Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1294 Graduate Class Begins, Top Students Gather to Elect Class Officers (Two Chapters Combined)
By September 7th, the last batch of graduate students from the farthest place had arrived in Beijing. Fang Yan was there to receive them as usual, treating everyone equally. Everyone who came to visit was a guest, and they were treated to good food and drinks. When they left, they were given a scholarship package.

Those who hadn't visited before, upon hearing the news, no longer held back.

Everyone is doing this good thing, but a few people are just being individualistic. Isn't that a typical case of not fitting in?

Besides, there's nothing wrong with using dialects; he genuinely wanted to help everyone.

In addition, a monument has been added outside the dormitory building to record the building's history. It clearly states that Fang Yan saved Xiong Jing's daughter, and Xiong Jing donated the building in Fang Yan's name. This dormitory building, where they live so comfortably, was also earned by Fang Yan.

What does it feel like?
I felt that after leaving the capital, the influence of local dialects was everywhere.

Before I came to Beijing, I didn't feel it very clearly. After all, I didn't know if I could pass the postgraduate entrance exam. Now that I have actually passed the exam and am about to settle down in Beijing, I can feel the influence of dialects in Beijing. It's not just the influence in the health system, but even the police station will be more welcoming to them when they hear the name of the dialect.

I found out that some of the police officers here had received dialect training and held positions within the public security system, and not low ones at that.

What does this feel like?
It's like seeing a huge iceberg floating on the sea, thinking it's already quite large, and then being told that what's floating on the surface is only a small part, and that there's an even larger part that you can't see. Only then do you realize what a behemoth you're facing.

Of course, this analogy is a bit of an exaggeration, but the biggest connection they can currently make in Beijing is Fang Yan, whom they met when they were preparing for their postgraduate entrance exams.

You could even say that going to him is more helpful than going to your own homeroom teacher for some things.

For example, when they registered, Professor Yue Meizhong, who was in charge of the three graduate classes, directly told them:
"If you need help but are too embarrassed to ask your teacher, you can try asking a classmate who speaks in your dialect."

This can already be considered official recognition from the school.

They also found out that before their graduate program was even established, Fang Yan had already started working at the research institute and had his own independent research institute, where he was the director.

What does this represent?
You've already started working at a research institute before even getting into graduate school?

It sounds crazy, but it really is.

After all, the dialect has been clearly explained, and if they make any research in the future, the research institute and factory can reward them and acquire their achievements.

Moreover, when some of them recently visited Fang Yan's home, they saw fifth-year students from the school reporting to Fang Yan and Lao Hu.

These people were all assigned to the dialect research institute and Lao Hu's factory.

As you've all seen in the news, we'll soon be starting cooperation with Japan. These are all new staff members added to the company as we expand.

This shows that the future of the traditional Chinese medicine industry is very promising!

They have already seen a broad and promising road ahead.

When September 8th finally arrived, the graduate program officially began.

There are a total of 188 graduate students this year. The opening ceremony was held in the auditorium of the Capital University of Chinese Medicine. Two vice ministers from the Ministry of Health attended: Vice Minister Li, whom they are familiar with, and Vice Minister Guo.

On behalf of the Ministry of Health, they congratulated all the new students and set high expectations for these students from all over the country.

The main point was to affirm the significance of the revival of traditional Chinese medicine in our times. To Fang Yan's surprise, both of them reviewed the industry's predicament, pointing out the grim reality that between 1959 and 1978, the number of practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine nationwide plummeted from 36 to 24, and the number of traditional Chinese medicine hospitals was halved.

The Ministry of Health clearly stated that it would fully promote the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine and called on new students to seize the strategic opportunity of the country's restart of higher education and support for traditional medicine.

Intelligent people have already seen the deeper meaning behind the speech: it was conveying policy signals to them.

Finally, the suggestion was made to promote the individual success of dialects (international negotiations, research institute operations) into an industry paradigm, hoping to guide graduate students to emulate its "integration of industry, academia and research" approach.

This is also a public acknowledgement by the Ministry of Health leadership of the contribution and success of dialects in this area.

This almost certainly secures the future status of dialects.

