Colorful years

"Teacher, in my opinion, a journalism specialist not only needs to take the lead in writing news articles, but also needs to shoulder the important responsibility of training others to write news reports, is that right?"

The teacher smiled and nodded in agreement: "That's right, your understanding is very accurate. That's why we, as news specialists, must possess comprehensive and solid professional skills. Therefore, from this moment on, you must seize the time and go all out to improve your news writing ability."

I'm setting a deadline for you—one year. In this year, you must strive to achieve a qualitative leap in your abilities and skills. You must be able to work independently and excel in various news reporting tasks; at the same time, you must be able to independently and skillfully conduct training for correspondents, helping them to continuously grow and improve. I believe that as long as you put in the effort, you will definitely achieve this goal!

"Teacher, a year is too long, six months will be enough!" Zhang Cong patted his strong chest without hesitation and assured his teacher confidently. His eyes were firm, as if he could already see success within reach.

Upon hearing this, Teacher Guoliang frowned, his expression turning serious. He gently shook his head and slowly said:

"Six months? Kid, don't be arrogant just because you've started working. Think it through! Journalism is not an ordinary writing style. It is different from both rigorous and standardized official documents and literature full of artistic imagination."

There's a lot more to this than meets the eye, so please don't make empty promises or boast! Failing to complete the task will not only disappoint everyone, but it will also be a blow to yourself.

However, faced with the teacher's serious questioning, Zhang Cong showed no sign of backing down. He straightened his posture and answered solemnly once again:

"Teacher, I am fully aware of the difficulty and unique nature of news writing, but please trust my ability and determination. I said six months, and I mean six months, not a day more. When the agreed time comes, you can simply come and see the results."

"If I fail, I am willing to accept any punishment!" After saying this, Zhang Cong's eyes shone with confidence. Teacher Guoliang said nothing more, and then had even more expectations for the student he had high hopes for.

As a well-read person, Zhang Cong naturally understood the simple and easy-to-understand principle that "one should repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude."

He was fortunate enough to be assigned to work in the county government after graduation, thanks in no small part to the joint recommendation of his teachers, Mr. Li and Mr. Guoliang, for which he was deeply grateful.

However, just now, when faced with Mr. Guoliang's questioning, he couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart, feeling somewhat dismissive.

He thought to himself: If he had been a little more selfish and proud this time, he might not have returned to his hometown, let alone been able to get a job in the county government.

In fact, his idea was not unfounded. When it came time to be assigned a job after graduation, he did have three completely different paths to choose from.

One option was to stay at the university to work and pursue further studies, including postgraduate entrance exams. At the time, both Professor Xu and the department head had privately informed him that if he agreed, he could smoothly stay at the university and begin this academic journey.

Secondly, he could marry his beloved girlfriend, Lin Yue, and stay in the bustling provincial capital, thus having the opportunity to become a secretary to a high-ranking official in the provincial government. It's worth noting that achieving this would be equally easy for him; all he needed to do was formally establish a genuine romantic relationship with Lin Yue.

The last option is to return to one's hometown, use one's knowledge to contribute to the local community, and at the same time, be able to stay by one's parents' side and fulfill one's filial duties.

If he had resolutely chosen one of these two options, then without a doubt, his life trajectory would have presented a completely different, captivating, and beautiful landscape.

However, life never offers "what ifs." After all, when faced with the crossroads of filial piety and pursuing a brilliant future, he unhesitatingly tipped the scales in favor of the former—filial piety.

Even during his primary and secondary school years, his maturity and filial piety towards his parents were as clear and obvious as the bright daylight and the bright moon.

For this reason, he never even considered the first option. The reason was simple: if he were to take that path, he would have to continue studying hard for another two years, which would undoubtedly add an even heavier financial burden to his parents who were already struggling financially.

At that time, his parents were nearly sixty years old, and there were three younger siblings in the family who were also in school. The meager income of the two elders was simply not enough to support the expenses required for his postgraduate studies.

As for the second option, Zhang Cong had actually hesitated a bit. After all, this option would not only allow him to marry a gentle and beautiful wife, but more importantly, it seemed to be a golden ladder leading to success and rapid advancement.

However, after careful consideration, he ultimately had to reluctantly give up this seemingly tempting opportunity. This was because, deep in his heart, filial piety always held the highest priority, and he would resolutely abandon any choice that might harm his parents' interests.

"Zhang Cong! What are you daydreaming about? You look completely out of it. A farmer's son like you've already got a job in the county government, aren't you satisfied? Hurry up, stop dawdling, go report to Teacher Li! I'm going out for a bit to go to the market and buy some meat. Tonight we'll all go to Teacher Li's house for a good feast!"