Bright Future

The old man stroked his beard, unable to bring himself to discourage her, yet also unable to offer any definite assurances.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The situation of your three masters is truly rare in the Three Realms. I dare not speak presumptuously. I can only say... let's take it one step at a time."

Although no definite answer was received, the fact that "the better the town, the faster the masters recover" was the brightest light shining through the long, dark night.

Qian Jin's hesitation vanished instantly, replaced by boundless enthusiasm and unwavering hope: making Luming Town better and better was the best way to support his masters!

“I understand, Elder Shen!” Qian Jin nodded vigorously, his eyes resolute. “Then let’s take it one step at a time and do the things at hand well first!”

The completion of the main road, "Jinxiu Road," has given the entire town of Luming a brand-new look. The road is smooth, making travel convenient, and it has also brought a greater sense of unity among the people.

Thus, the long-suspended project of the land temple was put back on the agenda. This time, everyone was even more enthusiastic, and the atmosphere was lively and bustling.

In the past few days, Master Shen has gained two new and pleasing young apprentices: a thoughtful girl named Axiu and a quick-witted boy named Shitou.

He had only intended to teach them some basic general knowledge, but to his surprise, both children were exceptionally honest, eager to learn, and extremely filial. They called him "Old Master Shen" every day, bringing him tea and water, grinding herbs, and were very considerate. Old Master Shen was delighted and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, seeing that you are both good prospects, I will take you both in! One of you will learn acupuncture and massage, and the other will learn about and prepare medicines; you will complement each other perfectly!"

From then on, Master Can fully indulged his passion for being a master, spending his days with his hands behind his back, pacing behind his two young apprentices and giving them pointers.

That afternoon, Stone was collecting herbs in the mountains outside the town with Ginseng Elder when he suddenly heard a faint groan.

He followed the sound and parted the bushes, only to see a young man dressed as a scholar lying on the ground, his clothes tattered, his face pale, and his legs abrasions; he was already unconscious.

Stone quickly called over Elder Ginseng, and the two of them together carried the scholar back to town.

After a few doses of herbal medicine from the ginseng master, the scholar slowly awoke. Upon learning that the ginseng master and the stone had saved him, he struggled to get up to thank them, but the ginseng master held him back. "You look like a scholar, how did you end up in this state?"

Upon hearing this, the scholar's face showed sorrow, and he sighed deeply, saying, "My name is Liu Wenxuan, and I was originally a scholar from a neighboring county. Unfortunately, my hometown suffered from war, the city was captured, and my family... were all scattered. I fled alone and lost my way in the mountains, somehow ending up in your esteemed place. If it weren't for the rescue by you, sir and this young man, I would probably be lying dead in the wilderness..." As he spoke, his eyes reddened.

Qian Jin happened to be delivering freshly picked fruit to Elder Shen when she heard about this. Seeing Liu Xiucai's desolate and lonely appearance, she was moved. She stepped forward and said gently, "Liu Xiucai, since your hometown has been destroyed and you have nowhere to go, why don't you stay in our Luming Town?"

Liu Wenxuan smiled wryly and said, "I appreciate your kindness, young lady. However... I am just a scholar, unable to carry anything, and apart from reading a few books of sages, I have no other skills. If I stay here, I'm afraid I will only become a burden to everyone."

"Who said that?" Qian Jin's eyes lit up, and an idea instantly formed in her mind. "If we build a school, would you be interested in being a teacher?"

"A school?" Upon hearing this, not only was Liu Wenxuan stunned, but even Elder Li, Elder Shen, and Ao Ming, who had come over upon hearing the voice, looked at Qian Jin in surprise.

“That’s right!” Qian Jin nodded, finding the idea increasingly brilliant. “Now that the roads in our Luming Town are repaired, our lives have more hope. We can’t just be fishing and farming for generations, can we? Studying and learning principles, even if they don’t plan to take the imperial examinations, will be good. At least they’ll be much more adept at daily buying and selling. Actually, I’ve been thinking about this for the past few days, feeling that the town is lacking a school. I never expected that a teacher would appear out of nowhere. Isn’t this fate?”

Looking at Qian Jin's radiant appearance, Ao Ming smiled gently and said, "It seems that this year, our Luming Town will be full of good things and endless busyness."

Old Li stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then a smile spread across his face: "Great idea! Miss Qian's idea is excellent! If Scholar Liu is willing to stay, it will be a blessing for our Luming Town! We'll work together to arrange the school!"

Looking at the warm and sincere faces before him, Liu Wenxuan felt a long-lost sense of warmth and respect. His wandering heart seemed to have found a harbor, and tears welled up again, this time of joy.

He nodded emphatically: "Thank you all for your kindness. Wenxuan... Wenxuan is willing to stay! I will do my best to teach the children in town!"

Qian Jin was overjoyed to see him agree, clapping her hands and laughing, "Great! I've even thought of a name for the school: 'Future Ambition School'!"

Upon hearing this, Old Li grinned from ear to ear, repeatedly praising, "Wonderful! Miss Qian! Our Luming Town is truly destined for prosperity! We just had 'Bright Road,' and now we're getting 'Future School,' which together make 'Bright Future'! What a good omen, what a good omen!"

Hearing the names of the road and the school, and looking around at this peaceful and tranquil town, Liu Wenxuan felt a mixture of joy and sadness. He said softly, "The people here are simple and honest, no one picks up lost items on the road, and doors are left unlocked at night. It's practically a paradise. You all don't know this, but outside... war is raging, countless cities have been reduced to ashes, and people have been displaced... Such a peaceful scene as Luming Town is truly rare."

