Year: I planted trees in Saihanba

"I……"

Zhao Tianshan listened to Xia Tian's words, still somewhat hesitant.

"Old Zhao, just say what's on your mind!"

Xia Tian looked at Zhao Tianshan, who was still stammering, and asked anxiously.

"Um, Mr. Xia, could I also join this literacy class?"

Under Xia Tian's eager gaze, Zhao Tianshan finally spoke in a muffled voice.

"That's all?"

Xia Tian looked at Zhao Tianshan and thought he had done something extraordinary.

"Yes, that's it!"

A rare blush appeared on Zhao Tianshan's dark face.

However, because his face was so dark, neither Xia Tian nor Feng Cheng noticed!

"You'll have to ask Feng Cheng about this, Professor Feng!"

Seeing Zhao Tianshan's embarrassed look, Xia Tian decided to tease him.

As Xia Tian spoke, she winked at Feng Cheng, who was standing next to her.

Feng Cheng looked at Xia Tian's expression.

Feng Cheng, who often worked with Xia Tian, ​​also developed a tacit understanding with her.

Seeing Xia Tian's expression, Feng Cheng realized what was going on.

"Feng Cheng, no, Technician Feng!"

Upon hearing Xia Tian's words, Zhao Tianshan immediately turned his gaze to Feng Cheng.

Feng Cheng listened to Zhao Tianshan's words and pretended to think about them for a while.

"Hey, Lao Zhao, why don't you call me 'teacher' first?"

Seeing Feng Cheng wielding his authority like a smug little man, he looked smug and self-satisfied.

Summer forcibly suppressed the smile in her heart.

"Teacher Feng!"

Zhao Tianshan listened to Feng Cheng's words and looked at his serious expression.

In the end, it still called out.

"Well, not bad, not bad!"

"Since you call me teacher, then I'll reluctantly accept you as my student!"

Feng Cheng looked at Zhao Tianshan with a very serious expression, but inside he was laughing his head off.

"Thank you so much, Teacher Feng!"

After Zhao Tianshan called out once, the rest of his calls came out much more smoothly.

"Hmm, not bad, a promising young man!"

After Feng Cheng had his fill of being a teacher,

That's when I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Then Zhao Tianshan gave Feng Cheng a warm greeting.

……

"Old Zhao, didn't you attend a literacy class in the army?"

"Why are you still thinking about participating?"

After Zhao Tianshan greeted Feng Cheng.

Xia Tian looked at Zhao Tianshan and asked a serious question.

"I only learned a few things in the army."

"I'm just thinking about improving myself!"

Looking at Zhao Tianshan's serious expression, Xia Tian felt a deep respect for the man in front of him.

Feng Cheng's gaze towards Zhao Tianshan also changed.

After listening to Zhao Tianshan's words, Xia Tian also reflected on herself.

I have indeed been a bit lax lately.

No, it won't work. It will start tomorrow.

I will also work twice as hard.

Summer said this to herself silently.

"Okay, then it's settled!"

"I'll make an announcement after we finish eating!"

"No problem, Engineer Xia!"

……

After dinner, Xia Tian gathered all the members of the advance team together.

Everyone sat around in the open space, watching Xia Tian with curiosity, wondering what important thing he was going to announce.

"Comrades!"

The volume was increased in the summer.

"I've called everyone here today to announce two things."

"The first thing is that everyone should stay away from the dam this winter. If there are any special circumstances, you can apply to me separately."

"The second thing, and the most important thing, is that we need to set up a literacy class in Bashang!"

The team members looked at each other and began to whisper among themselves.

"Literacy classes? What are those for?"

"It's just teaching us to recognize characters!"

"What good is this?"

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, and the discussion was lively.

"Mr. Xia, is attending this literacy class mandatory?"

Old Wei raised his hand, looking timidly at Xia Tian.

"This literacy class is not mandatory for everyone to attend."

"Participation is voluntary!"

"But I still recommend that everyone participate!"

Summer continued.

"Don't underestimate this literacy class, everyone. We'll plant trees and create forests together in the future."

"Many documents are written records; you can't get by if you can't read."

"Moreover, literacy allows us to learn more and better develop our Bashang area."

A glint of light flashed in Lao Wei's eyes as he listened to Xia Tian's words.

"Engineer Xia, if we don't attend this literacy class, won't they kick us out of the dam area?"

