Chapter 36 "Little Hero!"
When Shu Ran returned to the dugout in the women workers' dormitory, Sister Wang and Li Xiulan immediately surrounded her, their faces still showing fear and worry.
"Teacher Shu! Are you alright? You scared us to death!" Sister Wang patted her chest, her voice trembling. "I heard the gong from far away, my heart was in my throat! Then there were gunshots..."
“It’s alright,” Shu Ran interrupted her, trying to keep her voice steady, but her slightly pale face and disheveled hair betrayed the danger she had just experienced. “The bad guy has been caught. Company Commander Ma has given the order that we pack our things and move to the company headquarters warehouse to stay together for a few days.”
"The warehouse?" Li Xiulan was taken aback for a moment, then realized what she meant and nodded quickly. "Okay, okay, safety first! Safety first!" She quickly began to roll up the bedding.
Shu Ran also quietly packed her few clothes and toiletries.
The camphor wood chest was too heavy, so she only took the old cloth bag containing her lesson plans and pencil stubs.
The only sounds from inside the dugout were the rustling of things being packed and the howling wind outside. Sister Wang couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Heavens above, when will this ever end..."
Soon, a female officer sent by the company headquarters called out from outside the door, urging them to hurry. The three women, carrying simple luggage, headed towards the brightly lit company headquarters warehouse. Armed militiamen stood guard at the warehouse entrance, their expressions serious.
The warehouse was already filled with single female employees and their families with children. Thick layers of straw were laid on the ground, serving as makeshift sleeping areas. It was summer, and with so many people in the warehouse, the air was thick with the smells of straw and sweat.
The heavy wooden door of the warehouse closed, shutting out the wind but not the pervasive tension. On the straw mats, children were being comforted to sleep in the arms of adults.
Xu Junjun was busy applying antiseptic to a child who had been knocked down and scraped in the chaos when she saw Shu Ran come in. She gave Shu Ran a worried look and then called out, "Ranran! My bedding is over there, can you help me make it up?"
Shu Ran nodded and laid out Xu Junjun's bedding, along with her own, next to Sister Wang and Li Xiulan. Just as she finished making the bed, she looked up and saw Zhou Qiaozhen on the opposite bunk.
Zhou Qiaozhen had obviously seen her too. Their eyes met briefly before looking away, and Zhou Qiaozhen quickly turned her head away.
Since being publicly exposed, receiving a demerit, and being transferred, she had become a "celebrity" in the company. Now, in this crowded warehouse, she felt particularly awkward and isolated. No one spoke to her, and she refused to approach anyone, especially Shu Ran.
Shu Ran silently withdrew her gaze and sat down against the wall. The dark figure prying open the door, the whistling bullets, and Chen Yuanjiang's lunging figure were still flashing through Shu Ran's mind. Her stomach was empty and she had no appetite.
As dawn broke, the warehouse door was gently pushed open a crack, and a female militiaman peeked in, whispering a few words to the female officer guarding the door. The officer nodded, quickly walked to Shu Ran's side, bent down, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Teacher Shu, Officer Chen... needs Adil to go over and help with some questions. Company Commander Ma asked me to ask you if you know roughly where Turdi's yurt is located? Or is there any way to contact them as soon as possible? The company sent people on horseback to look for them, but we're worried about taking a long detour and wasting time."
Shu Ran understood immediately; they needed Adil because of the identification. She perked up and tried to recall: "Turdi's summer pasture... I remember it was behind the grassy slope with the spring near the old wind gap. On the roof of the yurt... there seemed to be a piece of felt with a red edge hanging as a marker. They should have gone back last night; Adil was terrified, and Turdi must have taken him home."
"Okay! I'll go report right away!" The women's affairs officer jotted down the key information and hurriedly turned to leave. The door closed again.
The others in the warehouse cast questioning glances at her. Shu Ran simply shook her head slightly, indicating that nothing was wrong. She leaned back against the wall, but her heart pounded even harder.
The wait felt incredibly long. The warehouse was dimly lit and the air was heavy. A suppressed cough came from Zhou Qiaozhen's side; it was unclear whether she was genuinely unwell or trying to hide something. She remained with her back to Shu Ran.
It wasn't until the sun began to set that the heavy wooden door of the warehouse was finally pushed open with a loud bang.
It was Ma Zhanshan who entered. His face was still serious, but the corners of his tightly closed mouth relaxed a little.
