014|She, her,hers(1)

In the midst of public opinion turmoil, Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng, besides endorsing WAT's statement, did not take any other visible actions. 

Four days later, Tao Tao was out of danger and transferred to a regular ward, with WAT providing updates on the follow-up situation. 

@WAT official: Tao Tao is currently out of danger and receiving further treatment in a regular ward, with a good recovery progress. She expressed gratitude to all friends concerned about the incident and the victims' treatment status through WAT's official channel, saying: "We all together, everything will be fine."

The public discourse on the "malicious violence incident" continues to spread, with more authorities intervening and issuing orders to crack down on criminal forces nationwide that endanger citizens' personal safety.

On the other hand, Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng returned to City A after Tao Tao was out of danger, along with all staff of Lu Cheng and "Divergence," staying indoors at Zhong Shao's studio. 

After five days and nights, the team packed up quietly and left for a trip. 

During this journey, they planned three destinations. After a daytime flight and a bumpy car ride through mountainous roads, the twelve-person team arrived at the first destination - W County, where poverty alleviation efforts were recently initiated. 

Following negotiations with local authorities and school representatives, the team stayed at the only star-rated hotel in the area.

"What are you thinking about?" 

Upon emerging from the shower, Zhong Shao saw Yu Cheng staring at the pad on the bed. "I am trying to imagine, if I were a girl here in my teens, would I have enough courage to break free from the stigma imposed on girls in this era, venture out, and see what the world outside is like." 

"You would," Zhong Shao lifted the blanket onto the bed, "The number of girls worldwide trapped in period poverty is comparable to the national LGBTQ community." 

Yu Cheng wanted to laugh, but also found Zhong Shao's words somewhat reasonable.

W County, a county town legendary in local education, once a resource-limited impoverished county, managed to develop an education model tailored to its environment over two decades. Leveraging its human and material resources, the county overcame challenges such as scattered school locations, small scale, poor management, and difficulty in enhancing teaching quality. It strategically planned education development, implemented the "concentration of high schools in county towns, middle schools in county towns or larger townships, and primary schools in towns or larger administrative villages" model. The local education department named this model the "Yuanze Model," indicating benefiting students continuously.

Last year, over 9,000 students from W County participated in the college entrance examination, with a 36% admission rate to first-tier universities, including 10 students entering top universities. Despite the intense study pressure and strict military-style management in this era where the pathway to success is narrowing, numerous lost children were able to break free from their predetermined fate and be sent out of the mountains through diligent study.

Based on the collected data, it is evident that in a county where the average monthly income per person is less than CHN 2000, there are a total of 7 high schools. Nearly 35% of the students enrolled in these schools come from lower-level mountainous areas and villages, with 98% of these students being able to continue their education through financial assistance. Among them, 68% are female students.

Not only are these female students affected, but also many adolescent girls in the county face challenges where their sanitary pad expenses are excluded from the household budget, leading to a severe lack of menstrual health awareness and knowledge.

The following morning, a group visited the seven high schools in the county and conducted a comprehensive survey on menstrual hygiene throughout the entire student body. The survey results were even more concerning than anticipated.

Based on the survey findings, the project team unanimously decided to expand the scope of the study to include not only high school girls in the county but also middle and high school girls in six counties, three middle schools, and four schools in mountainous areas. They decided to track and document the lives of 15 selected female students.

Over a few days, the children and the film crew became acquainted, and the initial awkwardness and tension in front of the camera dissipated. However, their genuine and unassuming nature evoked a sense of empathy.

On the sixth day in County W, Saturday afternoon.

After finishing two classes, students had a brief break for the day. 

The production team was divided into two groups, one following a student named Xiaohua who lived in the county town, while the other filmed Huizi and Zhaodi living in Pingxi Town. Zhong Shao followed the former group, while Yu Cheng followed the latter.

