Chapter 135 Planning

The next few days were unexpectedly calm.

The working group did not contact Shu Ran again, and the spying and tense atmosphere in the education section seemed to have faded somewhat.

Shu Ran goes to work on time every day, handles the daily affairs reported by various teaching sites, supervises the revision progress of teaching materials, and even attended two teacher training courses.

To outsiders, she seemed to have recovered from the shock of that day and had returned to being the calm and collected Teacher Shu.

Only she knew that beneath this calm exterior lay a nerve that was constantly on edge.

The current calm is more like a lull before the storm, a sign that the other side is looking for a new breakthrough or waiting for an opportunity. She cannot sit idly by and wait for her doom.

During the day, she is Team Leader Shu, and everything seems normal.

When she returned to her dormitory that evening, she began to prepare for the worst.

On the first night, she took out her heavy camphor wood trunk. Inside, besides a few nice clothes she couldn't bear to wear, the most important thing was all the hard work she had accumulated since she came into this world: teaching notes, all the drafts of her self-compiled teaching materials, correspondence with various companies and pastoral areas, records of her students' progress, and books and materials that she had gradually accumulated.

She sat on the floor, and by the light, carefully flipped through each document, then categorized them.

Some of these are things she believes must never be lost. For example, a more systematic and forward-looking outline of educational methods that she secretly wrote down, combining modern educational concepts with current realities; some observation notes on child psychology; and some fragmented ideas she has for the future basic education system.

If the work group were to see these things, it would undoubtedly cause trouble for her as a "dissident." She carefully wrapped the notebooks in oilcloth and stuffed them into a very hidden crevice under the bed.

The other part consisted of evidence demonstrating her effectiveness and the support she enjoyed among the people. This included thank-you letters from students and parents, written on various types of paper, some even bearing red handprints. There were also copies of application reports from various companies requesting the establishment of teaching points, as well as Director Sun's affirmative comments on her work. These were materials she could use to defend herself one day; she carefully organized them and placed them in a separate cloth bag, ensuring they were readily available.

There were also some letters imbued with personal emotion. For example, the letters Xu Junjun had written to her, the insoles given to her by Sister Wang and Li Xiulan, the pretty stones and dried flowers the children had secretly slipped to her, and some letters from Chen Yuanjiang. She stroked the piece of paper, hesitated for a moment, and finally, along with several other short notes that might involve him, lit it with a match, watching it turn to ashes. A resolute glint appeared in her eyes.

After finishing processing the written materials, she packed her essential daily necessities and a few sturdy old clothes into a small suitcase roll, thinking to herself that if she were really sent to a more difficult place, this would be all her belongings.

While doing these things, she was unusually calm, like a traveler about to embark on a long journey, carefully packing her bags and calculating the possibilities of each step.

That day, she had just cleaned up the last traces when there was a soft knock at the door. It was Chen Yuanjiang.

He walked in, his gaze habitually sweeping around the room, keenly noticing something different, but unable to pinpoint exactly what had changed. The desk was still piled with documents, but they seemed more organized, and some small, miscellaneous items were gone.

"How is it?" he asked as usual.

"Same as always, nothing's happening." Shu Ran poured him a glass of water, her tone relaxed. "Perfect, I'll hurry up and finish up the backlog of work."

Chen Yuanjiang looked at her; there was no panic in her eyes, but rather a calmness.

He paused for a few seconds before speaking, "That Team Leader Li was transferred from a department of the Corps. He's very principled. He's handled similar cases in other divisions before."

Shu Ran nodded, not surprised: "I guessed it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have acted so decisively."

"Shu Ran..." Chen Yuanjiang looked at her overly calm face, and the unease in his heart grew stronger. "What are your plans?"

Shu Ran looked up at him and suddenly smiled: "Plans? Just work normally. Do you think I'd run away?" Her tone became serious, "Chen Yuanjiang, I remember you said that a tree with a solid foundation won't fall. What I can do now is to make my roots even deeper."

She didn't say it explicitly, but Chen Yuanjiang understood. She wasn't just waiting for the storm to pass; she was desperately fortifying her position, eliminating potential weaknesses, and building up resources for a counterattack before the storm even arrived.

Looking at her, Chen Yuanjiang suddenly felt that no matter what situation she was in, she could always find a way out.

"Okay." Chen Yuanjiang finished the water in his cup, as if making a promise, "Once the roots are deep, no one can easily shake them."

