Chapter 41 Is it really him?
Making homemade stone chalk and bone charcoal pencils provided some immediate relief, but Shu Ran knew in her heart that this was not a long-term solution.
Writing with limestone blocks is difficult and produces slag; the blackboard and door panels are scratched with grooves in just a few days. Bone charcoal pencils are hard, but they are troublesome to sharpen and are not precise enough for writing small characters.
Shu Ran's palms and fingertips had developed thin calluses. Although the grayish-white writing on the blackboard was clear, after writing for a long time, her fingers became sore and numb, and chalk dust fell down, making the little girl in the front row rub her nose.
Li Xiulan remains the mainstay of the tofu-making team. She has to go to the tofu shop to grind soybeans and add brine before dawn, keeping her extremely busy.
She could only come to help Shu Ran after finishing work in the evening, or when she specifically set aside time. Most of the time, Shu Ran had to rely on herself to lead the older children in tinkering and building.
That afternoon after class, Shu Ran stayed in the classroom alone to organize the children's homework. Adil's writing of the character "home" was stiff, but you could see that he was trying to imitate it; Bayan's writing of the number "8" looked like a crooked gourd.
After finishing these tasks, Shu Ran squatted down at the classroom door and carefully tapped a newly collected piece of limestone with a small hammer, trying to make it smoother. Beads of sweat slid down her temples and onto the ground.
"It's so hot," Shu Ran couldn't help but mutter.
"Teacher Shu, are you still not done?" Li Xiulan walked over carrying an empty basket; she had just finished work at the sideline production team.
"Almost done. Prepare two more small pieces for Bayan and Saidar." Shu Ran didn't look up, focused on her work. "What about you? Finished grinding the tofu?"
"Yes, today's work is done," Li Xiulan replied, but didn't come over to help or chat as usual.
She stood a few steps away, her eyes somewhat unfocused, as if she were hesitating about something.
"Um... Teacher Shu, Technician Zhou went to the sideline team again today."
Shu Ran paused in her tapping of the stone, then looked up at Li Xiulan: "What did he say this time?"
“No…nothing special.” Li Xiulan quickly shook her head. “They just…they asked if we had run out of gypsum powder for making tofu, and they also said…they said our sideline production team’s working conditions were too rudimentary, not as good as their agricultural research institute with books and newspapers…”
Her voice lowered, a hint of longing in her eyes, "He said the agricultural research institute just received a few new books, they're really thick, with illustrations..."
Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat. Zhou Wenbin was starting to use "cultural filters" as bait.
She put down the hammer, dusted off the lime powder on her hands, walked up to Li Xiulan, and said calmly but earnestly, "Xiulan, the books from the Agricultural Research Institute are good, but they're their work materials. If we do our job well and make good tofu, we're contributing to the development of the frontier in the same way, and there's nothing shameful about that. As for Zhou Wenbin's words..."
She considered it for a moment, then said, "Just listen and forget about it. He's a very shrewd person."
Li Xiulan lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement, without arguing further, but she clearly hadn't fully taken it all in.
She glanced up quickly at Shu Ran, her eyes filled with a mixture of inferiority and envy: "I know, Teacher Shu. I just... I just think it's so good to be able to read and write. Like you, like Technician Zhou..." Her voice trailed off.
"It's a good thing you want to learn to read!" Shu Ran immediately seized on this point. "Once we're less busy now, I'll teach you when I have time in the evening! We'll start with your own name, how about that?"
Li Xiulan's eyes lit up instantly, filled with a mixture of disbelief and delight: "Really? Teacher Shu, you're willing to teach me?"
"Of course!" Shu Ran nodded with a smile. "Let's take it one step at a time."
Li Xiulan finally showed a genuine smile, and the worries she had about Zhou Wenbin seemed to be temporarily suppressed.
The whistle signaling the end of work was drawn out for a long time, and the company instantly came to life.
Shu Ran put the last few pieces of chalk she had knocked into the broken basket and patted her hands, which were covered in grayish-white powder.
Li Xiulan had already packed up the tools and finished product for the bone-shaving pen, and hurriedly slung her basket over her shoulder: "Teacher Shu, I have to hurry to the cafeteria, or I'm afraid I won't be able to make the thick paste!"
As she spoke, she walked briskly toward the cafeteria, smoothing her sweaty hair and adjusting her collar before continuing her run.
Shu Ran frowned as she watched her hurried figure disappear into the distance.
Li Xiulan is too naive and has an almost blindly positive view of intellectuals, making her easily manipulated.
