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“Hello, is this Mr. Li Yu?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Thank you for your resume. I’m sorry, our company is now full. I hope we can work together again in the future. Goodbye.”

With a “click”, the phone was hung up, and the sweet voice of the receptionist disappeared on the other end of the phone line.

“Later, later, hey, I don’t know how many laters I’ve heard.” Li Yu sighed and said.

It should not be too difficult for Li Yu to find a stable job with a bachelor’s degree, but the major he studied is so biased that he has not found a suitable job so far.

“Damn it, why did I apply for the archaeology major in the first place!” Li Yu patted his head and complained.

But since things have come to this, complaining is useless, Li Yu had to continue his journey of submitting resumes.

One month passed, two months passed, and the resumes he sent out added up to a meter high, but there were very few companies that responded to him. Even if there were responses, they were all words like “Thank you, in the future…”

“It’s been almost a year since I graduated. If this continues, I will have no food to eat.” Li Yu flipped through his wallet, looking at the only two hundred-yuan bills left, and said to himself helplessly.

Just when Li Yu was about to face the dilemma of running out of food, a ray of good luck fell on his head.

That day, as usual, Li Yu wandered aimlessly on the street, trying his luck everywhere to see if he could find a job. When it was almost noon, the “gurgling, gurgling” sound from his stomach reminded Li Yu that it was time to eat.

“Just find a small restaurant and fill my stomach.” With this thought, Li Yu began to look for a small restaurant nearby.

Just as Li Yu was looking for a restaurant, a giant banner on a nearby building caught his attention.

“Dedicate your youth to support the western part of the motherland”, and the contact information of the support office for the western part is also written on it.

“Support the western part.” Li Yu muttered.

“With my current diploma, I am one of the most popular people in big cities, but if I go to the west, I should be one of the best. If I can make a name for myself there for a few years, and then come back, then…” When this idea came to Li Yu’s mind, he didn’t bother to find a restaurant to eat. He quickly came to the public phone on the street, took out his IC card, and dialed the number of the support office for the western part.

“Hello, is this the support office for the western part?”

“Ah, hello, I want to ask, if I want to sign up, what documents do I need to bring?”

“Well, okay, okay…”

After finding out everything, Li Yu excitedly returned to the rented house, took the documents he needed to bring, and set off immediately.

“Please leave your contact information. We will notify you if there is any news within a week.”

When Li Yu came out of the Western Support Office, the recruiter’s lukewarm words made him feel a lot less excited.

After two days of expectation and disappointment, Li Yu finally received a call from the Western Support Office on the third day.

“Hello, is this Mr. Li Yu?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Please come to the Western Support Office for a second interview tomorrow afternoon. Do you have any questions?”

“No, no. I will be there on time.”

This unexpected news really surprised Li Yu.

The second interview was similar to the first one, just asking some common questions, such as “When did you graduate”, “Why do you want to go to the West”, “How many years do you plan to stay there” and so on.

“Please go back and wait for news!”

The second interview still ended with such ambiguous words.

Two days of anxious waiting and uneasiness passed.

On the third day, Li Yu finally received the call he had been waiting for.

“Is that Mr. Li Yu?”

“It’s me.”

“Please come to the Western Support Office again tomorrow. This is the last interview. Please be prepared.”

“Okay, okay.”

The next day, Li Yu left early. He didn’t plan to be late for such an important occasion, but it was just that the sky didn’t go as he wished. Li Yu encountered three traffic accidents on the road, causing him to arrive two hours later than he expected.

Unlike the past, this interview was conducted collectively. Just two minutes before Li Yu went in, the director of the Western Support Office was announcing a news to all the interviewees.

“After two rounds of elimination, I believe that the remaining ones, that is, all of you present here, can be regarded as the elites of society, and you will also be engaged in a great work, that is, to support the western part of our motherland. As everyone knows, there are still many young, old, remote and poor people in the western region, and there is an urgent need for educational resources there. Now I express my greatest respect for your willingness to devote yourself to this noble work.”

After speaking, he applauded himself.

But all the people who listened below were dumbfounded. They originally thought that the so-called support for the west was because there were few high-tech talents in the west, so these people who had been strictly selected were going there to be scientific and technological backbones, but they didn’t expect that they would become rural teachers.

“Okay, if you have thought it through, please sign this document. This is to protect the interests of you and the supported areas. You may wish to take a look at it yourself.”

After speaking, the director began to distribute the documents in his hand to everyone.

