The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 161 A New Teacher Joins the Study Room, Good News for Chief Qian

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Qian Jin went to work.

The aftershocks of the warehouse fire on the first day of the Lunar New Year are still lingering, and discussions about it continue to rise.

More information about the fire has now been uncovered.

The group led by Xia Shanhu was indeed five people, not four. The most formidable among them was the arsonist.

Normally, the arsonist is responsible for tasks such as surveillance, intelligence gathering, and lookout; during operations, he is the commander-in-chief.

When Qian Jin contacted Xia Shan Hu's gang last time, the arsonist was responsible for keeping watch on the shore.

Qian Jin was able to successfully carry out the arrest plan thanks to Zhang Aijun.

Xia Shanhu arranged for the arsonist to meet his side on the shore, and Qian Jin also arranged for Zhang Aijun to meet him.

Zhang Aijun was one step ahead of the arsonist, having set his sights on him.

The arsonist knew something was wrong, and he wanted to shake off Zhang Aijun so he could tell Xia Shanhu and his gang that something was amiss.

However, Zhang Aijun was not so easily shaken off, and their contest continued from the eve of the Lunar New Year until the next day.

The next day, after the arsonist shook off Zhang Aijun, he found that he could no longer contact Xia Shanhu.

Because Qian Jin had locked the four members of the "Tiger Down the Mountain" gang inside the warehouse, and since they didn't have cell phones in those days, they couldn't communicate with each other.

By the time he received the information from Xia Shan Hu, the four men had already pulled out his large intestine...

The arsonist was very loyal. When he learned about this, he was furious and wanted to seek revenge.

They searched from the beginning of the year to the end, but still couldn't find it...

The rules simply disappeared.

He went to various black markets to inquire about the rules, but he couldn't find out anything.

He then wanted to target Zhang Aijun, who had been tracking him at the time.

However, Zhang Aijun had received professional training in tracking and counter-tracking. After a struggle, the arsonist only knew that someone was chasing him and trying to catch him, but he was unable to obtain information about the other party in return.

Therefore, he was even less able to find a pattern in Zhang Aijun's line of thought.

Ultimately, having no other option, he decided to retaliate against Qian Jin, who had arrested Xia Shanhu and his gang.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, he discovered that Qian Jin was on duty, so he planned to set fire to the building and kill Qian Jin during his shift, so that Qian Jin would not become a leader.

To his utter surprise, Qian Jin came down with a group of men to take over the duty, and they actually put out the fire, thus earning him a merit.

He never expected that Qian Jin had a master strategist by his side.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, he didn't see Zhang Aijun, but Zhang Aijun saw him. Therefore, this time when he followed Qian Jin, he was discovered by Zhang Aijun as soon as he showed his face.

The arsonist successfully burned down six warehouses, but was caught by Zhang Aijun when he was pouring gasoline on the seventh warehouse. Zhang Aijun beat him up on the spot, and he is still in the hospital.

Police statements had to be taken at the hospital.

Now the Jiagang team has finally made its mark.

Before the Lunar New Year, they caught a robber who targeted the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative; after the Lunar New Year, they caught an arsonist who also targeted the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

The former refers to Qian Jin leading the team to achieve collective merit, while the latter refers to Qian Jin achieving great merit, with Qiu Dayong and a few others following suit.

Of course, this refers to the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

If the scope is broadened, then Xu Weidong, Wang Dong, Zhou Yaozu and others have all made contributions. The Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative sent letters of commendation to their work units and Taishan Road Subdistrict, and also invited them to participate in worker role model learning meetings.

In recognition of Qian Jin and the Jiagang Brigade's two meritorious service performances, the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative will organize an internal commendation meeting.

Yang Shengzhang also promised Qian Jin that his company would apply for him to be named a model worker in the city this year.

Everything is going smoothly at work.

The porters, in particular, provided great support for Qian Jin's work.

Because facts have proven that working hard under Qian Jin does indeed lead to high salaries, abundant benefits, and recognition.

This is much better than when I was with Song Hongbing.