She locked the brand-new, thick wooden door, hid the key in an inconspicuous recess in the door frame, and headed towards the cafeteria.
The canteen was bustling with activity. Long wooden tables and benches were packed with workers who had just finished their shifts.
The large iron pot contained the usual thick cornmeal porridge, so thick that chopsticks could be stuck into it. Next to it, a large basin held boiled alfalfa, a dull green with hardly any oil. The air was thick with steam and the smell of sweat.
Shu Ran prepared her portion of porridge and vegetables, carrying a chipped enamel basin. She glanced around and found Xu Junjun at a table in the corner.
Xu Junjun, wearing a white coat, was drinking porridge and looked a little tired.
"Jun Jun!" Shu Ran squeezed through the crowd with the basin and sat down next to her.
"Ranran!" Xu Junjun smiled when she saw her, then lowered her voice, a little mischievous, "How's your 'Four Treasures of the Study' project going? I just saw Xiulan, her face was all red, she ran like the wind, and she was holding her basket very tightly."
Shu Ran scooped a spoonful of paste into her mouth and mumbled, "The stuff is done. We used lime blocks as chalk and sharpened bones as pens. It works. Even Zhao Weidong can't find any fault with it."
"Amazing!" Xu Junjun praised sincerely, "I knew you could do it."
"The food is ready," Shu Ran put down her spoon, leaned closer to Xu Junjun, lowered her voice, but her brows remained furrowed, "but there's a bit of trouble with people. Zhou Wenbin has popped up again, making sarcastic remarks and even mentioning Xiulan."
Xu Junjun immediately became alert, her spoon stopping at her lips: "He mentioned Xiulan? What did he say?"
"He's still using the same crooked methods to get back to the city, and recently he's started using cultural tricks to deceive Xiulan again."
Shu Ran sighed, "But I noticed Xiulan's reaction was off. She admires intellectuals a lot, and when she saw Zhou Wenbin, her eyes were filled with panic and she seemed guilty. Later, when I praised her, she was happy, but she couldn't hide the little thing in her eyes. Besides, haven't you noticed that she's been acting a little different lately?"
Xu Junjun thought carefully: "Now that you mention it... it does seem a bit true. She used to be a little timid, but now she seems to walk with a straighter back? And her complexion is better? She also has a new hair clip... Yes! That red plastic hair clip!" She suddenly realized.
“Not only that,” Shu Ran stirred the paste with a spoon, “she went to the lime kiln waste pile this afternoon to find something for me, and even went to wash her face and tidy her clothes. Just now, when she was getting food, she ran incredibly fast, and on the way, she didn’t forget to fix her hair and collar… Tell me, who is she going to do all this for?”
Xu Junjun gasped, almost spitting out her paste: "You mean... Xiulan has feelings for Zhou Wenbin..." She didn't dare to finish her sentence, and mouthed "has thoughts" instead.
“Filter!” Shu Ran tapped the rim of the bowl lightly with her spoon, making a crisp sound that drew the attention of those around her. She quickly lowered her head and pretended to drink her porridge. “Zhou Wenbin’s face, his white shirt, and his identity as a ‘technician at the Division’s Agricultural Research Institute’—in the eyes of a naive girl like Xiulan who hasn’t had much education, isn’t he just a cultured man with an inherent aura? Whatever he says, Xiulan thinks it’s knowledge and reason.”
Xu Junjun countered with a question: "What is a filter?"
Shu Ran was stunned. She couldn't very well say that this was a groundbreaking new term, so she had to explain it in a different way: "When you were in Shanghai, you saw photographers screwing different colored glass pieces onto the front of camera lenses, right? Filters, they're kind of like a special effect that's installed in your eyes."
Xu Junjun immediately understood. "So Xiulan sees Zhou Wenbin differently than we do. She thinks he's more impressive, right?" Thinking of this, her expression turned serious. "Oh no! What kind of person is Zhou Wenbin? He's a ruthless man! He tried to take advantage of you last time, and now he's targeting Xiulan? What's he up to? Deceive her? Or is he trying to use her again for his fake marriage to return to the city scheme?"
“Anything is possible.” Shu Ran’s eyes were calm. “Xiulan is confused right now. If we rush up to her and tell her, ‘Zhou Wenbin is a bad guy, stay away from him,’ what do you think she will think?”
Xu Junjun thought for a moment and said dejectedly, "She probably thinks we look down on her, are jealous of her, or are deliberately exposing her little schemes to embarrass her. She might even think Zhou Wenbin is 'unappreciated' and feel more sorry for him, getting even more involved!"
