I was reborn without dreams

Chapter 104 Liu Yuanshan on the Road
In the first month of 1946, the Shazhou City Education Bureau stood out among all units in the city, not only for its outstanding achievements...

Of course, the main reason is the outstanding achievements.

Qiu Jianmin went to make an appearance, just to join in the fun; the main character was Zhang Zhengdong.

As soon as I arrived, I saw people from the Civil Affairs Bureau surrounding Zhang Zhengdong in circles. At first glance, I thought Section Chief Zhang had found love again and was planning to remarry...

Actually, it was mainly to take promotional photos.

The Youth Development Foundation of Jiangkou Province has finalized the locations for three Hope Primary Schools. The first one will be a complete boarding Hope Primary School in Fengyi County, which is under the jurisdiction of Pengcheng City.

In terms of teaching staff, in addition to organizing in-depth training for substitute teachers in local villages, we also select recent graduates from Shanghu Teachers College and Yangtai Teachers College to sign a "Volunteer Targeted Training Agreement" with Zhang'an Education.

The core of this agreement is that "Zhang An Education" will match the recent graduate volunteers with an assistant contract of the same length of service at the Hope Primary School.

In addition to normal government payments, the disbursement of wages is jointly supervised by the local civil affairs department and the Youth Development Foundation of Jiangkou Province.

This special fund is a "Volunteer-Oriented Training Subsidy Program" specifically established by "Zhang An Education". It does not belong to local finance and is purely a public welfare expenditure of "Zhang An Education".

Local "substitute teachers" are not entitled to the "volunteer-oriented training allowance program" in principle because they are not on the payroll and do not receive a formal salary. However, they may be entitled to meal and transportation subsidies during the construction of Hope Primary Schools, depending on the circumstances.

The two together cost five yuan, totaling about one hundred and fifty yuan per month, which is basically enough to cover the family's monthly expenses.

Furthermore, this subsidy will not be announced to the public before the first phase of the Hope Primary School project is completed. It will be announced to the public after the first batch of "substitute teachers" has completed their intensive training.

What Zhang Zhengdong had to do was to conduct on-site investigations and organize volunteers from the Civil Affairs Bureau in Pengcheng City to carry out a comprehensive survey of the villages surrounding the Hope Primary School.

Our first stop was Fengyi County in Pengcheng City. There was no other way; the math teacher we poached from Pengcheng Middle School was Zhong Zhengyang, who is now the head of the math department at Xindongweigang Middle School.

His hometown is Fengyi County, so Zhong Zhengyang played a significant role in the communication process with Pengcheng.

Otherwise, the first stop would not be Fengyi County, but Duliang County in Huaiyin City.

Normally, people go from nearby to farther places, and driving to Duliang County would be more convenient. But Zhang Zhengdong wants to go to Fengyi County first because the first stop is quite important.

It's not just about boarding schools; it also involves water, electricity, communications, roads, and bridges. Zhang Zhengdong's trip was not only to secure 500,000 yuan in start-up funds for the Hope Primary School, but also to determine the location of the Pengcheng City Modern Volunteer Service Station and then match the funding.

Only after Zhang Zhengdong signs and stamps the document can the matter be considered to have truly passed the penultimate hurdle.

The final hurdle is the complete school co-construction plan, which determines whether the students of this boarding Hope Primary School will continue their junior high school studies locally after completing their primary school education, or choose to attend a junior high school in their hometown.

This final hurdle was something Zhong Zhengyang had to shamelessly beg his boss for, because he wanted his children back home to also receive an education at the level of Xindongweigang Middle School.

Even if they can't manage to get them all, they can still select a group of "top students" and send them directly to the Mazhou branch of Xindongwei Port Middle School.

Because of Zhong Zhengyang's connections, some teachers at Pengcheng Middle School wanted to get a "Zhang An certification" to enhance their credentials. Therefore, in the "Volunteer Targeted Training Subsidy Program," some young teachers from Pengcheng City wanted to volunteer, including those from Pengcheng Middle School.

The entire plan is actually quite large in scale, involving cooperation from multiple regions and departments. If necessary, "Zhang'an Education" may independently operate the construction investment of a complete primary school.

But if that's the case, the primary school can no longer be called a "Hope Primary School".

