Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Upon hearing Tao Zhiyuan's praise, Wang Chengpeng smiled modestly:
"Principal Tao, your evaluation is really too exaggerated."

"As for your previous request to keep my calligraphy as a treasure, don't mention it again. How can you frame my own words of praise?"

Only after Wang Chengpeng's "casual" reminder did Tao Zhiyuan realize that he had previously been dismissive of Wang Chengpeng's handwriting, and he immediately blushed with embarrassment.

Especially those words that seemed to be exaggerating Wang Chengpeng's words, now felt like a resounding slap in the face to Tao Zhiyuan.

However, he was also extremely thick-skinned; with a mischievous smile, he pretended he hadn't said anything at all.
"Hehe, Comrade Wang, you're still being too modest."

In his heart, however, he was thinking that this calligraphy should be framed and copied, and placed in the very center of his office.

Wang Chengpeng, unaware of Tao Zhiyuan's ulterior motives, glanced at his watch and realized it was getting late, so he immediately urged him on:

"The wording is irrelevant; the content is the real core."

"Time is limited, Principal Tao, you should quickly take a look at the contents of this material and see if there are any parts that need to be revised."

Wang Chengpeng's reminder brought Tao Zhiyuan to his senses, realizing that now was not the time to appreciate calligraphy and that he had almost neglected his important business.

He quickly adjusted his glasses and began to carefully study the handwritten document.

This sight gave him a jolt, and he realized that Wang Chengpeng's beautiful writing was not only in the characters themselves, but also in the profound and insightful content.

Wang Chengpeng's handwritten document may seem ordinary, but between the lines it embodies the collectivist spirit of uniting comrades and making progress together, and shines with the ideological brilliance of being both politically sound and professionally competent.

Most importantly, as the first top scorer after the resumption of the college entrance examination, he had none of the airs of an intellectual.

Instead, he used the simplest language to record his labor practices in the fields over the years, as well as the bits and pieces of leading his fellow villagers to develop production.

The scenes cited as examples show both humbly seeking advice from experienced farmers and providing hands-on agricultural technical guidance to educated youth sent to the countryside; every word and sentence reveals the sincerity of the integration of industry and agriculture.

Tao Zhiyuan seemed to see a young model worker, toiling in the fields during the day and studying diligently under the kerosene lamp at night.

This material not only demonstrated Wang Chengpeng's outstanding abilities, but also allowed Tao Zhiyuan to feel his sincere heart of being rooted in the masses and serving the people.

After reading it once, Tao Zhiyuan still felt it wasn't enough, so he read it twice more before finally closing the notebook.
"Comrade Wang, no wonder you became the top scorer in this year's college entrance examination. Your ability to write materials is unmatched, even by our school's office director who has been writing materials for many years."

Hearing Tao Zhiyuan's praise, Wang Chengpeng remained unfazed, saying indifferently:
"Thank you for the praise, Principal Tao. I just don't know what parts of this material need to be improved so that I can revise them accordingly."

When Wang Chengpeng brought up the revisions again, even Tao Zhiyuan, who was thick-skinned, couldn't help but blush with embarrassment.

This material is so well written that, at least from his perspective, there are absolutely no problems; it's at a level that could be published directly.

After hesitating for a moment, Tao Zhiyuan finally asked the question that had been bothering him:

"Comrade Wang, this report is very well written; it's definitely up to the standard for publication in the provincial newspaper."

"There's just one thing I don't think is quite right, and that's about this sentence. I think it would be better to remove it."

At this point, Tao Zhiyuan pointed to the sentence written by Wang Chengpeng—

When I feel tired from studying, I like to make a cup of sugar water with Dapeng white sugar. Its sweet taste, derived from the essence of beets, always helps me regain my energy and continue to focus on my studies.

This may seem like Wang Chengpeng sharing his learning methods, but Tao Zhiyuan's intuition tells him that this statement is not simple and is very likely an advertisement.

Such blatant advertising makes it easy for people to think that Wang Chengpeng's character is not as noble as it seems.

Listening to Tao Zhiyuan's words, Wang Chengpeng seemed not to understand and said:
"I think this passage is perfectly appropriate here, there's nothing inappropriate about it."

What a smart comrade! How could he make such a foolish mistake at such a crucial moment, ruining his reputation for a little bit of petty gain?

