Chapter 647

Since participating in the Asian Games volunteer training, Su Miao's pace of life has suddenly accelerated.

I have to attend classes as usual, review the training content in my spare time, go home for one night on weekends to check on business, go to training again the next day, and then go back to school. My schedule is packed.

Su Miao woke up at 6:30 in the morning. She turned on the flashlight quietly and looked at her notes. Each of them had added a layer of blackout cloth inside the mosquito net, so even if she turned on the flashlight, it would not disturb her sleeping roommate.

The morning dew had not yet dissipated, and on the sycamore tree outside the window, a few sparrows were jumping on the branches, chirping crisply.

"Miao Miao, why are you up so early today?" Meng Linlin, who was in the bed opposite, was awakened by the chirping of sparrows. She rubbed her eyes and saw that there seemed to be a light on Su Miao's bed. She asked with a strong sleepiness in her voice.

"The volunteer training the day after tomorrow will test first aid knowledge, so I have to review it again."

Su Miao held a thick training manual in her hand, which was filled with her notes.

After hearing her words, Meng Linlin suddenly woke up: "Oh, right, then I have to review it too."

At seven o'clock, the normal time to get up, everyone washed up, had breakfast and then went to class.

Originally, Professor Wen wanted to take Su Miao to the "construction site" this semester, but now that she is a volunteer, the schedule doesn't work.

However, as Professor Wen's "favorite student", Su Miao still often receives special tutoring from Professor Wen.

Ever since Su Miao "asked for help" from Professor Wen during the Taifu's former residence incident, not only Professor Wen, but other professors in the department who contributed to this matter also treated her differently.

Several professors thought that this student was good, brave, resourceful, and had a knight-errant spirit.

After class that day, Professor Wen called Su Miao over, and after all the students had left, he said to her happily:

"Su Miao, I have good news to share with you. I received a call from Professor Zhou yesterday, and it has been confirmed that the former residence of Grand Tutor Jia has been preserved."

Su Miao said in surprise: "That's great!"

"Yes, because Professor Zhou only has your phone number in Yongcheng, he asked me to tell you this news. You played a big role in this matter."

Su Miao said embarrassedly, "Actually, I did very little. It was the joint efforts of the teachers and Jiang Xu that preserved the former residence."

Professor Wen waved his hand and said, "Don't be so modest. If you hadn't contacted us in time, the school would never have noticed this matter. Several professors in the department praised you highly, saying that you are courageous and responsible."

It turned out that the defense battle really entered a white-hot stage when the relevant units decided to suspend the demolition.

During the re-evaluation phase, everyone was also busy.

Jiang Xu's report was like a spark, igniting the attention of all sectors of society to the protection of cultural relics.

Many media outlets sent reporters to conduct on-site interviews and published several in-depth reports in succession.

As Jiang Xu saw more and more "comrades-in-arms", he became more excited and his articles became more and more incisive.

He is worthy of being a senior journalist. His writing is sharp and measured, and he describes the historical value of Jia Taifu's former residence and the current crisis it faces in great detail.

Especially the last sentence: "How can a nation that cannot even protect its own history face the future?"

It is very inspiring and makes readers excited.

Professor Zhou said on the phone that what moved him most was the reaction of the people.

After the news spread locally, many citizens who usually didn't pay much attention to this historical residence came to visit spontaneously.

Some people brought their children to listen to Professor Zhou tell the story of Master Jia. A retired teacher even organized a "Heritage Protection Volunteer Team" to patrol every day, fearing that the Planning Bureau would take the initiative and demolish the former residence without anyone knowing.

Professor Wen pulled another newspaper clipping from his briefcase. "This Mr. Lin Shichang is the real turning point."

On the yellowed newspaper, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie stood in front of the Bank of China Building, and the headline read "Hong Kong businessmen invest in domestic cultural industries."

Professor Wen tapped the photo. "What a coincidence! Mr. Lin's ancestral home is Changsha. When his grandfather was young, he attended a private school next to the former residence of Master Jia."

It turned out that during the period when public opinion was fermenting, Professor Zhou contacted the Hong Kong businessman who invested through his old relationship with the Hunan Association.

Lin Shichang was greatly shocked by this incident and said that he had no idea that the project involved the demolition of cultural relics. He had no intention of destroying the ancient monuments. On the contrary, he attached great importance to such historical buildings.

When he learned about the historical significance of Jia Taifu's former residence, he immediately expressed his willingness to adjust the investment plan and said that preserving the historical relics would actually enhance the commercial value of the area.

Three days later, Lin Shichang flew to Changsha in person.

Professor Zhou described the scene of that day in detail in his report, where Hong Kong businessmen, wearing elegant Zhongshan suits, entered the ruins of the former residence to visit.

As he touched the smoke-blackened stele, the sandalwood Buddhist beads on his wrist suddenly broke and the beads rolled all over the floor.

"This is God's will." Lin Shichang told the accompanying officials on the spot that the planning scheme is not rigid and can be modified according to specific circumstances. He hopes that this ancient building can be preserved.

The accompanying staff was still playing it safe. His face darkened and he said:

"As far as I know, mainland China has legislation to protect cultural relics. Are you insisting on demolishing them just to push me into a trap?

If it involves illegal activities, I will not invest again, lest you use this as an excuse to waste my money."

In the subsequent special meeting on the protection of Jia Yi's former residence, Professor Zhou and others were invited to attend as expert representatives.

The meeting lasted a whole day, and the final research decision was that the former residence of Master Jia would be fully protected as a provincial cultural relic protection unit, and the original commercial development plan would be adjusted to bypass the cultural relic protection area.

In the end, the battle to defend the former residence, which lasted for two years, achieved a phased victory.

Why is it said to be phased? Because Professor Zhou will continue to apply to repair and rebuild the burned-down former residence and open it to the public for visits in an orderly manner.

Only in this way can we better protect it and reflect its historical and cultural value.

It is said that after this incident, Deputy Mayor Wang was transferred to a sinecure, and the commercial district construction project that he had personally promoted was completely out of his reach.

At night, Su Miao lay in bed, staring at the upper bunk in a daze.

The moonlight from outside the window shines through the gauze curtains, casting mottled shadows on the wall.

She recalled the information about Master Jia's former residence that she had seen in Professor Zhou's office. In history, the former residence had suffered greatly from wars and had been rebuilt sixty times.

The sentence "destroyed by war and rebuilt during the Guangxu period" is still fresh in her memory. This is what history is like, continuing its warmth through the protection of generations.