Chapter 89 Formalization
The next morning, the company's communications officer indeed came to inform Shu Ran to go to the company headquarters.
When Shu Ran entered the company headquarters office, she saw Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma were there, with Zhao Weidong sitting to the side. Among them stood a young man with a fair complexion, wearing a Zhongshan suit and black-rimmed glasses.
"Comrade Shu Ran is here." Secretary Liu greeted her with a smile. "Let me introduce you. This is Comrade Lin Xuezhou, a new teacher assigned to Qiming Elementary School in our company by the regiment. Teacher Lin, like you, is also a professionally trained teacher! From now on, you will be colleagues. You should learn from each other and work together to improve the education work in our company."
Lin Xuezhou stepped forward and extended his hand to Shu Ran with the dignified air of an intellectual: "Comrade Shu Ran, hello. I've long admired your name. The experience you've gained at the grassroots level is very valuable to learn from."
He spoke politely, but the word "exploration" carried a subtle hint of condescension in Shu Ran's ears.
"Welcome, Teacher Lin." Shu Ran shook his hand gently, her expression calm.
Company Commander Ma chuckled, "Alright, alright, Teacher Lin's accommodation has been arranged. It's right over in the men's dormitory area. Shu Ran, why don't you take Teacher Lin to the school to familiarize her with the environment and explain the situation?"
Shu Ran nodded and led Lin Xuezhou toward Qiming Elementary School.
Along the way, Lin Xuezhou seemed somewhat unaccustomed to the company's environment, carefully avoiding clods of dirt on the ground and the occasional chicken or duck running by. He looked around at the scenery, his brows slightly furrowed.
"The conditions at the livestock company are a bit harsher than I imagined," he commented.
"You'll get used to it." Shu Ran said calmly. "It's already not easy for the children to be able to study peacefully in this land."
As Lin Xuezhou approached the school gate, he paused, looking at the classroom and the national flag fluttering in the wind.
"This is... Qiming Elementary School?"
"Yes." Shu Ran pushed open the wooden door. "It's not a big place, but it can keep out the wind and rain."
In the classroom, the children were reading aloud under Shi Tou's guidance. When they saw Shu Ran bring in a stranger, the reading gradually stopped, and curious eyes turned to Lin Xuezhou.
Lin Xuezhou walked into the classroom, his eyes quickly scanning the surroundings, his brows furrowing even more.
“Comrade Shu Ran,” he turned to Shu Ran, his tone becoming serious, “is this the current teaching environment and the teaching aids used…?”
"Yes," Shu Ran said frankly, "With limited resources, we had to find solutions based on local conditions."
Lin Xuezhou shook his head, a look of disapproval on his face: "This won't do, Comrade Shu Ran. Teaching is a serious undertaking that requires a standardized environment and standard teaching aids. How can we guarantee the quality of teaching with these... miscellaneous items? How can we reflect the solemnity of education?"
The children seemed to sense that something was wrong and quieted down to look at the well-dressed new teacher.
Shu Ran looked at Lin Xuezhou, her eyes sharpening: "Teacher Lin, where are the standardized environment and teaching aids you mentioned? Can the Youth League approve them? If so, I thank you on behalf of the children. If not, between these miscellaneous items and letting the children continue drawing words in the sand, which would you choose?"
Lin Xuezhou was momentarily speechless, a blush creeping onto his fair face, but he clearly held firm to his principles: "Difficulties are undeniable, but we cannot lower our standards or tolerate backwardness because of them! We can submit reports to higher authorities and apply for necessary supplies. Teaching methods must also be standardized. I've reviewed the curriculum; it's too arbitrary and lacks a systematic approach. How can language arts teaching begin with 'names' and 'work points'? It should start with standard texts..."
"And then?" Shu Ran interrupted him, her voice low but carrying a calm strength. "Teach them to pronounce α, o, e, and then let them go back and still not be able to read their work point book, or remember the number of their own cattle and sheep? Teacher Lin, the children here, their parents send them to school not primarily for them to become top students, but so that they can recognize a few words, be able to do a clear calculation, and be able to use them in daily life! My old-fashioned method may not be to your liking, but it is currently the best way to let them and their families see that 'going to school is useful'!"
"That's pragmatism! That's shortsightedness!" Lin Xuezhou pushed up his glasses, somewhat agitated. "The purpose of education is to enlighten the people and to systematically pass on culture, not just to keep accounts and calculate work points! We cannot abandon the ideals and lofty goals of education just because the environment is harsh!"
"Ideals and lofty ideals can only be realized by standing on solid ground!" Shu Ran pressed on, pointing to the children in the classroom. "Ask Adil how happy his father was that he could read the instructions for veterinary medicine and save a litter of lambs! Ask Shuanzhu how relieved he felt after helping his mother, who was coughing up blood, read the words on the medicine packet correctly! Ask Bayan how bright his eyes were when he first wrote his own name! Aren't these things enlightening people? Aren't they cultural inheritance?"