To avoid this situation, the province naturally wouldn't pretend to be unaware. While the publicity department followed up, the Youth Development Foundation of Jiangkou Province also quickly joined forces with the construction unit. In the first quarter of 4698, after Zhang Zhengdong's on-site inspection, construction would begin immediately upon confirmation of the school site.

Originally, Liu Yuanshan wasn't very enthusiastic about going to Pengli County. After all, that damned Zhang Zhengdong was making him a 700-mile errand runner, which was disgusting.

After seeing the "Zhang An Education" Volunteer Targeted Training Agreement, he made a decisive decision, told his "boss" about the situation, and then, under the framework of Chengdong District, he was "dispatched" by the Civil Affairs Bureau to go to Pengli County.

The journey was anything but bumpy.

At that time, Pengli County had extremely underdeveloped transportation. It often took more than ten hours to reach the county from Jiangning City, with many twists and turns.

The reason is simple: long-distance buses are not regulated, and it is common for them to take detours to pick up passengers along the way. In addition, in order to earn more money, those who charter these long-distance routes will sometimes wait for passengers in a certain place for an hour or two in order to fill the aisle of the bus.

Highway robbers are not a big deal in Pengli County. It's not that they don't exist, but highway robbers are easily beaten up by the locals throughout northeastern Jiangxi.

People with the same surname can gather all their relatives and friends from the countryside, regardless of age or gender.

Although they are all clan-based forces, those in Lingxi and Lingnan, as well as those in Yuzhang, still have their own local characteristics.

In order to conduct a complete survey, Liu Yuanshan did not take the company car or a private car. Instead, he bought a ticket to Jiangzhou City at the long-distance bus station in Jiangning City.

The reason for not buying train tickets is that trains are relatively fixed and not flexible. For many people from rural areas who go out to work together, long-distance buses are a much more flexible mode of transportation.

The prerequisite is that you have to have it.

Liu Yuanshan deliberately chose a time when all the tickets were sold out to go to the window to ask. Then the ticket scalper found him and, after hearing that he was going to Jiangzhou City, arranged a place to board the bus.

The price difference between the ticket price and the ticket price at the window was huge. They went up the slope of the overpass and waited for the bus on the side of the road. After the bus arrived, Liu Yuanshan and several other people boarded the bus together.

No ticket? No problem. Just 40 yuan per person to get on the bus and you can ride all the way from Jiangning City to Jiangzhou City.

You can stop along the way, and some seasoned travelers from Jianghuai Province will get on and off halfway through the journey. Just tell the driver or the person accompanying you.

Whether or not to check license plates at checkpoints for overloading is usually determined at the beginning of the year for the next twelve months. Of course, to avoid looking too bad, the person accompanying the vehicle will remind passengers by the window to lower their curtains...

Liu Yuanshan didn't live a life of luxury like a pampered old man. He was wrapped in an old down jacket, sitting on a small stool in the corridor, and passing the time flipping through an atlas.

The reason for going to such lengths is that he needs to collect data on the round-trip commuting time of migrant workers from Pengli County. This process is quite important. With this data, the arrangements for migrant workers from Pengli County can be made very flexibly in some details.

It can save a lot of trouble.

If a "Zhang An Hope Primary School" were to be established in Pengli County, then Zhang Zhengdong's on-site investigation in Pengcheng could be replicated here at a relatively low cost.

However, these were not the main reasons why Liu Yuanshan was working so hard. He planned to secretly bring his "boss" into Zhang Da'an's network of connections.

Relying on face can only get you to side temporarily; relying on ability, whether you can side permanently is uncertain, but you're sure you'll be on the right side in the short term.

The logic is simple: if things go smoothly in Pengli County, it can help him or his "boss" escape the pitfall of Jiangning City. Whether it's for exchange or cooperation, Pengli County can be a viable destination.

The optimal solution would be for him and his "boss" to each go to a different place, since a 31-year-old secretary can no longer follow her "boss" and should get off before reaching her stop.

He didn't want to get off the bus; he wanted to change buses.

For someone of Liu Yuanshan's caliber to conduct in-depth research in another location is already a tough job, and now that he has to push himself to the limit, it's even more agonizing.

However, if the bus stops in Pengli County, then the matter is half settled, as the long-distance bus will stop at the Pengli County bus station.

You can't just leave the station at this time, because there are all kinds of unlicensed taxi drivers, including the famous Mazda three-wheeled vehicles that are the most famous in Jiangning City.

Besides these, there are old Fukang or Jetta cars, and also a bunch of minivans.