At this time, the late Li Yucai ran in sweating profusely.

“Yes, sorry, Director. There was a traffic jam today, so I’m late.”

“Oh, it’s okay, you sit down first! By the way, sign this document.”

“What is this document?” Li Yu asked.

“You can go to the West after signing it.” Since he had to send it to others, the director didn’t explain much and just said this casually.

“Oh, really?”

Li Yu, who was immersed in the dream of the West, signed his name without thinking much.

But after he signed, he saw that the other people who came with him left one after another.

“Director, I’ll think about it again.”

“Director, I suddenly remembered that there was something going on at home, so I’ll leave first.”

After just a few minutes, Li Yu was the only one left at the scene.

“Director, what’s going on?” Li Yu looked at the empty surroundings in confusion.

“Oh, nothing. They, they… they had already signed before you came, so you are the only one left. Have you signed? Let me see our contract.”

“Oh, here you go.” Li Yu handed over the contract in his hand with some doubt.

“Haha…” After seeing Li Yu’s signature, the director laughed wildly.

“Finally, someone was fooled…”

“Director, what did you say?”

“No, nothing, don’t worry, young man, oh, it’s Mr. Li Yu, right? Go back and wait for notification! Haha…”

“Director, you are laughing so evilly…” Li Yu felt a little uneasy.

A few days later, Li Yu got on the train to Chengdu in a daze. Of course, he would not get off in Chengdu, but got off at a small station called Tangu County (a random place name, don’t look for it when you are traveling, otherwise I will not be responsible if you disappear in the mountains).

The platform of the small station is only a few dozen meters long, or in other words, the entire station is actually just this platform and a small shop next to it. Several mountain women are carrying baskets nearby, selling mountain products to people on the train. And except for this small station, there are mountains all around, and the endless mountains fill Li Yu’s entire vision. There is a station sign erected on the side of the platform, with the words “Tangu County Station” written on it.

Li Yu looked at the map in his hand and finally found the name of the place in a corner.

“Although it also belongs to Sichuan Province, it seems very remote.” Looking at the small station that looks like it was shown in the movie decades ago, Li Yu couldn’t help but sigh.

Although he had made mental preparations, Li Yu still felt that this place was a bit desolate. But now is not the time to sigh, anyway, since you are here, let’s find a place first!

“Go to the county town and find the Education Bureau.” This is what the director said to Li Yu before leaving.

“Let’s find the county town first!”

“Sister, sister, how can I get to the county town?” Li Yu asked a village woman who was selling mountain products.

“Boy, buy an egg!”

“Sorry sister, I don’t want eggs, can you tell me how to get to the county town?”

“Buy an egg!”

“I don’t want eggs, can you tell me how to get to the county town?” Li Yu said a little angrily.

Unexpectedly, the elder sister turned around and left without saying a word.

“What’s your attitude? I just asked for directions, but…”

There was no choice, Li Yu had to ask another elder sister.

“Buy a pound of walnuts!”

“Buy a pound of apples!”

“Buy a little rabbit!”

After rejecting the kind sales of many elder sisters in a row, Li Yu finally realized that if he didn’t buy something, he would not get the information on how to get to the county town.

“How much is an egg?” Li Yu finally gave up.

“Two yuan a egg!”

“What? This is simply extortion!”

“If you don’t want to buy it, forget it!” The lady selling eggs still looked impatient.

“Okay, okay, I admit it. I’ll give you the money. Now you can tell me how to get to the county town!” Li Yu said angrily.

“Look, just follow that road and you’ll get there.” The lady pointed to a small road next to the train station and said.

“This, this road seems to be the road into the mountains!” Li Yu looked at the direction of the road and was very puzzled.

“Our county town is already in the mountains, what’s so strange about it!” This time it was the lady who was puzzled.

“Oh, MY GOD!” Li Yu didn’t know what to say.

Perhaps because there were not many people walking on this dirt road from the train station to the county town, it was difficult to walk on it. Fortunately, after walking for a while, the dirt road finally became an asphalt road, but the road surface that had been in disrepair for a long time was full of potholes.

On the way, Li Yu finally got a horse carriage and headed towards the county town.

Before dark, the carriage finally arrived at the county town. Li Yu looked at his watch and it was already past five o’clock. Even if he found the Education Bureau now, it was estimated that there would be no one inside, so Li Yu found what might be the only hotel in the county town and stayed there.

