Chapter 127 The price of growing up always seems to be accompanied by...

The pilot program continued to advance without major incident. Shu Ran withstood the pressure. She personally visited every teaching site within the pilot area, attended classes, communicated with students and staff, and collected firsthand feedback.

At a teaching point in a pastoral area of ​​the Y Group, she saw a girl named Saren, who had been trained, teaching children to write using a homemade sand tray. The children were learning with great interest.

In the Seventh Company of the Z Regiment, Aini used fluent Mandarin and Kazakh to explain the names of work point tickets and daily necessities to the herdsmen, which was quite effective.

These achievements gradually overshadowed the discordant voices.

During this period, Shu Ran specially squeezed out two days to go back to the livestock company.

The jeep kicked up dust on the familiar bumpy dirt road. When the company buildings on the saline-alkali land, and especially the national flag fluttering above Qiming Primary School, came into view, Shu Ran's heart felt as if it had been struck by something, a bittersweet feeling.

The car had just stopped in front of the gate when the first person to spot her was not an adult, but Tiger, who was playing with a sheep's knucklebone in the open space.

"Teacher Shu?! Teacher Shu is back!" Hu Zi was stunned for a second, then rushed over, his voice booming so loudly that it instantly echoed throughout half the company.

Almost simultaneously, the classroom at Qiming Elementary School erupted in chaos. Shi Tou was the first to rush out, followed by Shuan Zhu, Chun Cao, Xiao Ya, and many more children of all ages. They swarmed around Shu Ran, instantly surrounding her.

"Teacher Shu! Teacher Shu!"

"Teacher Shu, you're finally back!"

The children chattered excitedly, their dirty little faces beaming with smiles. Some children didn't dare to rush up and hug her like Tiger did, but they all crowded at the front, tilting their heads back and looking at her with bright eyes, as if they were looking at a long-lost relative.

Shu Ran's heart was instantly filled with the children's sincerity. She squatted down and patted the heads of Chuncao and Xiaoya, who were closest to her, then looked at Shitou, who was clearly much more composed: "Shitou, take everyone back to the classroom first. I'll come over to check your homework in a little while, okay?"

"Okay!" Shi Tou responded loudly, looking quite like a junior leader, and began to try his best to maintain order. "Go back and sit down! Teacher Shu said she'll be checking homework later!"

The children then reluctantly made their way back to the classroom.

At this time, the adults who heard the commotion also came over one after another.

Sister Wang was still holding the bowl for kneading dough, her apron still on. When she saw Shu Ran, her eyes immediately welled up with tears. She took a few steps forward, grabbed Shu Ran's hand, and looked her up and down: "Oh my! You're finally back! You look...you look a bit thinner. The food at the division headquarters isn't very good, is it?"

"Sister Wang, I'm fine, I haven't lost weight." Shu Ran grasped her rough hand in return, feeling much more at ease.

Li Xiulan also ran over from the tofu shop, her hands still covered in soybean dregs. She was more reserved than Sister Wang, but the joy in her eyes was undeniable. She carefully observed that Shu Ran's clothes and complexion were very good, and her eyes showed a composure that she hadn't had in the company.

“Teacher Shu,” she said softly, “everyone is thinking of you.”

"Xiulan, how's the tofu shop? Did you miss the literacy class?" Shu Ran asked with a smile, knowing what Li Xiulan cared about most.

“We’re doing great! As you said in your letter, we can recognize quite a few characters now, and our accounting is much clearer!” Li Xiulan said with pride.

Shu Ran glanced around subconsciously, not seeing the intellectual's figure, and asked casually, "Where's Teacher Lin? Is he busy writing plans again?"

Sister Wang, quick to speak her mind, pursed her lips and said, "Hey! You left a long time ago! You hadn't been at the division headquarters for long when the transfer order came down, saying you were going back to a big city? Anyway, she's office-sitting type, she won't stay in this dirt-covered place of ours for long!"

Li Xiulan added, "He left in a hurry, and even his luggage had to be picked up later. But he gave the classroom key to Shi Tou and said... said to wait for Teacher Shu to come back and make arrangements."

Shu Ran's eyes flickered slightly, and she instantly understood. Lin Xuezhou's transfer was within her expectations. How could Deputy Political Commissar Lin really let his nephew stay at the grassroots level for a long time? Sending him here in the first place was not only to train him, but also, perhaps, to make arrangements for the demonstration site in advance.

