The early morning of the second day saw Qi Fei and Guan Yingying awaken naturally, their bodies feeling light and refreshed, as if infused with new energy.

"That kid Wang Zhuo is really something else," Guan Yingying exclaimed with delight, making a swift decision: for the next few days, Wang Zhuo would serve as her personal masseur.

Deputy Director Kang had arrived early and was already waiting in the dining hall. After washing up, the two went to find Wang Zhuo next door, only to discover he was already out running. Downstairs, they met Deputy Director Kang, and the three shared a meal.

Before long, Wang Zhuo returned, and the driver also came downstairs. After everyone finished breakfast, the county education bureau contingent, led by Deputy Director Kang and one clerk in one car, set off with Wang Zhuo in his vehicle. This simple convoy headed straight into the rising sun toward the first stop of the day: Sunshine Primary School.

The road beneath their feet attested to the level of civilization in their surroundings. Upon leaving the county seat, they were surrounded by towering mountains. The asphalt soon gave way to concrete, oil-mixed earth, crushed stone, and finally, dirt tracks. The scenery shifted from small tile-roofed houses to structures of stone, mud, and thatch.

Thus, the group finally reached their destination: the sole prominent building in the village, one of blue brick and red tile, standing before Sunshine Primary School.

Although school was out, Guan Yingying still managed to find several school-aged children nearby to question. While this approach suggested a lack of trust in the local government, it was necessary; otherwise, they would have made a fruitless trip and been easily misled by local officials.

These inquiries put their minds at ease. The name Sunshine Primary School had indeed been changed only a month after the autumn term began this year, and there was no record of any other name. The school’s new teaching facilities and recently constructed buildings also perfectly coincided with the time of the donation.

Guan Yingying had named the school not for vanity, but to ensure the money truly reached its destination. If the government had simply brought them to a newly built primary school and claimed it was funded by their donation during a site visit, they would have been easily fooled.

One carrot, one pit; if they could see three Sunshine Primary Schools, it meant the sixty thousand yuan donation had been implemented in at least three schools. Even if the education bureau had fudged the accounts and each school received less than the stipulated twenty thousand yuan, at least the funds wouldn't have been entirely misappropriated, which was something they could accept.

This primary school, with only a little over a hundred students, had just two administrators and four teachers, with the principal also serving as the night watchman. Usually, the students started their journey from home before dark, ate dry rations brought from home, drank well water at the school, and began classes as soon as the sun rose, all so they could return home earlier in the afternoon to help with farm work.

At noon, they shared a rustic meal at the principal's home. With only a single 17-inch antique color television as their only appliance, the principal's home vividly demonstrated to the city visitors what true poverty looked like. Outside the window, small faces, innocent and curious, frequently peered in.

As soon as they emerged from the principal's house, dozens of children and some adults immediately gathered around. Some held bundles of dried fruit, others carried wild tea leaves wrapped in newspaper they had picked in the mountains, along with homemade cured meats, strings of dried pears, and small baskets of wild eggs—all tangible expressions of the villagers' deep regard.

The women were instantly moved to tears. Wang Zhuo called over the driver to help, accepting every item offered according to the list.

"Wang Zhuo, how could you do this?"

Seeing this, Qi Fei grew angry and stepped forward to twist his arm.

"Sister, Sister..." Wang Zhuo quickly dodged, grinning, "I'm not taking them for free. I’m paying."

Upon hearing he intended to pay, several children immediately began speaking in their dialect, which the others couldn't understand. Then, the adults and children alike squatted down, set their offerings on the ground, and quickly left, disappearing from sight.

"You can run from the monk, but not the temple," Wang Zhuo muttered, pulling out his wallet. He counted out two thousand yuan and handed it to the principal. "Give this money to them later. These are all good things; don't think the amount is too small."

The principal shook his head like a rattle drum: "I cannot accept this money. None of our villagers can accept it, or we'll be gossiped about terribly."

"If you won't take it, fine," Wang Zhuo tucked the money back into his pocket. "Then I’ll donate some more money. You can’t refuse that, can you?"

The principal was momentarily stunned; his thinking couldn't keep up with Wang Zhuo’s leaps in action. Deputy Director Kang quickly stepped in with a smile to mediate, "Mr. Wang, please allow me to thank you on behalf of the elders and folks of this village first."

Wang Zhuo nodded to him, then turned to ask Qi Fei, "Sister, if we count each child's breakfast at two yuan per meal, how much does the whole school need for one semester?"

Qi Fei paused slightly in thought and calculated: 130 students meant 260 yuan per day, six thousand yuan per month, and four months per semester, totaling twenty-four thousand yuan.

For such a poor village, where few houses even had tiled roofs, this was an enormous sum.

Guan Yingying also recalled a program she once saw on television about the lunch situation at a primary school. Two yuan per meal might not even buy a bowl of rice and soup in a big city, but in such a remote, impoverished area, it was enough for these children to have reasonably nutritious meals.

