As dawn broke, sunlight, like a soft veil, slowly enveloped the village. Lin Yue rose early and stood in the courtyard, gazing at the pale light on the horizon, her heart filled with both anticipation and worry about raising funds for the school. She knew it was a daunting task, but for the children to have better educational opportunities, she had to give it her all.
Lin Yue wore a plain cotton blouse, somewhat old but very clean, with slightly faded cuffs. She paired it with dark blue trousers, the cuffs neatly tucked into black cloth shoes. Her hair was simply braided into two braids, hanging down her shoulders, a few strands fluttering gently in the breeze. She took a deep breath, her eyes resolute, and turned to walk into the house, ready to begin today's fundraising efforts.
Chen Yu was already up and organizing some tools. Seeing Lin Yue enter, he stopped what he was doing, walked to her side, and gently took her hand. "Yue'er, let's start in the village today. I hope everyone will support us." Chen Yu's voice was steady and strong, his eyes filled with encouragement for Lin Yue. He wore a dark blue coarse cloth shirt, his usual work clothes, patched in several places, but this did not detract from his capable demeanor. His face appeared sharply defined in the morning sunlight, his high nose and deep-set eyes reflecting his unwavering confidence in this mission.
Lin Yue looked at Chen Yu and nodded slightly: "Okay, let's go." The two walked out of the courtyard and headed towards the village.
They first arrived at Aunt Liu's house at the village entrance. Aunt Liu was feeding the chickens in the yard. When she saw Lin Yue and Chen Yu arrive, she greeted them with a smile. "You two are here so early. Is there something you need?" Aunt Liu was wearing a floral blouse and a headscarf. Time had left deep marks on her face, but her smile remained warm.
Lin Yue smiled and said to Aunt Liu, "Aunt Liu, we're here to collect educational resources like books and pens for the village school. Do you have any spare items at home that you could donate to the school?" Lin Yue's eyes held a hint of expectation as she stared intently into Aunt Liu's eyes, hoping for a positive response.
Hearing this, Aunt Liu put down the chicken feed she was holding and dusted herself off. "Oh, I see. That's good news. I think I have a few old books and some paper and pens here. Let me find them for you." Aunt Liu turned and went into the house. A moment later, she came out with a few somewhat worn books and a small bundle of paper and pens. "These books used to be used by my children. They're a bit old, but they should still be readable. There aren't many paper and pens, so please don't mind." Aunt Liu handed the items to Lin Yue, her eyes full of kindness.
Lin Yue took the items, her eyes glistening with gratitude. "Aunt Liu, thank you! These are so precious to us." She carefully placed the books, paper, and pens into the cloth bag she had brought, as if they were priceless treasures.
Chen Yu quickly thanked her, saying, "Aunt Liu, you've been a great help. These things will help the children learn more."
Aunt Liu waved her hand with a smile: "Oh, it's nothing. You've gone to so much trouble for the children in the village, it's only right that I do my part."
After saying goodbye to Aunt Liu, Lin Yue and Chen Yu went to Old Zhao's house in the village. Old Zhao was a somewhat stubborn man, and he was repairing farm tools in the yard. Seeing Lin Yue and Chen Yu, he frowned. "What are you doing here?" he asked curtly.
Lin Yue stepped forward, smiling, and said, "Uncle Zhao, we're raising funds for educational resources for the school. If you have any unused books or paper and pens at home, could you donate them to the school?" Lin Yue tried her best to make her voice sound gentle and friendly. She knew that Old Zhao was difficult to deal with, but she didn't want to give up easily.
Old Zhao snorted, "I don't have any, you can leave." He lowered his head and continued repairing farm tools, no longer looking at Lin Yue and Chen Yu.
Lin Yue was somewhat disappointed, but she didn't leave. "Uncle Zhao, look, the children in the village are so pitiful. They don't have any books to read, nor enough paper and pens to write with. We want them to have better learning conditions. Please help us, just for the sake of the children." Lin Yue's eyes were full of pleading. She walked to Old Zhao's side, squatted down, and looked at him.
Old Zhao looked up, glanced at Lin Yue, then at Chen Yu. Seeing the sincerity in their eyes, he wavered slightly. "Hmph, then I'll take a look." He put down his farm tools and went inside. After a while, he came out with several yellowed books. "That's all, take them." Old Zhao handed the books to Lin Yue; although his tone was still somewhat stiff, his eyes had lost their previous coldness.
Lin Yue took the book and said happily, "Uncle Zhao, thank you! You are such a good person."
Old Zhao scratched his head a little embarrassedly: "Alright, stop nagging and go do your work."
And so, Lin Yue and Chen Yu visited the villagers one by one. Some villagers were very enthusiastic and took the initiative to donate their family's resources; others hesitated, but after being persuaded by Lin Yue and Chen Yu, they also contributed their share.
On the other side of the village, the educated youth were also taking action. Zhang Feng and several other educated youth were raising resources at the educated youth settlement. The atmosphere at the settlement was lively, and everyone was actively responding.
Standing in the middle of the courtyard, Zhang Feng spoke loudly to the educated youth: "Comrades, the children in the village need our help. Let's bring out our unused books, paper, and pens so that those children can have better learning conditions." His voice was loud and full of passion, and his eyes behind his glasses shone brightly.
One of the educated youths stood up and said, "Zhang Feng, I have some extracurricular books that I brought from the city. I was originally keeping them for myself, but now I'll donate them to the children." As he spoke, he took out a stack of books from the house and handed them to Zhang Feng.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