But thankfully, I'm here.

Having finally found some self-worth, Tao Zhiyuan immediately pointed it out without hesitation:
"Comrade Wang, you may not have meant it that way, but anyone who sees this will think you are advertising for Dapeng white sugar."

"You must cherish your reputation; this is something you can't do."

At this point, Tao Zhiyuan looked at Wang Chengpeng with a nervous expression, just like a student waiting for a teacher to exaggerate his performance.

Even after Tao Zhiyuan pointed it out, Wang Chengpeng still acted as if he didn't care.

Not only that, he openly and frankly admitted it, saying:

"That's right, I'm advertising for Dapeng white sugar."

"Dapeng Sugar Factory is a village-run enterprise in our Wangjia Village. Its rise and fall are related to the livelihood of the entire Wangjia Village."

"Even if it affects my reputation, I'm willing to add that one sentence to this document."

"Moreover, this is not entirely an advertisement, since everything I stated was true."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that studying just involves sitting there without moving; it is actually a very physically demanding activity."

"Especially after a long period of study, the brain becomes exhausted, which greatly affects learning efficiency."

"At this time, drinking a cup of sugar water can not only relax the brain, but also replenish the body's energy and relieve brain fatigue."

Tao Zhiyuan never expected that Wang Chengpeng would so openly admit that he was advertising.

But after hearing Wang Chengpeng say that Dapeng white sugar was a product of their Wangjia Village's village-run enterprise, he felt relieved.

Comrade Wang Chengpeng's pure and sincere heart is truly touching. Even though he has become the top scorer in the college entrance examination and has risen to great heights, he still cares about the small beet sugar factory in his hometown.

He could have simply talked about his own learning experience, but he specifically mentioned the high-quality white sugar produced by the beet sugar factory in his hometown.

Drinking a cup of sugar water infused with Dapeng white sugar while studying is especially refreshing!

This simple statement, though seemingly unremarkable, has made countless people who read it remember Dapeng White Sugar, a previously unknown product.

Didn't he know that doing this would invite criticism? Of course he did.

But he knew even better that the small sugar factory was related to the livelihoods of hundreds of households in the village.

Between his personal reputation and the interests of his fellow villagers, he chose the latter without hesitation.

This sense of responsibility and this sentiment are what a good comrade should be like!
This is hardly a stain; it is clearly the most dazzling glory of Comrade Wang Chengpeng!

Only someone like him, who truly cares about the people, would disregard personal gain and be willing to do such a thankless task.

Suppressing his excitement, Tao Zhiyuan looked at Wang Chengpeng again, feeling as if he were looking at a living Buddha, and said with great anticipation:

"Comrade Wang, don't worry, I will definitely protect this passage for you."

“Those mediocre people will only slander you, but those with true insight can understand your nobility.” “Perfect, this report is simply too perfect.”

"No need for revisions. I'll take it to the newspaper right now and make sure it's published as soon as possible."

Seeing Tao Zhiyuan so excited that he was gesturing wildly, Wang Chengpeng felt a little embarrassed.

"Principal Tao, if you think it's good, then it's fine."

"I'll leave this file folder with you; remember to file it properly."

"Alright, since everything is fine here, I won't keep you any longer. I'll take my leave now."

Without giving Tao Zhiyuan a chance to persuade him to stay, Wang Chengpeng drank the tea in his cup in one gulp and left Tao Zhiyuan's office.

After Wang Chengpeng had walked away, Teacher Zhang finally arrived, pushed open the door, and began to ask:
“Principal, you told me there was an extremely important document to write, so I came right away.”

"Don't worry, I'll finish writing the material even if it takes all night."

Writing materials is not easy, especially when it needs to satisfy the leader. It is common to revise and delete several versions.

Indeed, this is the case. Such materials that need to be reported are particularly important, and Cao Deming and Zhou Lijun are still working hard in the office.

They had even ordered dinner and were preparing to stay up all night to write the most perfect document possible.

They probably never dreamed that someone could write a document that could convince Tao Zhiyuan in just over ten minutes.

Teacher Zhang was indeed very conscientious, but to his surprise, Tao Zhiyuan simply patted him on the shoulder and said:

"Old Zhang, you're late. This material has already been written."

