Chapter 60 Organizing Materials

The division's inspection team's jeeps disappeared at the edge of the Gobi Desert.

Secretary Liu took out a pack of Snow Lotus cigarettes, handed one to Company Commander Ma, lit it himself, took a deep drag, and squinted at the new classroom in the distance through the swirling smoke: "Old Ma, I didn't expect this, we really managed to... no, we actually made a name for ourselves?"

Company Commander Ma puffed on his cigarette, a smile he couldn't hide on his face: "Especially that Political Officer Yang from the regimental headquarters, he has a sharp eye. He didn't say a single empty word, all his questions hit the nail on the head. He said our methods are practical and effective! That's really encouraging!"

Zhao Weidong put his hands behind his back and snorted, "It works, but it's not very proper. Our focus should still be on digging canals and clearing land; that's the real target."

“Old Zhao, that’s a short-sighted view,” Secretary Liu waved his hand. “I’ve been pondering Officer Yang’s last few words all the way here. He said that the innovation of the masses is the most valuable, but it also needs the most guidance to be effective in the long run. I think that makes sense.”

He flicked his cigarette ash: "Our literacy class is in full swing right now, but it's all thanks to Teacher Shu. Sister Wang is leading everyone on a whim. In the long run, it's not reliable. What if Teacher Shu gets sick, gets transferred, or this enthusiasm fades? Wouldn't this whole thing fall apart?"

Company Commander Ma nodded: "The secretary is right. We need a system, just like farming, we can't rely solely on the weather."

“That’s right!” Secretary Liu nodded. “We need to develop something of our own, even if it’s just a simple method or a textbook. It’ll make us feel more secure if we have it in our own hands! When inspections come in the future, we can produce something substantial, instead of just talking about it.”

He pondered for a moment, then said to Company Commander Ma, "Old Ma, find an opportunity to speak privately with Teacher Shu. Tell her that the company thinks her method is good, and everyone has seen the results. We hope she can take some time to break down what she usually teaches, making it simple and practical, and write it down as guidelines, even if it's just a few pages. It'll be a record for our company, so that even if she's busy in the future, others can follow suit."

Secretary Liu spoke tactfully, but his meaning was clear: the company wanted results, but didn't want to turn it into a formal task and put it on hold, so he asked Shu Ran to produce some materials first.

Company Commander Ma understood immediately: "Okay, I get it. I'll talk to them later."

Two days later, Company Commander Ma deliberately chose to stroll to the new classroom after finishing work in the evening.

Shu Ran was leading the students on duty to sweep the floor. Shi Tou and Shuan Zhu were vying to sprinkle water and suppress the dust, while Adil, not very skilled, held a broom that was taller than himself and swept it back and forth.

"Teacher Shu, are you still busy?" Company Commander Ma walked over.

"Almost done. Company Commander, is there anything I can do for you?" Shu Ran straightened up and patted the chalk dust off her hands.

"It's nothing serious." Company Commander Ma walked in, looked at the drawings the children had made on the wall and the homework they had posted, "It's just that when the division leaders came last time, they were very positive about the literacy class you set up! The company also thinks it's a good thing, and we can't just let it go after a short while."

He paused, as if considering his words: "Secretary Liu means that he thinks your teaching method is good and effective. Could you... take some time to summarize how you usually teach and what you teach, and write down a rough outline? It doesn't need to be too complicated, just something for us to refer to, in case... it will be a basis for future reference. What do you think?"

Shu Ran felt a surge of secret joy; she had been worried about not having a reason to write teaching materials.

Her face showed just the right amount of embarrassment: "Company Commander, I'm genuinely happy that Secretary Liu and the company have given their approval. Actually, I also feel that the current teaching method is a bit scattered, and I'm thinking of organizing it. It would be good for both the primary school and the literacy classes. It's just..."

She sighed, "My daytime classes are packed, and at night I prepare lessons, grade homework, and teach literacy classes. There's never enough time, no matter how many pieces I cut. I'm afraid it will interfere with my important work..."

