Chapter 71: Lu Wenxue’s story (Part 1) (2/2)

“Today, I’m here to notify the two of you that I’ve decided to move to the countryside.”

That was the last line Lu Wenxue said to his parents. In the second year, he used up all his personal savings and built a school at the place where he had done volunteer work in the past. He worked alongside with his wife. One of them was responsible for teaching, while the other one focused on management.

Once, Lu Wenxue had asked his wife, “Do you feel like our days are causing you a lot of suffering? After all, we have a child. This type of environment….”

Although Lu Wenxue was determined to help other children who were in need, from time to time, he would have all sorts of concerns for his own family.

There were countless of times where he had doubted himself and wondered whether he had made the correct choice or not. But each time, his wife would encourage and support him. She gave him the strength and desire to carry on.

His wife shook her head, “As long as you’re around, I’m not suffering. Plus, our child has such a kind and giving father as a role model. I cannot ask for a better environment than this. Your actions are the best lessons. I want us to set a great example, so what is there to worry about?”

Lu Wenxue was grateful to God for giving him such an amazing wife.

As time passed, Lu Wenxue’s school situation began to improve. Initially, it was only the two of them working. But gradually, they had grown into a staff of five and a hundred students.

As for Lu Zhengyang, he also grew up and began to attend the school his father had built.

The family of three lived simply and happily until Lu Wenxue’s wife was diagnosed with cancer.

At the time, Lu Zhengyang had just turned ten.

Lu Wenxue’s wife was dying as she weakly called Lu Zhengyang to her side. She gently wiped the tears off little Zhengyang’s face as she said in a hoarse voice, “Zhengyang, mommy is going to be going to somewhere far away soon. In the future, it will only be Zhengyang and daddy. Zhengyang, you must take good care of your daddy, okay?”

“Mommy, where are you going? Can’t you bring us along?” Lu Zhengyang firmly tightened his grip on his mother’s blanket.

“Mommy is going to somewhere far that Zhengyang and daddy cannot go right now. But, mommy will be watching over you from where she is. Don’t worry.”

“I don’t want mommy to leave! Mommy, don’t go! Don’t leave me and daddy….” Lu Zhengyang began to violently sob by his mother’s side.

Lu Zhengyang’s mother was suffering tremendously. She coughed as she continued to talk, “*cough cough*....Zhengyang, don’t cry. If Zhengyang is crying, daddy will also cry. Zhengyang, promise mommy to stay by daddy’s side and take good care of him, okay?”

But at that moment, Lu Zhengyang was in no state to process any more words. All he did was bawled his eyes out.

Three days later, Lu Zhengyang’s mother left them forever. Practically, the entire town came to the funeral to offer condolences. Lu Zhengyang will never be able to forget the sad, sorrowful figure of his father from his childhood.

Lu Zhengyang was a good child. He listened to his mother and naturally helped his father with a lot of tasks at home.

From then on, the two of them relied upon each other for survival.

After Lu Zhengyang had graduated the school at the age of fourteen, his father sent him far away to attend high school. Originally, Lu Zhengyang didn’t want to leave his father’s side, but the school they had only went up the Grade 8 level. He had no choice but to go elsewhere to continue his education. So, Lu Zhengyang took the bus and arrived at the city to attend high school.

So now, Lu Wenxue was all alone.

Actually, the most difficult thing about opening a school in the countryside was not the teaching component. It was convincing the parents to allow their children to go through education.

Some parents refused due to the tuition fees. Or perhaps, they believe their children would be better off as farmers. There was no need to study.

So, each day, Lu Wenxue would go from house to house to attempt and convince the parents to allow their children to attend school. But a lot of parents couldn’t afford the tuition fees. To that, Lu Wenxue would always respond with, “The child’s education is the priority. Don’t worry about the tuition.”

Gradually, the school’s expenses were no longer within the scope of Lu Wenxue’s abilities.