amaotonovel Chapter 1270 Lu Zhaopeng's Approach to Education for All
Chapter 1270 Lu Zhaopeng's Approach to Education for All
Chapter 1270 Lu Zhaopeng's Approach to Education for All
In late autumn, the Bailu Plain unfolds like a vast, golden brocade under the clear sunlight. A gentle breeze rustles through the ripe wheat, creating a pleasant, soft sound, and the air is filled with the rich, dry aroma of grain.
Along the field ridges and on the slopes, busy figures were everywhere. The men, their upper bodies bare and glistening with oil, bent over and swung their sickles, the "snap-snap" sound of the sickles cutting through the wheat stalks rising and falling, blending into a powerful work chant. Beads of sweat fell onto the scorching soil, instantly spreading into small dark patches.
The women followed behind, deftly tying up the cut wheat sheaves, their waists swaying like grass in the wind.
The children ran around excitedly, helping to gather up the fallen ears of wheat, or carrying earthenware pots to bring water to the adults to quench their thirst.
On the threshing floor, the stone rollers creaked and groaned as they were pulled by strong mules, and wheat grains poured out like golden waterfalls from under the flails and beside the windmills, piling up into small hills.
However, this overwhelming liveliness and abundance felt like a dull knife to Sang Laoba, repeatedly cutting into his heart.
"Hey, Lao Ba! What are you doing squatting here so early in the morning? Why aren't you working in the fields?"
Liu Er, a fellow villager, passed by carrying a gleaming sickle, a mocking smile on his dark face: "Instead of wasting your time, why don't you lend a hand at my threshing ground? I'll treat you to a meal, and tonight I'll buy you a couple of ounces of liquor!"
Sang Laoba's face flushed red, as if covered with a layer of liver color, after being hit where it hurt.
"Liu Er, you son of a bitch, stop pretending to be rich in front of me! Do I need to beg for food from you? Just you wait! One day, I'll take all those fields back!"
The harsh words were spoken, but Sang Laoba himself knew in his heart that once the land was sold, it was like spilled water! He had been blinded by greed and mortgaged all the fertile land left by his ancestors. Now he wanted to redeem it? That was simply wishful thinking.
Even if he were rich, people might not be willing to sell. For farmers, land is a treasure that can be passed down through generations.
Just as Sang Laoba was being consumed by anger and jealousy, Erlaizi from the village wandered up to him like a gust of wind.
"Hey, what's got you sulking here?" Erlaizi leaned in, lowering his voice mysteriously, his tone carrying a hint of tobacco smoke: "You know what? It's been really lively over there in Lijia'ao and Dawangzhuang next door lately! Come with me and take a look."
Sang Laoba glared at him irritably: "What do I care about their fun!"
"How can it be unrelated?" Erlaizi looked around and lowered his voice even further: "I heard that some kind of... farmers' association has been established. They say that if you join, you can get land!"
"Divide...divide the land?!" Old Man Sang sprang up as if he'd been pricked in the butt, grabbed Er Laizi's arm, and his cloudy eyes gleamed with unprecedented light: "Really? Is there really such a good thing? How do we get in?"
Erlaizi grimaced as he was gripped tightly: "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Be gentle!... It's true! Many villages have received it. But..."
His eyes darted around, and he deliberately kept everyone in suspense.
"But what? Tell me quickly!" Old Man Sang's heart jumped into his throat.
"I heard that to join the farmers' association, you have to go to the county to learn... You have to be literate and understand principles before you can be considered a member of the farmers' association." Er Laizi pretended to be in a difficult position.
"Studying in the county? Learning to read?" The excitement on Sang Laoba's face faded like the tide, and he slumped down like a wilted eggplant, pounding his chest and stamping his feet: "If I were literate, would I have ended up in this state today?"
Seeing that Sang Laoba was completely deflated, Erlaizi's lips curled into a barely perceptible smug smile, as if he had watched the show long enough, before he slowly added, "But... Brother Ba, don't be in such a hurry. I haven't finished speaking yet. I heard that Wang Ermazi from Dawangzhuang next door can only write his own name, and he got in! And Li Dazhu can only write a few numbers, and I heard he got his name on the list too! The important thing isn't being literate, it's having a positive 'attitude'! The key is to find the right people!"
"Who are you looking for?" Sang Laoba seemed to have grasped at the last straw and suddenly grabbed Erlaizi again.
"Who else could it be? Lu Zhaopeng from our village! That's what he does now, he's an 'instructor' sent down from above!"
Erlaizi broke free from him, brushing the dirt off his clothes: "You can't go wrong with him! But let me remind you, Lao Ba, be polite. You have to do whatever he tells you to do. I heard the rules are strict!"
Er Laizi's words instantly rekindled the dying hope in Sang Laoba's heart. He couldn't wait a moment longer and headed straight for Bailu Village Elementary School.
