The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Chen Shi said with a heavy expression, "So many years have passed, how come Qinghe Village Primary School is still the same as it was back then? The conditions for going to school are still the same as they were back then."

Tian Guangming sighed: "It's not as good as it used to be. Back then, at least there were a few responsible veteran teachers. After those responsible veteran teachers retired, the young teachers who were transferred down were single-mindedly trying to transfer away and didn't care about teaching at all."

Substitute teachers' salaries were too low, so they mostly just coasted along, relying mainly on farming. More than ten years ago, a salary of one hundred yuan meant fewer career options, and some teachers were still dedicated to teaching, mainly because there was the possibility of becoming a permanent teacher, giving substitute teachers a glimmer of hope.

The price has only risen to 500 yuan now, while prices have increased many times over compared to ten years ago. Times have changed; there are more career options now. Go to the coastal areas to work in factories. Even without a day of schooling, you can earn at least 2,000 yuan, five or six times the salary of a substitute teacher. What's worse, the abolition of the permanent teacher conversion policy has blocked their path, leaving them with no hope. Nobody wants to be a substitute teacher anymore.

Chen Shi asked, "At Qinghe Village Primary School, are there any veteran teachers among these eight substitute teachers?"

Tian Guangming took a sip of tea and put down his teacup: "Two of them are retired teachers. They saw that young people could earn two or three thousand a month in coastal areas, so they quit their jobs to work in coastal areas. But the summers in coastal areas are too hot, and they can't stand it. They are also too old. They can't do assembly line work as quickly as young people. Factories don't want them, so they have to do manual labor on construction sites. They are used to being lazy at home and can't endure this hardship, so they can only go back home to farm."

Later, they came to me wanting to go back to school to continue being substitute teachers. At that time, the school was short of teachers, so I spoke with the principal and let them go back to continue teaching. They could earn 500 yuan a month to supplement their family income.

The other six substitute teachers are extremely unstable; most of them are junior high school graduates who failed to get into high school and have come home for a period of transition.

Even high school students are now unwilling to become substitute teachers; they all choose to go to coastal areas to learn a skill, which they believe has a better future than being a substitute teacher.

Hearing this, Chen Shi was heartbroken. No wonder education in Chunyang County was backward; this was not an isolated case in Qinghe Village, but a widespread phenomenon.

If Chunyang County wants to change its backward education situation, it must focus on basic education.

Tian Guangming added, "The student dropout rate is serious. Those who can afford it send their children to the central school in the town. Most of the more than 300 students in Qinghe Village are left-behind children, and their family education is severely lacking."

Chen Shi nodded. This wasn't just the case in Qinghe Village, or Chunyang County; it was the case throughout the entire Donghai Province.

Donghai Province has not developed its industry, so young people can only go to the coast to work, leaving their children in the care of the elderly. This phenomenon of left-behind children is common in Donghai Province.

Chen Shi lit a cigarette, took a puff, and slowly said, "Uncle Tian, ​​have you calculated how much it will cost to repair the school?"

Tian Guangming thought for a moment: "In 2008, we hired a professional construction team and did a cost estimate. The total cost of renovating the school was about 600,000 yuan. With the increase in labor costs in the past two years, it is estimated to be more than 700,000 yuan."

Running an education system costs money, and a lot of money at that. That's why education in big cities is better than in second- and third-tier cities.

Funding and talent are all concentrated in big cities. How can the education in impoverished counties compare to that of big cities?

Chen Shi remained silent, while Tian Guangming and Chen Xing exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking.

Chen Xing didn't care. He was going to take his two children to school in town. He didn't care how Qinghe Village Primary School was. He was just accompanying Tian Guangming to the county town to find Chen Shi at Tian Guangming's request. Whether they found anything or not was none of his business.

Chen Shi thought that instead of spending more than 700,000 yuan to repair the school, it would be better to tear it down and rebuild it. The Education Bureau was short of money, but they had to squeeze out the money from their own pockets to rebuild Qinghe Village Primary School.

"Uncle Tian, ​​the Qinghe Village Primary School is all tile-roofed houses. They've been standing for too long. It's time to tear them down and rebuild them. I'll hire a professional construction company to do it, so don't worry. Just cooperate with the construction."

Tian Guangming was overjoyed, not expecting such an unexpected gain. He couldn't hide his elation, as this was his long-held wish. If this could be accomplished, his role as the village party secretary would be fulfilled.

He oversaw the completion of the road in Qinghe Village, connected tap water to every household, and rebuilt the school. He accomplished a great deal, and in Qinghe Village, no other village secretary could surpass his prestige.

It can be said that he was unprecedented and unparalleled in the future. Apart from Chen Shi, Tian Guangming's prestige in Qinghe Village reached its peak.

"Director Chen, it would be better if we could rebuild them. They are all old tile-roofed houses, and there is no need to repair them. However, the problem is how to accommodate the more than 300 students."

Building a school will take at least a year, and during that year, the question of where the students will study cannot be resolved in a short time.

Chen Shi poured tea for Tian Guangming and Chen Xing, and also poured himself a full cup, taking a sip of tea.

"Uncle Tian, ​​this is easy to solve. Doesn't the village committee have a few offices? We can clean them up and use them as classrooms for the children to learn."

Tian Guangming continued, "Director Chen, the village committee's office is too small to be used as a classroom..."

Chen Shi interrupted Tian Guangming: "Uncle Tian, ​​people can come up with solutions. I believe you can solve this problem."

The students in grades one through three are too young to attend the central school in town, as it's too far from their homes. You can arrange these three classrooms.

From fourth to sixth grade, the children will attend the central school in town for one year. Once the school is built, they will return to Qinghe Village Primary School.

Chen Shi's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Tian Guangming gritted his teeth. He had to solve this problem himself. If all else failed, he could set up two classrooms in his own home.

People are often pushed to their limits; you don't know your potential until you're pushed to the brink.

"Director Chen, I'll go down and arrange the classrooms for grades one through three in the village."

Chen Shi nodded: "Once the school is built, all the substitute teachers will be dismissed, and I will arrange for permanent teachers to be transferred to Qinghe Village Primary School."

"That's wonderful! The children of Qinghe Village are so lucky to receive a good education right at their doorstep." Tian Guangming said with emotion, "Director Chen, all the villagers of Qinghe Village will remember your kindness. First, you built a cement road that reached every household, and then you connected the tap water so that villagers can turn on the tap at home and water will flow out."

This was something I never dared to dream of before.

Now that we need to rebuild the primary school and bring in full-time teachers, the villagers will remember your contributions to Qinghe Village and pass them down from generation to generation.

Once the school is built, the village committee must erect a monument to commemorate your contributions to Qinghe Village.

Chen Shi said with a serious face, "Uncle Tian, ​​please don't erect a monument. We are both Party members, and serving the people is our mission."

As the director of the Education Bureau, it is my duty to solve the problem of children's difficulty in accessing education.

Tian Guangming realized that erecting the monument would affect Chen Shi's career. To others, building roads, connecting water supply, and rebuilding schools in his hometown would be seen as selfish and using his power to benefit his hometown.

"Director Chen, it was my oversight. But even without a monument, the villagers will pass it down by word of mouth, so that future generations will remember your contributions to the village."