Chapter 1319 - The Jasmine Pavilion Educational Delegation

The main gate of Fangcao Di had recently been reconstructed. It was a neoclassical triple-arched structure built from machine-cut, perfectly squared limestone blocks—an approach that neatly sidestepped the endless debates about "exceeding one's station" that constantly arose with traditional Chinese architecture. Starting fresh proved far simpler.

On the cinder road before the gate, Zhang Zhixiang, Fangcao Di School's newly appointed executive vice-principal, stood waiting to receive the visitors. Originally, Hu Qingbai had been slated to greet them as a show of proper respect, but the Executive Committee had ultimately decided that Hu Qingbai held office at the People's Committee level, and having him welcome a mere county delegation would be beneath his station. The school's vice-principal would suffice—after all, as the only comprehensive school currently operated by the Council, Fangcao Di should at least be regarded as on par with Peking University or Tsinghua University.

The position of Fangcao Di's principal had long been an object of contention among many idle transmigrators. The Organization Department had held firm under considerable pressure, insisting that the school's administrator must possess a background in education—otherwise, automatic rejection. This requirement had even sparked a round of debates about whether Western or Eastern educational models were superior. Ultimately, Zhang Zhixiang had secured the coveted position thanks to his credentials as a chemistry teacher, his experience as a vice-principal, his hunting abilities, his Class A1 heavy truck license, and his certification as a first-class chef—a combination that marked him as a "moral-intellectual-physical-aesthetic-labor" all-around educator.

Zhang Zhixiang viewed the shut-in transmigrators' uniform fantasies and depraved-teacher tropes with undisguised contempt—education and teaching was no frivolous occupation. Teaching and nurturing minds could only be described as writing every word in blood and tears. Elementary and middle school basic education in particular constituted practically a martyr's path for teachers.

Zhang Zhixiang had entered this field during an era when teachers were still poorly compensated. He held a rather contemptuous view of the phenomenon that emerged after teacher salaries improved dramatically and people scrambled to enter the profession. In his opinion, using high income to attract talent into teaching was putting the cart before the horse. He had declared more than once at Fangcao Di faculty meetings: "Teaching must be a profession that is poor yet commands lofty respect. Teachers must possess the same halo of sanctity as martyrs. Only then can it attract people who are truly committed to education and willing to dedicate themselves to it. Otherwise, what comes are merely profit-seeking mediocrities. All manner of bizarre phenomena in education arise from this."

This lofty discourse had sparked debates among the transmigrator faculty at Fangcao Di more than once. Over time, the transmigrator teachers had bestowed upon Principal Zhang a nickname: "The Martyr."

Principal Zhang was beaming today, clad in a crisply starched fine-cloth "faculty work uniform." Though transmigrators often wore work clothes in the Zhongshan suit or military uniform style, fashioned from local cotton cloth to facilitate their duties, Fangcao Di was after all a school, and the transmigrator teachers dressed somewhat more formally. After taking office, Principal Zhang had specifically commissioned the female transmigrators at the Women's Welfare Society to design and tailor a special faculty work uniform to demonstrate the dignity of the teaching profession. He further stipulated that within school grounds, all teachers—transmigrator or naturalized—must wear this faculty work uniform.

Following this came mandatory daily sign-in systems and quantified workloads. Previously, transmigrator teachers had operated with relative freedom; as long as they had no classes, they could come and go as they pleased. Teaching loads could also be adjusted based on one's condition. After Principal Zhang assumed office, he immediately announced new regulations: all teachers, transmigrator or naturalized, must sign in punctually on workdays. Workloads were specified by week, with firm quotas on class hours that couldn't be missed without special justification. Beyond class hours, there were also detailed assessment metrics for research work and administrative duties.

These regulations were nothing remarkable for naturalized teachers—they were already being squeezed to inhuman maximums, and this merely formalized matters in writing. The increase in actual workload was limited, and their income even rose as a consequence. But the transmigrator teachers were full of complaints: crossing into another timeline where they couldn't even lord it over female students was bad enough, and now they had to contend with publication counts and educational reform projects. The enormous class-hour requirements alone were enough to keep everyone perpetually occupied.

Zhang Zhixiang remained unmoved. With Hu Qingbai's backing, he continued implementing his "New Deal" and announced that any transmigrator teacher unwilling to comply would be politely shown the door. Through sheer determination, he pushed the new policies through.

Flanking the principal on both sides were Fangcao Di's Four Heavenly Kings: Yuan Ziguang, Head of the Science Education Research Group and Dean of Academic Affairs; Xiao Zhaochuan, Head of the Humanities Education Research Group and Training Director; Bai Yu, Head of the Industrial and Physical Education Research Group; and Dong Yizhi, Director of General Affairs.

These Four Heavenly Kings were currently the primary transmigrator teachers at Fangcao Di. There was also a female teacher respectfully called "Principal Qian"—Lü Yang's mother. However, she was mainly responsible for educating transmigrator children under eighteen and compiling teaching materials—the reclusive type who never participated in large-scale events.

A column of horse-drawn carriages arrived grandly and drew to a halt before Fangcao Di's gate.

"Distinguished guests, we have now arrived at the main entrance of Fangcao Di Educational Park. Please disembark and watch your step." Tang Tang, the deputy director of the Lingao County Office, descended from the lead carriage. With a portable amplifier headset at her ear, she spoke with a tour guide's practiced smile.

