Chapter 960: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 960: The School Opens and Another Freeloader Arrives (1)
Setting aside whatever storm the Zhao family might stir up after Zhao Fengnian “successfully” rescued Fan Meijiao, Mo Yan temporarily let go of the matter after assigning her two birds to keep an eye on the Zhao household. She turned her focus to other affairs.
On the morning of the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, a string of loud firecrackers echoed through the skies above Liuyang Village—the newly built school had officially opened its doors for student registration. This was not only a joyous occasion for Liuyang Village but also for several surrounding villages. All the villagers willing to let their children study set aside their farm work and brought their kids to the school bright and early to sign up.
At that moment, a long queue had already formed at the registration booth.
The two newly hired instructors were overwhelmed with the crowd, so they invited Mo Yan, who was literate and well-versed in writing, to help out.
“Junzhu, this should’ve been the task of Old Master Zeng and me, but we’ve troubled you instead. I, Surnamed Shan, sincerely thank you,” the instructor surnamed Shan said gratefully during a short break while drinking water.
Mo Yan, busy recording the names of children and collecting tuition fees, took a moment to stretch her sore wrists and smiled. “I’m happy to contribute to the school, Master Shan. No need to be so formal! The villagers just call me ‘Yan girl,’ so please call me that too. Calling me ‘Junzhu’ feels a bit awkward.”
“Haha, alright then. I’ll just call you ‘Yan girl’ from now on.” Master Shan, not a stuffy man by nature, saw she wasn’t being polite for the sake of it and readily agreed.
After exchanging a few more light words, Master Shan noticed the other instructor was struggling and quickly excused himself to help.
Watching both instructors patiently speaking to each child despite the intense summer heat without the slightest trace of impatience, Mo Yan nodded to herself, thinking that these two teachers were indeed the right choice.
Just a few days prior, the two instructors had moved into the small courtyards built behind the school specifically for them. One was surnamed Zeng, the other Shan.
Master Zeng was over sixty, with decades of experience in teaching and a particularly effective method of introducing children to their studies. Master Shan, just past his thirties, had failed the imperial exam last fall and remained in the capital city studying while also teaching nearby children. He was open-minded, humorous, and had a unique teaching style that made him well-liked by students.
Both were recruited through Mo Qingze’s effort. After touring Liuyang Village and finding themselves pleased with the environment, they agreed to stay. Learning that the school would provide free housing, they even brought their families with them.
Master Zeng had both a son and a daughter, who had already married and started families of their own. This time, he brought only his wife and a young grandson. Since classes hadn’t officially started, he’d been taking strolls around the village with them, and over a few days, he had grown even more fond of the lush scenery and the village’s honest folk.
Master Shan, not originally from the capital, had lost his wife to childbirth when she delivered their daughter. Over the years, for various reasons, he had never remarried and raised his daughter on his own. They had previously rented a place in the city, but everything there came with a price. Most of his annual stipend went into rent, and what little was left often went to buying books. Life was financially tight. Now that his daughter was twelve and only a few years away from marriage, he still hadn’t managed to prepare a proper dowry.
Though the salary the school offered wasn’t higher than what he earned in the city, the free housing and food were a great benefit. This meant he could finally start saving. Very satisfied with the arrangement, he decisively brought his daughter, Shan Zhen, along.
With villagers still lining up at the table, Mo Yan glanced up, then refocused on her task, accepting the registration fees and recording children’s names in the register.
To leave a good impression on the teachers, the villagers wore the best clothes they usually only brought out during the New Year. They had also dressed their children in new outfits. Many carried baskets of eggs, live chickens, or even heavy strips of pork—gifts intended for the two instructors.
(End of Chapter)
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