Literary Master 1983

Chapter 376 Education, Education, and More Education
The title is "Yantai University Cafeteria Launches Alumni Donation Program"

This is the writing question from the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) in Chinese language that year. The material stated:
Recently, some alumni at Yenching University suggested introducing alumni donations to sponsor the cafeteria's procurement work, providing students with free meat regularly. This suggestion, after being approved at a university affairs meeting, sparked controversy among faculty members. Questions arose such as, "Why only sponsor students?", "Education is a societal matter; individuals shouldn't interfere," and "What if the donations run out?"

The policy has been in effect for four months and has been warmly welcomed by students, with a tendency to further expand the meal options. However, teachers seem increasingly dissatisfied.

[To the test takers: Is it that their political awareness is low, or is there an unfairness involved?]

Candidates are requested to express their views on this matter and elaborate on their opinions.

Yu Qie was taken aback upon hearing this. There had indeed been a critical analysis question in history, but it was based on a news story: [Yumin Elementary School started a swimming class, and although the school approved it, the parents were very dissatisfied, leading to a heated argument…]

The college entrance examination essay question that year was quite bizarre, causing many students to score significantly below their usual level!

Unexpectedly, the name "Yumin Middle School" has been changed to "Yanda Cafeteria".

Zhang Li recalled: "When I got the exam paper, I saw that many people in the exam room were stunned and didn't know what to write! I thought about it carefully and realized that this question looked simple, but it was actually very difficult... How could the students know how to balance the issues involved?"

"Either you generalize and talk big, or you focus on one point but go too far—are you trying to criticize the teacher?"

"You know, the people grading the papers are university teachers drawn from various universities. Do you think they'll give you a high score? But if you only speak in the teachers' favor, that's too hypocritical! No matter how you write, it will be difficult."

What a surprising question!
Yu Qie wrote the essay as a college entrance examination candidate and found that it was actually an innovative question, because it was the first time in the history of the college entrance examination that a dual-form essay format of "small essay + long essay" was used.

This is different from his college entrance exam in 1983.

The question required both expressing opinions and engaging in critical thinking. It also tested the ability to narrate and argue.

It's really hard to write.

On a deeper level, this is a manifestation of many social problems—how to balance the interests of different groups after new wealth is created.

How would a high school student know that?
He asked Zhang Li, "How did you answer that?"

Zhang Li said, "I know you did this, so I wrote it exactly as you put it."

"I never told you what I was thinking, how could you write it down?"

Zhang Li looked at Yu Qie and suddenly smiled, “Everyone knows what you’re thinking: with great power comes great responsibility. But I can’t just write down this one sentence. Let me first say that the teachers’ thoughts are understandable; they are also part of the school, and the school should have thought of that from the beginning.”

"And then?"

"Secondly, we compare the social status of students and teachers. We see who needs more help and who grows taller after eating ribs."

"any left?"

“And there’s more!” Zhang Li said, pursing her lips. “No matter how wonderful the system design is, there are always areas that it can’t cover. We’ve seen the charitable ‘safety net’ that’s become popular in the West in recent years, as well as the so-called third distribution. These are all supplementary parts outside the system.”

"Therefore, we should most encourage that heroic alumnus, who sought neither fame nor fortune, but only for the good of everyone. Creating a cake is harder than making another cake, and what we need to consider most here is that alumnus's feelings!"

"We must not let him suffer any injustice!"

Yu Qie couldn't help but laugh: "You're quite clever. Let me give you a score. I'll give you full marks!"

"Just praise me!"

Zhang Li chuckled at first, then became dejected. "It's a pity they don't know it was you. Brother Yu, why didn't you publicize this?"

"Why?"

Zhang Li felt truly wronged for Yu Qie, and she rammed her head into his chest. She scolded him for doing a good deed anonymously, and tugged at Yu Qie's shirt so that he could only see the back of her head.

Then she looked up, her face showing an expression of righteous indignation.

She was really sad!

Yu Qie could only explain to her, "Fame is inexhaustible. You can pass through one path and that's enough. Your name is everywhere. What exactly do you want to do? I saw that Ba Jin always tries to donate his royalties. He has never advertised it in the newspaper, but we still know about it."

"Sigh, I just feel it's a pity!" Zhang Li said.

Yu Qie decided not to delve any further into this topic and instead asked Zhang Li about her college application choices.

"What are your preferred universities? Yenching University, Renmin University?"

