These words made Jiang Baichuan feel extremely guilty.
He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to pick up guests today.
It's all my nephew's fault for being so thoughtful! Entrusting the guests to Jiang Xiaoman was more reassuring than if he had handled them himself. How can you blame him for forgetting?
but--
"You're going to serve this to the guests? Come on! Let's go to the school and catch two chickens, and get two pieces of cured pork. I also have a cured wild boar leg that a former student gave me last year. Take it and stew it for them to try..."
With that, Principal Jiang naturally changed the subject and walked out with his hands behind his back.
Hehe~
Having successfully rescued herself, Jiang Xiaoman smiled and quickly followed after him, carrying her vegetable basket.
However, he did not accept Jiang Baichuan's cured pork and free-range chicken.
"They ate too much at lunch, and they all said they wanted something light for dinner. I'm planning to make a vegetarian feast to cleanse everyone's stomachs. After the people who attended the event leave tomorrow, we'll have a proper celebration ourselves."
Since Jiang Baichuan had come to them himself, Jiang Xiaoman didn't need to call anyone. The uncle and nephew went to the courier station together. Sister-in-law Ji Hong had already started cooking the mung bean porridge and was making rice cakes.
Many people in the mountains lose their appetite during this season due to the summer heat. Jiang Xiaoman likes to cook a pot of mung bean porridge in the evening, fry a few rice cakes, or pan-fry a plate of egg pancakes, and eat them with her homemade spicy and sour pickled vegetables, which is refreshing and appetizing.
Jiang Xiaoman told Jiang Baichuan to go upstairs to meet some fans, and then rolled up her sleeves to prepare dinner.
They said they would have something light for dinner, but these people have come all the way here as guests and donated so much stuff to the school. It's impossible for them to just eat plain porridge and side dishes.
Jiang Xiaoman took out the red bean paste and local brown sugar she had just bought today from the refrigerator, intending to make a sweet filling. She would then chop some cured meat and pickled cabbage and stir-fry them together to make a savory filling.
After all, everyone in China knows that during traditional festivals like the Dragon Boat Festival, the debate over whether sweet or savory zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) taste better can start from before the festival and continue until after.
However, now that we have the means, since we can afford both sweet and savory dishes, we'll naturally prepare a bowl of each!
That's right! Because the guest rooms here are always fully booked, the dishes used to serve food in the canteen have all been replaced with those deep stainless steel bowls. They were bought from the same stainless steel tableware store we used to work with. They're very sturdy and easy to clean, and they've now taken over the canteen at Jiang Xiaoman Guesthouse.
She fried two basins of rice cakes, chopped half a basin of scallions, and made a tall basket of scallion and egg pancakes—all the women in the village knew how to make pancakes. Jiang Xiaoman prepared the batter and handed it over to Sister Ji Hong to make the pancakes.
Freshly picked edamame, with the ends trimmed, are cooked together with fresh peanuts in a large pot – perfect as an after-dinner snack.
This basket of peanuts was given to him by Lang Ying. Lang Ying's house was near a big river, with lots of sandy land, which was perfect for growing peanuts. The yield was much higher than when they grew them in the mountains, and there were more peanut kernels.
It's strange, but Jiang Erming's family seems to be full of unlucky people. Lang Ying has never had a good day since she married into their family. She's either having bad luck or on her way to bad luck every day.
But ever since she divorced Jiang Erming and was kicked out of the Jiang family, it seems like all sorts of good things have suddenly come knocking on her door in the village. Take this old house that the Jiang family gave to her and her two daughters to get rid of them, for example. Before, when they gave it to villagers to use as a cowshed, the villagers complained that the place was too far away.
Because it was a bit far from the core area of the village and the surrounding area was large, after Lang Ying and Qing Shan got married, the couple simply reclaimed all the abandoned wasteland near their house and planted peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans and the like.
In the past, those peanuts and soybeans were worthless, but things are different now!
With Jiang Xiaoman, the little god of wealth who "turns stones into gold," the villagers learned to turn the soybeans and peanuts they grew into local specialty snacks, such as spicy bamboo shoot peanuts and appetizing pickled bamboo shoots and edamame. The online store sales were booming, and they were constantly out of stock. Fans had to be quick to grab the goods.
Now the villagers have plenty to gossip about behind their backs.
The loudest voice was that "Jiang Erming's family are all jinxes." Otherwise, why would Lang Ying have lived a life worse than a pig or a dog in their house, but after divorcing Jiang Erming, good luck suddenly came her way?
Putting aside everything else, just take this sandy area around the Jiang family's old house. In previous years, fishermen wouldn't go here because they thought the sand was too loose and would damage their boats. But after Lang Ying moved in, this place suddenly became a feng shui treasure!
Just look at the wasteland that she and Qingshan cleared up. The flowers grew better than the crops, and the soybean seedlings were straight and tall. Although the sweet potatoes in the sandy soil haven't sprouted yet this year, just looking at that large expanse of lush green sweet potato vines tells you that this year's harvest will definitely be good!
