Chapter 129129 Another Bump
April ends and May begins.
The county school and prefectural school in Shaoqing Prefecture welcomed a wave of enrollment.
"Before, I was worried that the government would become corrupt and shut down the county academy again, stopping the imperial examinations. All my efforts would be wasted, and I was so excited that I waited and watched. Now that the examinations are over and everything is settled, it's time to go back."
"Liang is determined to pass the imperial examination. He knows that it is not advisable to study alone. There are almost no private schools in the city. It is better to enroll in the prefectural school. Not only is it close to home, but he can also receive guidance from the prefect."
"Those students at the prefectural academy are incredibly tight-lipped. They haven't revealed a single word in the past few months. If they knew how much the prefect valued the academy and took the time out of his busy schedule to personally teach them, why would they have waited until now to enroll?"
"I, Fan, have lived in Jingdong Prefecture for a long time. I returned to my hometown just as I heard that Shaoqing Prefecture had reinstated the imperial examinations. Unfortunately, by the time I received the news, the registration period had already passed."
"That's all right. The prefect is a rare and honest official at the time. The examination will be held as scheduled next year."
In addition to scholars, teachers who had left Shaoqing Prefecture in anger because of the various evil deeds of the government also returned to their hometowns one after another.
"I am in a foreign land, and I am deeply moved by what the prefect has done. I am willing to do my best to help Shaoqing Prefecture."
"Although the prefect is a woman, she is superior to many men. I am sincerely convinced and am willing to trust the government once again and return to the county school to teach again."
"I am but a poor scholar, not yet qualified to serve in the county or prefectural schools. Last night, I tossed and turned, thinking hard, and decided to open a private school in the prefectural city to teach and educate people."
This morning, Zhou Tongzhi came to the government office by carriage. On the way to the government school, he saw a crowd of people outside the gate. He sent someone to inquire and found out that they were students registering for admission.
After the hour of Mao, there was still a cup of tea before the start of duty. A group of officials stood under the eaves, twirling their beards and chatting and laughing.
"Not only did the prefectural academy bring in two or three hundred students, but there were also over twenty more successful candidates. Some of them were originally professors at the prefectural academy, while others were private school teachers. Returning to Shaoqing Prefecture, they came to the prefectural academy to recommend themselves."
Zhou Tongzhi sighed, "I finally understand why the prefect chose to schedule the imperial examination in April. It's both a prefectural and an imperial examination, so the momentum is huge and naturally the news will spread far and wide. The more people know about it, the more people will come to take part."
Wu Tongzhi stretched, his back cracking, and he stood up straight in fear. "No more talking. As of yesterday, thousands of people have signed up, all wanting to clean toilets and garbage stations. I have to review them one by one."
Earlier, at the order of the prefect, the prefectural city and the four counties under its jurisdiction took action and summoned craftsmen to build public toilets and garbage stations.
During this period, the provincial and imperial examinations were held, so the craftsmen had to suspend construction. The construction was continued on and off until it was completed on April 21st.
After that, we sent people to inspect the project. Those that did not meet the standards were sent back for repairs. It was delayed like this and we only started recruiting workers on April 26.
Considering the strong odor from public toilets and garbage stations, only more than 2,000 people signed up, and they were all ordinary people who had to work in this industry to make a living.
Wu Tongzhi sighed: "Shaoqing Prefecture still has many poor people."
Judge Zheng Tong sighed, "There is no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. Some people have great power, some are extremely wealthy, and some cannot even afford a full meal."
Judge Wang Tong spread his hands and said, "Common prosperity is nothing but wishful thinking. It is impossible to achieve. We can only do our best to ensure that the vast majority of people have enough food to eat and enough clothes to wear."
The last eight words may seem simple, but they are actually as difficult as climbing to the sky. Throughout history, there have been very few people in power who can do this.
All the officials sighed in unison, and as the gong sounded, they walked towards the duty room with their hands behind their backs.
The road to enriching the people is long and arduous, and they need to work harder.
......
Wu Tongzhi spent three days reviewing and finally recruited 130 people.
On the fifth day of May, public toilets and garbage stations are officially open to the public.
"This toilet is great. It's long and can be used by multiple people at the same time. We no longer have to get kicked in the street."
"There's a garbage station across the street, so the kitchen waste can be easily disposed of. It no longer has to be piled up for ten days or half a month and then disposed of in a centralized location."
