"I am wearing it!" Hearing this, the child tore open the outer collar of his shirt to reveal the clothes underneath. "I am wearing it underneath. This way it is warm and not easy to dirty the new clothes."

"Then why don't you wear shoes?" Wu Deyong asked again.

The child replied: "The shoes are too new, I don't want to wear them."

Ye Hongyun asked, "Aren't you cold without shoes? Won't your feet get frostbite?"

The child replied, "It's okay. I've already got frostbite. It will be fine when the weather gets warmer."

Zhang Hulan said, "You better put on your shoes. Otherwise, the county magistrate will think I'm abusing you, and it will be troublesome for him to punish me."

Zhang Hulan pointed at Wu Deyong and Ye Hongyun and introduced them, "These are our county's magistrate and his wife. After hearing about you, the magistrate and his wife came to visit you."

The child was startled and immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "I greet the county magistrate... I greet the county magistrate's wife..."

Wu Deyong helped the child up, patted the child's shoulder gently, and said: "Since you are here, you should work hard. Madam Zhang is a very good person. It is your blessing to have Madam Zhang take you in."

The child nodded heavily, "Yes, we will work hard! We will remember the madam's kindness."

The child's voice was very loud. When I heard the child calling "County Magistrate" and "Madam Magistrate" and kneeling down, all the children nearby knelt down and kowtowed.

Wu Deyong asked everyone to stand up. Then he saw what was planted in the field and asked Zhang Hulan, "Are these lotus roots?"

Zhang Hulan nodded, "Yes. I'll have someone go to Jiangyuan Prefecture to buy the seeds back."

Wu Deyong was also curious about why Zhang Hulan planted so many lotus roots.

Zhang Hulan explained it again, and Wu De's eyes flickered.

"Zhang, are you serious? Can this really be used to make vermicelli?"

Zhang Hulan said, "It should be possible. I will know after trying it after the harvest in the second half of the year."

Wu Deyong said, "Sure. If vermicelli can really be made, I will promote it vigorously. This may help increase the income of the people in this county."

"To be honest, some villagers in our village will also join us in planting. They can sell the lotus roots to me, or they can make vermicelli and sell it. This way, everyone can make some money."

After hearing this, Wu Deyong looked at Zhang Hulan approvingly and said, "Zhang, your idea is very good. If this is true, the lives of the people in our county will be much better. You are not only taking care of your own livelihood, but also thinking about bringing everyone together. This is indeed a righteous act."

Zhang Hulan quickly waved her hand modestly, "Your Excellency, I am too kind. I just thought that everyone's life is not easy. If I can find a way to make money from these lotus roots, it will be better than just guarding those few acres of thin land to make a living."

Zhang Hulan then talked about the many benefits of dry lotus root, such as high yield, drought resistance, and no diseases or insect pests, etc.

Wu Deyong felt that the lotus root was indeed a good thing. When Zhang Hulan grew it this season, if it could really be made into vermicelli, he would definitely promote it to the whole county.

Wu Deyong and Ye Hongyun followed Zhang Hulan around the farm and then prepared to go back.

Ye Hongyun said, "I'll have someone send some frostbite cream to those children later, as a token of my appreciation."

Zhang Hulan brought the children to express her gratitude: "Thank you very much, Madam!"

Ye Hongyun waved his hand and said, "What is there to thank me for? I haven't done as much as you have."

Wu Deyong also said: "Is there anything you need help with? If so, please let me know."

Zhang Hulan was not polite at all and asked with a smile: "Anything is OK?"

Wu Deyong said hurriedly, "Don't go too far. I will help if I can, but I won't agree to help if I can't."

Zhang Hulan thought for a moment and said, "My Lord, County Magistrate, to be honest, I do have something I would like to ask for your help."

"What's the matter? Tell me."

Zhang Hulan said, "Sir, there are no schools in the villages near Daping Village. I want to open a school in Daping Village so that children from nearby villages can study."

"You want to open a school?"

Wu Deyong and Ye Hongyun looked at Zhang Hulan in surprise.

Zhang Hulan nodded, "Yes, I want to open a school in the village.

There are many children in the nearby villages, but very few of them go to school.

Firstly, the family conditions did not allow it, and secondly, there was no school nearby.

I think children still need to study. I don’t expect everyone to pass the imperial examination and become an official, but it’s good for them to know more words.

Many people say that the people are ignorant. The vast majority of them have never been to school and have not learned any profound principles.

If the people were allowed to receive education and learn etiquette and morality, would they still be ignorant?

It’s not that people don’t want to study, it’s that they don’t have the opportunity.

Take our Daping Village for example. This year, by following me to grow lotus roots, we can earn some money by the end of the year. In addition, if I hire villagers to work, they can also earn some money.

Now that their families are better off, they probably want their children to be able to go to school.”

Zhang Hulan pointed at the dozens of children working in the fields and said, "As for them, if conditions permit, I plan to let them work half a day and read half a day every day.

Children are the future of a country. Maybe one of these children will become a scholar in the future.

If this scholar is really promising, he might be able to train a talent for the court.

To set up an enlightenment school, at least there must be a scholar as the teacher.

I’m afraid that no scholar would be willing to come to this remote place to teach.

So I would like to ask you for help, to see if I can invite you."

Wu Deyong once again looked at Zhang Hulan with new eyes. This village woman's ideological awareness was really extraordinary. She was thinking about training talents for the court?

It’s just that it’s difficult for a poor family to produce a noble son, so Wu Deyong didn’t say this out loud.

Of course, the emperor hopes that all of his subjects are talented, and some scholars also hope that the whole world is full of students.

But some aristocratic families would not think so, and they would not allow such a situation to happen. They would not care if there were only one or two, but if there were too many noble sons from poor families, they would oppose it, as it would not benefit their aristocratic families at all. Unless those noble sons from poor families join them...

It was just a small village, and Wu Deyong felt that it was difficult to produce any talents, so there was nothing wrong with setting up a few more schools.

Wu Deyong said: "I will ask for you, but I don't think any young scholar would be willing to teach in the countryside.

I will post a notice outside the county government office first. If no one is willing to come, I will help you find someone else."

Zhang Hulan quickly thanked him: "Thank you very much, sir!"