Zhu Zhibin climbed off Zhu Shunyao’s back with agility and waddled into a small side room to practice calligraphy.
Xie Xinyan watched with amazement. "Such a little one, learning to write characters already? Isn't that too young?"
"Not at all. I started learning when I was five," Zhu Yanyi said from the side. "Doumiao only started teaching her this year. Children have the best memories. If you teach them now, they won't forget." Zhu Yanyi forgot that she herself was only eleven years old.
Xie Xinyan sighed enviously. "Sister, look at your family. Anan is obedient and capable. Ani is smart and sharp. Doumiao is precocious and cute. You will have great fortune in the future. So, for the children's sake, you must learn to write with me." The last sentence was her real goal.
Xie Xinlian glanced at Xie Xinyan. "I will naturally learn. Rest assured, if I say I will learn, I will learn. By the way, Ani." Xie Xinlian asked, "When do you think I should submit my request to the factory for leave with pay suspension?"
Zhu Yanyi thought for a moment. "I will ask the principal tomorrow to see when you can start auditing classes. You should submit your report in the next few days. Approval takes time. This week, you can hand over your work during the day and learn characters at night. Once I confirm the schedule, you can focus on studying. I will teach you the basics, and then you can go audit classes."
"Okay." Xie Xinlian agreed immediately. As long as she could catch up with her husband’s footsteps, any effort was worth it.
The next noon, Zhu Yanyi went to see Principal Chen. Principal Chen smiled when she saw her. "You came to find me. Do you have something to ask?"
"Two things," Zhu Yanyi said directly. After knowing Principal Chen for so many years, she understood she was a very straightforward old man. Although she sometimes spoke indirectly due to her position, if you spoke directly, she would give a direct answer.
"Speak." Principal Chen looked at Zhu Yanyi generously.
"First, after our school brigade meeting, we decided to organize a picnic in the mountains of City Four for all graduating students this Sunday." Zhu Yanyi looked at Principal Chen seriously. "Principal, I know teachers always hope students spend all their time studying. Graduation and entrance exams are important. But they don't realize that pushing students too hard causes them to hate studying. Mild cases lead to giving up. Severe cases make them dislike learning forever, and grades drop. This violates the original purpose of cultivating talent. Balancing work and rest is the best way. If the time allowed, I originally planned to organize the whole school to join."
Principal Chen listened to Zhu Yanyi and pondered. Over the past few years, since Zhu Yanyi joined the brigade, she noticed the atmosphere in the town primary school had changed significantly. Students still studied hard, but fights and brawls were rare. Which parent wanted their child to be a troublemaker? Becoming educated and useful talents was naturally good. Seeing them obedient, diligent in study, and hardworking at home made parents feel it was worth sending them to school. They had become much better behaved and grateful to the town primary school. However, Principal Chen knew this result was achieved by Zhu Yanyi. She seemed to do nothing, but every activity she planned was meaningful, just like the primary school literature competition before the New Year.