Chapter Sixteen: The First Meeting with Yan Yang Chun

  Song Zhe-wu smiled and asked, "Who is the person that Chairman wants to invite?" Shang Zhen said solemnly, "The General Manager of China's Common People Education Promotion Association, Yan Xingfu, Mr. Yan Yangchu." He then smiled again and said, "Originally we should have given you a separate welcome, but since you arrived today, we'll just combine the two meals into one to save some expenses, I'm sure Wen Ge won't mind."

  "Sure enough it was him". In Song Zhe Wu's past life memories, Yan Yang Chu was very famous.

  Yan Yangchu was from Bazhong, Sichuan. He entered a church school at an early age and later transferred to Yale University in the United States. In the summer of 1918, Yan graduated from Yale University and two days later set off for the French battlefield to participate in the work of serving Chinese laborers organized by the YMCA. Living with the laborers day and night, he discovered that they were not only diligent and honest but also had extraordinary enthusiasm and wisdom. However, due to lack of educational opportunities, they fell into poverty and ignorance, becoming objects of bullying and enslavement. The Chinese Labor Camp was a microcosm of Chinese society. Without high-quality citizens, how can there be a strong motherland? From then on, Yan Yangchu began to make up his mind to carry out national education.

  In the summer of 1920, Yan Yangchu returned to his homeland and immediately planned a mass literacy movement, calling for "eradicating illiteracy and creating new citizens." In 1923, he founded the renowned Chinese Mass Education Movement (also known as the "Mass Education Association"), serving as its general secretary. He chose cities such as Changsha, Yantai, Jiaxing, and Wuhan to conduct mass literacy education experiments. Upon arriving at each location, he would first organize student parades to promote the significance and methods of mass literacy. He would then recruit in-service primary and secondary school teachers as volunteer instructors, divide students by community, and utilize vacant commercial buildings, government offices, and temples to establish mass literacy classes. Each class period lasted four months, during which time students learned from the "Mass Literacy Thousand-Character Textbook" (four volumes), studying over 1,000 commonly used characters and simplified script. All teaching materials were in vernacular Chinese. After gaining experience through experimentation, he continued to promote the movement locally and beyond. Through several years of effort, tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of people in various locations acquired literacy skills and obtained graduation certificates. In Changsha, for example, over 2 million people achieved literacy, ranging from teenagers who had dropped out of school to elderly individuals in their sixties and seventies, representing 58 different occupations.

  By the mid-1920s, most provinces and cities across China had established branches of the Chinese Mass Education Promotion Association. The major cities in North, Central, East, and South China successively launched a massive literacy movement to eradicate illiteracy, which became a remarkable achievement in the history of Chinese education in the 1920s.

  After achieving success with mass education in urban areas, he further reflected that China had always been an agricultural country, with 80% of its population living in rural areas. The countryside was the foundation and center of Chinese society.

  China was experiencing a complete social collapse, and to save China, it was necessary to first rescue the countryside. To build China, it was essential to first build the countryside, which required launching a profound rural reform movement.

  The Rural Movement would shoulder the mission of "national rebirth".

  In 1943, on the occasion of Copernicus' 400th birthday, representatives from over a hundred universities and research institutions in the United States elected Yan Yangchu as one of the "Top Ten People Who Have Made the Most Revolutionary Contributions to the Modern World", along with Einstein, Dewey, Ovilaret, Henry Ford, etc. Yan Yangchu was the only Asian to receive this honor.

  The venue for Shang Zhen's dinner invitation to Yan Yangchu was the Liu Guo Restaurant. The Liu Guo Restaurant, built by the British in 1900, is located on Dong Jiao Min Xiang and is a four-story building with typical British architectural style. As soon as Shang Zhen and others arrived, they were led by an Indian waiter carrying a towel to a Western-style private room on the third floor.

  Just as Shang Zhen and his three companions had taken their seats, the guard reported that Mr. Yan Yangchu had arrived, and Shang Zhen hastily went to the entrance of the private room to greet him.

  While Shang Zhen and Yan Yangchu were chatting, Song Zhewu carefully sized up Yan Yangchu. Yan Yangchu was in his 40s, wearing a gray suit, slender and tall, with a slightly dark face and a pair of big eyes that shone brightly.

  "Weng Ge, this is the General Manager of Pingjiao Association, Mr. Yang Chu is our Hebei Security Department Commander, Song Zhe Wu, Weng Ge" Shang Zhen introduced the two to each other and they shook hands politely after exchanging a few pleasantries. Under Shang Zhen's invitation, the four people sat down again. Song Zhe Wu didn't say much because he couldn't find an appropriate topic for conversation, nor did he want to make small talk with insincere phrases like "I've long admired you". Yang Chu also didn't say much because few military personnel were interested in what he was doing, so he too didn't want to speak more.