Qian Jin basically plans and distributes the work assigned by his superiors every day, and that's when he has nothing else to do.

He now had time to start planning the study room.

The study room needs to be reopened.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, many students went to pay their respects to Wei Xiongtu and Wei Qinghuan, including many who had failed their exams.

They had no school to study for the 1978 summer college entrance examination, so they could only rely on study rooms.

February 19th, Sunday.

Early in the morning, the cold wind blew the fog from the sea, which rolled into the city from the bay, enveloping the old buildings and the cobblestone streets in the alleys.

The plane trees on both sides of the street were bare, with only a few withered yellow leaves hanging on their branches, rustling in the wind.

Qian Jin strolled into the study room.

A slogan, "Knowledge changes destiny, hard work creates the future," was newly painted on the outdoor wall of the study.

A short while later, Qiu Dayong came to him with a few of his men: "Captain Qian, are you planning to renovate this place?"

Qian Jin offered them cigarettes and said, "Last year, due to special circumstances, there were many students coming to review and prepare for the exam. This year, there aren't as many students, so I'm planning to reorganize the program."

"The braised meat team doesn't have a kitchen right now, and the mobile repair shop doesn't have an office either. I'm planning to partition it off..."

He told Qiu Dayong about the plan, and Qiu Dayong nodded: "No problem. In the end, it's just a matter of adding two more walls and opening two more doors. It's no big deal for us brothers."

"Are we short of materials?" Su Shaobing worried. "Where are we going to buy bricks? Bricks are hard to find in the city these days."

Qian Jin chuckled: "I have a way. Preparing study rooms for students isn't my job, nor is it the job of Taishan Road."

“I happen to know a reporter from the Haibin Daily. I plan to have him come over and do a special report about our predicament and seek help from the community.”

The Taishan Road Study Room is already quite famous, and several newspapers have reported on it to varying degrees.

But Qian Jin didn't think too far ahead at the time and didn't expect to change the layout of the study room.

He had long assumed that once the 77 college entrance examination was over, the study room could be taken back and given to the labor shock brigade.

In fact, the college entrance examination situation this year is still very severe, and there are still many students coming to the study room.

That morning, as he was leading Qiu Dayong and his group to move the desks and chairs from the back half of the study room to the front half, a tentative inquiry came from the doorway:

"Principal Qian?!"

Qian Jin turned his head and saw seven or eight young men standing outside the door with their necks hunched over. The young man in the lead was wearing a faded military overcoat and clutching a roll of crumpled paper in his hand.

This face looks familiar.

Qian Jin walked over and asked, "Comrades, is there anything I can help you with? Have we met this comrade somewhere before? I have a vague impression of you."

The young man grinned: "My name is Chen Guang. Last year, we went to the wrong exam center for the college entrance exam. We were supposed to go to the Second People's Middle School by the sea, but we ended up here..."

"You went to No. 2 Middle School, and I arranged for a truck to take you back, right?" Qian Jin recalled.

Chen Guang nodded emphatically.

"So what are you doing here..." Qian Jin asked tentatively.

Chen Guang stepped forward, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Captain Qian, we heard the study room is opening soon, and we were wondering... if we could come here to study?"

The young people behind him nodded in agreement, some rubbing their hands to warm them, others tucking their frostbitten ears into their scarves.

Among this group of people, some wore coarse cotton-padded jackets, some wore woolen hats, their trouser legs were covered in mud, and the soles of their shoes were worn rough.

Qian Jin could tell at a glance that these were educated youths who had come from the suburbs, counties, and communes. The mud on their shoes and trouser legs was still fresh, obviously splashed on when they set off early in the morning.

He didn't know exactly where these people came from, but they must have come from quite far away.

The educated youth had thin layers of ice on their brows and heads.

This is something that condenses from sweating while cycling, especially when it gets cold.

Qian Jin told them to go to the neighborhood committee, but after walking halfway there he realized they probably hadn't eaten breakfast, so he called out to Liu Dali, who was cleaning up the pig's head: "Is there any more braised meat?"

