Chapter 44 Little Sanitation Worker
The stone pencils were finally approved. Accountant Shi counted out a small box from the warehouse and handed it to Shu Ran, instructing her, "Teacher Shu, these are for teaching purposes, so use them sparingly! These things are precious; once they're worn out, there's nowhere to replace them."
Shu Ran thanked them repeatedly, holding the box of stone pens, a huge weight lifted from her heart. With this, the bone pens could retire gracefully, and the children could write more clearly and effortlessly.
As Shu Ran stepped out of the warehouse, she narrowed her eyes and was about to return to the classroom when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing with his back to her in the machine repair shed not far away, seemingly inspecting the tracks of a tractor.
It is Chen Yuanjiang.
Shu Ran recalled those bundles of pencils, that brand-new box of erasers, and the mysterious chalk stubs and plaster powder from before…
She gripped the pencil case tightly in her hand, turned around, and walked towards the machine repair shed.
"Special Envoy Chen." Shu Ran stopped a few steps away, trying to keep her voice as natural as possible.
Chen Yuanjiang straightened up upon hearing the voice and turned around. Seeing it was Shu Ran, he nodded expressionlessly in response, his gaze sweeping over the pencil case in her hand: "You received it?"
"Yes, I just received it. Thank you for reminding me earlier." Shu Ran took a few steps closer, deliberately steer the conversation in the direction she had prepared. "Speaking of which, those shoes from last time... I haven't had a chance to properly thank you." She paused, looking directly into Chen Yuanjiang's deep, calm eyes. "Sister Wang said it was a teacher quota, but after inquiring around, I don't think I've heard of such a quota? Those shoes... you bought them with your own money, right?"
Chen Yuanjiang's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds, his eyes revealing no emotion whatsoever.
“It’s a quota.” His tone was unquestionable. “The resettlement supplies for new employees, which are coordinated by the Security Department, are varied and not listed separately. Your status is that of a teacher, so you meet the eligibility requirements.” His explanation directly refuted Shu Ran’s suspicion that she had “paid for it herself.” He didn’t even mention the word “buy,” only emphasizing that it was “supplies” and “distribution.”
Shu Ran clicked her tongue inwardly. This person was incredibly meticulous. Of course, she didn't believe the nonsense about the security department coordinating the resettlement of new recruits and even issuing liberation shoes, but given the other party's official attitude, it would seem rude of her to press the matter further.
A knowing smile quickly spread across her face: "Oh! Is that so? I misunderstood. Thank you so much for going to all this trouble, especially having Sister Wang pass it on."
Her tone was so sincere, as if she had truly been persuaded, but she quickly changed the subject, "Special Envoy Chen, you're well-informed. Has the division headquarters heard anything recently about the allocation of teaching materials? Like... pencils, notebooks, or... erasers or something?" She deliberately emphasized the words "pencils" and "erasers" a little more clearly, her gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over Chen Yuanjiang's expression.
Chen Yuanjiang shifted his gaze from Shu Ran's face to the direction of the company's warehouse in the distance, as if he were organizing his thoughts.
This subtle movement caught Shu Ran's eye, and based on her experience, it seemed like something was being hidden.
However, Chen Yuanjiang spoke, his tone still flat and straightforward: "The division headquarters has a unified plan and procedure for allocating supplies, which is handled by the logistics department. Specifically regarding teaching materials, the companies apply, the regimental headquarters compiles and reports, and the division headquarters approves and allocates them according to the plan." He spoke as if reciting regulations, his gaze returning to Shu Ran's face with an almost rigid seriousness. "Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma are aware of your difficulties. They will notify you if there is any news."
A perfect official answer.
Shu Ran almost doubted whether she had just seen things.
"I see..." Shu Ran's face showed disappointment, but the inquiry in her eyes had not completely faded. "I thought the division headquarters would show some special care recently. After all, Qiming Elementary School is quite well-known now, and it has even attracted children from the pastoral areas."
Chen Yuanjiang bent down, picked up a piece of cotton yarn from the toolbox on the ground, and wiped the oil stains off his hands with steady, unhurried movements.
