Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 747 Chapter 746 Teacher Xiao Tang's class has started
It was already noon when the car drove into Shijia Hutong. Xiao Wang declined Director Ye's invitation to stay for dinner: "Mom, let's go back and eat. My mother-in-law has packed everything. We have to go to the grave after lunch."

"Okay, then you guys be careful. Do you need me to coordinate a car?" Upon hearing this, Ye Zhijuan did not force it.

"No need, Mom. It won't have a good impact. I can just ride my bike there." Although Tang Zhitong wanted to save trouble, he couldn't reach that level and couldn't afford to take a public bus.

Tang Zhitong pushed the bicycle out of the Women's Federation and took Xiao Wang to the post office to send this month's donation to the welfare home.

[Note: In fact, there was no such name as "welfare house" during this period. Institutions with the same functions were called "children's education house" in Hu County, "Longquan Temple Primary School" in Sijiucheng, and "orphanages" in other places. For the sake of convenience, this book uniformly calls them "welfare houses."]
There are many people who need help, with different ages and physical conditions.

Probably starting from last year, more and more refugees began to enter the old city.

The Public Security, Labor and Civil Affairs departments specially set up an "Office to Mobilize Farmers to Return Home" to mobilize and educate those who came to Beijing blindly and guide them to return home.

There are definitely some who are unwilling to go back. Some of them deliberately commit crimes in order to avoid going back, and then have to eat in prison; some people are in good health and will be sent to Shijingshan Iron and Steel Plant and Fengsha Railway to work; the rest will be sent to shelters and handled uniformly by the public security department.

As for where they went, they could be back to their hometown or to other places, and a very small number of them went to nursing homes or orphanages.

Some people may say that returning to one’s hometown is extremely difficult, and going to other places means leaving one’s hometown, so why not send them all to welfare institutions and so on.

The fact is that there are not enough welfare institutions now to accommodate so many people.

Moreover, these operations are much better than those of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

Before the liberation of Beijing, there were numerous institutions, academies, and bureaus, such as shelters, vocational training centers, factories for reeducation of women, poorhouses, reformatory schools, reeducation bureaus, educational institutes, and even charity halls run by "great philanthropists."

Each institute, hospital, bureau and hall has its own targets for admission. For example, the refugee shelters mostly admit elderly people who can do some handicrafts; the vocational training institutes are for young men; and the female education factories only accept female workers.

It is impossible to eat idle meals after you get in. Everyone has to work, and the wages are extremely low.

For example, the reformatory is a compulsory detention facility with special guards. Once you go in, it is very difficult to get out. You have to be claimed and guaranteed by your family members, and then approved after inspection before you can be released. The procedures are very cumbersome.

The so-called shop guarantee is a guarantee made in the name of a shop.

The reason why the procedures for adding shop insurance are complicated is that there is a lot of trouble involved.

It is obvious that beggars cannot get bail, but it is entirely possible for good citizens.

Peel off the skin and it's all business.

There are also those private charity houses that were open for a while but then disappeared. Where did the orphans and babies there go?
It is possible that some companies cannot continue their business due to high expenses.

But it also cannot be ruled out that some wealthy landlords collect charitable funds under the guise of charity to enrich themselves. They not only make money but also gain fame. As for the life or death of their children, as long as their descendants prosper, they don’t care at all, even if they become second-rate children and make money for the country.

Tang Zhitong didn't have a good impression of these places, because even though there were so many of them, before liberation, there were still many beggar groups and shops in the city that charged "official begging prices", 40 yuan at gold shops, 10 yuan at ordinary shops, and there were several groups of beggars coming to the shops every day.

At the same time, there are people lying on the roadside every day, and hundreds of bodies go unclaimed every year.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with the current practice.

Among many choices, Xiao Wang chose to give priority to helping children. After all, children are the flowers of the motherland and are most likely to gain the sympathy of others.

After returning home and having a quick lunch, Tang Zhitong wrote paper money and said to Zhang Guifang frankly, "Mom, Wenwen and I will go together."

"Go ahead and come back early." Zhang Guifang saw her daughter-in-law eager to try, so she didn't stop her.

According to custom, women are not allowed to sweep graves, but Zhang Guifang is not a pedantic person, so she doesn't care about these things. However, she also has her own bottom line in her heart. Once her daughter-in-law is pregnant, she can no longer let her go, as it will disturb the child.

This time, Tang Zhitong still rode a bicycle to take Xiao Wang with him. Xiao Wang sat in the back, holding a basket filled with offerings and paper money prepared by his mother-in-law.

