Chapter 834 - 830: Writing an IOU

"Any child who uses this five-hundred-yuan fund must write an IOU to the team. Once they come of age, they must repay double the amount they spent. The repaid money doesn’t need to come back to me; hand it directly to the team leader."

Gu Jiaojiao’s initial announcement had filled everyone with burning excitement, but this final condition was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing their enthusiasm.

A sarcastic voice piped up, "If you’re supposed to be helping, why make people pay it back? We might as well not send them to school at all! What’s the point of taking on debt for nothing?"

Quite a few people shared this confusion.

Gu Jiaojiao glanced at Chen Yan—who had ducked her head back into the crowd the moment she finished shouting—and explained good-naturedly.

"There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If we covered the children’s tuition for free, wouldn’t everyone want to send their kids to school on the house? But there’s only five hundred yuan. It’s meant for emergencies. If everyone dips into it, how many days could it possibly last?

"Secondly, you can choose not to go to school, but you need to think clearly about one thing. Look at the village accountant, the team leader, the village chief, and even the county leaders and teachers—which of these good jobs doesn’t require knowing how to read?

"You have to learn to read to compete for better positions. Without an education, you can only farm the land. It all depends on what kind of position you want your child to hold in the future."

Hearing Gu Jiaojiao’s explanation, everyone suddenly understood, their expressions turning to awe.

Gu Jiaojiao really had thought this through. Only by attaching a cost could they deter those who just wanted to take advantage of a freebie, thereby saving the money for those who truly needed it. This fund was meant solely for parents who were willing to bear the cost just to ensure their children got an education.

Gu Jiaojiao didn’t delay. True to her word, she immediately pressed her newly acquired bonus into the team leader’s hands, asking him to count it in front of everyone and enter it into the ledger.

Chen Beiguo didn’t even know what to say anymore. Ever since Gu Jiaojiao arrived at the Qingshan Team, she had done so much for them—even more than he had as the team leader.

"Gu Zhiqing, thank you. I thank you on behalf of the children of the Qingshan Team."

Gu Jiaojiao waved her hand dismissively. "The country needs talent, and so does the Qingshan Team. The children are our hope. If my help gives them a slightly better chance of walking out of this little mountain village in the future, then this five hundred yuan is well spent."

She wasn’t short of money. Even in this era, she already possessed a fortune of over ten thousand yuan. Gu Jiaojiao didn’t chase after wealth too intensely; she felt that having enough to spend and living a comfortable life was sufficient. If she could use her money to help more people, then earning it had truly fulfilled its purpose.

The more money one had, the greater their responsibility. Ultimately, how much could one person spend in a lifetime? When you have plenty, you might as well lend a helping hand to those in need. It gave the money true value.

Chen Beiguo nodded repeatedly. He delivered a few closing remarks, bringing the mass meeting to a successful conclusion.

Although the meeting was over, Gu Jiaojiao’s words echoed in everyone’s hearts. Quite a few people stayed behind. They felt she was right—education was crucial. If their children could be as capable as Gu Jiaojiao in the future, would they ever have to worry about putting food on the table?

Thanks to Gu Jiaojiao’s bonus, many children in the Qingshan Team who previously couldn’t afford school were now able to put on backpacks and learn to read and write.

For a time, the entire village was bustling with activity. The story of Gu Jiaojiao’s deeds spread to the commune, the county, and eventually the city. Everyone soon knew the tale of this sent-down educated youth. Some even held her up as a shining role model for others to learn from.

Gu Jiaojiao had truly achieved the goal of building up the rural areas. She had made concrete contributions to rural development and realized the true meaning of the educated youths coming down to the countryside.