Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Success
Fan Xin talked with Mr. Xu about the private school. Mr. Xu was not surprised to hear the news, but felt relieved instead.
He initially built up his reputation by teaching in a private school in the village, and later went to the county to run a business, intending to keep his son in the private school in the village to continue teaching and educating him.
However, Xu Tongsheng was at a critical time in the imperial examination at that time, and Mr. Xu still wanted to keep him by his side to guide him, so Murakami's private school was disbanded.
Every time he thought about it, he felt guilty.
Now that Fan Xin has the idea of reopening the private school, he no longer has to worry about the children in the village having no one to learn to read and write.
Since Fan Xin was his student, he felt that it was the best thing for him and praised and encouraged Fan Xin for having such a rare desire to make progress.
After receiving the affirmation from Mr. Xu, Fan Xin became more determined to do this and explained it to his family when he returned.
That day, Chen Qi, the second son of Chen Yushun's family, went to Doctor Zhu to get some mild medicine for his wounds.
He had a crush on Doctor Zhu's apprentice Sanqi and always wanted to find her.
When he heard Xu Yang say that the Fan family was going to set up a private school, he went back and told his father Chen Yushun.
"The Fan family wants to open a private school? With Fan Xin's limited knowledge, do they have the nerve to open a private school?"
When Chen Yushun heard the news, he didn't believe it much.
In his eyes, the Fan family was not a family capable of getting things done, let alone something as big as setting up a private school.
Originally, he had given Fan Shoushan some face. Firstly, Fan Xin was studying, and one day he might be lucky enough to pass the exam, which would bring honor to the village, so he had to win over a few people.
Secondly, it was because Fan Xin studied under Mr. Xu and had followed him for more than ten years. They had a relationship, so he had to look after the Xu family if not the Fan family.
But in the first half of the year, Fan Xin failed the exam again and stopped studying. He went back to the village to farm, but he was not active and fainted in the field from heatstroke, which made him a laughing stock.
He even felt that the Fan family was no longer a significant force, and he refused to give Fan Shoushan the little face he had given him.
"Xu Yang said it himself, how could it be false? I heard that Mr. Xu was very supportive of Fan Xin starting a private school. He was always thinking about teaching more people to read and write."
When Chen Yushun heard that Mr. Xu also supported it, he felt a little worried.
It doesn't matter who starts a private school, but he just doesn't want the Fan family to start one.
Once this private school opens, many families will send their children to study there, and then they will have to respect the Fan family.
If there is something happening in the teacher's home, the students have to go and help, and the people in the students' house also go to help. It is mostly a way to win over people.
The second branch of the Fan family was at odds with him. If the Fan family were to run a private school, they would have a say in the village in the future. Wouldn't that make it easier for them to go against him? He would also be even more wary of them.
He thought about it and felt that even that nerd would not be able to come up with the idea of setting up a private school, so it might be the son-in-law's idea.
I saw when we divided the land before that this guy was not someone to be trifled with.
Chen Yushun was a little restless, so he went to the Fan family for the first time.
When he heard from Fan Shoushan that this was true, he was furious. Then he heard Zhang Jingui bragging about how satisfied Mr. Xu was and how he even wanted to come to the village to study at the private school. He was just trying to show off the support of the Xu family.
Even though Chen Yushun was very unhappy in his heart, he still looked relieved on the surface. He wondered why the Fan family did not inform him in advance about such a good thing. He also said that if there were any difficulties, he could tell him and they would work together to find a solution.
Zhang Jingui was simple-minded. After Chen Yushun left, she was very happy and said to Fan Shoushan, "Look, our family wants to open a private school, and even the village head has to give us face. He is so enthusiastic and wants to help us. In the past, he would never have taken such care of us."
Fan Shoushan said with a serious face: "You believe whatever people say. When he treated the second brother like that before, did he really take our Fan family into consideration?"
"We sincerely hope to open a private school at home, but I'm afraid Chen Yushun doesn't have such a broad mind."
Zhang Jingui was skeptical: "How can it be as scary as you say?"
However, Fan Shoushan had a more thorough understanding of people. Chen Yushun knew that with the support of the Xu family, the Fan family's private school was legitimate.
How could Chen Yushun speak up to stop it? The villagers would see it and criticize him.
