She Only Cares About Cultivation

"Sis, then you just stay at home, tend to the private plots in front and back of our houses, feed the chickens, and take care of the children. The work in the fields is up to the two of us; the child belongs to all three of us and we shouldn’t let you take care of her alone. We also share the responsibility, and as long as we’re diligent with the fields and the private plots, we shouldn’t starve."

An Yi thought for a moment: "No rush, we’ll talk about it later."

The three of them were busy when the village chief and the party secretary stood outside the door and called out, with a few women following them. An Yi quickly invited them in.

"Xiao’an, I heard you sisters picked up a child?"

Li Qiuxia nodded, "Picked her up in Huaidong Village, it’s an old lady who disliked that her daughter-in-law gave birth to a girl. A half-month-old baby girl, just tossed into a snow drift. We argued with that old lady for a few words, but unfortunately, she didn’t even look back and just turned around and left."

An Yi brought the child out; several leaders shook their heads, unable to help themselves, while the women couldn’t help but ask when they saw the runny-nosed child.

"Did she catch a cold?"

"Yes, she wore too thin yesterday, caught a chill in the wind, and her nose was stuffy this morning. Just gave her some medicine, let’s observe for a couple of days."

...

After some casual chatting, they saw how An Yi and the others kept the house clean and cozy, even the child had new clothes. Their hearts grew sourer; all of them at marrying age, yet united due to similar backgrounds. Are they planning to adopt this child?

When the question was raised, they received unanimous agreement from the three: "Yes, we plan to adopt her."

The village chief had no reason to refuse, especially for such a little child, "Well then, just get her registered come spring."

Then he looked at An Yi: "Xiao’an, I remember you’re literate, right? Now that we’re ’wintering’, do you think you can help with literacy efforts for everyone in the village?"

An Yi instinctively asked: "A literacy class?"

"Yes, yes, a literacy class; isn’t that what the higher-ups are advocating for? We didn’t have time earlier in the year, but now that we’re idle in winter, there are plenty of people in the village, at least a hundred or so at home. You and the two junior high graduates can take turns teaching everyone. By spring, everyone should at least know some common characters, write their own names, and do arithmetic, don’t you think?"

"Also, aren’t we reforming next spring? Though the details can’t be fully discussed yet, we’re forming a production cooperative. Several villages might join forces to build a primary school. I remember you attended primary or junior high, right?"

An Yi thought it over, opting to keep a low profile: "I reached the second year of high school and just attended lectures then."

"Oh wow, you’re a high school student, that’s even better. You can then take the teacher exam, and if you pass, you can become a teacher here at the primary school instead of working in the production team. Oh right, there’s a note regarding your land, but don’t worry, the village will make sure to take care of you."

Yes, if the production team is established, there will be a lot more kids without places to go; schools are indeed the best solution.

Having her be a teacher would certainly be better than fieldwork, but...

She glanced down at the swaddled An Ran, and some women immediately understood her concerns.

"Xiao’an, don’t worry, there won’t just be a primary school, but also preschool. We’ll find women who are good with kids to take care of everyone’s children, so there’s no worry when going to work. Of course, we might have to charge a fee since caregivers need to make a living too."

An Yi raised her eyebrows, unexpectedly finding their plan was that detailed, and nodded her head immediately.

"Alright, it’s no trouble, that’s just how it should be. About the literacy class, I’ll need the other two students to come over to my house so we can discuss how to learn and teach. I’m busy with the child and can only trouble them to come by."

The village chief saw An Yi agreed so readily, responded quickly.

"It’s nothing, you just stay home and care for the child. We’re currently cleaning up some suitable places, once we tidy it up we’ll reach out to bring you over."

"No need to be so polite, it’s just what we’re supposed to do."

Three to four months is enough time for the villagers to get started, and there’s no need to learn pinyin, since they’re not reading books, just recognizing characters.