On the second day, Li Yan talked to Mr. Li about setting up a school in the village.

"Maomao is six years old this year. A few days ago, I tested him on recitation, and he remembered every word perfectly. Although he learned some words and could read a few books from his father, it would be useless if he couldn't write. It would be better to build a private school in the village so that he could study with other interested children in the village."

These days, he has been busy and neglected the affairs of his grandson. Originally, his family was poor and could only afford to send his youngest son to school. Now the family situation has improved a lot. Naturally, Mr. Li has no objection to the proposal of letting his grandson go to school.

However, Mr. Li was not sure whether the children from other families in the village were willing to come to study. He was also very clear that the cost of pens, ink, paper and inkstone alone to support a child was beyond their means.

What's more, there is the Master's tuition.

Although the villagers in Lijia Village have earned some money, they are probably reluctant to spend it on their children's education.

Mr. Li shared his concerns with his granddaughter.

"Don't worry too much, Master. I do have some ideas. Let's talk about them while we're on our way to the clan leader's house."

Old Master Li followed his granddaughter curiously, wanting to know what solution she had.

"Master, how do you think the snack shops in the city are doing?" Li Yan suddenly asked.

Old Master Li was puzzled as to why his granddaughter suddenly asked this question, and could only say, "Of course it is very good."

"Then what do you think about opening our snack shop in the thirteen counties under the jurisdiction of Yunzhou Prefecture?"

Old Mr. Li thought he had misheard, and after his granddaughter repeated it, he stood there in a daze.

Li Yan smiled and said, "Since the food shop is doing well in Rongcheng, it won't be a problem for me to open a shop elsewhere. As long as we open a shop in other places, the problem will be choosing someone to look after the shop. Not only does he need to be literate and able to keep accounts, he also needs to be someone I can trust!"

Mr. Li understood what his granddaughter meant: "Do you want to train them?"

"This is a good way to kill two birds with one stone. I need someone to help me look after the shop, and the children can also put their knowledge into practice and earn money to support the family."

This is indeed a very good idea. Many people in the city grit their teeth and send their children to school to learn to read and write. They don't necessarily want them to take the imperial examinations, but just hope that after their children learn to read and write, they can find some light jobs such as accounting. Now he was very moved by the suggestion made by his granddaughter, let alone the villagers.

The grandfather and grandson walked and stopped, whispered to each other, and finally arrived at the clan leader's house. Clan leader Li was sitting under an old tree in the yard, fanning himself and enjoying the cool air.

Seeing the grandfather and grandson, Patriarch Li waved quickly: "It's very hot today, come and sit down!"

The grandfather and grandson sat down across from Chief Li. Li Yan was the first to speak, "Grandpa Chief, did you know that a child in the village fell into the water yesterday?"

Chief Li nodded and sighed helplessly, "Fortunately, we discovered it in time, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous."

Every summer, many children drown while playing by the water. Those two children yesterday really owed it to Caojiang River.

"Grandpa, clan leader, I thought about this yesterday. It's not a good idea for the children to stay idle at home during the slack season. Do you think we can build a private school and keep the children there to learn how to read?"

"This...girl, this private school can be built, and it is a good thing that I support, but you have to know that the villagers may not be willing to send their children here!" Patriarch Li said earnestly.

He knew better than anyone how the villagers lived, and he was afraid that they would not be able to send their children to school.

"Grandpa Clan Leader, what if I tell any child who wants to learn to read that they can get a well-paid job as long as they meet the requirements I set?"

Old Master Li immediately told the clan leader about his granddaughter's plan to open a shop in another town. "Brother, when this girl first mentioned opening a private school, I was just as worried as you were, thinking it was unrealistic. But after she suggested it, I think it's feasible!"

Patriarch Li was completely upset. He suddenly sat up straight and looked at Li Yan with sparkling eyes: "Tell me your plan in detail."

"I'll hire the teachers and cover all the tuition fees. If the children study hard and pass the assessments, I'll select twenty-six of them and send them to work as accountants in the thirteen shops under the jurisdiction of Yunzhou Prefecture. This is my promise to the villagers to send their children to private schools!"

Li Yan mainly wants to use this method to attract villagers to send their children to study. Unlike the long and arduous imperial examination, the tangible benefits will naturally attract them more.

This is to cultivate young people for Lijia Village. Clan leader Li is very excited to call his grandson. You go to the village now and ask each family to send one person to your home!

Patriarch Li stood up and said to the two of them, "Let's go and wait under the big tree outside the yard." After that, he stood up and walked out the door first.

The two men also stood up and followed. The weather was hot and the courtyard was not very spacious. Once the villagers arrived, it would become crowded. So they simply chose to sit under the big tree in front of the door.

The patriarch gave a call and the villagers did not dare to delay. Soon most of them arrived.

Those who arrived early sat under the shade of the trees to avoid the scorching sun.

"Hey, do you know why the patriarch asked us to come here?" asked a villager.

The man shook his head and said, "I just arrived too, so I don't know for sure. Let's take a look later!"

The weather was hot, and Clan Leader Li didn't want to waste too much time, so he raised his hand to signal for silence. "The Li family girl came to me and wanted to build a private school in our area so that the children could learn to read and learn some words. What do you think?"

"Chief, you know my family's situation. We live in poverty. How can we afford to support him to study?" said a villager.

The villagers in other villages also followed suit, sitting cross-legged on the ground without saying a word. Their meaning was very straightforward: studying was something for rich people, what did it have to do with them, the peasants?

"It's my fault. I didn't explain it clearly. What the Li family girl meant was that studying in the private school is free, and if you study well, you can become a shop owner in the future!" Clan leader Li quickly said the rest of the story.

Because of what Patriarch Li said, the originally quiet scene became even more eerily quiet!

After a long while, a villager asked again in disbelief!

After receiving an affirmative answer from Patriarch Li, he immediately turned around and asked Li Yan again!

"What the clan leader said is true. As long as you can pass my test during your studies at the private school, you can go to the shop to help out!"

"Don't you need to pay the tuition?"

Li Yan shook her head. "No need. As long as you are willing to study hard, it will be fine."

"What if I don't get selected?"

Li Yan smiled, "Uncle, I've already provided him with free tuition. If he doesn't get selected, at least he'll learn to read and do arithmetic. Who knows, there might be other opportunities in the future. He might not end up hanging on this crooked tree of mine!"

The villagers burst into laughter at Li Yan's words.

The villager then realized that he had asked a stupid question. This was a good thing that had happened over time, but he was still asking such a stupid question!