Some people actively responded to the government's call, while naturally there were people who were rebellious and went against the government.
While others go to public toilets to relieve themselves and throw garbage into the garbage station, they still do their own thing and try to challenge the bottom line of the government.
The patrolmen didn't tolerate them and arrested them directly and put them in jail for three to five days before releasing them.
Many people didn't even have time to pull up their pants, and just walked across the streets with their bare buttocks, causing the onlookers to laugh.
After a few times of killing the chicken to scare the monkey, those troublemakers no longer dared to cause trouble. They went to public toilets honestly and did not dare to deliberately throw smelly garbage on the streets.
Wu Tongzhi came to deliver the official documents and said with a look of satisfaction, "Thanks to your wisdom and ingenuity, the city has become much cleaner in just a few days, and that faint smell has disappeared."
After reading the document, Du Qingtang stamped the prefect's seal on the lower right corner and said calmly, "Street rectification is only one part, and we must also use tough measures. Some people are bullies who only behave themselves after they suffer a little."
Wu Tongzhi echoed: "Your Excellency is absolutely right."
Du Qingtang threw the official document to him, and the gong for the end of the shift sounded just in time.
Wu Tongzhi bowed and said, "I will take my leave."
Du Qingtang processed the remaining documents, tidied up the messy desk, and returned to the third hall with the empty lunch box.
Du Qingzhu was leaning back in a recliner, looking at a new recipe with a focused expression, and didn't notice Du Qingtang's arrival.
The door to the west wing was tightly closed, and the sound of running water could be faintly heard.
"Eighth sister is back too?"
Du Qingzhu came back to his senses and nodded in response, "In the afternoon, Xiao Ba was asked by the midwife to help. The child was born safely when a woman in gorgeous clothes suddenly came in with her servants."
"It turns out that the woman who gave birth was a mistress. The wife discovered her existence and brought people to attack us."
"The woman had just given birth and fell asleep from exhaustion. The maidservant who was waiting on her was useless and was stabbed to death by the wife with a pair of scissors."
"Xiao Ba happened to be nearby when the incident happened. Blood spurted out all over her. She was taking a shower at the time."
Du Qingtang placed the food box on the stone table and recalled: "The government has not received any report."
Normally, a murder case should be reported to the government, but the government did not receive any report today.
Du Qingzhu propped his chin up on the spine of a book, his expression disdainful. "That man is a coward. When he saw his mistress being stabbed to death by his wife with a pair of scissors, he was so scared that he immediately knelt down and kowtowed, begging his wife to spare his life. He would never pursue her for murder."
Du Qingtang used his fingers as a comb to comb his wind-blown hair: "Did the wife let him go?"
Du Qingzhu shook her head. "Xiao Ba said that the wife didn't say a word, and she slashed the man with a pair of scissors. Then she gave Xiao Ba and the midwife 100 taels each, telling them to shut up."
Du Qingtang: "...The mistress certainly has her faults, but ultimately, the man is the one who bears the greatest responsibility."
Since no one reported it to the police, for the sake of the wife's rationality and decisiveness, let's just pretend that nothing happened.
It's okay to be expedient and show favoritism occasionally.
Du Qingzhu didn't comment. He glanced at the food box on the table, tapped his fingers twice, and asked with interest, "Xianyu, isn't that person bringing you food this year?"
Du Qingtang was stunned: "What?"
Du Qingzhu rested his chin on his hand and said with a smile, "Although you have never told me and Xiao Ba, the kitchen is my territory. I know how much food is consumed every day."
Last November, Du Qingzhu discovered that there was more leftover food every day than usual.
She didn't say anything, but observed secretly for a few days and found that the cook didn't bring lunch to the youngest child.
In the past, the cook would go to the lobby to deliver meals every day at noon.
Even when busy with official duties, the youngest would forget to eat and come back in the evening with cold food.
Du Qingzhu is not an ignorant child. Hasn't he seen a pig run even if he hasn't eaten pork?
She immediately concluded that the youngest sister was in love with a man, which was why he sent her food every day.
However, since the youngest brother had no intention of telling them, she, as the older sister, would just pretend that she knew nothing and wait for the youngest brother to bring the person to them and explain their relationship.
Du Qingzhu was looking forward to it, but it turned out to be the next year and the cook went to the lobby to deliver food again.