Xiaohua walked out of the classroom carrying an old backpack, entering the frame with a smile as she greeted the cameraman before walking away. 

Passing through the school gates, crossing two main roads, Xiaohua navigated the alleyways confidently. Shortly after, the production team followed Xiaohua to a stall not far from the entrance of the agricultural market. A woman with short hair was working efficiently at the stall, while Xiaohua slipped into the simple house behind the stall, changed her outfit, and helped her mother.

The living space behind the stall was less than 40 square meters, including a tricycle at the entrance, which represented all the possessions of the mother and daughter. The stall at the entrance sold common vegetables and tofu. Xiaohua's mother woke up at 4 a.m. every morning, closing the stall at 5 p.m., earning over a hundred Yuan a day. Their dinner always consisted of simple steamed buns, rice, vegetables, and occasionally a fried egg. 

Relying on this corner, she raised Xiaohua until now.

The film crew quietly filmed on the side, waiting for the end of their day's work. 

Facing the camera, a woman took out her phone and the first thing she said was, "Can you teach me how to make an appointment on my phone?" 

The photographer found it inconvenient to hold the camera, so the female director patiently demonstrated the steps of online appointment to the woman.

On the other side, Yu Cheng and the film crew boarded the rural bus with Huizi. 

Once out of the city, the road was winding and bumpy, causing many male colleagues in the group to experience motion sickness after the bus stopped. Huizi took out a bag of sour jujubes from her backpack, rubbed them on her clothes, and bravely said, "These are sour jujubes from the village's jujube trees. They can help with motion sickness. Would you like to try?" 

Everyone thanked her and took one. The sweet and sour taste filled their mouths, suppressing the nausea.

The previous day had just rained, and the fog lingering in the mountains had not completely dispersed yet. The muddy mountain road was not easy to navigate. After walking for a while, they reached the edge of the village. 

Adjacent to a large area of farmland was the village's junior high school. If it weren't for the simple basketball court and the fluttering national flag in the school, it would have taken some time to connect the simplicity before them with the concept of a junior high school.

This "miniaturized" school consists of only three classes, with students of various ages mixed together, totaling 50 students.

In the middle class, Huizi called out to a girl who was diligently working on her homework. The girl responded with a bright smile and called out "sister," before running towards Huizi with her school bag.

This was Huizi's half-sister from the same mother but different father, Zhaodi.

It was now springtime, and Yu Cheng immediately noticed the chilblains on Zhaodi's swollen hands.

Huizi and Zhaodi lived in the farthest and highest part of the village.

They picked up a few branches and led the filming crew further up. As they walked, the two girls used the branches to beat the grass and trees along the path, speaking little but focusing intently on their task.

"Is this a game you usually play?" Yu Cheng's voice appeared on camera as he asked the first question of their journey.

Zhaodi shook her head, while Huizi replied, "Doing this prevents our clothes from getting wet."

In their memories, playful activities seemed like a distant past.

The entire filming crew was taken aback.

The road was narrow, with tall grass and trees, and the evening dew wetting their clothes; an experience unique to mountain children.

Yu Cheng looked back at the muddy footprints they had left on the path, then continued following the footsteps of Huizi and Zhaodi towards their home.

The journey of going to school and returning home was both difficult and lonely, and their struggles extended far beyond just that.

Upon arrival home, darkness had completely fallen, yet their dilapidated dwelling was still visible. Only the grandparents were present in the house, while the two girls immediately set aside their school bags to start working tirelessly. Huizi began cooking and boiling water, while Zhaodi went to the shed to feed the pigs, chickens, and ducks. These poultry would be sold to a processing factory by the end of the year. 

In the dim light, Zhaodi moistened her dry, peeling lips and her complexion appeared somewhat pale.

Walking the dozen or so steps to the pigsty, Yu Cheng asked Zhaodi a few questions to which she generously responded.

With the answers in mind, Yu Cheng felt a deeper sense of unease settling within him.