Chapter 20

### By the Riverside

Summer and Logan found a group of children by a small river in the village. There were about ten kids, ranging from eight or nine years old to as young as three or four. They were all playing in the mud, wearing hats made from woven willow branches. The boys were competing to see who could make the best mud tanks and thatched houses, while the girls were making little dolls with mud hair braids. Mud covered their hands, bodies, and even faces.

Summer and Logan approached and greeted them.

The girls giggled shyly, too embarrassed to respond. Two mischievous boys, however, asked, "Are you here to play with us too?"

Summer smiled and said, "No, we're not here to play."

Logan asked, "Did you hear the announcement from Mr. Thompson this morning? He said our village school will reopen this year and everyone can go to school. Did you hear it?"

Worried that not everyone understood the announcement clearly, Logan had earlier asked Mr. Thompson to make it.

The children responded with varying levels of enthusiasm, "We heard it."

Summer asked, "So why didn't you go to the school to sign up?"

The kids' answers echoed what Summer had anticipated. The two mischievous boys said, "Who wants to go to school? We're not stupid."

School couldn't be more fun than playing in the mud. School meant studying, following rules, and getting hit on the knuckles by teachers.

Logan said, "Not going to school is what's really stupid. Reading and writing make you smarter and help you learn many things. That way, you won't get tricked or bullied."

One of the boys raised his fist, "I've got this! No one dares bully me."

The other kids laughed. One added, "He's really good at fighting..."

After half an hour of conversation, they got no positive feedback. They found two more groups of kids, with the same results.

Having no luck with the children, Summer and Logan turned to the adults. They didn't bother those working in the fields but searched the village for those who couldn't work due to age or health. They avoided those who were bedridden or simply sunning themselves against walls. Instead, they approached people chatting, doing needlework, or playing board games on makeshift ground chessboards.

Talking to two such groups yielded the same response: "We don't know about that. Go ask someone else."

Despite being mentally prepared for resistance, it was still disheartening.

As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows, Summer and Logan walked back to the commune.

Summer suggested, "Let's go back for dinner, then visit households afterward?"

Logan agreed, "Ultimately, it's up to the parents."

Summer mused, "Generations of living like this won't change overnight. This is harder than we thought."

Logan felt the same but avoided negative talk. "We'll solve the problems. No matter what, we need students. We must reopen the school. I'm not going back to spreading manure in the fields."

Summer observed him for a moment, "Aren't you afraid I'll report you to Mr. Thompson?"

Logan laughed, "Not at all. They trust my character."

Summer: "..."

What character?

### Back at the Commune

Summer and Logan returned to the commune and made dinner together. Their conversation continued as they ate, brainstorming how to persuade parents to send their kids to school.

When they finished eating and cleaning up, the others had just returned from the fields. Summer, like earlier, avoided their gaze and went straight to the dormitory.

She and Logan planned to rest for a bit and then visit families after dinner when they'd be more relaxed and receptive.

Summer didn't care what Henry and the others thought of her now. She hoped Henry would take offense and leave her alone. As long as he saw himself as her older brother, he'd keep making her do self-sacrificing "righteous" acts.

In the dormitory, she lay down, thinking about the recruitment challenge.

In the novel, there was also a recruitment issue. After Summer gave up the teacher role to Sophia, and Mr. Thompson approved, Sophia and Logan started recruiting students. Due to their strained relationship, they worked separately.

They faced the same difficulties. Sophia, still not accustomed to rural life and unable to communicate well with the villagers, struggled greatly. Seeing Logan successfully recruit students increased her pressure. She then sought help from Henry, who solved the problem easily.

Despite not being fond of school and disliked by villagers, Henry had no trouble convincing them. A few words from him were enough to get them to send their kids to school.

Such was the power of the protagonist—everything he aimed to do, he accomplished effortlessly.

Summer sighed deeply and lay back on her bed, thinking about the book's events. Her mind wandered to her face. She sat up, went to the window for better light, and pulled out her mirror.

Holding the mirror, she saw her reflection. To her surprise, her face appeared clearer than before. The room's dim light should have made it harder to see, but her features seemed more defined.

She couldn't contain her joy as she smiled, noticing the expression in the mirror. Her heart raced with excitement.

Summer thought—being around Logan is definitely helping.