5 Are you joking?

During those days, Zhang Guimei couldn't stop thinking:

"If there were a free girls' high school, could more girls leave the mountains?"

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

But when she excitedly shared this idea, everyone thought she was crazy.

"Teacher Zhang, are you joking? In this day and age, separating boys and girls in schools? And how will the school afford everything for free? We appreciate your intentions, but it's not practical."

No one believed in Zhang Guimei's idea. They thought it was utterly outlandish.

They believed that with no funds and no connections, they could discourage her.

But Zhang Guimei's determination to establish a free girls' high school was unwavering.

She gritted her teeth and made a firm resolution: she would raise the money herself to educate the girls from the mountains!

This was her way of giving back to the villagers.

So, Zhang Guimei made an even crazier choice: she decided to take to the streets to fundraise directly from society!

In the summer of 2002, Zhang Guimei embarked on the road to raise funds for building the school.

Utilizing her position as a teacher, she sought donations for the students.

She packed all her certificates into her backpack and fearlessly plunged into the crowds.

Zhang Guimei distributed flyers on overpasses and streets in the city.

Wherever there were people, she went.

Her idea was simple: every little bit counts.

Even if someone donated just one or two yuan, it would contribute to building the school.

However, in practice, it was much more challenging than she anticipated. She found that people in the city didn't believe her.

They couldn't fathom that people in mountainous regions could be too poor to afford education.

Many heartlessly drove her away, pointing fingers at her.

Even when Zhang Guimei explained tirelessly, she received responses like, "Wearing glasses just to deceive people for money, shame on you." This shattered Zhang Guimei's pride.

She was chased, cursed at, and even chased by dogs.

Most people, after experiencing such things, would have given up long ago.

But in Zhang Guimei's eyes, these difficulties made her realize that she could fight.

In her mind, the faces of the girls from the mountains kept appearing.

In her heart, Zhang Guimei silently encouraged herself: "Hold on a little longer, be a little braver."

With this belief, she carried her backpack and resolutely ventured into the crowds once again.

This perseverance lasted for five years.

Unfortunately, despite enduring sneers and mockery, Zhang Guimei only managed to raise a total of 10,000 yuan.

This amount wasn't enough to establish the school, let alone cover the administrative expenses.

Zhang Guimei felt immensely frustrated and guilty. She believed she had let down the people who had helped her before.

If nothing changed, Zhang Guimei's wish might never come true in her lifetime.

But perhaps sensing her sincerity, fate took a turn.

6 Didn't Expect It to Be This Hard

In 2007, Zhang Guimei represented her county and attended the party conference in Beijing. The county allocated 7,000 yuan for her travel expenses, but she couldn't bear to use it. She used the entire amount to buy computers for her students and wore old clothes on her trip to Beijing. Due to the rush, she didn't notice the holes in her pants until a female journalist from Xinhua Daily pointed it out. Awkwardly, she smiled.

In front of the journalist, Zhang Guimei shared her own difficulties. The journalist was moved and promised to write an article about her story.

As the saying goes, when you give your all, the universe comes to your aid.

The next day, an article titled "Visiting Lijiang Huaping County Ethnic School Teacher Zhang Guimei: I Have a Dream" spread across the internet. Major media outlets featured Zhang Guimei's story on their front pages.

What followed was beyond Zhang Guimei's expectations. Soon, she received donations from kind-hearted people across the country. Before long, there was enough money to build the school.

In August 2008, the Lijiang Huaping Girls' Advanced High School was established! It attracted 16 teachers and enrolled 100 students. Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction.

Zhang Guimei joyfully planned to make a big impact. But reality soon dampened her spirits. The school was built but had inadequate facilities. To save funds, teachers and students lived in classrooms turned into dormitories. Initially, there was no cafeteria or toilets. Worse, the school was in a swampy area, frequented by snakes.

For the students' safety, male teachers lived in the corridors, patrolling day and night, tirelessly. They anticipated hardship, but they didn't expect it to be this severe.

In less than six months, everyone was exhausted. Zhang Guimei faced her first major problem: nine out of the 16 teachers resigned. Unable to provide better conditions, Zhang Guimei could only watch them leave.

However, this wasn't the worst part. Six of her most cherished students also departed.

Zhang Guimei went to the mountains, persuading parents to send their children back to school. But she was ridiculed, called a school that ruins children.

Her well-intentioned efforts were mocked as worthless.

Despite her full confidence initially, after spending several days in the mountains, she returned with only two students.

Zhang Guimei felt a pang of desolation. She regretted not being able to bring all the students out of the mountains.

However, a more significant blow was on its way. Seeing the school struggle, the county gave Zhang Guimei an ultimatum: redistribute the teachers and students to other schools. The existing students would have their fees waived.

For the county, the departure of other teachers was just a matter of time. Without teachers, how could the school continue?

The consecutive setbacks left Zhang Guimei disheartened. But she didn't want to give up. She didn't want all her previous efforts to go to waste. She believed there must be another way.

At that moment, the teachers' records caught her attention. Going through each profile, she found inspiration. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She decided to make one final effort.