"I'm staying at the guesthouse for now. I'll go rent a place tomorrow, and it should be settled within three days."

Liu Yunwan answered truthfully.

"Why stay at an inn? Here's what I'll do: I'll have a servant accompany your maid to an inn later to fetch your luggage. You can stay in my courtyard tonight, and we'll go to the county government office first thing tomorrow morning to get your household registration sorted out. How about that? You can sleep with me tonight, and we can have a good chat."

Yan Xia suggested.

"Oh? I'm so sorry, but I'll just stay at the inn." Liu Yunwan was too embarrassed to stay at Yan Xia's house, so she quickly declined.

“It’s settled then. If you consider me a good friend, then listen to me. Come on, let’s go back to the second courtyard.” Yan Xia grabbed Liu Yunwan’s hand and they went to the second courtyard together.

Then he sent Xiao Ji with two servants to accompany Nan'er back to the inn to retrieve her luggage.

Night gradually fell, and the stars filled the sky.

It was getting late, and Yan Xia and Liu Yunwan, having finished their baths, were lying on a bed together.

Nan'er slept with Xiao Ji.

There was only one candle in the room.

The lighting was dim, and only the faces of the people could be vaguely seen.

"Sister Liu, I want to start a girls' school." Yan Xia's words stunned Liu Yunwan.

"A girls' school?" She thought she had misheard and repeated Yan Xia's words.

"Yes, I want to buy a piece of land and build a school. This school is for women only, and all the teachers, as well as those responsible for cleaning and cooking, will be women. Do you think that's feasible?"

Yan Xia wanted to do something for the women of this world.

"I have never seen or heard of a school for girls. To be honest, I can read because my parents spoiled me, and I also owe it to my brother. My brother didn't like studying, and whenever it was time to go to school, he would sneak out of the school to play, which caused my parents to be scolded by the teacher every day. Later, my parents simply hired a teacher to come to our home to teach, and he also taught me. However, since the teacher saw that I was a girl, he only taught me to read and didn't teach me anything else."

Liu Yunwan's pupils were somewhat vacant as she recalled the past.

"Therefore, I would like to ask you to join the introductory class to teach the newly enrolled girls to read and write, and to become a female teacher. I would also like to ask you to help me see if you have any educated friends who are willing to take up the position."

It's just an introductory class; it doesn't require much academic knowledge, just like a modern preschool.

Since Yan Xia wanted to start a school, she naturally needed more staff. Liu Yunwan also needed a job, so she might as well do her a favor.

Give her a hand.

Moreover, after getting to know Liu Yunwan for a while, Yan Xia discovered that she was cheerful and optimistic, independent and confident, and never felt inferior because she was a woman.

Even in modern times, she can blend in perfectly and seems more like a modern person.

Yan Xia felt that she was the perfect person to be the teacher.

"Me, me, a female tutor? Am I capable? I only know a few characters, how could I be qualified to be a tutor?" Liu Yunwan pointed to herself with her index finger, her face full of self-doubt and disbelief.

“If I say you can do it, then you can. It’s just an introductory class, just teaching children the basics and simple character recognition is enough. I plan to set up three classes: an introductory class, an advanced class, and a graduation class.”

Since the school hasn't been built yet and it's unknown how many students it can enroll, Yan Xia is only opening classes at three levels for the time being, with two classes at each level and one or two female teachers assigned to each class.

"Then I'll listen to you. You think I'm capable, so if I refuse, wouldn't I be ungrateful? Thank you, Sister Yan, you've given me the courage to live."

The two leaned against the bed, pillows against their waists. Through the dim candlelight, Yan Xia could see that Liu Yunwan's eyes were red and her voice was nasal when she spoke.

“If you have any friends who have studied, you can introduce them. I’m planning to invite Sister Qian to come too.”

If Qian Yulan comes, then the number of female tutors in the introductory class will be just about enough.

However, there's still a long way to go before reaching the advanced study class and the graduating class.

Here, there are very few women who are literate and knowledgeable.

They were mostly daughters of prominent families or from scholarly backgrounds.

Why would a woman like that show her face in public to teach at a school? Thinking of this, Yan Xia was speechless.

"Speaking of this, I really remembered someone, a good friend I grew up with, named Feng Lanlan, who was also my neighbor. She married and moved to Shuxian, a more remote county, a year before me. Her father was a bit old, and Lanlan was born late in life. After he passed away, her brother sold the family house. I heard that her brother went to Jiangnan County to make a living. During that time, when I went back to my parents' home to visit relatives, she came back once. Seeing that the owner of the house had changed, she even came to my parents' home and sat for a while."

We chatted for about half an hour, and she left without even eating. Lanlan loves reading; she especially loves coming to my house to look at my brother's books. She's very knowledgeable, and even my brother's tutor praised her. My brother's books are practically brand new if Lanlan hadn't already looked through them. However, it takes at least half a day to get from Shuangqiao Town to Shuxian, even at top speed, so Lanlan might not come. Besides, I haven't seen her in a long time.

Liu Yunwan sighed.

"It's alright, the school isn't built yet. Even if it is, it won't be until next year. Here's what we'll do: once your household registration is settled and you're settled in, I'll send a groom to take you to Shuxian County. Ask her if she's willing to come. The school definitely needs to build dormitories. What if girls from other places come to study and have nowhere to stay? That would be inconvenient. You can talk to her about it. The school is willing to give her four days off every month and send a groom to pick her up and drop her off. But none of this is urgent. Go as soon as possible so she has time to consider it. Remember to leave her an address so she can find you if she decides to come back."

Although Yan Xia is an impatient person, she knows that some things cannot be rushed.

"Okay, I understand."

After Liu Yunwan finished answering, the two chatted for a while longer before blowing out the candles and preparing to go to sleep.

Xiao Ji and Nan'er had already fallen asleep.

Yan Xia and Liu Yunwan listened to the maids' breathing and fell asleep as well.

"Selling steamed buns!"

"Pancakes, hot pancakes—"

"These vegetables are freshly picked, so fresh! Come and buy some!"

The morning sun shines on the stone-paved road in Shuangqiao Town, and the air is filled with a thin layer of mist, slightly cool and damp.

The streets began to bustle with activity. The loud cries of vendors pierced through the walls and reached the homes of the residents along the street. Before long, the stalls were surrounded by people. Some sat down and started eating right away, while others took large bowls or basins and bought lots of buns and pancakes to take home.

The back doors of the houses near the river were open, and women and maids were squatting by the river washing clothes in basins. The river water in Shuangqiao Town was crystal clear, and if you looked closely, you could vaguely see fish the size of fingernails swimming happily in the river.