But Lin Yue wasn't discouraged at all. She stepped into the house, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Look everyone, this house is old, but it's very spacious. With some renovations, it can definitely become a wonderful library and activity room." She spoke as she walked around the house, gesturing about the different areas. "Here we can put bookshelves, arranged in rows, to hold books. Over there we can put some tables and chairs, creating a reading and study area. And in the corner we can set up an exhibition area to showcase our village's culture and history."
After listening to Lin Yue's plan, the villagers began to imagine what the place would look like in the future, and their eyes gradually filled with anticipation. A-Qiang, a strong young man from the village, was the first to step forward and say, "Sister Lin Yue, let's get started! I'll take care of clearing away the weeds and trash." With that, he picked up his tools and began working enthusiastically. Other villagers also joined in, some helping to clean the houses, while others checked the house structures to see where repairs were needed.
During the cleaning of the house, the villagers discovered some problems. The floor was uneven, and there was standing water in some places, which was likely due to a faulty drainage system in the past. Also, there were several large cracks in the walls that needed repair.
Lin Yue frowned, carefully observing the problems. She was somewhat worried that if these issues weren't resolved properly, they might affect the quality of the library and activity room. "Don't panic, everyone. Let's clean up the water first, and then see if we can fill in the floor. We'll need to find some materials to repair the cracks in the walls," Lin Yue calmly told everyone.
Uncle Li, an experienced craftsman from the village, came over. After examining the situation, he said, "The ground needs to be compacted again, then a layer of sand and gravel should be laid, and then cement should be applied to ensure it's flat. The cracks in the walls need to be filled with small stones and cement mortar first, and then plastered with lime mortar." As he spoke, Uncle Li demonstrated to the young villagers.
Under Uncle Li's guidance, the villagers began to address the issues with the ground and walls. A-Qiang and several strong young men used hoes and shovels to dig up the soil, compacted it, then mixed sand and cement and laid it on top, smoothing it with tools. Their faces were covered in sweat, but no one complained; they were all working towards a common goal. Meanwhile, several experienced villagers were responsible for repairing cracks in the walls. They carefully cleaned the cracks, filled them with cement mortar, compacted it with tools, and then applied lime plaster.
After several days of hard work, the problems with the floor and walls were largely resolved. The house looked much cleaner and the space felt more open. Next came the repair work. The villagers found new tiles to repair the roof. Young men climbed onto the roof, carefully removing the broken tiles one by one and replacing them with new ones. They worked together on the roof, passing tiles to each other, shouting loudly, "One, two, one, two!" The sunlight shone on them, casting their strong shadows.
While repairing the roof, Lin Yue didn't rest. She began collecting books. She visited villagers door-to-door, explaining the significance of building the library and asking for book donations. At each house, she patiently talked with the villagers.
At Uncle Zhang's house, Lin Yue sat in the yard and looked at him, saying, "Uncle, we're building a library in the village. If you have any unused books, could you donate them to us? It would be a great thing for the children." Uncle Zhang smiled and nodded, then went inside and brought out several old books. "Lin Yue," he said, "these are books I used to love reading, but they're not very useful now. I'll donate them to the library; I hope they'll be helpful to everyone." Lin Yue took the books and said gratefully, "Uncle, thank you. These books are treasures."
In addition to donations from the villagers, Lin Yue actively sought out external resources. She wrote heartfelt letters to nearby schools, libraries, charities, and cultural organizations, introducing the village's situation and the need to build a library. Touched by her sincerity, some schools and charities expressed their willingness to help. They donated a batch of books and simple cultural supplies, such as stationery and globes.
As the house renovations neared completion and the number of books gradually increased, the library and cultural activity room began to take shape. The villagers' enthusiasm grew, and everyone eagerly awaited their completion. The women took the initiative to clean the house and make curtains, tablecloths, and other decorative items. They crafted beautiful curtains from their own woven fabric, adding a warm atmosphere to the house. The children also helped, making handmade decorations from colored paper and pasting them on the walls and bookshelves.
In this process, the villagers' expectations for the library and activity room have evolved beyond just buildings; they've come to see a place brimming with hope and knowledge. When villagers gather to chat under the big tree at the village entrance, the topic invariably revolves around the library and activity room.
"Once the library is built, I'm going to take all my kids there so they can study hard and not end up like us, uneducated," an older woman said with a smile.
“Yes, I also want to take a look at those books. Maybe I can learn new planting techniques and make our land yield better,” an uncle chimed in.
Finally, after the villagers' joint efforts, the day arrived when the library and cultural activity room were completed. That day, the sky was a clear, bright blue, and the sun shone brightly and warmly, as if nature had carefully prepared a gift for this special day. The villagers all wore their finest clothes and arrived early at the library and cultural activity room. The children, as excited as a flock of birds, ran around among the crowd, their laughter echoing throughout the village.
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