Being recognized as having a non-local accent is a dangerous thing these days. Being followed and robbed is considered a relatively good outcome.

This is by no means a unique local custom in Pengli County, but rather a common practice, except in a few cities.

Liu Yuanshan was no novice either. He waited for someone to pick him up while smoking a cigarette. He was accompanied by four other people, including a clerk, who had driven there. When they entered Pengli County, the local government's propaganda department was already waiting to pick them up.

Unlike the clerks in Jiangning City who can now drive Santana cars on business trips, the staff of the Propaganda Department in Pengli County still drive the old-fashioned 212.

It's not that they don't have decent cars, it's just that they don't have a chance to get one.

"Director Liu!"

The group, looking travel-worn, entered the bus station, waving to each other from afar before jogging forward. The leader, beaming, shook Liu Yuanshan's hand.

The local staff who were supposed to be receiving Liu Yuanshan didn't know he would be taking a bus. They had timed it perfectly, and the staff from Chengdong District of Jiangning City told him that Liu Yuanshan was taking a passing bus.

"I am Xiao Dahai from the Publicity Department of Pengli County. Welcome, welcome, Director Liu! You must be tired from your journey!"

Without mentioning why Liu Yuanshan was taking a passing bus, Xiao Dahai simply smiled and said "Welcome!"

"Director Liu, should we go to the county government first or the reception center?"

"Let's take a look around first."

"Okay! Director Liu, tell me where to go, and I'll give you directions."

"Minister Xiao, how many people live at Furongdun, north of Fanghu Lake?"

"Over thirty thousand." "Does the town have over a thousand?"

"How could that be? There aren't even five hundred."

Xiao Dahai shook his head and took out a pack of "Lushan" cigarettes from his pocket. This cigarette had gone through several ups and downs, but those who liked it loved it so much that they couldn't live without it, because this cigarette was strong enough.

Without any hesitation, Liu Yuanshan took a cigarette, lit it, and almost choked on it, taking a sip that nearly made him cough up a piece of his lung.

"This cigarette is strong."

With a sigh, Liu Yuanshan took another sip and asked, "What about Huangling Township, south of Fanghu Lake?"

"Few, about ten thousand people."

"Then let's go directly to Huangling Township."

"Director Liu, why don't we rest for a bit? I'm not saying we're planning to stall for time and let the locals prepare in advance, but the road is in very bad condition. Sometimes it's faster to just take a motorboat. The road in Furongdun is already considered good."

"Okay, let's go to Furongdun."

Then came the bumpy ride. There was no other way; at that time, there were no decent roads in the entire Pengli County. Basically, they had to rely on mobilizing the masses to work together to repair roads and bridges.

Sometimes, when repairing roads together, people even have to bring their own food.

If it's about building a bridge, it's common for local governments to raise funds.

The key issue is that apart from yellow sand, other building materials are hard to buy. Even standard steel bars are not only expensive in the building materials market, but they may not even be up to standard.

Liu Yuanshan was mentally prepared. Since he had obtained the internal documents of "Zhang An Education" from Zhang Zhengdong, this matter was equivalent to an open-book exam.

However, open-book exams don't mean the answers are given away for free; how you write the answers still depends on your ability.

Xiao Dahai was puzzled. He didn't understand why someone from Jiangkou Province would come to investigate immediately after they made a request. The New Year was just around the corner. What was going on?
The county only asked him to make the arrangements and handle the reception work.

Normally, the propaganda department has absolutely nothing to do with reception work, but given Liu Yuanshan's rank, even the county magistrate would have to come in person.

Surprisingly, the county magistrate did not come. Of course, it wasn't that he didn't want to come, but rather that the Youth Development Foundation of Yuzhang Province had given him advance notice.

There is no doubt that the youth development foundations on both sides seem to be planning to make this happen, especially since Liu Yuanshan himself is only thirty-one years old, which is undoubtedly a youth.

Liu Yuanshan opened the atlas, which contained maps, but not only maps; it also included the overall plan for the "Zhang An Education" public welfare project.

There's something really outrageous about this: at almost every stage, Zhang Da'an was trying to stuff employees or trainees from "Zhang An Education" into the system.

Why are they called reserve employees?
Because the two normal colleges, Shanghu Teachers College and Yangtai Teachers College, signed a cooperation agreement with Zhang'an Education, and given that fresh graduates had no job assignments and could not compete with normal universities, this newly emerged track provided rural students from the two normal colleges with a fairly powerful upward mobility channel.