Following that, Wang Enhou, the school's Party Secretary, and Ji Zhongpu, the Dean of the Research Institute, also delivered speeches.

After Dean Ji finished speaking, he officially announced the list of teachers for the postgraduate class of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Yue Meizhong served as the secretary of the graduate class.

Class 1's head teacher is Wang Yuchuan, and the deputy head teachers are Ren Yingqiu, Liu Duzhou, Dong Jianhua, and Fang Yaozhong.

Class 2's head teacher is Wang Boyue, and the deputy head teachers are Geng Jianting, Zhao Shuyi, Fu Fangzhen, and Yu Ying'ao.

Class 3's homeroom teacher is Cheng Xinnong, and the assistant homeroom teachers are Huang Xingyuan, Meng Shujiang, Pan Chenglian, and Hu Huanzhang.

In addition, Zhao Xiwu, on behalf of all staff members of the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, extended warm congratulations to the new students.

Their first TCM postgraduate class had a very strong faculty. In addition to the class teachers and deputy class teachers, they also invited famous teachers from all over the country to teach, and paired them with middle-aged professional backbones to form a faculty team that combined experienced and Chinese teachers.

The educational policy for the upcoming postgraduate program was explained from the outset: the learning method for the four classic texts would be primarily self-study, supplemented by necessary tutoring, Q&A sessions, and lectures.

Read it thoroughly, read it carefully, read it repeatedly and thoughtfully, and digest it thoroughly.

Then, detailed annotations and commentaries on the classics were provided, serving as the main basis for course examinations.

The requirement is to learn thoroughly, think deeply, and apply what you've learned, thus cultivating good habits and providing direction for future academic advancement.

Then, during the first semester, 162 medical cases from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic were set up over four months, along with lectures and Q&A sessions. In addition, there were chapters from the Ling Shu on acupuncture and meridians, which were lectured by Cheng Xinnong from the Acupuncture Research Institute.

Then there's Liu Changlin from the Institute of Philosophy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who conducted a methodological study of the Zang-Xiang and Meridian Theory in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic.

Professor Lu Yang of the Department of Astronomy at Nanjing University explains the astronomical calendar in the "Huangdi Neijing".

Professor Zhang De'er of the National Meteorological Administration explains the theoretical principles of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic and meteorology.

This study examines the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic from multiple disciplines and perspectives.

Each student in the three classes is also tasked with providing detailed annotations and commentary on two chapters of the *Suwen* and *Lingshu*.

Fang Yan realized that, if he remembered correctly, these annotations and comments were compiled and bound into the "Annotated Edition of Classical Chinese Medicine" in the original history, which was officially published by Huaxia Traditional Chinese Medicine Press in 2011. He had even bought it in his previous life.

In other words, although the number of students in the postgraduate program has increased, the teaching objectives have not changed significantly.

After the school ceremony, Fang Yan and his classmates were divided into classes.

He was assigned to the first class, which was Professor Wang Yuchuan's class.

There weren't many people from his original class who were assigned to the same class as him. Of the twenty-odd people in his original class, only Meng Jimin, Song Jianzhong, Yang Jingxiang, and Cheng Baogui were assigned to the same class.

The others were scattered into Class 2 and Class 3.

After the class assignments were completed, it was already noon. Their cafeteria had been changed; they no longer ate at the school cafeteria but at the Huaxia Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine next door.

On the way to the research institute for lunch, some people were still a little confused, but those who had eaten at both canteens immediately explained the issue.

"The food at the research institute is a million times better than the school cafeteria!"

"It's not that exaggerated, but it should be at least a hundred times."

"The benefits for those who pass the postgraduate entrance exam have also improved."

Finally, the school teacher who came along explained to them:

"The canteen here also provides meal subsidies from the secret formula research institute. After the research institute and its subsidiaries earn foreign exchange, the research institute here also benefits, and of course we benefit as well."

After he finished speaking, everyone looked at Fang Yan.

There were over 180 people, all talking at once:
"Brother Fang, we're electing class officers this afternoon. I recommend you for class monitor!"

"Isn't that obvious? If Brother Fang doesn't become the class monitor, who will?"

