Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 190 Visiting Home
Chen Fan walked at the front, followed by 12 teenagers, the youngest being only 13 years old and the oldest 16. They should have been at an age where they were lively and energetic, but at this moment, they followed behind Chen Fan as obediently as a group of little soldiers.

Although Chen Fan was about the same age as them, his role as a teacher was more than just a title.

Even if they are the same age as the teachers, or even younger, they are still teachers. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be bruised and battered when they get back, no exaggeration!

Moreover, this habit has a history.

About eighteen years ago, the village responded to the call to set up a primary school. Teacher Xiao, who was only 16 or 7 years old at the time, was recruited by the brigade headquarters as a rare "intellectual" because he had completed higher primary school but did not receive a graduation certificate. He was also responsible for coordinating the positions of private school teachers.

Soon after, "county universities" began to be established across the country, requiring each county to establish its own "university".

Later, the trend continued. After a production brigade in Henan started a "homemade university," communes across the country followed suit and started their own "homemade universities."

I won't go into the specific background.

In any case, many communes at that time set up their own "local universities" that combined "cultural knowledge" and "professional skills" in their teaching.

The local university had no campus or student registration; the graduation certificate was just a piece of paper stamped by the commune. It only admitted outstanding laborers from various production teams within the commune, and the specific teaching order was carried out in a "combination of gathering and dispersing" manner.

When they had academic classes, they would "gather" together and be taught by the same academic teacher. When they had professional classes, they would "scatter" to the fields and be taught by specialized "local teachers".

Those responsible for teaching "cultural knowledge" are called "literary teachers" or "cultural teachers," while those responsible for teaching "professional skills" are called "local teachers."

The origins of this "local teacher" are also interesting, because the content he teaches includes how to cultivate seedlings, transplant rice, fertilize, plant crops, raise livestock, and repair various farm tools, etc. The specific content is determined based on the conditions around him.

If the production brigade was well-equipped, they would also teach how to repair and drive tractors and trucks, and how to build and maintain small hydroelectric power stations, etc.

Yes, back then, many production teams actually had their own small hydroelectric power stations. The movie "Young People in Our Village" tells the story of the first production team building its own small hydroelectric power station.

The subsequent nationwide surge in the construction of small hydropower stations, including the construction of more than a dozen hydropower stations in Gufeng County, all originated from this small village in Shanxi.

In general, the majors offered by "local universities" were all related to the production and daily life of the production team. In addition, most of these "teachers" were skilled workers in production, but they were illiterate or only knew a few characters, so they were called "local teachers".

At that time, there was a shortage of cultural teachers in the commune, so Teacher Xiao also became a "cultural teacher" at the "Lujiawan Branch of the Nanhu Commune Local University".

If the students at Shangcun Primary School are mostly between 7 and 15 years old, then the age range of those attending "Tu Da Xue" (a local university) is much wider, ranging from 16 to 60 years old.

Even those who are several generations older than Teacher Xiao respectfully address him as Teacher Xiao.

After a brief period of change, these "homegrown universities" existed for only a little over six months, or even just one or two years, before being shut down, merged, or transformed, disappearing into the dust of history. However, some of their rules were preserved.

Back then, people in their forties would call teenagers "teacher." Nowadays, it doesn't matter if the teacher is younger than the student, let alone if they are about the same age.
You dare disobey me?
Therefore, now that Chen Fan is teaching a group of young people, their parents and elders are constantly giving them instructions, so how could they dare to say a single word of dissent!
……

Leading a group of well-behaved students back to the educated youth settlement, Chen Fan shouted as soon as he entered the gate, "You're back!"

Huang Ying, Yang Ju, and Liu Dan walked out one after another, followed by Jiang Lili at the very back.

Chen Fan didn't pay much attention at first, assuming that the other girls were just visiting Jiang Lili's room.

But when Yang Ju and Huang Ying called out and led everyone into the middle room, Chen Fan was stunned.

He had planned to take these people directly to the back, and arrange for them to rest and eat in the storage room next to the kitchen. Why did they end up in the girls' dormitory? Just as he was wondering what was going on, Jiang Lili came over and whispered, "They've all moved into my room."

Chen Fan, "Huh?"

What's going on here?
Jiang Lili added, "They turned this room into a meeting room and a classroom."

Chen Fan was dumbfounded. "A meeting room and a classroom?"

Jiang Lili nodded and quietly pointed inside, "I won't say any more to you, I have to go in and help with the hospitality."

After saying that, he hurriedly went inside and joined Yang Ju and the others, serving tea, water, and snacks, busy and happy.

Among the 12 students, Yang Zhijun was from Team 6. He was also Yang Ju's cousin, so he took it upon himself to act as a part-host, busying himself with everything.

On the contrary, Chen Fan, the real master, stood at the door in a daze, trying to figure out what the three girls were thinking.
A moment later, Huang Ying rushed out, smiling, and said, "Teacher Chen, please come in and sit down."

Chen Fan nodded with his mouth open, "Oh, oh."

As I walked further in, I sensed that something was amiss.

I've come home for a visit?
Upon entering the room, everyone's voices immediately quieted down. All the students sat on two bamboo beds on the left, holding rough pottery teacups in their hands, and most of them were curiously looking at this legendary dormitory for educated youth.

Upon seeing Chen Fan enter, he immediately sat up straight, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Chen Fan looked to his right and saw Huang Ying, Yang Ju, Liu Dan, and Jiang Lili standing on the other side, none of them sitting down.

And unsurprisingly, Jiang Lili was standing at the very end.

Chen Fan gritted his teeth. What did this commotion mean?

Seeing Chen Fan looking over, Huang Ying immediately smiled and said, "Teacher Chen, we have prepared the food. Would you like to eat after you finish your work, or eat first and then continue your work?"

Chen Fan looked at Jiang Lili.

Jiang Lili's lips moved slightly as she timidly said, "Today's meals were all prepared by Huang Ying, Yang Ju, and Liu Dan."

Everyone else thought she was trying to take credit for Huang Ying and the others, but only Chen Fan could hear the grievance in her words.

Chen Fan smiled at her, then looked at Huang Ying and the others, and said politely, "Thank you, everyone."

Huang Ying and the other two immediately shook their heads and waved their hands with smiles on their faces, "No need to be polite."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue and said to the veterinary students, "It's still early, and castrating pigs is relatively simple. Let's get to work first, and then eat, okay?"

These "good kids" naturally had no objections and nodded repeatedly, "Okay." "We'll listen to the teacher." "Mm."

Chen Fan patted his thigh, sighed almost imperceptibly, stood up, pointed outside, and said, "Let's go then."

(End of this chapter)