Lin Yue smiled and patted his head, "The city is so much fun! There are lots of tall buildings, and all sorts of toys and delicious food."
"Don't the children in the city have to work?" a little girl asked, blinking her big eyes.
Lin Yue replied, "Children in the city mainly go to school and learn knowledge. However, they also help with some household chores that they can manage."
The children listened, their eyes filled with envy. Lin Yue looked at them, a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, including sadness and regret) in her heart. These children had been burdened by heavy farm work since childhood, deprived of the opportunity to receive a good education like children in the city. She secretly resolved to do something to improve the village's educational conditions.
After returning home, Lin Yue shared her thoughts with Chen Yu. Chen Yu listened, pondered for a moment, and said, "Your idea is good, but changing people's mindsets in this village isn't easy. Especially education; everyone thinks that children helping with household chores is the most important thing, and that reading and writing aren't that useful."
Lin Yue nodded. "I know, but I don't want to give up like this. Even if it can only change things a little bit, it's still good."
Chen Yu looked at her determined eyes and smiled. "I support you. However, we need to take it slow and start with some small things."
In the afternoon, Lin Yue and Chen Yu went to the former educated youth settlement together. When the former educated youth gathered together, they always had a lot to talk about. They shared their recent experiences and thoughts with each other.
Lin Yue recounted her conversation with the women by the river that morning, and the educated youth were deeply moved upon hearing it.
“Lin Yue, you’re right. We should spread modern ideas and let everyone know that there is another way of life,” one of the educated youth said.
"But what should we do? Everyone is very resistant to these new ideas," another educated youth said with some worry.
Lin Yue thought for a moment and said, "We can start with some practical things. For example, we can try to organize some small activities to involve the villagers and gradually instill these ideas in them."
The educated youth nodded in agreement. A lively discussion ensued, with everyone offering various ideas, such as organizing knowledge lectures and fun competitions.
Just as everyone was having a heated discussion, Captain Li walked over. After listening to the educated youth's discussion, he said seriously, "Your ideas are good, but you need to pay attention to the methods. You can't be too hasty, and you must respect the village's traditions and customs. We are here to help the village develop, not to destroy their way of life."
Lin Yue stood up and said, "Captain Li, we understand. We just want to make everyone's lives better and give children more opportunities."
Captain Li looked at Lin Yue and nodded. "I know you all mean well. But you will definitely encounter many difficulties in the process, so you need to be mentally prepared."
After discussing things with the educated youth, Lin Yue and Chen Yu returned home. That night, Lin Yue lay in bed, her mind racing. She knew that changing the mindset of this village would be a long and arduous road, but she was confident she could persevere. She thought of her life in modern times, where freedom and equality, once taken for granted, felt so foreign. She secretly vowed to make these modern ideas take root and flourish here, to bring new life to the village.
The next day, Lin Yue got up early to go check on the village's threshing ground. Some villagers were already working there. She went over, greeted them, and then helped with the work. While working, she chatted with the villagers.
"Uncle, what do you think would happen if more children in our village could read and write?" Lin Yue asked.
As the uncle swung his farm tools, he replied, "What's the use of reading and writing? You still have to come back to farm. There haven't been many literate people in our village for generations, and we've all lived just fine."
Lin Yue smiled and said, "Uncle, you see, if the children can read, they can learn more. For example, in farming, they can learn how to grow more food and how to prevent pests and diseases. Moreover, if they have the opportunity, the children can go to the city to develop and live a better life."
The uncle stopped what he was doing and looked at Lin Yue thoughtfully. “What you said makes sense, but going to school costs money, right? Our village doesn’t have that much money to send children to school.”
Lin Yue knew this was a real problem, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "Uncle, we can think of a solution. For example, we can teach the children ourselves and not spend money on a teacher. Also, we can pool our resources to buy some books and stationery."
At this moment, several villagers gathered around and began to discuss the matter. Some agreed with Lin Yue's idea, believing that it was a good thing for children to learn to read and write; however, others worried that it would affect their farm work and remained skeptical about the actual benefits of education.
Lin Yue listened attentively to everyone's opinions; she knew this was a good start. At least, the villagers were beginning to think about the issue instead of simply rejecting it outright.
After a busy morning at the threshing ground, Lin Yue returned home. Seeing several chickens pecking at the ground in the yard, she suddenly thought she could start by raising chickens and show the villagers some new methods.
In the afternoon, she herded the chickens in the yard to a corner and began to observe their habits. She thought about how modern scientific chicken-raising methods, such as proper feed formulation and a hygienic breeding environment, can make chickens grow faster, healthier, and lay more eggs.
She gathered some simple materials and made a makeshift chicken coop, providing the chickens with a more comfortable resting place. Then, she tried mixing some wild vegetables and coarse grains to make a new chicken feed.
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