"Just do your job." He finally spoke again, his voice drowning out the noise of the machine repair shed. "Supplies, what we need will come eventually. If we don't have them, we'll find a way to overcome the difficulties." He paused in wiping his hands, his gaze returning to Shu Ran, this time seemingly carrying something deeper. "If someone sends them, just use them. As long as you have a clear conscience and use them for the right purposes, that's fine."
He knew, he must have known about those anonymous supplies! And he acquiesced. Even…was he implying she didn't need to feel guilty?
Shu Ran looked at Chen Yuanjiang's still expressionless face and his deep, unfathomable eyes. He hadn't admitted anything, yet it seemed he had said everything. This seemingly ordinary statement, even carrying a hint of warning, was, in this context, like an unspoken coded message.
Shu Ran maintained her composure and nodded: "Special Envoy Chen is right! I understand. Thank you for your guidance."
Chen Yuanjiang didn't say anything more, just hummed in response, then turned around and bent down again to inspect the tractor's tracks.
Shu Ran hugged the pencil case and turned to leave the machine repair shed. Back at the classroom door, she stood in front of the newly replaced, sturdy wooden door, her fingers tracing the rough surface of the door, a smile playing on her lips.
"Teacher Shu? What are you grinning like an idiot at the door?" Xu Junjun's voice came from behind, tinged with mockery.
Shu Ran was startled, quickly suppressed her smile, and turned around: "No...nothing. I just received the stone pencil." She waved the box in her hand.
"Wow! This is something good!" Xu Junjun leaned closer to take a look, then lowered her voice, "You came from the machine repair shed just now, your steps were so light... What did you say to Special Envoy Chen? Did you find out anything about the Snail Fairy?"
Shu Ran opened the classroom door and walked in, carefully placing the pencil case on the teacher's desk before turning back to give Xu Junjun, who followed her in, a mysterious smile and pointing to the drawer: "Look, the Snail Girl's sentiment is still there."
Xu Junjun immediately opened the drawer, saw the pencils and erasers, and her eyes lit up: "They're still here! You asked him? What did he say?"
Shu Ran didn't answer directly. She picked up a pale yellow eraser, held it under her nose, and took a deep breath. Even the faint smell of rubber seemed to have changed.
She looked at Xu Junjun, her eyes sparkling with a hint of slyness and an unspoken certainty: "Special Envoy Chen said... 'If someone gives it to you, use it. As long as you have a clear conscience and use it for the right purpose, that's fine.'"
Xu Junjun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly slapped her thigh, "Then, don't you understand?! Isn't this a tacit admission?! Who else but him could say something so straightforward and... yet so secretive! I knew it was him! It must be him!"
She lowered her voice excitedly, as if she had discovered a huge secret, "Look at him, always with that stern face, like a stone, but he's actually so thoughtful! And so secretive, tsk..."
Shu Ran was amused by her exaggerated reaction and quickly put the eraser back in the drawer: "Alright, alright, stop yelling. Who cares who it is, it's a good thing, as long as the kids can use it."
Just then, the classroom door was gently pushed open a crack, and Li Xiulan peeked in, her face flushed: "Teacher Shu! Technician Zhou... Comrade Zhou Wenbin said he's free this afternoon and would like to... to sit in on one of our classes, saying he wants to experience the atmosphere of education in the border region..."
Shu Ran and Xu Junjun exchanged a glance, both seeing wariness in each other's eyes.
"Listen in?" Shu Ran's face quickly put on a gentle smile, but her tone carried a hint of business. "It's good that Technician Zhou cares about education. However, Qiming Elementary School is small, and the children's foundation is weak. I'm afraid it will take up Technician Zhou's valuable time to study soil improvement. Besides..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Li Xiulan's flushed cheeks, emphasizing the word "organization." "The teaching arrangements are all according to plan. If it's just for someone to audit a class on short notice, I'm afraid we'll have to talk to Secretary Liu or Company Commander Ma first and go through the organizational procedures. After all, even though the school is small, it's still part of the organization."
Shu Ran's words were perfectly tactful. She neither directly rejected him nor gave Zhou Wenbin any excuse to get close to Li Xiulan, and even brought up the big issue of organizational procedures.
A hint of confusion and bewilderment flickered in Li Xiulan's eyes. She clearly hadn't expected that observing the proceedings would be so complicated.
