Tai Hua Supermarket Corporation spent some money to advertise in all the cities where their branches were located. Newspapers + Radio.
At the same time, many interesting articles and comics appeared in the newspaper. The articles were praising the contributions of teachers and their influences on the students. These were all paid articles.
When Tai Hua Supermarket hired people to write these articles, they were puzzled. But when they remembered that Teachers’ Day was around the corner, they felt this was not surprising. Furthermore, they were paid, and their articles were to be published in the newspaper.
Although these people were not used to praise teachers and the teaching profession, they were professional writers. All of them were able to write good articles. But when they showed the drafts to Tai Hua Supermarket. They were all rejected!
What a joke? How can our articles be rejected? We are professionals, and which part of our articles did not meet the standards? If you all are the editors, you can still criticize our articles. Who are you to pick on our articles?
Tai Hua Supermarket only gave one reason. The articles did not express the olden traditions of respecting teachers.
Olden traditions of respecting teachers? What traditions?
Only one smart writer remembered the custom of giving gifts to teachers. It’s going to be Teachers’ Day soon. Could this be the direction where Tai Hua Supermarket wants them to write? Tai Hua Supermarket wants them to make ‘giving gifts to teachers’ as a way to express respect for teachers?
So, this writer wrote a new article based on this direction and Tai Hua Supermarket immediately paid him for his article. His article will be published in the newspaper in many cities.
This writer was only a reporter from a city’s newspaper. He would be famous if his article were published in many cities’ paper.
After this article was published, many other writers understood what Tai Hua Supermarket wanted. They started to check history classics and events and wrote them into their articles. All of them begin to promote this ‘wonderful’ tradition. Finally, their articles were accepted by Tai Hua Supermarkets and were published in various newspapers. The writers were paid handsomely by Tai Hua Supermarket and newspaper agencies.
Look, since ancient times, people are giving teachers gifts. This is a tradition. It is the same as giving gifts during Lunar New Year. This is a custom passed down from the olden times. This is not bribery!
Some parents who had no intention of giving the teachers gifts at first changed their minds. At the same time, they were also cursing these writers.
These people were encouraging teachers to accept gifts!
With these articles published and if we do not give the teachers gifts, we will be seen as not following traditions. If we do not follow traditions, will our children have a good life in school?
Although the schools claim that the teachers will treat every student equally, that’s what the schools claims. Teachers were also humans. Everyone will have preferences, and this is a fact.
How can they make the teachers like their children? One way was the student must be obedient, have good results, and could make the teacher proud. Another approach was to give the teacher gifts.
Now, the parents were thinking about what gifts to give to the teachers. Give gifts like the olden days? In ancient times, gifts to teachers consist of 6 items of great significance. Celery, red beans, preserved meat, etc. This should not work!
If the students were to give the teachers those gifts, the teachers’ families would have to eat celery for more than a month. They will never finish all the celery. But what about other items? In the olden days, people also give Four Treasures of the Study. But in this era, who still practice calligraphy? Many teachers do not even know how to hold the brush. Ballpoint pens? Then it must be a gold pen at least. Which teacher does not have ballpoint pens?
Gifts should be something the other party need and the other party will remember you. But what is a suitable gift? All the parents were troubled over this.
……
“Eh, Old Sun, your son is in the year 3 of high school? It is the teachers’ day soon. Are you going to give the teacher any gift?”
“How can we not give the teacher gifts? The other parents are giving gifts, and if you don’t give the teacher any gifts, do you think our children will have a good life in school? My son is going to take the university entrance exams next year. This year is crucial to him. I must make sure his teacher will not neglect him. Your son is also in the Junior High school final year. You are not going to give the teacher any gifts?”
“I want to give. But I do not know what gifts to get. This is why I am asking you what gift are you giving?”
“Didn’t you read the papers? Tai Hua Supermarket had introduced a shopping card. You can use this card to shop in Tai Hua Supermarket. We are going to give a 500 RMB value card. All my colleagues at my workplace are getting the same thing. Just give the teacher this shopping card. Although it is costly, the teachers will take care of our children.”
“500 RMB? It is very expensive. I am only earning 360 RMB a month.”
“Don’t be stingy. Your wife is also working. Just bear with it for one month. This is a critical period for your son. If he did not go to a good high school, it would be difficult for him to enter a good university. I am going to Tai Hua Supermarket to buy the shopping card now. Are you going?”
“Yes. Wait for me. I need to get money from my wife first.”
……
“Dear, our son is in his final year of high school. He will be graduating this year, and how can he be seated at the back of the class? It is Teachers’ Day soon. I heard from my colleagues that they will be giving their children’s teachers gifts. Should we also give our son’s teacher gift? We must make sure our son gets into university.”
“Ok. But what should we get? His teacher is a guy. How about we give him two bottles of alcohol and two cartons of cigarettes?”
“No. Other people are giving Tai Hua Supermarket shopping cards. With that card, the teacher can buy whatever he needed. The supermarket also sells cigarettes and alcohol.”
“How much should we give?”
“I heard that many parents will be giving 500 RMB shopping cards. We are better off than most of them. Let’s give the 1,000 RMB shopping card!”
“1,000 RMB? Dear, although I am working for an overseas company, my salary is only 800 RMB a month.”
“You still have bonuses. This is for our son’s future. We must give something to let the teacher remember our son. You go and buy a 1,000 RMB value card tomorrow. We will give it to the teacher and also tell him about changing the sitting arrangement for our son.”
“Okay.”
……
“Dear, when you send our son to school tomorrow, pass this card to Teacher Liu.”
“This is Tai Hua Supermarket shopping card? You bought this? How come it is 1,000 RMB card? What can you do with 1,000 RMB? I know you still have a 3,000 RMB card with you. Give Teacher Liu the 3,000 RMB card. You are willing to give your clients so much money, how can you save when it comes to our son?”
“Fine, fine, fine. I will listen to you. I thought that 1,000 RMB is enough. I give my clients gifts is because I can make much more from him. Where do you think our house and our Songjiang Motor car come from? Give these two 3,000 RMB shopping cards to your parents and our parents. Let them get something good for themselves. They are always so thrifty.”
“I know. Our son must be an official in the future. Look at you. You might make a lot of money from doing business, but when you meet those government officials, you still have to bow to them.”
“Stop nagging. I had drunk a lot just now and have a headache. Help me brew a pot of tea.”
“You only know how to order me around. Take off your coat first. I will hang it up. The water is boiled. Go and bath first.” The woman nagged and went to brew tea.
……
Tai Hua Supermarket sold more than 10,000 pieces of 500 RMB shopping cards per branch during the few days before Teachers’ Day. Even Feng Yu did not expect the sales to be so high. The parents in this era were crazy. They will do anything for their children!
