Chapter Thirty-Five A Little Difference
PS: The second update of today has arrived, National Day is coming, wishing everyone a happy Golden Week.
When the War of Resistance against Japan was still ongoing, the autonomous region, which had not been affected much, continued to carry out all construction work with great enthusiasm, and social production in various aspects did not suffer any impact. Of course, among these normal developments, one thing is particularly noteworthy, that is, the Ministry of Civil Affairs' first practice of the autonomous region's welfare policy, and the main beneficiaries are those elderly people who live alone and people with disabilities. This is also the first time for the Ministry of Civil Affairs to break away from Zhang Yu-sheng's "endless talk" and independently carry out a large-scale public welfare project.
On the banks of the Liujiang River, surrounded by green mountains and water, there is a quiet "town" where thousands of people live. If evaluated by population size, it can be called a town, but in fact, it's not called a town at all. It's actually a welfare village established by the Ministry of Civil Affairs for each city-level municipality, where all the elderly and disabled people who have been found are housed. Each city's welfare village is built and equipped according to the same standard, although the population size varies from region to region, so there must be some differences in the actual scale of the welfare villages.
"In our welfare village, key units include a medical service station, canteen, and bathing center. The medical station is crucial for the health and medical security of elderly and disabled individuals, and we attach great importance to it. We have also established a rapid response mechanism with the First and Second People's Hospitals in Liuzhou. Our canteen provides three meals and one midnight snack every day. Since most residents are elderly, they need fruit, hot water, and soft food at night, which are all provided by designated staff. The overall standard of our meals is slightly higher than that for students. The bathing center is disinfected daily, and the laundry center can wash and return clothes within three days. We ensure that every welfare recipient enjoys comfortable, reasonable, and healthy living conditions..."
"Taking care of bedridden elderly, blind, deaf and disabled citizens is an extremely hard work. Your job is glorious and meaningful, we Chinese people have always emphasized filial piety, as a vulnerable group in society, they do not have the ability to take care of themselves nor do they have children to support them, as the government of the people, we have the obligation and responsibility to take on the heavy task of taking care of their daily lives, and must also ensure quality and quantity to strive for the best."
Zhang Yu-sheng, as the Premier of the autonomous region, is also a provincial leader. It's impossible for him to personally handle all sorts of trivial matters. However, after years of grinding, the government that was originally formed from a group has now become familiar with these administrative tasks. Of course, such welfare measures no longer require Zhang Yu-sheng's inquiry, from policy planning to specific action implementation, until the results are verified, Zhang Yu-sheng did not participate in any of them.
As for why he suddenly became enthusiastic about visiting a welfare institution today, it was because the Ministry of Civil Affairs had specifically requested that the leader with a kind heart come and take a look. They needed to see if these achievements met his standards. Just looking at reports and documents couldn't possibly make him fully aware of the actual situation on the ground. Zhang Yu could only randomly select a place for a spot check, originally planning to go to an even more remote area, but due to recent busy schedules, he had to settle for Liuzhou instead.
"It's all definitely worth it, absolutely worth it!" Zhang Yusheng said to himself as soon as he entered the village, and then checked everything with this mindset. Previously at the entrance of Welfare Village, looking at one exhibition board after another and one data report after another, they were actually the same as the reports read in the office, but the real situation still needs to be discovered by his own eyes.
The village has neat and simple small bungalows, while the roads in between are also very clean and tidy cement roads. On both sides of the road, there are blind lanes for the visually impaired, with regular ceramic tiles that help guide sticks find the correct direction. Closer to the wall roots, some empty spaces have rows of small saplings growing vigorously.
I happened to see a towering tree, under its green shade was placed a clean long wooden chair. In the center garden of the intersection, there was a patch of bright green lawn, and more trees were thriving. The most delightful thing was the various flowers scattered on both sides of the path, in the beautiful spring season, it was the best time for them to bloom. Walking on the path, you could feel the fragrance coming towards you at any time. Following the path all the way, you can reach a not-so-small central lake, and on its sparkling surface, there were occasionally flashing fish heads, which were some old people fishing quietly.
