Chapter 103 Undercurrents within the Military Headquarters and Uninvited Guests...
Movie tickets? Shu Ran paused for a moment before remembering that Yang Zhenhua had mentioned them a long time ago, but Chen Yuanjiang had called her away under some pretext. Now that he was bringing it up again, the invitation seemed even more explicit than before.
Normally, Shu Ran might have politely declined or simply responded out of courtesy. But Yang Zhenhua's act of revealing the information at this moment forced her to reconsider.
She needed information, she needed to understand the movements of the division's higher-ups. Yang Zhenhua was undoubtedly an information channel. Moreover, she couldn't afford to offend him at this time, and perhaps... it was even possible to maintain a friendly relationship? This had nothing to do with feelings, it was simply a social strategy dictated by the situation.
Shu Ran quickly weighed the pros and cons, a slightly apologetic smile appearing on her face: "Officer Yang, thank you for remembering. It's just... the task assigned by Director Sun is very urgent, and I'm afraid I'll have to work overtime tonight to sort out the materials. The movie... I probably won't be able to watch it again this time, I'm really sorry."
She refused, but her reasons were valid and her attitude was sincere, leaving both of them a graceful way out.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Yang Zhenhua's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and nodded understandingly: "Work is important, work is important. Then let's talk about it next time, next time when there's an opportunity."
“Okay, we can talk about it another time.” Shu Ran readily agreed and then naturally changed the subject, her tone slightly inquiring, “Officer Yang, you’re in the propaganda department, you’re well-informed. Regarding the follow-up to the demonstration site… besides what we just discussed, has Deputy Political Commissar Lin revealed anything more specific? For example… about the timing, or the personnel?”
Seeing that she had taken the initiative to ask, Yang Zhenhua hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The exact time is still unclear, but it's estimated to be within the next month or two. Sigh, just take these words with a grain of salt; they may not be accurate." He stopped at the right moment, appearing very cautious.
"I understand, thank you, Officer Yang." Having received more specific information, Shu Ran felt even more uneasy. She thanked him again and left.
Back in the small, makeshift meeting room, Officer Li and the female officer were still enthusiastically discussing the chapter divisions of the teaching materials. Seeing Shu Ran return, Officer Li called out to her, "Comrade Shu Ran, come and see! We think the section on practical vocabulary for pastoral areas could be further refined..."
Shu Ran walked over and looked at the materials spread out on the table, which embodied her hard work. Those familiar words and vivid pictures now stung her eyes.
She tried to concentrate and participate in the discussion, but her mind was a mess. Yang Zhenhua's words echoed repeatedly in her head.
She remembered the classroom in the livestock company, the children's thirst for knowledge, the transformation of women like Sister Wang and Li Xiulan from rejection to trust, Adil's clumsy yet earnest attempt to finally learn to read, and Chen Yuanjiang...
Are we just going to hand all this over to someone else like this?
Is it because of her family background? Because she has no connections? Because she's just a special researcher, not a formally employed cadre in the division?
A sense of resentment welled up from the bottom of her heart. She, Shu Ran, had transmigrated from the 21st century, not to endure humiliation and work for others in this era! She had her own career pursuits, people and achievements she wanted to protect, and a clear-headed self-interest inherent in her modern soul.
She took a deep breath. Now was not the time to panic, and she couldn't afford to reveal anything at the division headquarters. The news was still just a rumor and might not be true. Even if it were, she would not sit idly by and wait for her doom.
She picked up her pen again, her gaze falling on the materials. She began to participate more actively in the discussions, not only offering suggestions but also consciously emphasizing the complexity and irreplaceable nature of certain work details, such as communication skills with people in pastoral areas, understanding the psychology of women in literacy classes, and the practical wisdom behind those seemingly simple methods.
She subtly laid the groundwork, reinforcing the impression in Director Sun and other staff members that she was deeply connected with the demonstration site.