Although some things are advocated by the higher authorities, the public may not necessarily buy into them.

The specifications of the cemetery on the east side cannot be compared with that on the west side. The graves on the west side are made of cement, while those on the east side are made of earth. The tombstones on the west side are marble, while those on the east side are ordinary bluestone.

The only thing in common is that the front of the tombstone is engraved with the name of the deceased and the name of the person who erected the tombstone.

The tombs of Grandma Tang and Tang Wuguo were lined up on the left and right. Tang Zhitong wanted to wipe them with a towel, but no one here would lend him a bucket, so he could only wet the towel and run back and forth.

Tang Zhitong wiped it with a towel and placed all the offerings prepared by Zhang Guifang in front of grandma's grave.

The offerings were simpler than in previous years, including a bowl of Chinese toon pickles, a bowl of boiled salted eggs, three steamed buns, and a bottle of wine.

Tang Zhitong placed paper money directly in front of Grandma Tang’s grave and, while burning the paper, he kept saying, “Grandma, Dad, Wenwen and I are here to see you.

I won't share the paper money, grandma, you keep it to save my dad from wasting it. If you run out of money, please come to me in your dreams and I'll burn it for you."

"Speak nicely." Xiao Wang felt that her husband was not serious enough, so she pushed him from the side and said seriously.

"Hey, it's okay, they are all our elders." Tang Zhitong smiled at Xiao Wang, and finally became serious, reporting the situation at home to the two elders:

“The supply this year is less than in previous years, and there aren’t many vegetables at home, so we can only make do with what we have for now. I’ll send you more when the vegetables in the yard come down.

Everything is fine at home and we have everything we need to eat.

I visited my uncle and aunt before the New Year. Everything was fine there. They stockpiled some food before the New Year, which I estimate will last for most of half a year.

I'll go there again when I have time.

......"

Afterwards, Tang Zhitong also talked about the studies of several younger generations and their upcoming exams. He chattered on and on, and gave the old lady and his deceased father a bunch of KPIs, hoping that they could bless them.

Tang Zhitong used a wooden stick to hold down the paper money to control the fire and prevent sparks from flying out. It hadn't rained properly in the city for several months, and the weather was dry. If the fire ignited, it would be a big trouble.

After burning the paper money, Tang Zhitong used a borrowed shovel to scoop up two shovels of soil to cover the embers, and then he pulled Xiao Wang to kowtow together. There are western rules in the west and eastern practices in the east. Although the two sides are not far away, they are two different worlds.

Getting up from the ground, Xiao Wang collected the offerings, while Tang Zhitong picked up a shovel and added some soil to the two graves, patting them a few times with the shovel to prevent the wind from blowing them away.

"Grandma, Dad, we are leaving. You should take care of yourself over there and don't worry about this side." After doing all this, Tang Zhitong didn't stay for long. He returned the shovel and left the cemetery with classmate Xiao Wang.

"How about we go pick some wild vegetables?" It was still early, and Tang Zhitong didn't want to go back so early since he hadn't played with Xiao Wang for quite a while.

"Okay!" Xiao Wang agreed happily.

In fact, it doesn’t matter whether you can pick wild vegetables or what kind of wild vegetables you can pick. What matters is the interaction between the two of you and your solitude…

The next day, September 4th.

After lunch, Tang Zhitong started skipping classes again.

After going to the research class first, handing in a few parts and asking about the progress of the incubator, Tang Zhitong hurried out and went to the training at the address given by Han Haizhou.

The training location is Shuncheng Street, Xuanwumennei, and is located in the Teachers’ Training College.

"Chief Tang, why did you come just now? I thought you were not coming." After seeing Tang Zhitong, Han Haizhou finally showed a smile on his anxious face.

"Isn't it scheduled for the last two classes in the afternoon? I don't think it's too late." Tang Zhitong looked at his watch. There were still twenty minutes left before the scheduled time.

"There's still the opening ceremony and stuff like that, and we have to assign rooms, collect meal tickets, and so on. Forget it, just pack up and get ready for class." The past cannot be retrieved, and Han Haizhou did not dare to blame Tang Zhitong. Not only were the two of them not under each other's command, but Tang Zhitong had been doing volunteer work from the beginning, not to mention that he was begging him to do the job.

"Don't bother the Cultural Reform Commission with the room. I live not far from here and can commute by bike every day. What about the meal ticket?" Tang Zhitong did not leave as he was told. It would have been fine if the letter did not mention the reward, but now that he had finally caught the person, he could not let him go so easily.

