"Pan Di, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
Chen Yang listened to Shen Pan Di's voice coming from the phone, feeling a slight daze.
Time had flown by, and it was now 1986. Shen Pan Di was about to graduate with her master's degree. She had called to tell Chen Yang that she planned to return to Liu He County after graduation.
She intended to go back and teach!
Chen Yang's mind replayed the image of his first meeting with Shen Pan Di in his previous life. She had been an ordinary rural woman, carrying her snot-nosed grandchildren and a basket of local eggs and a chicken tied with straw, insisting that he accept them.
In this life, she had not been forced by her mother to marry that forty-something lame old man, nor had she lived a life of despair and suffocation like in her previous one.
She had been accepted into one of the best universities in China, and even there, she had maintained excellent grades and pursued a master's degree.
Yet, she still wanted to return, to the land that had once held so many painful memories for her. Chen Yang found it difficult to understand.
With Shen Pan Di's current capabilities, she could easily find a good position and a great job in Beijing. He had no doubt she could achieve it.
"Teacher Chen, my mind is made up."
"From the beginning, I decided that after I learned enough, I wanted to go home and teach."
"Our hometown has too many children who don't receive a good education. I was lucky to have your continuous help, Teacher Chen."
"But there are so many girls who are pulled out of school by their parents to work in the fields before they even finish primary school. Then, in their teens, they are married off haphazardly, living a life of perpetual toil."
"Giving birth, raising children, then more children… and then helping their sons get married, have grandchildren, and raise grandchildren…"
"I don't think this should be their life. They also have the right to pursue knowledge and a better life. I want to contribute my part."
"I know this path will be difficult, but if I don't try, these children's fates will never change. By doing so, even if I can't change everyone, I believe I can at least change the destiny of some."
Shen Pan Di was resolute. This was a decision she had made long ago. After graduating from university, she had continued to pursue her master's degree to prove to everyone that it wasn't because she couldn't study that she needed to return to teach.
She could pursue a master's degree and choose one of the best jobs in the country. Education offered a way out!
"Pan Di, as long as you've made up your mind, are you planning to teach at the school being built in our commune?"
"Or at the county high school?"
After hearing Shen Pan Di's words, Chen Yang did not try to dissuade her. She was a very intelligent and strong-willed girl. Once she decided on something, she rarely changed her mind.
"I want to return to teach at the commune's school, and I plan to build it into an integrated school from primary to junior high, and then to high school."
"I want to oversee every stage. Only then can I ensure that my children can all escape this land through diligent study."
Shen Pan Di gritted her teeth. She knew this would not be easy. The entire Liu He County only had one high school. Building a high school in a rural commune would be no simple task.
But no matter how hard or difficult it was, she was determined to achieve it!
"Alright, don't worry. I will arrange for the infrastructure, school buildings, and dormitories."
"Many of our neighbors in the surrounding areas are already working at the Jiu Zao Yu (Fermented Fish) factory. Their living conditions have improved significantly, so they don't have to pull their children out of school to work."
"However, the idea of valuing sons over daughters is not something that can be changed overnight. You need to be prepared."
Chen Yang knew that the traditional mindset of favoring sons over daughters, passed down for thousands of years in China, would not be easy to change, especially in rural areas where differential treatment of children was rampant.
"Teacher Chen, I've endured my own upbringing in such a family, so what can I not bear?"
"I've also heard from Lai Di and Nian Di that the commune has improved the teachers' benefits, and now they are teaching more actively and diligently. They can support their families and don't need to work in the fields, allowing them to focus on teaching."
"Our commune now has over thirty teachers, almost as many as the county school."
"When I return this time, I will strive to learn from them and educate the children well."
Shen Pan Di did not feel she was superior to the primary school teachers in Wanli Commune just because she had a master's degree. She only wanted to teach the children well, so they could change their destinies through knowledge.
"Good. Go back and explore teaching methods and gain experience. While the teachers in the commune are diligent and responsible, their academic backgrounds are not as high, and they have certain limitations."
"You are different. You have received higher education. You have a vision they cannot match, and their learning ability cannot compare to yours. If you are truly determined to dedicate yourself to rural education, I believe you are the best candidate to be the principal of the Wanli school in the future."
"I also wish you success in realizing your aspirations and leading the children to learn well and change their destinies through knowledge."
Chen Yang deeply admired Shen Pan Di's choice and hoped that one day she would achieve her dream and truly lead the children out of this rural land.
People are born without choosing their origins. Some are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, enjoying the best medical care, education, and living environment.
Others might spend their entire lives achieving what someone else accomplishes without even trying.
However, this is not a reason for children from impoverished backgrounds to give up their struggle. Without action, nothing changes. With action, there is a possibility of change. Perhaps they still won't match those from privileged families, but it's an improvement from their starting point. This is progress, the meaning of striving, isn't it?
Humble origins are not a disgrace; resilience and adaptability make a true person.
"Teacher Chen, thank you for your encouragement. I will work hard."
"The road ahead is long, and I will seek the truth from the heavens above and the earth below!"
On the other end of the phone, Shen Pan Di's gaze was firm. She recalled the incomprehension from her mentor and classmates regarding her decision to return to teach in the countryside, but at this moment, she finally found her unwavering support.
In life, one must have a belief, a cause to strive for lifelong!
Now, she had it!