Jiang Huaiyu sighed helplessly and said slowly, "If Huiyi is willing to learn needlework, she can still follow me in the future; as for Fengyun, your grandmother felt sorry for you being punished and planned to find a reputable academy for you in the county town, which is a good thing, so you should go there."
Upon hearing this, Feng Yun's expression immediately turned flustered, and he hurriedly argued, "No! I also want to continue learning from my aunt!"
Jiang Huaiyu did not respond immediately after hearing this.
After a moment's thought, Feng Yun suddenly changed his strategy and turned to Bai Qishi, bowing deeply.
"Grandma, my aunt is very knowledgeable and has taught us to achieve remarkable results. I am not afraid of punishment and beg you to allow me to continue studying under her!"
Bai Qi looked astonished, her voice filled with disbelief: "Feng Yun, you're so engrossed in your books, has your mind become dulled? Didn't you feel the pain of being beaten?"
"Extremely painful!"
Feng Yun nodded gently, but his eyes remained as firm as a rock: "However, pain is what makes us remember. My aunt once taught us that a teacher should not worry about whether his students teach or not, but about whether they are strict enough. If they are not strict, their students will easily become lazy, disobey the teachings, abandon their ambitions, and ruin their studies."
His youthful face was tense, and his eyes were filled with sincere pleading.
“Grandma, although my aunt is my aunt, since she has taken on the responsibility of teaching me, she can also be considered my teacher. She is strict with me, which is fulfilling her duty as a teacher. This is not my aunt's fault; the responsibility lies with me for being impetuous and making mistakes. It is only right for my aunt to punish me!”
Bai Qi was speechless and unable to refute his confident words.
Feng Yun continued slowly, “Grandma, I am deeply grateful that you feel sorry for your grandson being punished. However, Auntie’s actions were all for my own good. Please do not hold a grudge against Auntie because of this. If you are upset, I will never cry out in pain easily in the future, so as to alleviate your worries.”
Hearing that her grandson was so eloquent at such a young age, Bai Qi was overjoyed, but at the same time, she felt a little uncomfortable that they were speaking up for Jiang Huaiyu.
A hint of undisguised joy also shone in Yang's eyes.
In just over a month, her son was already able to express his views clearly and logically, which showed that Jiang Huaiyu had indeed put in a lot of effort. The two children also adored her, which gave Yang a plan: perhaps she could mediate and lend Jiang Huaiyu a hand.
When Jiang Huaiyu heard what Feng Yun said, a hint of satisfaction and pride couldn't help but show in her eyes.
Despite Yang's earnest persuasion, Qi's resolve began to waver, but she still found it difficult to let go and was unwilling to easily forgive Jiang Huaiyu.
During this time, Jiang Huaiyu not only had to teach and educate students, but also diligently embroidered. Most of the money she earned was given to the Bai family, which made a certain contribution to the Bai family.
However, Bai Qi felt uneasy using the money her daughter-in-law had earned, and couldn't vent her anger as easily as before. Now that she had finally found an oversight in Jiang Huaiyu, how could she let her off so easily?
Outside the Bai family's courtyard.
Aunt Bai, accompanied by the old village chief, stood at the doorway and sighed with regret, "Alas, my kind-hearted sister-in-law is really clueless. Not only does she not appreciate such a virtuous daughter-in-law, but she also always tries to make things difficult for her. I myself wish I had a daughter-in-law like that, but I can't have her!"
The old village chief did not respond immediately. He stroked his beard gently and stared intently into the depths of the Bai family's courtyard.
Aunt Bai glanced at him, her eyes full of meaning. "Village Chief, you should be absolutely certain now, right? My second niece-in-law is indeed taking good care of the two children from the eldest son's family. You've always known Feng Yun's unruly nature, but listen to what he just said. He's like a completely different person, mature beyond his years."
She was actually quite lost.
All of this stemmed from a casual conversation during a leisurely chat with others, during which the village chief inadvertently mentioned that Jiang Huaiyu was tutoring the eldest son of the Bai family. This news reached the village chief's ears. So, he came to the Bai family's house with her, but did not cross the threshold, leaving his intentions unclear.
Aunt Bai was filled with suspicion and couldn't help but turn her head to look, only to find that there was no one beside her.
It turns out that the old village chief had already gone ahead alone!
She was curious about the old village chief's intentions and hurriedly followed him.
The old village chief walked to the gate of the Bai family's courtyard, his face full of a kind smile, and asked gently, "Sister-in-law Bai, are you patiently instructing your grandson?"
Bai Qishi then realized that Feng Yun was still kneeling on the ground, and hurriedly told him to get up before warmly greeting the old village chief.
"Village Chief, what an honor to have you here! Please have a seat."
The old village chief stepped into the courtyard, his eyes met Jiang Huaiyu's, and he immediately gave her a kind smile.
Madam Bai directed the household's activities with a gentle yet authoritative air. "Fengyun's mother, there are grapes that the eldest son brought back from the county town in the kitchen. Go wash a bunch of them. Yujing's wife, go brew a pot of fragrant tea."
The old village chief quickly waved his hand, looking somewhat uneasy. "Sister-in-law Bai, there's no need to go to such trouble. I'll just sit for a moment and then leave. The real reason for my visit today is to discuss something with Yujing's wife."
Bai Qi was slightly taken aback, her eyes showing a hint of surprise, and she quickly glanced at Jiang Huaiyu.
"What brings you to see her? Is it related to Yujing? If so, please tell me directly."
The old village chief gently shook his head, his tone gentle yet firm, "No, I came here specifically for Jiang Huaiyu."
Jiang Huaiyu was equally surprised. She asked curiously, "May I ask what business the village chief has with me?"
The old village chief smiled kindly. “I heard that you have been tutoring your nephew in his studies recently. I just observed him from outside the door and found that the results are remarkable. Fengyun is only seven years old, but he can distinguish right from wrong and shoulder heavy responsibilities. This is all thanks to your careful guidance.”
"Village chief, you flatter me. If you have anything to ask of me, please feel free to speak up."
The old village chief stroked his beard, his gaze becoming serious.
“Yujing’s wife, then I’ll get straight to the point. You may not know this, but our Fushun Town used to have a private school. Unfortunately, since Scholar Zhang embarked on his journey, the school has been forced to close. As a result, for the past six months, the children in the town have been suffering from having no school to attend.”
Jiang Huaiyu nodded slightly, her expression calm. "I have heard a little about this matter. Otherwise, Fengyun would definitely have entered the private school to study."
The old village chief sighed deeply, his brows furrowed with worry. "If the private school continues to remain closed like this, it will not be a long-term solution."
"Can I do my part to help?" Jiang Huaiyu asked softly, her eyes filled with concern.
The old village chief's gaze shifted, as if he had weighed the options in his mind for a moment. Finally, he made up his mind and said firmly, "Yujing's wife, I would like to ask you to come out of the mountains and serve as a teacher to impart knowledge to the students of the private school."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned, and the scene fell silent.
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