"Huh? I... I need to greet the Party Secretary? Then... then I'll go ask Technician Zhou?" Her voice weakened, a little intimidated by the commotion.
“No need to trouble you, Xiulan,” Xu Junjun immediately chimed in, her voice crisp and decisive, “If Technician Zhou is truly interested in our frontier education, he’ll apply to the Party Secretary or the Company Commander himself. We just need to follow the rules. Right, Teacher Shu?” She winked at Shu Ran.
“Yes, Sister Junjun is right.” Shu Ran nodded and immediately steered the conversation back on track. “Xiulan, you’ve come at the perfect time! I’m discussing something important with Medical Officer Xu, and we need your help!”
"Something important?" Li Xiulan's attention was indeed diverted, her eyes lit up, and the slight embarrassment from before was instantly forgotten. "Teacher Shu, Sister Junjun, what's wrong? Can I help?"
Xu Junjun grabbed Li Xiulan's hand and pressed her down to sit on a low bench in the front row of the classroom. She sat down next to her, her expression serious: "Xiulan, you know how lacking in medical care is in our company and the surrounding pastoral areas. If an adult or a child has a headache, fever, or a scrape, it's not only a long way to the clinic, but I can't handle it all by myself. I was thinking, could we train a few little medics among the children?"
"Little sanitation worker?" Li Xiulan repeated, finding the term both novel and imbued with a sense of importance.
“Yes!” Xu Junjun nodded vigorously. “Pick a few older kids who are careful, steady-handed, and a bit brave, and teach them the most basic and effective hygiene knowledge! For example, how to treat small wounds with mercurochrome and gentian violet, how to bandage with a clean cloth to stop bleeding, how to rinse burns with cool water, how to drink diluted salt water for diarrhea, how to use physical methods to lower fever… These are simple yet life-saving tips!”
Shu Ran added at the right moment, linking literacy with practical application: "Moreover, when Sister Junjun teaches these skills, I'll teach the related Chinese characters as well! For example, 'wound,' 'clean,' 'bandage,' 'fever,' and 'salt water.' Once the children learn these characters, they can immediately use them in their lives, know how to protect themselves, and even help their family members and friends! That's the true meaning of literacy, isn't it? Just being able to write your name and work points is just recognizing characters; being able to apply what you've learned is what makes you cultured!"
Li Xiulan listened intently, her eyes growing brighter. She remembered when she first arrived, she had a large cut on her hand from a piece of tofu board, and all she could do was cry in panic. It was Sister Wang who used a traditional method of applying wood ash to stop the bleeding, and the wound remained inflamed and swollen for several days afterward. If only she had known to use mercurochrome and bandage it back then… She also thought of the children in the pastoral area, where bumps and bruises were commonplace.
"This...this is such a great idea!" Li Xiulan excitedly grabbed Xu Junjun's hand. "Sister Junjun! If the children learn these things, they'll be incredibly useful! They could save lives!"
She looked at Shu Ran and said, "Teacher Shu, teaching these characters is great! The children will definitely want to learn them!"
“Teaching alone isn’t enough,” Xu Junjun said, feeling more confident after seeing Li Xiulan’s reaction. She then threw out the most crucial element, “Xiulan, for this plan to succeed, it can’t be done by Teacher Shu and me alone; we need an assistant. You’re meticulous, have a steady hand from working in the sideline production team, know some characters, and are familiar with the company and the children. I’d like to ask you to be the logistics and assistant for this Little Medical Worker program! Is that alright?”
"Me?" Li Xiulan pointed at herself, hardly believing it. "I can do it?"
"Why not?" Shu Ran immediately encouraged her. "Look, Sister Junjun needs to prepare things for class, right? Red medicine bottles, purple medicine bottles, clean bandage strips, saline bowls, props for demonstrations... The collection, safekeeping, pre-class preparation, and post-class cleanup of these supplies all need to be handled by a meticulous and reliable person! Also," Shu Ran emphasized, "after the children finish learning, they need to practice and have their names recorded, right? Who learned what and how they performed also needs to be recorded. These registration and record-keeping tasks are perfect for using the characters you know! You're the most suitable person to do them!"
Xu Junjun chimed in, "That's right! Xiulan, just think about it, wouldn't it be so cool if the kids learned how to bandage their fingers and went home to bandage their mothers' fingers? You, as their assistant, are the one who helps them learn this skill! This job is very important! Isn't it more meaningful than grinding tofu?"