"Brother Fang, I suggest you take on the role of class monitor for our Class Two!"

"The third class also made a suggestion."

Fang Yan was speechless. What was this nonsense? It was one thing for his own class to be here, but now even the students from Class 2 and 3 were here. The worst part was that these people weren't their old classmates from their original classes; they were all different people.

At this moment, Song Jianzhong stepped forward and said:
"Go away, go away. Brother Fang said he won't run for class monitor. He just told our class teacher that he has tasks at Peking Union Medical College and the research institute, and he doesn't have that much energy to be class monitor."

Upon hearing this news, everyone asked in surprise:
"real or fake?"

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Fang Yan nodded and admitted:

"Really, I don't have the energy, so I won't run for class officer."

"Of course, if you encounter any problems and need my help, you can still come to me."

"I don't want to be a class officer mainly because I don't want to deal with class matters. After all, I have a lot of things to do in my other two departments. Please understand."

After speaking in dialect, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to the crowd.

This is quite strange. He didn't become a class leader but still bowed and apologized to everyone. Of course, it seems quite reasonable for Fang Yan to do so.

In terms of prestige, there were almost no people in the class who could rival him, and everyone had benefited from his kindness, so Fang Yan was the only right person to be the class monitor.

Next, the group arrived at the cafeteria, where some people were already getting their food.

As they saw the group of over a hundred people enter, everyone turned to look at them.

At this point, some people noticed the teachers and realized that they were graduate students.

Some people even saw the dialect and greeted it.

Fang Yan waved in response; those were people from his research institute.

He only came to eat here today; he'll have to drive back to eat later, since it's so close by! His wife is due to give birth soon, and who knows if she'll have heartburn after lunch. It's a rare occasion for him to come to the cafeteria today.

The new students were chattering away, but they quieted down after taking only a few steps into the cafeteria. As they entered, they smelled a warm aroma that blended the fragrance of rice, meat, and vegetables.

Just by the taste, you can tell that today's dishes are of an exceptional quality.

The research institute's canteen was a large, single-story building made of red bricks, with several incandescent light bulbs hanging from the roof.

Four rows of long wooden tables were placed against the wall, with some rice grains still stuck to the table legs. The long benches were worn smooth and shiny, clearly indicating that they had been used for many years.

Several lines of research institute staff had already formed in front of the window, and above the window at the very front of the line hung a wooden sign with "Today's Menu" written in chalk.

Staple foods: rice, white flour steamed buns, cornbread; Meat dishes: braised ribbonfish with scallions, stir-fried shredded pork with celery, scrambled eggs with tomatoes; Vegetable dishes: stir-fried green vegetables, cucumber salad, hot and sour shredded potatoes; Soup: seaweed and egg drop soup.

"They even have ribbonfish!" someone in the group exclaimed in a low voice.

Although the supply of goods in 1978 was more relaxed than in previous years, seafood such as ribbonfish was still not common in the north, and ordinary families could only eat it once a year during festivals.

The person in charge of serving the food was a middle-aged man in a white coat. His apron was a little faded from washing, but he swung the large iron ladle in his hand nimbly without shaking at all.

When it was the graduate student's turn to get food, he smiled and asked, "Young man, would you like rice or steamed buns? Which meat dish would you choose?"

The student in front pointed somewhat shyly at the braised ribbonfish with scallions and said:
"Master, I'll have this! And another spoonful of celery and shredded pork!"

The chef readily agreed, dipped his iron ladle into the large aluminum basin, and scooped out two pieces of ribbonfish coated in scallion oil. The fish pieces weren't large, but they were coated in a thin layer of batter and fried until golden and crispy, with a thick sauce clinging to them—they looked incredibly flavorful. Next to them, in the celery and shredded pork stir-fry, the shredded pork wasn't plentiful, but it was cut evenly and mixed with vibrant green celery segments, glistening with oil, its aroma filling the air.

When it came to dialects, he selected all of them, leaving everyone stunned to discover that they could be eaten like that?

Finally, the chef ladled him a spoonful of seaweed and egg drop soup, with finely chopped seaweed and egg drop floating in the soup, and sprinkled with some chopped green onions.