“Right!” Shu Ran nodded. “So we can’t force her. Xiulan is gentle but stubborn, and once she’s made up her mind, nothing can change it. If we go and confront her directly now, not only will we not help her, but we might also push her to Zhou Wenbin’s side, making her think that only Zhou Wenbin understands her.”
"What can we do? We can't just stand by and watch her jump into a fire pit, can we?" Xu Junjun said anxiously.
"Of course not." Shu Ran scooped up a spoonful of paste and ate it slowly, her mind racing. "Help, of course we have to help. But we can't help in a way that causes trouble; we have to help discreetly."
"How do you mean by 'not making a sound'?" Xu Junjun leaned even closer.
"First, keep a close eye on things." Shu Ran lowered her voice. "Sister Wang is well-informed. Tell her to pay close attention to whether Zhou Wenbin is really going to the side business team more often, and what he's saying to Xiulan. If Xiulan shows any unusual behavior, Sister Wang will know immediately."
Xu Junjun nodded: "That's fine! Sister Wang is enthusiastic, keeps her mouth shut, and understands things clearly."
"Secondly, find her something productive to do to distract her," Shu Ran continued. "Didn't you have a plan called 'Little Sanitation Workers' before? Bring that plan forward. When you're teaching the children basic hygiene knowledge, let Xiulan listen in and help out, like distributing things. She doesn't know many words, but she's quick and efficient, and she's also very meticulous. Let her feel that she's doing something meaningful and needed, and have a little sense of accomplishment. That's better than her thinking about those little schemes all day."
"That's great!" Xu Junjun's eyes lit up. "We might be distributing heatstroke and fly repellent packets soon. Let her help with packaging, and you can teach her to write and register names. She'll be so busy she won't have time to think about anything else! And the more you interact with her, the more likely you are to subtly teach her... um, how to protect herself."
“Third,” Shu Ran paused, her eyes sharpening, “We need to let Zhou Wenbin know that someone is watching him. But we two young girls can’t do this ourselves; we need to contact the organization.”
"Find the organization? Who should we find? Company Commander Ma? Secretary Liu? Or... Special Envoy Chen?" Xu Junjun asked.
"Company Commander Ma and Director Zhao are fine with production, but this... they probably find it too troublesome. Secretary Liu just got back and has a lot to do. Besides, there's no evidence yet. With Xiulan's little schemes, what would it look like if we reported it?" Shu Ran shook her head. "What I mean is, let Zhou Wenbin feel that Xiulan isn't alone. For example, Sister Wang could go to the sideline production team pretending to borrow something, or when she passes by, chat loudly with Xiulan, show concern for her, and casually mention, 'Teacher Shu and Medical Officer Xu are thinking of you.' Or, you, Medical Officer Xu, could take the medical examination forms and openly go to the sideline production team to check the workers' blood pressure, ask if anyone is feeling dizzy or feverish, and casually inquire about our Technician Zhou, asking if his work is going well and if he needs any help from the organization to solve his personal problems."
Xu Junjun burst out laughing: "Brilliant! Teacher Shu, that's a brilliant move! I get it! It's a warning shot, letting him know that Xiulan is being watched. If he dares to have any ulterior motives, we'll know right away! Okay, I'll take care of it! I'll go to the sideline team for my routine rounds tomorrow!"
“Remember,” Shu Ran instructed, “be natural, just show concern as usual. Especially with Xiulan, show concern as usual, and don’t let her feel that we are spying on her or making fun of her. As for her feelings… just pretend we don’t know.”
"Understood!" Xu Junjun nodded vigorously, then looked a little worried, "But... Ranran, will this work? What if Xiulan gets caught up in it?"
Shu Ran finished the last mouthful of her porridge, scraping the bottom of the bowl clean. She watched the weary yet somewhat satisfied people coming and going at the cafeteria entrance, remaining silent for a few seconds before speaking: "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. We've done everything we could and should have done, and we've given her the proper reminders. She chose this path herself; she has her own feet. If she really does fall headlong into it… that's her fate. We're friends, but we're not her parents, much less bodhisattvas. To throw ourselves into it, get ourselves into trouble, and then be blamed—that's not helping, that's being foolish."
Xu Junjun looked at Shu Ran's calm profile. Her eyes held helplessness and worry, but more than anything, they held clarity and a sense of boundaries.
