Chapter 74 Great Things
In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly. Shu Ran was leading a group of teenagers in a small patch of land she had cultivated against the back wall of the classroom, identifying the newly sprouted potato and carrot seedlings. This was her new nature class, which taught both literacy and general knowledge.
"Teacher Shu! Teacher Shu!" Company communications officer Xiao Zhao came running up, panting, his face showing urgency. "Quick! Secretary Liu wants you to go to the company headquarters right away! The division headquarters called, specifically asking for you!"
The division headquarters called? They specifically asked for her? Shu Ran's first thought was whether there had been a change in the textbook compilation? Or had something gone wrong at the teaching point in the pastoral area? She quickly patted the mud off her hands, gave the children a few instructions, and followed Xiao Zhao to the company headquarters.
Even at the entrance of the department, a few curious employees had already gathered, peeking inside.
Sister Wang, who was hanging clothes to dry nearby, saw this and wiped her hands as she followed, asking anxiously, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Shu Ran didn't have time to answer and strode into the company headquarters office. Secretary Liu was holding the phone receiver, his face serious yet revealing a hint of incredulous excitement, repeatedly replying, "Yes, yes! Don't worry, Commander! We will definitely support you! Good, good, let her take the call!"
Upon seeing Shu Ran enter, Secretary Liu immediately handed her the receiver, covered the mouthpiece, and whispered quickly, "Education Department of the Division Headquarters! Great news! Director Sun specifically requested that you participate in the textbook compilation!"
Textbook compilation? Director Sun calling roll? Shu Ran's heart pounded. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and answered the receiver: "Hello, sir, this is Shu Ran."
On the other end of the phone was a slightly serious but still amiable Deputy Director Li, who formally informed her of the decision to select her to participate in the division's "Composition Group for Literacy and Basic Education Textbooks in Agricultural and Pastoral Integration Companies." He emphasized that Director Sun had personally nominated her, and asked her to hand over her work as soon as possible, prepare herself, and report for duty in a week.
After hanging up the phone, Shu Ran still felt a little dizzy, as if she were walking on clouds. In the office, Company Commander Ma, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, rubbed his hands together, both happy and worried: "Oh my! This is fantastic news! It's a matter of pride for our company! But… Teacher Shu will be gone for a month, what will happen to the school…"
Secretary Liu remained calm: "This is a rare opportunity! This is an affirmation of Teacher Shu's work by the higher authorities, and it also shows our livestock company's attention! As for the work, we'll find a way to overcome it! Wang Guilan and Li Xiulan can handle a lot of things now, and Teacher Shu must have arranged the core content of the children's academic studies in advance."
The employees outside were in an uproar when they heard the news.
"What? Teacher Shu is going to the teachers' headquarters to edit a book?"
"Wow! That's incredible! That's enough to write a book!"
"Teacher Shu is really capable!"
But dissenting voices also faintly emerged:
"Writing textbooks? That requires a tremendous amount of knowledge. No matter how capable Teacher Shu is, she's just a sent-down youth. Can she really do it?"
"Exactly, what if the experts don't listen to what we say and we make a wasted trip?"
"What about the schoolwork and literacy classes over a month?"
These concerns are not entirely unfounded. Shu Ran herself is also under pressure. Going to the division headquarters would mean facing experts and leaders; would her "down-to-earth experience" be suitable for such a prestigious setting? If she leaves, will the nascent teaching situation here decline?
Sister Wang didn't care about any of that. She squeezed into the office, grabbed Shu Ran's hand, and shook it excitedly: "Teacher Shu! I knew you could do it! You really make our company proud! Go ahead! Go with peace of mind! Xiulan and I will take care of things at school! We promise we won't let you down!"
Li Xiulan squeezed in, her eyes sparkling, and nodded vigorously.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the company. When the children heard that Teacher Shu was going to a faraway place to edit books, they were both proud and reluctant to see her go, surrounding her with all sorts of questions.
Shu Ran was immersed in the huge surprise and the pressure that followed. She was busy sorting out the work at hand and thinking about how to hand it over. She didn't have time to think about anything else.
In the evening, as she was organizing lesson plans in the classroom, Xu Junjun rushed in with a medicine box on her back, grabbed Shu Ran's arm, and jumped up and down laughing: "My God! Shu Ran! You're going to the teachers' department to compile textbooks! That's wonderful! I knew you could do it! Director Sun has such good taste!"
She was as excited as if she had won the lottery, but then her face fell and she pouted: "But it'll be a month! That's so long... By then you'll have seen so much of the world, you won't think I'm a country bumpkin and won't come back, will you?"
Shu Ran was amused by her and playfully punched her: "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm going to work, not to enjoy myself. Besides, who can compare to our young and beautiful Dr. Xu?"
Xu Junjun then smiled again, and immediately switched into doctor's mode, seriously opening her medicine box: "You'll be gone for a month, I need to prepare some things for you! What if you get a headache or fever on the way?"
Without a word, she stuffed a small bottle of licorice tablets, a few packets of painkillers, a small roll of bandages, and even a few precious anti-inflammatory pills into his mouth. "This! This anti-inflammatory medicine is only for critical moments! Remember that? Also, if you don't like the food at the division canteen and your stomach is upset, eat some of this..." She then stuffed a small bottle of stomach medicine into his mouth.
Watching her nag like an old mother as she packed things for her, Shu Ran felt a warmth in her heart and her nose tingled a little: "Alright, alright, I'm going to the division headquarters, not to the no-man's land, why do you need to bring so much?"
“Better safe than sorry! Who knows if those people at the division headquarters are reliable!” Xu Junjun slammed the medicine box shut, then lowered her voice and winked, asking, “Hey, does Chen Yuanjiang know? What was his reaction? Did he say anything?” She had been closely following the progress of the two of them.
