Chapter 32 School Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony I'm sorry, sir, I'm using you as an excuse again…

Without further ado, Wen Yu summoned the system and pointed to the open space near his home: "System, I want to claim the building."

"The new houses will be settled here first, and the school will be built on the open space across the street."

She had previously inspected this vacant lot; it was large enough to build a house, had a good location, and wasn't far from her family's farmland.

Building the home and school closer together would make it easier for her to manage them on a regular basis.

The most important point is that she walked around the area and confirmed that this was the center of the village. Building the school here would make it convenient for everyone to come and attend classes if large-scale teaching were to be carried out in the future.

The system didn't immediately release the house, but instead asked another question: "What method of manifestation does the host intend to choose?"

As expected, the building didn't just fall from the sky.

Wen Yu smiled and said, "I have an idea."

[Host, please speak.]

"Hmm... let's pretend that Lord Su is grateful for our contributions to the school and specially sent a team of craftsmen to build houses for us," she said slowly.

"The craftsmen's clothing must imitate the style of the Su family's attendants, and they must leave quietly after the work is completed so as not to arouse suspicion."

"That should be doable, right?"

The system immediately responded: 【Yes, host.】

That's her strategy.

The system's power far exceeded her imagination; this matter should not be difficult to accomplish.

This is the least suspicious way to fool the viewers in front of the screen and the villagers who might run into them.

Not long after, a group of craftsmen dressed exactly like the Su family's entourage walked from the village entrance along the path and headed straight for the two open spaces designated by Wen Yu.

The craftsmen took out their toolboxes, first carefully measured the land, then used lime powder to draw the outline of the foundation. It didn't take long to complete the drawings, and they officially started construction.

Their team looked very professional and quickly assigned tasks to groups of several people. Some were responsible for digging, some for carrying wood, and some for mixing mortar. They worked hard and enthusiastically.

Within a day, villagers passing by noticed the commotion.

An older woman who was passing by had intended to fetch water from the well, so she put down her bucket and stood there curiously watching for a long time. Finally, she couldn't resist and ran over to Wen Yu's side.

"Oh dear, Wen girl, what's going on here? Where did this craftsman come from?" the aunt asked in a low voice, her eyes constantly glancing towards the construction site.

At that time, Wen Yu was standing by the side "supervising the work".

Amidst the clanging and banging sounds, she smiled, her eyes crinkling, and explained, "It was sent by Lord Su! He said our Luxi Village school is doing well, and the children are doing a great job, so he specially rewarded the craftsmen by sending them to build us a proper new school!"

When the aunt heard the news, her eyes widened in amazement.

She hurried away, clearly eager to share this exciting news with others.

Sure enough, not long after, she returned with a large group of villagers.

The middle-aged woman pointed proudly at the construction site: "Look, I didn't lie to you, did I? Those beautiful buildings are a school bestowed upon our Luxi Village by Lord Su. They're so impressive!"

"Wow!"

When everyone saw the house, they exclaimed in amazement, "Oh my, the prefect is truly a righteous official! He has thought of everything so thoroughly!"

"Our Luxi Village is going to have a school too? That's wonderful news!"

Someone else pointed to another building under construction on the other side and asked, "Wen girl, what about this house...?"

Wen Yu naturally replied, "Didn't we just sell our grain? Plus, the adults gave us some money. I thought this house was too dilapidated, so I pooled the money together and asked the craftsmen to help build a new house."

The news that Wen Yu was going to build a new house spread throughout the village immediately.

Having just sold their grain and having some extra money, and seeing that Wen Yu had built a new house, everyone was envious and began to wonder if they could also renovate or build a new house.

Some people noticed that Wen Yu's chickens and ducks were doing well, and that he often had extra eggs and ducks for meals, so they started planning when to go to the city to buy some livestock, chickens, and ducks.

“I think Wen’s carriage is quite practical. Let’s go to the city tomorrow and buy a donkey to haul goods,” several men said, squatting on the edge of the field.

The villagers of Luxi, who were used to being poor, suddenly had money and didn't know how to spend it.

Many villagers who had never been to the city in their lives began preparing to go, planning to buy some good things for their homes.

A joyous atmosphere permeated the village.

----

Now that she was going to establish an academy, Wen Yu had many more things to consider.

Running a school cannot rely solely on enthusiasm; the quality of teachers is equally crucial.

Therefore, she specially found a spare moment, found Ning Shengan, and solemnly proposed to formally pay him the salary for teaching students.

Upon hearing this, Ning Shengan waved his hands repeatedly in refusal: "How can this be? Miss Wen has been kind to my daughter and me, and teaching and educating is my duty. How can I accept money again? Absolutely not..."

When Wen Yu saw that he refused, she became anxious instead.

Ning Shengan is a dedicated teacher with impeccable character; the school in Luxi Village truly cannot function without him.

Moreover, in order to concentrate on teaching a few days ago, he did neglect his own farm work, and his income was less than that of ordinary villagers.

If the village's only schoolteacher had to be distracted by other matters due to poverty, it would undoubtedly be a major blow to her plan to eradicate illiteracy.

