After seeing Leopard and Mountain Cat off, Chen Lan, preoccupied with school matters, informed Jiahui to prepare lunch ahead of time before leaving the courtyard with her usual cloth bag.
Chen Lan walked directly to the housing management office and found Sister Zhao, who worked there. Upon seeing Chen Lan, Sister Zhao was startled, thinking something had happened.
However, Sister Zhao greeted Chen Lan warmly. After inviting Chen Lan to sit, she asked directly, "Sister, have there been any problems with your house today?"
Chen Lan knew Sister Zhao had misunderstood and quickly explained, "It's not about the house, Sister Zhao. The house is very sturdy, don't worry."
Hearing Chen Lan say this, Sister Zhao visibly relaxed.
Chen Lan continued, "Sister Zhao, I came to you today because I need your help with something!"
Sister Zhao asked straightforwardly, "Sister, we're not strangers. What's this about help or not? Just tell me what you need. If I can help, your Sister Zhao won't refuse."
So, Chen Lan got straight to the point and told Sister Zhao about finding schools for the children and the examination matters.
Sister Zhao, after listening to Chen Lan, asked with some uncertainty, "Sister, do you mean you want your children to get a high school diploma from school? Am I understanding this correctly? Sister, let me tell you, even if you graduate from high school now, there's no university to attend. Universities stopped admitting students long ago. Even for Worker-Peasant-Soldier Universities, there are no exams; you need recommendations from your work unit, or the production brigade, or the commune."
Chen Lan nodded and replied with a mix of truth and fabrication, "Sister Zhao, I know this. Where we come from, there are mountains everywhere, and it's very difficult for children in our commune to get an education. It's even more impossible to attend high school. I want a few children to finish high school in Harbin and get a nationally recognized high school diploma. Then, they can return to our valley and start a literacy class. With a high school diploma issued by the state, the children will have the confidence to teach adults and children to read and write in the valley. If this can be achieved, the adults and children in the valley won't be illiterate."
Sister Zhao was deeply moved by Chen Lan's words and said, "Sister, you and your husband are both kind-hearted people. It's no wonder your spouse was recommended by the unit to study at the Party School. If people like you with such awareness don't go to the Party School, who else is qualified?"
Chen Lan thought to herself, "This misunderstanding has gone too far," and quickly changed the subject, "Sister Zhao, are there any good high schools in our Nangang District?"
Chen Lan successfully diverted Sister Zhao's attention. She replied, "Yes, we do have two very good high schools in Nangang District. One is Harbin Railway No. 1 Middle School, located on Haicheng Street in Nangang District, and the other is the Affiliated High School of Harbin Normal University on Xuefu Road. However, there have been a lot of disturbances in the schools in recent years. I heard that classes were even suspended at the schools two years ago. I don't know if these two high schools have resumed classes yet."
Chen Lan continued to ask, "Sister Zhao, are there any conditions or requirements for attending school in Harbin?"
Sister Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Not really. There aren't many children going to school now. Plus, with all the disturbances in recent years, most parents feel that studying in this era isn't very useful. They just let their children study for a few years, recognize a few characters so they're not illiterate. So, most girls stop going to school after finishing primary school. For boys, they might go up to junior high at most, and then their families don't let them continue. Therefore, the children who can attend high school are very few. The schools enroll students based on proximity. As long as your family lives near the school, you can directly register at the school with a certificate from the neighborhood committee!"
Chen Lan was truly surprised that it was so simple for children to attend school now. She didn't have to pay all those messy fees from her previous life; a certificate from the neighborhood committee was all it took.
She then asked Sister Zhao, "Sister Zhao, are we all under the jurisdiction of the Nangang District Neighborhood Committee?"
Sister Zhao replied with a smile, "Yes, that's right. Come on, Sister, you're not familiar with this place. I'm not busy right now, so I'll take you to the neighborhood committee."
Chen Lan was delighted by this offer. Having an acquaintance would make things much easier.
So, she readily agreed, repeatedly thanking her, "Sister Zhao, thank you so much! Otherwise, being new here, I wouldn't even know where to find the person in charge of the neighborhood committee!"
Sister Zhao waved her hand and said, "Sister, don't be so formal. I also can't sit still and want to go for a walk. Besides, the neighborhood committee isn't far from our housing management office; we're on the same road."
With Sister Zhao leading the way, they soon arrived at the neighborhood committee located at the end of the street.
Upon entering the neighborhood committee, Sister Zhao, without waiting for Chen Lan to speak, found her good friend Sister Liao and explained Chen Lan's situation.
Sister Liao, who was of short stature and had the typical ear-length bob hairstyle for women of that era, greeted Chen Lan warmly after listening to Sister Zhao's introduction.
After verifying Chen Lan's basic family information, Sister Liao completed a simple population registration. Then, without any hesitation, she efficiently issued a neighborhood committee certificate for Chen Lan, stamped it with a large red seal, and handed it to her.
Chen Lan received the certificate from Sister Liao with both hands and thanked her profusely. Then, she asked, "Sister Liao, could you please issue a few more? I have ten children who need to attend school."
Sister Liao was slightly taken aback by Chen Lan's request. Then she said, "I say, Sister, letting ten children study together must be a heavy burden for your family! The older ones should be finding something to do! Or let the neighborhood committee help you! How about the neighborhood committee arranges for two children to go to the countryside near Harbin?"
Chen Lan was alarmed and quickly explained, "Sister, that's not necessary. We are from the countryside. It's just that the children's father was transferred to Harbin. I brought the children to Harbin to visit relatives from the countryside. We want the children to attend school in Harbin mainly because the teaching quality in Harbin is good, and we want the children to study here for a few years, learn real skills, and also to broaden their horizons."