"Don't worry about that!" Company Commander Ma immediately assured him. "The company will definitely support you! Here's what we'll do: I'll talk to Secretary Liu and see if Xiulan, or someone else who can read, can help you with some of the miscellaneous tasks. As for paper and pens, just get them from Accountant Shi if you need them! Make sure this is done well!"

With these words, Shu Ran felt reassured: "Thank you, Company Commander! With the company's support, I will definitely do my best to achieve something tangible!"

"Alright! Alright! Then thank you for your hard work!" Company Commander Ma walked away with his hands behind his back, satisfied.

After seeing the company commander off, Shu Ran turned around and saw Sister Wang, who had arrived at some point, peering out the window and listening intently, her face a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

"Ran, did the company commander really ask us to compile a book?" Sister Wang's voice was filled with excitement.

"It's not compiling a book, it's organizing materials," Shu Ran corrected her with a smile.

Shu Ran didn't make a big fuss; instead, she started with the people she trusted most.

The first person she went to was Xu Junjun. In the clinic, Xu Junjun was applying gentian violet to the arm of a crying child.

"Compiling teaching materials? That's great!" Xu Junjun's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she quickly bandaged the child's arm with gauze. "What do you need me to do? Just tell me!"

"You'll be indispensable when it comes to hygiene knowledge." Shu Ran took out a notebook. "For example, how to treat small wounds, how to prevent diarrhea, and what to do if a child has a fever. Write it in the simplest terms possible, and it would be best to include pictures."

"Leave it to me!" Xu Junjun readily agreed. "I have a few old copies of the 'Barefoot Doctor's Manual,' which can be used as a reference to draw some simple diagrams. I guarantee everyone will understand them at a glance!"

Then, after the literacy class ended, Shu Ran left Sister Wang and Li Xiulan behind.

Under the light, the three sat together.

"Big sister, Xiulan, the company asked us to organize study materials. This task depends on everyone." Shu Ran got straight to the point. "Big sister, you know best where the sisters are stuck and which words are the hardest to learn. You should be the one to check it out. The things we compile have to be easy to use and understand."

Sister Wang suddenly felt a heavy weight on her shoulders and nodded vigorously: "Don't worry! I'll be the first to object to anyone who makes a bad one!"

“Xiulan,” Shu Ran looked at Li Xiulan again, “you are meticulous and your handwriting is getting better and better. You can help with copying and organizing. Also, write down the names of all kinds of things in our company, fields, and homes, the more detailed and practical the better.”

Li Xiulan was a little shy, but her eyes were firm: "Yes, I will definitely remember it carefully."

Shu Ran herself took on the responsibility of overall planning, content selection, and final approval. She specifically found an old hardcover notebook to use as the textbook compilation material and began to accumulate knowledge bit by bit.

During breaks, Shu Ran no longer just sits and drinks water; she takes out her notebook and writes down the commands the children shout and the nursery rhymes they sing while playing games, noting which words they use most fluently.

"Stone, when you play war games, how do you assign roles? Who's the commander? Who's the scout?" she asked carefully, and Stone and Shuanzhu vied to answer.

In art class, she asked the children to draw "My Home", "My Home Tools", and "Delicious Food". Adil drew a yurt and a running horse, and Shu Ran neatly wrote "Mongolian Yurt" and "Horse" next to it; other children drew corn, sickles, and spinning wheels, and she labeled them one by one.

The evenings at the literacy class turned into teaching and research meetings. When teaching the word "work points," Sister Wang would interject: "Just recognizing it isn't enough, we have to teach them how to calculate it! I see many people can't even distinguish between ten points and one hundred points!" Shu Ran immediately took notes.

Li Xiulan then whispered, "Teacher Shu, people often mix up the words 'buy' and 'sell.' Could you think of a way to make them easier to remember?" Shu Ran pondered, "How about making up a rhyme? Or using a diagram?"