"According to the treatment of training teachers, you will be provided with three meals a day during the teaching period. Now the unit has strict management, and you need a ticket to eat in the cafeteria. How about this, you give me the letter of introduction and work permit, and I will get them for you and give them to you after class." Han Haizhou was afraid that Tang Zhitong would miss the class, so he offered to do it for him.

"That's great. Thank you, Chief Han." Tang Zhitong took out his ID quickly, his expression as if he had lost three taels of silver. He was provided with three meals a day, so wouldn't he have missed two meals today?

"You're welcome. Go ahead." Han Haizhou took it and urged again.

"Okay, but where is the seminar classroom?" In Tang Zhitong's opinion, the reception staff for this training organization was unqualified. Not only was there no dedicated reception staff, there wasn't even a sign indicating the direction. A bad review.

"Turn left in front, it's the first classroom on the left. Never mind, I'll take you there." Anyway, things had come to this point, Han Haizhou sighed, and finally calmed down and decided to settle Tang Zhitong first before talking about other things.

The two of them had just turned the corner when the bell rang for the end of get out of class.

Tang Zhitong identified himself with the classroom and urged Han Haizhou to go get his meal ticket. He then went straight in, put his bag on the podium, took out his prepared handouts, and glanced at the noisy classroom.

The classroom was very large, obviously a place for large classes. There were nearly 200 seats alone, and judging by the arrangement of the tables, most of the seats were occupied.

Except for the students who went out to fetch water, drain the toilet, or smoke, the rest were studying at their desks, whispering to each other, or smoking with their legs crossed.

In terms of age, they are all around 30 or 40 years old, which is the prime of life, but not necessarily a good age for learning.

Judging from their accents, very few of these students were born and raised in Beijing. Their intonations are different and their accents have distinct local characteristics.

Tang Zhitong felt a little headache before the class even started. Could he teach such a student well in just a few classes?
"Comrade, are you here for class?" Some students were a little bit incredulous when they saw Tang Zhitong standing on the podium, looking so young.

Tang Zhitong laughed after hearing this. This student asked the question skillfully. In spoken English, "teaching" means standing on the podium to give lectures to others, and also means sitting below and listening to others' lectures. It can be said that "you can attack when you advance and defend when you retreat."

"Let me tell you about the little knowledge I have, and learn and improve together with you all." Tang Zhitong said very modestly, but at the same time he also revealed his identity.

As expected, the students were very surprised when they heard Tang Zhitong's answer.

But the doorbell did not give him much time to react. As the class bell rang, the students outside filed in.

"Hello, students. My name is Tang Zhitong. I participated in some cultural reform work a while ago and achieved some results. This time, I was invited by the Cultural Reform Committee to come and discuss and exchange ideas with you." After seeing that everyone was present, Tang Zhitong picked up the chalk and turned around to write his name on the blackboard.

"In the next few days, I will focus on explaining pinyin to you."

"Pinyin plays a big role in work and study. Whether it is literacy, self-study or enlightenment, Pinyin is used.

As long as you have learned pinyin, you can use a dictionary to spell out the correct pronunciation of Chinese characters.

In this regard, Wanrong is at the forefront of the country. Since last year, Wanrong has established the Wanrong Pinyin Newspaper. As long as you learn Pinyin, even illiterate people can read. Reading the newspaper while spelling can not only let the public understand the latest social dynamics, but also improve the learning effect, which is really killing two birds with one stone. "

"We are all the best and the backbone of the education industry in various places. I won't emphasize the importance of pinyin anymore. Let's hurry up and get started."

Tang Zhitong turned around and drew a four-line grid on the blackboard, writing a, o, e, i, u, ü, while emphasizing: "The country is now promoting literacy and simplified characters while also promoting Mandarin."

"If we want standard Mandarin, we need standard pronunciation of Pinyin."

"Now, let me demonstrate it to you. Later, I will randomly check your pronunciation. Please study hard..."

Although everyone present was an adult, Tang Zhitong taught completely according to the standards of elementary school students, explaining in detail the pronunciation points of each pinyin, how the tongue, teeth, jaw, lips and so on should be coordinated.

Each time I teach one, I ask the students to read along, then ask them to try to read it on their own, and finally do a spot check.

The only difference from primary school students may be the speed of learning pinyin.

Pinyin, which takes primary school students two or three months to master, must be learned in four days and eight classes in the research class.

Although Tang Zhitong has tried his best, the students' pronunciation is still hard to describe.

Tang Zhitong was unable to correct everyone one by one, so he could only ask everyone to write down the key points of pronunciation and practice them slowly when they go back.

(End of this chapter)