The wave of school dropouts

Little Bull "gloriously" dropped out of school and became his father's "exclusive page" and "cooking apprentice".

The news was like a scalding pebble thrown into the calm pond in the Shen family's courtyard.

The incident caused a huge uproar, especially among the young children who liked to earn pocket money at the Shen family's workshop.

In just a few days, the threshold of Ling Zhan's house was almost worn flat by the footsteps.

More than twenty children, ranging from five or six years old with snotty noses to teenagers who were starting to grow and looked a bit like little adults, lined up and crowded together at the gate of the courtyard, looking longingly inside.

Their faces were filled with the same sentiment—"I don't want to go to school anymore!"

Shen Yan was stunned by the spectacle.

I almost dropped the copy of the Great Zhou Code in my hand.

Looking at the faces at the door—some aggrieved, some stubborn, and some simply there for the fun—he felt utterly overwhelmed.

These children usually spend their mornings studying with the old Taoist priest and their afternoons helping out in the workshop, moving cotton or handing over tools. They are quite quick and obedient. Why is it that they act like they are going to the execution ground whenever the topic of going to the county school comes up?

What surprised him even more was Ling Zhan's attitude.

Surprisingly, the usually quiet matriarch of the household did not directly chase these "troublesome" little ones away.

She moved that familiar square stool and sat down under the old locust tree not far from the courtyard gate.

Without a word, he simply swept his gaze calmly over each child with eyes that seemed to pierce through to the heart.

The children were initially hesitant.

But inspired by the success of Little Bull, they all mustered up their courage.

"Mother! The teacher at school is too fierce! He even hit my hand yesterday!"

An eleven-year-old girl with pigtails pouted and showed her palm.

Ling Zhan's gaze lingered for a moment on her clean palm, which didn't even have a red mark, but he didn't say anything.

"Mom! It recognizes those words, but I don't recognize them! It's giving me a headache!"

A chubby-faced boy rubbed his head, as if he had really been hurt by the words.

"Mom, my butt is so sore from sitting in school! I... I want to go to the workshop and move cotton! That's more tiring!" a tall, thin boy shouted, his face flushed.

"My dad said that studying is useless, it's better to learn a trade as soon as possible!" a seven or eight-year-old child muttered softly.

"The school food is terrible..." another voice added timidly.

The reasons were varied, and the cries, shouts, and complaints mingled together, making Chen Yan's sunbeams throb.

He couldn't help but want to speak, but was stopped by Ling Zhan's extremely indifferent gaze.

She listened without any impatience or judgment on her face, her gaze falling on each child who spoke, as if carefully measuring the true weight behind their words.

Its calm demeanor was like a silent rock, remaining steadfast despite the splashing water around it.

Finally, the last child finished calling out, and only heavy breathing and anxious waiting remained in the courtyard.

Ling Zhan's gaze swept across the entire room, his voice not loud, but clearly suppressing all other noises.

"The school isn't good, I don't want to go. Then, what do you want to do?"

The question was posed like a stone thrown into boiling water, causing the surface to become eerily calm instantly.

The children looked at each other.

The face that had been so confident just moments before was now filled with confusion.

What do you want to do?

"I...I..."

The boy who said moving cotton was tiring opened his mouth, but he couldn't think of anything else besides "moving cotton".

The child who said studying was useless had a wandering look in his eyes, as if he himself wasn't quite sure.

Those who complained about the food lowered their heads and started picking at their fingers. Before their father took them in, they had to beg or fight with dogs for food.

They were simply instinctively resisting the constraints and frustrations of school, and were tempted by the "freedom" of the little bull.

As for what I really want, and what I want to become in the future?

A state of chaos.

That vague thought, under Ling Zhan's direct questioning, was as fragile as morning mist, instantly dissipating without a trace.

Looking at the blank and confused faces, Ling Zhan understood.

She stood up, and an invisible pressure rose with her, causing all the children to unconsciously hold their breath.

"Listen."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight, clearly reaching each child's ears, "Before the age of ten, follow Master Xuan Chenzi and learn the entire 'Thousand Character Classic.' You must be able to write the characters and understand their meaning. This is the bare minimum. After the age of ten—"

She paused, her sharp gaze sweeping over the older children: "Two paths. Either continue to school and learn the principles you're meant to understand, or—"

The children's hearts jumped instantly, especially those around ten years old, whose eyes shone with an astonishing light.