Du Qingzhu was shocked. Could it be that the youngest brother had broken up with that person?
Du Qingzhu felt like she was being scratched by a cat. She wanted to ask the youngest brother what happened, but she was afraid of touching upon his sad memories, so she had to suppress her curiosity and pretend nothing had happened.
She had been holding it in since the beginning of the Lunar New Year until today. Now that she saw the food box, her curiosity was like a flood bursting through a dam. She finally couldn't help it and asked directly.
Du Qingzhu secretly observed the youngest's expression and asked cautiously, "Can you tell me why you two separated after being together?"
Du Qingtang: “…”
On the night of the first day of the first lunar month, Pei Yuchun braved the snow to deliver cakes.
Du Qingtang could see that Pei Yuchun was very happy, and every strand of his hair was filled with excitement and joy.
Du Qingtang privately thought that he shouldn't be given any hope, so he said sternly, "Then don't bring me food anymore, and don't come here anymore."
Pei Yuchun always took a subordinate position in front of her, deliberately acting nice and trying to please her in every way.
But he is a second-rank military general after all, and he has his own pride.
Du Qingtang's words were so heartless that there was no room for maneuver. Sure enough, he never showed up again after that.
Every day at seven o'clock in the morning, no personal soldier showed up on time with a food box.
This is good, Du Qingtang thought casually.
Pei Yuchun wanted love, wanted her love.
But Du Qingtang doesn't want to love anyone, and doesn't have the extra energy to love anyone.
She devoted all her energy to court affairs.
She wants to climb up.
Climb to the highest point, the top of a thousand feet.
"Hmm?" Seeing the youngest child remained silent, Du Qingzhu tilted his head and let out a breath.
Du Qingtang came back to his senses and corrected her calmly, "I have never been with him."
Du Qingzhu's eyes widened, unable to hide her astonishment: "Never?"
Du Qingtang nodded and said succinctly, "He said he liked me, but I refused. He sent me food every day, but I also refused. Now that he has figured it out, he doesn't send me food anymore."
Du Qingzhu: “…”
"puff--"
A sudden chuckle came from the west. Du Qingtang and Du Qingzhu looked over together. Du Qingju was standing at the door with slightly wet hair, laughing so hard that she was bent over.
Du Qingtang: "...What's so funny?"
Du Qingju pursed her lips tightly, suppressing her laughter. After a long pause, she spoke again, her tone still hinting at a hint of laughter: "Xianyu is as simple and crude as ever. Refusing again and again will naturally push people away."
Du Qingtang said sternly, "If I were to play along and keep him hooked, that would be unfair."
It is also irresponsible to him.
Du Qingju stroked her hair, her fingertips damp with moisture. "Xianyu, is he the one who gave you the lantern on the Hehuan Festival?"
Du Qingtang did not deny it.
She had long put the crabapple lantern aside, and had forgotten about it even if Du Qingju hadn't asked her.
"I found it strange at the time. Xianyu, you don't seem like the type to actively buy a lantern," Du Qingju analyzed seriously. "And I've observed that the lantern is exceptionally exquisite. It doesn't look like something sold at a stall; it looks more like it was meticulously crafted."
Du Qingtang's eyes moved slightly, but he said nothing.
Du Qingju then asked, "He was the one who came and left on the night of the first day of the Lunar New Year, wasn't he?"
Du Qingtang looked at her steadily.
Du Qingju smiled and said, "You guys talked so much outside, and I wasn't asleep, so how could I not notice? I was the one who cleaned up the Green Cloud Cake and tea in the Guixiang Room."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Du Qingzhu listened to the conversation between her two sisters, looking from one to the other, and was extremely shocked: "Great, so you two were secretly doing this right under my nose!"
Du Qingtang: "...What do you mean by sneaking through Chencang? Don't use the wrong words."
Du Qingju suppressed a smile and said, "It's only when the two of them are together that it counts as a secret operation. Offering the jade doesn't count."
Du Qingzhu puffed out his cheeks, suddenly remembering something, and hissed, "It seemed to snow on the night of the first day of the first lunar month?"
"Yes, it snowed heavily all night, and it didn't melt until the fifth day of the first lunar month."
Du Qingju glanced at the expressionless youngest brother and suddenly felt a little sympathy for the man.
