Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 540 I'm Not a Little Notebook
Lujiawan Primary School was built on the top of a small earthen slope in Team 10.

The village school used to have only two classrooms, two grades, a dormitory, a mud-walled kitchen, and a large playground.

Now, after the renovation, the environment has changed dramatically.

Surrounding the playground are eight spacious and bright single-story houses with red bricks, blue tiles, and glass windows, which are quite different from the low houses in the past.

The mud blocks and wooden planks that used to be in the classroom have been replaced with proper desks and chairs.

Of course, it wasn't like the ones from later generations, but rather long tables and benches that reflected the characteristics of that era.

(This kind of desk can only be used to draw the 38th parallel.)

There are eight rooms, six of which are classrooms, one class per grade. Currently, it is not only sufficient, but there is also plenty of extra space in the classrooms, so playing games indoors is not a problem.

Of the remaining two rooms, one was partitioned off to serve as a teacher's office, meeting room, and dormitory, while the other became a kitchen, canteen, and storage room.

However, there are only four grades at the moment, so the other two classrooms are used as a library and a classroom for supplementary subjects. Adjustments will be made when there are more students.

There is also a public toilet in the southwest corner, which is small but complete.

It just lacks a gatehouse and there are no security guards.

(This is the kind of classroom with a covered walkway in front of the door, where you can play when it rains. Four buildings surround the playground, and then there's another wall around it. That's a school.)
Chen Fan stood at the school gate and asked the two dogs, "Are you guarding the gate here?"

The two dogs wagged their tails and walked over, barking twice, and followed him slowly inside.

Chen Fan glanced at it. Was this dereliction of duty?

Even voluntary labor shouldn't be done like this.

At this time, all classes were in session, and the clear sound of reading aloud came from the lower grade classrooms, adding a touch of scholarly atmosphere to the campus.

In the classrooms of the "upper grades," there were also "little teachers" whose age was unknown, who were giving lectures.

This is what a school should look like!

Chen Fan had only been standing on the playground for less than a minute when Principal Xiao rushed over from the classroom, offering him a cigarette from afar. "Teacher Chen, you didn't even tell me you were coming so I could have made arrangements to welcome you."

He was originally just a substitute teacher in the production team, responsible for dozens of students in two grades, handling both main and supplementary subjects, and was an all-rounder in all courses.

Then, while sitting at home, good fortune comes from heaven.

Before he could say or do anything, the team wanted to expand the school and assigned him several teachers, and he suddenly became the principal.

Think back to the village school a year ago, and look at the school today—it's a world of difference! Not to mention that welfare benefits and income have increased significantly.

Wow, I never would have guessed!

This is more beautiful than I could ever dream of!
And the person who drove all of this was Chen Fan; how could he not be grateful?

Seeing Principal Xiao come out, Chen Fan quickly went to greet him, took the cigarette in one hand and shook hands with the other, and laughed, "He's not an outsider, there's no need to entertain him."

Xiao Weihua, beaming, nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes."

Then he pointed to the office and said, "Teacher Chen, go to the office, sit for a while, have some tea, and then we can discuss which class to teach in and what to teach. Or you can decide directly, and I'll organize it."

Chen Fan waved his hand and said, "No need for that. We can just gather all the students together after this class and explain it to them all at once."

The youngest child in the village school is 7 years old, and the oldest is only 14 years old.

Yes, the oldest student in third grade is 14, and the oldest student in fourth grade is 12. This shows that there is a sequence to learning and that one should not judge others by their age.

However, children in rural areas mature early; they start helping with household chores at the age of three to five, and are already quite sensible by the age of seven.

On the other hand, rural children are "limited in their knowledge." A 14-year-old is not much different from a 7-year-old, except that they learn more from textbooks, listen to more adults, and do more farm work.

So Chen Fan was too lazy to differentiate and decided to give them a few "open classes".

Although there are four grades, there are not many students. Each grade has only a dozen or so students, and the most has only twenty or thirty. In total, there are 87 students in the whole school.

