[This chapter is a long-awaited anti-theft chapter]

[Don't ask why it's long-awaited, because the author really ran out of content to substitute]

[Readers of the original as per usual, just refresh at 6 AM] 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

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[The author is writing furiously, surely you won't mind watching ads, right]

A gray-blue shirt with a torn collar, repeatedly patched trousers, thousand-layer cloth shoes with a broken sole, and a plastic cup with holes, this "simple" attire was the back of "Shoe School" Li Zhenhua's 68-year-long support for the students of the Yimeng Mountain Area. The villagers said, his heart always carried others, with nothing left for himself.

In 1953, only 17 years old, Li Zhenhua resolutely bid farewell to his hometown Nanjing, left Nanjing Normal School, and went to support education in Yiyuan, Shandong, determined to change the fate of mountain children through knowledge. Because of this "city" arrival, a rural school that had been closed for half a year resumed classes.

Since joining the workforce, Li Zhenhua donated 14% of his salary monthly, and this donation lasted for 47 years.

Retiring in 1997, he initially held over 30 part-time jobs, only kept 500 yuan of his pension for living expenses, and donated almost all other income. As of 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, stands a statue of Han jade, a donation from the locals for Li Zhenhua's Construction. From the past to the present 68 years, he has consecutively obtained nationwide education system model worker, 2015 China Education Person of the Year, 2015 Good Chinese Person, Shandong Province Outstanding Communist Party Member, Shandong Province Civil Teacher and other provincial and municipal honors, totaling 103, and has been honored to meet national leaders on 8 occasions.

Recently, the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and the Shandong Provincial Department of Education issued the "Notice on the Announcement of the 2021 Qilu Most Beautiful Teacher and Shandong Provincial Education Models Selection Results." Comrade Li Zhenhua (former principal of Chengguan Second Middle School in Yiyuan County) was awarded the "2021 Qilu Most Beautiful Teacher" Special Award.

After retirement, he chose to "work" part-time.

Upon first meeting Li Zhenhua, it is hard to imagine he is already 85 years old. Deaf ears, strained eyesight, a hunched back, gray hair, and dark skin, making him appear full of energy. After retirement, not only did he not enjoy a peaceful old age at home, but rather became busier than during his working days.

Due to continuous support for poor students, the year he retired, Li Zhenhua donated his only savings of 15,000 yuan and a special State Council allowance totaling 20,000 yuan, to the Hanwang Primary School, Zhangjia Middle School, and Yiyuan County Experimental Middle School where he previously served. After donating money, the local government established the "Zhenhua Scholarship and Poverty Relief Foundation." Through this foundation, nearly ten thousand impoverished students have gradually received assistance.

Finding out that there were still poor students outside the foundation's range, Li Zhenhua decided to continue his support. Yet, the pension is ultimately limited, to support more needy children, he chose outside "work." At Zibo Wanji Chaoyang School, Li Zhenhua worked as a middle school principal, earning 500,000 yuan in eight years, aiding 23 poor students outside the foundation. "Giving five students 5,000 yuan each year, five high school and vocational school students 3,000 yuan each year, and 13 middle school students 1,100 yuan each year."

During the most difficult times, Li Zhenhua and Zhang Wenqiang, a former beneficiary who had since graduated from a vocational school, would pick up trash around the campus, selling it for a total of 16,000 yuan over eight years, all of which was used to support impoverished students and lonely elders.

In the first month of receiving his pension, Li Zhenhua tried retaining only 200 yuan, but since it was really insufficient, he then reserved 500 yuan for living expenses monthly, donating the rest entirely. Over 68 years, he donated 1.36 million yuan, aiding over 2,300 impoverished children to fulfill their educational dreams.

Retired Li Zhenhua (left) traveled through more than 300 villages in Yiyuan County, Shandong Province to identify impoverished students and left-behind children, offering them economic and psychological support. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Although Li Zhenhua received a special State Council allowance, he lived a very frugal life. Take three meals for example, drinking instant noodles for breakfast and dinner, eating radish slices, and typically relying on pumpkin, radish, and buns for lunch. Throughout his life, he avoided alcohol and smoking, was reluctant even to drink tea, usually carrying a plastic cup filled with boiled water.

Li Zhenhua's clothing could scarcely be more modest: a jacket worn for six or seven years, often mended and patched repeatedly. Cloth shoes worn for two to three years until the soles wore out, then taken to the cobbler to sew on new soles to continue wearing. It's not that he couldn't afford certain clothes and Western suits due to economic conditions, but that he allocated all his money to poor children.

"Though life is frugal, the heart is very rich, feeling happy all day long."

What gratifies Li Zhenhua most is seeing his students gradually grow into capable individuals, who are now giving back to society.

Li Zhenhua's favorite pastime is being with the children. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Among the 23 impoverished students Li Zhenhua once supported, Ren Jilan was one of them. Struck by cancer and having passed away, despite being in good spirits and able to manage daily life, Ren Jilan's family was too impoverished to afford treatment. In 2013, when Ren Jilan was in her third year, the cancer reached its most critical point, and the hospital issued a notice of critical illness. That year, Ren Jilan barely returned to school, only able to study at home. Since she had to feed medicine, take care of, and still do manual labor, she was too occupied to get relief. Ren Jilan was very determined and eventually scored 576 in the college entrance examination, being admitted to Qufu Normal University. But since the tuition was out of reach, she saw little hope for attending school. At this moment, the then principal of Yiyuan County Experimental Middle School, Li Zhenhua, warmly placed the tuition fee into the girl's hands. For the subsequent four-year summer vacation, he would always provide the tuition fee.

Since then, Ren Jilan quietly resolved to become someone like Grandpa Li. After graduating from college, Ren Jilan returned to her hometown of Yiyuan, passed the teacher recruitment exam, and returned to work at Fuluping Primary School where Li Zhenhua once worked. Influenced by Grandpa Li, from her first year walking into the teaching post, she scraped money from her salary to support two students from poor families, demonstrating the initial promise she had made through real actions.

Li Zhenhua tutoring students in their studies. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

From the city to the Yiyuan Mountain to support teaching since 1953, there was a significant difference in living standards between Nanjing and Yiyuan. During school periods, Li Zhenhua often heard teachers tell revolutionary stories of Yimeng Sister-in-law and Yimeng Six Sisters, resolving then to make his own contributions to the people and place.