Chapter 8: A Flood of Nostalgia for One's Hometown

Next, we need to address the accommodation issue

Wang Xianghong said: "There are quite a few students, and we can fill the classes from grades one to five, with each class having ten to twenty students. Additionally, there is also a Yuhong class, which has even more students, making it difficult to specify the exact number"

The person delivering the eggs usually cannot bear to eat them; this batch of eggs may have been saved up for several days in order to exchange for some spare money to supplement household expenses

One must ultimately come to terms with reality

Wang Yi comforted him by saying: "I think this place is very good"

This journey poses a challenge; those with relatives on Water Flower Island can stay at their relatives' homes, but this is a condition that only some families have. Other children must take a boat for their daily commute in the morning and evening.

Yet he bore a profound sense of friendship in his heart

Wang Yi said, "Ah? No, no need, food is precious these days..."

Absolutely impossible

The elementary school has no walls and no gates, with ten buildings arranged in an orderly manner. Six of the buildings serve as classrooms, two are storage rooms, and two buildings are vacant

The scenery of my hometown is beautiful, but the conditions in various aspects such as the economy, education, and healthcare are quite underdeveloped

At noon, the members went home for lunch, and there was no need for Wang Xianghong to mobilize anyone. It was heard that Wang Xiangwen's son had returned and had become a university teacher, and immediately, people came to find him one after another

There are no chairs

Students in lower grades should sit in the front, while those in higher grades should sit in the back. The teacher will first give a lesson to the lower grades, and once that is completed, they will be assigned homework before the teacher proceeds to instruct the higher grades

The interior walls of the house are peeling, adorned with portraits of Marx, Lenin, Gorky, and the Chairman. There is a blackboard at both the front and the back, with desks arranged in between.

A strong young man came striding over with a bag, and after putting it down, he said: "Teacher Wang, you can't stay here without provisions. My family harvested a bit more cornmeal this spring, so I'm bringing you twenty jin."

Wang Xianghong promptly introduced: "This is the condition of our school; the desks were built for us by the military before they left, and the students have to bring their own chairs from home"

Wang Xianghong said apologetically: "There are not enough teachers, so students have to study in mixed classes most of the time"

What a joke, I am a fine young man from the 21st century, with a 40-year advantage in terms of era and resources. Is it really impossible for me to establish a primary school in the village?

On the way, Wang Xianghong introduced him to the educational situation of the children from Tianya Island

Transporting students by boat is not only exhausting but also dangerous. It is not the fear of capsizing that concerns me, but rather the cold winds in winter and the hot winds in summer. If a child falls ill, it can be life-threatening

Xiu Fang, still hesitant, was urged by Wang Xianghong, who habitually waved her hand and said: "Xiu Fang, please accept it. This is Teacher Wang's sincere intention. How about we send the bed from our home to Teacher Wang as well"

He had not finished speaking when someone else arrived, balancing a small iron pot on his head: "Teacher Wang, when my wife went back to her parents' home, she brought back a pot, just right for you to use."

Sending salted fish—well, this island certainly has no shortage of them

Initially, everyone came to watch the commotion, but upon learning that Wang Yi was living in the barracks on this mountain to establish a school, they all turned around and left

Wang Yi also smiled, filled with emotion: What a simple and unpretentious era this is

Wang Yi looked at him in surprise

The households that send lard may not see a trace of oil in their dishes from morning till night

It is indeed the case that we have no cinema or park here. I have heard that there are youth palaces and dance halls in the city; how lively that must be! Here, apart from the family members who have lived here for generations, who else can possibly reside?

Wang Yi was taken aback by their reaction, while Wang Xianghong felt invigorated after hearing her own words. Why did everyone in the village run away after listening?

The barracks are divided into two parts, oriented in a north-south direction. The southern section, facing the sea, originally housed the soldiers, consisting of a total of ten buildings

For the villagers who are facing a scarcity of daily necessities, what they bring are treasures

In a collective like Wangjia Village, located on a secluded island, as long as the families do not split up, everyone shares a common bond, and when any matter arises, everyone is invested together

Wang Yi said apologetically: "What Teacher Wang? You should call me—Principal Wang. In this school, I am the only staff member. When there are no tigers on the mountain, the monkeys are the kings!"