Liu Dali said, "There's also a braised pig's heart and a few braised pig's trotters, which were reserved for our team members."

Qian Jin said, "What's there to reserve? Just heat it up and get some flatbread over."

The educated youth guessed what he meant, but Qian Jin didn't reveal the purpose of the arrangement, so they didn't know how to respond.

Upon entering the neighborhood committee, Qian Jin said he was heading to the meeting room. He gestured for everyone to sit down, and a staff member came over to pour water.

The educated youth were very grateful and stood up to thank them repeatedly.

Qian Jin said, "Take a break, have some water and rest. You probably didn't eat anything properly this morning, did you? We have some braised meat from our own small collective enterprise. You can have something hot to eat later."

A young man named Wang Weidong was especially grateful, his eyes reddening: "When I was inquiring about this study room, I heard that Comrade Qian Jin was generous and magnanimous. Meeting you today, I can see that your reputation is well-deserved!"

Soon, Liu Dali brought over the reheated pig's heart and trotters, along with some flatbread.

Qian Jin told them to dip the pancakes in hot water before eating them, and at the same time, he helped them remove the pig's trotters and cut up the pig's heart to eat.

The educated youth rarely had any meat or oil on weekdays, and now that they were cold and hungry, they were really fighting over the food.

Qian Jin asked, "Your college entrance exam results weren't ideal?"

Several people said dejectedly, "We didn't take the college entrance exam last year."

"Last October, the People's Daily published the news of the resumption of the college entrance examination, and our commune's loudspeakers were blaring the news at noon that day," Wang Weidong said while eating.

“But when we went to the county to register, the relevant materials were stuck for half a month! The commune secretary said, ‘You people who went to the countryside, your files are all stuck in the county. We need to investigate the root of the problem.’”

His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"By the time the application was approved, there were only twenty days left before the exam. A few of us spent our days repairing irrigation ditches and our nights copying textbooks under kerosene lamps. We even mixed up the physics formulas..."

Qian Jin said subconsciously, "Is that so? Wasn't it supposed to be about this year's college entrance exam..."

"Excluding factors such as family background, it doesn't require the employer's consent, right?" someone replied with a smile.

Qian Jin nodded.

The others shook their heads in unison: "National regulations are national regulations. Leaders in urban units are educated and understand national policies, so they won't arbitrarily restrict people. It's not like that in rural areas."

Speaking of this, a girl with braided pigtails choked up:

“My grandfather used to be a secretary in the old government. My relevant documents were taken away by the commune when I went to the countryside. I couldn’t get my file out for this college entrance examination.”

Wang Weidong introduced the girl to Qian Jin, saying she was named Zhou Xiulan, and that they had both come from a commune under the county seat.

Last winter, Zhou Xiulan carried three months' worth of food coupons and five yuan, and walked thirty miles to the county town to register, only to be turned away by the staff with the words, "Your family is not well-off, wait until next time."

Qian Jin looked at Chen Guang, who was gnawing on a pig's trotter with his head down.

Chen was very careful with the pork bones; if they weren't so hard, he probably would have chewed them up and eaten them.

He asked, "Comrade Chen Guang, I remember you took the college entrance examination."

Chen Guang said with a wry smile, "I failed the exam. I have a bad mentality. I also got carsick on the bus and vomited a lot. I barely wrote anything for the first subject, Chinese."

Qian Jin nodded and fell silent.

“But Mingyuan did very well on the exam.” Chen Guang’s eyes lit up. “He got into the Chinese Department of Capital Normal University, which is a very famous Chinese Department in the country.”

Qian Jin didn't know who Mingyuan was, but he did know that the Chinese Department of Capital Normal University was indeed very prestigious.

His gaze swept over the group of people.

Most people are about the same age as him.

Their faces were covered in frostbite and sunspots, and dirt was stuck in their fingernails, but their eyes shone brightly.

This is the look in the eyes of the commando members today—a look full of anticipation for the future.