Zhang Li blushed: "I didn't pass any of the exams, so I didn't apply."

"Beijing Normal University?"

"I dare not fill it in."

Zhang Li... did she get into Pengcheng University in her past life?

Although Pengcheng University was not as prestigious as it is now, Zhang Li did not have the same advantages as she does now—someone helped her with exam questions and someone helped her create a study plan.

"So, Communication University of China, Capital Normal University, are these the universities you applied to?"

"I applied to the Communication University of China," Zhang Li admitted this time.

Yu Qie nodded: "That's good. Don't focus all your attention on the top-tier universities. Come on, let me ask you a few questions..."

"Didn't you finish all the exams? Oh! Why are you in bed now..."

"The sea of ​​knowledge is boundless, and the space in front of the desk is too small to accommodate two people studying."
-
The following day, Jianguomen East Road.

When Lin Yifu's wife, Chen Yun, saw Yu Qie, she greeted him excitedly, "Teacher Yu? What brings you here?"

"I'm here to donate money."

Yu Qie brought more than 7,000 yuan. This was the royalties he received for writing "Carrying Dad to School," an article that was reprinted by more than ten newspapers and magazines. The money was sent to Yu Qie's home in installments.

Take out the slip of paper, write down the name, write down the item, and finally register and stamp it.

The current donation process is as follows: the money is first deposited into the foundation's account, and then transferred to a special account according to the donor's specified direction.

Sometimes the above step is skipped.

For example, a special project was established for public donations to the Asian Games, which mobilized a large number of people in a campaign-like manner. Whether it was buying lottery tickets, donating money or goods, it could all be done under the Asian Games banner. The Beijing Municipal Party Committee and the central government were keeping a close eye on this money.

"Teacher Yu, where are you going to donate to?" Chen Yun asked, looking up.

"Chen Yun, do we have any funds related to faculty and staff?"

“It’s always been there. There’s a teacher’s award foundation now, aimed at supporting rural teachers in remote areas. To add to that, it’s good that you want to support impoverished students, but what’s needed here even more is support for impoverished teachers.” “Why do you say that?”

"Because teachers are leaving."

It turns out that Chen Yun's husband, Lin Yifu, was recently conducting research in rural areas across the country, and he had begun to take on the main responsibility of the research institute. As the saying goes, "the wife follows the husband's lead," Chen Yun, a doctoral student in education in the United States, naturally also studied the situation of rural education. Subsequently, the couple discovered that basic education in rural areas was a complete mess.

Rural teachers earn only thirty yuan a month, plus a ten-yuan allowance. This is considered lucky. In some areas, the collective economy provides food coupons to make up the difference, and there are no salaries.

Teachers fled one after another, vying to be transferred to the city. Without teachers, there were no schools, and naturally, no students.

Education bureaus in various provinces are pressing for subsidy receipts. Some of their areas lack railways and school canteens, and they cannot afford to lose teachers' salaries; otherwise, how can they retain them?

“The popularization of education in rural areas needs a lot of money!” Chen Yun said.

Upon hearing this:
Isn't this the prototype of Project Hope in history?

This national-level project, which aims to extend basic education to rural areas, is not only aimed at impoverished students, but also at the upgrading of school buildings, rural teachers, and infrastructure (road networks, water and electricity).

In fact, the latter requires a larger investment.

Sigh, let me help you!
He immediately ran to the bank to withdraw money, making it a round number, 20,000 yuan.

The bank didn't have ATMs. These machines first appeared in the south. Since the transaction amount exceeded 1,000 yuan, the teller didn't have the authority to do it. The teller also wanted to talk to Yu Qie. This teller started chasing after celebrities on the spot, and his rambling disturbed the bank manager.

It took all afternoon to finally get it out.

Damn it, withdrawing money at my doorstep is more troublesome than withdrawing money in the US.

The bank manager recognized Yu Qie and even wanted to take a photo with him. Yu Qie happily posed for the photo with him, and then he managed to extort a thousand yuan from the bank to sponsor the donation.

Chen Yun laughed; she was originally from Taiwan. She said, "So, donations here are obtained by begging, and only really capable people can beg! Sometimes it's a lot, sometimes it's a little, it all depends on how you campaign... It's actually quite interesting."

Yu Qie pressed on and discovered that this foundation was not only extorting money from him!