At this time, Bailu Village Primary School had more than 20 students, all of whom were children from poor families in the village. Lu Zhaopeng went door to door to plead for their opportunity to go to school, and these students respected Lu Zhaopeng very much.
In the principal's office, Lu Zhaopeng sat at his desk, flipping through documents with a slight frown. The progress of the farmers' association was far below expectations. This was not only the case in Bailu Village, but also in the dozen or so villages along the Bailu Plain, where the development of the farmers' associations lagged behind that of other villages in Zishui County.
The reason was quite frustrating for Lu Zhaopeng. On the one hand, the gentry and landlords of Bailuyuan were relatively restrained. On the other hand, the ammunition factory prioritized recruiting impoverished households from various villages and offered quite good salaries. As long as one person worked at the ammunition factory, they could support a family of several people.
The willingness of the masses to be mobilized was not as strong as in other villages in Zishui County.
"Principal Lu..."
"Please come in."
"Zhaopeng... ah, no, Lu... Leader Lu!" Old Man Sang bent over, rubbing his hands, and forced out the most humble smile he had ever given in his life.
"Uncle Sang?" Lu Zhaopeng put down the documents, his voice calm and indifferent: "Is there something you need?"
Sang Laoba's name was legendary. He was a notorious lazy bum in the village, addicted to gambling. He had gambled away all the good land his family had inherited, and his wife had run away with the children.
"I...I want to join the Farmers' Association!" Sang Laoba took a deep breath, straightened his back, and tried his best to appear enthusiastic: "I heard that joining the Farmers' Association is a way out for us poor people! I, Sang Laoba, am also poor! The poorest of the exploited! I will follow the Farmers' Association!"
Lu Zhaopeng remained silent for a moment, his mind wavering.
Reason told him that a long-time gambler and lazybones like Sang Laoba was not an ideal candidate for development, and that bringing him in would do more harm than good.
However... seeing the sluggishness of the farmers' association's work... and Lu Zhaopeng also believed that anyone could be reformed, even a gambling addict like Sang Laoba, and that Sang Laoba could even be used as a "model" for propaganda.
Lu Zhaopeng said seriously, "Uncle Sang, joining the farmers' association is not a game. The farmers' association is to organize farmers to overthrow those who exploit and oppress us! The farmers' association has discipline; you must obey the leadership, be hardworking, and strictly abide by the rules! In particular, gambling is strictly prohibited! Absolutely not! Can you do that?"
Upon hearing that there was a chance, Sang Laoba immediately pointed to the sky and swore an oath, spitting as he spoke: "Yes! Absolutely! Leader Lu, rest assured! I, Sang Laoba, swear to the heavens that from now on I will turn over a new leaf and become a new person! I will never gamble again! If the Farmers' Association tells me to go east, I will never go west! If they tell me to beat a dog, I will never chase a chicken! I only ask that the leader give me a chance!"
He patted his chest, as if he wanted to rip out his very heart.
Lu Zhaopeng hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded slightly: "Alright. I'll give you a spot. But let me make this clear: if you violate the Farmers' Association's rules, especially if you get involved in gambling again, or misbehave under the Farmers' Association's name, don't blame me for being ruthless and expelling you immediately!"
"Oh! Thank you, Leader Lu! Thank you, Leader! I, Sang Laoba, will definitely do my best!" Sang Laoba was overjoyed and kept bowing and scraping.
After leaving Lu Zhaopeng's office, Sang Laoba couldn't wait to run around the village, boasting to everyone he met that he had joined the farmers' association.
"Hey, Bai Xing'er, did you see that? We're members of the Farmers' Association now! The Farmers' Association! Understand? We're going to the county to 'learn,' and when we come back, we'll be big shots."
"Then the village's fields will all have to be re-discussed! Anyone who has offended me should prepare their gifts and apologize to me as soon as possible. Out of consideration for our fellow villagers, I'll pretend nothing happened. But if you wait until we come back from our 'study,' hmph, it'll be too late!"
Sang Laoba's arrogance quickly spread throughout Bailu Village. Although many people felt disgusted, upon hearing the words "farmers' association" and seeing his smug demeanor, some were genuinely worried that he might use his position to make things difficult for them in the future.
That afternoon, Tian Xiao'e bought some needles and thread and a small bag of brown sugar from the county town.
She was dressed in a plain blue cloth shirt, carrying a small bamboo basket, and walking quickly across the village entrance with her head down. Unexpectedly, under the crooked jujube tree at the village entrance, she bumped into Sang Laoba, who was drunk, his face red and neck thick, bragging to a few old bachelors.
When Sang Laoba caught sight of Tian Xiao'e, he immediately recalled the embarrassing incident where Heiwa had beaten him like a dead dog. Fueled by alcohol and the "confidence" of being a new member of the farmers' association, a surge of anger rose within him.
"Oh my! Isn't this Heiwa's wife?"