  After the four people sat down, the waiter started serving dishes. Since Yang Chun was from Sichuan, Shang Zhen specially ordered Sichuan cuisine today: dry-braised fish, husband-and-wife lung slices, camphor tea duck, stir-fried beef noodles, a small plate of Sichuan pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of sour and spicy soup. All were famous Sichuan dishes. The wine was served in a small ceramic jar, specifically the Luzhou Laojiao from Sichuan. The selection of food and wine showed that Shang Zhen had put a lot of thought into this banquet for Yang Chun. After pouring the wine for the four people, the waiter retreated to one side.

  Shang Zhen raised his wine glass: "Tomorrow, Mr. Yang will go to Ding County. Today's banquet is for two purposes: first, to bid farewell to Mr. Yang and wish him a smooth journey; second, to welcome Wen Ge back. Let us all drink this cup!" Yan Yangchu and Song Zhiwu both stood up and thanked Shang Zhen repeatedly. The four of them drained their cups, and the servant came over to refill them. Song Zhiwu took the wine jug and waved his hand for the servant to leave, then personally poured full glasses for Shang Zhen and the others. Shang Zhen raised his glass again: "This second cup of wine is a toast from me as Chairman of Hebei Province to Mr. Yang. Ding County's elders are fortunate that Mr. Yang has chosen it as an experimental county for rural construction!" "Chairman Shang, you're too kind," Yan Yangchu said with a smile, also a carefree person, as he downed another cup. Liu Pei busied himself serving dishes and pouring wine for Yan Yangchu and Song Zhiwu.

  Yan Yangchu was very talkative, drinking wine while explaining some details of the rural construction movement to Shang Zhen. The atmosphere at the banquet was very harmonious. Shang Zhen saw that Song Zhewu had not been able to get a word in edgewise and was afraid he would be left out, so he smiled and said: "Mr. Yan, you and Wen Ge have three things in common." "Oh?" Yan Yangchu was somewhat surprised, wondering how he could have anything in common with a military man, and even more surprising that there were three such points. He couldn't help but feel interested, looked at Song Zhewu, and asked Shang Zhen: "Chairman Shang, please tell me." Shang Zhen chuckled and said: "Although you are one literary and one martial, you both studied abroad. You graduated from Yale University in the United States, and Wen Ge graduated from the Dresden Infantry School in Germany." Shang Zhen remembered Song Zhewu's saying about sea turtles and couldn't help but laugh: "You're all sea turtles!" He burst out laughing. Liu Pei also followed suit and laughed loudly. Song Zhewu was afraid that Yan Yangchu would misunderstand, so he quickly explained with a smile: "Mr. Yan, this is what I said to Chairman Shang about us returning from studying abroad. Because we both returned from overseas, we can be called 'sea returns'." Yan Yangchu suddenly understood and couldn't help but laugh, saying to Song Zhewu: "Brother Wen Ge, this term is very apt!" He then turned his head and smiled at Shang Zhen, saying: "However, Chairman Shang, this 'sea return' is not the same as that 'sea turtle'!" Shang Zhen stopped laughing and said: "Mr. Yan, I was just joking. You won't mind, will you?" "Where would I mind? Americans are very humorous. There's an American saying that a man who can't be humorous isn't a good man. If we go by what the Americans say, Chairman Shang is a real man!" "Well, let's all toast to a real man then!" After finishing speaking, Shang Zhen raised his head and drank the rest of the wine in his cup. Yan Yangchu, Liu Pei, and Song Zhewu also drank up with relish.

  "This is the second similarity between you two, that both of you have strong determination to realize your ideals. Mr. Yang didn't just give up his comfortable life abroad and return to China, but also went down to the countryside, which can be said to be for the benefit of the poor people, or for the future of our country and nation.

  Shang Zhen's face turned serious again as he continued: "If I had to say who is the person I respect the most, it would be Mr. Yang!"

  Yang Chun hastily waved his hand and said: "Chairman Shang, your words are too kind! The people are the foundation of a country, and although they may have been weak for a long time, they are diligent, honest, and wise. I am just playing the role of a key, don't deserve Chairman's praise. Please continue to talk about the Cultural Revolution and how it was like for me."

  Shang Zhen nodded in agreement: "Yang Chun is not like ordinary intellectuals, he can be down-to-earth and do practical things, which is truly admirable! This time when we went to Ding County, he proposed that 'moving from Beijing to Ding County is not just a distance of several hundred miles, but also crossing over ten centuries. We must overcome all difficulties and strive to adapt to rural life and live with the farmers. We absolutely cannot form a small Beijing in Ding County!'"