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment. Qian Jin was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, his tone calm yet firm: "The major events of war in the human world involve a wide range of causes and effects, and are indeed beyond our control. But since we have come to Luming Town, it is fate. I cannot control the affairs of the world, but I only hope that everyone in Luming Town can live in peace and have a better life."

However, while the idea of ​​building a school was good, its implementation was not without its challenges.

The villagers enthusiastically supported road construction and temple building because they saw tangible benefits. However, when it came to sending their children to school, many hesitated or even became puzzled.

"Studying? That's for rich kids. What's the use of us fishermen and farmers studying that stuff?"

"Exactly! Knowing a few words won't catch you more fish, will it? You'd be better off learning how to cast a net with me!"

"Sitting there shaking your head and swaying your head is a waste of time!"

Seeing this, Ao Ming and Liu Wenxuan thought of gathering the villagers and giving a good talk about the benefits of reading and understanding principles.

Ao Ming spoke of "being knowledgeable and reasonable, cultivating oneself and managing one's family," a principle that was correct but too lofty and unrealistic. The villagers were confused and only felt that this young master Ao had an extraordinary demeanor, but what he said was too far removed from their daily lives.

Liu Wenxuan, on the other hand, quoted classical texts, saying, "Of all things, only studying is noble," his words too refined and elegant, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, unable to resonate with him.

After giving presentations for several days, very few people responded.

Qian Jin, watching from the side, stamped her feet in frustration. "This won't do!" She stopped Ao Ming and Liu Wenxuan, who still wanted to try again. "What you said is all correct, but you have to say something that everyone can immediately understand the benefits!"

So, after work that day, Qian Jin asked Old Li to gather everyone under the old locust tree.

Standing on the stone bench under the tree, with her usual approachable smile, she got straight to the point: "Uncles and aunts, please don't overcomplicate reading and writing! We're not running this school to help you become a top scholar or a high-ranking official! Of course, if the children really have the talent, we'll support them! But right now, sending them to school is mainly to make life easier for everyone!"

Someone below muttered quietly, "Can literacy really make life more convenient?"

"Of course!" Qian Jin's voice was clear and crisp. Her eyes swept across the crowd and accurately found her target. "Brother Wang! Let me ask you, after deducting the costs of the boat, fishing nets, and food, how much did you make in the end when you went out to sea to fish yesterday? Do you have a clear idea of ​​how much you made?"

Brother Wang, who was called out, scratched his head and smiled憨厚ly: "Oh dear, Miss Qian, how can you calculate it precisely! It's all approximate. Whatever the fishmonger says is the price. As long as it's close enough, it's fine!"

"That's it!" Qian Jin clapped his hands. "After learning arithmetic, your child will be able to calculate clearly for you how much was invested, how much was sold, and how much was net profit. Everything will be clear, and you won't be afraid of being fooled anymore! This is called 'not being blind to the truth'!"

She then looked at a woman: "Aunt Han, when you opened your small restaurant last week, did you ask me to help you write the names of the new dishes on the wooden sign at the door? Sister Pei, when you wanted to send a letter to your daughter who married far away a while ago, did you also ask me to write it for you?"

The two women who were called on nodded quickly.

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Once our children go to school and learn to read, they can handle these things themselves! They can write their own menus, read and write their own letters home, how convenient! In the future, if there are any notices or announcements in town, everyone will be able to understand them without having to ask around. Isn't this education the key to ensuring we don't lose money when selling things and making life easier?"

After she said this, the villagers began to whisper among themselves, their faces showing a look of sudden realization.

"Oh? Now that Miss Qian says it, it does make sense!"

"That's right, if the kid can do the math, we'll feel more confident selling fish!"

"It's great that they can read the notices themselves, so that the message won't be misread!"

Seeing the change in everyone's attitude, Qian Jin pressed on: "So, the reason we let the kids learn a few words and some arithmetic isn't so they'll become top scholars in the future, but so that whatever they do in the future, they can understand it clearly! This is something that will benefit them for a lifetime!"

Now, the villagers who were initially skeptical nodded and began to ask when the school would be completed and how old their children would be to start school.

Seeing that Qian Jin had solved the problem that had troubled them for days with just a few words, Ao Ming and Liu Wenxuan exchanged a glance, both seeing a smile of admiration and helplessness in each other's eyes.

Liu Wenxuan said in a low voice, "Miss Qian's words, though simple, hit the nail on the head and are better than my pedantic words."

Ao Ming looked at the radiant girl in the crowd, a gentle smile playing on his lips, and thought: That's her! Don't you even know whose family she belongs to!

From then on, Qian Jin's status in the hearts of the villagers of Luming Town rose even higher. When talking about Qian Jin over tea or after meals, everyone was filled with gratitude and respect.

"Miss Qian, I think she must be a celestial being sent down from heaven to save people from suffering! Otherwise, how could she be so capable of everything and have such a kind heart!"

"I think so! Maybe she's the reincarnation of the God of Wealth! Look, since she came, the roads in our town have been improved, there are more fish, and now we're even going to have a school. Isn't she bringing good fortune with her?"

"No matter who she is, her coming to our Deer Cry Town is an immense blessing for us!"

Days passed in this hopeful atmosphere. The construction of the land temple was progressing smoothly, and the main structure was nearing completion.

That evening, Qian Jin was discussing the location and style of the school with Ao Ming and Can Lao in their new house when Li Lao arrived with several elderly men from the town.

Old Li walked up to Qian Jin, bowed respectfully, and said in an unusually solemn tone, "Miss Qian, no, please allow me to call you 'Immortal Qian.' The villagers in town asked me to come and ask you... to come with us to a place."