Time Travel: Volume 1! Starting from a Small Mountain Village

Overall, Xia Aiguo's sudden visit didn't cause much of a stir among the others, except for Liu Pandi. Of course, it did serve as a reminder to Jiang Nian'an that she needed to be more careful when visiting her grandparents in the future.

The school is running smoothly, and the start of the new semester is in the next couple of days. When Long Lifan learned that only about eighty children had registered, she was somewhat disappointed.

She had already conducted a survey of the number of school-age children in Dongwan Brigade, and it was approximately over a hundred. This meant that some families were still unwilling to send their children to school, so she immediately went to the brigade leader to inquire about the reasons.

"Hey…"

“I know about what you’re talking about, Long Zhiqing. Those families don’t want their children to go to school simply because they’re poor,” Lin Guodong sighed, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

When the Dongwan Brigade School was built, the hope was that all the children in the village would have books to read and dreams to pursue.

However, reality is always cruel. Although tuition fees are already incredibly low, costing only one yuan a year, it is still an unbearable expense for some families. They live frugally, struggling to make ends meet, let alone afford to send their children to school.

There are also parents who, although they know the importance of education, have too much to do at home. They have younger siblings to care for, and the housework has piled up. They really can't bear to send their children to school and would rather they stay at home to help share some of the burden.

Lin Guodong thought about all this, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He also explained in detail the reasons why he didn't want his children to go to school in front of Long Zhiqing.

Long Lifan stood quietly to the side, listening to the village head, Lin Guodong, recount the village's plight, a wave of indescribable sorrow washing over her. She recalled what she had witnessed in her later life: families back then spared no expense in their children's education, with summer programs and extracurricular classes galore, all for a better future for their children. Now, families here struggled to even afford a single yuan for tuition, a sight that deeply pained her.

“Perhaps we can try using rewards to motivate those parents,” Long Lifan suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Upon hearing this, Lin Guodong abruptly raised his head, a glint of anticipation flashing in his eyes: "How exciting?"

Long Lifan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "We can set up rewards based on exam scores. For example, children who do well on the final exam can receive some material rewards or school supplies, or even have their tuition waived for the next semester. In this way, parents will see that their children can gain tangible benefits from studying, and they may be more willing to send them to school."

After listening, Lin Guodong's brow gradually relaxed. He felt that Long Lifan's suggestion made a lot of sense. Using rewards to motivate parents and children might really be able to break the current predicament.

The two began discussing specific reward schemes, hoping that the schemes could truly help children who yearn for knowledge but cannot afford tuition.

"By the way, Captain, I think the chickens at the chicken farm should be laying eggs soon." Long Lifan's thoughts suddenly drifted to the village's chicken farm, remembering that the hens there were about to start laying eggs. An idea flashed through her mind, and she turned to Lin Guodong and said, "If the village children have free time after school, we can arrange for them to dig for earthworms."

"Digging for earthworms?" Lin Guodong was a little confused, not knowing what Long Zhiqing was going to do.

Long Lifan explained with a smile, "Captain, you don't know, earthworms are really good for hens. They're not only a favorite food for hens, but they also provide them with plenty of nutrition, helping them lay more eggs. This way, the children can earn work points through their labor and contribute to the chicken farm at the same time. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

Lin Guodong's eyes lit up upon hearing this, thinking it was indeed a good idea. He nodded in agreement, with Long Zhiqing providing two solutions. He believed that as long as he shared this information, those families would certainly not prevent their children from going to school.

On the one hand, it stimulated those members, letting them know that studying could not only be free but also earn money. Who wouldn't be tempted? After all, no one wants to admit that their child is worse than others.

Moreover, these children could use their spare time to dig for earthworms to earn work points, which would be a contribution to their families, so the commune members had no reason to refuse. Those things were everywhere in the fields, so it was perfect for the children to do it.

Sure enough, when Lin Guodong spread the news of the reward program, the entire village was abuzz. The villagers were shocked, but even more so, they were filled with joy and anticipation. They hadn't expected there could be a reward for their children's education; this undoubtedly brought immense hope to these impoverished families.

Especially when they heard that the children could earn work points by digging for earthworms in their spare time, many villagers from impoverished families who hadn't previously sent their children to school began to waver. They started discussing the benefits of this new policy.

Some children, upon hearing that they could earn money while attending school, had eyes that gleaming with excitement and couldn't wait to enroll. Parents, seeing hope in education, began sending their children to school in droves. Suddenly, the school's registration office was bustling with activity, everyone filled with anticipation for the future.

When Long Lifan heard the news, she was filled with relief. She knew that this decision had taken the first step in changing the future of the village.

That day, she approached Lin Guodong again and suggested, "Captain, I think the chicken farm needs more manpower. The chickens will soon start laying eggs, and with the children digging for earthworms, someone definitely needs to be in charge of registering and assigning tasks. Currently, there are only three people at the chicken farm, and they will definitely be overwhelmed."

"Who do you want to recruit?" Lin Guodong asked in return, showing great interest in Long Lifan's ideas.

Long Lifan smiled slightly and said, "Captain, don't you know? During the last selection, both sisters, Lin Xiuxiu and Lin Feifei, met the requirements. However, to avoid gossip in the village, we only recruited Lin Xiuxiu. Now, if we need to increase manpower, I will definitely consider Lin Feifei, who meets the requirements."

Lin Guodong nodded after listening. He knew that Long Lifan had always been fair and impartial, never showing favoritism. He had complete faith in Long Zhiqing's judgment. Moreover, Lin Feifei was indeed a capable young woman, making her a good choice for the chicken farm.

"Row."

“Long Zhiqing, you can decide on the chicken farm matter. If you want to hire more people in the future, you can do it your way. I trust you.”

Every evening now, as the setting sun bathes the entire village, Lin Guodong habitually takes a stroll around the chicken farm. He watches the chickens grow up under the careful care of Long Lifan and the others, their feathers full and their spirits high, and he feels an indescribable joy.

Long Zhiqing's management methods were indeed quite effective. She not only managed the chicken farm very well, but also achieved an unexpectedly high survival rate for the chickens. Lin Guodong was genuinely impressed by Long Lifan's abilities, and he was now extremely grateful that Long Zhiqing had come to their Dongwan Brigade to work in the countryside.