"Listen up, everyone! Great news! The last two saboteurs hiding in that godforsaken place in the northwest have been caught! Not one of them was missing, they're all pinned down! The expert brought by Officer Chen personally led the team, and they didn't fire a single shot or hurt a hair on our heads! They caught them red-handed in the abandoned sheep pen! They found a bunch of dangerous items on them! It was a close call!"
A moment of silence fell over the warehouse, followed by a chorus of sighs and lamentations. Sister Wang and Li Xiulan hugged each other, laughing and crying. Xu Junjun let out a long breath, her whole body relaxing. The children, caught up in the adults' emotions, clapped along, bewildered. The weight that had been pressing on everyone's hearts for days and nights finally lifted.
Ma Zhanshan waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet: "The alert is off! But for safety's sake, everyone will have to stay here one more night! Tomorrow at dawn, those who need to go back to their dorms should go back, and those who need to go to school should go to school!" He glanced at Shu Ran and the children, "Classes will resume!"
He paused, his tone solemn: "This time, we owe it all to Officer Chen and the comrades he brought! And also to Adil from our company! And..."
His gaze fell on Shu Ran: "And Comrade Shu Ran! Thanks to her for providing us with the positions of bad elements! Well done!"
Sister Wang and Li Xiulan looked at Shu Ran happily, and Xu Junjun excitedly shook Shu Ran's hand: "Listen! We're praising you! Ranran, you've really made us female educated youth proud!"
Ma Zhanshan's gaze fell on Shu Ran again, then quickly swept across the entire area: "That kid Adil from the pastoral area! He was led by Turdi early this morning and came to the company headquarters on his own initiative! The kid has a good memory and is very brave! He described exactly what the bad elements he saw that day were wearing and which way they were sneaking off! He pointed out the way! He has done a great service to our team! This kid is excellent! His father is also a wise man!"
A chorus of heartfelt praise rose from the crowd. Shu Ran's tense heartstrings finally relaxed, a warm current surged up, and her eyes became slightly sore.
Just then, a muttered voice came from Zhou Qiaozhen's side, drowned out by the crowd's praise: "Hmph... just a blind cat catching a dead mouse... just got lucky..."
The voice was soft, but Sister Wang and Li Xiulan, who were sitting nearby, both heard it. Sister Wang immediately glared at Zhou Qiaozhen's retreating figure, and Li Xiulan frowned as well. Shu Ran, however, acted as if she hadn't heard anything, simply looking down at her lesson plan and smiling calmly. Recognizing Adil's courage was more important than anything else. Zhou Qiaozhen's little grumbles seemed insignificant at that moment.
Ma Zhanshan gave a few more safety instructions and then left in a hurry.
The news spread quickly through the warehouse, completely changing the atmosphere. Dinner arrived—still cornbread, pickled vegetables, and porridge—but everyone ate with extra relish. The warehouse was filled with the sounds of conversation, low laughter, and children's playful antics.
Shu Ran slowly chewed on her cornbread, looking out the window. The wind outside seemed to have subsided a bit.
As dawn broke, the warehouse door was pushed open. The crisp air, carried by the morning breeze, rushed in, washing away the stale air of the night.
Ma Zhanshan stood at the door with his hands on his hips, his voice booming, but lacking the anxiety of the past few days: "Wake up, everyone! The alert is off! Pack your things and go home! Pack up this morning! This afternoon, those who need to go to work should go to work, and those who need to go to school should go to school!"
The crowd stirred, rubbing their eyes and yawning.
Sister Wang stretched and cracked her bones: "Finally, I can go back! I hope the rats don't eat all the dried wild vegetables I made!"
"I've only finished half of my shoe soles!" Li Xiulan muttered under her breath as she quickly rolled up her bedding.
Shu Ran picked up her old cloth bag and bedding and followed her roommate out of the storeroom.
The sky was clear, and the eastern horizon was tinged with the pale light of dawn. At the entrance to the company compound, the tractors had vanished, leaving only deep tire tracks. The soldiers on guard duty had also left, with only two militiamen making their routine walk at the company gate.
Back in the dugouts of the female workers' dormitory, a familiar earthy smell wafted towards me.
The first thing Sister Wang did was rush to the corner, lift the tattered burlap sack covering it, grab a handful of dried gray vegetables, and smell them: "Thank goodness, they're not spoiled!"
Li Xiulan then found her half-finished cloth shoes with layered soles, sat on the bed, picked up an awl and hemp thread, and continued to stitch the soles, her movements more steady than usual.