"Captain Qian, do you think this study room could also be opened to us educated youth who came to the countryside? We all want to try it this year." Wang Weidong said, taking out a large sheet of A4 paper from his pocket.

This is a handwritten copy of the college entrance examination syllabus, written in neat and tidy penmanship, with even the grid lines of the periodic table of elements drawn with a ruler.

Qian Jin asked, "What about your work in the countryside?"

Wang Weidong said, "We don't leave our posts. Our work is all arranged in advance, so if we finish our work in five days each week, we'll have two days to study." "There are still five months until the college entrance exam, so we can save up at least fifty days of study time, which should be enough!"

Qian Jin nodded upon hearing this: "If you're determined to fight, I may not be able to help you, but I will definitely not create obstacles for you."

"You are welcome to come anytime you wish, and I will reserve a study table for you."

Several educated youths had tears in their eyes: "Thank you, Principal Qian."

Qian Jin waved his hand and said, "You can spread the word. As long as it doesn't matter how far it is, comrades from all over the world can come and learn."

"I will try my best to create conditions for you. The study room is currently short of teachers, and I will try my best to find suitable teachers to tutor you."

"I hope you all get into your dream universities this year, and I wish you all a bright future!"

He felt that the competition for this year's college entrance examination would be no less intense than last year.

So many students are still taking the college entrance exam.

Hearing his words, everyone was overjoyed. They forgot about their meal and started talking all at once:
“Then I’ll go back and tell all the educated youth in our commune that they’re all worried about not having a place to study.”

“We are desperately short of teachers. A dozen or so people are just wandering around aimlessly, reading books without any direction. It would be great if they could come and have teachers to guide them.”

"I estimate that more than twenty people from our commune will come. They'll have to thank me properly when they hear this news..."

The idea of ​​renovating the study room has been temporarily shelved.

Qian Jin decided to wait until the end of February and then decide how to separate the warehouses based on the number of students.

We need to think of a way to find a teacher right now.

Wei Qinghuan and Wei Xiongtu both have regular jobs and can't always stay in the study room to answer students' questions. They need full-time teachers here.

But that's too difficult.

This isn't a school, so why would any full-time teacher be willing to come to work here?
After much thought, Qian Jin decided to go find Song Zhiyuan.

Song Zhiyuan was a chemistry professor at Haibin University, so he should have some connections in this field.

After the college entrance examination, Song Zhiyuan was unemployed again and stayed at home to take care of his child.

When Qian Jin came to visit at noon, he was quite surprised: "Principal Qian, what brings you here? I heard you've been quite busy lately, arresting a lot of criminals?"

The boiler room where Song Zhiyuan worked was very close to Jiagang.

The boiler room boils water, and a lot of people go there to fetch water every day, so it's very well-informed.

Qian Jin briefly explained the capture of the tiger gang and the firefighting efforts, then said, "I came here today for the study room. The study room needs to be open again this year, and Teacher Song, you'll still have to go and help out."

"It can still be opened?" Song Zhiyuan was both surprised and delighted.

He enjoys teaching, and the high salary and extra benefits of working a regular job have made him worried about where to find milk powder to support his child.

Qian Jin further said, "You alone can't do it. Do you know any other teachers? Math, Chinese, physics, history, politics, anything is fine. As long as they can teach, I'll pay them a salary and provide them with good benefits."

Song Zhiyuan adjusted his glasses, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "We do have people, but Principal Qian, it's not a problem for you to pay their salaries privately. How much money do you have?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Who said I paid for this privately? It's our neighborhood committee that's paying for it. You know how profitable our street's mobile canteen is; hiring a few teachers isn't a problem."

He spoke very modestly about this.

With the introduction of braised meat and barbecue stalls, the profitability of mobile canteens has become comparable to that of state-run restaurants.

Making money is truly like water flowing from his mouth.

Song Zhiyuan said, "Then there are indeed two people who can be of use."

"Who?"

“Wang Jian, who teaches mathematics, was my student and was once a key teacher at the city's middle school; and Zhen Dushan, who is my colleague, is a professor of literature and has profound knowledge.”