  "Mr. Yang was determined to build a strong army that would not be inferior to the Western powers, and he was willing to sacrifice his own life for this goal. He believed that with education in literature, livelihood, health, and citizenship, China's rural problems of "ignorance, poverty, weakness, and selfishness" could be solved. Mr. Shang agreed with him and conducted scientific research on agriculture, established experimental farms, improved pig and chicken breeds, and provided training to farmers on agricultural techniques such as crop promotion, disease prevention, and animal husbandry. He believed that within ten years, Ding County would undergo a tremendous transformation, and when that happened, he would promote the model of Hebei Province throughout the country with all his might."

  Song Zhe Wu knew that Shang Zhen's words came from the heart, but Shang Zhen was a man of integrity who worried about the country and its people, and he wouldn't stay in Hebei for so long.

  Yan Yangchu also felt the emotions of Shang Zhen, raised his cup and said in an excited and slightly trembling voice: "Chairman, you are worried about the country and the people, it is a blessing for the people of Hebei! Please allow me to toast you with this cup!" After finishing, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in the cup.

  Shang Zhen took the opportunity to calm down while drinking, and continued: "Wen Ge not only has a way with military training, but also has a deep understanding of economics. Several factories are thriving under his management, and the Zhēn Bāng brand dyed cloth, Xiangxue white noodles, and hanging noodles are renowned throughout the country."

  Yan Yangchu was somewhat surprised, Zhenbang brand dyed cloth, Xiangxue white noodles and hanging noodles, these things are now sold all over Beiping, a soldier actually has such economic acumen, it's really beyond expectation.

  Liu Pei added, "Mr. Yang, I can also tell you a secret. The reason his cloth and flour are so good is that they all contain an additive called - additive, which he makes himself. The Japanese want to pay 3 million yuan to buy it."

  "Weng also understands chemical engineering?" Yan Yangchu, who had received modern education, immediately discovered the problem. "Chemical engineering is an important foundational subject of modern industry, directly related to national economy and people's livelihood. So, while studying military affairs in Germany, Zhe Wu also dabbled in it." Song Zhe Wu carefully replied

  "Wen Ge also understands modern technology, such a soldier is really rare" Yan Yangchu looked at the wine glass and said: "Chairman Shang, Liu Canzhu, let's have a drink for China's most knowledgeable general" After everyone put down their cups, Yan Yangchu asked Song Zhe Wu: "Wen Ge, this time I came to Dingxian, one of the most important aspects is to alleviate poverty, since you are proficient in modern technology, do you have any good suggestions?"

  Song Zhiwu knew that Yan Yangchu couldn't work just for him, this person was either deeply influenced by Christian doctrine or had a great personality. Song Zhiwu's past life memories recalled that after 1950, when Yan Yangchu's experiments in China's mass education and rural construction were forced to end, he moved his career to the broader international stage - some countries in the Third World. Based on the basic experience of Dingxian Experiment and the theory of Chinese Mass Education and Rural Construction, he continued to work for mass education and rural reform in Thailand, Philippines, India, Ghana, Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, etc., guiding and promoting field experiments and community education. He expanded his initial slogan "Eliminate Illiteracy, Create New Citizens" to "Eliminate Global Illiteracy, Create World New Citizens".

  In 1956, with the indirect help of Jimmy Yen, according to Jimmy Yen's rural reconstruction ideas, the first batch of national congressmen in Philippine history were produced. Later, Jimmy Yen established the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction in the Philippines, which has been working until today.

  In 1955, Yan Yangchu was selected by the American magazine "Outlook" as one of the "most important hundred people in the world today". International public opinion gave him a high evaluation, praising him as "a brave scholar with firm beliefs and rich imagination, a liberator of the minds and spirits of laboring common people", "the father of world folk education", "a true philosopher and humanist". The famous American writer and Nobel laureate Pearl S. Buck praised him for "lighting a lamp in the dark place of the world". The President of the Philippines and the King of Thailand awarded him their country's highest honor medals to commend his outstanding contributions to each country.

  Although he couldn't use it for himself, Song Zhe Wu still decided to help him and give him a good impression. Perhaps the course of history would change direction in the end, and Yan Yang Chu would serve his own country all his life.

  Then, Song Zhe Wu detailed the methods of raising earthworms and chickens that he knew to Yan Yang Chu. Yan Yang Chu was very excited after listening, asked for paper and pen, and carefully wrote them down.

  Wishing all friends who care about this book good health and happiness! Also, don't forget to collect it! Thank you everyone!