However, including Xiao Weihua, the principal, there were six teachers. Only Lujiawan could afford to support so many "idle people." In some production teams, three or four teachers could probably handle everything.

This includes cooking, home visits, mediating disputes among classmates, and resolving family disputes among classmates.

Village teachers are generally highly respected, so isn't it normal to ask them to mediate disputes?
Seeing that Chen Fan had made up his mind, Principal Xiao didn't say anything more. He first moved a chair to the corridor and asked Chen Fan to sit down and rest, while he went back to the classroom to continue teaching.

Not long after, after finishing a cigarette, Principal Xiao came running out again, picked up a hammer, and started banging on a piece of iron hanging under the eaves.

The school bell rang, and soon the students rushed out of the classroom, yelling and shouting.

Some children carried iron hoops, and as soon as they ran out of the classroom, they threw the hoops out. The hoops rolled a short distance on the playground, then suddenly rolled back and hit an iron hook, pushing them all over the playground. A group of little kids followed behind, shouting and yelling, like little soldiers charging into battle.

Several boys gathered in a corner and, without anyone organizing them, each lifted one leg and began "cockfighting".

(cockfighting)
While the battle raged on one side, raising clouds of dust, the young girls on the other side were playing their own games.

They were having a blast playing games like kicking sandbags, hopscotch, and jacks.

Principal Xiao then gathered several young teachers together, saying, "When class starts, gather all the students in the first-grade classroom and bring your own stools. Teacher Chen will be teaching the class later."

"Teacher Chen is here?"

A teacher asked in surprise, then turned his head to look in the direction of the office and immediately saw Chen Fan sitting on a bench, watching the students laughing and joking on the playground.

The others cheered and were eager to gather more people right away.

Strictly speaking, they had also been Chen Fan's "students" before, when they were preparing for the college entrance examination, they followed their respective "masters" and listened to Chen Fan's lectures.

It was from that time that I realized why "Master" had such faith in Teacher Chen.

All the knowledge points in the textbook could be easily understood by Teacher Chen. Even those they hadn't learned yet knew where to catch up. This was a feeling they had never experienced with anyone else.

This shows that Teacher Chen is not only highly capable himself, but also able to integrate and teach others, which is especially commendable!
With great excitement, the teachers quickly set about organizing the students to attend the class.

The ten-minute break between classes passed in the blink of an eye, and the school bell rang again, prompting the students on the playground to rush to their classrooms like a whirlwind.

Then, under the guidance of their respective teachers, the two of them carried a bench and quickly gathered in the first-grade classroom.

At this moment, Chen Fan, accompanied by Principal Xiao, entered the classroom.

Chen Fan had been to every team in Lujiawan, and the students in the classroom had all seen him. When they saw him walk onto the podium, the entire classroom fell silent instantly, and everyone stared at Teacher Chen with shining eyes.

Principal Xiao stood below the podium, smiling as he spoke loudly, "Students, do you know who the teacher on the podium is?"

The students all answered in unison, "We know."

The next second, the sound became a bit distorted.

"It's Teacher Chen."

"Teacher Chen."

"Teacher Chen, Teacher Chen."

Chen Fan stood on the podium, raised his hand and pressed it down, and all the noise instantly disappeared. Everyone stared at him expectantly.

I glanced around the classroom. There were rows of first-grade students at the front, and students of other ages at the back who had brought their own stools.

He placed his hands on the podium and said with a smile, "I heard from your Principal Xiao that you really want to hear me give a lecture, is that right?"

All the students answered in unison again, "Yes."

But this time no one said anything else.

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Okay. Since you all want to hear, I'll give you a talk. However, I won't be teaching you the knowledge from the textbook; your teachers will explain that to you."

They all became teachers through diligent study and passing the exams organized by the Education Commission. They are all excellent teachers. As long as you study hard with them, you will definitely achieve excellent results as well.

At this moment, a student raised his right hand high, his eyes full of longing, but he kept his mouth shut and did not shout.

Chen Fan pointed at him and said, "Please stand up and state your question."