Old Wei asked again.

"will not."

"This literacy class was my own idea!"

"It doesn't have much to do with the Forestry Bureau; we're all employees of the Forestry Bureau!"

"It has nothing to do with whether or not you attend literacy classes!"

Xia Tian smiled gently and explained to Wei Fugui.

"I also see that everyone's cultural level is limited."

"That's why I came up with this idea, taking advantage of the free time during the winter."

"To raise everyone's cultural level."

"The teacher in this literacy class is none other than our Comrade Feng Cheng!"

Feng Cheng stood up and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

"If you have any questions in the future, feel free to ask me."

Let's learn and improve together!

"I'm signing up!" Zhao Tianshan was the first to raise his hand and shout.

As Wei Fugui listened to Zhao Tianshan's words, a strange light flashed in his eyes once again.

"If the battalion commander is participating, then I'll participate too!"

Old Wei then raised his hand.

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zhang Fulin's eyes.

"Then...I'll participate too!"

Seeing that everyone else was participating, Dayong and Erhuang naturally decided to join as well!

Xia Tian looked at everyone and nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay, then it's settled!"

"Everyone, please disperse!"

"okay!"

Wei Fugui'er was the last one standing.

Xia Tian looked at Wei Fugui, who was still in the small kitchen, and knew that he had something to say.

"Old Wei, what's wrong?"

"Xia Gong, can we really learn to read?"

In Wei Fugui's heart, peasants like them would never have the opportunity to learn to read.

"Of course it's true, the books are all ready."

"Once winter comes and we have a lot of free time, Feng Cheng will teach you!"

"After all, I will be working in Bashang in the future, and it won't work if I don't learn to read and write."

"If you can't attend because of something, Lao Wei, just let me know in advance."

Xia Tian explained to Wei Fugui with a smile.

"No no!"

Upon hearing Xia Tian's words, Wei Fugui shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

He originally planned to go back to his hometown in early winter.

Look at my mother and my younger brother and sister.

Now, hearing what Xia Tian said, why bother going back to my hometown?

Is going back to your hometown more important than studying?

I'm just sorry to my mother.

But I think my mother will understand me!

Wei Fugui comforted himself in his heart.

"Once I learn to write, I'll write a letter to my mother."

Wei Fugui was thinking about his elderly mother at home, and he was having a good time in his mind.

"Old Wei, is there anything else?"

"That's all, that's all, thank you, Engineer Xia!"

As Wei Fugui spoke, he wanted to kneel down and kowtow to Xia Tian.

Summer caught him with lightning speed.

"Old Wei, what are you doing? We revolutionary comrades don't do this."

Time always flies by in Bashang.

The snow on the dam was falling like goose feathers, enveloping the whole world in a pure white blanket.

The literacy classes were being conducted in an orderly manner amidst this snow-covered landscape.

Inside the dugout, the dim candlelight flickered, illuminating the focused faces of the team members.

Feng Cheng stood in front of the simple blackboard.

The chalk in my hand scratched on the blackboard, writing pinyin and Chinese characters.

His voice was full of passion as he patiently explained each point of knowledge.

"This character '林'!"

"A tree on the left and a tree on the right, put together they form the character '林' (lin, meaning forest)."

"It represents a large area of ​​trees gathered together, just like the future of our Bashang area."

As he spoke, he circled the character "林" (Lin) on the blackboard with chalk to reinforce the team members' impression.

The team members sat on rough wooden stools, their eyes fixed on the blackboard.

He diligently copied the pencil in his notebook.

Zhao Tianshan sat in the first row, his eyes were particularly firm, and he wrote each stroke carefully and forcefully.

Although his handwriting was a bit crooked, his attitude was extremely upright.

When he encounters something he doesn't understand, he will raise his hand to ask a question without hesitation.

"Teacher Feng, I'm still not quite sure how to pronounce this word. Could you teach me again?"

Feng Cheng would patiently demonstrate again and again until everyone had fully mastered it.

Wei Fugui sat in the corner. His foundation was relatively weak, so he found it somewhat difficult to learn.

But his eyes were full of longing.

He gripped the pencil tightly, writing stroke by stroke, as if he were writing his own future.

Sometimes, he would practice a simple word dozens of times.

His fingers became numb from writing for long periods of time, but he never had the slightest thought of giving up.

