Chapter 153 Students Arrive

Apart from Li Ergou's parents who were miserable every day, no one else cared about his exile.

After all, the villagers were too busy to engage in gossip. Even the women who often sat and chatted under the banyan tree hadn't been able to get together for several days.

The papermaking workshop officially started operation, and the hired villagers had to go to work every day and had no time to take care of their families.

This means that the family has one less laborer to work, so in order not to delay this year's farm work, the others can only get up early and work late.

I go out in the dim morning light and return home tired until deep into the night. The fields are full of busy figures.

The village chief was even busier and more exhausted.

His house needed to be rebuilt urgently. At the same time, as the key person in charge of the papermaking workshop, he had to take care of all the affairs of the workshop at all times.

Amidst all these complicated matters, he really couldn't spare the time to help Gu Jiayue find a hillside suitable for planting mulberry trees.

Gu Jiayue understood and did not urge the village chief.

Now wasn't the best time to plant mulberry trees. She figured if she could find a suitable site ahead of time, she could compost it and be fully prepared for planting next spring. After all, planning ahead pays off.

Unfortunately, the village chief was too busy to spare any time, and Gu Jiayue herself was caught in a vortex of busyness.

This is because the students from Wutong Academy and Huaqing Academy have already arrived in Taohua Village.

Twenty people came from Wutong Academy, and ten people came from Huaqing Academy.

All of these students have passed the examination for the title of Tongsheng and are now fully preparing for the academy examination in April next year.

The only reason why I came to this remote little village to study was for Jiang Luli.

Su Yichen frowned unconsciously as he got off the carriage.

The dilapidated, bumpy roads and the small, cramped, and somewhat shabby school—none of them satisfied him.

He really couldn't understand why Jiang Shanchang, who was usually unattainable and whom he admired so much, chose to stay in this remote place.

While Wutong Academy couldn't compare to the renowned Huaqing Academy, it was still large, with a large student body and a rich academic atmosphere. Meanwhile, this so-called Qiushi Academy, aside from a group of grimy, plainly dressed young men, seemed to have nothing at all. It was a far cry from his ideal university.

"Okay, the dean said a long time ago that you don't have to come, but you were determined to come with me. Now that you are here, don't look so bitter and resentful. If the dean sees you, you will be in trouble." Su Yichen's good friend Chen Shuyan touched his arm lightly and couldn't help but persuade him softly.

"If you really can't stand this environment, you can go back now while Brother Chen and the others are still at Wutong Academy. You can return to Kyoto with them and avoid suffering here."

Chen Shuyan knew that his friend had grown up in a privileged environment, a pampered and spoiled lifestyle that inevitably led to a certain whiff of a spoiled brat. He also held Jiang Luli in immense admiration, and since entering Huaqing Academy, he had made it his mission to uphold the headmaster's reputation, easily becoming overwhelmed by his concerns.

"Hmph, I'm just curious. I want to come and see what kind of magic there is that can make the headmaster stay here willingly." Su Yichen snorted lightly, with a hint of arrogance in his tone.

After saying that, he strode forward.

Seeing this, Chen Shuyan could only shake his head helplessly and quickly catch up.

They are just ordinary students who were able to enter Huaqing Academy by luck. How can they be qualified to judge the choice of the dean?

Su Yichen really takes himself too seriously. If he continues like this, he might get into trouble.

Unlike these newly arrived and picky Kyoto students, Zhang Sheng felt like a torch lit as soon as he stepped into Taohua Village, his excitement barely contained.

He was familiar with everything here, as if it were his second home. He led the way towards the school, enthusiastically explaining everything to the dozen or so students from Wutong Academy behind him.

"Look, this is a faucet. Lift up this bamboo pole and clear water will flow out. It's very convenient." Zhang Sheng said as he demonstrated it himself.

"All the people living in this building are girls. We must not come here unless we have something to do. We must abide by the rules."

"This is the classroom where we'll be having classes from now on. It's spacious and bright inside. You'll definitely love it once you get inside."

The group walked into the yard, talking and laughing, and happened to run into Gu Jiayue who was about to go out to greet them.

Zhang Sheng was the first to stop, straighten his clothes, and respectfully performed a standard bow. "Greetings, Principal Gu and Principal Jiang."

Seeing this, the students behind him also followed suit and saluted.

Su Yichen stood there in a daze.

His eyes were fixed on Gu Jiayue who was standing next to Jiang Luli, his eyes full of shock and confusion.

Before they came, no one told them that the principal of the Qiushi School was actually a woman, and such a young and beautiful woman.

The ten students from Huaqing Academy had strange eyes, some openly, some furtively, as they sized up Jiang Luli and Gu Jiayue.

A bold idea popped up in their minds at the same time.

No wonder a prince of a county was willing to give up the prosperity of Kyoto and stay in this remote countryside! It turns out that it was all because of love!

They felt they had discovered a shocking secret!

Gu Jiayue didn't notice the subtle exchange of glances between them. Her eyes swept over the thirty energetic students in front of her, and a heartfelt smile bloomed on her face.

That smile is like the spring sun, warm and bright.

In her eyes, these students are the educational value she can obtain in the future.

"There's no need to be so polite, students. It must be very tiring for you to come all the way from Juzhou. Mr. Zhang, you are the most familiar with the academy. Please take you students downstairs to rest first." Gu Jiayue's voice was gentle and kind, like a clear mountain spring flowing in everyone's heart.

Zhang Sheng was extremely flattered. Director Gu actually remembered his name!

In his excitement, his face instantly turned red like a ripe apple, and he stammered, "Yes."

Then he turned to face the crowd and raised his voice. "My classmates, please follow me."

Zhang Sheng brought everyone to their residence.