Shu Ran said vaguely, "What kind of reaction could he possibly have... just like that."
"What do you mean by 'like that'?" Xu Junjun persisted.
Just then, Chen Yuanjiang appeared at the door.
He looked like he had just come back from the fields, his trousers still covered in mud, and his face was as cold and hard as ever. But when he saw Xu Junjun there, he paused in his steps and frowned, as if he hadn't expected a third person to be there.
As soon as Xu Junjun looked up and saw him, her eyes lit up, and a sly smile appeared on her face. She deliberately dragged out her words: "Oh! Officer Chen is a rare guest! Please come in, please come in! Are you here to inspect our Teacher Shu's preparations for the division headquarters?" As she spoke, she secretly nudged Shu Ran with her elbow.
Chen Yuanjiang's expression hardened further. He ignored Xu Junjun's words and instead looked directly at Shu Ran, his tone as calm as if he were reporting on a task: "I heard you're going to the division headquarters."
Shu Ran glared at Xu Junjun somewhat awkwardly, then nodded: "Yes, I just received the notification."
"A month?" he asked in a low voice.
"That's the initial plan," Shu Ran replied.
Xu Junjun watched with great interest and couldn't help but interject, her tone exaggerated: "Absolutely! Officer Chen, you have to think of a way. The division headquarters is so far away! It's worrying to let our Teacher Shu go alone!" She winked at Shu Ran.
Chen Yuanjiang seemed not to have heard Xu Junjun's words at all, or perhaps he simply didn't know how to respond to such teasing.
He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly took out something wrapped in an old military green canvas from behind him. The canvas looked quite old, with worn-out edges, but it was very clean.
He handed it directly to Shu Ran, his movements a bit too quick.
"Take it." His gaze was fixed on the wall beside him, refusing to look at the two women.
"What is this?" Shu Ran asked, taking the item with a puzzled look.
Xu Junjun curiously leaned over: "Quick, open it and see! What Officer Chen sent must be something good!"
Shu Ran untied the cloth clasp, opened the canvas bag, and inside was an old-fashioned brass telescope that looked quite worn. There were slight dents on the lens tube, but the lens was spotless. There was also a small piece of soft chamois cleaning cloth in the canvas bag.
"A telescope?" Shu Ran looked up in surprise.
Xu Junjun's eyes widened in amazement: "A telescope! Officer Chen, this is truly... ingenious!"
Chen Yuanjiang finally turned his gaze back to the binoculars, his tone as calm as if he were introducing equipment: "Old, obsolete. The division headquarters building is tall, you can see clearly from afar."
He paused, as if remembering something, and added in a lower voice, "When faced with a problem... look at it from a high vantage point and see clearly before you act."
These words still sounded awkward, as if reminding her to act cautiously in unfamiliar surroundings.
This time, Xu Junjun didn't laugh. Instead, she put away her playful expression and nodded seriously: "Commander Chen is right! The situation at the division headquarters is complicated. We should take a closer look and make sure we understand everything before we speak! This gift is good! It's practical!"
Shu Ran stroked the brass lens. "Thank you... I like it very much."
Chen Yuanjiang looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something, his lips moved, but in the end he only nodded, turned and strode away.
After he walked away, Xu Junjun couldn't hold back any longer and leaned on the table, laughing so hard her shoulders were shaking: "Did you see that? Did you see that? His ears are all red! Chen Yuanjiang is actually embarrassed!"
Shu Ran was amused by her and looked at the binoculars in her hand, which made her feel less sad and reluctant to part.
"Stop making fun of him," Shu Ran said reproachfully, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
"I wasn't joking! I'm just happy for you!" Xu Junjun stopped laughing, leaned closer, and said mysteriously, "I think he really cares about you. Go to the division headquarters, do a good job, and don't forget to send a message back to our company from time to time... oh no, to certain people!" She winked at Shu Ran, everything was understood without saying a word.
On the day of departure, many people from the company came to see him off. Company Commander Ma and Secretary Liu repeatedly told him, "When you get to the division headquarters, do a good job, but don't be afraid. If anything happens, call the company!"
Sister Wang handed her a bag of hard-boiled eggs: "Eat these on the way! Don't go hungry!"
Li Xiulan secretly slipped a small jar of homemade pickles into her bag.
The children surrounded her, saying goodbye in a flurry of chatter.
Shu Ran responded to each request, her heart filled with gratitude and reluctance. Just as she was about to board the dilapidated truck heading to the regimental headquarters transfer point, a military green jeep, kicking up dust, stopped at the company headquarters entrance.
A young soldier jumped off the vehicle and saluted Chen Yuanjiang: "Reporting, Special Commissioner Chen, we are ordered to transport supplies to the division headquarters. We can depart now!"
Chen Yuanjiang returned the greeting, then looked at Shu Ran and said in a flat tone, "There's a ride going to the division headquarters that's on the way. I can give you a ride; it's faster than a truck."
Everyone was stunned. A divisional jeep? On the way? What a coincidence!
Shu Ran looked at Chen Yuanjiang. His face was expressionless, but his eyes held an undeniable authority.
She instantly realized that this was no coincidence. She wondered what excuse he had used to arrange this "ride-sharing" trip.
Company Commander Ma and Secretary Liu were taken aback at first, then suddenly realized and their faces lit up with relieved smiles: "Oh! That's great! That's great! It's safe to ride in a jeep, quick! Teacher Shu, get in the car!"
Under everyone's gaze, Shu Ran, carrying simple luggage, sat in the passenger seat of the jeep. The car started and drove away from the company.
She looked back through the car window and saw Chen Yuanjiang still standing there, upright, his gaze following the car until it turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
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