"Take the materials to the newspaper office and have them published immediately. I want to see them in tomorrow's paper!"

At this point, Tao Zhiyuan felt somewhat uneasy about entrusting such an important matter to his subordinates, and added:
“I’ll go with you on this. You probably can’t handle it alone, and it would be a waste of such good materials.”

At this point, Tao Zhiyuan put on the cotton-padded coat that was on his desk, and pulled Teacher Zhang out.

Caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, Teacher Zhang felt as if all her enthusiasm had been wasted, and said with a look of utter astonishment:
"Principal Tao, these materials were prepared far too quickly."

"Why don't you reconsider and improve the materials further?"

"This is material that's going to be published in the newspaper. If it's not written well, the editorial department will reject it."

With a heavy sigh, Tao Zhiyuan said meaningfully:
"Xiao Zhang, you're still too young. You don't know that there's a kind of person in this world called a genius."

"Take a look at this material. If you can point out any areas that need to be revised, then the school office will have a successor."

Upon hearing this good news, Teacher Zhang's eyes lit up, and she accepted the notebook from Tao Zhiyuan without hesitation.

As usual, after praising Wang Chengpeng's calligraphy, Teacher Zhang then carefully studied the content of the material, and soon praised it as well:
"Excellent, excellent, excellent! This material is absolutely brilliant!"

"This passage seems a bit inappropriate; it would be better to remove it."

Seeing Teacher Zhang also pointing at the text that appeared to be an advertisement, Tao Zhiyuan burst into laughter:
"Xiao Zhang, you simply lack the necessary understanding to grasp the hidden meaning in those words."

"You also said you wanted to delete this passage, but if you ask me, this passage is the essence of this material."

"Just wait, this time our Second Middle School will make a name for itself!"

……

Just as Tao Zhiyuan was rushing to the newspaper office, Wang Chengpeng had already ridden his bicycle back to Wangjia Village.

Following the principle of going along the way, he first went to Wang Zidong's house near the village entrance.

Winter is usually a slow season for farmers, and with the need to prepare for the coming year, Wang Zidong was still at home at this time.

Upon seeing Wang Chengpeng approach, Wang Zidong greeted him familiarly before asking curiously:

“Pengzi, someone as important as you wouldn’t come to our temple without a reason.”

"Tell me, what good news have you come to see me this time?"

Wang Chengpeng didn't answer directly, but instead kept everyone in suspense, saying:
"It's no fun to just say it directly, why don't you guess?"

"If I can guess correctly, I can grant you a condition that isn't unreasonable."

The condition of being able to make Wang Chengpeng work was incredibly valuable, and Wang Zidong's eyes immediately lit up.

"Guess if you want, but don't deny it if I guess right."

"At this time, I really can't think of anything that could happen in Wangjia Village that would make you come all the way here."

"Could it be that the acceptance letter has been sent over?"

"No, that's impossible."

"Don't say the timing doesn't match up. If the acceptance letter had really been delivered, would I have received it later than you?"

Hearing Wang Zidong's mutterings, Wang Chengpeng couldn't help but laugh:
Prince Dong probably never dreamed that he would eliminate the correct answer so easily.

He racked his brains for a long time, counting on his fingers, and finally gave a rather unreliable answer:

"Pengzi, are you planning to invite me to go to the city to buy New Year's goods?"

"Then you'll have to wait a little while. This year, the village's industry calculations are more complicated, and the work points will be settled later than in previous years."

"I won't have the money to go to the city with you until the work points are settled."

"I saw a lot of things when I went to the state-run store before. I'll buy them all. I'm finally going to have a prosperous New Year this year."

At this point, Wang Zidong burst into hearty laughter:
"So, I'm only able to have a prosperous New Year thanks to your hard work, Pengzi."

"If it weren't for your brilliant idea of ​​making sugar from beets, this winter wouldn't have been so pleasant."

"Hey, a centimeter in Wangjia Village can be exchanged for one or two yuan. Nobody would believe it if you told them."

At this point, Wang Zidong realized he might have gone off-topic and immediately followed up with a question:
"Pengzi, why aren't you saying anything? Are you planning to renege on your promise because I hit the nail on the head?"

"It can't be that bad. You don't seem like the kind of person who would break their promises." (End of Chapter)