Chapter 142 New Colleagues
Inside the two-story building of the V City Education Bureau.
Shu Ran was assigned to an office at the far end of the second floor, to be shared with her two future team members.
"Comrade Shu Ran, welcome." The first to extend his hand was Li Weiguo, a man of about forty years old with a thin face and thick glasses on his nose. His smile was standard but did not reach his eyes. "I had heard that a capable person had come to the Corps, but I did not expect him to be so young."
"Team Leader Li, you're too kind. I'm here to learn and to work." Shu Ran shook his hand gently and felt the calluses on his fingertips, the result of years of holding a pen.
"This is Comrade Wang Juan," Li Weiguo introduced a female comrade with short, ear-length hair next to him.
Wang Juan seemed more reserved, rubbing her hands on her pants before shaking hands with Shu Ran, her voice low: "Comrade Shu Ran, hello."
“From now on, we’ll be comrades in arms, so please take care of me.” Shu Ran’s tone was calm as her gaze swept over the small office. Two old desks were pushed together, piled high with documents and reports, and the paint on the filing cabinet in the corner was peeling. The window was open, but the air inside was somewhat stuffy.
Li Weiguo briefly introduced the current situation of the guidance group: "Our main responsibility is to summarize the literacy experiences of various regions, identify problems, and put forward guiding opinions. At present, our main task is to sort out the reports from various regions in the first half of the year."
He pointed to the stack of documents on the table, which was half a foot high, and said, "The task is very heavy. Comrade Shu Ran should be prepared."
“Of course.” Shu Ran nodded and walked to the empty table assigned to her. The tabletop had scratches, but it was clean. She carried a canvas bag containing the draft of the “Standardization Manual for Grassroots Education in Frontier Areas.”
“Comrade Shu Ran comes from the grassroots level of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and has rich practical experience,” Li Weiguo adjusted his glasses. “Here, we focus more on the grasp of theory and policy. Sometimes, the old-fashioned methods at the grassroots level may not be suitable for guiding work on a holistic level.”
Shu Ran paused slightly as she took her notebook out of her bag, then looked up at him. "Does Team Leader Li mean that grassroots experience isn't up to par?"
"Oh, that's not what I meant." Li Weiguo quickly waved his hand, his smile deepening. "I was worried that Comrade Shu Ran wouldn't adapt. The higher-ups have high expectations, and we need to broaden our horizons. We can't just focus on one company or one pastoral area. Just like you at the Hongxingyan teaching point before, your starting point was good, but in the end... well, that was a lesson."
He knew it as expected, and pointed it out right away. Shu Ran understood immediately; this was a show of force, a test.
She remained calm, tidying her desk as she responded casually, "The organization has already reached a conclusion on the Hongxingyan issue. The experience and lessons learned are valuable assets. I believe that any real experience, whether from the grassroots or the central government, is worth summarizing and promoting as long as it can solve practical problems."
Wang Juan stood to the side, head down, pretending to organize documents, but her ears were perked up.
Li Weiguo chuckled twice: "Comrade Shu Ran is highly conscious. Well then, you should familiarize yourself with these materials first." He pointed to the pile of documents, "Mainly from several northern regions. See what the similarities and differences are between their literacy campaign models and the mobile teaching points we promoted before, and write a preliminary analysis. Wang Juan, you explain the classification criteria to Comrade Shu Ran."
After giving his instructions, Li Weiguo took his teacup and left.
Wang Juan then leaned closer, lowering her voice slightly: "Comrade Shu Ran, please don't mind him, Team Leader Li just talks like that." She quickly helped Shu Ran sort through some of the documents. "The materials are divided by region and time. This side is the summary report, and that side is the data report. Some regional reports are written very vaguely, and it's common for the data not to match."
"Thank you." Shu Ran smiled at her. "I'm new here and don't know many of the rules, so I'll have to trouble you to remind me."
Wang Juan blushed and waved her hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing. You...you really came from that Qiming Elementary School in that company?"
"yes."
"That's amazing." Wang Juan looked on with admiration. "We deal with paper all day long, and we've almost forgotten what the school actually looks like."
“Even scraps of paper are important,” Shu Ran said, picking up a report. “They represent the efforts of thousands of people. The significance of our work lies in clarifying them, making good experiences visible, and identifying problems in a timely manner.”
Wang Juan nodded thoughtfully.
For the next half day, Shu Ran buried herself in piles of documents. The ink-printed text was sometimes blurry, the numbers on the reports were sometimes contradictory, and there were many vague passages in the summary reports. She read them carefully, occasionally jotting down key information, questionable data, and the possible realities behind those reports in her notebook.
Just before the end of the workday, Li Weiguo returned. He glanced at the documents spread out on Shu Ran's desk and the densely filled notebook, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Comrade Shu Ran, you're very efficient! So, any discoveries?"
"At first glance, the geographical environment in the northern regions varies greatly, so simply copying a single model won't work." Shu Ran closed her notebook, her tone objective. "In some pastoral areas, the mobile teaching point model is well-received, but teacher and material support are weaknesses. In other areas, agricultural farms are concentrated, and the schools for workers' children are better established, but literacy programs for family members and the integration of minority languages into teaching need to be strengthened. Furthermore..."