Shu Ran put down her cloth bag and glanced at Zhou Qiaozhen's empty bunk, which was deserted. She rested for a while, tidied up everything that needed to be tidied, and then left the dugout.
She arrived at the company headquarters, where the classroom shed stood forlornly in the morning light. The pry mark on the door was shocking, and the lock hung crookedly to one side, already broken. Shu Ran sighed and pushed open the slightly ajar door.
The shed was not much different from when she left. Several low benches were neatly arranged, and Adil's gleaming lectern stood quietly, with a few scraps of paper left by the children practicing calligraphy the day before spread out on it.
Near the door, there were scattered pieces of dirt and a few trampled, withered grass leaves on the ground, obviously brought in from outside when the door was pried open last time.
The terrifying scene from that night resurfaced vividly. She gathered the blades of grass together with her hands, scooped them up, and scattered them outside the door.
She picked up the small broom behind the door and began to carefully sweep the ground near the doorway, removing any traces of the conflict.
Just as I finished sweeping, I heard footsteps at the door. Stone poked his little head in, "Teacher Shu?"
"Stone, come in." Shu Ran stopped what she was doing.
Behind the stone, the children from the class followed one after another, their little faces filled with tension and curiosity as they looked around at this "home" that had weathered the storm.
"Teacher, the door is broken..." Shi Tou pointed to the crack in the door panel.
"Yes, it will be fixed." Shu Ran nodded, looking at the children who were all sitting in their seats. "Today, we won't write anything, so it won't count."
The children were stunned.
“We,” Shu Ran picked up some blank scrap reports and distributed them to the children, “to draw.”
"Drawing?" Tiger's eyes widened, somewhat incredulous.
“Yes, draw.” Shu Ran walked to the blackboard, picked up a small piece of lime, and drew a square on the blackboard. Then she drew a triangle on top of the square. “This is home.” She drew a few wavy lines. “This is a mountain.” Finally, she drew a stick-like figure next to the square. “This is a person.”
She put down the lime block and said in a gentle voice, "Today, you can draw whatever you want. Painters, draw the heroes in your hearts, draw our school... draw anything. You can draw on the ground or on paper with a pencil."
The children looked at each other in bewilderment. Shi Tou was the first to pick up a block of lime and began to draw vigorously on the classroom floor. He drew a large, square house with a flag on the roof and several small figures standing under the flag, each holding something that looked like a gun. One of them was particularly tall and had a circle drawn on his arm, probably a bandage.
Tiger drew a bunch of messy lines, with a few black lumps in the middle, and a little person holding a gong and hitting it next to it. The little person's head was drawn particularly large.
Shuanzhu drew the most carefully, depicting his family's low dugout, his mother standing at the door, and a medicine jar next to her.
Ayman squatted down beside her brother and drew on a scrap of paper with a small pencil stub. She drew large, wavy lines that looked like a grassland dotted with wildflowers, or perhaps sheep, with a round sun and a few plump clouds in the sky.
Adil didn't start drawing immediately. He squatted on the ground, his fingers unconsciously digging into the dirt. Shu Ran didn't urge him. After a while, he picked up a piece of lime and began to draw vigorously on the ground near the door. He drew a blurry black shadow, and on the shadow's leg, he drew a small dog with simple lines, biting the shadow's leg. Next to the shadow, he drew a small figure standing upright, holding a dot in its hand. Finally, a little further away, he drew an even smaller figure, holding something high in its hand, with a tree next to it and a circle hanging from it.
He painted with great effort, the lines were bold, and it conveyed a suppressed emotion that was about to burst forth.
Inside the shed, only the sounds of lime rubbing against the ground, pencils scratching across paper, and the occasional sniffing of children could be heard.
Sunlight streamed in, falling on the children's focused little faces and on the emotional lines they drew.
Shu Ran watched quietly, looking at the warriors defending their homeland in the stone paintings, the little figures in Hu Zi's chaotic lines, the mother in Shuan Zhu's paintings, the peaceful pasture in Ayman's heart, and the cathartic battle scenes of Adil... These paintings were the most authentic projections of their inner feelings after experiencing fear.
When she finished drawing, Shu Ran clapped her hands gently. The children looked up, their faces still showing the excitement of creating something.
"Are you finished drawing?" Shu Ran asked.
The children nodded.
“Okay,” Shu Ran walked to the center of the shed, “Can anyone tell me what’s depicted in the painting? What is the artist thinking in it?”
