"It impressed me to see how well she grasped each girl's traits and learning circumstances, and the sincerity of her desire for a brighter future for each of them," Yuan says emotionally.

The 23-episode series, which aired on China Central Television's CCTV-1 and is still available on the streaming site Tencent Video, continues to make waves online, with related topics attracting more than 350 million views on the popular social media platform Sina Weibo.

Song Huan, director of the Institute of Teacher Education at Beijing Normal University, says that the drama is not just a tribute but also demonstrates China's decades-long dedication to helping underprivileged families through education.

"We need more educators like Zhang. Consistently producing exceptional teachers is crucial for a country to shape future generations. We want more outstanding and dedicated teachers, as well as more popular films and television shows telling their stories," says Song Huan.

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