Chen Yushun thought of a plan, turned around, picked up two dimes of wine, and asked his wife to make a dish of stir-fried minced meat and bamboo shoots, and went to the place of the village chief, Mr. Qian Erye.
"I've been busy with the autumn harvest lately, and I haven't seen you for a couple of days. You look quite tanned."
Mr. Qian was actually happy to see Chen Yushun.
"Every autumn, I have to be busy like this. When the villagers have their grain stored in the warehouse and their lives are peaceful, I am happy no matter how busy I am."
While Chen Yushun was pouring wine and picking up food with Mr. Qian, he said, "I've widened the threshing ground by two meters and added two more stone mills so that the villagers can dry their grain more easily. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to come and see the master."
"You are doing good things for the village. This is a good thing, and I am happy about it."
Chen Yushun said, "Although I sometimes lack the ability and do some foolish things with good intentions, it was Master who brought me up. Apart from other things, I work hard for the village and I must share the same aspirations as Master."
Mr. Qian drank and said, "I promoted you because I saw you were a reliable kid. Please think about the villagers, and I have an explanation for them."
Chen Yushun smiled and said yes. After picking up some food with Mr. Qian, he said, "Master, do you know that there's another happy event happening in our village?"
"But that kid Xu Yang invited a doctor to our village? I heard about it a long time ago. The villagers are all very happy. Doctor Zhu is a good doctor. A while ago, when it rained, my leg hurt, so I went to see him. He applied a plaster on me and it worked immediately. It works better than any other medicine in the city."
"Doctor Zhu Ping's medical skills are beyond reproach. Xu Yang is a very capable kid, able to find such a good doctor for our village."
Chen Yushun said slowly, "But I'm not talking about that. Look how long Doctor Zhu has been in the village. I'm talking about the Fan family's plan to build a private school."
"Private school?"
Mr. Qian was surprised and said, "But the eldest son of the Fan family wants to be a private school teacher? I remember that he studied under Xu Xiucai."
"Yes."
Chen Yushun smiled and said, "He failed the childhood exam a while ago and has given up on studying. Even Mr. Xu, the old scholar, went back to the village to try to persuade him, but he was unsuccessful."
"Later, I followed Brother Fan to the village to farm. After all, he was a scholar and had been away from the fields for many years. He couldn't handle it and got a heat stroke."
"I heard he found a job in the city two months ago, but he only worked there for a month or so, and I don't know why he quit again."
Chen Yushun, as if making a casual comment, said, "These days, I've heard that they're going to start a private school. I heard about it from outside, but I didn't believe it at first. But after visiting the Fan family, I realized it was true."
After hearing this, Mr. Qian couldn't help but recall the harmonious times when he was the village head and Xu Xiucai was still teaching in the village.
He said, "Ever since Xu Xiucai went to the city, there are no private schools in our village or in the nearby villages. Children who want to learn to read have nowhere to go. It's really inconvenient."
"Young man Fan Xin, it's a good thing to have such ambition."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yushun said, "I think it's a good idea too. If you're setting up this private school to benefit the village, I'd be delighted. But I'm also a little worried."
When Master Qian asked why, Chen Yushun replied, "Daxin studied under Scholar Xu for over ten years, but never achieved anything remarkable in the examinations. His knowledge... but then again, he's been educated for over a decade, so he's definitely more knowledgeable than a country boy like me."
"I'm worried that he just decided to start this private school on a whim."
"He said he didn't want to study, so he didn't study. Even Mr. Xu's attempts to persuade him were useless. He just thought he had some good plan. Anyone who didn't want to study could just go back home and work in the fields. He didn't seem like a child with any plans."
"Then there was this good accountant in the city, who only worked there for a month or so and then quit. Then he turned around and said he wanted to open a private school."
Chen Yushun said, "If he really wanted to do this, why did he leave the school so early, and why did he wait so long before coming up with this idea?"
"Running a private school is no joke. To be frank, I'm afraid he's young and fickle, and might act on his whims. The Fan family isn't wealthy, so I'm afraid he'll use the school as a way to make money. The villagers are all poor, so we can't fool them."
After hearing this, Mr. Qian frowned and said, "If this is really the case, how can it be accomplished?"
