Chapter 73 Silent Influence "Is a change of dynasty imminent?"...

As the snow melted, Luxi Village finally reaped another harvest.

These crops grew for almost half a year amidst wind, frost, rain, and snow, and finally ripened in early spring.

Wang Xiufen marveled at the lush crops in the field: "In the past, the fields could only lie barren in winter, but now we can harvest them in the spring and make a lot more money!"

"Yes, yes, it's all thanks to Wen girl's ability!" The other villagers echoed, their faces beaming with smiles. "In previous years, we could only eat the same few dishes over and over again. Now we can't even keep up with the vegetables we grow ourselves. We can have a different variety every day!"

As soon as the harvest began, the villagers started planning how to use the money.

Some people planned to renovate their houses, some wanted to buy new furniture, and others planned to buy carriages and horses to make it easier to go to the city in the future.

Those who renovated their houses last fall are having an exceptionally warm and comfortable winter.

The villagers looked on with envy and planned to repair their houses after the harvest, so that at least their families could live comfortably!

This is not wishful thinking. Nowadays, Luxi Village has a rich variety of crops, and their growth rate has been greatly increased due to the buff from Wenyu, resulting in yields far exceeding those of other places.

Years of famine have severely damaged the surrounding areas, leaving farmers struggling to even feed themselves, making it extremely difficult to purchase crops from them.

Under these circumstances, the people of Luxi Village not only had enough to eat, but also had surplus grain to sell for money, which naturally made it the preferred purchasing location for grain merchants.

Grain merchants who had purchased grain from Luxi spread the word that the crops grown there were plentiful and of high quality, and the area gradually gained a greater reputation.

Nowadays, grain merchants have made it a customary practice to come to Luxi Village to purchase crops during the harvest season, and their figures can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys.

After the harvest was complete, Wen Yu watched as the funds in the system were replenished and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With these savings, she will be able to handle any unexpected situations that arise in the future.

No sooner had the grain merchants left than several teams of craftsmen entered the village, and the sounds of building houses filled the air, giving people a glimmer of hope for the future.

The villagers' wallets grew fuller day by day, their originally simple houses were renovated to be spacious and bright, and the roads were repaired to be flat and tidy.

The dirt road that used to be full of potholes is now not only suitable for vehicles and horses, but also much dustier.

Today, Luxi Village looks almost identical to a small town in the city.

After nightfall, every household is willing to light up their lamps. Some people do handicrafts, some mend clothes, and children who are studying study at night. From time to time, you can hear the laughter of the whole family.

On her days off, Lin Lan often came to visit Wen Qing. The two girls would get together and chat about things other than everyday matters.

Wen Yu overheard Lin Lan asking Wen Qingshi while passing by, "Qingshi, how should we explain this sentence to them?"

Wen Qingshi pondered for a moment: "This sentence uses several allusions, how about we start with a story? I have an idea..."

Lin Lan's eyes lit up, and she quickly wrote down what she said in her notebook.

After discussing the teaching method, the two quietly went about their own business, one continuing to read and the other writing and drawing in their notebooks.

Although they didn't talk, they had an unspoken understanding that no one else could intrude upon.

Now the two sit at the same table, no longer the young lady and maid with vastly different statuses in the mansion.

They are both students with ideals and responsible teaching assistants, yet they still walk the same path and still have things to talk about.

Wen Yu looked at them and decided not to bother them any longer.

She was thinking of going to find Danzhu.

After Danzhu went down the mountain with them, she did not stay at anyone's house, but moved into the dormitory of the academy by herself.

It was still winter break, and the dormitory was empty, but she didn't mind the quietness. She chose the quietest room to stay in, with a bamboo grove and a small pond in front of the window. When the wind blew, the bamboo shadows swayed, creating a dreamlike atmosphere in the room.

Wen Yu slowly walked to the academy's dormitory and gently knocked on Dan Zhu's door.

No one answered the door, so she waited patiently.

Not long after, the door opened from the inside, and Danzhu poked her head out: "Miss Wen, is there something you need from me?"

She welcomed Wen Yu inside. Wen Yu glanced at the room and saw that the furnishings were very simple, but the table was piled with all kinds of books borrowed from the library.

"I'd like to ask about Miss Danzhu's plans for the future," Wen Yu said, turning her gaze away and getting straight to the point. "Would you be willing to stay at the academy to study or work?"

A few days ago, Wen Yu invited Cui Ling to join the academy's teaching staff. Although Cui Ling was somewhat surprised, she quickly agreed.

She was a renowned talented woman in the past, so it wouldn't be difficult for her to share some of the teaching duties.

As the academy grew larger and needed more and more people, she had to plan for the future.

Remembering that Danzhu was quite talented in the capital, Wen Yu decided to help her find a job as well, so that she would have something to do.

Danzhu gently stroked the pages of the book on the table and pondered, "It's not fair to ask me to teach; I haven't touched a book in almost ten years."

The years spent in the mountains wore her down, and everything that was once within reach became distant.

