Chen Qiuju, 25, has been teaching for eight years at the Leyang Primary School in Lezhi county, Ziyang city of Sichuan province. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.com.cn]

Chen Qiuju, 25, has been teaching at a village school in Sichuan Province for eight years, ever since she graduated from a local teachers' training school. She has devoted herself heart and soul to the children in this rural area.

Leyang Primary School, where Chen teaches, is located about 300 kilometers from the county town of Lezhi in Ziyang city. Built in 1978, the school currently has 16 teaching and administrative staff with an average age of 48. Chen is the school's youngest teacher.

There are a total of 268 students from nine villages in the area. Though her main duty is teaching Chinese, Chen is also in charge of the fifth grade and sixth grades. It's not hard to imagine how busy she is every day.

The students' family situations differ to some extent. Nearly two-thirds of the 37 students in the fifth grade are children left behind by parents seeking jobs in far away cities, and most come from single-child families.

As a passionate teacher, Chen is very familiar with the family background of each student she teaches. She thinks it is the duty of a teacher to pass on knowledge to students and let them know how to best conduct themselves in society.

"Children are easily spoiled by parents, and they are more willing to do as they are told by their teachers," said Chen, adding that "many rural children nowadays actually have enough to eat and wear and only lack care and love." This situation makes her feel a greater responsibility to educate students in a well-rounded way.

The students in Chen's classes are mostly equal in terms of academic performance, so Chen pays more attention to moral education. "I hope my students will become people who know gratitude, hard work and love," she said.

Chen's father and grandfather were village teachers, too. Her parents currently live in the province's Luzhou city. She said her grandfather in particular has given her lots of advice and help throughout her teaching career, for which she is very grateful.

The beautiful young teacher has wide interests. She likes literature, photography, travel and online shopping. On weekends, she likes to go fishing and have picnics with her friends.

As the old saying goes, long-time friends hate to part. Chen has given up two chances to work in the county seat, reluctant as she is to leave her school and her students. Looking at the great changes that have taken place in the past few years, she is full of hope for the future of her school, her students and herself.