When Wu Si'er saw that she was going to settle scores later, he immediately begged for forgiveness, "Yes, you have always been the most capable person in our family. I was just in a hurry and said the wrong thing without thinking."

Xiao Tong laughed the whole way, partly because she found it amusing to watch her parents bicker, and partly because the thought of being able to go to the academy to study made her smile.

Xiao Tong sometimes goes to work in the fields with Wu Si'er. Their land is right next to Wu Wen's, so Xiao Tong often sees Wu Wen holding a book and reading.

Out of curiosity, Xiao Tong once went over to Wu Wen to take a look, but he couldn't understand it at all. To him, the book was full of dark patterns, and he couldn't see anything interesting about it.

One day, Xiaotong couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Wen, is this pretty?"

Wu Wen looked at him kindly and said, "It looks good."

"What's so appealing about it? I don't see it."

"The book contains many stories and many principles, all of which are very interesting. You can't see them because you can't read yet," Wu Wen patiently explained.

Xiao Tong immediately deflated, because he really couldn't read. "Uncle Wen, you're amazing! You're the only one I know who can read and can read books."

Upon hearing this, Wu Wen showed no joy on his face, but rather an indescribable bitterness.

But Xiao Tong remembered what Wu Wen said. He realized that there were many interesting stories in the book, but he couldn't read them, so he couldn't understand them.

The village chief's grandson is ten years old and also needs to go to school, so the village chief asked his eldest son to drive the oxcart to take his nephew on a trip, and also to give the others a ride.

Wu Si'er and his wife quickly arrived at the village chief's house with Xiao Tong. Several other families, like them, were also going to the school, and they all arrived around the same time.

Aunt Cui greeted the villagers with a smile. Just then, the village chief's son came out with his nephew, and Aunt Cui and the others thanked him.

Once everyone had arrived, they boarded the oxcart and set off.

The children were all around the same age and had grown up playing together. Once they got on the bus, they sat together and chatted happily.

The adults were no exception. One of the younger wives said, "Aunt Cui, your family is better off. Both of your sons are married, and there's someone to share the work in the fields and at home. Look at my family, the men have to go to work in the fields, and I'm the only one taking care of the children."

Aunt Cui laughed and said, "Everyone, listen to what you're saying. How old are you? When you get to my age, you might have more children than me. You won't have to worry about not having anyone to do chores for you."

Everyone on the bus laughed when they heard this, and the young woman blushed immediately, lowering her head and smiling with her lips pursed.

An older woman nearby chimed in, "You young people are going to have an even better life from now on! Everything is peaceful now, we grow crops in the fields, we have no worries about food or drink, and the children can go to school and learn to read when they reach the right age. Your good fortune is just beginning!"

These words immediately won everyone's approval, and everyone started chattering about the potatoes that were about to ripen in the field.

Amidst laughter and cheerful conversation, everyone felt as if they had just arrived at the school gate.

Looking at the brand-new gate, Aunt Cui couldn't help but exclaim, "Our school is really impressive!"

Xiao Tong and the other children were so excited that their faces turned red, and they jumped off the oxcart one after another. They wanted to run straight in, but they were a little afraid of the soldiers standing at the gate, so they hesitated in place.

The adults then got off the oxcart, carried their luggage, and walked forward, followed by the children.

Aunt Cui took a deep breath, forced a smile, and approached the soldiers at the school gate. She asked cautiously, "Sir, we've brought our child here. May we go in now?"

The soldier replied in the local dialect, "Auntie, you're too kind. You've arrived quite early; you must be from around here. You can go in now. First, go to the main house to register with the tutor, and then go to your lodgings to put your luggage away."

"Yes, we are from Wutong Village nearby. Thank you for your guidance, sir."

Hearing the familiar local accent, Aunt Cui immediately relaxed. She and the others behind her thanked the soldiers repeatedly before entering the gate.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a spacious courtyard, with the main house directly opposite the gate.

Aunt Cui and the others weren't afraid to find a tutor, after all, Wu Wen was from their village, and she had always had a good relationship with Wu Wen's mother.

Sure enough, as soon as they entered the main house, Wu Wen greeted them with a smile, "You've arrived. I'll register the children's information, and you can go to the row of houses on the right to help the children settle in in a little while."

Aunt Cui and the others all smiled and agreed.

While Wu Wen was writing with his head down, everyone's eyes were fixed on the spacious and bright main room.

When they saw the rows of brand-new desks and wooden stools neatly arranged in the room, they could almost picture the beautiful scene of children sitting here reading.

After recording the information of the children present, Wu Wen went to the door to point out the direction and said, "You came early, so most of the houses in that row are empty. You can choose a house you like to settle in, and the others can also live together, which will make it convenient for them to come and go in the future."

Everyone was naturally delighted, feeling that arriving early was indeed a good thing. After thanking Wu Wen, they walked towards the row of houses on the right.

The doors to all the rooms in the row were open. Aunt Cui looked at each one and found that the furnishings in each room were exactly the same.

Aunt Cui couldn't help but say, "All the rooms are the same, so why don't we choose the one closest to the main house?"

No one else objected. To be honest, seeing so many clean and tidy new houses, they had nothing to complain about; they felt that any one of them would be perfect.

After making their decision, they returned to the first room they had just looked at and quickly began making the bed and putting their things away.

Xiaotong and the other children always help with chores at home, and this time they didn't just stand by and watch; they all ran over to help.

Before long, they had packed up their things. Before leaving, the adults gave their children a long list of instructions, such as to listen to the teacher, not to be naughty, and not to run around, and that they would come to pick them up when it was time to rest.

When Aunt Cui and the others left the room to go back, many more people had already arrived in the courtyard, just like when they first came, carrying or lifting many things.

Although the government's notice stated that those who lived far away and found it inconvenient to return home could stay at the school, the nearest village was still quite a distance away. Families were understandably worried about their children running around on their own, so almost everyone chose to stay at the school.

Some people were walking towards the row of houses, while others went to the main house, clearly indicating that they had not yet registered with the teacher.

The once empty courtyard suddenly became lively with so many people arriving.

Aunt Cui and the others did not know the two families walking towards them, but everyone had smiles on their faces, so they naturally greeted each other and politely praised the other's children.

Aunt Cui and the others originally wanted to say goodbye to Wu Wen before leaving, but when they got outside the door they saw that Wu Wen was surrounded by many people and was very busy, so they all gave up the idea.