But this is the youngest's private matter. It's up to her to accept or reject it. Even though she is her sister from the same mother, she has no right to criticize her.
Du Qingju sighed softly and stepped forward: "Actually, Xianyu is right. If you don't like someone, don't keep them hanging. This is not good."
If you don't make a decision when you should, you will suffer the consequences.
When doing things, you must be decisive and efficient. Procrastination and being clumsy are useless.
Du Qingzhu agreed deeply. He looked up at the birds chirping happily on the branches, and put his hands on his hips. "But I think Xianyu is still too tense. He wants to finish everything in one go."
"The starting point is good, but as for Xianyu, people are not made of iron and will always get tired."
"If you don't like this one, you can look for someone else." Du Qingzhu changed the subject and emphasized, "I have no intention of asking you to get married."
"Our Lord Du is a fourth-rank official, holding great power. His status is extraordinary. Any man who can be favored by Lord Du is a blessing."
"Why can men support women, but women can't support men?"
Du Qingzhu waved his hand and said casually: "If you get tired of this one, just change it to the next one. The old one must go before the new one comes. The most important thing is to enjoy life while you can."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Du Qingju: “…”
"Bang!"
The heavy object fell to the ground with a dull sound.
The three sisters looked in the direction of the sound and saw Du Jiu and Du Shi standing with their backs pressed against the wall, as if they were being punished. There was a fallen wooden box at their feet, and their eyes were wide open with fear.
It was obvious that both of them heard Du Qingzhu's heroic speech and were frightened.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Zhu Ju and Zhu: "......"
Du Qingtang put his fist to his lips and cleared his throat twice: "What is this?"
The clear and melodious voice was like a soul-snatching rope, which made Du Jiu and Du Shi's souls return to their bodies and they saluted tremblingly.
"My Lord, it was sent from Baoding Prefecture."
Du Qingju glanced at the wooden box and said, "It should be the reply from Fifth Sister."
Du Qingzhu instantly put aside the embarrassment and urged, "Where is the letter? Show it to me. Bring the wooden box over and put it...in the west wing."
Du Jiu presented the letter as he was told, and Du Shi moved the wooden box to the west wing according to Du Qingzhu's instructions. Then he bowed hastily and left as if fleeing, as if a vicious dog was chasing him.
Du Qingzhu: “…Humph!”
Du Qingtang opened the envelope, while Du Qingzhu was pulled by Du Qingju to the west wing to look through the contents of the wooden box.
"Oh, it's actually a wool scarf."
"Most likely they're woolen sweaters that have been taken apart and rewoven. They feel really soft and must be very warm to wear in the winter."
"There are also pickles and dried radish, which go perfectly with the porridge!"
The two girls chattered away, and after looking through the contents of the wooden box, they belatedly remembered the reply from their fifth sister. They immediately perked up and turned to look at the youngest.
"Offer jade, five..."
When his eyes met Du Qingtang's cold expression, all the words were stuck in his throat. Du Qingzhu licked his lips and closed his mouth obediently.
There was no need to ask any more questions, no need to read the letter, the youngest's expression said it all.
Du Qingzhu suddenly felt a severe headache. He rubbed his teeth secretly and had the urge to roar to the sky.
The youngest brother obviously wanted to support the fifth sister, but the fifth sister refused, gave up this great opportunity for divorce, and continued to stay with that scumbag Guo Qian.
Ahhhhh, she is so pissed off!!!
Does Fifth Sister really think she is a garbage station? Why does she collect all the garbage into the house?
Du Qingzhu puffed up his face, looking as angry as a pufferfish, with his cheeks flushed red from anger.
Seeing this, Du Qingju gently stroked Du Qingzhu's back, fearing that she would faint from anger.
Du Qingzhu let out a breath, banged his head against the door frame, and closed his eyes pretending to be dead.
Du Qingju looked at Du Qingtang, hesitant to speak: "Present the jade..."
Du Qingtang raised his eyes upon hearing the voice, his cold expression gradually receding until he returned to normal: "What's wrong?"
Du Qingzhu raised her head from the door frame: "Fifth sister still doesn't want to divorce?"
"I respect Fifth Sister's decision." Du Qingtang said calmly, then changed the subject and said, "It's May now, and we can plant potatoes and sweet potatoes."
Typically, potatoes are planted in February and harvested in two to four months, while sweet potatoes are planted in May and harvested in four to seven months.