As I was finding a seat, the new classmates were already approaching with their trays. One of them, Xiao Dexin, pointed to the braised ribbonfish with scallions in her bowl and said:

"Brother Fang, look how fresh this ribbonfish is! It's even better than what I ate at home during the Chinese New Year."

Ma Xiaoyan, the female classmate next to her, took a bite of her steamed bun and said contentedly:
“Back in my hometown, we usually eat cornbread. We only get to eat white flour steamed buns when we visit relatives. I never thought I could eat them every day in the cafeteria.”

The graduate students around them were also eating heartily. Some were engrossed in eating rice with scrambled eggs and tomatoes; others were chewing on steamed buns filled with celery and shredded pork; and still others were carefully picking out the bones from the ribbonfish before savoring the fish meat.

The cafeteria was filled with the clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the occasional laughter, creating a lively atmosphere.

Fang Yan took a bite of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes. The aroma of the eggs mixed with the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes created a smooth and creamy texture. Then she took a bite of the cucumber salad. The refreshing taste perfectly balanced the greasiness of the eggs. The vegetarian dishes were pretty good, which told her that her cooking skills must be quite good.

He looked up at the window and saw the chefs constantly adding vegetables to large basins, while steamed rice and steamed buns were being carried out of the kitchen, with steam rising from the seams of the steamers.

The research institute staff at the next table chatted while eating:

"It's all thanks to Director Fang's secret recipe research institute. Ever since they started earning foreign exchange, the cafeteria food has never been bad. Before, they only had meat dishes twice a week, but now they have them every day!" Another person chimed in, "That's right! Last time they finalized a cooperation agreement with Japan, the cafeteria even added fried meatballs to their meal!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Fang Yan.

This lunch was considered "high-end" in 1978. There were plenty of white steamed buns, a different meat dish every day, and refreshing vegetables and soup. It was much better than what they had eaten at their previous workplace.

"Director Fang!" someone called out in Fangyan.

Fang Yan turned around and saw that it was Zeng Luquan and He Puren.

he asked:
"Old Zeng, Old He, have you finished eating? Or haven't you eaten yet?"

"We haven't eaten yet," the two said.

Fang Yan's classmates all knew the two of them, and someone immediately offered to get them food. The two of them couldn't refuse and sat down in the seats next to Fang Yan.

Then they started chatting in dialect.

The main content of their chat consisted of their dialect and their class assignments for the day.

Upon hearing the dialect mention class assignments, He Puren said:
"You're in Professor Wang Yuchuan's class?"

"That would be wonderful, it just so happens that you two are already familiar with each other."

The other students all perked up their ears to listen.

During their conversation, they learned that Fang Yan and Wang Yuchuan had collaborated many times, on tasks such as compiling ancient books, writing textbooks, and conducting business negotiations.

Of course, two of the four assistant homeroom teachers in the class were originally Fang Yan's homeroom teachers.

In other words, there are no teachers who are not familiar with the local dialect.

People feel they've now seen another side of dialects.

It's quite strange, really. When we got to the research institute's cafeteria, everyone called the students "classmates," but only Fang Yan called them "Director Fang."

Oh, right, and Meng Jimin is also called Deputy Director Meng.

Turns out there are experts here!

By the time the others brought food to Zeng Luquan and He Puren, Fang Yan had already finished eating.

He didn't stay to chat with them; he simply said goodbye.

Knowing that everyone was listening to their conversation, Fang Yan knew that there were some things that were not easy to tell his classmates, especially some business plans. Although Zeng Luquan and his friends were aware of these things and did not say them, Fang Yan would also be careful.

After finishing her meal, Fang Yan returned to the school. The four-story building to the left of the main teaching building at the entrance of the graduate school was the fixed teaching location and would not be changed in the future.

That afternoon, the homeroom teacher, Wang Yuchuan, came to the classroom to begin selecting class officers and to let everyone get to know each other.

Unlike the original elite class, which had only about twenty people, their first graduate class had sixty people from all over the country. In addition to Fang Yan, Meng Jimin, Song Jianzhong, Yang Jingxiang, Cheng Baogui, Chu Qiaonan was also in their class.