In the pavilion by the small lake, from time to time, bursts of laughter can be heard, as elderly people discussing things from all directions, always having endless interesting stories to share, and some sitting in wheelchairs also couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"No matter whether they have made their due contribution to this society, but their birth has destined them to enjoy all these things, to enjoy the infinite joy and beauty that life brings, because they are Chinese!" As he looked at this harmonious scene, Zhang Yu-sheng suddenly remembered a phrase from a poor foreigner that he had seen by chance in his previous life, which became a muttering voice after some modification.
Looking at all the beauty, Zhang Yu-sheng slowed down his pace and finally sat alone on a long chair, basking in the warm sun, taking in the harmonious natural surroundings, and gradually thought of many things.
In another space-time, the poor in developed countries can live as happily as the rich in developing countries. Their happiness lies in several aspects. When they fall ill, they don't have to worry about whether there is enough money in their wallet or bank account to go to the hospital; They don't have to worry that when they get married, their mother-in-law will suddenly change her attitude towards them because of not having a house; They also don't have to worry that if they are laid off and lose their livelihood, they will starve to death on the street and become one after another vagrant.
This is because developed countries have a more perfect medical system and welfare mechanism, only then can the poor live with the same dignity and feel that life is equally happy. But all of this does not belong to another space-time, in the 20th century, the Republic was bullied, the large population base, backward education level, scarce per capita resources, etc., many difficulties made it difficult for the people of the developing Republic to dare to say that they really lived a very happy life.
In the absence of a relatively complete medical security system, a sound social welfare system, and an education system that suits the national conditions, the happy life of social members is simply relying on oneself. Society is not a united whole moving forward together, everyone is busy with their own happiness. When encountering major events, the first consideration is one's own network rather than the government. When faced with injustice, the first thought is how to retaliate or restore so-called "face". Of course, what troubles people's happy life is the capital of happiness - the body.
For developing and backward countries, the citizens of these countries are basically single entities, that is, they can only rely on themselves to solve their own problems, regardless of the government. Therefore, for poor people, without money, how can they let sick elderly, children or themselves enter hospitals for treatment? Moreover, it has been a long-standing tradition in hospitals in these countries not to perform surgery or provide medical care if no payment is made, which is the consistent principle of every hospital and the consensus of all hospitals across the country.
These beasts have long forgotten the spirit of saving lives and healing, and they have also forgotten that they are still wearing white robes symbolizing angels. They will absolutely not let a poor person be "lucky" enough to get cured. Of course, even if you have some money to stay in the hospital, the subsequent hospitalization fees, medical expenses, nursing fees, surgical fees, etc., will make you take out your wallet slowly and leave with a large number of overdue payment notices.
The hospital's commercialization is beneficial to many people in the industry, but for the people and the country, medical institutions need to be constrained by laws and regulations, which is already shameful. Even if the state issues some laws to regulate the commercial behavior of hospitals, there are good policies at the top, but there are even better countermeasures at the bottom.
Hospitalization fees, nursing fees, surgical fees, etc., the hospital provided good conditions to help with examination and treatment, and doctors did their best. Many people respect doctors and hospitals, thinking that these expenses are worthwhile and necessary. However, those medical expenses represented by a string of numbers for just a small box of medicine will make you feel the "thick warmth" of the hospital. Once you stop taking the medicine, everything that happens to the patient has nothing to do with the hospital. If the hospital fails to cure the patient's illness, it can be said that it is entirely because you didn't take the medicine. If you don't stop taking the medicine, where will you get so much money?
Their behavior is fully in line with the country's laws, and they have not seen anyone who has not been rescued or treated without effort. The high price of medicine can only be a matter for pharmaceutical manufacturers and has nothing to do with them. So how dare poor people see a doctor? Those who dare to go to the hospital without subsequent treatment drugs are probably still unborn.
The difficulty of seeing a doctor is enough to make many people afraid to see a doctor, and the "dragging" strategy has become the best choice. Of course, in general, developing countries are usually poor and only have people left, one more patient is not much, one less is not less, two deaths are just a pair, ten deaths still leave thousands of millions who haven't died. However, the problem of illness is actually not the reason why citizens of these countries feel unhappy or unhappy, accompanied by difficulties in reading books and finding employment, etc.