After enduring a night of dirt and mosquito bites, Li Yu couldn’t wait to ask the hotel owner where the Education Bureau was the next morning, and then left in a hurry.

When he came to Tangu County last night, Li Yu didn’t observe it carefully at all. This morning, he finally understood the meaning of poverty.

In the entire county town, there are probably no more than ten buildings with more than two floors, and the Education Bureau he was looking for was among them, so it was very convenient to find.

Although it is one of the few “high” buildings in the county town, this five-story building looks like something from the 1980s.

After being pointed out by the doorman, Li Yu came to an office, where a man who claimed to be Deputy Director Zhang of the Education Bureau received Li Yu.

“Mr. Li Yu from Beijing? Ah, welcome, welcome. We have received a call saying that you are coming, and we have been looking forward to your arrival!” The deputy director shook Li Yu’s hand enthusiastically.

“Here is my letter of introduction.” Li Yu, who was not interested in shaking hands, took out the letter of introduction and handed it to Deputy Director Zhang.

“What kind of job will be given to me? If I am an ordinary cadre in the Education Bureau, it would be too unfair for me. At least I have to be the secretary of the director, and it would be best to be a director. After working for a year, I will be promoted to deputy director or something.” When Deputy Director Zhang read the letter, Li Yu began to fantasize about his future.

“Well, that’s how it is. Comrade Li Yu, you actually have such a great spiritual realm, which is really worthy of our admiration. You came from a big city, and you actually asked to teach in the poorest place. Well, I will meet your request. (I have never seen anyone have such a request in my life. ‘Deputy Director Zhang’s codeword’), I will arrange for you to teach in the poorest and most remote village in our county. Haha, don’t worry, I will take care of this matter!”

“What?… Only a ghost wants to teach in the poorest and most remote place!” Li Yu thought.

“This, this, it seems that there is a misunderstanding, I…”

“What misunderstanding is there? Please write it clearly on the letter of introduction. You asked to teach in the place with the worst conditions. Can there be any mistakes in black and white? Don’t worry, I will arrange it for you right away. Please sit down first, I will be back soon.”

After speaking, Deputy Director Zhang ran out immediately, and with a “bang”, judging from the sound of the door closing, he seemed to have locked the door.

“Why, why is this happening…” Li Yu grabbed the letter of introduction that was thrown in front of him.

“…Comrade Li Yu is young and promising, progressive in thought, and determined. He insists on teaching in the worst conditions in old, young, remote, and poor areas, and devotes all his youth to the children in these areas. This comrade is really a role model for us to learn from…”

“Oh my God, this, this is nonsense, when did I ask to teach in the worst conditions? Don’t make such a joke, I think it’s better to go back now.” Li Yu left the letter of introduction and planned to go out, “Hey, why is the door locked? Let me out, this is a misunderstanding, I want to go home, let me out!” Li Yu realized that it was a little too late to regret it at this time.

After about ten minutes, the sound of the key unlocking the door came out.

“Great, I want to go, I want to go home, I don’t want to teach in the worst conditions, goodbye, my youth belongs to me, and I will never dedicate it to anyone else.” Li Yu muttered, carrying his bag and preparing to leave.

“Comrade Li Yu, you can’t wait any longer? Great! I’ve brought people to take you there. Don’t worry!” Deputy Director Zhang pushed Li Yu back to his chair.

“Xiao Wang, Xiao Zhao, this is Comrade Li Yu from Beijing. You two are responsible for taking him to Dongzi Village. Since Comrade Li Yu is so anxious, you should leave now and don’t delay the trip.”

“Yes!” Two strong young men came from behind Deputy Director Zhang and lifted Li Yu up.

“Wait, there is a misunderstanding here. Let me go. I have something to say…”

“What misunderstanding is there? Your situation is clearly written in the letter of introduction. We all understand. Okay, let go now!”

“Wait, let me go. Don’t do this…”

In this way, Li Yu was carried by two people and left the county town and walked up the mountain road.

“Anyway, I will quietly run away after arriving at the place. Can a grown man like me be trapped to death in a mountain village?” Li Yu secretly made up his mind.

“Two big brothers, where are we going?” Li Yu asked cautiously.

“To Dongzi Village.”

“What a strange place name!”

“Yes, the people in that village live in caves, so it is called this name.”

“If they all live in caves, then they are primitive people…”

“We shouldn’t walk so fast, my legs are almost broken.” Li Yu said panting. For people who rarely exercise, walking on this mountain road is undoubtedly a torture