Chapter 372 – Selecting Talents Regardless of Relationship
Xu Jinning wasn’t surprised that the chief editor of the Beijing Daily was looking for her, but the presence of Shen Hui, a leader from the Ministry of Education, left her somewhat bewildered.
“Teacher Xu, hello! It’s great to finally meet you. I didn’t expect you to be so young. When Old Jiang said you were only 18, I didn’t believe it. Now that I see you, I’m indeed amazed. Only someone as young and intelligent as you could write such a forward-looking article,” Lu Guang said. He had been waiting to meet Xu Jinning since yesterday, and his excitement and happiness were uncontrollable.
He came up to Xu Jinning and started chatting with her.
Indeed, Xu Jinning’s age and appearance were impressive to him. The young woman before him seemed to be imbued with natural talent and charm, no wonder she could write such a breathtaking article.
Xu Jinning felt a bit shy from Lu Guang’s praise.
When she learned that Lu Guang wanted to do a special interview with her, she agreed without hesitation.
While Lu Guang chatted with Xu Jinning, Shen Hui observed her quietly.
Before deciding whether to include Xu Jinning’s article in the elementary school textbooks, it was necessary to conduct a thorough investigation of her background.
Shen Hui did not expect that Xu Jinning was deliberately switched when she was young and suffered for fifteen years, and finally after fifteen years, she returned to her real parents and finally lived a normal life.
Her subsequent development was nothing short of legendary.
From being illiterate to entering Beijing University under her sister’s guidance in just over a year, and achieving top scores in the college entrance exams, Xu Jinning’s accomplishments were remarkable.
Not only that, but she also self-studied six languages and became quite proficient in them.
There was no doubt that Xu Jinning was a genius.
Or perhaps, the Xu family’s intelligence was exceptional overall.
For instance, Xu Jinning’s sister, Xu Fanghua, also entered Beijing University with top scores in the college entrance exams. Xu Jinning’s two brothers also demonstrated extraordinary talents in other areas.
The Xu family had a promising future.
What surprised Shen Hui even more was that Xu Jinning was actually the fiancée of Xie Ting’an. The engagement had been arranged personally by Old Master Xie.
Shen Hui was aware that Old Master Xie had left Beijing for the Spring Festival last year, but he hadn’t realized that Old Master Xie had traveled such a long distance specifically to arrange the engagement for his grandson.
The fact that a man of such advanced age and high status, like Old Master Xie, would endure such a long journey to a remote village indicated just how satisfied he was with his future granddaughter-in-law.
Thus, after investigating Xu Jinning and reviewing her documents, Shen Hui couldn’t help but admire the legend of Xu Jinning’s 18 years.
With such a background, it was no wonder she could write such an impressive article.
Although Old Master Xie had recommended the article to him, Shen Hui didn’t believe it was just to promote his granddaughter-in-law.
Old Master Xie hadn’t mentioned his connection with Xu Jinning.
It was only through his own investigation that Shen Hui discovered this relationship.
Moreover, Shen Hui was well aware of Old Master Xie’s character.
It was because Xu Jinning was truly talented that Old Master Xie had appointed her without regard to personal connections.
Today was Shen Hui’s first meeting with Xu Jinning, and he had to admit that he was truly impressed.
Xu Jinning’s appearance was flawless, and her demeanor was excellent, especially those eyes—so clear and full of spirit. She gave off a very pleasant impression.
Shen Hui’s first impression of Xu Jinning was exceptionally good.
In truth, with Shen Hui’s status, there was no need for him to come in person today. This could have been handled with a phone call.
But he came anyway, not only because he was on break today but also because he wanted to see what kind of person could write such a touching article and gain recognition from Old Master Xie.
Having seen her, he felt the trip was indeed worthwhile.
If Xu Jinning hadn’t been promised to Xie Ting’an, and if his son hadn’t been only 10 years old, he might have considered having his son marry such a remarkable woman.
After Xu Jinning agreed to the interview with Lu Guang, Shen Hui explained his purpose for visiting.
“To include it in elementary school textbooks?” Xu Jinning’s voice was filled with surprise.
“My article, can it really be included?”
What kind of article could be included in textbooks? In Xu Jinning’s memory, only poems from ancient poets and works by renowned modern and international writers were included.
The writing had to be of high quality, meaningful, and educational to be in textbooks.
She wondered if her article met those criteria.
To be honest, Xu Jinning was anxious.
“Teacher Xu, of course it can. You might not yet realize the impact your article will have across the nation,” Shen Hui assured her.
“Since we made this suggestion, we have thoroughly examined it. Not just any article can be casually included in textbooks. So, Teacher Xu, please believe in yourself. Your article is capable of touching hearts and has profound educational significance.”
It will also allow everyone to see the hope for the future.
Since Shen Hui was so confident in her, it would have seemed a bit pretentious for Xu Jinning to continue doubting herself.
Though still shocked, Xu Jinning accepted that if her article had been recognized and deemed suitable, it would be included in the textbooks.
At that moment, Xu Jinning felt a sense of hope in her heart. She hoped that future generations of children, upon reading her article, would have it planted like a beautiful seed in their hearts, making them believe in a bright and prosperous future for their country.
She also hoped that this seed of hope would eventually take root and grow into a towering tree, contributing to making the country even better.
Shen Hui did not stay long. After explaining his purpose and receiving Xu Jinning’s consent, he left.
Before departing, he mentioned that the reason he had seen Xu Jinning’s article so quickly was due to Old Master Xie’s recommendation.
However, Shen Hui also clarified that the reason for choosing Xu Jinning’s article was not because of her connection to Old Master Xie, but because the article was genuinely excellent.
Xu Jinning had not anticipated that Grandpa Xie had played a role in this.
She believed Shen Hui’s words because she knew that Grandpa Xie was not the kind of person who would recommend something without genuine appreciation.
From what she had learned from Xie Ting’an, Grandpa Xie had a habit of reading the newspaper every morning after his retirement. So, it was clear that Grandpa Xie must have genuinely recognized her article and recommended it.
Despite this, Xu Jinning felt a deep sense of gratitude that she could not forget.
After Shen Hui left, Lu Guang’s interview with Xu Jinning began.
The interview was relatively brief. Lu Guang mainly asked questions about the mindset Xu Jinning was in when she wrote the article, whether her vision for the future was truly as optimistic as described in the article, and other related topics.