“It’s meaningful…helping the children learn skills…” Li Xiulan murmured to herself, something ignited in her eyes. For the first time, she felt that she, an ordinary female worker grinding tofu in the tofu shop, could participate in such an important and “cultured” matter.
This feeling was completely different from the light, superficial sense of being valued that Zhou Wenbin gave her when he handed her a book and praised her for cutting tofu beautifully. This was a down-to-earth sense of worth.
“I…I’m willing!” Li Xiulan’s tone was firm. “Sister Junjun, Teacher Shu, I’ll do it! Just tell me what you need me to do!”
"That's great!" Xu Junjun and Shu Ran exclaimed in unison, both of them breathing a sigh of relief and smiling at each other.
Without hesitation, Xu Junjun launched the "Little Sanitation Worker" program in the courtyard of Qiming Elementary School that afternoon, before the children had all left.
"Students! Quiet! Listen to what Medical Officer Xu has to say!" Shu Ran clapped her hands to maintain order.
Wearing a white coat stained with medicine, Xu Junjun stood in front of the children with an unusually serious expression: "Classmates, today, Aunt Xu and Teacher Shu are going to teach you some important skills! If you learn these skills, you won't be afraid of minor injuries, and you can help your friends if they scrape their skin! Do you want to learn?"
"Yes—!" The children's curiosity was fully piqued, and their voices were loud. Even Bayan and Saidar, who were listening in, nodded in agreement.
"Alright! Let's pick a few little helpers first!" Xu Junjun's gaze swept over the older children. "Shitou, Shuanzhu, Chuncao, Adil, Xiaoya... and Bayan, Saidar, you guys, step forward!"
The child whose name was called stood at the front, a little nervous and a little excited.
Xu Junjun began the interview: "Shi Tou, you're strong, but are your hands steady? Can you hold a bowl of water without spilling it?"
Shi Tou puffed out his chest: "Yes! I've never spilled a drop of medicine when I served it to my mother at home!"
"Shuanzhu, you take such good care of your mother. Bandaging a wound requires just that kind of care. Aren't you afraid of seeing blood?"
Shuanzhu shook his head: "I'm not afraid! My mother coughs... but I'm not afraid!"
"Chuncao, you're good at needlework, and you're very skillful. Tying a bandage requires just the right amount of finesse!"
Chuncao pursed her lips and nodded vigorously.
"Little girl, you're a bit timid, but you have a good memory. Can you remember the steps Aunt Xu told you?"
The little girl said timidly but firmly, "Yes! I can remember all the words Teacher Shu taught me!"
“Adil, Bayan, Saidar,” Xu Junjun looked at the three boys from the pastoral area, “You ride horses and herd sheep, you get hurt a lot. Learning this will be useful for you and your friends! Would you like to learn?”
Adil looked at Xu Junjun's serious face, then at Shu Ran's encouraging eyes, and said firmly, "I'm willing!" Bayan and Saidar also nodded vigorously.
"Alright! You guys are the first batch of reserve members for our Qiming Elementary School's junior health workers!" Xu Junjun made the final decision.
Instead of immediately teaching how to operate the equipment, Xu Junjun first pointed to the red and purple medicine bottles stuck in the pocket of her white coat.
"Teacher Shu, it's your turn!" Xu Junjun gestured to Shu Ran.
Shu Ran immediately picked up a small wooden board and wrote three large characters on it with a stone pencil: "Red Medicine". Then she pointed to the bottle in Xu Junjun's hand: "Classmates, look at this red bottle in Aunt Xu's hand. It contains red medicine! Repeat after me: Red—Medicine—Water!"
"Red medicine!" the children chanted in unison, their eyes darting back and forth between the words and the bottle.
"What's the mercurochrome used for?" Shu Ran asked herself, then wrote down next to it: "Small wounds, disinfection."
"If you have a small cut on your skin and it's not bleeding much, you can use this to disinfect it and prevent the wound from getting worse or inflamed!" She cooperated with Xu Junjun by using a clean wooden stick instead of a cotton swab, dipping it in some water, and then dabbing it on a clean piece of cloth, pretending to apply medicine.