He put down his cup. "Over at the livestock company, Sister Wang sent a message through someone, saying that the children miss you very much and are asking when you'll have time to go back and visit."

Shu Ran felt a pang in the softest part of her heart. She looked up, a smile spreading across her face: "Tell them for me that I'll go back once I'm done with this busy period."

After Chen Yuanjiang left, the smile on Shu Ran's face slowly faded. She walked to the window and looked at the deep night outside.

She knew that Chen Yuanjiang was telling her in his own way that no matter what happened, she still had a place to go back to, and a group of people who cared about her.

Shu Ran returned to the table and spread out a new sheet of paper. She was going to write to the heads of several key teaching sites and familiar company leaders in her personal capacity, inquiring about their recent situations and exchanging teaching experiences in a normal tone, without mentioning the work group at all.

She wants to keep these connections scattered everywhere active and, when necessary, able to make their voices heard.

Two days later, Shu Ran was no longer satisfied with processing reports and issuing notices, and began a series of visits. She used her time after work and on weekends to ride the old bicycle she borrowed from the logistics department, with a bulging canvas bag tucked under the back seat, containing notebooks, several naan breads and a kettle of water.

Her destination was several teaching sites around the division headquarters that she had established and guided, especially those relatively remote sites that were managed by substitute teachers she had trained.

On her first weekend, she went to a teaching point near the edge of the Gobi Desert. The substitute teacher there was a young woman named Han Chunmei, who used to be a key member of the company's cultural activities. She didn't know many words but was very talented, and Shu Ran had taught her step by step.

When Shu Ran arrived, it was during the afternoon break. The children were chasing and playing in the earthen courtyard, while Han Chunmei was squatting at the classroom door, writing on the ground with a twig, with several children watching her.

"Teacher Shu!" Han Chunmei looked up and saw her, jumping up in surprise, but her eyes were red. The news that Teacher Liu from Hongxingyan had been taken away had already quietly spread among these grassroots teaching points, and panic was spreading.

Shu Ran patted her shoulder, her tone as usual: "Chunmei, how's the class going? Are the children keeping up?"

"It's...it's alright." Han Chunmei sniffed, forcing herself to cheer up. "It's just...it's just a little scary."

"What are you afraid of?" Shu Ran pulled her to the wall where the wind was sheltered. "Every word you taught was useful. That's an achievement. No one can deny it."

She pulled a stack of new vocabulary cards from her canvas bag. She had stayed up all night writing them on scrap paper, and the content incorporated vocabulary related to the recent spring planting season. "Here, use these. We'll start teaching from these words."

Han Chunmei took the card, as if she had grasped a pillar of support, and nodded vigorously: "Yes! I'll listen to you, Teacher Shu!"

Shu Ran then asked about the parents' recent reactions, whether anyone had gossiped, and what the company leaders' attitude was. Han Chunmei answered them one by one, and said with some concern, "The company commander did come by a few days ago, but he didn't say anything, just looked around and left."

"It's a good thing they haven't said anything," Shu Ran analyzed. "It means the company is also observing. Just teach the children well and let the parents see the benefits, that's enough."

She stayed until dark, listened to Han Chunmei's lesson, pointed out a few minor details that could be improved, chatted with a few children who stayed to play, and checked the words they had written on the stone slab with lime blocks. Before leaving, she handed Han Chunmei a small bag of hard fruit candies: "A reward for the children who behaved well. Don't worry, the sky won't fall."

Holding the bag of candy, Han Chunmei watched Shu Ran push her bicycle and disappear into the twilight, and the unease in her heart suddenly lessened a lot.

Over the next few days, Shu Ran visited several nearby literacy classes for family members in the same way. She observed, listened, and took notes, offering specific and detailed teaching suggestions, affirming the efforts of each substitute teacher, and repeatedly emphasizing the value of their work.

These actions have yielded remarkable results. Panic has been effectively contained at these grassroots teaching points. Substitute teachers have regained their sense of security, and parents, seeing that the teachers are still dedicated and their children are still learning, have gradually calmed down. An invisible force is quietly gathering at the grassroots level.

That afternoon, after attending a literacy class in the company's family quarters, she was pushing her bicycle out when she saw Chen Yuanjiang and two security officers standing at the company gate, seemingly giving instructions.

Shu Ran paused in pushing the cart, intending to pretend she hadn't seen it and quietly walk around it.

"Teacher Shu." Chen Yuanjiang's voice came through.

