Chapter 715: Chapter 467: Tower of Warrior Heroic Souls, Rock Tower [Anti-Theft]

[Blue Pen Fun Pavilion are all sons of dogs]

[Dog among dogs]

[Pitiful dog that no one pays attention to]

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

[Don’t ask why it’s long-awaited, because the author really ran out of alternative legit Chapters]

[For legitimate readers, the old rule still applies, just refresh at 6 AM]

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[The author is working hard on the writing, surely you won’t even watch the ads, right]

A gray-blue shirt with a hole in the collar, a pair of patched pants sewn over and over, thin-soled black cloth shoes, and a plastic cup filled with hot water, this "simple" figure is "Shoe School" Li Zhenhua’s 68-year dedication to students in the Yimeng Mountain Area. Locals say his heart is always filled with others, nothing for himself.

In 1953, at just 17 years old, Li Zhenhua decisively bid farewell to his hometown of Nanjing, leaving the campus of Nanjing Normal School for Yiyuan, Shandong, determined to use knowledge to change the destiny of mountain area children. Due to this "urban" arrival, a rural school that had suspended classes for half a year resumed.

Since starting work, Li Zhenhua has been donating 14% of his salary every month, continuing for 47 years.

In 1997, after retirement, holding over 30 part-time jobs initially, he only kept 500 yuan of pension for living expenses, donating almost all other income. By last year, Li Zhenhua had donated a total of 1.36 million yuan, supporting over 2,300 students.

In the Hanwang Middle School campus in Yiyuan County, stands a granite statue, spontaneously funded by locals of Yiyuan County for Li Zhenhua. Over 68 years, he first received national and regional model worker in the educational system, 2015 China Education Person of the Year, 2015 Good People of China, Shandong Province Outstanding Communist Party Member, and Shandong Province People’s Teacher, with 103 honors at city level and above, and 8 times met with top national leaders.

Therefore, the Propaganda Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and the Shandong Provincial Department of Education, released a notice on the "2021 Qilu Most Beautiful Teacher" and Shandong Province Moral Education Model selection results. Comrade Li Zhenhua (former Chengguan Second Middle School principal in Yiyuan County) was awarded the "2021 Qilu Most Beautiful Teacher" special award.

After retiring, choosing to "work"

Upon first meeting Li Zhenhua, it’s hard to imagine he is already 85 years old. Deaf, with poor eyesight, a hunchback, gray hair, and dark skin make him appear hale and hearty. After retiring, instead of enjoying a quiet life at home, he became even busier than before.

Due to his continuous support of impoverished students, in the year of retirement, Li Zhenhua donated his only savings of 15,000 yuan and a special state allowance totaling 20,000 yuan to the schools he previously worked at: Hanwang Primary School, Zhangjia Middle School, and Yiyuan County Experimental Middle School. In response to the donation, the local government established the "Zhenhua Scholarship and Poverty Relief Foundation", through which nearly ten thousand impoverished students have received assistance.

Upon learning about impoverished students outside the foundation’s scope, Li Zhenhua decided to continue his support. But after all, the pension is limited, so to support more students in need, he chose outside "work". At Zibo Wanji Chaoyang School, Li Zhenhua served as the junior high school principal, earning 500,000 yuan in eight years, supporting 23 impoverished students outside the foundation. "Providing 5,000 yuan annually to five university students, 3,000 yuan to five high school and vocational school students, and 1,100 yuan to 13 junior high school students each year."

At the most difficult times, Li Zhenhua collected trash on campus with Zhang Wenqiang, whom he had supported and who had now graduated from vocational school, earning a total of 16,000 yuan over eight years, all used for supporting impoverished students and seniors without family.

Upon receiving the first month’s pension, Li Zhenhua attempted to leave just 200 yuan, but as it proved insufficient, he adjusted to save 500 yuan for living expenses each month, donating the remainder. Over 68 years, a total of 1.36 million yuan was donated, helping more than 2,300 impoverished kids achieve their educational dreams.

Retired Li Zhenhua (left) traveled all over 300 villages in Yiyuan County, Shandong Province, checking for impoverished students and left-behind children, helping them economically and psychologically (photo provided by the interviewee).

Although Li Zhenhua enjoys a special state allowance, his life is quite frugal. Speaking of meals, he drinks plain noodle soup with radish slices in the morning and evening, commonly having pumpkin, radish, and steamed buns for lunch. He has never smoked or drunk alcohol in his life, nor does he even splurge on tea, only carrying boiled water in a plastic cup usually.

Li Zhenhua’s clothing can’t be any more modest: an item of clothing that can be worn for six or seven years is often resewn and worn again. Cloth shoes with broken soles after two to three years are taken to street shoe repairers for new soles and then continued to be worn. He has never worn high-end shoes or suits, not because the economic condition doesn’t allow it, but because he spends all his money on impoverished children. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Although life is poor, the heart is very rich, and he feels joyful every day."

What makes Li Zhenhua most happy is that the students are gradually succeeding and are also giving back to society.

Li Zhenhua most loves being with the children (photo provided by the interviewee).

Among the 23 impoverished students Li Zhenhua had previously supported, Ren Jilan was one of them. Due to her late stage cancer, while normally spirited and self-sufficient, Ren Jilan’s family was struggling immensely. In 2013, Ren Jilan was in her third year of high school and her cancer reached its most dangerous stage, with the hospital issuing a critical condition notice. That year, Ren Jilan basically didn’t return to school and could only review at home. Because she needed medication and care, as well as working at home, it was difficult for her to manage. Ren Jilan was very determined and eventually scored 576 points in the college entrance exam, getting admitted to Qufu Normal University. But due to lack of tuition funds, she saw no hope for schooling. At this time, the then-principal of Yiyuan County Experimental Middle School, Li Zhenhua, placed the tuition money into her hands with his warm hands. For the next four years, he would cover her tuition every summer.

From that moment, Ren Jilan silently resolved: she would become just like Grandpa Li. After graduating from university, Ren Jilan returned to her hometown of Yiyuan, passing the teacher recruitment exam and working at Fuluping Primary School, where Li Zhenhua had once worked. Influenced by Grandpa Li, from her first year of teaching, she squeezed money from her salary to support two impoverished students, using her actions to fulfill her original promise.

Li Zhenhua tutoring students (photo provided by the interviewee).