The student immediately stood up and asked loudly, "Teacher Chen, can I get into university if I study hard?"

Chen Fan nodded without hesitation, "As long as you study hard and master the knowledge in the textbook, you will be able to get into university."

He then gestured for the student to sit down and asked, "Do any other students have any questions?"

Seeing that no one raised their hand anymore, Chen Fan continued, "If I'm not going to talk about the knowledge in the textbook, then what should I talk about?"

He picked up the chalk, turned around, and wrote a line on the blackboard: "Why study?"

This question has been asked since ancient times, and countless famous people have given their own answers, some in poems and some in articles.

A widely circulated joke on the internet in later generations also goes like this:

"I advise you to read more books so that when you see the sunset, you can say: 'The sunset glows and the lone wild goose flies together; the autumn water blends with the vast sky.' Instead of just saying: 'Wow, what a sunset! Wow, there are birds! Wow, so beautiful!'"
It means that when you're heartbroken, you can softly sing, "If life were only as beautiful as our first meeting, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan?" Instead of repeatedly crying out, "I'm so sad, so depressed!"
It means that when you see snowflakes dancing in the air, you can spontaneously exclaim, "Like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of pear trees bloom!" instead of exclaiming, "Oh my, the snow is so heavy!"

Unfortunately, none of these methods apply to the children in the classroom at that time.

They don't have such a broad perspective, and perhaps they don't even understand the difference between the two.

You can't understand if you tell them things like "Books can reach places your feet can't", "Books may not contain wealth, but they can certainly help you become a better version of yourself", "Books can provide wisdom and strength", etc.

They don't understand what "studying for the rise of China" means. It might sound inspiring, but most people forget it as soon as they hear it.

Furthermore, every era has its own characteristics, and our speech and actions should also conform to the characteristics of this era as much as possible.

So, Chen Fan tossed the chalk into the chalk box, glanced at them, and said seriously, "Why do you need to study? There are two reasons. First, the motherland needs you to study hard so that you can build the country after you have acquired knowledge. Just like if you don't learn cultural knowledge, you can't become veterinarians. If there are no veterinarians in the production team, you can't raise chickens, ducks, and geese. Then you can't do side jobs or earn income. You also can't study quietly here and have meat to eat every now and then when you go home."

Veterinarians take good care of the chickens, ducks, and geese for the production team, and farm machinery operators drive machines to plow and harvest. All of these are contributing to the collective. When the collective creates more value, it is contributing to the motherland.

The second reason is for yourselves to study. Only through studying can you understand the world, be able to walk out with your heads held high, and see the outside world just like your older brothers and sisters who have been admitted to university...

Next, I will explain in detail these two points: why we should read books and what benefits reading brings…

……

While Chen Fan was teaching the children in the classroom, two cars drove into the Lujiawan Brigade Headquarters one after the other.

The vehicle in front was a jeep. After the car stopped, several people got out, one of whom was Public Security Officer Zhu, and the others were dressed as officials.

However, judging from Zhu Gong's behavior of standing aside after getting out of the car, he was not very familiar with these people.

The car behind it is a very rare Toyota Corolla.

This car was almost ubiquitous in Hong Kong in the 70s, and was practically the "street car" of the first generation of middle-class families in Hong Kong, but it is indeed very rare in mainland China.

Especially in a place like Nanhu with its crisscrossing waterways, it must have taken quite a bit of effort to drive this car here.

Several middle-aged men in suits stepped out of the Toyota. They all looked to be over forty or fifty years old and their mannerisms were somewhat stiff. If this were a foreign-related hotel in Beijing, the waiters would easily be able to tell them apart. These were several small notebooks.

Xiao Liewen could also tell the difference; he'd dealt with this thing quite a bit.

Just now, Officer Zhu led a group of people in. After briefly introducing a few of his own men, he ignored the so-called cadres and pulled Officer Zhu aside, saying, "Why did you bring a few notebooks with you?"

Secretary Yang and his companions were all smiles as they exchanged pleasantries with the unexpected guests, but upon hearing Xiao Liewen's words, their expressions instantly changed, and they turned their gazes toward Public Security Officer Zhu.