Seeing this, Chen Yushun was delighted. "As the village chief, I can't say these things to others. I'm afraid it will hurt the young people. If they come to stamp the documents and I refuse to give them, the Fan family will tell the villagers about it, and I'm afraid there will be misunderstandings."
Mr. Qian said, "This is no small matter. You must be careful. As the village head, you have to consider the interests of the villagers if you accept this salary. If the Fan family really has ulterior motives in running a private school, how can you educate the children well?"
"Master, don't worry. I understand."
After hearing what Mr. Qian said, Chen Yushun immediately started a fight with the Fan family.
This private school is not like other livelihoods. After all, it is a very respectable and solemn business. If you want to comply with the rules, you need a written document.
The county must obtain documents from the county government's ritual office before it can be carried out, and the township must obtain documents stamped by the township head before being transferred to the county.
If there is no official document, it means it is run privately. People will not recognize your school if they see the document. If you are reported by someone, you will be sued.
Chen Yushun couldn't block the person by himself, so he asked Qian Erye to take over.
The old village chief, who has been re-elected for more than 20 years, is trusted by the villagers from the bottom of their hearts. Since he said that the private school run by the Fan family is not a good idea, the villagers naturally believe him more.
Chen Yushun also pretended to talk to Fan Jiayan, saying that he would help persuade Mr. Qian Erye and teach them to be prepared. When Mr. Qian Erye softened his stance, he would stamp the document.
"When he said Grandpa Qian wouldn't allow it, did he really mean it? Did you hear what Grandpa Qian said with your own ears?"
Fan Xin went to Chen Yushun to get the paperwork but failed, so the whole family came to the second house to discuss it together.
Kang He had guessed early on that Chen Yushun would not agree easily, and hearing this result was also within his expectations.
“Although he never told us in person, Mr. Qian is Chen Yushun’s master, so he wouldn’t lie.
"Mr. Qian's neighbor, having heard we were planning to open a private school, had been wanting to send his son there to learn how to read, and he kept asking when we would open. Now he's completely stopped asking. The other day, I met someone who told me about it, and they implied that Mr. Qian didn't approve of us opening a private school."
Kang He said, "Our family has never offended Grandpa Qian, so why would they not allow it for no reason? I'm afraid it's Chen Yushun who contributed to this."
The family members were at a loss as these people had deep roots in the village and they couldn't do anything about it.
Knowing that Kang He had many ideas, he had no choice but to ask him, "Sanlang, what should we do now?"
Kang He said, "I feel that no matter what people say outside, I still have to go and pay my respects to this old immortal in person."
After hearing this, Fan Shoushan had no other choice but to do so. Even though he knew that Mr. Qian and Chen Yushun had a deeper relationship, they could only do so: "Okay, then I'll pack some gifts and go to the Qian family."
Chen Sanfang said, "I'll take some salted duck and a jar of honey that Sanlang and Dajing brought back from the mountains. I'll send them to Big Brother and Master Qian."
"It's not bad to take these things, but don't prepare anything expensive, and don't take red envelopes, so as not to give people any reason to think we're trying to bribe Grandpa Qian. If that backfires, it'll be even harder to explain."
Kang He said, "Let's not just have Uncle and Auntie go, it should be Brother Daxin who goes to meet the man."
Fan Shoushan said anxiously, "Daxin is so tongue-tied that he can't explain it clearly. I'm afraid he might even end up doing something wrong. Second Master Qian is already close to Chen Yushun."
Kang He shook his head. "Even if Daxin is a bit slow-witted, he's already in his twenties. He'll be the one running this private school in the future. Now that something's going on, he's hiding in the background. My parents are going to speak well of him. What will Grandpa Qian think?"
"He didn't approve of running a private school in our home to begin with. If he sees that Daxin doesn't take action, I'm afraid he will be even more unhappy."
Seeing this, Fan Xin felt that Kang He's words were not bad, and he was willing to go. However, he was also worried: "What if I go and don't speak well, and it makes him unlucky?"
"Brother Daxin, just be honest and speak your mind. Everyone has their own personality, and not everyone is smooth sailing. But sincerity and honesty shine brightly in people of all temperaments."
Kang He said, "Although Grandpa Qian and Chen Yushun are good friends, he was able to serve as the village chief for more than 20 years. Even after retiring, he is still respected by the villagers. This shows that he is not a person who does not know right from wrong or is petty. If he sees you and knows what you are thinking, he will carefully consider it."
