Chapter 9 "What characters can a little girl recognize? Sooner or later she'll be..."
"By the way," Chen Yuanjiang reminded Shu Ran before she left, "there is a highly respected 'Old Aken' in the pastoral area who often deals with the people in the company. If we can get his support, things will be much easier."
Shu Ran stopped and said to Chen Yuanjiang sincerely, "Officer Chen, my impression of you has changed drastically."
Before Chen Yuanjiang could speak, Shu Ran quickly slipped away.
After leaving Chen Yuanjiang's office, she went straight to the female workers' dormitory.
Time was of the essence, and she needed help. Sister Wang and Li Xiulan had arrived earlier than her and knew the people there. Having them take her to the workers' homes would save her a lot of trouble explaining things and make it easier to gain their trust.
Back at the dugout, Zhou Qiaozhen was nowhere to be seen; she had probably gone to work. Sister Wang was tidying up, while Li Xiulan was still lazing in bed.
Shu Ran took out two boxes of face cream that she had prepared in Shanghai from the camphor wood box and placed them on the tables of Sister Wang and Li Xiulan respectively.
"Sister Wang, Xiulan," Shu Ran said bluntly, "I need a favor! School starts today, and I need to go to each household to invite the children over. I'm not familiar with the area, so I'd like to ask you to show me the way and help me talk to the parents."
Upon seeing this, Sister Wang immediately put down her work and readily agreed, "Sure! This is great! I'll take you there! I know all the shops on the east side!"
Li Xiulan rubbed her eyes and sat up. When she saw the face cream on the table, her eyes lit up. She found it quite interesting and perked up: "Sister Shuran, I'm going too! I know that area in the west!"
With two helpers familiar with the situation, Shu Ran's confidence increased greatly. The three of them immediately set off, knocking on doors one by one according to the addresses on the roster.
The morning chill had not yet dissipated. Sister Wang wrapped her old headscarf tightly and led the way with familiarity. Li Xiulan followed Shu Ran with some curiosity, occasionally stealing glances at the teacher from the city.
"Comrade Shuran," Sister Wang said, pointing to a row of low dugouts ahead as they walked, "Look, the first house at the east end is the Shi family. His father, Accountant Shi, is a veteran in the company, a good man, but he's always busy. Shi is a bit mischievous, but he's very clever; he's learned a few characters from his father."
"That's great!" Shu Ran's spirits lifted. "Having a kid with some basic knowledge can also help guide them."
Li Xiulan interjected, "It's Director Zhao... He's very strict about production, and I'm afraid he'll delay the work." Her tone was tinged with worry.
"So we need to be clear and make things understandable so as not to delay our work." Shu Ran tightened her grip on the notebook. "We also need to show the parents tangible benefits."
As they spoke, they arrived at the Shi family's door. Sister Wang knocked familiarly on the crooked wooden door: "Shi the Accountant's family! Are you home? Teacher Shu is here to see the children!"
The door creaked open, and a woman wearing an apron with cornmeal still on her hands poked her head out—it was Stone's mother.
Seeing Sister Wang and Li Xiulan, she smiled and said, "Oh, Sister Wang, Xiulan!" Her gaze fell on Shu Ran with curiosity, "This must be the new teacher, Ms. Shu, right? Please come in, please come in, the room is a mess..."
Upon entering the room, the light was dim. Shi Tou was squatting in the corner fiddling with a few sheep knuckle bones. Upon seeing strangers, especially Shu Ran dressed in a clean Lenin suit, he immediately stood up awkwardly, his eyes darting away.
Shu Ran explained her purpose, emphasizing the establishment of "Qiming Primary School," which only uses relatively free time to teach practical things, such as recognizing names, work points, and numbers.
Sister Wang chimed in, "Auntie, once the child can read, he might be able to take over his father's job as an accountant. At the very least, he could drive a tractor and still have a good life! It's better than spending his whole life wielding a hoe!"
Stone's mother rubbed her hands, her face showing both joy and worry: "It's good that he can read, it's good that he can read! Teacher Shu is so kind! But... but this morning, Stone has to go with his father to the canal to deliver water and collect some firewood, this..."
"Delivering water and gathering firewood, it's the same if we go in the afternoon!" Sister Wang immediately said. "Let the kids learn to read for two hours in the morning, and they can do whatever they need to do in the afternoon, it won't interfere with anything!"
“Yes, Auntie,” Li Xiulan also advised, “Shitou is quick-witted and learns things fast, don’t delay him.”
Stone's mother looked at her son, then at Shu Ran's sincere face, and finally nodded: "Alright! Stone, do you hear me? Go learn to read with Teacher Shu this morning! And go do your chores this afternoon!"
"Yes!" Shi Tou responded loudly, his little face immediately lighting up as he secretly glanced at Shu Ran.
With their initial victory, Shu Ran breathed a sigh of relief. The three of them, carrying the stone, went to the next house.
On the way, as they passed the pigsty on the edge of the company compound, a strong odor wafted over. Li Xiulan covered her nose and quickened her pace.
Sister Wang pointed to an even smaller dugout next to the pigsty: "This is Shuanzhu's family. His mother is in poor health, and his father earns work points by himself. There is a lot of work to do at home, so Shuanzhu is half a laborer."