She suddenly realized that the Shu Ran in front of her was completely different from the pampered young lady who had just arrived.
"Okay." Xu Junjun also scraped the bottom of the bowl clean. "I understand. Let's... do as you say."
The two of them got up and went to the sink to rinse their empty bowls. The water flow from the tap was weak and carried the salty taste unique to the Gobi Desert.
Shu Ran lowered her head, scrubbing the smudges off the enamel basin, but in her mind she was already thinking: she needed to get in touch with Sister Wang as soon as possible, and Xu Junjun's rounds needed to be arranged smoothly. Also, the "little sanitation worker" plan needed to be prepared quickly.
A commotion arose at the canteen entrance, apparently from news that the film projection team from the regiment was coming. Li Xiulan, carrying a washed bowl of rice, walked out chatting and laughing with several female workers from the sideline production teams. Her face was relaxed, and her red plastic hair clip seemed particularly bright. She didn't look in Shu Ran's direction and walked straight away with her companions.
Shu Ran and Xu Junjun exchanged a knowing glance.
Life on the Gobi Desert is filled with everyday routines and quiet moments, but who knows what hidden reefs lurk beneath the surface? Before helping others, you must first protect your own little boat from capsizing.
After finishing her meal, Shu Ran walked back to her dormitory. Just as she reached the entrance of the dugout, she suddenly kicked a small paper package.
The paper package wasn't big; it was wrapped in ordinary old newspapers, square and neat, and lay quietly in the shadows by the door.
Shu Ran was taken aback, then bent down to pick it up. It was a bit heavy, and the paper package wasn't sealed. She opened it with a puzzled look—inside was a bag of chalk! The pieces varied in length, the longest being almost half a finger's length, the shortest only the size of a fingernail, but every single one was pure white—genuine chalk!
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked around. The slope was deserted, with only the occasional sounds of people drifting from the distant cafeteria.
Who put it there?
A warm feeling rippled through her heart. This definitely wasn't from the supply and marketing cooperative; Comrade Hu would have told her if he had any. Could it be…? A cold, hard figure flashed through her mind, but she shook her head. Impossible, he was still at the division headquarters.
She carefully rewrapped the chalk stubs, put them in her pocket, and then pushed open the door and entered the dugout.
"Teacher Shu is back!" Sister Wang, who was mending clothes in the dim light, looked up and greeted her.
"Yes, Big Sister is mending clothes." Shu Ran replied, her gaze sweeping over Li Xiulan's bunk, which was empty; she had probably gone to wash up.
"Hey, what are you holding in your hand?" Sister Wang asked with her sharp eyes.
Shu Ran hesitated for a moment, then took out the small paper packet and opened it: "I just picked it up at the door, I don't know who put it there."
"Chalk stubs?" Sister Wang also came over in surprise. "Oh my! I heard Xiulan say you needed one! Who's so kind?" She picked up a short one and looked at it. "It looks like it's been used and saved up... Who in our company would have such a rare item?"
Just then, Li Xiulan returned carrying a half-basin of water, her hair still wet. As soon as she entered, she saw Shu Ran and Sister Wang gathered around the small paper package and curiously came over: "Wow! Chalk! Where did this come from?"
"I found it at the entrance," Shu Ran said.
Li Xiulan picked up a piece of chalk, her eyes shining, and suddenly lowered her voice, her tone slightly gossipy: "Teacher Shu, Sister Wang, do you think... it could be Secretary Chen?"
"Officer Chen?" Sister Wang was taken aback.
“That’s right!” Li Xiulan thought about it more and more and it seemed more and more likely. “Didn’t Officer Chen go to the division headquarters? The division headquarters school definitely doesn’t lack chalk! He must have known that Teacher Shu needed it, but he was too embarrassed to give it to her in person, so he quietly left it at the door! Officer Chen may look cold, but he’s very thoughtful! Last time he even made a special exception for hot water for Teacher Shu!”
Her tone carried a hint of unspoken flattery and envy, "Teacher Shu, Secretary Chen really cares about you!"
"Xiulan!" Shu Ran interrupted her, her tone slightly helpless but her voice still gentle. "Don't speculate. Officer Chen hasn't returned from headquarters yet." Whoever left that chalk dust meant well; let's remember that kindness. Let's not make a fuss, lest we cause them trouble.
Li Xiulan's excitement faded a bit after Shu Ran's comment: "Oh... that's true. Then, who could it be? Could it be Secretary Liu? He's been at the company headquarters quite often lately..." She started speculating in other directions.