"—Find what you truly want to do. If you want to learn carpentry, go find Carpenter Li in the west of the village and see if he takes on apprentices; if you want to learn blacksmithing, squat outside the blacksmith shop in the west of town and see if they want apprentices to tend the fire; if you want to learn farming, your mother and older sister Da Ya can teach you, but you'll have to start with weeding and watering. Whichever path you choose, once you've figured it out, tell me, and,"

She emphasized, "Show me first. Not just talk, but actually do it. If you can stick to it for three months, then we can talk about not going to school."

This turn of events left the children both excited and a little confused.

So, not going to school wasn't about going home to lie down, but about doing something else?

And you also have to "do it for your mother"?

“Of course,” Ling Zhan’s gaze fell on the younger, still bewildered children, and swept over all the expectant eyes. “If you want to earn pocket money, you don’t have to wait until you’re ten. If you think you can do it, just sign up at your family’s workshop. There will be work available anytime.”

She pointed to the stacks of cotton piled up next to her: "Collect cotton, sort it, and pay by the basket."

Pointing to the drying yard: "Turn the cotton wadding out to dry, depending on the weather, and pay by the day."

Pointing to the tool shed: "Clean the spinning wheel, wipe the tools, pay by the piece."

It even points to the kitchen backyard: "You can also earn copper coins for chopping wood, carrying water, and helping the cook prepare vegetables."

She listed them one by one, clearly and logically, with the compensation specified.

The children's eyes widened as she pointed, and a new light began to shine on their faces—not a resistance to school, but an eagerness to try out concrete things like "I can do it" and "I can earn money."

"We have both physically demanding and meticulous jobs. You can do whatever you're capable of, and we'll pay you on the spot."

Ling Zhan concluded, "Think it through, understand it, and then do it. But children under ten must learn to recognize characters. School may be skipped, but the principles must be understood."

The new "family rules" were thus established.

As the noise subsided, the children ran off chattering away. Some were already figuring out which basket of cotton to buy from the workshop the next day, while others were racking their brains trying to figure out what they "wanted to do."

The courtyard regained a brief moment of tranquility.

Shen Yan looked at Ling Zhan's still calm profile.

Looking at the little bull next to me, whose face was flushed with excitement and who was already thinking about how to supervise his reading and plan his vegetable-cutting practice, I felt a mix of emotions.

His wife... used the coldest rules to draw a bottom line that seemed strict but actually left room for survival.

By making the most pragmatic choice, they dispelled the fear and uncertainty about the future that arose from ignorance in the children's hearts.

Her "coldness" lies in pushing children to learn to read and understand principles. Her "tolerance" lies in allowing them to explore and practice. And the mundane yet tangible tasks in the workshop are the "bridges" she gives to children to understand themselves and the world.

This is more effective and more...warm than any empty preaching or brutal repression.

Shen Yan thought that the pressure of being in the top ten for three months didn't seem so heavy anymore.

He has to work hard for the sake of his little bull.

When the busy farming season officially begins, schools in Linshan County also close for the holidays.

Because the children had all returned to Kaoshan Village, Chen Ya had been running back and forth between the town and the village these days, and even with a horse-drawn carriage, it was still hard work.

And the autumn harvest is finally coming to an end.

Kaoshan Village is now draped in an unprecedented, heavy cloak of golden and white splendor.

The once barren hillside terraces are now rolling with golden waves of wheat, the full ears of grain humbly bowing in the autumn wind, rustling with joyful song.

The most eye-catching are the large cotton fields cultivated on sunny, gentle slopes.

The snow-white cotton bolls seemed to have been completely awakened by the sunlight overnight, becoming full, fluffy, and as white as clouds, stretching into an endless sea of ​​snow.

The village's largest threshing ground has now become a sea of ​​cotton.

The newly picked cotton was piled up into rolling hills, dazzlingly white under the clear autumn sky.

Strong men, shirtless, shouted work chants as they filled huge wicker baskets with cotton that resembled small mountains, and then carried them onto waiting oxcarts and mule carts.

The women sat around a huge bamboo mat, their nimble hands quickly sorting and removing impurities, gathering the finest cotton into fluffy snowballs.

The children laughed and frolicked among the cotton stacks, occasionally being shooed away by the adults with laughter and scolding, but their little faces were filled with an unprecedented carefree joy brought by abundance.

The air was filled with the fluffy texture of cotton wool, which landed on people's hair and shoulders, and also on everyone's satisfied and joyful smiles.

