Nanning, May 10 (Xinhua) — Reporters Chen Luyuan and Zhao Huan reported that in the Tongxin Cultural Square of Baini Village, there was a memorable scene. “Back then, Sister Wenxiu was here, discussing with the villagers how to win the battle against poverty,” said the locals. During the Start of Summer, in this mountainous village located in the northwest of Guangxi, under a 300-year-old banyan tree, the rustling leaves accompanied the children’s loud reading. Here, a special Chinese language class was held.
The content of this Chinese class was “The Light of Youth”, a text that reflects the deeds of Huang Wenxiu. This text has been included in the lower semester Chinese textbook for seventh-grade students of the unified junior high school textbooks published by the People’s Education Press for the first time. Seventh-grade students from the First Junior High School of Leye County left their classrooms in the county town and came to the small square in Baini Village, where they listened to this unique Chinese class under the big banyan tree.
Teacher Lu Ying led the students into Huang Wenxiu’s inner world through three logical lines: encountering “light”, approaching “light”, and understanding “light”. When asked what “the light of youth” was, the children, who listened attentively in class, gave their answers.
One student said, “In the villagers’ hearts, Sister Wenxiu is always dressed in sportswear. But when I read in the text that a fishtail dress with its tag still on lay quietly in her closet, I realized she had once been a girl who loved beauty.” Another student shared, “The figures mentioned in the article, such as 47 street lamps, four reservoirs and 88 households successfully lifted out of poverty, left a deep impression on me. Standing on the square and looking out, I can see the street lamps and the newly built houses of the villagers. Those originally abstract numbers become vivid and concrete before my eyes.” Some students also expressed their determination, “No matter what difficulties I encounter in the future, I will persevere and face them bravely.” “The ‘Light of Youth’ symbolizes the spirit of Sister Wenxiu. I want to be like her and set lofty ideals and aspirations,” said one of them.
At the observation table in the classroom, besides local villagers, there was a special guest, Zhu Honglei, who was the author of “The Light of Youth”. She was deeply moved by the children’s understanding of “the light of youth”. “Wenxiu is a person who shines with her entire youth. The words ‘youth’ and ‘light’ fit her mental state very well,” Zhu Honglei said. “I hope every child can become a shining person and illuminate the world around them.”
After the open class ended, Ban Tongmao, the village’s leading figure in getting rich, was still flipping through his Chinese textbook. He felt excited and filled with longing. He told the reporter that since Huang Wenxiu’s deeds were included in the Chinese language textbooks, more young people could read them. For the villagers striving on the road to prosperity, it was like a ray of youthful light, inspiring and illuminating their future.
Wang Lijun, the director of the editorial committee of the unified Chinese textbooks for compulsory education and the dean of the School of Literature at Beijing Normal University, said that incorporating Huang Wenxiu’s deeds into the teaching materials made them more approachable and contemporary. This would be more likely to evoke resonance and enthusiasm for learning among young people. He also added that the revision of the unified textbooks this time had opened up a new situation – creating new classics with a contemporary flavor for the textbooks. These new classics would enter the hearts of millions of students and become exemplary works that are passed down through the ages.
