"You're right. No problem. Leave it to me." Uncle Yonghui patted his chest and accepted Tian An's instructions.
He sighed again and said, "What poor children they are!"
Tian An glanced at him and took the opportunity to tell him his plan.
"Um, Uncle Yonghui, I have another favor I'd like to ask you for."
Uncle Yonghui paused and said, "Is that what you wanted to tell me just now?"
Then he said, "Well! Just tell me what you need. It doesn't matter whether I can help you or not. As long as it's something I can do, I guarantee I'll do it beautifully for you."
With his words, Tian An felt relieved. He smiled and told him about inviting him to be a teacher at the new college. He also asked him to help lobby Old Man Luo and Uncle Li.
"Puff..." After hearing Tian An's words, Uncle Yonghui spat out a mouthful of tea.
Subconsciously, he took a sip of the good tea, then looked at Tian An in disbelief, "Girl, what did you say? Say it again."
Tian An looked at him with a smile and repeated, "I said, I want to ask you to be a teacher for the students of the new college!"
"No, An An girl! I'm not saying anything to you, but even if you can't find a teacher, you can't ask an old man like me who can't even read a single word to be your teacher!
Even someone like me, wearing that long gown would make me trip and fall. I'd be lucky if I didn't make those kids laugh out loud. And I'm still a teacher! What can I teach them?
Listen to uncle, this joke can't be made, let's talk about something else." Uncle Yonghui waved his hand, turned his face away, and said with an expression that said, "Don't joke with me."
"Uncle, I'm serious. I'm not kidding you. You've eaten more salt than those kids have eaten rice! It's all life experience. Those kids want to learn but have nowhere to learn, so why can't I teach them?"
"I don't need you to wear a long gown. The one you are wearing now is good enough. You look so energetic! You look more than ten years younger than your peers!" Tian An coaxed and lied to Uncle Yonghui seriously.
Uncle Yonghui was stunned by what she said, and he already believed it a little bit in his heart, "It's only been a while since I last saw you, girl! Your mouth has become much more powerful now.
But what you said is true. In terms of life experience, I have lived for so many years and I am definitely not comparable to those kids. Besides, they have no parents now, so there is really no one to teach them these things.
But, with just the life experience you've described, can you teach students and become a teacher? Are you really kidding me? Is being a teacher that simple?
"Of course it's not that simple. If it were that simple, I wouldn't bother you.
What I want you to teach them is your signature skill." Tian An patiently coaxed them.
"Special skills? What special skills do I have?" The girl confused him.
"Identify the five grains, distinguish the four seasons, and grow crops!" Seeing that Uncle Yonghui was a little confused, Tian An said, "Simply put, it means you teach them how to farm."
Uncle Yonghui nodded. Farming could indeed be said to be his forte. After all, he had been farming all his life. If he didn't have these skills, he wouldn't have been able to become the village chief of Shangba Village.
"But, if you want me to teach the students how to farm, then won't they learn to read? Besides, what's the point of learning farming? What's the point of being a peasant all your life? Wouldn't it be better for them to take the imperial examination like Yiming and become officials in the future?"
God knows how much he hopes that his precious grandson can be as successful as Zhao Yiming. It's a pity that although the child is also studying in school, he is too naughty and may not be able to take on such a big responsibility!
"Learning to read and write is also necessary. I plan to have them learn cultural knowledge for three years first, that is, learning to read and write. After three years, based on their individual situations, I will select those who are interested in this area to study with you and Uncle Li.
I don't really want them to farm, but I want them to study food and crops and cultivate high-yield crops that are more resistant to lodging, cold and drought.
In the future, we might even be able to cultivate seedless watermelons, seedless grapes, bowl-sized, honey-sweet apples, peaches, pears, and the like.”
Tian An briefly told Uncle Yonghui about his plan and revealed crops such as seedless watermelons and grapes to him in advance.
Let him have the prototype of this thing in his brain consciousness in advance, so that when she proposes the direction of training in the future, they will not think it is a fantasy like they do now.
Sure enough, when Uncle Yonghui heard Tian An's talk about seedless watermelons, he thought she was too fanciful. "How can a watermelon be seedless? How can you grow it then?"
I thought Tian An would explain it to him again, but she just spread her hands and said as a matter of course:
“It’s because we don’t know if it’s possible to grow seedless watermelons that we have to find ways to research and cultivate them!
If we already know the outcome, what's the point of researching and cultivating it?"
Uncle Yonghui: “…” What he said seems to make some sense.
But he was confused again, "But I don't know how to grow seedless watermelons, grapes, etc.! How can I teach them?"
Tian An: “…”
Taking a deep breath, she continued patiently: “I’m not asking you to teach them how to grow seedless watermelons, but to teach them the basic skills of planting.
As the saying goes, a master can only lead you to the door, but you have to rely on yourself to practice.
Just let the apprentices research seedless watermelons, seedless grapes, peaches and pears as big as bowls, high-yield grains, etc.
After you teach them, just sit back and wait for them to show their respect."
"Oh! So that's how it is!"
Uncle Yonghui suddenly realized. He had actually thought he was really being asked to research seedless watermelons! With his old bones, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to handle that thing even if he died!
At this time, Uncle Yonghui never dreamed that not only did he not starve himself to death, but he actually got to eat the seedless watermelon and seedless grapes given to him by his apprentices.
"How about it? Uncle Yonghui, can you help me with this?"
Uncle Yonghui nodded without hesitation. He had gained all that experience through his own gradual exploration. It was just a matter of words, and it didn't cost any money, so he didn't suffer any loss.
Even if he taught everything to the students, they would still have to understand it on their own.
"Then remember to talk to Mr. Luo and Uncle Li for me. During this period, the three of you can get together often to communicate and see where to start teaching them." Tian An reminded again.
"That's no problem. Since I promised you, I will definitely do it for you."
Uncle Yonghui agreed readily and walked out of the yard. He couldn't help feeling a bit proud when he thought that his grandson was still a student after studying for several years, while he himself could not read a single word but had become a teacher.
When he gets back, he must brag about it to his wife, sons, and grandchildren. Now that he is a gentleman, he should give them more face!
Unfortunately, he went back happily and told his family about it. Everyone at home who believed him asked him if he had secretly drunk alcohol before the meal started.
He was so angry that he chased his son and grandson around the house with a broom.
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