"Of course, we can ask the Xu family for help, but it's the same as asking my uncle and aunt to come forward. No matter what, Brother Daxin, you should always treat it as a visit."
After hearing this, Fan Xin thought about it and agreed with Kang He's suggestion.
The next day, I went to the Qian family to visit Grandpa Qian with a worried heart.
Fan Xin didn't have much contact with this grandpa, and he felt awkward when he first met him. He was inevitably a little timid when asked questions.
But he had a strong belief in running a private school. When he talked about it, he was unusually firm and serious.
Upon seeing this, Mr. Qian's opinion of Fan Xin changed drastically, and he felt that he was not entirely as Chen Yushun described.
He then asked him in detail why he didn't study and why he changed his livelihood so many times.
Fan Xin felt ashamed, but still told everything.
After hearing the whole story, Mr. Qian thought to himself that Fan Xin couldn't be blamed for this. It was just someone else's bad intentions that made him do something wrong. What was he to blame for?
Moreover, people also said that they were not well educated and only provided an education for children, teaching them to read and write. Therefore, they could not charge high tuition fees from the villagers, and the tuition fees were 30% lower than those of other private schools.
He felt that Fan Xin was not someone who was blind to his own abilities, and that he also had plans and calculations, which was not like what Chen Yushun said.
Chen Yushun immediately felt unhappy.
He didn't think that anyone was deliberately making things difficult for the Fan family. He just felt that Chen Yushun, as a village chief, did not carefully investigate the whole story and jumped to conclusions, which was too careless.
Fan Xin only stated that he wanted to open a private school and did not say a word against Chen Yushun.
Everyone in the village knew that Chen Yushun was brought up by the old village chief. As an outsider, Fan Xin didn't dare to say anything bad about Chen Yushun, for fear that Mr. Qian would think that he was a gossipmonger.
I sat here for an hour or so and then went back.
Two days later, Xu Yang came to visit again.
"You kid, you still remember Grandpa. What are you busy with these days?"
When Mr. Qian saw Xu Yang, he was always happy that he had invited a doctor to the village.
"When I heard that my playmate was planning to start a private school, I went to the city to buy some paper and pens, thinking of donating them to the school as a way of fulfilling my duty.
I went to the city the other day and saw that everything was ready in the shop. My grandfather and father also packed up some old books and said they would teach me to send them to the private school so that I could teach the children in the village.
"Who knows? I went to Daxin and asked, and they said they haven't gotten the paperwork yet."
Xu Yang had heard that Fan Xin had been to Mr. Qian's place, and since he didn't seem to be too aggressive, he said angrily, "I heard Grandpa doesn't approve of this. What's going on? If I had known Grandpa wouldn't approve, I wouldn't have bothered with all this effort. I'm busy as hell right now."
"When has Grandpa ever been so annoying and never said he disagreed?"
Xu Yang frowned in feigned confusion. "I was like, Grandpa is doing this for the good of the village, how could he not agree to this? Besides, Daxin was taught by my grandfather, and he approves of this. Every time I go to the city, he catches me and asks me how it's going, and I didn't dare to tell him that he doesn't allow it."
When Mr. Qian heard that the old scholar was in favor of this matter, he thought about it and realized that if Fan Xin was really a bad person, how could the old scholar approve of it? He approved of Fan Xin even more in his heart.
He said, "You naughty boy, it's a good thing you didn't go to your grandfather and say bad things about Grandpa, otherwise he would have laughed at Grandpa for being old and confused. Now tell me, where did you hear such nonsense? The other day, Daxin came over and told Grandpa about the private school. He spoke so well of it, and Grandpa was just delighted."
Seeing this, Xu Yang said, "How dare I speak nonsense? I won't listen to a word others say. Apart from Grandpa's apprentice, I wouldn't believe what our village chief says."
After hearing what Xu Yang said, Mr. Qian asked, "Did he say that?"
"Grandpa, I can't coax you."
Mr. Qian couldn't help but think of how Chen Yushun had fabricated some information about the Fan family and told him about it some time ago. He had first caused people to misunderstand and think the worst of others, and then naturally said that he did not approve of the Fan family running a private school.
