I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 358: A Superficial Look?

The old leader thought for a while and indeed it was a good idea, as Lu Ye was a hands-on person, so having him cover the story would definitely make it solid.

After all, this was the main task that Lu Ye was currently focusing on.

The old leader agreed with Lu Ye’s idea, then he called the Xichuan Daily.

The editor-in-chief also nodded his approval and assigned a journalist to find Lu Ye, who then drove a jeep and started visiting various units with two people.

They had over two hundred claim forms in hand.

With just this one initiative, the Xichuan Northern Wind Sand Belt secured over six thousand acres.

Xichuan Agricultural College, having more people, claimed the highest number of acres.

Some smaller units had just a few dozen people from top to bottom, and managing to claim even one acre was commendable.

Next were a few factories - the textile mill, steel mill, coal mine, and paper mill.

Though they didn’t have as many people as Xichuan Agricultural College, they still claimed dozens of acres.

Publicity was definitely necessary and it needed to be done well and vigorously.

Qiao Qingyu found two principals during her lunch break, but Sun Xiuyuan was still missing, as were many others.

The newly appointed student union’s minister of publicity came to find Qiao Qingyu.

She really had nothing to do with the last posted big-character poster.

But whether it was operated by her friends and classmates was unknown.

However, she cooperated very well with Qiao Qingyu.

Her name was Xiao Xia.

She was also working while pondering over how to write the article.

This article was also to be published internally at the school.

When Qiao Qingyu went to see the principal, she brought her along.

She mentioned that the publicity department also wanted to submit the article to Xichuan Daily, but Principal Lu didn’t know the intricacies involved. He said, "No need, the reporter from Xichuan Daily has already come. He greeted me and then went off to start his interviews. After he goes back, his article will be published soon."

Before Qiao Qingyu had a chance to speak, Xiao Xia bluntly said, "Principal, the reporter from Xichuan Daily only interviewed Sun Xiuyuan. He ignored me when I wanted to talk to him, he didn’t interview any other students or even the teaching and administrative staff. He just took a few special shots of Sun Xiuyuan, then the two of them drove off in a jeep..."

After finishing, Xiao Xia checked the time, "Principal, they have been gone for three hours now."

Now it was twelve o’clock noon, and since the journey was quite long and they couldn’t return for lunch, the cafeteria had steamed millet buns in advance, each serving with pieces of radish and pickles, and the porridge cooked in a large iron barrel was brought over by truck from the back kitchen.

So, all these people were still in this area and hadn’t left.

Naturally, Principal Lu’s eyebrows furrowed. If what Xiao Xia said was true, then the reporter and Sun Xiuyuan must have left less than an hour after arriving.

What kind of interview was that?

Were they just fooling around?

Just getting a cursory look?

Principal Lu’s face suddenly turned stern, and he threw off the gloves in his hands aggressively onto the ground, "It’s simply preposterous!"

He then asked Qiao Qingyu and Xiao Xia to take their student association and organize the midday meal.

Then he called the school’s Communist Youth League secretary.

The Communist Youth League secretary was also a teacher at the school.

The deputy secretary was elected by the students.

Many schools have both positions appointed by the school.

After all, this department was slightly different from the student union.

The principal had spoken about the matter, then observed the reaction of the head of the student union, and felt more at ease—it seemed this person was also aware.

He then asked, "Is she ill, or what is the issue? Regardless, Sun Xiuyuan is currently holding a position, and 80% of our students are union members."

The remark was pointed and clear—need anything more be said?

The head of the student union looked somewhat embarrassed, but what could he do, stuck in the middle?

He then went to find Qiao Qingyu. The two of them had naturally interacted and cooperated many times before.

By this time, the students had finished their lunch and resumed their vigorous labor.

Qiao Qingyu pointed to these people and began speaking, "...some students’ hands are blistered; some fetch water, their shoulders rubbed raw; some persist in labor despite illness... What are they doing this for, if not for the vision of turning our Xichuan into the envisioned Outer Jiangnan? If that day truly comes, I believe that everything our students experience today will be the most precious wealth of their lives!"

The face of the head of the student union grew increasingly grave. He gave Qiao Qingyu a deep look, said nothing, asked nothing, and turned to leave.

Qiao Qingyu was now somewhat seasoned too.

This labor was tiring, yes, but not overwhelmingly so.

Not many students here were used to luxury, most were accustomed to hardship.

Wasn’t the head of the student union also working?

But still, things that needed to be said had to be said.

See how the higher-ups would resolve this; she still had one last trump card.

The vice principal’s eyes darted around, then he whispered something to a teacher who had been hovering nearby, and this teacher took the opportunity of an unnoticed moment to return to school with the truck delivering steamed buns and water.

What was Sun Xiuyuan doing?

She sat on a chair in the college’s long corridor, her back to the sun, eyes squinting—if this were a normal scenario, it certainly would have been quite a delightful sight.

But today, it was particularly glaring. A few male and female students were chatting beside her.

The teacher sighed. He was merely a messenger. He told Sun Xiuyuan that the principal already knew about her return to school, and the head of the student union was looking to speak with her, asking what she planned to do?

Sun Xiuyuan pouted angrily. What to do? Seriously, making a fuss over nothing. Why focus on her? With so many people working, would they miss just one person?

The teacher couldn’t help but remind her, "...you are now in the student union, you need to lead by example. If you can’t, you need a reason for not doing so. Oh, you look pale—are you not feeling well?"

Sun Xiuyuan blinked and her lips twitched slightly, quickly catching on, hmph, a sick note is nothing special.

Her aunt was at a hospital.

She could get a medical certificate easily.

...

It took a day and a half, and one hundred acres of alfalfa, Willow Wood, and Barley Grass were all sown.

Next, they would have to wait to see if it rained; if it didn’t rain, they would have to organize people to water the plants.

After returning to school, Qiao Qingyu mobilized all the student council members to write the names of all students and staff who participated in the tree-planting activity on big red papers.

These were placed in the propaganda area, intended to remain there and to be updated later on.

Moreover, it wasn’t just a long list—it was well organized.

Every participant had already been assigned areas during the tree planting.

For instance, from the Agricultural Department, how much Willow Wood, Barley Grass, and alfalfa were planted, how much land area was allocated, and where, all were included in a detailed plan report.

Responsibility was thus individually assigned.

This was a major matter, not just a formality, and they also needed to ensure the survival rate of the plants.

Of course, the list was also checked by Qiao Qingyu with the student council members, one by one.

Those who did not participate, even if they had a sick note, wouldn’t suffice.

If they wanted this honor, they could register to apply for replanting.

You can’t always be sick, after all.