A person who cannot receive basic education, how can he have the capital to turn over and become rich? Although there are not a few people who start from scratch and achieve success, they are not illiterate. Of course, if you haven't even passed the hurdle of reading books, the next employment problem will become a major problem in life. Maybe with a burst of brute force, you can get through the hardships of life, but high prices, difficult living conditions, especially old age and illness, make you return to the starting point of difficulty in seeing a doctor, and everything starts from poverty and ends in poverty.
No one can be certain that they will spend their entire life in poverty, and no one can guarantee that they will live a rich and fulfilling life until the end. When you think you've made it to the top, an unexpected accident can leave you with nothing, such as a serious illness or a natural disaster. A family member's severe illness can drain your savings in the hospital, and generally speaking, if you don't have money or connections, the hospital won't even give you a bed, especially for those who suddenly become wealthy, having money doesn't represent everything.
Of course, for the deeply rooted rich class, this is not a problem at all. For those with extensive social connections, money can solve problems that are never a problem to begin with; having money means having power and having power means having money - they are interchangeable. However, when it comes to their children's education, they often make choices that lead them to attend better kindergartens, so-called key primary schools, theoretically excellent high schools, and nationally renowned high schools. It is only then that they may discover that having money does not necessarily mean being able to use it effectively, and sometimes, upon careful consideration, they may realize that their wealth is not truly wealthy after all. Furthermore, if their children unfortunately become the pitied "rich second generation", their so-called rich identity will be lost even faster.
"The poor also need to live, the poor also need to have opportunities to change their fate, and the poor also need to enjoy all the beauty that life brings!" This speech is similar to what Zhang Yusheng said at a conference a long time ago. At that time, he said "Poverty is not inherent in birth, wealth and nobility are not predetermined by fate." These words are not only rhetoric, but also a solemn promise. And the former is the action of fulfilling this promise, making poverty no longer inherent in birth.
Looking around at everything, the view changed from blurry to clear. The lake surface began to blow up a refreshing breeze, stirring up layers of fine ripples, and the sparkling lake surface showed off its bright colors, shining with dazzling golden light.
"The sunset is infinitely good, it's just near dusk!" He stood up and turned around to look at the people who accompanied him. Zhang Yu Sheng only then discovered that he had never been lonely.
The various unbearable experiences of the previous generation made this young man, who had just graduated from university, almost completely despair of the cruel and heartless society. However, after coming to an even more sinful society, he went through even more cold eyes and contempt, only to discover that his other self in another world was so much happier. For a time, being unable to find work wouldn't lead to such humiliation as it did here; the nickname "yellow monkey" wasn't exactly a flattering term. The society had no justice to speak of - having money and guns was the way to go, and if a group had a lot of money and great power, then they would be called robbers when they bullied others, and their internal struggles would be called war, like the ongoing World War I, which wasn't just a chaotic melee.
Since we are already here, let's make the most of it. We can't go back to the past, so why not face the present seriously and change our current situation according to our own ideas? Let's establish a utopia, a truly prosperous republic. Moreover, the current conditions in this great land of China are also very suitable for Zhang Yusheng to put his dreams into practice and change the tragic fate of the Chinese nation in the 20th century.
The world had just entered the era of electric power revolution, and there was no sign of scientific research, technological innovation, industrial upgrading, etc. At this time, even the most powerful imperialist powers only dominated the large-scale machine production era inherited from the past, with huge advantages in textiles, chemicals, energy, steel, etc., but compared to the modern enterprises established by the autonomous region based on extensive experience in later generations, their enterprises were backward in terms of management systems, machinery and equipment, processing methods, etc. Although the overall industry of the autonomous region was not yet strong enough at present.
The greatest opportunity for development was the brief period of freedom given to the Asian people, especially the Chinese people, by the World War. They had no time and leisure to look east, and although Little Japan was jumping up and down in the East like a monkey, it was still just a monkey and would not pose a decisive obstacle to the rise of national enterprises. Moreover, although most parts of China were currently in a state of warlord division, which put local economic development in a relatively passive state for the time being, it also made various warlords feel mutually restrained, and they would not easily start a war that would plunge the country into chaos.
