Chapter 747: Chapter 747

Lin Nianhe brought back Elder Ji’s calligraphy and Ji Mingyi to Courtyard 88.

By now, the courtyard was nearly tidy.

The original kang beds were dismantled, central heating installed, walls painted, and desks and blackboards were all set up.

Ji Mingyi took a tour around and clicked his tongue: "It’s really tough."

"It’s quite good," Lin Nianhe said, "To start with such a place, I’m very satisfied, mainly because—Brother Yuncheng arranged for someone to set up the entire courtyard."

Ji Mingyi immediately changed his tone: "For a school, having a learning atmosphere is the most important! Fancy decorations are useless, Brother Cheng is far-sighted!"

Lin Nianhe properly noted, "You are a talent."

While saying this, she called Wu Genmao over: "Maomao, recognize this person. This is the new English teacher. Don’t beat him up when he comes."

"Got it." Wu Genmao looked closely at Ji Mingyi and said to him, "My name is Wu Genmao, my brothers and I are in charge of the entire school’s security!"

Ji Mingyi replied with a clasp of his fist: "Greetings, mighty man, my name is Ji Mingyi."

"No need to be formal! Just give me a shout if you need anything." Wu Genmao thought the term "mighty man" sounded very appealing, like a hero from Liangshan, instantly feeling Ji Mingyi must be a good person.

Ji Mingyi also had some misunderstandings—he thought that anyone working in Lin Nianhe’s school’s security must have been a key operative in some military district, possibly even trained by Su Yuncheng or Lin Huai Zhou.

It was no wonder Ji Mingyi misunderstood; in recent years, Wu Genmao and Cao Shijian had been practicing military boxing with Feng Wei, and over time they shed their ruffian air and acquired a bit of military demeanor.

Lin Nianhe noticed one wore a filter, the other misunderstood, but she didn’t clarify and let them maintain such a harmonious relationship, which was pretty good.

Ji Mingyi walked around the courtyard, rubbing his hands and asked: "Nianhe, the walls look pretty bare, how about I paint some murals for our school?"

"Sure, up to you," Lin Nianhe replied, "But my budget is limited, and about the framing costs..."

"I am your brother! Would I ask you for money?" Ji Mingyi thumped his chest, making booming sounds, "Don’t worry, I’ll handle it!"

Lin Nianhe: "Alright!"

Ji Mingyi was gearing up for big action. He hadn’t yet chosen which desk to paint at when Wang Shumei came over with a form.

"Nianhe, full-time teachers get 45 yuan per month, part-time teachers get five cents per hour for tutoring, check this, how should we handle the principal’s salary?" she handed the form to Lin Nianhe, "I just spoke with the principal on the phone, she refuses to take any salary at all, insists she can’t contribute much from afar, and wants us to develop the school."

Lin Nianhe looked at the form briefly, silent for a moment then said: ", I’ll speak with Sister Lirong. From now on, we’ll send her things worth 200 yuan every month, or else even if we send money, she wouldn’t spend it; she would save it all."

"Sending things will at least cheer her up, and she can eat something."

"Okay, you handle it, I won’t meddle in this matter anymore." Wang Shumei said, "I’m going back to the school for a bit, need to hold a small meeting for the part-time students who are distributing newspapers to divide the tasks."

"Go ahead, you’re busy."

Lin Nianhe took the form and looked up to see Ji Mingyi staring at her with a complex expression.

Lin Nianhe: "You see, the money flows out like water!"

The newspaper featuring an article about Principal Wu went on sale.

On that day, the busiest bus stops and streets in Beijing saw a group of students distributing newspapers for free.

Newspapers cost five cents each, and it’s not something everyone is willing to buy; often, a single newspaper circulates through the entire workshop.

Now that someone is giving them away for free, those who love reading but are reluctant to buy are overjoyed, holding onto the papers tightly without letting go.

Among various news items, the biography of Principal Wu is evidently more readable.

The image of a principal, who has painstakingly dedicated himself to education, is positive, with an excellent record in teaching achievements. Upon closer inspection, his hometown is Lan County, which has become quite prominent in recent years.

Lan County has produced a legendary textile factory generating hundreds of millions annually, and a great principal who supports numerous students with his own efforts.

The story of Principal Wu quickly spread throughout Beijing, and even the editors of Huaxia Daily saw it and wanted to reprint the article.

Wen Lan was happy to agree, but this time, after receiving the manuscript fee, she didn’t splurge on those two pigs.

Along with Principal Wu, the reputation of Lingyun Tutoring School also spread.

This year, a large number of educated youth have returned to the city, among whom only a small fraction found jobs, with the rest figuring out how to make a living.

Among these, some want to apply for university, including those who failed last year. They have no schools to attend, only studying at home, and one can imagine how low productivity might be.

Now, hearing about a tutoring school, many have taken an interest and started inquiring about its location.

At the moment, in Lingyun Tutoring School, the first written test has just ended, and the top ten teachers in each subject are selected for a second round of interviews.

Lin Nianhe actually invited Mr. Ren to oversee this process, as his presence signifies not only assistance but also the school’s supportive stance towards this work-study project.

Mr. Ren, ever efficient, invited several teachers who had no classes today to conduct interviews in various classrooms.

Most of the applicants were experienced teachers who had left schools due to various reasons. With ample teaching experience, although they had never faced such interviews before, they handled the questions calmly and performed to seventy or eighty percent of their abilities.

The interviews lasted the whole day. As the interviewees left, they couldn’t yet rest, immediately starting to discuss hiring matters while impressions were fresh.

The discussions lasted a full four hours, eventually hiring six people for each subject.

Mr. Ren, holding the final list, asked Lin Nianhe, "Can we really use so many people?"

"More or less," Lin Nianhe nodded. "Just today nearly a hundred people came asking about it. Wu Genmao’s throat is already hoarse from talking so much."

"That’s good, reading will always be beneficial..." Mr. Ren deeply relished this, though he quickly turned serious, "But with all this hustle and bustle recently, haven’t you been neglecting your studies?"

Lin Nianhe immediately stood straight, erecting three fingers by his ear: "Sir, I have not missed a single class, and not only me, every student you meet in this room, none has missed even a minute of class!"

Mr. Ren knew Lin Nianhe hadn’t been skipping classes, as he had asked the physics department teachers beforehand. If she had neglected her studies for this work, he would have never assisted.

His concern was, "Don’t think just being in the classroom means all is well. If your studies suffer, I will definitely discipline you."

"I promise it won’t interfere with my studies!"

Lin Nianhe stood at attention and saluted solemnly as she promised.

Mr. Ren then nodded, advising, "The work-study students must also be mindful not to lose sight of what’s important."

Lin Nianhe smoothly segued, "When the list is finalized, could you come and give them a talk?"

Mr. Ren didn’t think twice, feeling Lin Nianhe was being very thorough.

He nodded in agreement: "Sure, just let me know the time."