The winter in Shaoqing Prefecture is long, and the temperature gradually warms up in April. May is the best time to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Du Qingzhu had been thinking about the potatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers in the cellar. If it were any other time, he would have been rushing to dig holes and plant them.
But who could blame her for the letter from Baoding Prefecture? She learned that Du Qingmei didn't want to divorce. Even the delicious potatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers couldn't make Du Qingzhu smile. She was stunned for a long while before she slowly uttered "Oh".
Du Qingju pinched Du Qingzhu's wrist imperceptibly. The youngest one is in a bad mood right now, so Seventh Sister should not add fuel to the fire.
Du Qingzhu half hung on Du Qingju: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. Forget it today, I'll talk about it when I come back tomorrow."
Du Qingtang nodded: "I'll go change my clothes."
Du Qingtang took the food box to the kitchen and asked the cook to wash it. Then he went back to the bedroom and closed the door with a "click", blocking Zhuju and the others from their sight.
Du Qingzhu took a deep breath and made a bold guess: "Xiao Ba, do you think Xianyu wouldn't kill to silence her?"
Du Qingju: "Hmm?"
Du Qingju was stunned for a moment, then slapped her arm in annoyance: "What are you talking about? Is Xianyu that kind of person?"
"But that bastard surnamed Guo is really despicable. I wish he would be struck by lightning and die a miserable death."
"Thank goodness Xianyu gave him the books and exercises she had read, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to pass the imperial examination on his first try. It would have been fine if he hadn't been grateful, but he actually raised such an ungrateful person."
Du Qingzhu wrinkled her nose, feeling a little disappointed, and said in a muffled voice, "Fifth sister wasn't like this before."
After the eldest sisters get married, the fifth sister will consciously assume the responsibilities of the eldest sister, love and care for them.
When the fifth sister learned that she wanted to become the concubine of the rich man Wang, she would blame herself and cry, and she would be so angry that she would beat her with a branch until she rolled on the ground.
The deeper the love, the more severe the criticism.
This sentence refers to the fifth sister back then, and also applies to Du Qingzhu now.
Du Qingzhu grumbled unhappily, "Back then, Fifth Sister broke all the branches and refused to let me become a concubine. But now that it's her turn, she's like someone's possessed. We've tried to persuade her again and again, but she's still determined to live with this dirty man."
Du Qingju was speechless for a long time before she said, "Although Guo Qian's character is low, he still has some talent for reading. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to fully understand the books Xianyu gave him. Besides, Fifth Sister was married to him through a formal matchmaker, which makes her different from a concubine who came to marry him on her own initiative."
Du Qingzhu choked, feeling inexplicably that Du Qingju was hinting at her. She scratched her head in frustration, her hair disheveled. "Actually, I can understand Fifth Sister. Being an official's wife is so glorious. Even if Guo Qian's ambition doesn't match his ability, he's still an official."
"I just..." Du Qingzhu smacked her lips, "I feel a little bit upset. Fifth Sister is the wind of freedom, she should be unrestrained, not like this now."
She understood and didn't understand.
The emotion called regret was like a substance, lingering in her heart, making her irritable and her nose sore.
Perhaps it was because she was not the fifth sister herself and could not put herself in her shoes and consider the problem from her perspective that she felt so uncomfortable.
"Oh, I'm so annoyed." Du Qingzhu kicked the door sill and rushed into the kitchen. "Xiao Ba, come here and help me."
Du Qingju rubbed her forehead and followed.
On the other side, Du Qingtang walked into the bedroom, crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the incense burner.
Du Qingtang stood in front of the incense burner with his hands behind his back, watching the letter paper burn to ashes, then turned around and walked towards the cupboard.
Open the cabinet door and take out your daily clothes.
Just as I was about to close it, I took a casual glance and the lantern on the top shelf of the cupboard caught my eye.
"Ayu, do you like the lanterns I made?"
“It doesn’t look like something sold at a stall, it looks more like it’s been carefully crafted.”
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes and moved the lantern out of his sight.
The cabinet door was about to close, but opened again at the critical moment.
Du Qingtang held his casual clothes in his left hand, took the lantern with his right hand, and walked towards the low cabinet on the other side.
The low cabinet is in the corner of the bedroom and is rarely used.