Zhu Gong'an coughed twice, pointed to one of the cadres, and casually said, "This is Cadre Zhao from the Provincial United Front Work Department. He said he brought these notebooks to look for relatives. I'm just responsible for leading the way; I don't know anything else."

Xiao Liewen glanced at him and said, "If this were back in the day, you would be considered a traitor. If I had caught you, I would have shot you without saying a word."

Zhu Gong'an's face darkened. "I'm just a clerk, I'm just following orders. If you're so capable, go yell at Secretary Qian. Why are you yelling at me?"

He glanced at the people next to him and snorted, "I'm not happy about it either."

Zhao Junhui, who was in charge of this matter, couldn't help but smile bitterly. Although he had been mentally prepared before coming, he still felt particularly frustrated when he actually encountered it.

The two countries had already established formal diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level in 72, and since then, various people-to-people exchanges have gradually increased.

Another meeting was held last December, and the tide turned completely.

This might not be a big deal for other units, but for the United Front Work Department, it's a matter of life and death.

Many of the applications to find relatives that were previously submitted were approved all at once, thanks to the coordinated efforts of multiple departments, including foreign affairs, tourism, transportation, public security, and united front work, to provide them with convenience.

Just last month, two opposition parties from Japan made official visits, which was an extremely strong signal.

In this situation, they naturally have to fully cooperate with the work.

But while cooperation is needed at work, the grassroots level is different.

He has encountered this situation several times before.

Just a few days ago, I received another assignment: to accompany several travelers with notebooks to search for their relatives who had been out of contact for many years.

What can he do?
Even if you're unhappy, you have to put up with it, and you have to listen to Lao Xiao's curses.

Zhao Junhui wiped his face, took out a pack of cigarettes, and lit a bunch.

Although Secretary Yang and his companions were unwilling, they felt a little sorry for the provincial official who was being so humble, so they reached out and accepted the gift.

Once you accept the cigarette, things will be much easier.

Zhao Junhui took out his lighter again to help light the cigarette, but this time he was refused.

He didn't mind, lit his own cigarette, and then smiled at Xiao Liewen, "Comrade Xiao must be a veteran, right?"

Xiao Liewen snorted twice and glanced at him. "You figured it out?"

Zhao Junhui chuckled and said, "It's too obvious. Just like my boss, he has a tough attitude about him."

After a pause, he asked, "Which unit were you in back then? My leader was originally from the 5th Regiment of the 2nd Brigade, but he was injured and retired during the Second Field Army. He still holds a grudge about it, otherwise he could have gone to the north."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Liewen's expression improved considerably. "So you were also from the Second Field Army."

The implication was that he also came from the Second Field Army, but he didn't specify which regiment.

Zhao Junhui's smile deepened. "So we're all family after all. You must be a former chief now."

Then he began to complain, "Old Chief, oh..."

But before he could even get started, Xiao Liewen waved him off, saying, "Stop. I'm just a farmer, I have nothing to do with leaders. If you think highly of me, just call me deputy captain."

"Okay, okay."

Zhao Junhui readily agreed, "Deputy Captain Xiao, you've been on the battlefield, you should know that military orders are paramount."

Seeing that Xiao Liewen's expression had softened somewhat, he continued, "I'm just a soldier under the leader now. I can only do what the leader tells me to do. And the leader is also carrying out the tasks assigned by his superiors..."

At this point, he glanced at the small notebook sitting not far away, whispering, then turned back and said softly, "If it were up to my own temper, I would shoot them without saying a word when I saw them."

Then, changing the subject, she said, "Sigh... but that won't do, we have to follow orders!"

Xiao Liewen took a few puffs of his cigarette in silence, then turned to look at Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, and Captain Ye.

The group exchanged glances, then Xiao Liewen took two steps back and stood with Zhu Gong'an. Secretary Yang coughed and stepped forward, asking, "You just said they're looking for their relatives? What are their names?"

