Chapter 178 Speechless
"I don't know what they were trying to say. They praised their child for a long time, and then they said something about whether Mr. Zhao still wanted to invite their child to school. If not, then they would find another school. I was wondering why my uncle wanted to invite their child to school. There was no need for the word 'please', right? I didn't answer them."
Hu Ling continued, feeling both amused and helpless. "Yutao had to answer, and they kept pestering me. I told them that there was no need for an invitation, and that their child could go to the academy as long as they wanted, and that Mr. Zhao treated all children equally. But they insisted that their child was exceptionally smart and would definitely become a high-ranking official in the future, bringing honor to Mr. Zhao, so of course he was different from other children. Since Mr. Zhao valued their child, he should show his sincerity. I don't want to say those words anymore. I'm just confused. My godfather didn't seem to say anything similar, did he? Why would they think that? Aya, do you know why?"
Zhao Liya: “.”
Zhao Liya was as confused as they were.
"I don't know either. Who knows what's wrong with them? Don't bother with them! Tomorrow when you go to Bajiao Village, if they come and nag you again, just tell them straight out that they must have misunderstood something. The school is right there, and their children can go if they want to, or not if they don't. It's entirely voluntary."
Qu Yutao and Hu Ling agreed.
No one took the matter seriously. Who would have thought that the next day when the two of them went to Bajiaozhai to check on the farm work, the Liao mother-in-law and daughter-in-law seized the opportunity and pestered them again.
I asked them impatiently and confidently: When will Mr. Zhao come to my house?
Hu Ling and Qu Yutao were confused - after one night, they seemed to be more confident!
Hu Ling then told Zhao Liya everything she had said.
Now it was the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's turn to be confused.
"Did you tell Mr. Zhao what we said? Did Mr. Zhao really say nothing? If he lost a good student like our Fu'er, wouldn't it be his loss? He really didn't say anything?"
Hu Ling: "My adoptive father treats all students equally. All students are the same in his eyes. The school is right there. Anyone who wants to go can come and go as they please."
Hu Ling was so annoyed by their pestering that he simply stopped thinking about what they meant. He couldn't figure it out anyway. No matter what they said, he would answer the same way, just changing the order slightly.
So the Liao mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were also dumbfounded, "Forget it!"
The two of them were disgusted with Hu Ling and Qu Yutao, and after walking away, they complained that they were really stupid and couldn't even speak clearly. In that case, don't talk to them, just go find Mr. Zhao directly.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went to the school triumphantly and found Zhao Xiang. Zhao Xiang was also confused by what they said.
When did he start to rely on Pan Fu to gain respect and reputation? When did he ever say that Pan Fu was a good candidate and would definitely become a high-ranking official in the future?
Absolutely not!
Zhao Xiang was so angry that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He said with a serious face, "No one can predict the future, and I wouldn't say such nonsense. As long as every child works hard, they will have a broader path in life. Learning to read and write is for understanding reason, and it would be even better if they could become local officials, but this cannot be forced, let alone predicted. If someone makes such promises to you, I advise you to be cautious and not be easily fooled."
Zhao Xiang knew better than anyone how difficult the road to the imperial examination was. Although there were not many scholars in the world, there were definitely not a few. The number of admissions to the imperial examination held every three years would not exceed three hundred, and sometimes even less than two hundred.
If you want to be an official, you have to pass the examination first. How many people can pass it?
Teaching and educating are two different things from being an official.
Therefore, he accepted his eldest daughter's advice from the beginning. He not only taught the children to read and write, but also taught them how to do accounting and using an abacus. In their spare time, they even had to weed, dig, and harvest to do farm work. Every year during the spring plowing and autumn harvest, they would take seven or eight days off to go home and help their family work in the fields.
His school was different from other schools from the beginning. It was not just for continuous examinations and becoming officials, but for better survival and life.
If such a school were opened in the capital or the Central Plains, it would have been rushed by Confucian scholars long ago. But here is remote Lingnan, and everyone does not think there is anything wrong with such a school. On the contrary, they think it is pretty good.
Study and work at the same time.
The conversation between Liao's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law as soon as they arrived really made Zhao Xiang laugh and cry.
Liao's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law also became anxious, and hurriedly talked about Li Xiaoying, saying that it was Li Xiaoying who said it.
Zhao Xiang was even more puzzled. He had met Li Xiaoying before, and he didn't think she was the type to talk nonsense. This must be a misunderstanding between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law.
Then this matter needs to be clarified.
Zhao Xiang then asked Pan Liang to run back and invite Li Xiaoying over.
Li Xiaoying thought something was wrong and was startled, so she quickly followed her son.
When I heard what Liao said, I almost exploded with anger.
If Mr. Zhao hadn't been there, she would have cursed him out a lot.
After some discussion, we finally figured it out. It was Liao who had misunderstood.
Who would have thought that even now, Liao was still stubborn and said, "Isn't it right for me to think this way? If our Fu'er wasn't such a good candidate, why would Mr. Zhao specifically ask you to send him to school?"
Zhao Xiang's face almost turned black: "I would say the same thing to any child who returns from school! Well, this matter has been made clear. If you have nothing else to do, please leave! This is a school, not a place for quarreling."
Zhao Xiang seemed easy to talk to and had no temper on weekdays, but when he got angry, the Liao mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were still a little scared.
After all, this is Mr. Zhao.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had no choice but to leave with anger.
Li Xiaoying felt extremely guilty and apologized repeatedly.
She didn't know that her words were so clear and understandable, so how could the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law misunderstand her?
Zhao Xiang did not blame her. He comforted her and let her go.
When this matter spread, everyone made fun of Liao's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
When they see them, they will joke with them, "Your family's Pan Fu will become a high-ranking official in the future, but don't forget our fellow villagers, hahaha!"
In fact, everyone can see that Pan Fu is not a man of high education and official position. This mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are really bold.
The village head and the two clan leaders were furious. They scolded the family again and called a meeting for the entire village, emphasizing that everyone must behave prudently and respect Mr. Zhao. Anyone who dared to speak nonsense or cause trouble again, angering Mr. Zhao and the Zhao family and causing everyone to lose their free schooling, would be a criminal in the village and expelled.
(End of this chapter)
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