Chapter 757 Live a Free and Easy Life
It was early spring; the breeze was gentle and the sun was warm.
One hundred and thirty-six female students stood in the square, the oldest being no more than fifteen or sixteen years old and the youngest only ten. They stood in rows, a truly pleasing sight.
Cheng Wanwan stood on the high platform, her gaze as lofty as a mountain and as gentle as spring water.
"Hello everyone, I am the first headmaster of Dayu Girls' Academy. From now on, you can call me Headmaster Cheng. My position in the academy is headmaster, not Mrs. Sui. Please keep this in mind."
The headmaster and the students have a teacher-student relationship.
Lady Sui and commoners—that's a distinction of rank.
She did not want to bring class distinctions into the school.
"First of all, on behalf of all the teachers of the girls' school, I welcome you all."
"Secondly, I'd like to ask everyone, why did you choose to study here?"
She posed the question and waited with a smile for everyone's answer.
Ruan Mingzhu was familiar with her and was the first to raise her hand, saying, "My mother said I am too unruly and hopes that I can come to the school to learn more about self-cultivation from the teacher."
With her taking the lead, others followed suit and spoke up.
The eldest princess spoke up, "The teaching in the palace is too rigid with all sorts of etiquette. The Empress Dowager hopes that we can learn something different here."
The eldest daughter of the Zhou family said, "The descendants of Madam Chu have come to teach at the school. They teach acupuncture techniques that have been lost for a hundred years. My mother hopes that I can become Master Chu's apprentice."
Manager Li's daughter said, "I can only do accounting but I can't read. My father sent me here to learn to read more."
After the speeches below were finished, Cheng Wanwan continued, "Each of you has a different purpose for coming here, but there is one thing in common: you all hope to gain something and learn something. This is the significance of Her Majesty the Empress establishing the girls' school."
"Throughout history, regardless of the dynasty or era, only boys' education has been valued. We women rarely have the opportunity to study. Even daughters of noble families only read dogmatic books like 'Women's Virtues' and 'Husband's Guiding Principles.' How much real knowledge do these books contain? Can this be considered studying?"
"In my opinion, it is more important for women to study than for men to study. For a man to study is primarily for his own benefit. He needs to reach a high enough position to lead the whole family. Every woman will eventually become a wife and mother, the backbone of a family. When the most important woman in a family is knowledgeable and has a broad vision, it is a blessing for her husband, a blessing for her children, and a blessing for the entire family. This is why I strongly support Her Majesty the Empress in establishing a special school for women."
"Only by reading books can one see a different world, gain knowledge, broaden horizons, and reflect on oneself. The daily lives of daughters from noble families and daughters from commoner families are completely different, but one thing must be acknowledged: in their youth, they will repeatedly think about what kind of man they will marry. But if you are educated, you won't be so narrow-minded as to only think about that one thing. You will think about what you can do, what you can do for your family, whether you can support yourself, and whether you can establish yourself in your husband's family... An educated woman tends to rely on herself, not on her husband or on a little bit of favor. Only when she has the ability can she live according to her own wishes..."
“I feel very lucky. Apart from some things that were arranged for me when I was young, everything I have done since then has been something I wanted to do. Even when I was insignificant, I did whatever I wanted. Now that I have come this far, I will never live against my own conscience.”
"I hope that every girl here can be like me, study hard, improve herself, follow her heart, and live life to the fullest!"
"Clap clap clap!"
After she finished speaking, enthusiastic applause rang out in the square.
Everyone present, whether young students or women in their thirties or forties, had never heard such remarks before.
They never knew that the impact of women's education could be so profound...
"Alright, now let Master Jiang introduce the courses of the girls' school to everyone."
Cheng Wanwan walked off the stage with a smile, went behind the screen, and immediately picked up her teacup to drink water. Giving a speech is not difficult; it's mainly hard on the voice.
"The Girls' Academy is divided into six major classes," Master Jiang introduced from the stage. "The first is the Knowledge Class, which includes enlightenment, reading, and arithmetic. The second is the Needlework Class, which focuses on learning embroidery techniques and related knowledge. The third is the Elegant Music Class, which teaches various string and wind instruments. The fourth is the Learning and Thinking Class, which teaches the history of the Great Yu Kingdom and the cultures and languages of neighboring countries, mainly to broaden knowledge. The fifth is the Mind Cultivation Class, which teaches tea ceremony, calligraphy, painting, flower arrangement, etc. The sixth is the Outdoor Class, which teaches riding, archery, and Cuju (ancient Chinese football)... The Knowledge Class is mandatory for every student. In addition, students can choose two elective courses. Please carefully decide on your course selection based on your interests..."
After all the courses were introduced, Mr. He distributed the school uniforms.
The uniform white and pink dresses had simple skirts without large embroidered embellishments; only a line of small characters was embroidered on the neckline: Daewoo Girls' Academy.
When the clothes were distributed to the female students, some were overjoyed while others were worried.
The commoner women were naturally pleasantly surprised, because with the uniform clothing, they could no longer be distinguished from the daughters of noble families, at least in terms of appearance.
The young ladies from noble families were very distressed. The clothes were really too ugly. Although the material was good, there were very few patterns and embroidery. They were even more shabby than what their maids wore. They simply couldn't accept it.
However, when they thought of how Miss Feng Jingfu of the Feng family had been punished on the spot by Madam Sui, none of them dared to voice their opinions. They could only take the clothes and go to the dressing room to change in a depressed mood.
After all the students changed their clothes, the overall appearance was much more pleasing to the eye.
The first day was the opening ceremony, plus course selection and class assignment. Although there were no formal lectures, this novel concept of a girls' school caused a great sensation in the capital.
"I heard that Madam Sui publicly reprimanded the daughter of Feng Taibao in the school. In the end, Miss Feng bowed her head and apologized to dozens of commoners' daughters. It's unbelievable."
"Madam Sui said that once you enter the school, everyone is equal. Anyone who dares to look down on anyone else is going against Madam Sui, and in serious cases, they will be expelled."
"Madam Sui also said that it is more important for women to study than for men, and that we women are the backbone of a family."
“Yes, yes, yes, what Mrs. Sui said is really strange. At first, it seemed absurd, but when you think about it carefully, isn’t that just how it is? When a woman is a wife and a mother, how a child in a family is raised is generally closely related to the mother.”
"Take Madam Sui for example. She's so capable and outstanding. She single-handedly supported a large family. Moreover, Madam Sui's sons are all quite accomplished. Her eldest son has been granted an official position, her second son manages the family's business, her third son is now a military officer, and her fourth son... seems to be taking the imperial examination soon. I estimate his ranking won't be bad..."
"Madam Sui's story teaches us that a woman must be insightful in order for her family to rise in the world!"
"If I had known, I would have sent my daughter to the girls' school. I wonder when the next enrollment will be..."
While people in the capital were discussing girls' schools, Cheng Wanwan and Lu Yingxue were preparing for the upcoming imperial examination.
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