Zhao Junhui immediately said, "There is only one person who wants to find his relatives. His name is Takahashi Hideo. He is the only one left in his family. His younger brother was stationed in this area and wrote to him saying that he had a child here. He also heard about our policy of treating prisoners of war well, so he came to find his relatives and wanted to see if the child was still alive."

After he finished speaking, Secretary Yang immediately turned to look at Captain Zhang and the others.

Takahashi?

Isn't that Lao Gao's real surname? His family has come looking for him.

Seeing their actions and expressions, Zhao Junhui's gaze sharpened slightly, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. "Is the child still there?"

If we can successfully find the relatives, then this united front task can definitely be accomplished. Whether it's establishing foreign trade relations or recruiting a pro-China individual, it will be a great supplement to the current weak foundation of our united front work with foreign countries.

Moreover, judging from the way that little notebook was presented, it was one thing for him to come alone, but he also brought three attendants with him, clearly indicating that he was not an ordinary person. This made him even more important!

Secretary Yang looked at him and coughed lightly, "I don't know if it is or not, but we do have a guy in our team named Takahashi, who is an orphan left over from the war."

Zhao Junhui immediately asked, "Can I see him?"

Since Secretary Yang had spoken, he naturally wouldn't refuse, so he waved his hand and said, "Let's go, I'll take you there."

When someone's relatives come to their door, they naturally can't stop them from seeing them.

Whether Lao Gao will go with them or not depends on his own opinion.

……

Chen Fan paced back and forth on the podium, speaking slowly and deliberately, “Just now I told you about a certain gap between our country and the world’s advanced countries. It seems like a huge chasm, but everyone has heard the story of Yu Gong moving the mountain. Mr. Li also called on everyone to learn from Yu Gong.”

Willing to be like the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains, relentlessly scaling the heights of knowledge, arming ourselves with knowledge to build our motherland, we will one day bridge this gap and even surpass foreign nations. This is one of the reasons why we must strive to study hard.

After he finished speaking, he returned to the front of the classroom, glanced at all the students again, and said, "That's all for today's lesson. In the next class, I will talk to you about our country's advantages in catching up, as well as the gaps between us and foreign countries in other aspects."

Okay, get out of class dismissed.

All the students immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, teacher."

After Chen Fan waved, they happily ran out.

Chen Fan chuckled, wondering how much of what he had just said would they remember.

But it doesn't matter, since the seeds have already been sown, surely a few will sprout.

At this moment, Zhang Wenliang suddenly appeared at the door, waved to Chen Fan, and then said to Principal Xiao, "Old Xiao, find Gao Jianguo from your Team 10. He has some family matters to attend to, and I'll take him back."

Principal Xiao was taken aback. "What could possibly be wrong with his family?"

Zhang Wenliang didn't explain much. The main reason was that everyone's attitude towards the little notebook was similar. The more people knew about it, the more chaotic things would become. He simply said, "Just find the person for me. Don't ask about anything else."

Upon hearing this, Principal Xiao didn't say anything more. He beckoned to a teacher next to him and said, "Go and find Gao Jianguo."

Chen Fan walked up to Zhang Wenliang, looked at him curiously, but remained silent.

Old Zhang had just rejected Principal Xiao, and now he was asking questions? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?!
A moment later, a little boy who was covered in dirt and looked like a scruffy monkey was pulled over. Chen Fan recognized him at a glance as Xiao Gao, the boy he had saved before.

Seeing that he had found the person, Zhang Wenliang didn't say much and led him outside.

Chen Fan quickly said goodbye to Principal Xiao and the others, and then followed them.

Walking a short distance from the school gate, you'll see two cars parked in the courtyard in front of the Gao family's house, with several horses nearby.

Zhang Wenliang led Xiao Gao into the house, and Chen Fan quickly followed.

Before he could even go inside, and before he knew what the people inside were saying, he saw Xiao Gao immediately lie on the ground, throwing a tantrum and yelling, "I'm not a little notebook! I don't want to be a little notebook! I'm really not a little notebook!"

(End of this chapter)