For the next half day, Shu Ran worked with more focus and dedication than ever before. She spoke eloquently and logically, demonstrating a thorough understanding of grassroots work and the ability to solve practical problems, which earned frequent nods of approval from Officer Li and his colleague.
In the evening, the work came to a temporary halt. Shu Ran politely declined Officer Li's invitation to go to the cafeteria together, saying that she wanted to organize her thoughts further.
Walking alone in the somewhat deserted courtyard of the division headquarters, the evening breeze carried a chill. Shu Ran wrapped her coat tighter around herself and looked up at the few lit windows of the division headquarters office building, one of which was Director Sun's office.
She couldn't back down, nor could she act recklessly. She needed to think carefully about what to do next. Should she go to Director Sun to sound him out? Or should she remain still and observe the situation? Or... find another way?
She thought of Chen Yuanjiang. If he were here, what would he do? But this matter involved higher-ups, and it was probably not something that a mere special envoy from the division headquarters like Chen Yuanjiang could easily intervene in.
She paced slowly, her mind racing through various possibilities, weighing the pros and cons. She had to come up with a foolproof plan that would both protect the fruits of her labor and avoid offending powerful figures like Deputy Political Commissar Lin.
Just then, she saw Director Sun and a refined-looking middle-aged man walk out of the office building side by side. The two talked as they walked, their manner quite familiar. Shu Ran recognized the middle-aged man; it was none other than Deputy Political Commissar Lin, whom she had met briefly when he inspected Qiming Elementary School.
Director Sun was smiling and saying something. Deputy Political Commissar Lin nodded slightly, his gaze casually sweeping across the courtyard, and his eyes met those of Shu Ran, who was standing not far away.
Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat, and almost instinctively she gave a respectful yet humble smile.
Deputy Political Commissar Lin's gaze lingered on her for about two seconds, his eyes revealing no emotion. Then, as if he hadn't seen her, he naturally turned back and continued talking to Director Sun, the two walking towards the family compound.
Shu Ran stood there, watching the two figures disappear into the distance. She didn't know if Deputy Political Commissar Lin had recognized her, nor did she know what he thought of her as the founder of the demonstration site.
But one thing she was very clear about was that she had to make a decision as soon as possible.
She turned and walked towards the guesthouse.
The nights at the division headquarters were much quieter than those at the livestock company, with less dusty winds and the faint sounds of dogs barking and sheep bleating in the distance. But this quietness only made Shu Ran more uneasy.
She lay on the bed in the guesthouse, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the scenes from the day: Director Sun's seemingly appreciative yet reserved gaze, the information Yang Zhenhua revealed, and Deputy Political Commissar Lin's emotionless glance.
"Lin Xuezhou is in charge of the direction..." Shu Ran turned over and buried her face in the pillow. It wasn't that she couldn't accept cooperation, or even mind sharing credit, but she absolutely could not accept that the fruits of Qiming Elementary School and the literacy work, which she had founded and poured countless efforts into, would be easily taken away by someone else, especially when it was done under the guise of "grasping the direction" and in reality, it was a case of usurping someone else's place.
She comes from the 21st century and understands the importance of having a voice and the power to lead. In this era, background and social class are like invisible shackles, but she is determined to try and pry open a crack with her abilities and achievements.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die." Shu Ran sat up, her eyes shining brightly in the dim light.
For the next two days, she practically lived in that small, makeshift office meeting room. She stopped actively seeking information and instead devoted all her energy to organizing and compiling the teaching materials. She became more meticulous and rigorous than before, not only improving the original practical literacy section but also supplementing it with more universally applicable teaching cases and methodologies based on her observations at the division headquarters' family factory and directly affiliated schools.
In her materials, she emphasized her role as a practitioner and explorer. When describing a particular teaching method, she would detail the initial difficulties encountered, the process of trying it out, the children's feedback, and how it was ultimately adjusted and refined.