Du Qingtang put the lantern in it, closed the cabinet door, changed into casual clothes, went to the study, and called Du Wu along the way.
"You and Du Liu go to Baoding Prefecture..."
After giving some instructions, Du Wu took the order and left.
Du Qingtang sat quietly for a moment and slowly tidied up the desk.
She said she respected her fifth sister's decision.
But what Guo Qian did made her very unhappy.
If you make a mistake, you have to pay the price.
-
The next day, Du Qingzhu returned from Shixiang Pavilion half an hour early and, according to the youngest's instructions, planted potatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers in the flower bed next to the lotus pond.
From then on, I took care of it every day with great care.
Half a month passed in a flash, and the Shaoqing Prefecture branch of the Qiongying English Publishing House was officially established.
In addition to Zhu Ju and Ju, the initial members included Wang Nianzhi, Mu Yuanzhu, Gu Ran and other women.
Mu Yuanzhu is responsible for teaching martial arts to the girls' class. Originally, he was just an acquaintance with female teachers such as Wang Nianci. Later, they met in Sanli Village and found that they had similar personalities and gradually became friends.
As early as last year, Wang Nianzhi intended to establish the Qiongying English Society. However, due to the busy school affairs and the need to take care of the charity hall, it was delayed until early May this year.
The Qiong English Society is located in the east of the city. Like the Qiong English Society in Qingyuan County, it only recruits female members. All women, regardless of their social status, can join the society and learn to read and write together.
When the news spread, people had mixed reactions.
"Reading is good. Girls should study more, just like the prefect."
"You are dreaming. In the entire Great Xia, there is only one woman as talented as the prefect. If you have this talent, you might as well embroider a few more handkerchiefs, earn a few more copper coins, and save up more for your dowry."
"How many people can become officials? The female teachers in the school all said that reading and learning can make you smarter. At least when you are bullied, you will know to run away instead of standing there stupidly and getting beaten."
"My daughter is sixteen this year and doesn't meet the requirements for school enrollment, but she's obsessed with learning to read. Every day she runs next door, following an eight-year-old girl, calling her "little teacher" all the time. It makes me feel so embarrassed. I'll send her to that literary club tomorrow so she won't have to hang around me all day and it hurts my eyes."
In the charity hall, Du Minjing was also talking about this matter with her sister Du Wanqing.
"Sister Wang said that those who can read can recite poems and write couplets, and those who can't read will have someone to teach them how to read."
Du Minjing looked at her sister, with desire and reluctance in her eyes: "Sister, I want to learn to read."
In the past, she was always called a money-loser and was said to be useless.
Du Minjing herself thinks so too.
It was not until he came to the provincial capital from Sanli Village that he met outstanding women such as the prefect, Sister Du and Sister Wang.
The prefect is one of only two women in Daxia who walks in the court.
One of the two Du sisters opened a restaurant, and everyone said that the owner of Shixiang Pavilion was very talented. The other opened a clinic, had superb medical skills, and became the village chief thanks to Tianju Drink.
Not to mention the women like Sister Wang, they are bookish, reserved and gentle, yet they have their own radiance.
From them, Du Minjing realized that women are no worse than men.
She is not a money-loser.
She could also become a useful person like the prefect and her sisters.
"Sister, Sister Wang and the others teach in the school and receive a salary every month. I also want to teach there and make a lot of money so that you can live a good life." Du Minjing said in a resounding voice with bright eyes.
Du Wanqing smiled and gently stroked her sister's hair: "Silly girl, I work in a garment factory and can get a bag of copper coins every month. I don't need you to support me."
Du Minjing pouted, a little unhappy: "Sister, it's your business to make money. It doesn't prevent me from wanting you to live a better life, at least without having to live frugally."
Du Wanqing's heart softened, and she said softly, "Okay, okay, then I'll wait for Ah Jing to let me live a good life."
She paused, then continued, "Go if you want to. You can go anytime you want, right? Clean the hall every day before going. The prefect has given us a place to live. You must not neglect one thing while neglecting the other and cause trouble for Aunt He."
Aunt He, the person in charge of the charity hall.
Du Minjing nodded and said, "I'll go there tomorrow. I will study hard and strive to become a female teacher as good as Sister Wang and Sister Gu as soon as possible!"
Du Wanqing said nothing, but just rubbed her sister's head.