Xu Junjun visited a few times during her spare time, bringing simple diagrams she had drawn in pencil: "Handwashing Method," "Wound Disinfection Steps," and "Preventing Mosquito Bites." Although her drawing skills were immature, the meaning was clear, and Sister Wang understood it at a glance: "This is good! This is practical!"

Even Adil offered his help. Shu Ran asked him what the various items in the pastoral tents were called, and he tried his best to explain them in a mix of Chinese and English. Shu Ran carefully wrote them down and marked the pronunciation and meaning.

Shu Ran visited Chen Yuanjiang again, this time to ask how to explain some more formal, policy-related terms in the simplest language. Chen Yuanjiang remained concise, but his explanations were precise and thorough.

The writing process was not without its challenges.

Sometimes, several people would argue for a long time over the explanation of a single word. Sister Wang insisted on using the most colloquial language, while Shu Ran worried that it wasn't standard enough; Li Xiulan found a certain example sentence awkward, but Sister Wang thought that this was the most reliable way to remember it.

Paper remained a scarce resource. The backs of the old reports approved by Accountant Shi were quickly used up, so Shu Ran came up with other ideas: leftover newspaper scraps from pasting windows, kraft paper from packaging, and even smooth tree bark became writing materials.

The biggest challenge is time. Shu Ran often only gets to open her notebook by the dim light of a kerosene lamp after she has finished grading the last assignment, carefully reviewing the day's notes, considering the wording, and designing exercises.

Inside the dugout, the only sound was the scratching of a pen tip across paper.

But she enjoyed it immensely. Watching the hardcover notebook grow thicker and thicker, and seeing the scattered pieces of knowledge gradually form a coherent whole, a sense of accomplishment welled up within her.

*

With the arrival of winter, the daytime sun is no longer scorching.

The stove in the new classroom was lit, using firewood and cow dung that the children had collected. It didn't burn very brightly, but at least it dispelled some of the chill.

Shu Ran teaches the children during the day, and her nose is often red from the cold, and her fingers holding the chalk are a little stiff. The children, however, remain lively, running around during breaks, their breath steaming in the air.

But Shu Ran's burden grew heavier day by day. During the day, she had to continue teaching without fail, and the children's studies could not be neglected.

In the evenings, the women's literacy classes continued as usual, and more and more people came. Sister Wang was full of energy, so she couldn't back down. In addition, the compilation of the teaching materials was taking up her already packed schedule.

She began to make the most of every spare moment.

During the ten-minute break between classes, she would watch the children play while quickly jotting down the vivid words and phrases that came out of their mouths in her notebook, or pondering how to explain a certain new word in a more vivid way.

At lunchtime, she was often the last to arrive at the cafeteria. While eating, she would keep her eyes glued to the notebook spread out on the table, making notes with a pencil. Sometimes, Xu Junjun couldn't bear to see this and would get her a bowl of hot soup, which she would quickly drink and then bury her head in her work again.

After school in the afternoon, which should be the time for lesson preparation and homework grading, is now often "occupied" by Sister Wang and Li Xiulan.

"Ran, take a look, is this rhyme I came up with okay?" Sister Wang's loud voice could always penetrate the classroom door.

Shu Ran put down the homework she was grading, took the tattered piece of paper from Sister Wang, looked at it carefully, and nodded: "The meaning is good, Sister. It's just that this sentence is a bit awkward..."

Sister Wang thought for a moment, then slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "That's it! This is great! You're so educated! I'll have Xiulan write it down right away!"

Li Xiulan was much quieter. She would neatly copy the collected vocabulary into another notebook. When she encountered something she was unsure about, she would ask Shu Ran in a low voice, "Teacher Shu, in our mechanized farming team, is the combine harvester written as these three characters? Or is it just written as combine harvester? Many people call it combine."

Shu Ran thought for a moment: "Let's write them all down. First, write 'combiner,' and then add in parentheses 'also called combine.' That way it's both standardized and down-to-earth."

