Chapter 219: Changes in the Village Leader - Primary School

"Wow! I didn't expect [Jingxi Rice] to be so precious. Oh! Then we can't use this rice to pay the public grain tax, which is such a loss!" The uncle said in surprise when he heard it, and couldn't help but say with some regret.

The third uncle hesitated for a moment and said, "It doesn't matter. As long as we successfully complete the public grain task, as for what kind of grain to hand in, it depends on how we can handle it flexibly."

The uncle nodded when he heard this, "That's true, we still have other fine grains!"

The third uncle then said to Liu Zhiye, "Zhiye, the primary school in our village has been built. Do you want to go and take a look?"

When Liu Jingzhai heard this, he was very interested and immediately responded, "Let's go and take a look!" Seeing this, Liu Zhiye also smiled and nodded in agreement.

Liujiacun Primary School is located at the easternmost end of the village. It was once Liu’s private school and has a history of 180 years.

It is now a primary school directly under the MTG District. It originated from the "Liu's Private School" during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It is not only a place for children to study, but also a place that has inherited a century of cultural heritage.

To the south and north of the primary school are endless fields of corn and sorghum, and to the east is the Yongding River. From a distance, the primary school gives people a feeling of independence and drifting leaves in the wind and rain.

Every autumn, when the corn holds its golden cobs and the sorghum is crowned with fiery red ears, primary school students turn a corner on their way home from school and sneak into the depths of the corn and sorghum fields. They pinch off the heads and tails of the corn or sorghum and take only the three or five middle sections, which they gnaw and chew, sucking out the essence and spitting out the dregs.

Although the stalks are green and full of juice, the corn stalks are limp and have a faint smell of urine; while the sorghum stalks are sweet and have a faint, fresh smell of the fields.

……

Liu Zhiye studied in a private school here for several years, and later moved to the capital with his father to continue his primary education. He has many fond memories of this place, which are precious memories of his innocent childhood.

But now the Liujiacun Primary School has changed a lot.

The newly built school covers a large area and has a considerable building area. The primary school has 25 classes and more than 1000 students, all of whom are students from Liujiazhuang and nearby villages. The school-affiliated kindergarten also has nearly children, all of whom are children from Liujiazhuang.

The school has complete facilities, providing students with a good learning environment. The school's teaching staff is also very strong. They are all experienced and highly professional educators who can provide students with high-quality educational services.

Liujiazhuang Primary School is now the only primary school in the commune and one of the district-level key primary schools. It has two district-level backbone teachers, six school-level backbone teachers, ten third-level teachers, and twelve ordinary teaching staff.

In front of the school gate is a not-too-narrow gravel road. The red slogans "Study hard and make progress every day" written on the white walls on both sides are clearly visible.

The large iron gate with a fence is usually closed. The gatekeeper is an elderly widower from the village. In order to take care of him, the village arranged a job for him as a gatekeeper.

When the old man saw that it was Secretary Liu Yuanhai and his men who came, he opened the door for them enthusiastically.

Because the new school was put into use later in the second half of the year, the learning progress was affected. At this time, primary school students also need to attend classes on weekends to catch up with their learning progress.

It was class time, and a group of people walked quietly into a classroom and peeked inside through the bright glass windows.

The scene in the classroom came into view, with students listening attentively and reading aloud. They observed silently, and couldn't help but sigh at the ordinariness and beauty of school life.

In some classrooms, students would write on the slate with a slate pencil whatever the teacher taught on the blackboard. The words written with a slate pencil were white and very clear.

"The Commune Sent Me to School"

"My grandfather went begging when he was seven years old,"

"My father fled famine when he was seven years old."

"I am also seven years old this year,"

"The commune sent me to school."

After teaching, the teacher wiped the words on the blackboard, and the students also wiped the words on the slate with small pieces of cloth.

But who has the patience to wipe it with a cloth? They just wipe it with their hands or sleeves.

Slates are often broken and cracked, but as long as they are not broken, they can be used for writing repeatedly. When practicing, use a slate pencil and slate, and when you have learned and practiced well, copy them in your exercise book with a pencil.

At that time, there were not many tutoring books, extracurricular reading materials, or exercise books in the schoolbag, but the bag became heavy outside, so I had to carry a black slate.

The black slate is not pure black, but grayish, with wooden strips around it, about 30 cm long, 25 cm wide, and 0.5 cm thick. There are also a few thin rectangular steatite pens in the pencil case.

In a classroom, a music class was going on. A young female teacher wrote a nursery rhyme with chalk stroke by stroke. Then she pointed with a pointer in her hand and taught the children sentence by sentence.