There was a leader named Wang in the central government who volunteered to become a director of a foundation after retiring. Everyone thought he was just doing it for fun, but unexpectedly, he actually wanted to make up for the deficit.

How did he raise the funds?

They also need to ask for money everywhere.

He first took the lead in donating his salary, soliciting sponsorships, and writing letters to ask for help... After doing all that, he used his crutches to ask those wealthy departments for money, knocking on doors one by one, and the first one he approached was the Ministry of Railways.

In fact, the Ministry of Railways was also in a difficult situation, but when the old revolutionaries came knocking on its door, it had no choice but to donate one million.

Then several other departments, including post and telecommunications and coal, all contributed their own money to support the event. Some people who received invitations thought it was some high-level central-level symposium, so they dressed up and made sure they were there, only to find out that it cost money when they arrived.

Everyone was both amused and exasperated, but they couldn't leave empty-handed, so they had to try to chip in.

After listening intently, I seemed to be deep in thought.

With great power comes great responsibility. No matter how difficult the Ministry of Railways' situation may be, it couldn't be more difficult than that of the Ministry of Education.

No matter how difficult things are for university teachers, they can't be more difficult than for rural teachers.

One million yuan?
This million is certainly not something he can give; he could afford it, but he can't. These kinds of things have to be done by the masses.

Yu Qie's gaze turned to the foreign scholars at Yenching University.

These people have come to China to enjoy the best food and drink, and have seen all the beautiful scenery. They can't just give nice speeches; they also need to do some real work.

For these capitalist intellectuals, donating money is the best practical thing they can do.

Who to look for?
Who would cheer and contribute money and effort just because of a title?
The names of a host of legendary figures flashed through Yu Qie's mind, finally settling on James Watson. The American who trembled with excitement because of the "human LED."

Watson, you're the one.
-
James Watson is currently on a speaking tour in China.

The Soviet-style report thrilled him so much that he almost didn't want to come back.

Like a superstar of later generations, he indulged in showing off in China, recounting his racist remarks—which would inevitably be censored in the United States—wherever he went.
East Asians are intelligent, while Black people are foolish, so China has a bright future, while the United States has a bleak future.

Because the United States has a large population of people with low intelligence. As long as those people continue to have more and more children, the United States will eventually collapse.

In the auditorium of Yenching University, which can accommodate three thousand people, Watson stated frankly:
"Chinese people are the most intelligent people in the world. The average IQ of people in this region has reached 110, significantly exceeding that of other regions globally. In contrast, the average IQ of Americans is only 98. Ironically, the average IQ of Black people is 83-85, which is already considered a result of mixed race!"

"Pure-blooded Africans in sub-Saharan Africa have an IQ of only 70-75. They are not much different from monkeys, except that they can reproduce. You should know that a dog's IQ is about 40."

"The differences between dogs and some humans are not as great as the internal differences within humans themselves. Why does this phenomenon exist? It shows that some humans are not human."

The audience erupted in uproar.

A group of international students from Africa at Yenching University stood up in protest, but Watson remained unmoved. "You can leave," he said, "the earth doesn't need you."

This was the scene that Yu Qie witnessed when he arrived at Yenching University. He was amazed.

All I can say is that Watson has a really foul mouth.

How could Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory tolerate him for so long?

Shizuo Kakutani, who was also present, was humiliated and chose to remain silent, expressing his protest against Watson in silence. He did not want to be with Watson for even a second longer.

After his speech, Watson specifically sought out Shizuo Kakutani and said:
“You know I’m not targeting you personally. You are exceptionally intelligent, and you are the kind of bloodline that this society needs to carry on. Please have more children.”

Upon seeing Yu Qie arrive, Watson said, "Yu, you too, you should have more children."

Not wanting to be accused of racism, Yu immediately distanced himself from Watson's words: "Mr. Watson, although I invited you to speak, I do not agree with any of your statements. Besides, were your ancestors German?"

“Are you trying to say I’m a fascist?” Watson shook his head and said sincerely, “I’m not. My ancestors were Irish, and I also have some Scottish ancestry. In your terms, my ancestors were barbarians.”

"But the average IQ of Irish people is higher than that of English people, therefore I am an intellectually civilized person."

Yu Qie was a little confused about Watson for a moment.

Is this person just being abstract, or does he genuinely believe in his theory of intelligence?

"Actually, I've come to ask for your help, Mr. Watson. But please don't bring up those things again."

(End of this chapter)