The establishment of the clan school was a popular aspiration, and these matters were for the men to consider; Pan Jinhua had nothing to say about it.
But he began to think about girls' schools.
Girls' school, as the name suggests, is a school for girls.
Pan Jinhua didn't intend to make a big fuss about it. Her main goal with the girls' school was simply to ensure that the girls in the Li family could learn something useful. This era was still very harsh on women. It was better in ordinary households, but the wealthier the family, the more restrictions and limitations were placed on women.
A woman should be gentle and graceful, quiet and composed, and free from jealousy. She should be able to serve her parents-in-law and be a good wife and mother.
One must be able to handle interpersonal relationships well, and also manage the household affairs in an orderly manner.
Different division of labor.
The woman's life is written out clearly: she spends ten years or so in her room, gets married at fifteen or sixteen, and spends the rest of her life writing the lives of others.
Pan Jinhua didn't have that kind of ability to help all the women in the world break free from their constraints; that would be challenging the social norms of the time, which she couldn't do.
All she wanted was for the girls of the Li family to learn something in their youth, so that they could be more at ease and confident in their husbands' homes, and at least be viewed more favorably by their future husbands.
The idea of a girls' school lingered in her mind, and when she mentioned it to Yan Min, Yan Min wholeheartedly agreed.
“Auntie is truly a woman who thinks ten steps ahead for every step she takes. So many noble families raise their daughters in this way. I heard that they start learning like boys at the age of three, learning music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs. Their daughters are truly sought after by a hundred families, and it is an honor for the family to marry one of them.”
Yan Min sighed deeply when she talked about these things.
In her youth, she longed for these women, having heard that every woman in these families was meticulously raised, with the effort invested being no less than that of the men in the family.
The story of the daughter of the former dynasty's ruling Wang family was widely known. It was said that this Wang family daughter was ugly and plain, hence the nickname "Wang Wuyan" (meaning "Ugly Duckling"). Wang Wuyan married Chai Mian, a young man from another noble family. After their marriage, Chai Mian did not treat Wang Wuyan well, but Wang Wuyan did not care, focusing only on herself. Later, when rebel forces attacked the city, due to differing stances, dozens of members of the Chai family were killed by the rebels. Wang Wuyan single-handedly negotiated with the rebel leader, buying valuable time for reinforcements, thus allowing the Chai family to survive.
From then on, Chai Mian and the Chai family respected Wang Wuyan in everything they did, further enhancing the reputation of the Wang family's daughters. To this day, she remains the first choice for matriarchs of prominent families.
"I dare not compare myself to the aristocratic families, and our abilities are insufficient. The girls' school I want to establish is simply to teach them some knowledge of managing a household, literacy, and of course, one or two of the musical instruments and chess should also be selected for them to learn."
“Auntie, your idea is excellent. Our daughter will benefit from learning these things for a lifetime.”
Yan Min doesn't have a daughter, but if she did, she would raise her daughter in the same way. Now that her aunt has said this to her, she naturally hopes that Yan Min can do something about it.
"Such a good thing, I must reserve a seat first. May I ask what kind of tutor you are looking for, Aunt? I do know a little about the learning of a mistress of the house. May I recommend myself?"
Pan Jinhua laughed, thinking how pleasant it was to talk to a smart person.
"This old woman has been waiting for you to say that!"
Yan Min is the daughter of an official and has also been an official's wife. She is very knowledgeable about the intricacies of managing a household, so it's perfect that she's willing to teach her.
After reaching an agreement with Yan Min, Pan Jinhua summoned Cheng Shi. Cheng Shi's status was now different, and she was the one most in need of a promotion, so calling her was definitely the right thing to do.
Sure enough, as soon as Pan Jinhua brought up the subject, Cheng was overjoyed. She had just decided to find Yan Min to become her student when her aunt wanted to set up a girls' school. It was obvious to everyone that her aunt was trying to avoid embarrassing Cheng and was thinking of her family's best interests.
Cheng's tears immediately fell.
"Auntie, you've been so good to our fourth branch of the family! You've thought of everything for us. Without you, our family wouldn't be where we are today, Auntie!"
Pan Jinhua was at a loss for words when Cheng Shi cried. After all, she hadn't treated his family any differently.
But it's not bad either; she can accept this kindness without feeling guilty.
"Why are you like Xu Hai? He cried in front of me when he left, and now you're here again. Hurry up and wipe your tears."
"Auntie..." Madam Cheng's eyes were full of affection. Auntie was truly a better person than her own mother!
"It's good that you know this. The sooner you learn it, the sooner you can reunite with Xu Hai."
“Aunt Xie, I’ll go talk to my sisters-in-law about the girls’ school right away. It must be settled within the next few days.”
Cheng walked away with his head held high, leaving Pan Jinhua helpless. She had already arranged for Liu Yun and the others to handle the publicity.
With the Cheng family as an example, none of the women in the Li family were unwilling. They reasoned that children could do so little, so it was better for them to go to the girls' school to learn something, which might come in handy someday.
So when Pan Jinhua proposed that girls should attend school, everyone agreed.
The men didn't have much to say either, because there was a living example right in front of them. If all the wives and daughters in their families were like Pan Jinhua, how could their families not prosper?
The matter of establishing a girls' school was thus settled.
The girls' school was built next to the Li family's settlement, unlike the clan school, which was located in the center of the village.
Good, good!
The fact that it was built in the center of the village also represents the Li family's emphasis on clan studies.
Since taking the renovation order from the Li family last year, Foreman Yan has received one order after another from the Li family. Now he lives directly in Li Family Village and has even brought his elders, wife and children over.
They have settled down in Lijia Village.
Not only him, but many others also wanted to move here. They were all relatives from the surrounding villages who were struggling financially. Since most of them were from neighboring counties, Lin Pei was happy to see them move and did not forbid them.
Teachers for the clan school were easy to find; a considerable amount of money was spent to hire two scholars and one provincial graduate from the prefectural city.
This scholar was recommended by Meng Hui. He was unlucky, but he passed the county-level imperial examination in his early twenties, which can be described as a young success.
Unfortunately, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, which dragged his family down with him. His situation only improved after he got married.
After passing the imperial examination at the age of forty, his parents passed away one after another. He observed three years of mourning followed by another. Now that he is old, he has lost his ambition and does not want to go far away from home. He only wants to be a teacher.
Just then, the Li family came knocking on their door. This scholar Liu originally wanted to open his own school, but the Li family offered him so much that he brought his wife and children with him.
Teachers for ethnic minority schools are easy to find, but teachers for girls' schools are hard to find.
Putting aside the fact that talented women are rare, even if they were, they wouldn't go out to teach; they would all be mistresses in wealthy and powerful households.
Furthermore, Shaoguan County lacks a strong literary atmosphere, and female teachers are like gold panning in the sand.
It's very difficult.
But there's no rushing it; we can only try to figure it out slowly.
Yan Min can start by teaching the housekeeper how to do things, and then take care of the rest later.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
