Over the past year, Jiang Huaiyu's role as a female tutor in Fushun Town has become an open secret in Wanfu County. When people learned that she was recruiting tutors for the newly built academy, regardless of gender, it sparked widespread discussion, and she once again became a hot topic of conversation among the people of Wanfu County. Even in the county town's teahouses, storytellers were recounting her legendary tales.
However, opinions about her remain mixed, with both praise and criticism.
Among those conservative and stubborn literati, some ridiculed and criticized her, while another group of literati admired her noble character and praised her highly... However, putting aside these irrelevant rumors and controversies, the private school where Jiang Huaiyu was located gradually became very lively.
Some people frowned and glared at her as soon as they saw her, their faces full of disdain.
"You're that woman from the Jiang family?"
"It is I."
"Do you know that a hen crowing at dawn goes against the traditional way?"
"Your Excellency misunderstands. As a woman serving as a teacher, I am fulfilling my duty to educate and guide, and I have not overstepped any boundaries. May I ask what is inappropriate on your part?"
"It is truly inappropriate for a woman to run the academy! The academy is a hall of learning; how can it be controlled by a mere woman like you? What face will we have left? Go home and do what you should be doing: being a wife and mother!"
"Oh? I wonder if you have achieved academic success or have any works that have been passed down through generations? If I were to leave, would you be able to take over this teaching position?"
A group of students stared intently at the questioner, their eyes gleaming. "If you can't teach well, you won't get your tuition!"
"You vulgar woman, how ignorant you are! Look at these students, what have you turned them into? With your meager abilities, how dare you serve as a teacher here? I wonder how you managed to deceive these students' parents? Did you perhaps use some underhanded means to bewitch them and make them fall for you?"
The man loudly berated Jiang Huaiyu in front of the private school, only to be pelted with rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs by a group of angry townspeople.
The town's residents were indignant and condemned the actions.
"Bah! This arrogant fool dares to insult our respected Master Jiang?"
"This is not how a scholar behaves; it's utterly ill-mannered!"
"Let's get rid of him and stop him from interfering with Master Jiang's teaching!"
"That's right. Master Jiang expanded the academy and even paid out of his own pocket to hire teachers. What was he after? Wasn't it all for a better future for the children of Fushun Town? How can we not be grateful?"
The skeptic was hit by the filth and slunk away from Fushun Town.
Having learned this lesson, people who visited Jiang Huaiyu afterward were much more humble and stopped saying those offensive things. Moreover, most of them came to apply for teaching positions at Fushun Academy.
After all, Jiang Huaiyu offered very generous treatment; in addition to the tuition fees provided by the students, she also provided an extra three taels of silver per month.
Such compensation and benefits are comparable to those of some famous academies in Wanfu County.
During these days, Jiang Huaiyu devoted herself to lecturing every morning, and in the afternoon when the sun slanted down, she would receive those who came from afar, hoping to compete for the position of teacher.
A diverse array of people flocked to the scene. Some were simply drawn by the spectacle of the teacher recruitment, driven by curiosity, and some even with a hint of mockery towards Jiang Huaiyu. However, among these people were also many ambitious individuals with sincere desires, eager to impart knowledge and enlighten future generations.
After speaking with each of them, Jiang Huaiyu found that two of the candidates for Master were quite outstanding.
The first was a senior scholar who had retired from the city's academy. He was a learned man, well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge, and enjoyed a high reputation and considerable prestige in Wanfu County. Although he did not oppose women serving as teachers, he strongly opposed the academy accepting female students. He bluntly stated that his purpose in imparting knowledge and answering questions was to guide students to thoroughly study the classics and pass the imperial examinations to serve the country. Since women could not participate in the imperial examinations, a basic literacy was sufficient; there was no need for him to expend his precious energy on meticulous education.
Another candidate was a young scholar who, despite his impoverished background and years of diligent study, exhausting his family's resources, had failed to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations. Disheartened, he sought a livelihood sufficient to support his family. When Jiang Huaiyu asked for his opinion on the academy admitting female teachers and students, he remained reserved, neither explicitly agreeing nor directly opposing it.
Apart from these two, none of the other applicants for the position of teacher attracted Jiang Huaiyu's favor. What puzzled her even more was that, despite her announcement that Fushun Academy was open to both men and women in its recruitment of teachers, not a single woman had applied so far, which left her feeling disappointed.
However, she also knew that the reason she was able to become a teacher was entirely because the old village chief had no other choice but to put her in this position.
Other women, especially those with exceptional talent, often came from prestigious families where discipline was extremely strict. Even if some aspired to a career in education, they might be prevented from doing so by their families.
As March approaches, spring is in full bloom, and all things are coming back to life.
In the courtyard of the private school, a peach tree stubbornly peeked out. Its place of growth was quite peculiar; it was not located in an open space, but rather close to the corner of the wall, its roots intertwined, slightly loosening the bricks and stones at the base of the wall. Clearly, this was not a carefully planted tree, but rather, in some unintentional moment, someone had left a peach pit there, and it quietly grew into a peach tree at the foot of the wall.
This peach tree is already several years old, and in the early spring breeze, tender green buds are gradually sprouting on its branches. Jiang Huaiyu couldn't help but think of the newly planted peach tree in his own courtyard in Yuqian Lane. Was it also budding and ready to bloom at this time?
She secretly calculated that the imperial examination would be held in the middle of the month, and wondered if she would still have time to admire the blooming peach blossoms then.
However, even if the peach blossoms fade away with the wind, the crabapple blossoms will take their place.
He had promised not to let her down.
In the leisurely afternoon, Jiang Huaiyu waited for her guests in the courtyard of the private school. She simply moved a chair over and basked in the warm sunlight. Her family members, Feng Yun and Huiyi, had not yet returned home. They also brought a table and focused on doing their homework in the courtyard.
Jiang Huaiyu basked in the sunlight, feeling carefree, but various thoughts arose in her mind, and she gradually drifted into a drowsy sleep.
"Madam, look what this is!"
Yingxiang rushed in from outside, carrying an exquisite food box in her hand, her face beaming with excitement.
Her voice startled Jiang Huaiyu from her dream. She sat up straight and asked curiously, "What delicious food have you prepared this time?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Yun and Hui Yi couldn't help but raise their heads.
Yingxiang smiled as she opened the food box, but then sighed softly, “Madam, you’ve been busy with the academy’s affairs lately, and your diet has become lighter. I’ve noticed that you seem to have lost some weight these past few days.”
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