Then he used chicken feathers as a token of authority and used his name to tell others that he did not allow it.
Why is he like this?
Mr. Qian suddenly recalled the previous land division.
He never questioned whether Chen Yushun had done it, thinking that Chen Yushun was the village chief and would not do such a thing.
Looking at what he is doing now, it makes him suspicious.
He himself was not happy about the Fan family running a private school, but he also wanted to avoid gossip, so he used his name to shut up the villagers. It was really a good plan.
After all the calculations, his master was also dealt with.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of unpleasant emotions, but he didn't show it on his face. He just said, "Grandpa, ask him when you have time."
Mr. Qian was angry, but he did not go to question Chen Yushun or listen to his argument.
Two days later, he went to Fan's house and took Fan Xin to his place, where he watched people stamp the documents.
Without any prior communication from his master, Chen Yushun brought his men and beat him up without warning.
His face turned blue and red, and he finished the paperwork in a depressed mood.
The villagers came to watch the fun and immediately knew that the Fan family was going to open a private school, and that it was something that the old village chief and the Xu family supported.
As soon as the person left, Chen Yushun explained to Mr. Qian Erye.
Mr. Qian let him argue, but he didn't take it to heart. When he left, he beat the man up.
"I see you've been working so hard lately, and you've gone astray. You promised to do practical things for the village and always put the villagers first. I hope you can be like me.
You have only been the village chief for four years. There is still a lot of time to go. If you change your mindset after taking on this position, don't blame me for not standing by your side when you come."
Chen Yushun was horrified and felt chilled at the same time.
Over the years, he had been as filial to Master Qian as his own father, treating him as a human being and his son. He never thought that it was just his wishful thinking.
Even for such a small matter, he still had to look at his expression.
After things were settled, the Fan family started to set up the private school in a lively manner.
Xu Yang followed his advice and drove a donkey cart to the city to bring back a lot of paper, pens and books, which he donated to the private school.
Everyone in the village was grateful to him.
"After all this trouble, Brother Daxin can finally feel at ease with this matter."
Kang He took out his money box and asked Fan Jing, "Before the private school opens, we'll have to spend some money. As a family, we have to show some appreciation. When we got married, my uncle and aunt gave us a nice cabinet, and Daxin also gave us a set of teacups. Now that they've achieved great things, we have to give them gifts, too."
"I think giving anything else isn't as effective as giving money. How much do you think I should give in a red envelope?"
Fan Jing was sitting at the table, eating some popcorn that Kang He had fried with new rice. It was sizzling, sweet, and surprisingly fragrant.
After hearing Kang He's words, he glanced at him and said, "Why are you asking me about these things?"
"Of course I'll listen to your opinion."
Fan Jing said, "Half of the credit for this success belongs to you. My uncle's family is now grateful to you. No matter how much you give them, they will be happy."
He saw that Kang He not only had the final say among them, but also no one dared to contradict him in the main house.
Instead, he became the eldest grandson of the Fan family.
Kang He laughed when he heard this: "I feel sour when I hear this. Are you unhappy? Do you think I'm meddling in your business?"
"No."
Fan Jing knew in his heart that Kang He worked so hard to do all these things for the sake of his family.
Kang He went up to Fan Jing, snatched some popcorn from his hand, and said, "In the beginning, I didn't like Brother Daxin very much. He couldn't read well and had no other abilities, yet he was doted on by the whole family and used their money. He was no different from a bug in a rice jar.
Think about it, why would you care about such a useless man? "
It was the first time that Fan Jing heard Kang He speak ill of his family members. He used to beat Fan Xin for the same reasons.
Seeing how cowardly he is yet being loved by his family, I can't help but want to give him a slap.
Later, when I grew up and became more stable, it was fine.
"Then why do you care about him?"
Kang He said, "If we really don't care about him, he will have to continue to stay in the jar and eat rice. He has already suffered losses for more than 20 years. If he has to suffer this for dozens more years, it will be a real headache."
"If we don't put in some effort to teach him to be independent, he'll have to work hard for the family when he gets married and starts a family. It's better to make use of the waste and teach him to be decent, so that he can also support the family."
Fan Jing calculated that this was indeed much more cost-effective.
He said, "My uncle and aunt spoiled him too much in the past. After what happened, he has changed. Maybe he can become more like a man in the future."
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