Shu Ran had no choice but to stop and push the cart over: "Deputy Director Chen."

Chen Yuanjiang waved to the two officers, who greeted Shu Ran and left. He then turned to Shu Ran, his gaze falling on the mud-covered canvas bag on the back of her bicycle.

"Where did you come from?"

"Go check on the literacy class," Shu Ran said, as if reporting a work assignment.

Chen Yuanjiang glanced at her hair, which was a little messy from the wind. "Things aren't very peaceful outside lately. The work group is still at the division headquarters. It's not safe for you to go down there alone."

“It’s broad daylight, the streets are full of people, what could possibly happen?” Shu Ran patted the car seat. “Besides, this is my job.”

“We can do the work after things calm down,” Chen Yuanjiang said in an unquestionable tone. “Or, we can send male comrades from the Education Section down there.”

Shu Ran looked at him with a serious expression: "Deputy Director Chen, the working group is investigating my work. If I stop, wouldn't that make me look like I have something to hide? It's precisely at times like this that we can't stop."

Looking at Shu Ran's stubborn eyes, Chen Yuanjiang knew he couldn't persuade her. He paused for a moment, then suddenly reached into his military uniform pocket, pulled out a small oil paper packet, and handed it to her.

"What?" Shu Ran didn't answer.

"I ran into the mess hall's purchasing truck on the way, and they brought me some roasted potato chips. Just to tide me over."

The oil paper package was still slightly warm. The slight annoyance that had risen in Shu Ran's heart because of his obstruction dissipated somewhat. She took it, "Thank you."

"Back to the division headquarters? It's on the way." Chen Yuanjiang said, already taking steps forward at a slow pace, just enough for Shu Ran, who was pushing the cart, to keep up.

Just then, the company's communications officer came running over.

"Teacher Shu! It's the division headquarters calling, they want to see you, they say it's urgent!"

Shu Ran gave Chen Yuanjiang a few instructions and then followed the communications officer to the company headquarters.

The call was from Xiao Zhang in the Education Department: "Teacher Shu! Where are you? Come back quickly! Something terrible has happened!"

"What's up?"

"The higher-ups are coming to inspect the literacy campaign's effectiveness! The official notice just arrived on Director Sun's desk! The director told everyone in the department to come back for a meeting immediately!" Xiao Zhang's voice was fast and urgent. "I heard that the results of this inspection are directly related to the province-wide evaluation and resource allocation!"

Shu Ran's fingers tightened slightly as she held the microphone. After a two-second silence, she spoke, her voice devoid of any emotion: "Okay, I understand. I'll go back as soon as I'm done here."

After hanging up the phone, she stood there without moving. The communications officer looked at her curiously, finding it strange that Ms. Shu showed no joy despite receiving such an important call.

After a while, Shu Ran thanked the messenger and pushed her bicycle out.

Statistics Group... Literacy Campaign Effectiveness Verification...

The opportunity has arrived, but whether we can seize it, whether we can turn the crisis into a turning point, or even go further, depends on our preparations going forward.

She stopped by the roadside, took out a notebook and pencil from her canvas bag, and quickly jotted down a few keywords on the bicycle seat: data verification, key teaching points summary, substitute teacher training, presentation format of results...

She wrote quickly. After finishing, she closed the notebook, looked up, and gazed in the direction of the division headquarters.

Back in the Education Section, everything was indeed in chaos. Director Sun was speaking in his large office, his tone excited, demanding that the entire section mobilize immediately and go all out to prepare for the inspection.

Seeing Shu Ran enter, Director Sun's gaze fell on her. He paused, then his tone softened: "It's good that Shu Ran is back. The mobile teaching points and grassroots literacy programs you're in charge of are the focus of this inspection. Immediately compile the relevant materials, ensuring the data is accurate and the results are outstanding!"

"Yes, Director." Shu Ran calmly replied, walked to her desk, sat down, and began to look through the documents.

Wu Jianguo leaned over and said, "Teacher Shu, this is a great opportunity to shine. But... will it have any impact on the work group?" He lowered his voice, but several colleagues around him who were listening intently could hear him.

Shu Ran looked up at him and said, "Officer Wu, the working group investigates specific issues, while the statistics group verifies overall effectiveness. These are two different things. I trust the organization and I believe that our work over the years can withstand any form of scrutiny."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone in the office to hear. Wu Jianguo was speechless for a moment and could only awkwardly sit back down.

Shu Ran buried herself in her work, knowing she had to make the most of every second.