Back to 80: My Literary Life

"We have made a budget. According to the county's standards, it would cost at least 60,000 yuan to build a primary school. Now the village is so poor, and the county and township finances are also tight. I heard that the cadres' salaries cannot be paid on time, so how can we have money to build a school?"

Fang Minghua and the others didn't say anything.

In fact, in this era, most rural schools in the northwest are like this, including the relatively rich Guanzhong region. The rural education foundation is very weak, but the degree is different.

"Who is the teacher in the school?" Zhao Hongjun asked.

"You know him too." Zhang Guisheng said with a smile.

As he was talking, a fair-skinned young man wearing glasses walked out of a classroom.

"Zhang Xuewen!" Fang Minghua recognized him immediately.

Isn't this the youngest son of Aunt Zhang, the landlord when he was sent to the countryside?

"Fang Minghua!" Zhang Xuewen also recognized him: "Why are you back?"

"I came back to see nothing." Fang Minghua explained: "This is Zhao Hongjun, do you remember him?"

"I remember, why don't you remember? You are all from Xijing." Zhang Xuewen smiled.

"Hey, Xuewen, I remember when we left, weren't you preparing to take the college entrance exam? Why did you become a teacher? Did you take the normal school entrance exam?" Fang Minghua asked.

"I didn't pass."

Ah? This?

Fang Minghua quickly changed the subject and said that they were going to go somewhere else, and everyone left the school.

"Hongjun, Minghua, my uncle will accompany you. I'm going to the county town now. Come back to my house for dinner in the evening. Let's have a drink. Uncle, you come too."

Fang Minghua and the others were about to say a few polite words when they heard Zhang Guisheng say, "Don't be polite, you two. Jianlin is rich now and doesn't care about you."

"Uncle, look at what you said." Zhang Jianlin said, and hurried home.

Zhang Guisheng accompanied the two of them around the village, and then Zhang Guisheng told them that Zhang Xuewen failed the college entrance exam for three consecutive years, and finally became a private teacher in the village with his help.

"You know, Xuewen can't lift anything with his hands or shoulders, and he has no strength to do farm work. He is also honest and not as eloquent as Jianlin. What else can he do if not this?"

That's true. Fang Minghua nodded.

Everyone also looked at a poplar forest in the north - this was planted by Fang Minghua and his friends when they were educated youth. At that time, it was called the educated youth forest. Now it has grown to the size of a bowl and is lush and green.

Towards evening, Zhang Jianlin rushed back from the county town. His wife had already prepared a table of dishes. Fang Minghua and his friends were still the branch secretary. Zhang Jianlin went to call Zhang Xuewen, as well as Zhang Jianlin's wife and a child. Everyone ate and talked.

"Xuewen, have you thought about it?" Zhang Jianlin suddenly asked.

Before Zhang Xuewen opened his mouth, Zhang Guisheng next to him interrupted and said, "Jianlin, you can't do this. If Xuewen follows you to the construction team, what will happen to the students in the village? He is the only teacher in our primary school!" Unexpectedly, Zhang Jianlin said, "Uncle, you have to think about Xuewen. How can a salary of less than 30 yuan a month be enough? Xuewen is already 28 years old this year, right? He still can't get a wife. I think you know why! There are no teachers in the school? Go ask the township and county!" After hearing what Zhang Jianlin said, Zhang Guisheng stopped talking, sighed, picked up the wine glass and drank it all. Zhang Xuewen didn't say a word from beginning to end, just ate the food silently. "What's the matter?" Zhao Hongjun asked. Zhang Jianlin started talking. It turned out that Zhang Jianlin's construction team's business was getting bigger and bigger, and he needed a cultured person to help him deal with the accounts and pay wages. He took a fancy to Zhang Xuewen, a brother in the family, and an honest person, and offered him a monthly salary of 100 yuan. Zhang Jianlin was hesitating, but Zhang Guisheng found out about it and firmly disagreed, because if Zhang Xuewen left, there would be no teacher in the village!

"Zhang, why don't you ask for it?" Zhao Hongjun asked cautiously.

