Xiaohua tried to hold back her emotions, but tears still streamed down her face: "Dad, in your eyes, are we just objects? You sell us when we're no longer useful, and buy us back when you can make money..."
Shen Daqi roared angrily, "Aren't girls just a waste of money? You earn money to help your brother get married and build a house, what's wrong with that?"
"Isn't it all as it should be?!"
"They're willing to let you go, but you don't want to go home?"
"You ungrateful wretch!"
"I gave birth to you! I raised you all! You've all forgotten..."
Shen Qingyu glanced at Shen Daqi, who was being held back by the villagers, but her gaze eventually fell on the village head.
"Uncle Village Head, things have come to this point, what do you think we should do?"
Uncle Lizheng never expected that his good intentions would cause Shen Daqi to act so recklessly.
The little flowers and grass were sold to Shen Qingyu, and by all accounts they would be Shen Qingyu's private property. As her biological father, he had no right to beat or scold them, let alone do so in front of Shen Qingyu.
"Qingyu, Xiaohua and Xiaocao have signed a contract of servitude; they're your people now. I was just being nosy. Don't worry about what I think; just do as you please, and I won't say another word."
The villagers nodded in agreement with what the village head said, and their gazes toward Shen Daqi changed.
Shen Daqi was ignored by Shen Qingyu, and seeing that no one was on his side, he gradually stopped making a fuss and his voice became quieter.
It was only because his voice was soft that the cries of the little flowers and grass could be heard.
Oh right, there was also the sound of a woman crying; it was Little Flower and Little Grass's mother.
"Waaah... My son..." Little Flower Mother cried her heart out, but all she could say was "My son."
No one knows whether she wants the little flowers and grass to come back, or if she feels sorry for them and doesn't want them to come back.
Shen Qingyu had long since lost any sympathy for this kind of confused mother, and completely ignored her crying, saying in a deep voice, "Since Xiaohua and Xiaocao don't want to come home, then from now on they are mine. If they get married and have children, they will all be my adopted children, and will have nothing to do with their biological parents..."
This statement essentially sets the tone.
“Shen Daqi, you openly beat my servant, you really don’t respect me, and it seems you look down on my Yu Ji workshop. From now on, you don’t need to come to Yu Ji for business.”
After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.
Everyone in the village was eager to work in Shen Qingyu's workshop. Previously, the village head, unable to bear Shen Daqi's pestering, allowed Shen Daqi to work in the sweet potato flour workshop with Shen Qingyu's tacit approval.
But now that Shen Qingyu has said it in public, Uncle Lizheng naturally can no longer let her off the hook.
Therefore, Shen Daqi's path to the workshop was completely cut off.
After a brief moment of astonishment, Shen Daqi flew into a rage: "If I, Shen Daqi, don't work in your workshop, am I supposed to starve to death?"
"I refuse to believe it!"
"I'd like to see if I can starve to death without you here!"
Shen Daqi turned and left, but dared not provoke Shen Qingyu again.
After all, Shen Qingyu only said that Shen Daqi shouldn't come to do anything, but she didn't say that his wife shouldn't come, let alone that she wouldn't accept their sweet potatoes...
As long as the road isn't completely blocked, there's still a chance to survive.
While feeling frustrated, Shen Daqi was also afraid that he had really blocked the way.
He was still afraid after all.
The farce vanished without a trace. Shen Qingyu, as if nothing had happened, addressed everyone: "Studying at the private school will begin tomorrow. Anyone who wants to send their child to school should register with the village head and pay the tuition; those who want to learn storytelling or opera should register with Master Huang of the Yuexiu Opera Troupe..."
Once everything was explained clearly, the villagers felt reassured and relaxed, and went home to prepare what they needed.
Huang Yunxi and Huang Yunjiao were also in the crowd today. They were both shocked to see that Shen Qingyu could remain calm and composed even when facing someone like Shen Daqi who was emotionally out of control.
Hearing from her that classes would actually start tomorrow, the two of them became a little excited.
On Master Huang's side, the scripts have already been written; they are all short scripts that can be performed by two people.
The Crown Prince's wife read the script and helped revise it; now everyone who has seen it says it's good.
Those who perform on stage do not need to be particularly professional in singing, reciting, acting, or fighting, nor do they need to practice their basic skills for years before they can perform on stage...
The Crown Prince's wife said, "Most people are interested in the story, not the performance..."
If you can clearly demonstrate the gestures and sing the song, that's enough.
The same applies to storytelling; one can learn, practice, and periodically return to study new scripts...
This brand-new format made the Yuexiu class realize that their decades of hard work and dedication had been largely ineffective!
Amidst the anticipation of the entire Shenjia Village, the private school opened!
Originally, only a dozen or so children were willing to study at the private school, but with the implementation of the work-study system, and the preferential treatment given to students by Shen Qingyu when distributing mooncakes and pastries, when school actually started, there were actually fifty or sixty people who wanted to study!
The newly renovated private school was already full, which shocked not only the original residents of Shenjia Village, but also the people in the refugee resettlement area!
Fortunately, Uncle Lizheng, having received instructions from Shen Qingyu, told everyone that another row of large brick and tile houses would be built for people to read and make soap boxes, which put everyone at ease.
Even so, many people from neighboring villages have come to inquire whether their children can also attend school.
Shen Qingyu was never stingy when it came to recruiting talent. She told them that as long as they were willing to learn and do, they could not only learn to read and do arithmetic, but also learn to make pottery...
Even if the final earthenware jars and bowls are substandard and unsuitable for selling chili sauce, they can still be sold at a low price to those ten thousand or so refugees!
They also need to eat from bowls and store water and oil in jars.
No one expected that by simply bringing in Guan Tao, the entire Shenjia Village and even the surrounding villages would be able to buy cheap and practical ceramic bowls and jars...
Of course, that's a story for another time.
After the sweet potato flour workshop closed down, the villagers began to repair the temple and the private school...
However, Shen Qingyu and Qi Yunxiao received an imperial decree: Qi Yunxiao was to come to the capital.
Shen Qingyu guessed that the palace must have found out that Qi Yunxiao's forehead had healed and wanted to see it for themselves.
In other words, Qi Yunxiao, the heir of the Qingping Marquis's mansion, who was previously barred from entering the court due to his disgrace, now has the qualifications to serve as an official in the court.
Shen Qingyu didn't know whether this was good or bad for Qi Yunxiao, but she didn't want to hold him back.
If he's willing to stay, I'll live a good life with him.
If he wanted to stay in the capital and become an official, Shen Qingyu would not be a burden to him.
As a modern soul of the 21st century, I can live without men.
What's more, Ms. Zhao Yuzhu is with them too...
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