She wanted to tell everyone who saw this material: these things originated from the most basic practices and were imbued with unique experiences, which could not be easily understood or replicated by a parachuted-in theorist.
Both Officer Li and the female officer surnamed Zhao praised her work attitude highly.
"Comrade Shu Ran, your method is truly brilliant! It's simple and clear, and the family members will understand it at a glance," Officer Li said sincerely, pointing to a section of text.
“The main thing is that people have a need, so they are motivated to learn.” Shu Ran smiled modestly and continued, “In fact, many methods at the grassroots level are born out of necessity. With limited resources, we can only figure out how to achieve the best results with the least amount of resources. There are many details involved, such as how to communicate with adults who are initially resistant, and how to make children in pastoral areas interested in Chinese characters. These all need to be explored gradually and cannot be rushed.”
Her words sounded like she was lamenting the difficulty of her job, but in reality, she was subtly emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of her work.
Officer Zhao nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's easy to talk about things on paper, but difficult to put them into practice. Comrade Shu Ran, it must have been tough for you down there."
Shu Ran knew that these words would more or less reach Director Sun's ears. What she wanted was to plant an impression in the leader's mind: Shu Ran was an indispensable core of practice.
That afternoon, the main body of the material was finally finalized. Director Sun called a small meeting with a few people, affirmed the progress, and asked Shu Ran to prepare to give a brief report within the Education Section the day after tomorrow, sharing her experiences in grassroots work.
This would be an opportunity to showcase and solidify her own value. Shu Ran readily agreed.
After the meeting, she stayed alone in the conference room, tidying up the scattered papers. Outside the window, she could hear people leaving work, and the division headquarters compound gradually became noisy.
She rubbed her sore eyes, preparing to go to the cafeteria for something to eat, and then come back to continue preparing her report outline.
As soon as I stepped out of the office building, I heard a slightly surprised voice: "Shu Ran?"
Shu Ran turned around and saw Yang Zhenhua standing not far away, pushing his bicycle, with a smile on his face.
"Officer Yang." Shu Ran stopped in her tracks.
"Just got off work? How's work going?" Yang Zhenhua pushed his cart over and walked alongside her naturally.
"It's alright, the materials are almost ready. Director Sun asked me to give a report the day after tomorrow."
"That's a good thing! It'll be a good opportunity for the other comrades in the department to learn from him," Yang Zhenhua said with a smile, then lowered his voice, "By the way, have you heard? Lin Xuezhou might be coming to the division headquarters in the next couple of days."
Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged: "Oh? Teacher Lin has come here to..."
"He said he wanted to report on the teaching achievements of his 'advanced group' and exchange experiences on systematic teaching." Yang Zhenhua looked at her. "It seems that Deputy Political Commissar Lin is moving quite quickly."
Shu Ran smiled faintly: "It's a good thing to learn from each other. Teacher Lin does have his strengths in theory."
Seeing her calm reaction, Yang Zhenhua was somewhat surprised, and then asked, "Shu Ran, you... are you really not worried at all?"
“Sigh,” Shu Ran stopped and sighed, “All I can do is do my job to the best of my ability. As for the rest, the organization will take care of it.”
Yang Zhenhua looked at her serene face. The streetlights were just coming on, reflecting dappled light in her eyes. He suddenly felt that this female educated youth possessed something that many of the female comrades he had met lacked.
“You’re right.” Yang Zhenhua nodded. “I believe the organization will see those who actually get things done.”
The two walked to the entrance of the cafeteria, which was bustling with noise. Yang Zhenhua hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Shall we have a meal together? We can talk about your report the day after tomorrow; perhaps I can offer some suggestions."
Just as Shu Ran was about to answer, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing under the row of poplar trees next to the cafeteria.
Even in the dim light, Shu Ran could recognize the silhouette at a glance.
Chen Yuanjiang?
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Author's Note: Just a quick heads-up to my next upcoming pre-order novel: "I Extract Oil for My Motherland [1960s]" [Let me check it out!]
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