Shen Man swept the broken pieces into a pile, looked up with a frown at him, "The supply and marketing co-op only carries one style of bowl; there's nothing to pick from."
Jiang Chengzhou was speechless for a moment. "...Oh."
So why did that kid Su Li get to pick? And what was he picking anyway?
The materials for the school's construction approval had already been submitted, and construction on the school grounds had already begun.
Originally, it was said that nothing was set in stone yet, so starting construction on the school this early seemed a bit rushed.
But Manager Qian and Secretary Shan were in agreement that they should go all out—no fighting a battle without preparation.
As for the faculty, the island was remote and inconvenient to travel to and from, and many highly qualified teachers who had other options were unwilling to come.
Lin Zhilan had previously taught in Yangcheng and had even tried to poach people from there.
But not a single person was willing to come to the island.
After all, Yangcheng was developing better and better by the day, far beyond what the island could currently match.
Manager Qian and Director Liu were also working hard on this, but with little result.
So Lin Zhilan had no choice but to go cling to her connections and call Cheng Qingshan to complain.
Cheng Qingshan laughed heartily on the other end of the line and said he would recommend a candidate for the principal position.
Yuan Mou, former director of the G Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and director of the Southern Chinese Medicine Research Institute.
Yuan Mou had been suspended from work after being targeted during the political campaign, but now he had been exonerated and was preparing to be reinstated under the new policy.
But this director had a fiery temper—when the research institute asked him to come back, he said he'd rather eat chaff and vegetables at home than go back to work.
No surprise there. Back when he was criticized, the people closest to him had drawn a line between themselves and him to stay clear of trouble.
Many of his former colleagues, in order to protect themselves, had followed the crowd in denouncing and making trouble for him, and had put obstacles in his way in everyday matters.
During those years, he'd lived in a cowshed in the countryside, and every day after working in the fields, he still had to cut pigweed to feed the production team's pigs.
Life hadn't worn him down, and now that he was back, he didn't want to return to that tangled web of personal grudges and complicated old environment, dealing with those people who made him sick.
The higher-ups knew he was capable and knowledgeable, and they hoped he would return to his original post.
But the old man was stubborn and flatly refused.
That's when Cheng Qingshan thought of recommending him to come to the island as the school's principal.
First, with his seniority, he could command respect.
Second, with his capability and knowledge—having spent decades researching traditional Chinese medicine—making him the principal of a Chinese medicine school would be putting his talents to good use.
Lin Zhilan was quite satisfied with this candidate, but she pushed her luck further, "Uncle Cheng, now that we have a principal, what about the teachers? Can you recommend some for me too?"
Cheng Qingshan chuckled on the phone, "With a principal in place, let him handle that headache. I thought with all your hard work on the school, you wanted to be the principal yourself. Aren't you tired?"
Cheng Qingshan was just worried about her.
But Lin Zhilan genuinely wasn't tired.
She actually felt quite fulfilled and had a sense of accomplishment.
If she were the principal, she'd have to learn administration while also managing the hospital—that would be the real exhausting part.
Things were good the way they were now.
The island was developing better and better, and being able to contribute her part meant a lot to her.
"I heard your Chengzhou is taking the college entrance exam next year. Have you decided which school he wants to go to? I suggest he come to the capital—when he's free, he can stay with me for a few days."
Lin Zhilan laughed, "Uncle Cheng, if you miss the kids, just say so directly."
Cheng Qingshan put on a stern face, "If you all actually cared, would I even have to say it? Every single one of you is heartless—you only come to me when you need something."
The older a person gets, the more childlike they become, so Lin Zhilan quickly tried to soothe him, promising that when they had time, the whole family would come to visit him.
Given Cheng Qingshan's rank, he could hardly leave the capital at will—the last time he came to the island was for medical treatment.
Hearing that Lin Zhilan promised to visit him, Cheng Qingshan softened his tone, "That's more like it. Let me know if there's anything—while I can still be of use."
He kept going back and forth like that—just a moment ago, he was complaining that Lin Zhilan only came to him when she needed something, and now he was worried she wouldn't come to him at all.
Lin Zhilan felt a warmth in her heart, thought for a moment, and said, "Chengzhou wants to apply to military academies. Originally, he was planning to join the army first and pursue the path of further training through service. Now that he can take the college entrance exam directly, there aren't many options, and we're racking our brains over this. Does the elder have any advice?"
Cheng Qingshan became animated, "Military academy—that's great! Tell Chengzhou not to rush. Let me let you in on a little inside info: the first college entrance exam after restoration will be held this winter, and by next year, it will be moved to the summer.
I've already looked into it. In January of next year, the Capital Military Academy, the Political Academy, and the Logistics Academy will be formally reestablished to train senior command, political work, and logistics officers.
But the admission standards are very high, and the political review is strict. Besides test scores, they'll also evaluate the students' physical fitness.
If Chengzhou has confidence in himself, then he should aim for the Capital Military Academy."
Lin Zhilan noted down the school and asked with a smile, "Any others? Could you share a bit more inside info?"
"Isn't one in the capital good enough?" Cheng Qingshan asked with feigned irritation.
Lin Zhilan laughed, "Of course it's good! But we also need to see what the kids want. The only thing we parents can do now is handle the logistics."
Cheng Qingshan let out a sigh, "Wait a bit. Don't go digging everywhere else. When I get back, I'll have someone put together a batch of materials on colleges and universities for you. You can go home and discuss with the kids yourself."
Cheng Qingshan treated Lin Zhilan like his own child.
And just as Lin Zhilan cared for her own children, Cheng Qingshan cared for his.
After learning that next year's college entrance exam would be held in the summer, and with less than a year left until then,
Lin Zhilan contacted the Elder Yuan that Cheng Qingshan had mentioned and invited him over to handle the school matters.
As for the rest, she set that work aside—besides her hospital duties, she devoted her remaining time to taking care of the children's meals.
Manager Qian and Director Liu, seeing that she'd abandoned her post halfway through, came straight to her home.
"Doctor Lin, you're just going to quit like that?"
Lin Zhilan looked at the two of them, "Uncle Qian, Uncle Liu, isn't Principal Yuan there? Just go to him for anything. Or is there something only I can do?"
"No, no," Manager Qian said quickly. "Doctor Lin, don't you want to be the principal?"
Lin Zhilan poured them both a cup of tea, "Uncles, I'm only one person—I don't have three heads and six arms. If you want me to lecture occasionally now and then, that's fine. But if you want me to be the principal, should I just give up my work at the hospital?"
"That won't do!" Director Liu said immediately.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine department had become one of the flagship departments of the military district hospital. Lin Zhilan was currently the department head. Chang San was skilled as well, but most people still had more faith in the reputation of Lin Zhilan herself.
"So there you have it?" Lin Zhilan spread her hands, "I know you two want to give me all the good opportunities, but I only have two hands—I can't take on that much."
Manager Qian's eyes lit up, "I've got an idea. You can just hold the title—something like honorary vice principal, the same way you do in our factory."
"Really, no need—"
"Say no more," Manager Qian raised his hand, "Just stay home and wait. We'll go fight for it on your behalf!"