Knocking on the door, a woman coughing incessantly leaned against the doorframe, a snotty-nosed child beside her. After explaining the purpose of the visit, Shuanzhu's mother looked distressed: "Teacher Shu...it's not that I don't want the child to go...look at my health...the pigs need feeding, the chickens need tending, and this little one needs someone to look after him too...If Shuanzhu leaves, this mess..."
Shu Ran looked at the woman's sickly face, her heart heavy. She squatted down, touched the head of the little boy with the snotty nose, and said gently to Shuanzhu's mother, "Sister-in-law, your health is the most important thing. Shuanzhu is very sensible, and it's a great thing that he can help the family. How about this? Let Shuanzhu come to learn for half an hour every morning, just the most important things: recognizing names, recognizing numbers, and learning to write work points. Once he learns these, he'll be more clear-headed when helping with the family's accounts and calculating work points, and he won't make mistakes or suffer losses. Don't you think so? He can come back to help you immediately the rest of the time. The place where he studies isn't far from here."
"Half an hour... and he'll learn to recognize names and earn work points?" Shuanzhu's mother hesitated. It did sound somewhat useful. And the time wasn't long. She looked at her son, Shuanzhu, who was staring at her expectantly, his eyes filled with longing.
Sister Wang chimed in at the opportune moment, "Half an hour will pass in the blink of an eye! Once the child learns this skill, will we still need to ask others for help with things like keeping accounts at home?"
Shuanzhu's mother finally nodded with difficulty: "Alright then. Shuanzhu, go and listen to your teacher, and come back as soon as you're done learning!"
Shuanzhu nodded vigorously: "Yes! Mother, I've got it!"
The atmosphere was somewhat silent after leaving Shuanzhu's house. Sister Wang sighed, "Alas, every family has its own troubles. Teacher Shu, you see? In this place, even a child's strength is the family's bread."
Shu Ran looked at the remaining names on the roster and gripped her notebook tightly: "I know it's difficult, but it's precisely because it's difficult that we should give them more opportunities to learn. The more words they know, the more choices they will have in the future."
The visits continue.
Most families, especially those whose parents were young people who went to work in border areas or were demobilized soldiers, agree with the idea of teaching their children to read.
"It's good to learn to read! It's good to learn to read! We can't be blind!" A man carrying a shovel, who was about to go out, slapped his thigh in agreement upon hearing Shu Ran's purpose. "Tiger! Tiger! Did you hear me? Go learn to read with the teacher! Stop running wild all day!" He shouted into the house. A chubby-faced boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, ran out in response, looking at Shu Ran curiously.
However, there are also voices with many concerns.
“Teacher Shu, it’s not that we don’t want our child to go,” a woman busy around the stove said, her hands covered in cornmeal, her face filled with apology and sorrow. “Look at this family. His father is digging a ditch, I have to go to work, the little ones need someone to look after them, and the pigs need to be fed… Da Mao can help gather firewood and watch the chickens. If he goes and sits there for half a day, this mess at home…”
“Yes, Teacher Shu,” another woman holding a baby chimed in, “Learning to read is precious, but right now this pregnancy is more important. If the baby can lend a hand, things will be a little easier at home. As for work points… sigh!”
Sister Wang and Li Xiulan immediately used their local advantages, speaking in their respective dialects, to help persuade the person:
"His aunt, if the child can read, he might become a technician or drive a tractor in the future. Isn't that better than just knowing how to use his strength?"
"Exactly! Learning a few characters won't take much time! We can study for a while in the morning, and then do whatever we need to do in the afternoon!"
"Teacher Shu is such a kind person! Look at her, she came all the way from Shanghai to teach our children..."
Shu Ran added at the opportune moment, her tone sincere: "Sister-in-law, I understand the family's difficulties. We can arrange the time flexibly, at most an hour, to ensure that the important tasks at home are not delayed. What you learn is also practical, and you can use it immediately after learning it!"
Perhaps it was the halo brought by the identity of "a teacher from Shanghai", or perhaps it was the practicality of "learning something that can be used immediately", coupled with the support of Sister Wang and Li Xiulan, that led most of the hesitant families to finally nod in agreement.
However, some families remained adamant in their stance.
"What's the point of a girl learning to read? She'll belong to someone else's family sooner or later! Learning to cook and sew at home is the proper thing to do! Can reading put food on the table?"
A burly man blocked the doorway, waving impatiently. Behind him followed a little girl carrying her younger brother; her name on the roster was Zhao Di. She shrugged timidly, her eyes dimming.
Shu Ran argued logically: "If I can read, I'll be able to understand pesticide instructions and know how to farm scientifically; I'll be able to understand the health station's posters and know how to prevent diseases; even at home, I'll be able to read receipts and keep accounts, so I won't be blind, brother!"
"No need! There are men here!" The man slammed the door shut.
Li Xiulan stomped her foot angrily: "You stubborn old man!"
Sister Wang tugged at Shu Ran's sleeve, shook her head, and whispered, "Forget it, Teacher Shu, the men in this family are notoriously stubborn; you can't reason with them. As for Zhao Di... what a pity."
Shu Ran stared at the closed door, feeling a tightness in her chest. She silently drew an X next to Zhao Di's name.
After running around the company, seven children were finally chosen from among the employees' children: Shitou, Shuanzhu, Huzi, Damao, Tiedan, Xiaoya, and Chuncao.
Stone was the only one among them who could barely write his own name.
Seeing the names crossed out on the roster and the few children peeking around her, Shu Ran breathed a sigh of relief. At least, Qiming Elementary School wouldn't be completely empty anymore.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com