Leader Shu! Great news! Fantastic news! The editors of the Capital Pictorial called the division headquarters directly! They saw the report about the foreign guests' visit and are very interested. They want to send a reporter to conduct an in-depth interview and make it into a feature article for the foreign language edition! Team Leader Shu, we're going to be in the Capital Pictorial! We're going to be famous!"

The two people inside the door were both taken aback.

Shu Ran looked at Chen Yuanjiang, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which then turned into admiration.

The foreign language edition of *Capital Pictorial*! That's a publication distributed worldwide!

Shu Ran suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and replied to the door, "I know, I'll be right there!"

She turned to look at Chen Yuanjiang, her eyes sparkling with the confidence of someone successful in their career and the tenderness she showed when facing her lover: "I have to go."

Chen Yuanjiang released her hand, nodded, and said warmly, "Go ahead. I'll wait for you here."

Shu Ran smiled at him, turned around, opened the door, and walked towards the broader stage that belonged to her.

Behind her, a man gazed at her with deep affection.