She paused, then looked at Li Weiguo: "In many regions, the pass rate data and specific descriptions do not match, which may indicate that false reporting is being done in order to meet the standards."
Li Weiguo's smile faded slightly: "Data always has errors. The comrades below also have a tough job, so we should focus more on their achievements and give them more encouragement."
"We need to look at the results, but we also need to face the problems squarely. Otherwise, our guidance group will be of little value." Shu Ran's tone was firm. "If the basic data is inaccurate, any guidance we offer may be castles in the air, or even misleading."
Li Weiguo was taken aback by her question, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant: "Comrade Shu Ran, you're new here and may not be familiar with the situation. Handling this data requires a methodical approach; we must consider the actual circumstances below and the reactions from all sides."
“I understand the complexity of the work.” Shu Ran stood up and began to tidy her desk. “But that’s precisely why we need to be responsible for every piece of data. This is my work habit, and I hope to work with Team Leader Li and Comrade Wang Juan to lay a more solid foundation in the future.”
Li Weiguo stared at her for a few seconds, then finally smirked, "Alright, let's see how Comrade Shu Ran lays a solid foundation. Time to go home."
On her way back, Shu Ran got a simple meal at the cafeteria and returned to her dormitory.
After finishing her meal and washing up, she lay down on the bed. Outside the window were the lights of V City, and in the distance, the faint sound of a train whistle could be heard.
There are no Gobi Desert landscapes or pastoral scenery here; all that exists are unseen rules and mountains of data.
There is still no news about Chen Yuanjiang.
She turned over, facing the wall, and quickly fell asleep.
The next day, she got up very early. After having breakfast in the cafeteria, she was the first to arrive at the office. She tidied up the office a bit.
When Li Weiguo and Wang Juan arrived, they were greeted by a bright and clean environment and Shu Ran already working at her desk.
"Comrade Shu Ran, you're here so early?" Wang Juan was somewhat surprised.
"I'm used to it." Shu Ran looked up and smiled. "It's quiet in the morning, and my mind is clear."
Li Weiguo didn't say anything, picked up his teacup and went to the water room to fetch water.
Shu Ran continued to immerse herself in the documents.
In the afternoon, she found Zhang Yaqin in the archives and, relying on the acquaintance she had built up during their casual chat the day before, borrowed compilations of education policies and internal reference materials from recent years.
"Comrade Shu Ran, what you're asking for is a bit sensitive," Zhang Yaqin whispered a reminder.
"I just want a more comprehensive understanding of the policy background so that I can better understand the report below." Shu Ran said sincerely, "I promise to abide by the rules, only look at the documents in the archives room, and not take them away."
Zhang Yaqin hesitated for a moment, but still found it for her.
In the afternoon, Shu Ran began making selective phone calls. She communicated with education officials in several areas where the data was questionable, citing the need to "verify the situation so as to more accurately summarize the experience."
Her tone was humble, but her questions hit the nail on the head. After several rounds, the other party would often break out in a sweat and stammer that they needed to check again.
Wang Juan watched in horror, and when Li Weiguo wasn't around, she whispered, "Shu Ran, if you do this... you'll offend people."
"We are helping them identify problems and improve their work," Shu Ran said calmly. "If we turn a blind eye to problems for fear of offending people, that would be the biggest dereliction of duty."
Over the course of a few days, the atmosphere in the office became somewhat delicate. Li Weiguo clearly sensed that Shu Ran was not someone who could be easily manipulated or fooled. She was professional, meticulous, and unafraid of challenges. His usual approach of smoothing things over and only reporting good news seemed to be ineffective with her.
That afternoon, Li Weiguo was called in for a talk by the bureau chief. When he returned, he looked rather grim. He went straight to Shu Ran's desk and placed a document in front of her.
"Comrade Shu Ran, this is a notice we just received from the bureau, specifically requesting your participation." His tone was complex, carrying a hint of reluctance mixed with a sense of relief. "It's about your 'Standardization Work Manual for Grassroots Education in Border Areas.' The leadership took it very seriously after reviewing the initial draft and requested the establishment of a dedicated revision team, with you as the main person in charge. Based on your work in the guidance team, you will further revise and improve it, striving to make it available for wider use."
Shu Ran took the document. It was an official notification from her superior, stamped with the company seal.
"In addition," Li Weiguo paused, "the director said that the guidance team's follow-up work needs to be more thorough, and you should take extra care in terms of data verification."
Shu Ran looked up at Li Weiguo. He avoided her gaze and turned back to his seat.
Wang Juan looked at Shu Ran with surprise and silently said, "Congratulations."
After get off work, Shu Ran walked alone to the small playground behind the Education Bureau. She needed some time to process the news and think about what to do next.
The revision of the manual needs more practical case studies and requires listening to the voices of educators from different regions and backgrounds. She cannot work in isolation.
And Chen Yuanjiang... Where is he now? Does he know about the changes that have just happened here?
She took a white stone out of her pocket; it had been given to her by a child from the livestock company. The warm, smooth touch of the stone made her feel as if she had returned to that land.
She gripped the stone tightly, then turned and walked towards the office building.
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