Xu Junjun would occasionally come over, proudly showing off her new paintings: "Ranran, look, I drew pictures of preventing colds—this one is about opening windows for ventilation, this one is about drinking more hot water, and this one is about adding clothes when it's cold! Doesn't it look like one?"

Looking at the abstract line drawing, Shu Ran couldn't help but laugh: "It's so lifelike! It's incredibly lifelike! It's just that the little person drinking hot water has his nose and eyes almost squeezed together."

"As long as you can understand it, that's fine!" Xu Junjun said nonchalantly, and handed her a few more pictures of herbs. "These are some that we can find in the Gobi Desert. They're somewhat useful for treating coughs. I've marked them all! See if you can use them?"

Even Adil became a minor advisor. Shu Ran would bring him the pastoral vocabulary she had written down to confirm.

Adil would look very carefully, nod vigorously, or try his best to correct in broken Chinese: "Teacher, this... is a little less."

In the dugout, the kerosene lamp was lit more and more frequently late into the night.

Sister Wang and Li Xiulan both noticed her exhaustion. Sister Wang would grumble, "Ran, take a break. It's not like you have to finish it tomorrow. Take your time." Li Xiulan would fill a thermos and place it at her feet.

Shu Ran always smiled and said, "It's okay, Big Sister, Xiulan, you two go to sleep first. I'll go to sleep after I finish this."

But the "little bit" on her desk seems to never end.

She had dark circles under her eyes, her complexion wasn't good, she often had no appetite, and she visibly lost weight.

Chen Yuanjiang seemed to be passing by the classroom more often on patrol. Sometimes it was early morning, sometimes late at night.

He never went in, nor did he say anything.

That afternoon, another jeep arrived at the company headquarters. This time, it was Yang Zhenhua, an officer from the regimental propaganda department, who got out. He was carrying a bulging satchel and went straight to Secretary Liu, who was at the company headquarters checking the supplies list with Accountant Shi.

"Secretary Liu, I'm bothering you again." Yang Zhenhua's smile remained humble, but his tone carried a clear work purpose. "After returning from the last survey, the department attached great importance to our livestock company's experience in carrying out literacy work in light of actual conditions. They sent me here to stay for a few more days to gain a deeper understanding of the specific situation, especially the textbook writing work that you are currently exploring, to see if there are any difficulties, and whether we can summarize some experiences that can be promoted throughout the regiment."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Liu felt both pleased and pressured. He was pleased that his work had indeed been recognized by his superiors, but he was also pressured because it was clear that Officer Yang wanted to see concrete results.

"Welcome, welcome! We are very grateful that you could come and provide guidance, Officer Yang!" Secretary Liu said hurriedly. "The compilation of the teaching materials is mainly being handled by Teacher Shu, the Shanghai educated youth teacher at Qiming Elementary School. She has put in a lot of effort, but... sigh, the school's affairs and the literacy classes all fall on her shoulders, so time is really tight and the progress may be a little slow."

Yang Zhenhua expressed his understanding: "I know Professor Shu has a lot of work to do. So this time I came to see if I could provide some assistance while conducting the research. Is she in the classroom? I'd like to go and talk to her first."

“Yes! She’s definitely here! She just finished class at this time.” Secretary Liu personally led Yang Zhenhua toward the classroom.

Inside the classroom, the children, who had just finished school, were running noisily out. Shu Ran was resting in a chair on the podium.

"Teacher Shu!" Secretary Liu's voice rang out at the door, "Look who's here!"

Shu Ran opened her eyes and was somewhat surprised to see Yang Zhenhua behind Secretary Liu. She quickly stood up straight and asked, "Officer Yang? What brings you here?"

Yang Zhenhua noticed her slightly tired expression, but he didn't point it out. He walked in with a smile and said, "Teacher Shu, I'm bothering you again. The regiment is very interested in our company's literacy work and sent me here to learn more, especially about textbook writing, to see how it's progressing and if there's anything we can do to help."