Unexpectedly, she established herself firmly in the division headquarters and achieved remarkable results, which ironically hastened Lin Xuezhou's departure. Perhaps Deputy Political Commissar Lin felt that this was no longer the best springboard, or perhaps there was a more suitable position for him to fill.

Shu Ran remained expressionless, only offering a faint smile: "It's a good thing that Teacher Lin has more important tasks. Our school should just proceed as planned. Where's Junjun? I haven't seen her."

Li Xiulan's voice was even lower, "Dr. Xu... she's been transferred."

Shu Ran's smile froze. Although she was somewhat prepared—Xu Junjun had mentioned in her letter that the regimental medical team was short-staffed and might transfer her there—hearing the confirmation with her own ears still left a void in her heart.

The fellow Shanghainese who offered help and emotional support during her most difficult time, the girl who would secretly find water to wash up with her and share her feelings, has ultimately left this grassroots unit.

"When did this happen?" Shu Ran asked, her voice relatively calm.

"It happened last month," Sister Wang said, sighing. "The transfer order came suddenly; the regimental medical team specifically requested it. When she left, Junjun cried; she was reluctant to leave everyone, and even more reluctant to leave you. She left you a letter, which I have with me."

Shu Ran nodded, a hint of melancholy mixed with the joy of returning home.

The price of growing up always seems to be accompanied by parting.

At this moment, more family members who had heard the news rushed over and gathered around.

Zhang Guifen, holding her youngest son who had just started school, called out from afar, "Teacher Shu! It's been so long since I've seen you! I've missed you so much!"

Wang Honghua also came over and handed over a radish still covered in soil: "Teacher Shu, this is homegrown, have a taste!"

Shu Ran responded to each person's questions and expressed her gratitude. She noticed that many people looked at her with a different kind of warmth than before.

Her actions at the division headquarters had clearly been relayed back to the company through various channels. They might not fully understand, but they knew that their company's Teacher Shu had accomplished something significant, bringing honor to the livestock company. This admiration was even a sense of shared pride.

When Shu Ran was surrounded and led to the company headquarters, the situation changed again when she encountered Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma, who had come out after hearing the news.

"Comrade Shuran! Welcome back! Haha, you're now a proud representative of our company!" Secretary Liu shook her hand vigorously, his face full of undisguised praise. "You've brought honor to our livestock company!"

Company Commander Ma chuckled, "That's right! Old Zhao was just saying that with you here, we can even stand up straight when applying for teaching materials!"

As they were talking, Zhao Weidong walked over from not far away. "Comrade Shu Ran, you're back? Hmm... that method of combining production and learning has been tested recently, and the speed at which people can recognize words on the construction site has indeed increased."

Shu Ran knew perfectly well that Zhao Weidong's change in attitude largely stemmed from the added value she brought. She smiled and replied, "Thank you, Company Commander, Secretary, and Director Zhao. The achievements are the result of everyone's hard work; I simply reported everyone's efforts."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries at the company headquarters, Shu Ran eagerly headed towards Qiming Elementary School. Inside the classroom, the children were indeed sitting upright, but their little heads kept peeking out.

Shu Ran walked into the classroom, stood on the podium, and looked at the little faces below. In a tone as if sharing a secret, she said, "Class, I saw many interesting things on my trip. For example, there's a kind of paper with colorful pictures printed on it called a pictorial magazine, and it has pictures of Tiananmen Square in Beijing on it; there's also a machine that can print words on paper, which is much faster than us copying by hand..."

She described the outside world, and the children listened intently, their eyes wide with wonder.

"...The teacher told the higher-ups outside about all this, how Qiming Primary School went from just a dilapidated shed to what it is now, and how everyone was able to read and write. The leaders listened and said we did the right thing, we did a good job! They even gave the teacher this—" She took out a medal and showed it to the children.

"Wow!" the children exclaimed.

"Teacher, you're amazing!" Tiger couldn't help but exclaim.

Shu Ran put away the medal, her expression becoming serious: "This medal isn't just for the teacher. It's because of every hardworking and aspiring child at Qiming Elementary School! It's an honor for all of us!"

Her words ignited the fighting spirit in every child. They straightened their little chests, their faces beaming with excitement and pride.

After school, Shu Ran stayed behind and chatted with Sister Wang and Li Xiulan in the classroom for a long time. She explained the situation at the division headquarters in detail, talked about her future plans, and listened carefully to the changes that had taken place in the company and the school during this period.