As the children listened to Shu Ran's words, although they couldn't fully understand what the two teachers were arguing about, they could sense that Teacher Shu was speaking up for them.
Shi Tou straightened his back instinctively, Shuan Zhu gripped the notebook tightly, and even Adil pursed his lips, looking at Shu Ran with a determined gaze.
Lin Xuezhou looked at the group of children before him, then at the stern-faced Shu Ran, and was momentarily speechless. The set of theories he had prepared regarding teaching outlines, curriculum standardization, and teaching aid specifications seemed pale and powerless in this classroom.
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure: "Comrade Shu Ran, I understand your point of view. But as educators, we should take a longer-term perspective. I will report this matter to the company leadership and the regimental headquarters. Teaching must become more standardized."
Shu Ran met his gaze and said, "We welcome Teacher Lin to report this to the leadership at any time. We also welcome Teacher Lin to gain a deeper understanding of the children and their families before we discuss what kind of formalization is most suitable for this place."
Their first meeting ended unhappily.
Lin Xuezhou turned and left the classroom with a sullen face.
Shu Ran stood there, watching his retreating figure, and sighed. She knew trouble was brewing.
This wasn't a case of making things difficult based on personal grudges, but rather a challenge stemming from a difference in ideologies. This Lin Xuezhou was knowledgeable, had a powerful background, and held firm to his ideals; his arrival would likely be more troublesome than she had anticipated.
The children gathered around, looking at her with some unease.
Shu Ran composed herself, a gentle smile returning to her face. She clapped her hands and said, "Alright, that little incident is over. Let's continue with the lesson. Today, we're going to learn to write a new word: 'seek truth from facts.'"
*
Lin Xuezhou kept his word. On his second day at the school, he submitted a detailed "Preliminary Suggestions on Improving the Standardization of Teaching at Qiming Primary School" to the company headquarters. The document was full of references to educational principles and curriculum standards, with a clear core demand: to improve teaching materials, even if it was just the standard textbook content he copied by hand, to standardize class hours, and to eliminate non-standard teaching aids.
Unsurprisingly, the proposal ended up in Shu Ran's hands first, as Secretary Liu asked her to "take a look and give some feedback."
Shu Ran read it carefully, her feelings mixed.
She acknowledged that Lin Xuezhou possessed a solid theoretical foundation and a clear logical structure; in a well-established, advanced urban school with suitable resources, this would undoubtedly be an excellent solution. But here…
“Teacher Lin’s idea is very good,” Shu Ran said calmly in the company office, facing Secretary Liu, Company Commander Ma, and Zhao Weidong, who was also present. “However, the unified pinyin teaching, the use of standard exercise books, and the strict implementation according to the lesson plan mentioned in the idea do indeed face difficulties at present. The stationery we have now can only guarantee that every child has paper and pen. If we immediately switch to the planned materials that require application, I’m afraid many children will have to go back to writing by hand.”
Zhao Weidong spoke first, with an expression of "I knew it": "I think Comrade Lin's idea is good, it's about standardization, the direction is right. But what Comrade Shu Ran said is also true, materials are scarce, production tasks are heavy, and the company has to think twice about increasing the consumption of so much ink and paper all at once."
He cleverly passed the buck back, neither offending Lin Xuezhou from above nor acknowledging Shu Ran's real difficulties.
Secretary Liu smoothed things over: "Alright, alright, it's all for the sake of work. So, Teacher Lin, your suggestion is very good, but we need to implement it step by step. First, familiarize yourself with the situation and discuss it with Comrade Shu Ran. As for teaching matters, you two teachers can coordinate them."
This seemingly conciliatory decision actually delegates the power to resolve conflicts to the school itself.
Lin Xuezhou was clearly not satisfied with the result. Leaving the company headquarters, he caught up with Shu Ran, who was walking ahead, and said firmly, "Comrade Shu Ran, I believe we cannot compromise on educational principles. Standardized teaching is the foundation for ensuring quality; we cannot allow children to receive an incomplete education because of temporary difficulties."
Shu Ran stopped and turned to look at him: "Teacher Lin, a complete education is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about giving people the ability to survive and building their confidence. Here, it's more important for children to feel that learning is useful than for them to immediately master standard pinyin. This is a matter of order, not a matter of principle."
"If the order is wrong, the foundation will be unstable!" Lin Xuezhou retorted. "Without a foundation in pinyin, subsequent literacy instruction will be much less effective! You're putting the cart before the horse!"
The two stood on the slope, with the vast Gobi Desert below and the adobe elementary school classroom behind them.
Shu Ran knew that Lin Xuezhou didn't mean any harm, but rather it was a difference in their philosophies. His starting point was for the good of the child, and he firmly believed that "formalization" was the right path, not for power struggles or personal grudges.
“Then let’s put it into practice, Teacher Lin.” Shu Ran stopped arguing and pointed to the classroom. “Tomorrow’s literacy class will follow your method. I’ll sit in.”
Lin Xuezhou adjusted his glasses and immediately agreed, "Okay!"
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