Upon hearing the word "textbook," Shu Ran subconsciously glanced at the thick, bound-together compilation on the podium, and a wave of unease washed over her. It was filled with corrections, annotations, and hastily pasted notes; it was far from being a "formed experience."

"Officer Yang, you're too kind. We're just figuring things out on our own, using makeshift methods, and it's not a systematic approach," Shu Ran said modestly, walking over to pick up the notebook. "We've only just set up a framework, it's a mess, and we're afraid you'll laugh at us."

Yang Zhenhua took the notebook; it felt heavy in his hand. He opened it and saw all sorts of papers and densely packed writings and drawings in different handwriting styles.

There are Shu Ranjuan's neat and tidy penmanship, Sister Wang's crooked but hard-working large characters, Li Xiulan's meticulous copying, Xu Junjun's childlike simple drawings, and even illustrations drawn by children and some vocabulary annotations that were obviously provided by herdsmen.

He looked at each page carefully, examining the categories: "Titles and Names", "Numbers and Accounts", "Farm Tools and Crops", "Hygiene and Health", "Pastoral Terminology", "Policy Quotes"... He looked at the explanations written in the most straightforward language, and the example sentences and rhymes full of life.

He stared for a long time. The classroom was quiet, with only the sound of papers turning.

Finally, he looked up, his eyes behind his glasses sparkling with genuine admiration: "Professor Shu, this is definitely not just wild speculation. This is truly remarkable!"

His tone was firm: "What you've done is exactly what we need right now—a textbook that truly comes from the masses and goes back to the masses! This is far more valuable than those things that are created behind closed doors!"

Shu Ran was taken aback by the high praise she received: "Officer Yang, you flatter me... It's just that we learn what everyone feels is needed and write it down."

“This is the most valuable thing!” Yang Zhenhua closed his notebook, his expression becoming serious. “Teacher Shu, I know you have a heavy workload and a tight schedule. This time, besides conducting research, I also wanted to see if I could actually help. How about this: if you need to organize, transcribe, or find any information, I can help. The archives of the Regiment’s Propaganda Department may not have many books, but you might be able to find something useful.”

This was undoubtedly a timely help. Shu Ran felt a warmth in her heart, and just as she was about to speak, a dizzying sensation struck her, and she instinctively grabbed the edge of the podium.

"Teacher Shu?" Yang Zhenhua immediately noticed her discomfort, stepped forward, and asked with concern, "Are you alright? You don't look well."

Secretary Liu was also startled: "Teacher Shu, are you sick from exhaustion? I knew it! You can't push yourself like this! Sit down and rest!"

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired, I'll be fine after a rest." Shu Ran rubbed her temples.

Just then, a voice came from the classroom door: "Secretary Liu, Company Commander Ma wants you to go to the canal; there's something going on there."

Shu Ran looked up and saw Chen Yuanjiang standing at the door, his expression unreadable.

"Oh, okay, I'll go right away!" Secretary Liu quickly responded, then said to Shu Ran, "Teacher Shu, you should go back and rest! The literacy class is canceled tonight! That's an order!" After saying that, he nodded apologetically to Yang Zhenhua and left in a hurry.

Yang Zhenhua nodded politely to Chen Yuanjiang: "Officer Chen."

Chen Yuanjiang nodded, then looked at Shu Ran, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Teacher Shu, if you're not feeling well, go back and rest. The textbook issue isn't urgent today."

His gaze swept over Yang Zhenhua.

Shu Ran did feel a wave of fatigue, so she stopped insisting: "Okay, then I'll go back and rest for a while. Sorry, Officer Yang..."

"Your health is the most important thing." Yang Zhenhua nodded understandingly. "I'll take a look at the materials first, and we can discuss any thoughts I have tomorrow. Let me know if you need any help."

Shu Ran nodded, packed her things, and walked outside.

Chen Yuanjiang looked at Yang Zhenhua, "Officer Yang, have the accommodations been arranged?"

"Secretary Liu has already made the arrangements. Thank you for your concern, Officer Chen."