Even more outrageous claims have emerged. Following the assertion that "Jiang Erming is a jinx," some people are now asserting with certainty that Qingshan must be a person of good fortune. Otherwise, why would Lang Ying, who was originally a rural woman, now be running a cooperative and becoming her own boss after he married into her family?
It's all because she "married" a good husband!
Because of this, the married women in the village are no longer as afraid of divorce as they used to be.
After all, there are ready-made examples of people who have made a comeback right under their noses.
Look at Lang Ying. After getting rid of Jiang Erming, that jinx, she not only found Qing Shan, a young and handsome son-in-law, but also became the general manager of the cooperative. This shows that whether a woman's life is good or bad does not depend on the man. If you encounter the wrong one, you should break up with him in time. While you are young, you may be able to reach a higher level.
However, just take the gossip with a grain of salt; the peanuts that Lang Ying's family harvested this year are truly exceptional! While other people's peanuts are probably only just sprouting at this time of year, Lang Ying's are already ready to eat, and many of them have four kernels in each peanut, making them incredibly plump!
The food was ready. Jiang Xiaoman wiped her hands and ran upstairs to call people down to eat.
In the small living room upstairs, a group of people were sitting on the floor, enthusiastically discussing the future development plan of Langshan Primary School.
Relying solely on government funding is definitely not enough.
Not to mention that their county had only recently escaped poverty a few years ago, and simply didn't have enough funds to invest in education.
Take Langshan Primary School for example. It was a rural primary school that should have been closed down in the first place. It was lucky to avoid being closed down because many families in the mountains could not afford the cost of going to school in the town. If Langshan Primary School had not been kept, the number of out-of-school children in this area would have increased dramatically, and the county would have been under even greater pressure.
However, if we can't count on the county, aren't we still here for them?
Among the fans who came this time was a girl who works in investment banking. Despite her young age, she is very professional in this field. She suggested that Jiang Baichuan establish a public welfare education foundation in the name of the school.
“Many investors now have the habit of legally avoiding taxes through philanthropy. This way, they can help those in need and also enjoy tax deductions. In our line of work, we often come into contact with clients who have this kind of need. If Principal Jiang establishes a charitable education foundation, I can help connect you with some clients who are enthusiastic about philanthropy,” the young woman said with a smile.
Some fans also suggested that if the school is short-staffed, it could actually set up some public service positions. After all, there are many rich kids and second-generation demolition beneficiaries online who are idle except for the few days they collect rent each month. Since they're just sitting around doing nothing anyway, why not have them take turns volunteering at the school and experience rural life at the same time?
Jiang Baichuan still needs to learn more about the public service positions, but he plans to continue running the interest classes this summer.
Last year, thanks to their summer interest classes, the children not only learned a lot of things they couldn't learn in regular classes, but more importantly, not a single safety incident occurred throughout the entire summer!
You know, every summer vacation, how many times has there been no child drowning or other accidents in their town?
Children in rural areas aren't kept as strictly accountable as those in the city. With parents busy working, they let their children roam freely across the mountains and fields. Last summer, a group of cousins from a village in town went to play in the river. Seven went in, but only two came back up...
Upon hearing that the school was recruiting summer interest class teachers, the fans present couldn't help but groan in despair.
Some of them have to work, and others, although they have freedom, don't have any special skills, and they're not students from teacher training colleges, so they can't help with enrolling!
"It's alright, everyone's good intentions are enough. I've already thought about the teachers' situation. I'll have my nephew recruit some from his alma mater. There are bound to be college students willing to intern. Besides, our school's accommodation and dining conditions are much better than before. I can even give the teachers some internship stipends." Principal Jiang is quite wealthy now, even mentioning internship stipends.
The fans nodded in agreement, deciding that if they couldn't help out when Principal Jiang did another live stream or video, they could offer some financial support.
"I knew it, in the end it would all be my problem!"
Jiang Xiaoman reaffirmed her determination to freeload off her uncle's vegetable garden.
Look how many things I've done for you!
What's wrong with eating some of your cheap vegetables?
"Let's go downstairs for dinner first. I made mung bean porridge and fried some rice cakes," Jiang Xiaoman reminded her.
These fried rice cakes should be eaten as soon as possible after they are made, otherwise they won't taste good when they get cold.
Everyone quickly got up and went downstairs to check. Good heavens! Where was the promised "plain porridge and side dishes"?
Yes, there was porridge and side dishes, but why were there two huge bowls of fried rice cakes piled up so high?
Each one is plump and golden, and looks delicious.
There were also fragrant scallion and egg pancakes, a large bowl of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), a small bowl of salted eggs, and several bowls of different kinds of side dishes... This is not a simple farm meal, but a buffet dinner at a five-star hotel, right?
Jiang Xiaoman also made a sarcastic remark to his uncle, implying that his uncle told him too late. If his uncle had told him a couple of days earlier, it would have been better if he had gone to the next village to buy some smoked fish and dried shrimp.
Can you call it hospitality if there are fewer than ten dishes on the table?
Fans: "..." How can it not count?
They were so flattered, waaaaah~
Originally, everyone was just a fan of Principal Jiang, but the principal's nephew is handsome, kind, and, most importantly, an excellent cook. It's hard not to want to switch allegiances...