Wang Yi exclaimed, "I see that our village is not very large, yet there are so many children here"

Wang Yi is dazed: Start with a bowl, everything else relies on recklessness

Since last year, no teachers have been in a state of idleness at the school, resulting in most children from families not attending school. Only a few parents with foresight have insisted on allowing their children to continue their studies

Therefore, it is not illegal for children to not attend school now

"Let Da Mi Hu come, Da Mi Hu is the most capable of doing odd jobs and dirty work." The women's director, Liu Hongmei, approached carrying a burden.

Very pessimistic

Wang Yi shook his head and said, "Build me a stove first; we can discuss the specifics of how to eat later. Let's focus on establishing the school for now"

Wang Dongxi said: "It seems that one can buy tickets even without them, but those with tickets have priority. Those without tickets will have to spend more money, right?"

Xiufang has also arrived, bringing back the eight-piece kitchen set to return to him. She also said: "Having not seen you for half a day, should I call you Wang Laoshi instead of brother?"

Human feelings weigh more than mountains

He introduced by saying: "Our elementary school was established after the liberation, called Liberation Children’s Elementary School. Later, in 1958, when statistics were compiled for schools in each village, it was found that many had names like Liberation and Red Star, so we were ordered to change our name.

Wang Dongrong said: "It is my wife who asked me to bring it to Teacher Wang, as the second and third children will come to study with Teacher Wang in the future"

This turn is devoid of technical content, yet for this era, it represents a significant curve. Upon realizing this, everyone burst into laughter, all saying that he truly knows how to joke.

Wang Xianghong went to the village committee office to fetch the key, and a tidy yet dilapidated classroom appeared before them

Wang Yi accepted these things and sighed inwardly, realizing that this school must be run well, and he must teach the children who have been sent here properly

Wang Yiquan looks down on these things; what he casually gave to Xiufang last night was a complete set of eight kitchen items

Wang Dongfeng smiled and said: "He, Rong Ge, can you really part with it? This iron pot was bought by your brother-in-law using industrial coupons, and your wife worked hard to get it back."

Similarly, matters must be viewed dialectically; some issues simply do not receive everyone's attention

He gradually understood Wang Xianghong's insistence on the thoughts of the large collective.

Therefore, even on a bright sunny day, this room remains dark and gloomy

Similarly, our Tianya Island has a scarcity of books but an abundance of atmosphere, while the schools in the city have ample books but a lack of atmosphere

Sigh, Teacher Wang, if you find it difficult to handle, then just let it be. In the past few years, several teachers have been sent to us one after another, but they couldn't endure the loneliness and couldn't stand these harsh conditions.

The house is newly built but simple, with some windows having broken glass. There is no glass available on the island to replace it, so cardboard is used to cover them.

These words moved Wang Xianghong, and he fell for it

These words are heart-wrenching

You speak a word, I speak a word, let us first arrange the framework of the teachers' dormitory clearly and distinctly

Wang Xianghong said emotionally: "Teacher Wang, you are a fine descendant of the Wang family! Alas, I wronged your father back in the day! I never expected that neither you nor your father would hold a grudge against our Wang family, but instead, you have returned to serve your hometown!"

What opened Wang Yi's eyes was that the desks here were made of stacked bricks, with stone slabs laid on top and a cement surface applied, all fixed at a specific height.

The villagers who left soon returned, with the fastest returner being Wang Dongfeng, whom he had met yesterday

The school has once again become bustling with activity

The two warehouses were opened, and Wang Yi chose the one on the east side, which had better lighting and more windows. Pushing open the window revealed a view facing the sea, accompanied by the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers

Wang Yi saluted the red flag

In the past, there were teachers at Tianya Primary School, and families on the island would send their children to school: most did not come for the purpose of acquiring knowledge, but rather to have the teachers look after the children

This time, no one came empty-handed; some brought a clean bed sheet, some brought an old mosquito net, and some brought a bowl and a pair of chopsticks

In terms of family planning work, our Wangjia Village is significantly lagging behind and has never been recognized as advanced. Alas, both the young and the old still wish to have more children

This is not a predicament unique to Tianya Island; all villages on the outer islands face similar challenges

Wang Yi pointed to the two warehouses located at the southernmost edge by the sea and said, "Just let me choose any one, I live at the school and eat at the school; I will not go anywhere until we make Tianya Primary School a success."