"Director Kang, upon our return, we will, under the company's name, donate the children's breakfast funds to Sunshine Primary School before the start of each semester."

Hearing Wang Zhuo's words, Deputy Director Kang and the old principal excitedly stepped forward to shake his hand. Seeing the principal's genuine smile, Wang Zhuo felt reassured. Since the principal wasn't worried about the county withholding the funds, this money was indeed likely to reach its intended purpose.

On their way back, as the two cars reached the village entrance, Wang Zhuo, sitting in the front passenger seat, suddenly told the driver to stop.

It turned out that a small boy, looking about six or seven years old, was tumbling down the nearby hillside, clutching a mixed bouquet of wildflowers.

Qi Fei and Guan Yingying immediately got out of the car to meet the little boy.

Perhaps due to haste, the boy stammered for quite a while in his local dialect, and none of them understood a word. Wang Zhuo patted his shoulder, telling him to speak slowly and not worry.

"Auntie, this bunch of flowers, I just picked them, for you all."

The boy was dark and thin. He looked between Guan Yingying and Qi Fei, unsure of whom to hand the flowers to.

Qi Fei reached out and took the flowers, smelling them, and smiled her thanks to the boy. The little boy nodded profusely, blushing, unable even to say "You're welcome."

Guan Yingying, sharp-eyed, noticed a scratch on the boy’s wrist where the skin was broken and oozing blood. She quickly rummaged through her bag, pulled out an adhesive bandage, and helped him cover the wound.

Women really are overflowing with compassion. Wang Zhuo managed a wry smile. He thought that a bandage actually hinders wound healing. For a mountain kid living in the wilderness, a little scratch like this was nothing; it would scab over in two days. Putting on a bandage was just causing trouble. This was a treasure from the kind auntie, and he wouldn't dream of taking it off, which would surely lead to the wound festering if left on too long.

Patting the boy's head, the kind uncle said with a smile, "Take this thing off before you go to sleep, and throw it away. Understand?"

The little boy didn't really understand, but he knew that if his uncle said so, there must be a reason, so he nodded seriously.

Hearing Wang Zhuo suddenly say this, Qi Fei and Guan Yingying thought for a moment and grasped the underlying reason. They couldn't help but laugh, yet felt a pang of sadness; such a sweet child had never even seen a bandage. They were too far removed from civilization.

Guan Yingying pulled a handful of candy from her pocket but realized the boy's shirt was straight, patch and no pockets, so she placed the candy directly into his hands.

"Auntie, can you take a picture of me?" the boy asked timidly. "I’ve always wanted a picture. Dad said he’d take me to the city to get one after the New Year, but I want one right now."

This child had never even had a photograph taken... The women’s hearts instantly melted again. Wang Zhuo smartly raised his camera, snapping single shots, group photos, and posing pictures for the three of them.

"What is your name, little brother? Big sister will develop the photos and mail them to your school; I’ll write your name on them," Guan Yingying finally found an opening to get the boy to change how he addressed her; "Auntie, Auntie" was making her sound old.

"My name is A-Jiu, Wan A-Jiu," the boy replied clearly in Mandarin.

Wang Zhuo's eyes immediately widened: "Did your dad have nine kids?"

"No," Wan A-Jiu replied, "I weighed nine catties when I was born. My dad said I’ll be worth nine men in the future."

After bidding Wan A-Jiu farewell, the group set off again. Little A-Jiu stood at the village entrance, waving his skinny arms toward the two cars from a distance until the dust completely obscured the vehicles.

After a long pause, Guan Yingying sighed and said, "The more they have, the poorer they become. The multi-child policy for ethnic minorities might be harming them."

Qi Fei nodded slightly, agreeing with her view, but Wang Zhuo snorted lightly and said, "With no doctors or medicine, what if one child dies? Who will take care of them when they’re old?"

...

On the third day, the three visited the second Sunshine Primary School and witnessed firsthand the heart-stopping sight of children commuting via zip line.

This school was similar to the first, though it had fewer students, which saved some money on construction. The principal and the education bureau leader conferred and purchased a batch of books to create a small library, and they also bought a large color television and installed a "dish," which was a satellite antenna.

Guan Yingying documented what she saw and heard with her camera, while Qi Fei made notes in a small book, jotting down ideas to help the school achieve future goals. The color TV and satellite dish were missing from the first Sunshine Primary School, and they would definitely need to get those set up for them later.

The two-day trip completely eased the trio's concerns about the local government. Wang Zhuo, in particular, had changed some of his views on current affairs; his mindset was no longer as radical as before.

Of course, his opinion of the bureaucrats in the big cities remained reserved.

That evening, Wang Zhuo gave the two women massages again, and taking advantage of the situation was inevitable, as was the ensuing discomfort from their stiffness, and the unavoidable sleepless night alone.

On the fourth day leaving Jiangzhou, the three finally embarked on the last stop of their journey, heading to that secluded place filled with peach blossoms, where they could enjoy open-air hot springs and barbecues: Taoyuan Village. ..V