The fans were very satisfied with the meal. The mung bean porridge was cooked to perfection, and a bowl of it on a summer evening would cool them down.
Drinking porridge alone can be a bit bland, but when paired with freshly fried fried rice cakes, the flavor is absolutely amazing!
And Xiaoman is so thoughtful! He even prepared both sweet and savory versions of the cakes, so the sweet and savory lovers can't argue anymore. Everyone can choose what they want to eat, achieving perfect harmony at the dinner table!
And then there's the zongzi (sticky rice dumpling). People are used to eating vacuum-packed zongzi, so it's quite a novelty to try this one, which is made with fresh zongzi leaves and is made with pure glutinous rice and alkaline water—something rarely found in the city.
Although the people of Langshan don't have the conditions to grow glutinous rice, they love to eat it, especially during this season. With lots of work in the fields and too lazy to cook, they make a big pot of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), which can feed the whole family all day. Zongzi can be eaten even when they're cold, making them convenient and delicious!
However, dipping sauce is essential for eating alkaline rice dumplings, and the thoughtful Xiaoman brother has prepared two kinds of dipping sauces for everyone: a sweet one made with local honey and white sugar, and a savory one made with homemade chopped chili and chili oil.
"Waaaaah~ Xiaoman-ge, you're such a kind person!"
Principal Jiang's fans immediately switched to Jiang Xiaoman's fan group.
No, according to the fan community, isn't this kind of person called a "double fan"?
Never mind, Xiaoman is such a nice guy and good-looking (emphasis added!), what's wrong with them following him and joining his fan group?
It doesn't stop them from showing their love and care for Principal Jiang, right?
Chapter 222
The next morning, the sky was cloudless. Langshan Elementary School was closed for the day, and everyone was moving into their new home!
This is a joyous occasion for Langshan Village and several nearby villages!
Early in the morning, parents who were dropping off their children at school brought brooms and rags from home, intending to help clean the new school. However, when they arrived at the school, they discovered that the entire new school, from the entrance to the inside, was paved with smooth cement surfaces, and some areas even had strangely beautiful rainbow-colored plastic walkways.
As for the classrooms that used to be dusty, once you go inside, they're even embarrassed to bring out their own dirty rags... The rags hanging in the classroom are cleaner than the ones they brought!
Looking around, it seemed that only the flower beds inside and outside the wall were empty. Maybe they should go home and dig up some seedlings for the children to take to school?
"No need! This is something I specifically reserved for those classes to use for their labor lessons."
Jiang Baichuan waved his hand and emphasized to the parents again that labor classes are now a compulsory course in schools. He reminded them to prepare labor tools for their children when school starts next semester, including small hoes, shovels, bamboo baskets, and sun hats suitable for children.
The parents immediately took out their phones and started frantically recording.
Since it concerns the children's learning, especially for newly introduced courses, they don't know what the exam will cover, so it's better to just listen to the principal's arrangements.
After listening to the principal's admonition, the parents felt reassured and entrusted their children to the teachers, while they and their acquaintances toured the new school together.
Around 9 a.m., a county police car led the way, followed by two buses. One bus carried city and county leaders and town staff, while the other carried media reporters, leaders from J Province TV station, and representatives from several other charitable organizations that funded the reconstruction of Langshan Primary School.
The previous scandal of the county education bureau being shut down caused the city to lose face in front of the people of the whole country. This time, they finally managed to salvage some of their image. The city directly sent the vice mayor in charge of education, and the top two leaders of the county also attended. With this level of attendance, even a primary school in the city probably couldn't gather so many big names when moving to a new campus.
The city government clearly came prepared this time. Not only did they praise Langshan Primary School for its great contributions to education in the mountainous area in their speech, but they also awarded Jiang Baichuan the "Most Beautiful Principal" award on the spot. Even Jiang Caiyun received the "Most Beautiful Rural Teacher" award. Although the two new teachers didn't receive anything, they were still very happy to see how much the city valued Langshan Primary School.
After all, they are here to gain experience and prestige. If the leaders remember Langshan Primary School, when they return to the city and participate in various evaluations or professional title assessments, having the words "Langshan Primary School" on their resumes will be a shining bonus, okay?
The unveiling ceremony was a great success. After the unveiling, everyone, led by Jiang Baichuan, entered the spacious and bright new school building. Seeing the children from the mountains sitting in brand-new anti-hunchback multi-functional chairs with light blue new desks in front of them, and seeing that the classrooms had electric fans, air conditioning, and brand-new audio-visual equipment, they couldn't help but show expressions of satisfaction. The reporters kept snapping photos.
One of the reporters, probably a fan of Principal Jiang, walked around the school and, not seeing the familiar pigsty, jokingly asked, "Principal Jiang, does the school no longer need to raise pigs itself?"
"Why wouldn't you want it? It's part of the students' labor class too!"
Who knew that Jiang Baichuan would lead everyone to the canteen again? Walking out of the canteen through the back door, the view suddenly opened up, and it felt like a small farm!