As night fell, Shu Ran returned to her small mud-brick dormitory. Sister Wang had already tidied everything up, and Li Xiulan had secretly slipped a small packet of freshly roasted pumpkin seeds under her pillow. The room was almost exactly as it had been when she left, but it showed signs of having been carefully maintained.

She stroked the earthen wall, gazing at the scattered lights of the company outside the window, and listening to the faint barking of dogs in the distance. This place lacked the orderliness of the division headquarters, but it was the starting point of her career, the place where she poured countless efforts, her true home in this era, and the source of her strength and confidence to continuously climb the ladder of success.

She knew that no matter where she went or how far she went in the future, the Livestock Company and Qiming Primary School would always be the deepest concerns and support in her heart. This return was more like a recharge, allowing her to accumulate strength and determination to meet the challenges ahead.

After spending two days at the livestock company, Shu Ran carefully explained the school's affairs to Sister Wang, and then visited Old Aken and Tuerdi's families in the pastoral area to check on the children studying there. With everything arranged, the day to return to the division headquarters arrived.

The next morning, Shu Ran stood at the entrance of the company headquarters with her simple luggage, waiting for a ride. She had already reported to the division headquarters, hoping to get a ride back.

Sister Wang and Li Xiulan both came to see him off, their faces full of reluctance.

"Come back and visit us often!" Sister Wang straightened her collar.

"Teacher Shu, be careful on the road." Li Xiulan didn't say much, but stuffed a small cloth bag into Shu Ran's hand. "These are new insoles, they'll make walking more comfortable."

Shu Ran agreed to each one, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

Just then, the sound of an engine came from afar. It wasn't the usual dilapidated truck, but a nearly new military jeep, which stopped in front of the company headquarters, kicking up dust.

The car door opened, and Chen Yuanjiang jumped out. His face was expressionless, except for a moment when his gaze softened when it met Shu Ran's.

"Deputy Director Chen?" Shu Ran was somewhat surprised. "What brings you here?"

Chen Yuanjiang first greeted Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma, who came out after hearing the noise, "Secretary Liu, Company Commander Ma. The division headquarters has an urgent document that needs to be delivered to the regimental headquarters. I was passing by the livestock company and happened to see Comrade Shu Ran waiting for a car here."

He said it as if it were purely a coincidence.

Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma were all smiles: "Oh, that's perfect! We were just wondering how Comrade Shu Ran would get to the division headquarters! Deputy Director Chen, you're a real lifesaver!"

Chen Yuanjiang seemed to have just noticed the luggage in Shu Ran's hand, and naturally reached out to take it and put it in the back seat of the jeep.

"Get in the car." He opened the passenger door.

Looking at his serious expression that said, "I was just strictly carrying out my duties and gave you a ride along," Shu Ran felt both annoyed and amused.

She said goodbye to Sister Wang and Li Xiulan, nodded to Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma, and then got into the passenger seat.

Chen Yuanjiang deftly closed the car door, walked around to the driver's seat, and started the engine.

The vehicle drove away from the company, gradually leaving behind the people who came to see them off and that familiar land.

Only when the outline of the company disappeared from sight did Chen Yuanjiang's tightly pursed lips relax a little.

"Is everything arranged?" he asked casually, looking straight ahead.

"Hmm." Shu Ran responded, turning her head to look at his profile. "It's quite a coincidence that Deputy Director Chen is passing by. The road from the division headquarters to the regimental headquarters doesn't seem to pass by our company's entrance, does it?"

Chen Yuanjiang tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he awkwardly uttered a few words: "We took a detour."

Shu Ran couldn't help but smile, and decided not to expose him anymore. She leaned back in her chair, watching the Gobi Desert rushing past the window, and felt a strange sense of peace in her heart.

A silence fell over the car, but it wasn't awkward. Only the roar of the engine and the whistling wind outside kept them company.

After a while, Chen Yuanjiang seemed to remember something, freed one hand, took a military water bottle from beside his seat, and handed it to her: "Have some water."

Shu Ran took it, unscrewed the cap, and found it contained warm boiled water.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Don't be so polite." His gaze softened as he looked ahead.

The road conditions on the Gobi Desert are varied, sometimes consisting of bumpy dirt roads. At a sharp bend, Shu Ran's body swayed slightly.

Almost simultaneously, Chen Yuanjiang's right hand swiftly reached out and quickly steadied her arm before gripping the steering wheel again.

The melancholy that Shu Ran felt at parting was instantly dispelled. She turned her head and pretended to look out the window.

This man has a cold exterior but a warm heart.