"Alright, stop thinking about it." Shu Ran handed her the bowl of tofu. "It could be another comrade, like Medic Xu, or some thoughtful parent. Officer Chen... he's busy with important matters, he wouldn't care about these trivial things."
She said this aloud, but in her heart she couldn't help but think that Li Xiulan's words seemed to make some sense.
“That’s true,” Li Xiulan replied, “Anyway… it must be some kind-hearted person who cares about the school!” Her tone still carried that natural fondness and filter towards “cultured people” or “people in positions of power.”
Who cares who gave it to me? I'll just use it first.
The next morning, just as the company's loudspeaker finished playing "The East Is Red," Shu Ran was sweeping the dust at the classroom door with Shi Tou and Adil, who were on duty, when they heard the sound of approaching hooves.
Looking up, a man and a horse were approaching in the morning light on the main road leading to the company headquarters.
The horse was chestnut red, and the rider on its back stood upright; it was Chen Yuanjiang.
He's back.
The chestnut horse stopped at the entrance of the company headquarters. Chen Yuanjiang nimbly dismounted, his movements showing efficiency.
He casually handed the reins to the messenger who came to greet him, his gaze habitually sweeping over the company.
His gaze lingered for a moment as it swept across the tool shed. He looked at the flagpole he had erected himself, the bright national flag fluttering in the wind at its top.
Shu Ran stopped sweeping and looked at him.
Chen Yuanjiang seemed to notice the gazes directed at him and turned his head.
Their eyes met briefly in the air, separated by several dozen meters.
Chen Yuanjiang nodded slightly as a greeting, his gaze lingering on her face for less than a second before he looked away and strode into the company headquarters.
He seemed to be merely confirming that the flagpole wasn't crooked and the school was still there.
Shu Ran's initial suspicions about the anonymous chalk became uncertain again after seeing his seemingly indifferent demeanor.
She lowered her head and continued sweeping.
"Teacher," Shi Tou asked softly, "Is Secretary Chen back?"
"Mm," Shu Ran responded, without saying anything more.
Life went on as usual. With those precious chalk stubs, Shu Ran felt much more comfortable writing on the blackboard.
She used it carefully, trying to make it last as long as possible. She never mentioned the anonymous chalk again, but she buried that doubt and warmth deep in her heart.
A few days later, one evening, Shu Ran finished organizing the homework the children had written on the back of the worksheets in the classroom and prepared to lock the door and go back to the dormitory.
She had just picked up the brass lock when her gaze swept over the tattered basket in the corner where she stored her homemade stationery, and then she paused.
In the broken basket, besides the limestone blocks she had chipped and the bone charcoal pencils she had sharpened, there was also a bulging bundle of old newspapers.
She walked over and picked up the paper package. It felt heavy in her hand, with a powdery texture.
She opened it and found a small pile of fine white powder inside!
Shu Ran recognized it at a glance: it was gypsum powder. It's the very ingredient used to coagulate tofu, make molds, or, when mixed with water, solidify into chalk!
Shu Ran's heart pounded. Who sent this? And this time, the gift was even more professional! Who would have known she needed this? Who would understand her predicament so well, and even know a solution?
She pinched up a small pinch of plaster powder, the fine powder slipping through her fingers. Last time it was a piece of chalk, this time it's plaster powder... This is no coincidence.
"Teacher Shu! Aren't you leaving yet?" Li Xiulan's voice came from the doorway. She probably came over to check since the classroom door wasn't locked.
Li Xiulan walked in and immediately noticed the newspaper package and the exposed white powder in Shu Ran's hand. "Oh! What... what is this? Flour?" she asked curiously.
"No." Shu Ran opened the paper package. "Plaster powder."
"Gypsum powder?" Li Xiulan was even more surprised. "The kind the sideline team uses to make tofu? Who put it here?"
Shu Ran shook her head: "I don't know, I just put it in the basket."
Li Xiulan leaned closer to look, her eyes darting around, and her face broke into that confident yet gossipy and excited expression: "Teacher Shu! See! I told you! It must be Chen! He was the one who got the chalk scraps last time! Only he has the ability to get these rare things! And he even knew you needed them! He must have seen how hard you were working with the stones..."
Her tone was full of admiration for Chen's abilities and envy for Shu Ran, "Chen may seem cold, but he's incredibly thorough when it comes to getting things done!"
Looking at the heavy bag of plaster powder in her hand and listening to Li Xiulan's resolute tone, Shu Ran began to have some doubts.
Is it really him?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
