At this moment, Li Jing and the others saw a few figures using brooms and other tools to clear the mud in the yard behind the dilapidated building.
Li Jing originally thought they were workers hired by the school, but Principal Huang explained, "Those are our school's teachers. Because the trees on the slope have fallen, mud and water frequently flow into the school after it rains.
So, a few male teachers take turns handling the cleanup work at the school."
Looking at those thin figures cleaning in the distance, Li Jing remained silent and did not speak.
Then, under the guidance of Principal Huang, everyone walked around the entire campus.
The condition of the school was worse than Li Jing and the others anticipated, and indeed there was no need for repairs.
If they wanted to restore this school, it could only be rebuilt.
Wei Jia noticed a few torn and tattered textbooks under a collapsed wall with her peripheral vision and turned to ask Principal Huang, "Originally, how many students did this school have?"
"This elementary school in the north is quite small, with only ninety-eight students in total. The elementary school in the south of the town is bigger, with over two hundred students."
Seeing Wei Jia's question, Town Mayor Liu immediately responded, "This school mainly serves as a place for the children of nearby villagers to study, which is why it hasn't been demolished.
Otherwise, given the age of this school, it should have been torn down long ago."
After that, everyone continued looking around the site, and Town Mayor Liu and Principal Huang stayed close to Li Jing and Wei Jia the entire time, appearing particularly attentive and serious.
For this small and remote mountain town, public donations are out of the question, and attracting investment is extremely difficult.
Now that Li Jing and Wei Jia had come to inspect voluntarily, the entire town government placed great importance on it.
As someone who grew up in the small town, Li Jing felt some inexplicable emotions as a deputy town mayor accompanied him throughout the visit.
Especially recalling how his parents genuinely revered and respected the town government back home, he suddenly realized that wealth brought him many things beyond money.
Since becoming wealthy, his social status and ability have far exceeded his former self, reaching levels he never imagined before.
Perhaps he didn't feel it deeply before, but today, when he saw the town's residents subtly express awe when they saw Town Mayor Liu personally accompany him, Li Jing truly experienced the change in his social status.
Not long after, when Li Jing and Town Mayor Liu finished looking around, the male staff members of Wei Jia's team began taking photos and recording details in all corners, completing the relevant documentation.
Xu Tuantuan continuously took photos around, capturing the school for a while, then Li Jing and the others, and finally herself.
She looked just like a professional photographer, so much so that Town Mayor Liu and Principal Huang had no idea that this young girl was actually a major internet celebrity with millions of followers.
When the on-site investigation concluded, Li Jing suddenly suggested, "Can we visit the students' homes?"
According to Town Mayor Liu and others, the northern part of the town had dispersed residents due to the terrain, and most of them were not well-off, so they could only study for free at this school.
So, Li Jing wanted to see the real conditions of these families to determine the significance of rebuilding the school.
Upon hearing this, Wei Jia immediately nodded in agreement with Li Jing's suggestion and turned her gaze to Town Mayor Liu.
Town Mayor Liu seemed to have anticipated this suggestion, nodding, "That's understandable. I have already notified two households close by to prepare at home.
However, the road to the village can't be accessed by car, so we can only walk."
Hearing this, Li Jing was about to say it was fine but suddenly thought of something and turned to Wei Jia.
Wei Jia slightly shook her head, indicating she was okay, and then said to Town Mayor Liu, "Town Mayor Liu, please lead the way then."
"Okay, the road is not easy to walk on, so everyone should be careful."
With that, Town Mayor Liu turned and walked toward the village, not caring about the mud splashing on his trousers and shoes.
Li Jing and Wei Jia exchanged a glance and followed along.
Li Jing intentionally walked beside Wei Jia so that he could help if she felt uncomfortable.
Wei Jia also sensed Li Jing's intention. Although she said nothing, deep inside, her icy resolve slightly wavered.
As they slowly walked along the muddy mountain path, Principal Huang, walking ahead, voluntarily explained to Li Jing and Wei Jia,
"The children attending our first elementary school all come from poor families. Those slightly better off send their kids to the second elementary school in the south or directly to the county's elementary school."
Principal Huang extended his hand to break off protruding scrub branches along the way to make it easier for Li Jing and the others to pass, then continued,
"The second elementary school in the south was built six or seven years ago. It's bigger, with more teachers, but to cover maintenance costs, they charge two to three hundred yuan each semester for textbooks and meals.
But our first elementary school primarily serves students from poor backgrounds. Although everything is free, the school's conditions are indeed much worse."
After listening, Li Jing nodded slightly, his expression changing as he noticed that the leather on the toe of Principal Huang's shoes was old and worn, with several places peeling.
With Principal Huang's strides, those shoes seemed like an elderly person breathing their last, about to depart at any moment.
Thinking of this, Li Jing suddenly asked, "Principal Huang, may I ask about your salary?"
Principal Huang was taken aback, clearly not expecting this question from Li Jing. He hesitated a moment before replying, somewhat awkwardly, "My salary is much less than those in big cities. Including the town's subsidies, I take home about three thousand yuan a month.
But this income is sufficient for living in Wangshui Town."
"Principal Huang often spends his own money to buy extra meals for the school's cafeteria,"
Town Mayor Liu, leading the group, turned back and said, "Principal Huang indeed has it tough. He hasn't saved much money over the years, spending almost all of it on the school besides personal expenses."
"What about the other teachers?"
Wei Jia asked, "Where did the school's original teachers go now that the school is gone?"
"Apart from the three male teachers cleaning the school earlier, the remaining dozen teachers at our school take turns visiting students' families to understand their situations, providing basic study guidance and assigning simple homework to ensure they maintain basic learning at home."
"Even though classes are suspended, the town has continued to pay the teachers' salaries."
Saying this, Principal Huang gratefully glanced at Town Mayor Liu in front, continuing to speak to Li Jing and the others, "Most of our teachers are not young anymore, and their salaries are low. If their salaries were stopped, they wouldn't have it easy either.
Moreover, if they stopped being teachers, it would be impossible to recruit new ones for our school.
Previously, a young teacher was assigned to our school, but she cried after just one day and later requested a transfer to the second elementary school."
Mentioning these, Principal Huang's face showed a bitter expression, his eyes dull, full of helplessness and exhaustion with life.
As they walked and talked, Town Mayor Liu, leading the way, spotted a house in the distance and immediately turned and asked Principal Huang, "We should be there. Is it that house?"
Upon hearing that, Principal Huang looked over and immediately nodded, "Yes, yes, that's the one. I'll go over and greet them first."
And as Li Jing and the others looked in the direction pointed out, they slightly frowned.
Because they realized the house looked even more dilapidated than the school's teaching building.