The school currently has no teachers available, and the entrance is locked

However, he firmly rejected the kitchen set of eight pieces that Xiufang offered: "A gift given is like water spilled; do you want me, as a man, to have my words not count?"

Xiufang said: "Let's not worry about the glass for now. We happen to have some old fish glue at home. I will bring it to Teacher Wang. Mixing fish glue with sawdust is the best way to repair doors and windows."

Why did this statement come out of nowhere

It was only after Wang Xianghong and the other two discovered that Wang Yi could become a teacher that they became so excited

Wang Xianghong saw him shake his head, and her heart began to race

He is preparing to secretly prepare a little feast for himself

The open area between the two is the original military training ground, which is now the school's playground. There is a flagpole on it, and a five-star red flag flutters in the sea breeze.

The one who brings the most food carries a handful of eggs, someone else holds a jar of lard, another person brings a string of salted fish, and there is also someone who has wrapped a handful of salt in newspaper

This remark seems to involve some privacy issues, and after Wang Xianghong finished speaking, she quickly changed the subject: "You go choose a storage room, and I will find a bed for you this afternoon, and get someone to set up a stove for you—no, you should go down for a meal instead, come to my place, my family can accommodate one more mouth to feed"

Wang Yi approached and asked, "How many students are there on our island now?"

This is the highest honor his family bestows upon him as a teacher

Morale is important in the military, talent is important among students, and a wealth of knowledge brings forth elegance. We will certainly establish a school that will impress the urban dwellers!

To the north are two houses, which are somewhat taller. Previously, they served as government offices, but now they have been converted into the village committee office

Wang Yi was astonished: "It is already 1982, do we still need tickets to buy glass?"

There is a bucket filled to the brim with clear water at each end of the pole

Wang Xianghong said with a bitter smile: "On our island, people have always preferred large families, as no one knows when they might encounter calamities at sea while fishing. Therefore, with fewer family members, it is easy for a family line to become extinct."

Wang Xianghong brought him a bedding roll and a set of pots and pans, saying: "Teacher Wang, it is messy here, and it is not easy to tidy up. Therefore, I will allocate some labor to you."

Moreover, the doors and windows of Teacher Wang's room also need to be repaired. The glass is difficult to replace, and our village has run out of glass tickets. Let's first patch up the cracks in the doors and windows

Wang Yi instinctively shook her head

Wang Yi does not need to worry about it.

During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, the American imperialists had advanced weapons, with many cannons and tanks. The Chairman stated that they had more steel but less spirit, while our volunteer army heroes had less steel but more spirit

However, this is all imagination

As the national economy rapidly develops, these outer islands have become desolate, and villagers tend to relocate to the city when conditions permit

Wang Yi looked at the cluttered table and said, "There are quite a few tables here"

Regardless of what is given, Wang Yi must express gratitude

Wang Yi, with a vigorous gesture, placed one hand on his waist and clenched the other into a fist, exclaiming: "Good! Teacher Wang, you speak well! Comrade Chairman said, 'To have lofty aspirations, one must be willing to sacrifice; dare to change the sun and the moon and create a new heaven and earth!' You have ambition, good, good!

Our fishing family has little education, so we casually named it Tianya Primary School, and this name has been passed down ever since

The view from the mountaintop is splendid, with a clear line of sight. Wang Yi observed the surrounding sea and also saw the barracks left behind by the troops

These children cannot attend school on the island and can only go to the nearby Water Flower Island

The country has not yet established nine-year compulsory education as a national policy, has not promulgated the "Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China," and has not even made a decision regarding the reform of the education system.

The reality is that when opened, it is filled with broken and miscellaneous items; when the wind blows, dust scatters everywhere. The only useful item is a bowl on the windowsill

Wang Xianghong smiled at this scene and fumbled out a pack of cigarettes to light one up