In the Mountains, a Girl Has Just Grown Up

In the 1960s, Lan Huahua, the village’s first top student and a woman with a career, returned to the mountains and became the children’s boss — a teacher.

In the 1960s, with just a scarf, Ma Daqing married Lan Huahua home.

There are also popsicles for two fen each, first-grade pork — the fattiest — selling for 7 jiao 8 fen, third-grade pork — pure lean meat — for 7 jiao 2 fen, five fen for a handful of green beans, and one fen for a strip of red hair ribbon...

The children left the mountains one after another and were admitted to technical secondary schools and universities.

When Teacher Lan’s hair turned white and she retired, she often sat under the big banyan tree at the village entrance chatting with people.

Which child was mischievous since childhood, which year they were admitted to technical secondary school or university — she could recite it all like the back of her hand.

A tribute to my parents’ generation, to those rural teachers who stood watch in the mountains and countryside. You worked hard. Thank you!