Chapter 73 Essay Competition

When they returned to school, Zhang Xiaohan received Xie Chaochao’s essay.

Actually, this was not an assignment that Zhang Xiaohan had thought of herself. Instead, it was an essay competition held by the county. All secondary school students could participate.

Zhang Xiaohan was assigned to teach at Ping Yang Primary School after graduating and was even mocked by her university classmates.

Ping Yang Town was famous for its poverty. Zhang Xiaohan was a university student. Wherever she went, she was the most useless.

Her boyfriend from university also gradually stopped contacting her. Her classmates whom she was close to also slowly distanced themselves from her.

This made Zhang Xiaohan feel disappointed.

However, as the Shanbai Village changed drastically, the situation also changed.

Especially the last time Xie Zhou specially drove Zhang Xiaohan home, it made the attitude toward Zhang Xiaohan change.

Zhang Xiaohan was the teacher of the child of the coal mine big boss in Shanbai Village. She was even respected by the big boss. She would definitely gain many benefits in the future.

When her classmates who were teaching in the county found out about this, they started contacting Zhang Xiaohan again. The people who were previously unwilling to lend books to Zhang Xiaohan would send a few books to her every once in a while.

Zhang Xiaohan didn’t reject them. During the process of contacting them, although she couldn’t help but hear those people boast about their achievements, she could still gain some teaching knowledge from them. It was not bad.

The news of the essay competition held in the county was also obtained from her classmates. After some thought, she got Xie Chaochao to try writing an essay for it.

Zhang Xiaohan looked at this slightly childish essay and was touched.

Xie Chaochao’s handwriting was very nice. It was calligraphy which she had learned from her grandpa.

There was once Daddy and I went to the village committee to discuss work matters with the uncles in the village. Fatty, I, and the rest played outside the house.

Before long, we heard argument coming from the house. Fatty, I, and the rest leaned against the window and looked inside.

Daddy was sitting in the chair at the front. There were uncles seated on both sides of the chair.

None of them were smiling.

Daddy said, “We’ll do as I said just now. There’s no room for discussion.”

I could sense that Daddy was unhappy.

Uncle Sun sat on Daddy’s right. He looked up at Daddy’s face and didn’t dare to say anything

Daddy was scary when he was angry. The rest of us leaned against the window, and dared not make a sound.

Uncle Sun’s fourth uncle looked around and coughed. He looked around and stood up. He cleared his throat and said to Daddy, “Xie Zhou, you are the big boss of the coal mine. Every household in our village has changed so much because of you and we are very grateful to you! We also admit that what you told us to do previously was right! Without you, our Shanbai Village would be so poor that we might not even be able to eat! Therefore, when you told us to form a security team, a patrol team, and organize meetings with the people in the village every day to report on work, we were all willing. We know in our hearts that you are doing this for our good.”

Having said that, he paused for a moment before he continued, “However, I don’t think what you said today is reasonable! Every household has some shares in this coal mine. Every household can earn more money from the coal mine. Now that you mention wanting to use this money to buy some useless things, and something about protecting our village’s environment, I feel that there’s no need for that. It’s a waste of money.”

I saw someone nod in agreement with Grandpa Sun.

Daddy also stood up. He didn’t even have to clear his throat like Grandpa Sun did.

All eyes were on my father.

Daddy said, “Do you think that our village’s environment is very good?”

The uncles all nodded.

Daddy immediately continued, “Before, whenever we mined the coal mine, we indeed didn’t have to worry about the environment. However, now, whenever we mined the coal mine, the abandoned materials and sewage that are produced every day will flow into the river and pile up on the mountain. If we don’t manage it properly, will our village still have the current environment? By then, even if we spend more money, we won’t be able to buy back the current environment.”

“Right now, the river is clear, the trees on the mountain are tall, and there are flowers and birds. I’m very happy to see my daughter playing and having fun in the mountains and fields every day! Think about it, if these are gone, will the children still have a place to play? Will they still have such fun?”

“Everything I’m doing now, be it digging coal mines to earn money or spending money to do these things, is for my daughter. I want her to grow up without worries. I want her to live in a beautiful environment, instead of a polluted one. I do not want her to grow up in an environment filled with barren mountains and dirty rivers.”