Sang Laoba sauntered into the middle of the road, grinning with his yellow teeth, his eyes sweeping over Tian Xiao'e with ill intent: "What good stuff did you buy? Tsk tsk, what a pretty little thing! What? Heiwa's doing so well in the security regiment, he's forgotten about us villagers?"
Tian Xiao'e turned pale with fright and instinctively took a step back, clutching her basket tightly: "Sang Laoba! What do you want to do? Get out of the way!"
"Move aside? What's the rush?" Emboldened by the alcohol, Sang Laoba reached out to touch Tian Xiao'e's basket. "Let your brother see what good things he bought for Heiwa? Is it... ah!"
Before she could finish speaking, Tian Xiao'e was both shocked and furious. She mustered all her strength and stomped hard on Sang Laoba's instep!
Sang Laoba let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his foot and jumping up and down in place. Taking advantage of the situation, Tian Xiao'e ran away as fast as she could, like a startled deer.
Sang Laoba's screams and curses attracted more onlookers and soon reached Heiwa's ears, who was training his team in the field.
Several team members stammered as they recounted what they had heard: "Brother Heiwa, your wife is at the village entrance... it seems that she was stopped by that scoundrel Sang Laoba, and he said some inappropriate things to her..."
Heiwa's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, veins bulging on his forehead. He slammed the Hanyang rifle he was wiping onto the stone table beside him with a dull, frightening sound. Without uttering a sound, his eyes blazing with fury, he turned and rushed towards Sang Laoba's house. The other team members exchanged glances and quickly followed.
When Heiwa found Sang Laoba, the man was sitting on his doorstep, rubbing his feet and cursing Tian Xiao'e.
When he looked up, he saw Heiwa's towering figure blocking the doorway. Sang Laoba's drunkenness instantly sobered up, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
"Hei...Heiwa! Listen to me..."
Heiwa had no interest in listening. Old and new grudges surged into his heart! He stepped forward, grabbed Sang Laoba by the collar, and pulled him off the threshold like a chick. His fist, as big as a bowl, whistled through the air and slammed into Sang Laoba's nose with a dull thud!
"Ouch!" Old Man Sang screamed in agony as blood, tears, and saliva gushed out from his nose.
Heiwa punched Sang Laoba relentlessly, like hitting a sandbag, raining blows on his body and face, completely ignoring his pig-like pleas for mercy.
Sang Laoba was beaten so badly he rolled on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, his front teeth loose, and his screams alarmed half the village.
A group of villagers gathered around, but seeing Heiwa's furious, man-eating appearance, no one dared to step forward to stop him.
"Stop! Heiwa! Stop right now!" came the urgent shouts. Lu Zhaopeng finally arrived, panting heavily. He saw Sang Laoba lying on the ground, barely recognizable as a human, and his face darkened. He rushed forward and grabbed Heiwa's thick arm tightly.
"Zhaopeng! Let go!" Heiwa struggled, his eyes red. "This bastard dared to harass Xiao'e! I'll fucking cripple him today!"
"Heiwa! Calm down! Hitting someone won't solve anything! He made a mistake and needs to be criticized and educated, but you can't abuse your power! You could kill someone!" Lu Zhaopeng tried his best to stop him and shouted.
"Abuse of power?!" Heiwa suddenly broke free from Lu Zhaopeng and pointed at Sang Laoba, who was curled up and groaning on the ground: "He used your peasant association's name to act arrogantly and harass women, and you did nothing about it?! Now I'm acting on behalf of heaven, and you come to me saying it's abuse of power? Just because he's a member of the peasant association?"
His last sentence was almost shouted, filled with deep disappointment and anger towards Lu Zhaopeng.
Lu Zhaopeng was rendered speechless by Heiwa's retort, but he couldn't ignore Sang Laoba's pleas.
Just then, Tian Xiao'e heard that Heiwa had almost beaten Sang Laoba to death. Fearing that someone would die, she rushed over and dragged Heiwa home. Sang Laoba was thus spared from being beaten to death.
That evening, feeling extremely frustrated, Heiwa arrived at the Bai family home carrying a jar of old wine. After the siege of Xi'an was lifted, Bai Xiaowen and Bai Xiaowu were sent to a middle school in Xi'an by Qin Hao, leaving only the younger sister Bai Ling and Lu Zhaohai playing and jumping in the yard.
Heiwa gulped down several mouthfuls of strong liquor and then recounted the events of the day in a rambling, unrecorded manner.
"I don't know what Zhao Peng was thinking. What kind of people does their farmers' association recruit? Just the ones I know are Er Laizi, Sang Laoba, Wang Quezi's lazy nephew... They're all idlers and sleazy people!"
Leng Qiuyue couldn't help but feel indignant on behalf of Tian Xiao'e.
Bai Ling chuckled, "Everyone in the village is either busy harvesting wheat or working at the ammunition factory. If they weren't idle, who would have time to mess around with Brother Zhaopeng?"
"Bai Ling, you're not allowed to talk about my brother like that."
"I'm just stating the facts, hehehe~~~"