Qian Jin was overjoyed: "That's wonderful! Could you help me get in touch?"

Song Zhiyuan nodded: "Wang Jian is easy to deal with. He's straightforward, willing to teach, and he's also my student, so I have some influence with him. But Zhen Dushan..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "He has suffered quite a bit over the years; it depends on what he says."

Qian Jin said, "Why don't you take me to visit this Teacher Zhen? What is his family background? What are his hobbies?"

Song Zhiyuan said, "He lives alone now. In those years, his wife and daughters separated from him for fear of being implicated, which almost drove him crazy. After that, he lived alone."

"As for his hobbies? He's a scholar, so his hobbies are nothing more than poetry and songs. Oh, and he really enjoys reading history books."

Qian Jin nodded thoughtfully: "Please have your meal first. I'll come over afterward, and we'll visit Teacher Zhen's house first."

Do you enjoy reading history books?
easy to do.

I'd like a set of the Twenty-Four Histories!
There are plenty of these books in the mall; he could buy a used set, tear off the publication date, and use it as a gift.

It's very cold today, and it's been overcast all day. The north wind is howling through the streets and alleys.

In the afternoon, Qian Jin carried a stack of books, wrapped his military overcoat tightly, and followed Song Zhiyuan into a narrow alley.

There was unmelted snow at the base of the shady wall in the alley, which turned gray after being covered with coal ash, like cotton wool that had been trampled and dirtied.

"Teacher Zhen lives here?" Qian Jin looked at the "Down with XXXX" slogan exposed under the peeling paint on the wall. Although the words were covered by lime, the whole thing still looked as conspicuous as a scar.

Song Zhiyuan nodded and stepped through the crunching snow to the outside of a small bungalow.

The low, cramped bungalows are constructed of blue bricks and gray tiles. The branches of an old locust tree in front of the door are bare, and it sways lifelessly in the cold wind.

Song Zhiyuan knocked on the door, and a deep voice responded from inside: "Who is it?"

"Old Zhen, it's me, Song Zhiyuan."

The door opened a crack, revealing a gaunt face with high cheekbones and bright, piercing eyes.

Zhen Dushan glanced at Song Zhiyuan, then at Qian Jin, his brows furrowing slightly: "Is something the matter?"

Song Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Shall we go inside and talk?"

Zhen Dushan hesitated for a moment, but still opened the door.

The room was dimly lit, and the bookshelves were empty, with only a few books with curled edges and a few bound old newspapers.

The most eye-catching item was a wooden table with several pages of manuscript spread out on it, the handwriting neat and tidy, like annotations of some ancient book.

Qian Jin looked around and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This didn't look like the home of a literature professor at all.
After Song Zhiyuan sat down, he said directly, "Old Zhen, a study room has opened on Taishan Road. It is short of teachers. This is Comrade Qian Jin, the person in charge of the study room. He is a good comrade and would like to invite you to come out of retirement."

Zhen Dushan frowned and subconsciously shook his head: "I stopped teaching a long time ago."

Qian Jin quickly said, "Professor Zhen, the policy has changed now, and the college entrance examination is about to be reinstated. Many young people want to study, but there's no one to teach them..."

Zhen Dushan sneered: "The problem is, who knows what will happen tomorrow?"

Song Zhiyuan sighed and remained silent.

Qian Jin thought for a moment and placed the stack of books he had brought on the table: "The students learned that we have a scholar like you in our Haibin City, and they specially asked me to bring you a little something."

"I don't need it." Zhen Dushan hesitated for a few seconds before shaking his head.

Qian Jin opened the newspaper in the package.

The Northern History, the New Book of Tang, the History of Yuan, the History of Ming...

Zhen Dushan stood up immediately upon seeing the book title on the yellowed spine.

He walked up to the book and gently stroked the spine with his fingers, as if caressing a child he had lost for many years.

"Where did these things come from?" His voice was a little hoarse.

Qian Jin said in a low voice, "It's something I kept at home."

Zhen Dushan asked suspiciously, "You're hiding it at home? At home?"