After Dean Min left, Gu Jiayue instructed Hu Zi to fully equip the dormitory.

Qiushi Academy has a total of ten dormitory buildings, numbered sequentially starting from A.

Each building has two floors, with three rooms on each floor. Each room is spacious and comfortable and can accommodate two people. In this way, one building can accommodate twelve people.

This time, Zhang Sheng and his group consisted of only thirty people.

Gu Jiayue was thoughtful and allowed each of them to choose a room.

They were the only ones occupying these rooms anyway, so leaving them empty would be a waste. It would be better to make them more comfortable. Furthermore, ten of them were from Kyoto, and a closer look revealed several of them to be from well-off families. Living a life of luxury, they certainly wouldn't want to share a room with others. Rather than a future conflict over accommodation, it would be better to nip any seeds of conflict in the bud.

Everyone came to the small courtyard. Although the courtyard was not big, it was filled with a fresh and elegant atmosphere.

The courtyard is meticulously planted with plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, beloved by scholars and poets. They sway gently in the breeze, as if welcoming visitors from afar. The rooms are decorated with beautifully trimmed potted plants, adding a touch of vitality and vibrancy to the space.

Su Yichen's brows, which had been furrowed since he entered Taohua Village, finally relaxed slowly at this moment.

He nodded slightly. "Although this courtyard is not big, it has everything it needs, and it has a unique charm."

Chen Shuyan also nodded and said sincerely: "Although Shanzhang Gu is a woman, she has really done her best to arrange for us."

From the flowers and plants in the yard to the layout of the room, everything reveals the care taken.

"Hmph, I don't believe a woman can be very knowledgeable. I think she has ulterior motives in setting up this school!" Su Yichen suddenly snorted coldly, and that look of disdain appeared on his face again.

Especially when he thought of the scene where he saw Gu Shanzhang and Jiang Luli standing together, he felt a mixture of emotions and was very upset.

In his heart, Jiang Luli is a role model admired by all scholars, and Gu Jiayue is just a country woman. How can she be worthy of being the headmaster?

Besides, opening a school like this requires a lot of money. How could she, an ordinary woman, get so much money? Maybe she had cheated it from Jiang Shanchang.

He has seen many women like this. They shout slogans of women's self-reliance and self-improvement all day long, but in fact they are still dependent on men and have no real talents or knowledge.

"Brother Su, please don't say anything nonsense. Principal Min said that Principal Gu is a man of great talent and we should respect him." Chen Shuyan felt helpless about his friend's outspokenness and patiently comforted him.

"Respect? That depends on whether she has real ability!" After saying this, Su Yichen ignored Chen Shuyan, picked up his bag and strode into the room on the left.

He secretly swore in his heart that he must find a way to make Jiang Shanchang see the true face of this woman and not let Shanchang be deceived by her.

Chen Shuyan looked at his friend's departing back and prayed silently in his heart, hoping that Brother Su would not do anything impulsive or wrong.

In order to be able to advise his friend at any time and prevent him from making mistakes, Chen Shuyan considered again and again and finally chose the room on the right next to Su Yichen.

Walking into the room, Shen Shuyan looked around and saw that the layout was very simple.

Upon entering, there's a table and chairs, likely used for dining and entertaining guests. Further in, there's an exquisite screen, and two separate wardrobes are placed side by side, cleverly dividing the interior into two separate spaces, ensuring privacy while maintaining practicality. At the head of the bed, next to the window, sits a desk, neatly arranged with the four essentials of the study: brushes, inkstones, paper, and inkstone.

Although Chen Shuyan was from Kyoto, his family was poor, even worse off than the villagers in Taohua Village.

The villagers of Taohua Village at least had their own land, and through hard work they could eke out a living. But his family, on the other hand, didn't have a single inch of land, so they had to work the land for a high-ranking official in Kyoto. Every year, after their hard work, the official took 60% of the rent, leaving the meager income barely enough to support the family.

Normally speaking, a family like his would have no chance to learn to read and write.

But he was smart since he was young. Once, the wife of a high-ranking official came to inspect the village, and unfortunately it rained heavily, so she stayed at his house to take shelter from the rain.

At that time, the wife and the maid were worried about a problem in an account book, and the discussion was very intense. The young Chen Shuyan, who was just listening, pointed out the problem with keen insight.

The lady was very curious about this and started chatting with him. It was during this conversation that she found out that he was smart and quick-witted. The lady was moved by his talent and decided to sponsor his studies.

In this way, Chen Shuyan had the opportunity to change his destiny.

He was grateful to the lady from the bottom of his heart, and from then on he made up his mind to study hard, make a name for himself as soon as possible, and repay the lady's kindness in the future.

Therefore, Chen Shuyan was not dissatisfied with the layout and size of the room. Instead, he felt it was particularly warm.

The bed was thoughtfully placed with brand new bedding, and the sheets and quilts were neatly folded, ready for him to fall asleep peacefully as long as he made them up.

He didn't have much stuff, so he put it all away quickly and there still felt like there was plenty of space in the room.

"Brother Chen! Brother Chen!" At this moment, Su Yichen rushed into Chen Shuyan's room from the opposite room.

Before he arrived, his voice came in first. As soon as he entered the door, he began to complain non-stop: "Brother Shen, don't you think this room is too small? It's not even as big as the room of my servants. With this environment, I really can't live here." Su Yichen looked left and right with disdain as he spoke, as if everything in this room disgusted him extremely.

"I said that Principal Gu is not a good person. He cheated so much money from Principal Jiang but was reluctant to use it for school construction. Humph! Hypocritical." Su Yichen became more and more excited as he spoke, and the dissatisfaction on his face became more and more obvious.

"If you can't accommodate me, get the hell back to Kyoto!"