Chapter 721: Chapter 470: Physical Decay and Efficient Modes of Transportation

[Blue Pen Fun Pavilion are all dog’s sons]

[Dog among dogs]

[Pitiful dog that no one pays attention to]

[This Chapter is the long-awaited anti-theft Chapter]

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A gray-blue shirt with a torn collar, repeatedly mended trousers, bottomless thousand-layer cloth shoes, a plastic cup with cracks — this "simple" support is the 68 years of donations that Li Zhenhua from the "Shoe School" made to the students of the Yimeng Mountain Area. The villagers said, there is always room for others in his heart, none for himself.

In 1953, the then 17-year-old Li Zhenhua resolutely bid farewell to his hometown of Nanjing, leaving Nanjing Normal School to go to Yiyuan, Shandong, determined to change the fate of mountain children through knowledge. Because of the arrival of this "city person", a rural school that had been closed for half a year reopened.

Since starting work, Li Zhenhua donated 14% of his monthly salary every month. This donation lasted 47 years.

In 1997, after retirement, he accepted no more than 30 part-time jobs, retaining only 500 yuan of pension for living expenses. The rest of the income was almost fully donated. Up until last year, Li Zhenhua had donated a total of 1.36 million yuan, assisting over 2,300 students.

In the campus of Hanwang Middle School in Yiyuan County, there stands a statue made of Han jade, built by local people who donated to honor Li Zhenhua. Over 68 years, he successively received the national model worker in the education system, the 2015 annual figure in Chinese education, the 2015 model Chinese person, the excellent Communist Party member of Shandong Province, the people’s teacher of Shandong Province, and 103 other county-level and above honorary titles, and was received 8 times by central and state leaders.

The Publicity Department of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee and the Shandong Provincial Education Department issued a notice on the announcement of the "2021 Qilu Most Beautiful Teacher" and the educational model of Shandong Province selection results. Comrade Li Zhenhua (formerly of Chengguan Second Middle School in Yiyuan County) was awarded the "2021 Qilu Most Beautiful Teacher" special award.

After retiring, he chose to "work"

At first sight, it’s hard to imagine Li Zhenhua is already 85 years old. Deaf, poor eyesight, hunchbacked, with gray hair and a dark complexion, he seemed full of vigor and energy. In retirement, not only did he not stay at home to enjoy his days, but became busier than when he was working.

Due to continuous support for impoverished students, the year he retired, Li Zhenhua donated his only savings of 15,000 yuan plus a State Council special allowance totaling 20,000 yuan to the Hanwang Primary School, Zhangjia Middle School, and Yiyuan County Experimental Middle School where he had previously worked. After the donation, the local government established the "Zhenhua Scholarship and Poverty Relief Foundation," through which nearly 10,000 impoverished students have received assistance.

Realizing there were still impoverished students outside the foundation’s range, Li Zhenhua decided to continue his support. However, the pension was limited, so to assist more needy children, he chose to "work" externally. At Zibo Wanji Chaoyang School, Li Zhenhua served as the principal of the junior high school department. Over eight years, he earned 500,000 yuan, supporting 23 impoverished students outside the foundation. "Five students each receive 5,000 yuan annually, five high school and vocational school students each receive 3,000 yuan annually, and 13 junior high school students each receive 1,100 yuan annually."

During the most difficult times, Li Zhenhua, along with Zhang Wenqiang, a former beneficiary now graduated from a vocational school, picked up trash on campus, totaling 16,000 yuan in eight years. All this money was used to support impoverished students and the elderly without children.

The first month he received his pension, Li Zhenhua tried leaving only 200 yuan, but because that was truly insufficient, he adjusted to leaving 500 yuan monthly for living expenses, donating the rest. In 68 years, the total donation amounted to 1.36 million yuan, assisting over 2,300 impoverished children to achieve their educational dreams.

Retired Li Zhenhua (left) traveled throughout 300 plus villages in Yiyuan County, Shandong Province, identifying impoverished students and left-behind children, providing them with economic and psychological support. (Photo provided by interviewee)

Although Li Zhenhua enjoyed a special allowance from the State Council, his life remained very frugal. Speaking of three meals, he drank noodle soup and ate radish strips in the morning and evening, and usually had pumpkin, radish, and steamed buns for lunch. He never drank alcohol or smoked in his life, was even reluctant to drink tea, usually only carrying a plastic cup with boiled water.

Li Zhenhua’s attire couldn’t be more modest: a piece of clothing can last six or seven years, often repaired and patched repeatedly. Cloth shoes were worn for two or three years until the soles broke and then taken to the street to have a cobbler sew another sole. He never wore high-end shoes or suits, not because of economic constraints, but because he spent all his money on impoverished children.

"Although the living is frugal, my heart is very rich, joyful all day long."

What makes Li Zhenhua the happiest is that his students are gradually becoming accomplished and they are also contributing back to society.

Li Zhenhua enjoys being with the children the most. (Photo provided by interviewee)

Among the 23 impoverished students Li Zhenhua once supported, Ren Jilan was one of them. Because of cancer, her health was poor, and although she could take care of herself, her family was so destitute that they were stretched to their limit. In 2013, when Ren Jilan was in the third year of high school, her cancer reached its most dangerous phase, and the hospital issued a critical illness notice. That year, Ren Jilan basically did not return to school, only able to study at home. Since she had to be given medication and cared for, and also do farm work, she was extremely tired. Ren Jilan was determined, finally scoring 576 in the exam, and was admitted to Qufu Normal University. But due to the lack of tuition fees, she saw no hope of going to school. At this time, Li Zhenhua, then the principal of Yiyuan County Experimental Middle School, handed the tuition fees to the girl’s hands warmly. For the following four years, every summer vacation, he would cover her tuition.

Since then, Ren Jilan made a silent resolution: to become a person like Grandpa Li. After graduating from university, Ren Jilan returned to her hometown of Yiyuan and passed the teacher recruitment exam, arriving at Fuluping Primary School where Li Zhenhua had once worked. Influenced by Grandpa Li, since her first year on the teaching post, she squeezed money out of her salary to support two students from impoverished families, using real actions to fulfill her original promise.

Li Zhenhua is tutoring students. (Photo provided by interviewee)