In the same way, I was taught to use gentian violet on larger wounds or areas that were already red, swollen, or inflamed.
Then I taught them Chinese characters and basic knowledge about bandages, dressings, cleaning, saline solution, fever, and cooling.
Shu Ran taught with extra care, breaking down and comparing each character, and combining it with Xu Junjun's physical demonstrations, striving to help the children firmly connect the shape, pronunciation and practical use of the characters.
Shu Ran solemnly reminded them, "This isn't just boring literacy; it's a skill to save your life!" The children's eyes widened, and they studied with exceptional focus.
Li Xiulan wasn't idle either. Following the list Xu Junjun had given her in advance, she neatly placed several small bowls, several rolls of clean old cloth strips (which were bandages cut from cloth strips after being sterilized by high-temperature steaming and drying), several bottles filled with clean water (to simulate mercurochrome and gentian violet), and a small packet of salt (to demonstrate preparing a light salt solution) on a low table.
She moved quickly and neatly, her expression focused.
Xu Junjun began explaining and demonstrating the most basic wound care. She picked up a small piece of cloth and pretended to apply mercurochrome, saying as she did so: "First, rinse the wound with clean water! Don't have clean water? Ask Teacher Shu for saline solution! Second, apply mercurochrome or gentian violet, spreading it gently, don't be afraid of the pain! Third, wrap it with a clean bandage, making sure it's not too tight or too loose and falls off!"
After her demonstration, it was the children's turn to practice. They paired up, agreed on their positions beforehand, and practiced simulating small wounds on each other's arms by rinsing with water, applying medicine with a stick dipped in water, and bandaging.
"Hey, Shuanzhu, you wrapped it too tightly! My hands are numb!" Hu Zi exclaimed.
"Chuncao, you tied your bandage knot crookedly!" the little girl pointed out in a soft voice.
“Adil, you…apply the medicine…to the wrong place!” Bayan said in broken Chinese, using gestures.
Adil frowned, looking at the crooked strips of cloth he had tied for Saidar, then at the standard shape of Xu Junjun's bag, and stubbornly untied it and started over.
Shu Ran interspersed her questions with questions about recognizing characters from time to time:
What is this step called?
What happens if it's wrapped too tightly?
The courtyard was filled with the sounds of children's discussions and Xu Junjun's patient guidance.
Li Xiulan moved among them. She was responsible for distributing and collecting teaching aids, such as small pieces of cloth and strips of cloth, maintaining the supply of "medicines," and, more importantly, registering them.
Xu Junjun gave her a notebook, along with a pencil that Shu Ran had secretly given her earlier. Shu Ran taught her to draw a simple table in the notebook: name, learning content, practice performance indicated by √ or ×, and remarks.
"Xiulan, you're in charge of the registration. Shitou, if your bandaging practice is up to standard, put a checkmark next to his name in the bandaging section. Xiaoya, if you got the saline solution right, put a checkmark there too. Adil, your bandage knot is wrong, put an X for now, you can correct it after he fixes it." Xu Junjun explained very clearly.
Holding a notebook and pen, Li Xiulan was both nervous and excited, trying hard to recognize the children's names. There were some characters she wasn't very familiar with, but Shu Ran had taught her beforehand.
She observed their actions, then meticulously marked the corresponding positions on her notebook with checkmarks or crosses, or noted down the problems in the remarks column with simple words or symbols, such as "Adili, the knot is crooked" or "Tiger, the wrap is too tight."
She wrote slowly, sometimes pausing to think about how to write a character, or asking Shu Ran next to her. But she was meticulous, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
When she neatly drew a checkmark next to Shi Tou's name for the first time, signifying that she had passed, an unprecedented sense of accomplishment welled up within her. She was no longer Li Xiulan, the girl who only knew how to grind tofu and was gossiped about as "rustic"; she was now the logistics and record-keeping clerk for the Little Sanitary Worker program! Her work was useful! It was needed!
As the sun was about to set, the first practical lesson came to an end.
The children, still full of enthusiasm, showed each other their bandaged "works," most of which were crooked and uneven, but they excitedly discussed the new words and knowledge they had learned.
Li Xiulan carefully closed the register, put away the pencils carefully, and then counted and categorized all the used teaching aids and put them back in the basket.