None of the others were local students from Beijing.

Four of the six people from Guangzhou last time were in the same class as the dialect group.

Professor Huang Yaoshen's students, Xu Jianqiang and Zhou Huiwen.

Li Hui, a student of Professor Zhao Sijing.

Lin Xueling, Professor Situ Ling's niece and apprentice.

Tao Guangzheng was also in Fang Yan's class.

As for the other fifty people, they weren't as familiar with Fang Yan and his group.

However, these people's names were also well-known in Fang Yan's mind.

When everyone went on stage to introduce themselves, I mentioned that most of us had mentors or teachers, and we were already quite well-known in our respective fields. We came here to further improve ourselves.

Some people come from the same place and have known each other for many years. They know very well who is more capable and what each person is good at.

However, because the school deliberately dispersed the students, it's basically impossible for them to form groups. You can't form a group if you're just a few people, unless you have a group of ten or twenty people, like the Vietnamese students before.

Therefore, when electing class officers, students who like to showcase themselves should bravely step forward and verbally demonstrate their abilities to the audience.

Let everyone know what you can do for the class after becoming a class leader.

Professor Wang Yuchuan stood at the podium and cleared his throat: "Our class of sixty students comes from all over the country and each has their own expertise. The class officers are not elected to be officials, but to serve everyone—to help coordinate study tasks, connect with teachers' needs, and solve life problems. Now, students who want to run for office can come up on stage and share their thoughts."

As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom was silent for a few seconds, and then someone raised their hand.

The first to stand up was Xu Jianqiang, a student of Professor Huang Yaoshen, who is well-known in Guangzhou's traditional Chinese medicine circles. He walked steadily onto the podium.
"I want to run for class monitor. I worked as a department head for five years in my previous unit, and my coordination skills are quite solid. If elected, I promise to convey Professor Wang's and the other deputy class teachers' requirements to everyone as soon as possible, and help everyone organize study materials; if anyone encounters difficulties in life, such as renting a house or getting food coupons, I can also lend a hand - I have a few acquaintances in Beijing who can help out."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Fang Yan.

Fang Yan was taken aback; could it be that the acquaintance was himself?

As soon as he finished speaking, sporadic applause rang out from the audience.

Immediately afterwards, Tao Guangzheng also stood up:
“I’m running for class monitor. I used to be the dean of XJ and have been studying the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic for almost ten years. I’m quite familiar with the classic texts. If elected, I can help everyone sort out the key points, organize notes, and organize a weekly study discussion meeting so that everyone can exchange their experiences.”

Tao Guangzheng, as expected of someone who had served as a dean, spoke clearly and logically, and was clearly a down-to-earth person who did academic research. Many students nodded in agreement.

Then others began to take the stage one after another. It has to be said that some of them were already hospital department directors or school teachers, and the competition quickly became fierce.

Fang Yan also gained a better understanding of the students' situations; they are all talented!

Even without studying, they are capable of standing on their own. It is no exaggeration to say that the postgraduate class is the elite of the country.

Song Jianzhong hadn't originally planned to run, but seeing that no one was mentioning the class's life committee member, Fang Yan gave him a wink, urging him to run as well. So he stood up and said, "I'm running for life committee member. I've lived in Beijing for a long time and I know the surrounding vegetable markets and supply and marketing cooperatives well. Anyone who needs to buy things, get their bicycle repaired, or whose family members are visiting Beijing and need help finding accommodation can come to me. Besides, I can also arrange the class's cleaning and other miscellaneous tasks perfectly." His cheerful personality and down-to-earth manner made many classmates laugh, and the applause was even more enthusiastic than before.

Next, Lin Xueling ran for arts and culture committee member, saying she would organize everyone to practice calligraphy and learn acupuncture together on weekends to enrich their after-school life; Li Hui ran for publicity committee member, proposing to publish a class newspaper to publish everyone's learning experiences and classic commentary excerpts.

One by one, the students running for office took to the stage, each speaking frankly about their strengths and service plans. There were no empty words or platitudes, only genuine promises.

After they finished speaking, the voting began.

The results came out soon.

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

(End of this chapter)