The next day, the morning light was dim.
Du Minjing got up early and did the task assigned to her by Aunt He. Then she squatted by the well, scooped up a handful of water, and wet her hair to prevent the overly fluffy hair from flying around and affecting the members' first impression of her.
Du Wanqing hung up the clothes and turned around to see her sister admiring herself in the water. She couldn't help but laugh: "Go quickly, go early, and you can learn a few more words today."
Du Minjing waved to her sister, trotted out of the charity hall and ran towards the Qiongying English Society.
When we got there, we found the door wasn't open yet, but there were already a lot of people waiting outside.
Without exception, most of these people were wearing washed-out clothes with patches on top of patches, straw sandals or cloth shoes with several holes in them, and had an awkward yet expectant expression on their faces.
Du Minjing swallowed twice and rubbed her hands: "Are you all here to study at the Qiong English Club?"
These words seemed to press the start button, and girls of the same age as Du Minjing rushed to respond.
"Yes, I wanted to learn to read and write, so my mother asked me to come here."
"Your mother is so kind. My parents don't allow me to go to school, so you all have to keep it a secret for me. If they find out, they will definitely break my legs!"
The girls responded in unison and continued.
"My father originally wanted to send me to school, but I'm not old enough to get the scholarship. Now he plans to marry me off to an old widower in the village who beat his two wives to death. He also wants me to go to the city every day to sell vegetables. I came here to take advantage of this opportunity. I plan to leave here as soon as I can learn a few more words. Even if I have to beg at first, it's a hundred times better than marrying an old widower. And I believe that life won't always be this bad. It will get better eventually."
"I promised my grandma I'd marry my stupid cousin, and she let me come."
"Stupid cousin? Why marry a fool when you can marry anyone else?"
"Even if it's not him, there are others. My cousin's family is the richest in the village. If I marry him, at least I won't have to worry about food and clothing, and I can also go to school. I learned the Three Character Classic from my mother when I was very young, but then my mother died of illness, and there was no one to teach me to read anymore."
Du Minjing listened to everyone talking at once, feeling mixed emotions.
These girls are like weeds in the wilderness, enduring wind, rain, and scorching sun.
Suffering did not destroy them. They still had hope in their hearts, and they survived tenaciously in the cracks and grew wildly.
"Why do you want to study?"
Du Minjing wanted to be a female teacher and make her sister's life better.
What are they doing it for?
"My mother was the daughter of a scholar. Before she died, she told me to study hard. I have kept this in mind all these years. I heard that the Qiong English Society offers free education, so I came here."
"People always say that studying can make you wise and smart, but I don't care about that. I study to make money. When I marry my cousin, I will open a shop in the city. By then, I can learn to read and the shop assistants won't dare to fool me."
"I want to be a high-ranking official in Xiajing, just like the prefect!"
"Are you stupid? How can a woman be an official in this world?"
"Isn't that the prefect?"
"Although I also want to be like the prefect, she disguised herself as a man to take the imperial examination. Ordinary women can't even pass the imperial examination, let alone become an official."
"What if it's possible in the future?"
The girl who held the objection wanted to say something when a woman in an indigo dress came over, took out the key and opened the door of the literary society.
The quarrel stopped abruptly. The girls looked at the newcomer's clean dress, long silky hair, and fair face, and swallowed nervously.
Looking inside the literary society, books are neatly arranged on the bookshelves and the desks are arranged in an orderly manner.
There was a faint scent of fresh ink lingering in their nostrils, which made them even more uneasy.
Will the literary society really accept them and teach them to read and write?
They are all dirty, and they will definitely dirty the clean tables, chairs and valuable books when they walk in, right?
The girls twisted their fingers and thought about it, and couldn't help but feel like backing out.
Forget it, it’s okay not to study.
At this moment, the woman in the indigo dress turned around and said with a smile, "What are you all standing there for? Come in."
The girls looked at each other. Du Minjing looked at the back of the young woman, Wang Nianci, who was the first to walk in.
Seeing this, the others gritted their teeth, closed their eyes, and followed in.
"Please take a seat, everyone." Wang Nianci didn't waste any words and went straight to the point. "Are you all here to learn how to read?"
The girls sat down gently and nodded vigorously.
Wang Nianci understood and after a brief conversation, she took out the Three Character Classic and handed it to the two of them. "I will be in charge of teaching you today, and tomorrow someone else will continue the teaching."