Qian Jin said, "My surname is Qian, and my ancestors lived in Haibin City..."

"Is your grandfather named Qian Henian?" Zhen Dushan looked at him in surprise.

Qian Jin nodded.

Zhen Dushan's attitude towards him suddenly became warm, and he came up to shake his hand and asked:

"I've met the old man before, Mr. He. No wonder you have such a collection of books. Your Qian family library is one of the best in the whole city!"

Qian Jin said, "I have other books in my collection. You can go teach, and I can find some books to give to you later."

Zhen Dushan was overjoyed, but then asked in confusion, "Didn't you already donate the entire Qian family library to the provincial university library?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Even the poorest beggar needs a dog-beating stick, right? We should keep a few copies, shouldn't we?"

Zhen Dushan nodded with satisfaction and said nothing more. He simply opened a copy of the History of the Northern Dynasties, gently stroking the pages with his fingertips, his eyes gradually brightening.

Song Zhiyuan looked at him and said softly, "Old Zhen, the book is back, but there aren't many people who can read it anymore."

Zhen Dushan remained silent for a long time before finally closing the book, taking a deep breath, and looking up at Qian Jin:
"When does the class start?"

Qian Jin was taken aback, then overjoyed: "You agreed?"

Zhen Dushan nodded, his eyes firm: "I'll go, not only me, but your study room is short of teachers, right? I can find you two more teachers."

“When I was studying in the provincial capital, Mr. He Nian sponsored some of my classmates. We have kept in touch with a few of them. I think that now that Mr. He Nian’s descendants want to start a school, they will definitely be willing to help.”

Qian Jin quickly explained that he didn't want to start a school; how could a private individual run a school these days?

He described the study room's situation, saying apologetically, "This study room may be closed after the college entrance examination this year."

Zhen Dushan smiled and said, "No, looking at the current policies, there will be no shortage of students in the future, and your study room will gradually become part of the school."

Qian Jin thought to himself, "Old man, you're really optimistic. Your attitude changed so quickly."

He thought it would be great if the study room could indeed be expanded.

Who knows, this study room might actually serve as the foundation for establishing a private school?
After leaving Zhen Dushan's house, Qian Jin rubbed his hands together, exhaled a puff of white breath, and couldn't hide the smile on his face:

"Professor Song, thank you so much!"

Song Zhiyuan shook his head: "I couldn't help you. It's because you're capable, and it's also because Lao Zhen can't let go."

Qian Jin remarked, "Yes, his eyes lit up as soon as the book was taken out."

Song Zhiyuan looked up at the sky and laughed, "Some people are just born to be teachers."

Qian Jin nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, what about Professor Wang Jian..."

Song Zhiyuan smiled and said, "I can help you with this. He's more straightforward than Lao Zhen."

Qian Jin was even happier.

Now that the study room has a full-time teacher, it will probably be much more organized.

Now that the teaching staff is qualified, he wants to standardize the classrooms as well.

The study room was originally a warehouse. It was too big. It was lively with hundreds of students scattered inside, but it was not suitable for teaching.

Qian Jin still needs to separate it.

He had thought about it; it could be divided into at least four rooms, and then four classes could be set up.

This way, each classroom can have a blackboard, making it suitable for both teachers to give lectures and students to listen to lectures.

That evening, he took the gifts to the home of a reporter from the Haibin Daily and shared his thoughts.

Qian Jin had dealt with this reporter a lot, and the two had become quite familiar with each other.

This time, the reporter refused his gift under all circumstances, earnestly saying:
"You, Qian Jin, are contributing to the cause of ambitious young people in society, how can I stand idly by?"

"Don't worry, I will write a feature article. If the editor-in-chief supports it, I will write it into a series of articles to help with your study room renovation project."

Qian Jin felt a warmth in his heart.

Many people in this era have light in their hearts.

There is light in his life too.

The Yintan Garden Guesthouse called him and said that his company had booked a room for him.

Starting tomorrow, Qian Jin can take Wei Qinghuan on their honeymoon again!
(End of this chapter)