He knew perfectly well that this was his chance.

This is his chance to change his destiny.

As the course progressed, the curriculum of the literacy classes gradually became richer.

In addition to basic literacy and reading, Feng Cheng also began teaching some simple arithmetic and forestry knowledge.

He combined forestry knowledge with practical tree planting work, enabling team members to better understand and apply it.

"Look, everyone, at the roots of this sapling."

"We need to pay attention to maintaining its integrity when planting, so as to improve the survival rate of the seedlings."

As he spoke, he picked up a discarded sapling and demonstrated the correct planting method to the team members.

The team members listened with great interest, and they all gathered around to carefully observe Feng Cheng's demonstration.

Zhang Fulin couldn't help but ask.

"Technician Feng, how do we determine if the saplings are healthy?"

Feng Cheng answered Zhang Fulin's question with a smile.

"It depends on whether the sapling's leaves are emerald green, its branches are thick and strong, and its roots are well-developed."

"If all these conditions are met, then the sapling is healthy."

"Of course, what I'm talking about are all theoretical knowledge; the specifics still need to be combined with the actual situation."

"We will cover these topics in more detail in subsequent lessons!"

The team members nodded in agreement, making sure to memorize this knowledge.

During the learning process, the team members will also encounter some difficulties and setbacks.

Once, when learning simple arithmetic, Dayong and Erhuang could not understand the rules of addition and subtraction.

Confusion and frustration were evident on their faces.

"Technician, why can't we learn this? Are we just too stupid?"

Feng Cheng walked over, patted them on the shoulder, and encouraged them.

"Don't be discouraged. Learning is a gradual process."

"You just haven't found the method yet. As long as you practice more and think more, you will definitely be able to learn it."

To help Dayong and Erhuang overcome their difficulties, Feng Cheng used his spare time to tutor them.

Dayong and Xiaohuang were also very enthusiastic, following Feng Cheng around every day.

They called him "technician" this and "technician" that.

Feng Cheng certainly did not disappoint the two.

He patiently explained the rules of addition and subtraction using simple and easy-to-understand examples.

After several days of hard work, Dayong and Erhuang finally mastered this knowledge.

A happy smile appeared on their faces.

"Thank you, Teacher Feng!"

"If it weren't for your help, we might still be struggling."

Feng Cheng said with relief.

"You're welcome. We're all part of a team, and helping each other is only right."

"As long as we are united, there is no difficulty that we cannot overcome."

As time went on, the effectiveness of the literacy classes gradually became apparent.

The team members' literacy skills are increasing.

They are able to read some simple newspapers and books and learn more about the outside world.

After Wei Fugui learned to write, he couldn't wait to write a letter to his mother, who was far away in his hometown.

In the letter, he described in detail his life and studies in Bashang.

Tell your mother that you are working hard to learn cultural knowledge, and tell her not to worry.

In the letter, he also expressed his longing for his mother and hoped that she would be proud of him.

The literacy class not only taught the team members knowledge, but also strengthened their friendship.

In their spare time, the team members would sit together and share their life experiences.

Zhao Tianshan would tell his stories from his time in the army, and his heroic deeds would inspire the team members.

Feng Cheng then shared some interesting stories from his university days, allowing everyone to experience the charm of knowledge.

Through these exchanges, the team members grew closer together.

This is exactly what summer hopes to see.

Time flies, and it's New Year's Eve of 1959.

The wind and snow on the dam were still fierce, but the dugouts were full of warmth and liveliness.

Outside the window, heavy snow was falling, covering the whole world with a thick silver blanket.

Inside the window, the dim candlelight flickered, illuminating the team members' faces, which were filled with anticipation and joy.

On this day, the literacy class was temporarily suspended, and everyone busied themselves with preparations for this special day.

Old Wei went into the kitchen early, and wisps of smoke rose from the stove, filling the air with the aroma of various ingredients.

He wore an apron, rolled up his sleeves, and hummed a folk tune from his hometown as he skillfully chopped vegetables.

The cutting board is covered with ingredients collected from various parts of the dam area.

Although it wasn't a lavish feast, every dish was filled with everyone's anticipation for this Lunar New Year's Eve.

"Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, so we need to cook a proper New Year's Eve dinner to make sure everyone enjoys it!"

Old Wei muttered to himself as his hands moved with increasing speed and dexterity.

……