Of course, all the favorable conditions are not fully utilized for the autonomous region, but grasping an opportunity is enough to make Zhang Yu-sheng grasp it firmly. The vast Guangxi with China's "colored metal province" and the rich Hainan, two major regions were successfully grasped by the autonomous region as a good place to practice dreams, which made people work hard in this practical field and develop their strength.
Industry, agriculture, education, military affairs, commerce and so on are all development priorities, but education is the ultimate foundation. The century-old plan takes education as its foundation. If a nation wants to truly revive itself, if a country wants to truly become rich and powerful, if a republic wants to truly become a great power again, everything must ultimately be traced back to the problem of education.
Without a developed education, how can there be talented people emerging in large numbers? Without sufficient talent joining various industries to promote development, how can there be a thriving comprehensive national strength? And how can we talk about following the correct path of a great nation's rise and walking on the road of rejuvenation that truly belongs to the Chinese nation? This arduous journey of the Chinese nation standing up again requires not just half a drop of sweat, but also a strong backing of comprehensive national strength and sufficient military power as a guarantee. Therefore, everything depends on education.
For this, the autonomous region implements a universal compulsory free education system. All educational economic burdens are borne by the government, and naturally, it will not cause difficulties for families to send their children to school. All children receive the same treatment and the same length of free education from the government, giving anyone the opportunity to succeed. Of course, in terms of education quality, people who have been through two generations will not come up with something like the Four Books and Five Classics to educate children. Resources that can be made public are prioritized for opening up to educational undertakings.
Of course, in other aspects, the autonomous region government including the entire Revival Party still has a lot of work to be done.
Social harmony and the rate of social crime are inversely proportional to the level of social welfare or public services; The degree of social development is directly related to the level of national education, but it cannot be separated from the innovative spirit of the nation and the glorious tradition of hard work. National strength is directly linked to the quality of its citizens, "A rich people makes a strong country" and "Prosperity brings benefits to all" are absolutely true.
Building a harmonious society is not just a slogan to be shouted loudly, and simply educating children of school age cannot change the current society. The main body of the current society is still the peasants who have just been liberated from suffering and hardship. They need sound legal protection of their interests, suitable public opinion guidance to enhance their ideological level, sound social welfare security system to solve their worries about the future, and suitable places and institutions to improve their self-ability and knowledge level.
As a self-governing body with jurisdiction over tens of millions of people, what needs to be changed is not just those students, but the progress of the current mainstream population is the real progress. Building a strong industrial system, building a strong military force, creating a good social atmosphere, and inspiring the common enthusiasm for rejuvenation among all people are all the tasks that the government cannot shirk from, and today is just another foundation-laying task after universal education.
"Our country's revival or not, does not depend on how strong and rich our motherland becomes, her powerful national strength, advanced military, scientific progress, wealthy people, harmonious society, etc., whether they are achieved or being strived for, is actually not important. What is important is that every member of this nation feels their life is happy, feels the value of self can be reasonably demonstrated and played out, feels one's love and cultivation is worthy of others' admiration and has value, that is the true revival." Zhang Yu Sheng said with a heavy heart, grasping the hand of the welfare station director before leaving.
As he was about to bid farewell, the stationmaster gazed at the happy lives of the people in the village, turned his head to look at the waving and smiling crowd, grasped Zhang Yu-sheng's hand and said: "Is it that when everyone feels happy, our nation will be revived? Our country and nation will stand up? We won't be bullied by imperialist powers anymore?" The not-so-young stationmaster and young revival party member were expecting an accurate answer, a promise that could make many people hold on.
"Not all, but the majority. Not revived, but we have dignity; not standing up, but consciously straightening our own unyielding spine; not being bullied, but learning to respect each other and progress together." Zhang Yusheng said to the young party members, then smiled and waved goodbye to those who were somewhat intellectually lacking but always smiling at the door, before getting into the car and slowly driving away.
The car that was gradually moving away soon disappeared at the bend of the mountainous cement road, which is also the end of people's line of sight. The villagers who were slowly returning to the village kept turning their heads back and forth, the dissipating smell of oil smoke was gradually replaced by fresh air, leaving only a few car tracks on the highway showing that some special people had been here.
A group of people are enjoying their happiness here, while more people outside are creating happiness that belongs to even more people. The only difference between the two is one point.