"Even if we asked for it, no one would come. We finally asked for a junior college student the year before last, but he ran away after less than a semester! He said he would rather not be a teacher than stay in this hellhole!"

Ah.

Zhao Hongjun also sighed, not knowing what to say.

At this time, Zhang Xuewen, who had been silent, raised his head and said: Brother Jianlin, I heard that the county will conduct a private-to-public teacher exam in July this year. I will take it again. If I fail, I will go with you!"

"Come on, come on, let's wish Xuewen a smooth exam!" Zhao Hongjun took the opportunity to raise his glass.

After dinner, at night, the two of them stayed at Zhang Jianlin's house and slept in the same bed, but Zhao Hongjun couldn't sleep.

"Minghua, let's go out for a walk to digest the food. "

Fang Minghua looked at his watch and found that it was indeed a little early after nine o'clock in the evening, so he walked out of the yard with Zhao Hongjun.

The small village at night seemed very quiet, with almost no lights. Secretary Zhang said that although the village had electricity last year, the electricity bill was too expensive and many farmers could not afford it, so they switched to kerosene lamps and saved as much as possible.

Well, today is the middle of the lunar calendar, a bright moon hangs in the sky, shining on the earth very brightly, and in the distance is the Gobi Desert, desolate, solemn and profound.

The two of them walked to the vicinity of the school unknowingly, and Fang Minghua suddenly found that there was a faint light in a room.

Is there anyone?

Curious, he walked over and knocked on the door.

The door creaked open, and a young man came out, who was Zhang Xuewen.

"Xuewen, you didn't go home?" Fang Minghua asked.

"I'm back, correcting my homework."

Sure enough, Fang Minghua saw a pile of homework books on the old desk.

"Most students only have one notebook. If they don't revise it and hand it out, they won't be able to do their homework tomorrow." Zhang Xuelin explained.

"Okay, you're busy, I won't disturb you anymore." Fang Minghua was about to leave but was stopped by Zhang Xuelin, who greeted him warmly.

"It's okay, the changes are almost finished, come in and sit down."

There was only one chair in the room, so Zhang Xuewen took a broken bench from the classroom next door. After the two of them sat down, he hesitated before speaking.

"Brother Minghua, Brother Red Army, you are all people who have seen the world. I want to ask you something?"

"What's up?"

"Tell me, when we were having dinner today, was what I said correct?" Zhang Xuewen asked.

"You're right!" Zhao Hongjun spoke first: "As a human being, you must first consider yourself. How will you live with that little salary? Education is first and foremost a matter of the country and society, and you cannot sacrifice your own interests!"

Zhang Xuewen listened and said nothing, but suddenly changed the topic and looked at Fang Minghua.

"Minghua, are you a great writer now? I have read several books you have written, two of which are about private teachers, "Rural Teacher" and "No One Less". My favorite is "Rural Teacher" "Teacher Li Baoku is so great and touching. I can't do it. I feel so ashamed."

After speaking, Zhang Xuewen sighed.

Seeing Zhang Xuewen like this, Fang Minghua couldn't help but said: "Xuewen, that's just a novel, fictitious. The purpose of writing this novel is to let more people know about the living conditions of teachers who are still in remote areas today, and to call on people to respond. Giving more attention and respect to rural teachers who are on the margins of society does not make you a martyr like Li Baoku!”

"Minghua is right. You don't have to worry about it. Take the exam first. If you pass the exam, you will be the best. If you fail, go to Jianlin's construction team. Or come to Xijing. I will definitely not lose you if you join my company!" Zhao Hongjun interrupted again Come in.

Fang Minghua also nodded.

Zhang Xuewen smiled and shook his head: "Xijing is too far away, and I still have to take care of my parents."

The three of them chatted for a while, and then Fang Minghua and the others said goodbye and left.

On the way back to Zhang Jianlin's house, Zhao Hongjun lit a cigarette, took a puff and suddenly said: "Minghua, we have to do something when we come here, right? How about we help them build a school in the name of the company?" "