She stepped forward and said earnestly, "Brother Ning, I understand your intentions, but you have to think about Xiao Ning."

Ning Shengan's expression froze.

Seeing that her words had worked, Wen Yu earnestly advised, "Look, the child is growing up. In the future, what will she need money for food, clothing, daily necessities, and education? If you don't want a salary, does she want to live a life of hardship with you forever?"

Ning Shengan thought of his daughter, who was born intelligent but could only suffer hardships away from home with him, and a look of struggle appeared on his face. In the end, all his words turned into a long sigh.

Miss Wen is right. He can be aloof, but he cannot let the child suffer.

Seeing that he was wavering, Wen Yu took the opportunity to propose a plan that she had already thought of.

"I won't go into those formalities with you. I roughly know how much the tutors in the city earn each month. Your salary will be based on that."

She added at the end, "This is what you deserve, not charity."

Ning Shengan remained silent for a moment, then finally stopped refusing and bowed deeply.

"...In that case, Sheng An is ashamed to accept this. I am grateful to the young lady and Luxi Village for taking in my father and me. They have also thought of Xiao Ning's needs so carefully. I will never forget their great kindness and virtue."

Wen Yu was finally relieved.

After resolving this matter, the academy had far fewer worries.

----

The team of craftsmen arranged by the system was indeed professional and efficient.

Within a few days, the two buildings had taken shape.

They came suddenly and left quietly. One morning, the villagers woke up to find the construction site deserted, with only two brand-new buildings remaining.

Wen Yu chose a sunny day to hold a plaque-hanging ceremony for "Luxi Academy".

The plaque of the academy was personally inscribed by Wen Qingshi, the top scholar of the year. A circle of villagers surrounded her, all holding their breath and not daring to make a sound, for fear of disturbing her writing.

Undeterred by the stares of the crowd, she wrote without hesitation, and in an instant, several beautiful characters in regular script appeared on the paper.

Only when the last stroke of the brush was executed with elegance did everyone dare to cheer.

"My goodness, no wonder you're the champion! Your handwriting is so beautiful!"

Wen Qingshi, who had been calm just moments before, blushed slightly at the praise and humbly said, "My writing is crude; you flatter me."

"What are you saying? The handwriting is so beautiful!" But everyone praised it even more enthusiastically.

Just then, a villager came up with a piece of paper he'd found somewhere, his face full of expectation: "Chief... could you write something on my front door too?"

Wen Qingshi was about to put away his brush and ink when he froze: "...Huh?"

The villagers nearby immediately became anxious and started talking all at once.

"I want one too! I want my front door too!"

"You all have it, so I want it too!"

Wen Qingshi was never good at refusing, and now she was pestered by the enthusiastic villagers to write calligraphy for half a day. The Chen family, the Li family, and the Wang family all received her calligraphy.

Everyone then dispersed, satisfied, holding their papers, and discussed where to hang the calligraphy.

Aunt Wang even earnestly invited her to inscribe a plaque for the granary that reads "Abundant Harvest of Grains".

Wen Qingshi didn't know what to say, so he could only nod repeatedly.

The scene before him was chaotic, and the comments on the screen in front of Wen Yu could no longer contain their laughter.

【I can't take it anymore. I also want Qing Shi to write a name for my bedroom: "Lazy Person's Nest".】

Wow, she's practically a calligraphy blogger! If she started a live stream to show her calligraphy, I bet tons of people would buy her services.

[These people are really farsighted! When Qing Shi becomes successful, their calligraphy will appreciate in value!]

What you said makes me want to buy one too... Can anyone contact her and write one for me? I'll pay for the postage, hahaha.

[Great! The academy is finally up and running! Our Luxi Village is getting better and better!]

Firecrackers crackled and popped, and the red silk was cut open and fell down.

The newly hung plaque of "Luxi Academy" on the gate gleamed in the afternoon sun.

The villagers rushed into the academy, eager to see the most impressive place in Luxi Village.

You won't know until you go inside. Not only is the academy's main gate grand and imposing, but the interior is also paved with bluestone bricks. The courtyard is planted with lush bamboo groves and trees, which are extremely elegant amidst the black tiles and white walls.

The villagers had almost never been to such a beautiful place since they were born, and they were immediately worried that they would dirty the floor, so they couldn't help but shrink back.

But curiosity ultimately prevailed, and they all crowded around the classroom doors and windows, peering inside.

The classroom was beautifully decorated, with bright and clean windows and neatly arranged wooden tables and chairs.

Just as the system said, the classroom was not only fully decorated, but also equipped with basic teaching aids, from blackboards to chalk, as well as teaching rulers that might be used, and even a metal globe.

There were several classrooms in a row, which surprised the villagers: "My goodness! So many classrooms! Do we have that many students in our village?"

"Never mind that! The adults have their own reasons!"

They might not understand, but Wen Yu understood immediately.

The system's design suited her perfectly. Although there weren't many students now, the scale would definitely expand in the future, and multiple classrooms were the foundation for the academy's sustainable development.

It seems that many more tasks will be related to this academy in the future.

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Author's note: Lord Su, who was far away in the city, suddenly sneezed.

Su Lin: Huh? Who's talking about me?