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Qi Shuli's rise to prominence was not without reason.
First of all, his daughter, Qi Zhenzhen, is a junior high school graduate and could be a teacher, which is a respectable job.
Secondly, his son-in-law, Li Mingkai, is a high school graduate and could be a teacher.
Actually, there was an even more important reason. Qi Shuli learned from his second daughter, Qi Fenfen, that Li Mingkai, that rascal, was having affairs with some women in the commune and would get into trouble sooner or later.
After Qi Shuli learned about this, he started thinking about having Li Mingkai come and be a teacher.
On the one hand, it allows the daughter and son-in-law to earn more money; on the other hand, it is also to maintain a complete family.
Li Mingkai is a scoundrel, but his grandchildren are his precious treasures.
Secretary Qi did the math and realized that was indeed the case. There were indeed several junior high school students in the village. He said, "Alright, all those in the village who meet the requirements should apply. Educated youth who are willing to be teachers should also apply. We will select the best candidates."
Even though Wang Lei and Zhang Qingshan were unwilling, they were helpless.
They are, after all, outsiders. Qi Shuli also said that if given the opportunity, they would like to go back to their hometown, since their relatives and friends are all there.
Everyone left their names and is waiting for approval. Since there are many students and a large number of teachers needed, it shouldn't be a problem.
He Tiantian is not worried about not being able to become a teacher, after all, the two families have a relationship, and He Tiantian is also well-liked in the village.
Back home, Huo Yingjie smiled and asked, "You want to be a teacher?"
He Tiantian smiled and whispered, "Compared to being a 'poop scooper' in the livestock team, I'd rather be a teacher."
"Poop scooper?" Huo Yingjie was taken aback, then burst into laughter, "Hahaha, that's a fitting title!"
In the evening, Secretary Qi brought over a bottle of wine and invited Grandpa Qi, He Jingyu, and Huo Yingjie to drink.
When He Tiantian saw Secretary Qi arrive, she quickly cooked two more dishes.
During the meal, Secretary Qi expressed his dilemma: "The educated youth in the village have all performed well, and the young people in our village are also quite good. It's just that there are a few extra people, and we can't find suitable places for them. I guess the village will be in an uproar again."
“Hehe, that’s true. You’ll need to weigh it carefully then,” He Jingyu said. “If we don’t let people from the village become teachers, they’ll have objections. It’s also not good for retired educated youth.”
Huo Yingjie smiled and said, "Actually, you see, there are so many children in the village. When things get busy, there's simply no time to take care of them. One- or two-year-olds are fine; they can't walk far, and the elderly can watch them. But those three- or four-year-olds run around everywhere, and the elderly can't keep up. It's easy for accidents to happen. You might as well set up a few more after-school care classes, with their own courtyards, and some toys, slides, balls, etc., for these children to play with. If they're all in the same courtyard with teachers watching over them, nothing serious will happen."
Upon hearing this, Secretary Qi slapped his thigh and said, "Yes, that's a great idea! These mischievous kids run around like crazy, but I'm afraid they'll go to the water's edge. It's a pity, though; last year, two children from the village secretly went to the underground river and died."
Old Qi agreed, saying, "It's a pity! Dazhu, the children in the preschool class are young. You can set up a separate courtyard next to the primary school, set up a few classrooms, and have a few junior high school students take care of the children. If there aren't enough people, you can also pick someone older, quick and efficient from the village who has graduated from primary school."
"Yes, that's right." Secretary Qi made a note of it. Qi Shuliang had said in his letter that the primary school should be built to be better.
Children who attend Qijia Village Primary School will only be charged half tuition, with Qi Shuliang covering the cost of textbooks.
With the teacher's salary and Grandma Qi's subsidies, Qi Dazhu wasn't worried about money.
This way, things can be handled well, and everyone will be happy.
Qi Fangfang heard about the benefits of becoming a teacher and was very interested.
She had caused a scene at her cousin's wedding, making her cousin Qi Zhenzhen and her second uncle's family lose face, so she was too embarrassed to go.
Qi Fangfang told her mother about it, saying, "Mom, a primary school is being built in the village now, and there's a monthly salary of twenty-five yuan, plus ten jin of rice, ten jin of flour, and twenty jin of cornmeal. It's such a good job, I want it too. But I'm afraid they won't want me."
Upon hearing this, Qi's mother thought it was indeed a good job, given the abundance of things and the proximity to home. She said, "Don't worry, Mom will definitely make sure you become a teacher."
Qi Fangfang smiled smugly. Her mother must be going to find her grandmother and then to her second uncle's house.
Sure enough, Qi's mother pulled her mother-in-law directly to Qi Shuli's house.
Amidst Old Lady Qi's stern cries, Qi Shuli agreed to secure a teaching position for Qi Fangfang at the school.
Although Qi Shuli didn't like Qi Fangfang, he thought that Qi Fangfang's family was not doing well, and that Qi Fangfang had been relatively well-behaved over the years, so he agreed.
"Shuli, let me make this clear from the start: if Fangfang doesn't behave properly as a teacher, I'll fire her too," Qi Dazhu said. Although the school hadn't been built yet, he was the village secretary and had money. Even though it was sponsored by Qi Shuliang, Qi Shuliang had entrusted him with full authority, so he had that right.
Qi Shuli gave a forced smile, though he was unhappy inside. But at least he had an explanation for his mother, saying, "Fine, all the teachers who don't do a good job should be fired. They can't bring trouble to the children of our Qi Family Village."
"It's even better that you think that way." Secretary Qi nodded. Qi Shuli was sensible, so he wouldn't make things too difficult for him.
The village is so big, sometimes we still need people like this.
He Tiantian was overjoyed to receive the letter of appointment personally written by Secretary Qi, and carefully put it away.
After that, Qijia Village became lively.
Finally, under the decision of Secretary Qi and several village cadres, a grove of woods and wasteland on the east side of the village was chosen, filled in, and used as the site for the school, covering more than 30 acres!
Truckloads of bricks, tiles, and stones were transported to Qijia Village.
The village secretaries of the other three villages brought people over to dig foundations and build schools.
With a large workforce and ample funds, along with support from the county, everything was ready within half a month, and construction began.
These days, everyone builds their own houses, but in order to build spacious classrooms, a person is sent from the commune to direct the work.
The school was completed in just one month, with red bricks, green tiles, and high walls.
The classroom was bright and clean, with a cement floor.
The houses at the school are much better than the houses in Qijia Village.
Many villagers came to see it and were very envious, thinking that when their families could also live in a large tiled house with a cement floor.
The weather has been perfect lately; the sun has been warm and there's a gentle breeze. After opening the windows for a few days, the house has dried out.
Then, rows of new desks and chairs were placed in the classroom, neatly arranged.
Small trees, as well as some easy-to-care-for cockscomb, steppe, and poppy, have been planted along the roads in the school.
A primary school was built amidst everyone's eager anticipation.
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