Chapter 138 Different Strategies

"Daddy, Mommy, this 'Women's College' is horrible. They're actually using Gu women from Southern Xinjiang to guard the gate. I want to drop out!"

Although Shi Xiangxiang had prepared a lot of words in her mind, when she saw her parents, the first sentence she said involuntarily was what she wanted to say most.

Her eyes were red and tears were welling up in them, and there was a hint of grievance and fear in her voice.

Shi Shengsheng always followed her elder sister's lead, and seeing her elder sister like this, she couldn't help it.

Tears instantly burst out like a dam bursting, flowing uncontrollably: "Daddy, Mommy, we are so scared."

The governor's wife was immediately distressed and quickly turned to look at her husband cautiously. "Master, how about letting Xiangxiang and Shengsheng drop out of school? Our daughters don't need to rely on some academy to enhance their brilliance."

The teachers and students are all concerned about their daughter and do not want to conflict with his wife.

However, in his heart, there are many things more important than his daughter. Teacher Shengmin pondered in his heart, his eyes shifting slightly.

The servant then bowed and handed over a thin list of secret recipes: "Madam, please take a look at this first."

"This is..." The governor's wife looked puzzled, but still took the thin paper from the servant.

The Governor's wife also came from a prominent family, so she naturally knew what any of the secret recipes mentioned above meant. "Master, are these true?"

Teachers and students nodded and said, "Xiangxiang and Shengsheng can return to school as usual after their rest. In the future, you should show more respect to the Fan family and that woman!"

The governor's wife was quite dissatisfied. "Master, let me be frank. With so many secret recipes, any one of them could create a new aristocratic family. Chu Ci was just an unfavored member of the Chu family before. Where on earth did she get so many secret recipes?"

Upon hearing this, the teacher and the student's eyes suddenly became stern, "Madam, if you want to die, don't implicate me."

Upon hearing this, Yuan felt even more aggrieved: "Master, how could you become so cowardly now? Even a large number of ants can kill an elephant. Besides, you are the governor of Lianzhou, Lianzhou..."

Before Yuan could finish her words, there was a loud bang, and the teacher and student slammed their chopsticks to the ground. "Yuan, I've warned you, don't let me get you killed!"

Once again being humiliated by her husband as a servant, Yuan's eyes flushed slightly, tears welling up in them, and her voice trembled slightly: "Master, what do you mean? I'm only thinking about our family, but you treat me like this..."

Shishengmin and Yuan were a young couple, and they were very sad to see his wife crying so hard.

His heart suddenly softened and he waved to the servant behind him, who then told the maids and servants in the room to leave.

When only the four members of the Shi family were left in the room, Shi Shengmin sighed and said, "Madam, have you forgotten everything I said to you before?"

Although Yuan's eyes were filled with tears, she quickly controlled her own temper when she saw that the teachers, students and people had calmed down.

She tried to think, and soon she recalled the conversation between them after the banquet. "Master, are you saying that the emperor is behind Chu Ci?"

Shi Shengmin shook his head and said, "Even if the emperor has the ability to go against all the noble families, he will not do so."

"Then..." Yuan was delighted to hear that the answer was different from what she had guessed. Just as she was about to speak, her daughter Shi Xiangxiang stopped her. "Mother, please listen to what father has to say first."

Upon hearing this, the teachers and students gave Shi Xiangxiang an admiring look.

Then he said, "Ever since I learned about the deal between Chu Ci and General Yuan, I have investigated privately. But I have tried every possible method and could not find the origin of the items in Chu Ci's hands."

"I only vaguely heard that Chu was adopted by a powerful, hidden family when she was young, but when I looked up the 'flower-growing' clan, I couldn't find any information at all. Madam, Xiangxiang, Shengsheng, do you know what this means?"

After hearing this, Shi Xiangxiang's heart trembled. She said, "My daughter understands. Either the Chu family's identity is questionable and everything is fake; or the 'flower-growing' family is too powerful, so powerful that it surpasses all the aristocratic families in the Great Zhou Dynasty, including the royal family."

After coming to this conclusion, most of the little thoughts in the governor's wife's mind immediately disappeared.

But the teacher and the student felt that this was not enough, and said, "Madam, I once said that Chu Ci holds the imperial sword bestowed by the emperor, so he can kill first and report later."

At this moment, not only the wife of the governor, but even the sisters of the master's family felt weak.

Shi Xiangxiang asked anxiously, "Father, what about Yun Guo..."

Shi Xiangxiang was extremely worried, fearing that Chu Ci would use the Yun Guo incident to deal with the Shi family.

Teacher Shengmin understood his daughter's concerns. "Don't worry, the matter is over. You sisters can stay in the Women's College in peace from now on. If what's written here is true, I will give you each 30% of the secret recipe's profits."

Similar conversations occur in many students' homes.

This is naturally also the strategy formulated by Chu Ci against officials, aristocratic families, and wealthy families.

As for common women, Chu Ci's method was more direct. She asked Xiao'er to make a special trip and buy peppers at the price of fifty cents per catty in front of the students who were taking the cooking class.

Isn’t this the chili pepper they use in class every day?

Immediately, someone with a quick mind approached Fan Qianxi, who was teaching, and asked, "Teacher, can these peppers be grown at home?"

Fan Qianxi nodded and said, "Of course."

But just as the students were rejoicing, Fan Qianxi changed the subject: "But before planting, you must be familiar with every step of pepper cultivation, as well as the diseases and pests that may be encountered during the pepper cultivation process. After all, we can't ruin the reputation of the academy, right?"

"Yes." Those who were among the first group to be sent to the academy all came from well-off families. Therefore, not only were they not anxious, but they were actually motivated to fight.

And this is exactly what Chu Ci and Fan Qianxi had agreed upon.

The effect is surprisingly good.

As a result, the news spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and many people told their family and friends about it after returning home.

Fifty cents per pound. Even if more people grow it in the future and the price is not as high as it is now, it is still a considerable income for the people who make a living from the land!

The more they thought about it, the more excited they became. Many families who learned the news began to think about sending their daughters to the "Future Girls' College".

Of course, there are pros and cons.

There are also many families who favor boys over girls and are complaining about why the "Future Women's College" does not accept boys.

Some even maliciously speculated that the teachers of the "Future Women's College" opened such a college because they were abandoned and unwanted.

At first, such remarks were only spread by gossipers when they were bored.

Since it didn't reach his ears, Chu Ci pretended not to know.

Until one morning, a woman who was so thin that she was almost skin and bones and covered with patches on her body knelt at the gate of the college.