The shed fell silent. The children looked at each other, a little shy and a little nervous.
Shi Tou was the first to muster up his courage, pointing to the house and the little figure holding a stick that he had drawn on the ground: "What I drew is...it's Officer Chen and the others! They are heroes! They fight bad guys! They protect our home!" He spoke haltingly, but his chest was held high.
“Yes, Officer Chen and the others are our heroes.” Shu Ran nodded affirmatively. “The stone has drawn the heroes in my heart.”
Tiger scratched his head and pointed to the little gong-beating figure in his tangled mess of lines: "I...I drew Teacher Shu! My dad said the teacher beats a gong! It scares bad guys to death! I...I didn't hear the gong, but I'm still scared, and...I feel like I'm saved!"
“It’s normal to be afraid.” Shu Ran walked to Hu Zi’s side and gently patted his shoulder. “The teacher was also afraid when he banged the gong. But when you’re afraid, being able to think of a way out and do something is courageous.”
Tiger nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Shu Ran's gaze shifted to Adil. Adil looked down at the black shadow and the puppy he had drawn on the ground.
“Adili,” Shu Ran’s voice was gentler, “your drawing of the puppy is really amazing.”
Adil looked up, pointed at the painting, and said in broken Chinese mixed with local dialect, "It! Bites! Doesn't run! Like... a hero!" He tried hard to express himself, his face turning red.
“Yes!” Shu Ran immediately chimed in, her tone filled with genuine approval. “It’s as brave as a hero! And,” she pointed to the little figure in the painting banging a gong, “Teacher Shu banged the gong to call the police. What about you, Adil? What did you do?”
Adil was stunned. He looked at the painting, then at Shuran, and then at his friends around him.
"My dad said he identified the bad guy!" Stone shouted. "He yelled, 'It's him!'"
"Yes!" Tiger shouted, "He knows that shadow!"
All the children's eyes were fixed on Adil. Adil's face flushed even redder, a flush of excitement at being recognized. He puffed out his little chest, said nothing, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light.
“Adili,” Shu Ran crouched down, looked him straight in the eye, and said clearly, word by word, “You recognized the bad guy and bravely pointed him out. The little dog you drew tackled the bad guy. You, Adili, like this little dog, are little heroes who catch bad guys! Little heroes who protect their sister and everyone else!”
"Little hero!" Stone shouted.
"Little hero!" the other children echoed, some softly, some loudly. Ayman held her brother's hand tightly, tilting her little face up, her big eyes filled with admiration.
Hearing the repeated calls of "little hero," seeing his sister's adoring eyes, and looking at Shu Ran's approving gaze, Adil felt an unprecedented surge of warmth coursing through his body.
He pressed his lips together, trying to hold back, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned upwards, revealing a bright smile. He nodded emphatically.
Shu Ran's gaze swept over all the children: "That night, we were all scared. It's okay to be scared. But after the fear subsided, we saw the hero in Shi Tou's heart fighting, the teacher in Hu Zi's heart trying to find a solution, the peaceful and beautiful home in Ayiman's drawing still standing, and Adil bravely standing up like a little hero to identify the bad guys! Each of us, when we are scared, has a little light and a little courage hidden in our hearts! Just like..."
She picked up the red willow pointer, saying, "Just like the red willows on this Gobi Desert, no matter how strong the wind or how fierce the sandstorm, their roots hold firmly to the ground! They are the little heroes in our hearts!"
The children seemed to understand, but the strength and affirmation in Shu Ran's words enveloped them like a warm current. The tense atmosphere in the shed truly relaxed at that moment. The sunlight even seemed brighter.
In the afternoon class, Shu Ran told a simple story. In the story, a little lamb named Duo Duo encountered a ferocious gray wolf while herding sheep. Duo Duo was very scared, but she remembered her mother's words. Instead of panicking and running away, she imitated the sheepdog, bravely butting the wolf with her tender horns while bleating loudly. Her bleating attracted the sheepdog and the shepherd, who chased the wolf away. Although Duo Duo was afraid, she did what she could to protect herself.
After telling the story, Shu Ran asked the children if they were like Duo Duo from the story. What did they do or think when they were scared that night?
Some children said, "I was trembling under the covers," and Shu Ran said, "Hiding to protect yourself is the right thing to do." Some children said, "I'm not so scared when I hear the gong," and Shu Ran said, "Hearing the alarm tells you that someone is protecting you, and that makes you feel safe." Shi Tou said, "I thought Officer Chen would come to fight the bad guys," and Shu Ran said, "Trusting our soldiers and trusting the organization is very important..."