"Madam Ling! Look at this cotton! It's so fine! It's white and long, with plenty of fluff!"

An old farmer with a deeply lined face carefully handed a large wad of snow-white cotton to Ling Zhan, who was inspecting the quality of the cotton bales. His cloudy old eyes shone with an almost devout light.

"Thanks to you! If it weren't for the good seeds you gave us, the method you taught us to grow cotton on this hillside, and the cotton-collecting workshop you opened... our Kaoshan Village wouldn't be where it is today!"

"Yeah yeah!"

Several villagers immediately gathered around, chiming in with undisguised gratitude and awe.

"In previous years at this time, the worry was about winter grain! Now the worry is about not being able to dry the cotton wadding!"

"My son is an apprentice in the workshop, and he brings home copper coins every month! He's better off than his dad!"

"The village head said that it was all thanks to Madam Ling that we were able to find a way to survive!"

"Madam Ling is the living Bodhisattva of our Kaoshan Village!" An elderly woman with white hair wiped away her tears, her voice choked with emotion.

At the center of the crowd was the village head, who was in his middle age.

Li Qingshan straightened his back, which had become somewhat hunched from the burdens of life over the years.

His dark face glowed with a ruddy sheen, and he commanded with composure, acting as the mastermind behind this bountiful harvest.

His gaze toward Ling Zhan was filled with heartfelt respect and loyalty.

He waved his hand, silencing the commotion, and said in a loud voice, "Everyone, give it your all! Follow the rules set by Madam Ling, sort the packages according to their quality, and pack them securely! This is the face of our Kaoshan Village! It's also the hope of every household!"

His words drew a resounding response, which further fueled their enthusiasm.

Ling Zhan stood at the edge of the bustling threshing ground, his gaze calmly sweeping over the vibrant harvest scene before him: golden waves of wheat, snow-white cotton fields, the simple joy on the villagers' faces, and their absolute obedience to Li Qingshan's orders.

She bent down, picked up a small clump of cotton wool from the ground, twirled it between her fingers, and felt the soft yet resilient fibers.

The bountiful harvest, the villagers' almost deified reliance and trust in her, and Li Qingshan's prestige and ability displayed here that were enough to convince everyone.

All of this, like fine threads, was rapidly woven and shaped in her calm mind.

She looked up and gazed around.

The terrain of Kaoshan Village is clearly visible: surrounded by mountains, with only a narrow mountain road winding its way to the outside world, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Deep in the mountain valley behind the village, there are several abandoned, sturdy stone houses and cave dwellings, hidden in a secluded location.

People's hearts are united like an iron plate, more so than ever before.

A thought, like a hidden reef in deep water, quietly rises to the surface.

"Qingshan." Ling Zhan's voice was not loud, but it made Li Qingshan, who was close to her amidst the noise, immediately turn his head and turn solemnly.

“Clean up the row of empty stone houses at the east end of the drying ground, and the old mill behind the hill,” Ling Zhan said, his gaze sweeping over those two places. “Make sure they’re clean, dry, and sturdy. Reinforce the doors and windows and lock them.”

Li Qingshan's eyes narrowed, and he immediately understood that Ling Zhan's meaning was definitely not a simple matter of storage.

Without the slightest hesitation, or even asking a single question about its purpose, he simply nodded vigorously, his voice steady and powerful.

"Don't worry, Madam Ling! I'll personally lead the team to handle it! I guarantee it will be done perfectly!"

A few days later, when the Shen family's mule cart convoy, loaded with packed cotton and some luggage, set off back to the county town, no one noticed that at the very end of the convoy, two oxcarts, covered with thick tarpaulins and looking exceptionally heavy, silently turned into the small road in the mountain valley behind the village under the cover of night.

The vehicle was loaded with several state-of-the-art and highly sophisticated spinning machines and key carding components, dismantled from the core area of ​​the county's workshops.

They will find a new home in Kaoshan Village, deep in these mountains, under the absolute loyalty of the villagers.

Li Qingshan, accompanied by a few trusted confidants, silently stood guard at the entrance of the old mill, watching the oxcart disappear into the night.

The dim lantern light illuminated his resolute face as he bowed deeply and silently in the direction of the departing convoy.

"Wherever Madam Ling points, the people of Kaoshan Village will follow."

The men nodded emphatically, their eyes gleaming with unwavering determination in the darkness.

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