She moved swiftly, her face flushed with satisfaction and showing signs of exhaustion from her busy work, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.
"Xiulan, thank you for your hard work today! You did a great job!" Xu Junjun praised sincerely. "The notebook is very clear, and you've tidied everything up neatly!"
“Yes, Xiulan,” Shuran walked over with a smile, “Thanks to your help, Junjun and I were able to concentrate on teaching the children. Your logistical support and record-keeping are worth half a teacher!”
Li Xiulan was embarrassed by the praise and waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I just... I just did some odd jobs..." But she couldn't help but smile, feeling as sweet as if she had drunk honey.
This feeling of being recognized and needed is both reassuring and heartwarming.
A few days later, Zhou Wenbin clearly sensed that something was wrong with Li Xiulan.
He calculated the time Li Xiulan would finish work and deliberately bumped into her on the way from the sideline production team to the women's dormitory.
"Comrade Xiulan!" He pushed up his glasses, revealing a gentle smile, and habitually held a thin booklet in his hand. "Off work? Is the tofu shop busy today?"
In the past, when Li Xiulan saw him, she would feel shy and flustered, her eyes darting away yet unable to resist stealing glances. She would stop and answer him in a low voice.
But today, Li Xiulan only paused for a moment, and although her face flushed slightly, her eyes no longer showed the panic of a fawn. Instead, they carried a feeling that Zhou Wenbin thought was "absent-mindedness."
"Technician Zhou," Li Xiulan greeted politely, but her pace quickened instead of slowing down. "It's alright, not too busy. I need to hurry back to the dormitory; I still have some things to organize at Sanitary Clinic Xu's place." Her speech was faster than usual, tinged with urgency.
Zhou Wenbin's prepared words of concern caught in his throat. He quickly took two steps forward: "Organizing things? Did Sanitary Doctor Xu ask you to help? She has a lot of things to do there, and your job is already very demanding. Don't overwork yourself." He tried to show his consideration.
"Not tired at all!" Li Xiulan answered quickly this time, her tone even a little cheerful. "Medical worker Xu and teacher Shu are doing 'little medical worker' work, teaching the children how to bandage and recognize medicine words! I help prepare things and take notes, it's so much fun!"
When she mentioned "little sanitation worker" and "record keeping," her eyes lit up involuntarily, a look that Zhou Wenbin had never seen on her face before.
Zhou Wenbin's heart skipped a beat. "Little sanitation worker"? What is that? Did Xu Junjun and Shu Ran come up with this? And they even made Li Xiulan keep records? He keenly sensed that the somewhat dependent and "rustic" demeanor of Li Xiulan was being replaced by something more positive. This gave him a feeling of losing control.
"Oh? Teaching the children how to bandage?" Zhou Wenbin maintained a gentle smile, but his tone carried a hint of dismissive guidance. "That's certainly novel. But Xiulan, these are ultimately side paths. To truly change your destiny, you need book knowledge, you need culture. Like those two booklets I gave you last time, those are the real, useful things, they can help you..."
"Technician Zhou!" Li Xiulan suddenly interrupted him, something that would never have happened before.
She stopped, turned around, and looked at Zhou Wenbin very seriously. "Medical worker Xu said that the bandaging and medicine recognition skills the children are learning now are life-saving knowledge! The characters that Teacher Shu taught them can be used immediately! How can this be considered a side path? This skill is very practical!"
She paused, seemingly realizing her tone had been a bit harsh, and lowered her voice, but still insisted: "Those two booklets... I've kept them, thank you Technician Zhou. But I don't know enough characters yet, so I read them slowly. I'll look at them later... when I have time later."
She subconsciously touched her pocket, where her notebook and pencil were, and her gaze drifted towards the dormitory, clearly her mind already on the task Xu Junjun had assigned her.
Zhou Wenbin's smile finally faded. He watched Li Xiulan's hurried departure, his eyes darkening.
"A little sanitation worker? A recorder?" Zhou Wenbin muttered these two words under his breath. "Shu Ran, Xu Junjun... you two certainly know how to give people things to do." It seems that the slow, insidious approach of "boiling a frog in lukewarm water" is losing its effectiveness, and Li Xiulan seems to have her own ideas.
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