The four schools have heavy courses, and female teachers such as Gu Ran are teaching at this moment.
Du Qingzhu is in the Shixiang Pavilion, and Du Qingju is in the Xinglin Hall.
It just so happened that Wang Nianzhi had no classes today, so she was responsible for teaching at the Qiong English Language Society.
Although it is a bit hard, it is worth it.
"Come, repeat after me, man is born good..."
The girls carefully opened the Three Character Classic, sat upright, licked their cracked lips, and mustered up the courage to recite: "When a person is born, his nature is good..."
Wang Nianci said loudly: "What this sentence means is..."
Du Minjing pricked up her ears and listened attentively, then smiled quietly.
The lady is very nice.
The members are also very nice.
The stories in the book are also very interesting.
She likes it here.
......
Wang Nianci only taught for half an hour and then let the girls digest it on their own.
Some of the girls read haltingly, while others imitated the words in the book by writing and drawing on the table with their fingers.
Du Minjing didn't stay long, she had to go back to the charity hall to make lunch.
After bidding farewell to Mr. Wang and all the members, Du Minjing trotted back to the charity hall.
As soon as I entered the door, I was surrounded by girls.
"You went to the Qiong English Club?"
"How is it? Does that place really teach people to read?"
This morning, the girls over the age of twelve in the charity hall got up and found that Du Minjing was missing after finishing their work.
I went to see Aunt He and found out that Du Minjing had gone to the Qiong English Society.
They waited eagerly for a full hour before Du Minjing came back.
Du Minjing thought of the spacious room, the books smelling of ink, and the vibrant and energetic members, and nodded vigorously: "I learned the Three Character Classic today."
"I know the Three Character Classic, and I want to learn it too."
"If I finish my work every day, can I go to the Qiong English Club at other times?"
Aunt He came out. The woman, who was nearly fifty years old, had a kind face and said, "Of course, it's a good thing to read more and learn more."
"Yeah!"
The girls cheered and jumped three feet high.
-
Another half month passed in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to the unremitting efforts of its members, Qiongying English Society has become well-known to everyone.
Today, girls between the ages of six and twelve go to school, and girls over twelve years old go to the Qiong English Society.
Girls of every age have books to read, and they are like a dry sponge, desperately absorbing knowledge.
Day after day, year after year, I believe that in time, their lives will undergo earth-shaking changes and they will embark on a bright and beautiful road.
In late May, news came from the orchard that some of the fruits were ripe.
Just as the official business at hand had come to an end, Du Qingtang took two associate magistrates and two assistant judges with him to take a look.
The orchard covers a vast area. From October last year to now, fruit farmers have planted many fruits and vegetables, including but not limited to apples, pears, pomegranates, grapes, watermelons, etc.
Looking around, you can see lush greenery everywhere, with fruits growing on the ground and hanging on the branches, and the fragrance of fruits is everywhere.
The fruit farmer reported respectfully: "In at most half a month, the fruits will be ripe and ready to fall."
Du Qingtang nodded and said, "I will send someone to clean up the fruit shop. You just need to take care of the fruits and vegetables. The rest will be handled by someone else."
The fruit farmers had no doubts and responded respectfully.
On the way back, Du Qingtang ordered his attendants: "Master Wu, the fresh fruit garden will be handed over to you for management."
Fresh Fruit Garden, the name of a fruit shop.
"I plan to enclose a piece of land outside the South City Gate and build a dried fruit factory. Lord Zheng will be responsible for supervising the construction, and Lord Wang will be responsible for all matters after the opening."
"Yes, I will obey your orders, sir."
The group returned to the government office. Du Qingtang dismounted and a yamen runner came forward and took the reins.
Just as I was about to enter, I heard a commotion not far away.
"stop!"
"Don't run!"
Following the sound, I saw a woman in a pink dress being chased by a group of strong men.
Du Qingtang: “…”
This scene seems familiar.
In silence, the woman saw the officials and servants at the government office gate, and her eyes lit up: "Sir, help me!"
He shouted as he ran towards them.
The strong man's face changed drastically when he saw this, and he braked suddenly and turned around and ran away.
"Sir, save me...ah!"
As the woman approached, he let out a scream, tripped over her left foot, and fell heavily in front of Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Trying to scam me again?
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