On the way back to Xiaoba Village, they passed by Qingnan Village.

The villagers were beating gongs and drums, celebrating the establishment of their literacy class. To the outsider, it might have looked like they had set up an independent teaching center of their own.

Standing at the front was a short, thin man with a square face—most likely Wu Dan. He carried himself with more authority than Guo Qingwang, holding a large pair of scissors as he cut the ribbon amid the sound of firecrackers.

“A position meant for serving the people has somehow become a coveted privilege in their hands,” Sister Zhao glanced at the scene once and lost interest.

Su Rui noticed a few people from Yi Wang Village standing beside the literacy class. Their expressions didn’t look good.

She sneered and said, “The class has already started, yet they still feel the need to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony. They must have picked an auspicious day for it, making it obvious they are indulging in superstitious practices.”

Sister Zhao sighed, “Secretary Wu is still young. I didn’t expect him to be this kind of person.”

After returning to Xiaoba Village, two days passed, and women frequently came to inquire about the literacy class. Upon learning there were no more spots, they left disappointed.

Su Rui heard that the county’s Department of Culture and Education might have some authority over the literacy classes. She suggested to Sister Zhao, “Why don’t I give it a try? If it works, our comrades can get in and study. If it doesn’t, we won’t lose anything.”

Seeing her enthusiasm, Sister Zhao took out twenty cents from a drawer and handed it to her. “Here, use this for the bus fare. Consider it reimbursed.”

Huang Bei, who was nearby, said sourly, “She sure gets special treatment. When I went to the county, no one offered to reimburse me.”

Sister Zhao’s expression turned cold. “You went to the county health clinic to get a vaccination.”

Exposed, Huang Bei stood up and said, “I’m going out to write big-character posters.”

Su Rui ignored her, took the twenty cents, and headed straight for the county.

She hitched a ride on a donkey cart for part of the way before taking a bumpy rural bus to the county’s Department of Culture and Education.

It was only nine in the morning when she arrived, but the gatekeeper wouldn’t let her in.

“The department staff are out attending a meeting. If you have business, come back tomorrow.”

“Will the meeting last all day?” Su Rui asked.

The gatekeeper waved her off impatiently. “Go home. Too many people come here for business, and they can’t see everyone.”

Su Rui glanced around. There weren’t many people waiting.

Since the gatekeeper refused to let her in, she simply refused to leave. She stood by the iron fence, determined to wait. Around noon, hunger set in, so she took out a cornbread bun and took a bite.

Patting her chest after swallowing the dry cornbread, she took advantage of the gatekeeper’s lunchtime break to step onto a platform and peek inside.

She noticed that the office building led to a small path near the gate that people used to go to the canteen. Fixing her large, pretty eyes on the office entrance, she waited.

About fifteen minutes later, people began trickling out.

Men and women, all looking well-educated, most wearing glasses. Scanning the crowd, she locked onto a middle-aged woman with a kind face—likely a leader.

With a bright smile, Su Rui waved enthusiastically. “Big Sister, I’m here!” Her warmth made it seem as if they were long-lost relatives.

The woman squinted, her ill-fitting glasses making it hard to see clearly. Noticing a slender figure waving at her, she assumed it was someone she knew and gestured to the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper reluctantly let Su Rui in.

Su Rui dashed inside, her face beaming with a sweet smile. “Comrade—”

The woman froze. “Who are you?”

Su Rui quickly explained, “I’m here on official business. I heard this department oversees rural literacy programs, and I have a situation to report.”

The woman adjusted her glasses and gave Su Rui a once-over. Seeing her pale face, likely from the cold, she sighed. “You’ve had a hard time. Why didn’t you come in to warm up?”

Su Rui replied honestly, “The gatekeeper wouldn’t let me in. I would have loved to.”

Just then, the gatekeeper rushed over, looking defensive. “Minister Zhou, do you know this person or not? If not, I’ll throw her out.”

Minister Zhou, holding her lunchbox, sighed. “We work for the people. How can we treat them like this? Look at her—she’s freezing! This is a government office, not some feudal yamen. How can we be so selective about whom we let in?”

“But she doesn’t have official documents,” the gatekeeper protested.

Minister Zhou retorted, “Then why didn’t you ask her what she needed? You could have passed the message along instead of making her wait outside all morning!”

She glanced at the nearly empty entrance. It was nowhere near busy enough to justify turning people away.

After scolding the gatekeeper, she had him apologize to Su Rui before leading her into the canteen.

“You came at the right time. Our canteen makes excellent tofu soup. Have some to warm yourself up.”

Su Rui was deeply moved. “Thank you, Minister Zhou! I just ate cornbread, and it was so dry I felt like I was choking.”

Minister Zhou chuckled and personally got Su Rui a bowl of tofu soup, along with a meal. As they ate together, Su Rui explained the situation.

After listening, Minister Zhou frowned. “Didn’t they just arrest a corrupt official there? How is this happening again?”

Su Rui nearly blurted out that the village must have bad feng shui, producing nothing but crooks, but she held back.

“I understand your concerns. Many grassroots villagers desperately want an education. The government is currently implementing a nationwide literacy campaign, but this round of classes was arranged some time ago. I’m afraid I can’t change anything now.”

“Is there really nothing the higher-ups can do?” Su Rui asked.