Following her call to disembark came more than a dozen figures dressed as scholars of the Great Ming. In the lead, supported by an attendant and leaning on a cane, walked Liu Dalin himself.

Regardless of timeline, Zhang Zhixiang possessed ample experience handling official visits. He immediately stepped forward, "warm and cordial."

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you."

"Long have I admired your reputation."

...

The "Jasmine Pavilion Educational Delegation"—as it was termed in the official notice—exchanged a round of elaborate courtesies with the transmigrator teachers. Liu Dalin and Wang Ci studied the transmigrators before them. Though the pirates had occupied Lingao for nearly five years now, the distinction between transmigrators and naturalized citizens remained immediately apparent to Liu Dalin and his party. No matter how high-ranking a naturalized citizen might be, the gap in bearing from a transmigrator was invariably visible. Not only were they different in height and physique from ordinary people, but their every gesture and movement deviated from the norm.

However, these transmigrator teachers before them—including the Fangcao Di headmaster—Wang Ci and Liu Dalin had never heard of any of them. In traditional society, intellectuals not only treated teaching as their most common means of livelihood but often regarded themselves psychologically as "teachers who civilize the common people"—after all, Confucius himself was most celebrated for teaching and nurturing minds. Facing these Australian colleagues, each member of the delegation nursed complex and varied sentiments.

Regarding Liu Dalin, Wang Ci, and their party who had come to "investigate and study," the Executive Committee had no special requirements—they simply needed to demonstrate the Council's principle of "teaching without discrimination" and the progressiveness of "modern" education. There was no intention of attaching great importance to the visit. Therefore, Zhang Zhixiang didn't plan to accompany them personally—he was too busy to finish his work even without sleep—and assigned the Director of General Affairs, Dong Yizhi, to handle reception duties.

Dong Yizhi was originally an idle transmigrator, an unsuccessful engineering graduate. He had been a yes-man before D-Day and remained one after. Feeling he truly couldn't find suitable work, he had simply applied to the education sector to become a teacher. Fortunately, he had been low-profile in the past, with no outrageous commentary about "conquest" or "lolis are supreme" and such, so despite lacking a normal-school background, his application was approved. He came to Fangcao Di as a basic-level teacher and concurrently served as Director of General Affairs.

Dong Yizhi watched Principal Zhang perfunctorily greeting this group at the school entrance. Looking at Liu Dalin, who appeared vigorous and transformed compared to before, and the somewhat timid Wang Ci, he thought to himself: What are these old fogeys here for? He knew the current state of Jasmine Pavilion well. Most likely they sensed things couldn't continue as they were and wanted to learn something.

This learning of ours, you can't take away, Dong Yizhi mused. If you really learned it, it wouldn't be Jasmine Pavilion Academy anymore—it would become Jasmine Pavilion School.

But aloud he said warmly: "Ah, distinguished guests, please come inside, please come inside." With those words, he forced a smile and gestured for them to pass through the school gate.

Huang Bingkun and Excrement Baron Li were also among this delegation. After Young Master Li had confronted him about his family joining the Tiandihui, Huang Bingkun had rushed back to the Huang Family Stockade that very night to demand answers from his father.

"Father, you're being foolish! If you join that whatever-it's-called Tiandihui, they'll have formal entry to our halls, and everything will be controlled by the pirates from behind the scenes. When that happens, will those tenant farmers and hired hands still listen to our family? Won't we be putty in their hands?! Besides, the pirates are still shallow-rooted. If someday the imperial court returns, we'll be guilty of consorting with pirates!" Huang Bingkun earnestly remonstrated with his father in the study.

"Kun'er!" Huang Shoutong roared thunderously. "You still refuse to give up! The Huang family cannot be ruined in your hands! The court? The court indeed! Can't you see—this Great Ming is finished! With all the nation's elite troops and resources, they couldn't even retake Shenyang. The eastern savages have breached the passes time and again, and the capital has been put on alert repeatedly. And you expect them to cross the sea to recover Qiongzhou?!"

The argument ultimately concluded with Huang Bingkun outwardly submitting while inwardly defiant. Beyond that, Huang Shoutong also instructed him to use this opportunity visiting Fangcao Di to inspect the school's environment and conditions, and to handle enrollment procedures for his elder brother's child.

Father has truly set his heart on joining the pirates! Huang Bingkun thought of his third brother who had died tragically, and couldn't help feeling a pang of grief. Though he understood his father had been forced into this position, whenever he thought of the blood feud with the pirates for killing his brother, flames of hatred blazed fiercely in his chest.

Seeing that Fangcao Di's headmaster—whom they called "Principal Zhang"—had merely appeared to greet them perfunctorily before taking his leave, delegating reception to some tall, dark fellow bearing the title of "Director of General Affairs," Huang Bingkun recognized that the Australians weren't taking their party seriously at all. His family now subscribed to The Lingao Times, so he knew the highest official overseeing the pirates' schools was one Hu Qingbai. This Principal Zhang was already an obscure figure; now they had sent an even lower-ranking official to receive them—a clear sign of contempt.

At this thought, a surge of humiliation welled up within him. But when he glanced at Liu the Successful Candidate, he saw only a beaming smile with no trace of displeasure. His composure was well-developed indeed.

(End of Chapter)