Wang Guixiang is quite capable; the family she found has two side rooms and two outbuildings, which is enough for several families to live in.
The key point is that this family's courtyard wall is intact, ensuring their safety. In addition, the house is paved with stone bricks, which is much better than a rammed earth ground!
Although Qin San Niang would prefer to have her own space, reality is harsh, and she has to endure it for a while longer.
But for Liu and the others, being able to get a good night's sleep was something they would be happy to dream about!
At dinner time, Liu decided to eat together. The grain from all the families was still stored together and they hadn't finished eating yet, so it wouldn't be good to break up now.
In addition, the Gu family father and daughter obviously couldn't cook. As an elder who had been worried about them all the way, Liu felt it was inappropriate to suggest separating the kitchens at this time, so as not to hurt their relationship.
Having not developed the habit of not speaking while eating or sleeping during their escape from famine, after briefly satisfying her hunger at the dinner table, Qin San Niang inquired about her visit to the village head's house that afternoon.
This time, He Yingyuan took the initiative to speak up, saying that Chen Lizheng was shrewd and shouldn't make things difficult for them when choosing a house site tomorrow. Furthermore, they could settle down in this house without worry, and once settled, he planned to open a private school in the village.
Hearing this, Liao Hongying was the most surprised! It wasn't that she was worried that her husband would neglect his studies, but rather that he wasn't the type to worry or exert himself. He would rather spend his time reading more books than teaching!
To put it bluntly, Liao Hongying felt that her unattainable beauty had finally become down-to-earth, which was truly a cause for celebration!
When Liu and Qin Sanniang heard this, they were overjoyed! Their children could go to school now, saving them the trouble of an interview! After all, they had been studying under He Yingyuan for some time; a teacher for a day is a father for life, and a master couldn't possibly make things difficult for his apprentice, could he?
No! He will!
Apart from Xiao Er, who seemed indifferent and continued eating as usual, everyone else, including Da Wa, visibly wore a bitter expression!
To them, He Xiucai was a strict teacher. If they couldn't recite their lessons, they would be punished with a ruler. On their escape, without a ruler, they used small bamboo sticks instead. He Mingzhe said that the power of that ruler was far beyond what a small bamboo stick could compare to! Therefore, even He Yingyuan's eldest son, He Mingzhe, was reluctant to accept that his father would become his private tutor!
This is like the school being your home, and your home being your school! Is there no freedom at all?!
"Then we'll be entrusting these kids to you, Brother He, from now on! We're really relieved!" Qin San Niang said with a heart full of joy. This was truly good news, and today was a good day! Like all mothers who push their children to excel, being able to establish a connection with the teacher couldn't be more convenient!
Even Gu Qingshan rarely showed a fawning smile, "I'm also entrusting my Ah Zhi to Brother He!"
Although girls are not allowed to attend private schools these days, he believed that Tan San Niang and He Xiucai were both enlightened, otherwise they wouldn't have given Azhi and Anan their early education along the way! Moreover, Gu Qingshan had taken to heart what Tan San Niang had said to Huang Biao Tou earlier, that girls should be able to read and write.
He only has one daughter, so he must raise her well! Once things settle down, she can farm and hunt, and earning some money won't be a problem! Raising a young wife is a piece of cake!
Parents' hearts are always full of love and worry!
Even though He Yingyuan agreed with Tan Sanniang, there was nothing wrong with girls learning to read. However, at that time, women were encouraged to be reserved and stay at home, and after marriage, they were expected to be good wives and mothers! Contrary to Tan Sanniang's expectations, he felt that since girls could not excel in the imperial examinations, it would be better for them to learn more practical skills.
"Of course, that's no problem. But for a girl, I think in addition to learning to read, it would be best if she also learned some life skills, such as cooking, weaving, or embroidery, so that she can have something to rely on in the future and have a way to make a living!"
Hearing him say that, Liao Hongying was a little unhappy. She had just praised him for two days, and now his old habits were resurfacing. As expected of Madam Qin, he was a chauvinist, and it was truly hard to change his nature! However, she didn't say anything, after all, her upbringing did not allow her to undermine her own family in public.
However, Qin San Niang thought about it seriously for a while and said earnestly, "Brother He is right. In addition to learning to read, they need to learn more. It's always good to have more skills!"
I wonder where I can find a female tutor who specializes in teaching young women? I'll have to search carefully!
"Of course, Azhi should learn too. Herding one sheep is the same as herding two!" Hearing her say this, Anan and Azhi obediently nodded and agreed!
Compared to other girls, they are already very fortunate. Although studying is hard, it is much better than the days when they didn't have enough to eat or wear and had to dig for wild vegetables!
Wu Chunhua was very envious, but Fatty was too old and had started learning a bit late. However, family knows family; Fatty wasn't academically inclined, but she was strong and a great help with chores!
At night, everyone was finally free from sleeping outdoors. The stars and moon were no longer overhead, nor was the cramped roof of the carriage. It felt so good to have a roof over our heads! We slept soundly through the night!
The next day, the cool morning mist shone through the rays of sunlight.
When Qin San Niang got up, Liu Shi and the others had already gotten up. At that moment, the laughter of the women could be heard in the courtyard. There was a well in the backyard of this house, so it was very convenient to use water.
Breakfast was still just congee and side dishes. Since we didn't have to continue our journey, even the congee tasted sweet and delicious.
After the meal, Cheng Shi rushed over. Today he was going to take them to select a house site and farmland, which was a top priority for farmers, and Cheng Shi dared not delay.
After exchanging pleasantries, the group set off in a grand procession to meet up with the village head.
Why do they all need to bring them? They're new here, and they wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the kids at home!
After all, people's hearts are treacherous, and those flower sellers are everywhere. Besides, there are four families, and each family needs to choose four different sites for their homesteads and fields. Each family's choice will be different, and Qin San Niang cannot make decisions for others.
Under the big banyan tree, the village head and several clan elders were already waiting.
“Uncle Village Head, elders. I’ve brought the people over. These are Madam Qin and the others who plan to settle in our village,” Cheng Shi said respectfully. He had always been afraid of this stern village head.
The village head's name was Chen Sheng. Unlike the square-faced man that Qin San Niang remembered, he was actually a short, thin old man with particularly bright eyes, who looked like a shrewd person!
As for the other clan elders, they were all ordinary white-haired old men, but compared to the elders, they had a more kind and benevolent appearance.
Qin San Niang did not judge people by their appearance, so she bowed to the other women as a greeting.
“Uncle Chen, this is Madam Qin’s family, and Madam Wu and Brother Gu’s family are each a family. We are four households in total. Today, we would like to trouble you and the elders of the clan to help us choose a place to settle down.” He Yingyuan stepped forward and said flatteringly.
As he spoke, a faint, perfectly timed smile appeared on He Yingyuan's lips, which, combined with his long cotton robe embroidered with green bamboo, gave him an air of dignified elegance. Although he was aloof, he was not pedantic. He knew exactly how to please others, and that it was better to offend gentlemen than petty people. This was something that He Yingyuan understood very well.
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