Minister Zhou sighed. “What they did was unfair and narrow-minded, but they didn’t break any rules. I can criticize Wu Dan for it, but I can’t force any changes. However, I promise that the next time we organize an educational program, Xiaoba Village will get priority. Does that sound fair?”

“Thank you! You are truly a good leader.”

Su Rui understood now. Just like the previous official had said, Qingnan Village had stayed within the policy’s gray area. They hadn’t violated regulations, so even if the higher-ups wanted to interfere, they couldn’t do much beyond issuing a verbal warning.

“Comrade Su, if you hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have known about this loophole in our grassroots work. I’ll make sure future literacy programs take this as a lesson.”

Minister Zhou was clearly someone who often worked with rural communities. She spoke plainly and sincerely, making Su Rui like her even more.

Although Xiaoba Village had suffered a loss this time, at least future villages wouldn’t face the same problem. That alone made enduring the cold worth it.

“Thank you again. Your words are like a bowl of hot soup in the middle of winter—warming me from the inside out.”

Su Rui put down the bowl. Although she felt a bit disappointed, she was more grateful for Minister Zhou’s patient explanation. Otherwise, she might have harbored resentment toward the higher-ups.

Before leaving, Su Rui asked, “What if we organize our own classes in the village?”

Minister Zhou replied, “That’s certainly possible. We encourage self-organized education. Oh, I happen to have the last two copies of the literacy textbook. I’ll give them to you. If you’re teaching on your own, you can have someone literate follow the materials to teach.”

“That’s great. Thank you, Minister Zhou.” Su Rui happily followed him to the office and took the textbooks back.

***

The spring military training lasted for three weeks.

Fang Chiye checked the soldiers’ physical fitness and training progress daily.

In half a month, he would be heading to another region for recruitment. Finally, finding some free time, he came down from Zhuye Mountain and made his way to Xiaoba Village.

During these days, he kept thinking about how to explain things to Su Rui. After much deliberation, he decided it was best to be honest and apologize.

From the moment he received her photo and suspected her of being an enemy spy to gradually getting to know her, he had conducted a background check along the way. The results proved that Su Rui was a progressive young revolutionary. She was not only beautiful but also diligent in her work and warm-hearted.

He assumed she would still be in the office, so he went straight to the village committee to look for her, only to find it empty.

“She went to the township to try her luck,” Sister Zhao said as she poured him a cup of tea. She spoke warmly, “That girl is passionate about her work and cares deeply about everything in Xiaoba Village. I know she has the same thoughts as I do. We both hope the women in the village can lead better lives and make progress.”

“Yes, she is indeed that kind of comrade,” Fang Chiye took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and said, “Maybe she doesn’t necessarily need to attend the literacy class.”

***

Su Rui stood by the roadside, holding the two literacy textbooks, feeling that the trip had been worthwhile.

When she got back, she planned to gather the village cadres to copy the materials so they could hold classes twice a week at the grain milling ground. This way, the women in Xiaoba Village could at least get some basic education. The goal of literacy classes was to ensure they were not completely illiterate, and Su Rui had the same vision.

She thought about Aunt Song and Wanzi’s mother, who were both eager to learn. Yet, those who truly valued education were denied the opportunity, while the lazy ones got all the benefits. That didn’t sit right with her.

Just then, she noticed a bookstore that had been converted into a general store across the street. She waited for the traffic police to signal before crossing the road.

Su Rui was usually frugal and reluctant to spend her husband’s fund money. Given that the village committee’s funds were limited after the New Year, she decided not to request reimbursement for teaching materials from Sister Zhao. She considered it a personal donation.

In the future, she wanted to marry a virtuous person. A virtuous person should understand.

“Do you have small blackboards?”

To the left of the store was a tall bookshelf filled with revolutionary books and quotations. On the opposite shelf, there were large scissors, blades, comic books, calendars, red armbands, and hero posters. The counter beside it displayed envelopes, stationery, and pens.

“We have blackboards,” the store clerk said, heading to the warehouse. After some effort, he pulled out a dusty blackboard and placed it on the counter. “We only have this size—three meters long and one and a half meters wide.”

“That big?” Su Rui asked, “Do you have chalk?”

The store clerk glanced outside, then lowered his voice and asked, “What do you need these for? This isn’t the time for studying.”

Su Rui also lowered her voice. “It’s for a literacy class in the village.”

Hearing this, the clerk immediately relaxed. He took out three boxes of chalk from under the shelf and said, “You should’ve said so earlier. I thought you were up to something else. Here, it’s five yuan and sixty cents in total. I’ll throw in a box of colored chalk. It’s a little damp but still usable.”

“Thank you!” Su Rui paid and received her change.

The clerk then asked, “How are you going to carry such a big thing back?”

“Do you have some rope? I’ll carry it on my back.”

“Are you sure?” The clerk looked at her petite frame, but still went to the warehouse to find an old rope and handed it to her.

Su Rui quickly secured the blackboard with the rope and hoisted it onto her back. “It’s heavy, but I can manage.”

The clerk admired her determination and said, “You’re really capable. Be careful on the way back—it’ll be exhausting.”

Su Rui smiled. “Serving the people means not fearing hardship or fatigue.”The clerk gave her a thumbs-up. “Safe travels.”