The children followed the teacher's rhythm and sang happily: "The magpies are chirping, the dogs are barking, the chickens are flying up the wall, the cats are jumping around in the house, there is a rumbling sound in the street, and the streets and alleys are noisy. Something happened in the village, come and open the door and run out, aunties and sisters-in-law, come and see, the tractor has entered the village."

This nursery rhyme depicts a lively scene in the village, from magpies to puppies, chickens and cats, and finally the rumbling tractor on the street. It is vivid and interesting. When the children saw the tractor entering the village, they ran out of the door and watched curiously.

The young teacher's teaching method is deeply loved by the children. They follow the teacher's rhythm, sing the nursery rhyme happily, and feel the joy brought by the music.

Liu Jingzhai was filled with emotion as he walked along. He said happily: "It's great! I didn't expect that the children in our village would have such a day.

They sit in spacious and bright classrooms and learn to read and write, and they are no less capable than the children in the city."

Principal Zhou, who rushed over after hearing the news, shook hands enthusiastically with Liu Jingzhai and others and said, "Teacher Liu, our school can be what it is today thanks to the hard work of you and your son." Teacher Zhou's words were full of gratitude.

Liu Jingzhai responded modestly: "Principal Zhou, we are all members of Liujiazhuang. It is only natural for us to contribute to the education of our hometown. What's more, I am also an educator." His words revealed his love for his hometown and his dedication to education, which is admirable.

Principal Zhou said proudly: "There is a reason why our Liujiazhuang Primary School is ranked first in the district; let alone other things, the teaching conditions are unmatched by most schools in the district. Not to mention compared with other rural primary schools, it is absolutely unique."

What he said was true. In the 1950s and 1960s, most of the rural primary schools were stone cave dwellings, some were brick-and-wood bungalows, and some were converted from old temples.

Generally, there is an earthen kang with reed mats on it. Students bring their own kang table and sit on it. It is very simple. Some better schools are equipped with some desks and stools.

At that time, most villages had no electricity. At night, students used kerosene lamps for classes and teachers used kerosene lamps for lesson preparation. Later, lamps with covers were used, known as "foreign lamps", and lighting conditions were initially improved.

Although the rural primary schools in this era have simple school buildings and poor living conditions, the teachers are loyal to the Party's educational cause, rooted in the mountainous areas to teach and educate people, and are hardworking, dedicated to their jobs, which is worthy of admiration.

The primary education in rural areas is clean and healthy, and respecting teachers and valuing education has become a trend in rural areas. At this time, the relationship between the village and the school, the relationship between parents and teachers, and the relationship between students and teachers are very harmonious, as close as a family.

When the school is in trouble, the villagers come to help, and when there is something going on in the village, the teachers come on their own initiative. During festivals, the villagers often invite teachers to their homes.

Villagers would ask teachers for help when writing couplets, marrying off sons and naming their children. Teachers were the most respected people among the common people.

Teachers regard students as their own family. They teach seriously and never get tired of teaching, fearing that they cannot teach enough. A new type of friendship is established between teachers and students.

Liu Zhiye asked with a smile: "Principal Zhou, how are the accommodation and dining arrangements for teachers and students in our school going?"

Principal Zhou smiled and said, "Our faculty and staff all have dormitories, both for singles and for families. The accommodation conditions are quite good. For meals, the school has a cafeteria that provides three meals a day."

"In addition, we have to thank the village for its strong support. The food in our school is quite rich, which is much better than that in some schools in the city."

Liu Zhiye nodded, and he also had some credit in this regard.

He used to regularly provide some seafood to primary schools. Although the quantity was not large, he allowed the children to taste seafood once or twice every month.

In the era of material scarcity, being able to eat seafood every month was something you could not even imagine.

This school is full of his descendants, nephews and grandchildren. They are also his future soldiers and the future of Liujiazhuang.

If Liu Zhiye had the ability, he would certainly choose to take care of these children. What's more, he was so poor that he only had money left, and he was also a kind and generous person.

Liu Jingzhai, who was standing by, became more and more delighted as he listened. What was unfolding before his eyes was exactly the teaching environment he had longed for.

Here are diligent and studious students who pursue knowledge tirelessly.

There are also magnificent scenery of green mountains and clear waters all around, which is refreshing.

There are also simple and amiable folks here who are hospitable and helpful, allowing him to feel the warmth of his hometown at any time.

In his spare time, he can travel, appreciate the wonders of nature, and feel the magic and beauty of nature.

In the evening, he can read books and drink tea, enjoying the quiet night, accompanied by the fragrance of books and the charm of tea.

He thought that if he could return to his hometown to spend the rest of his life, then his life would be enough.

(End of this chapter)