It's not a path to promotion, but it's certainly a path to wealth.

The "Volunteer-Oriented Training Agreement" is essentially about young people trading time for time, which is the origin of the concept of reserve employees.

"Zhang An Education" does not value academic qualifications when recruiting employees. As long as you pass the assessment and do not have any unrealistic ideas about overstepping your bounds and instructing head coach Zhang An on how to conduct training, then you can expect to make a lot of money.

But this is only a part of the employees; there are still some enterprises and institutions that can achieve this level.

Another outrageous aspect is the fixed selection of materials.

The “Zhang An Hope Primary School” is different from ordinary named and branded Hope Primary Schools. One of the assessments is that if it is suitable to be developed into a boarding primary school, not only will the investment increase, but the construction efforts will also be transferred directly from the local government and the Youth Development Foundation to “Zhang An Education”, which will then bear the burden of construction, management and operation.

However, the signboard still belongs to the local government, and "Zhang An Education" will not interfere with the teaching methods used by the school, except for one thing...

Top students are recruited by "Zhang An Education".

If they agree, they will invest money every year and continue the subsidies to the end.

If you disagree, downgrade the grade.

It's that simple.

At this point, very few enterprises and institutions can achieve this. Apart from super departments that are "independent kingdoms," they are few and far between in the outside world, and they can't even be said to be self-sufficient.

But this is not enough.

There is also a business development centered around "Zhang An Hope Primary School" that includes vocational skills training.

These training costs are impossible for the local government to cover with its limited financial resources.

However, "Zhang An Education" can provide training first, then allow employees to start working in an orderly manner, and then deduct the training costs from their wages.

This operation...

It's a truly hellish place.

But Liu Yuanshan also admitted that there was potential.

The core issue is whether there are enough positions available.

Zhang Da'an said he had a bag.

So it's included.

It's not just Zhang Zhengdong who's superstitious about his nephew; Zhang Zhengdong's close friend Liu Yuanshan... he's also superstitious now.

It wasn't that he didn't want to be materialistic, but rather that everything that had happened to Zhang Da'an so far had been strange.

It wasn't that Liu Yuanshan was ignorant; he had never seen a unit operate like this before.

In fact, Liu Yuanshan had also considered the number of jobs that Zhang Da'an could provide, and he did not believe that Zhang Da'an could bring together qualified laborers from dozens or even hundreds of villages.

Reason tells him he shouldn't believe it, but superstition tells him... if he should be superstitious, he should be superstitious and not be stubborn.

In this respect, we should learn from my good friend Zhang Zhengdong.

Look at them, living such carefree lives. They don't need to be smart or capable to make progress.

When we arrived at Furongdun, it was already late at night. We found the local town guesthouse and each of us got a pot of hot water to wash our feet.

It wasn't a large dormitory-style room; it was a regular triple or double room.

Xiao Dahai got some rice noodles without waking the cook, and went to the guesthouse canteen to cook for himself.

I stir-fried two plates of eggs and dried radish, and steamed two plates of salted pork. It was already past 3 a.m.

Only one secretary from the Pengli County Publicity Department accompanied them; the other drivers and staff had gone to sleep first, while Xiao Dahai ate and chatted with Liu Yuanshan and his group.

I didn't drink any baijiu (Chinese white liquor), but I had a little rice wine, which wasn't even rice wine, just some fermented glutinous rice that had just come out of the vat.

They only drink it after it's heated up.

"Director Liu, I actually have many questions. Why did you decide to come to Pengli County to conduct research?"

"Minister Xiao, would you believe me if I said I came here because I was just giving random examples?"

"what?"

Xiao Dahai looked completely bewildered, as if he hadn't understood anything; he was still processing what Liu Yuanshan had said in his mind.

No, is this still speaking Chinese?
Why does it feel so messy and chaotic?
"There aren't any others, for example..."

"Don't worry, there were no overt or covert investigations, it was just a routine survey, only an on-site survey."

Liu Yuanshan was very direct and knew what Xiao Dahai meant. He put it bluntly, reassuring Xiao Dahai completely.

He was, after all, a promising young man from the Chengdong District of Jiangning City; he didn't have the time to play the role of a righteous official in Yuzhang Province.

(End of this chapter)