Reading used to be an ordinary thing, but it became a luxury in the mountains. Now that Danzhu has the opportunity to pick up a book again, he finds everything too unfamiliar.

She didn't refuse outright, but said, "I want to study at the academy for a while first, and then we can talk about the future after I've picked up my knowledge again."

Wen Yu nodded, understanding that this matter could not be rushed and that Danzhu needed time to adapt.

The fact that she was willing to step out and try a new life is already very brave.

Wen Yu then said, "I have another matter I would like to ask Miss Danzhu."

Danzhu hummed in agreement.

Wen Yu slowly said, "We plan to compile a textbook for female students to tell them what we should do."

"Should?" Danzhu looked up.

Wen Yu met her gaze and recounted the thoughts of all the women she had talked to over the past few days.

“We shouldn’t be confined to our boudoirs embroidering; we should fight for everything they don’t want us to do.”

"Protect your talents and achievements, and don't give them the opportunity to steal them."

"There's no need to rush into marriage, but if you get stuck in a quagmire, you must dare to break free."

"Never bow to worldly conventions; escaping fate is our journey."

"It's better to take a difficult uphill road than an easy downhill road."

Each woman spoke differently, but they were all speaking from their own genuine experiences and lessons.

The comments section exploded with messages.

Each sentence is so unique; I can almost guess who's speaking.

These are indeed words that only those who have personally experienced them can say.

There is rarely any awakening without a reason; it's only when you hit a wall that you learn to turn back...

[This makes me want to cry. My mother also suffered a lot in her marriage. She told me time and time again not to rush into marriage and to always be responsible for myself. Now, it all seems like a painful lesson.]

Many of the things said here are still relevant today.

Danzhu immediately understood Wen Yu's purpose.

She is someone who broke free from her cage on her own, and her transformation is the best example of what it means to be a person.

“Okay.” Danzhu agreed without hesitation. “If it were up to me, I would write an article as a firsthand witness.”

"I would advise them not to regret the past, but to strive for the future."

Since spilled water cannot be gathered up again, let's not cling to it anymore. With so many options available, why confine ourselves to one small place?

She paused, then added, "There's another important point."

"Not everyone has to be a mother. Even if you get pregnant unexpectedly, you don't have to give birth. If it gets in your way, you can give it up without hesitation."

"Having such a mindset is not cruel."

Danzhu clenched her fist: "Only you can control your body and will. Nothing else can influence your decisions, including your unborn child."

Wen Yu smiled: "This is exactly the kind of story we need."

She made the right decision to come.

In the meantime, she plans to work with everyone to compile a book for girls, teaching them self-respect, self-love, self-confidence, and self-reliance.

Through her observations, she found that many girls in this era did not lack the desire to awaken, but were suppressed by societal norms and rules, preventing them from doing so.

Since that's the case, let them be the ones to lead this.

The girls who leave Luxi Village are not meant to become someone's wife or someone's mother.

They want to be themselves.

----

As the weather warms up, tender green buds sprout from the branches.

The students who were on holiday from the academy returned to Luxi Village one after another, and the village immediately became lively.

Fan Yizhen finally met up with her girlfriends again. The group chatted for a long time, and then took out the New Year's gifts they had brought from their bags to share with each other.

"You know what? Our trip to Chengya County to treat patients was amazing!" Fan Yizhen, who had been holding back her experiences throughout the winter break, couldn't wait to share them with Xin Bai and Du Ran.

The other students nearby also gathered around curiously: "I heard that Teacher Chen and Doctor Cui have been appointed as imperial physicians, is that true?"

"Of course it's true!"

Fan Yizhen became interested and recounted various events, such as beating up quack doctors, treating patients, and the whole city sending them off. She talked until her throat was dry, while the listeners around her listened with shining eyes.

Such a legendary story actually happened right next to me; this is a momentous event that will go down in history!

After finishing his story, Fan Yizhen was tired. He picked up his tea and took a sip, then nudged the others: "What about you guys? Tell me about anything interesting that's been happening?"

The other students also had their own stories to tell; this time, they brought back more than just luggage.

A student living in the city brought back some rumors: It is said that His Majesty's health is deteriorating and the ministers have repeatedly proposed to establish an heir.

His Majesty has only one princess and two princes, so his choices are not many. The court officials secretly divided into several factions: some were willing to protect themselves and refused to take sides, some supported the eldest prince, and some supported the second prince.

However, His Majesty's temper became increasingly volatile during his illness. Anyone who dared to mention the matter of establishing an heir in front of him would be enraged, and he would question whether they were cursing him to die early.

"Is a change of dynasty imminent?" someone asked in a low voice.

Everyone was still young and had never experienced such a major event, so they couldn't really explain it.

For them, all of this is still something they learn in textbooks, and it's too far removed from their real lives.

"I wonder if the heavens over the capital will change..."

Finally, someone sighed, feigning maturity.

"Come on, don't pretend to be some old scholar from the academy!"

A group of people burst into laughter.

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Author's Note: I always feel happy when I write about the princess's storyline [sparkling eyes]