Adil didn't speak, but he listened very attentively, his little fists clenched the whole time.
As school let out in the evening, the children chattered and walked home in groups, their steps much lighter than when they arrived. Ayiman even hummed a tuneless folk song. Shuran hastily secured the door with wire, looked at the small figures in the setting sun, and let out a long sigh of relief.
The healing of the soul requires more time and patience than reinforcing doors and windows, but the first step has finally been taken.
As soon as she returned to her dugout dormitory, Li Xiulan came up to her mysteriously and handed her a small cloth bag: "Teacher Shu, here!"
Shu Ran opened it and found four still-warm boiled eggs inside! These were precious items in the company.
"this……"
"It was sent by Li Dazhuang's family!" Sister Wang chimed in with a smile. "Zhang Guifen said she's thanking you for saving Dazhuang last time, and for this time too... Anyway, she's just thanking you! She wants you to have some nourishment! Please accept it!"
Shu Ran couldn't refuse, so she had to accept it. The warmth in her heart grew even stronger.
She took out two eggs, thought for a moment, and then wrapped them in a clean cloth. She walked to the vicinity of the company's medical room. The door to the medical room was open, and Xu Junjun was packing her medical kit inside. Chen Yuanjiang was leaning against the wall on a cot, his left arm bandaged white, and he was resting with his eyes closed.
Shu Ran didn't go in. She quietly placed the warm cloth bag on the open windowsill of the clinic, where Xu Junjun could see it with a simple glance. Then she quietly left.
The next day, the third day... life returned to its original course.
The mechanics had been making a racket for days. Zhao Weidong and his apprentices, using thick planks and sturdy red willow branches, not only repaired the broken door of the tool shed but also added two cross braces inside and replaced the door hinges with thicker iron ones. They also inspected and reinforced the wooden frames of the windows in the bungalow.
"That's sturdy enough now! Let's see which bastard can pry it open so easily!" Zhao Weidong patted the reinforced door panel and said to Shu Ran, who came over after hearing the noise. His tone was full of satisfaction at having finished the job. He didn't mention the delay in production progress again.
Shu Ran sincerely thanked him: "Thank you, Director Zhao, for your trouble."
Zhao Weidong waved his hand, said nothing more, and left with his apprentice and tools.
Sister Wang's dried wild vegetables were crisp and crunchy; she carefully packed them up and treasured them under her bedding. Li Xiulan had also finished sewing the soles of her multi-layered cloth shoes and was cutting out the uppers by following the pattern.
Shu Ran's classes resumed their normal pace. The children's panic completely faded, and Adi's enthusiasm for learning Chinese increased even more. When he encountered unfamiliar words, he would proactively point to things and ask Shu Ran, "Teacher, this?" Shi Tou had become Shu Ran's little helper, responsible for collecting and distributing scrap paper from practice exercises. Ayiman's smile also returned to her face, like a small flower blooming after the rain in the Gobi Desert.
No one mentioned the red scarf incident. That touch of red remained an unspoken memory for everyone.
That afternoon after class, Shu Ran was cleaning the chalk dust off the teacher's desk.
Xu Junjun rushed in, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement, and in her hand she was holding a small, square package wrapped tightly in kraft paper.
"Ranran! Look! Look what this is!" She carefully placed the package on the teacher's desk.
Shu Ran looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Xu Junjun untied the thin hemp rope on the package and peeled off the layers of kraft paper—
A splash of red caught Shu Ran's eye.
They're red scarves! Brand new red scarves! Folded neatly, there are at least ten of them!
Shu Ran's breath hitched, her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the bright red stain. She reached out a finger and gently touched the fabric.
"This...this is..." Her voice trembled slightly.
"It was left by Officer Chen!" Xu Junjun said excitedly. "He went back to the division headquarters with his superiors to report, and before he left, he gave this to me! He said it was a special reward for all the teachers and students of Qiming Primary School for their bravery and resilience in this incident! It's also a special approval from higher authorities for our border literacy education work!"
Xu Junjun picked up the top red scarf and unfolded it. The vibrant red seemed to illuminate the entire tool shed. She looked at Shu Ran, her eyes sparkling, and said, "Ranran, your children finally have red scarves!"
Shu Ran's gaze fell on that patch of red. What kind of surprise should she give the children tomorrow?
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