In the morning, it was the time when the villagers from Gu Village and other villages came to Gu Lili's house to do chores, and the girls' school was a place they had to pass through.
Therefore, when Gu Lili ordered the firecrackers to be lit, the girls' school was surrounded by layers of villagers from various villages who had come to work.
Most of the people in the village, regardless of gender, are illiterate.
So everyone is curious, what kind of workshop did Gu Lili open?
Opening a workshop means needing people to work, so these people, after helping with the work in the fields, will have the opportunity to continue working in the workshop.
They had heard that those who worked in the soap and malt sugar factories were provided with three meals a day.
Although it's only fifteen coins a day, as long as you work hard and don't cheat, you'll get a bonus at the end of the month!
Almost all the people working in the soap workshop were from Guzhuang; those from other villages couldn't get in.
But if it's a newly opened place, they could ask Gu Lili if she still needs staff.
Although the journey there and back is a bit long, I heard that accommodation is also provided here!
"Princess Yongning, Lord Lin, what kind of workshop have you opened this time?"
In the crowd, an older woman finally couldn't help but ask first.
Gu Lili and Lord Lin never put on airs, so the villagers weren't afraid of them and respected them more than anything else.
Before Gu Lili could answer, someone else chimed in, "Doesn't the plaque above the door say 'Gu Village Girls' School'? It must be some kind of workshop that makes things specifically for women."
Gu Lili almost burst out laughing when she heard the uncle's serious explanation.
However, it's no wonder that the uncle understood it that way.
After all, girls' schools were something few people had ever heard of in their small town.
Not to mention I've ever seen it.
"This isn't a workshop, but a school specifically for women to study!" Gu Lili explained with a smile.
The uncle who had rushed to explain earlier blushed deeply.
The people around burst into laughter.
The uncle scratched his head sheepishly and quickly moved from the front of the crowd to the back.
Upon hearing that it was a girls' school, everyone instantly lost interest.
They thought it was a workshop, but they were hoping to find a job at Gu Lili's place.
But there's no need for a school.
Most of them were middle-aged and no longer needed to go to school.
Moreover, most of the people inside were men, so they weren't really interested.
It would be better to hurry up and work in the fields. If they do a good job, Wei Yin and the others will remember their names, and when it's time to distribute their monthly wages, Gu Lili can give them extra as a reward.
Gu Lili had anticipated everyone's reaction.
However, Lin Xiyao suddenly became anxious as she watched the group about to leave.
"Hey! Fellow villagers, don't go! Don't you want to learn about our girls' school?" Lin Xiyao shouted anxiously.
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped in their tracks.
“Miss Lin, we are all farmers. Even men don’t need to go to school, let alone women,” someone in the crowd laughed.
This statement was met with agreement from the crowd.
"Yes, it's true. Men might have a chance to pass the imperial examinations if they learn it, but it's useless for women."
"That's right, that's right."
The idea that most of the people speaking in the crowd are men is deeply ingrained in their minds.
Lin Xiyao was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. Gu Lili quickly pulled her hand over and patted it, signaling her to calm down.
A kind-looking middle-aged woman standing nearby couldn't bear to watch any longer and stepped forward to comfort Lin Xiyao.
“Miss Lin, if you opened a restaurant and sold some food, we ordinary people could patronize it. But as for the girls’ school, we are all too old to learn it.”
"Yes, Miss Lin, when women from our peasant families reach a certain age, they get married and have children. Unlike you daughters of officials, who need to manage a large family, we don't really need girls' schools."
In their eyes, this girls' school might be a tool for Lin Xiyao and Gu Lili to make money.
But as that uncle just said, if it were a place that sells food, they might grit their teeth and try to flatter the two men to buy some food.
But they had no idea how to flatter the school or the people there.
"If you can't get in, what about your children?" Lin Xiyao said angrily.
The world she lived in since childhood was different from that of these villagers.
Therefore, in her eyes, these villagers were simply too old-fashioned.
Even if you don't have to manage a family, being literate is still better than living a life of ignorance.
For example, just now they were standing around the entrance of the girls' school, but they couldn't even recognize the four big characters on the plaque above the door.
Even if someone later understood it, they misinterpreted its meaning, causing others to laugh.
If their lives ended like this, do they expect their children to live the same way?
Gu Lili understood Lin Xiyao's thoughts at this moment, but to the villagers, this thought was like the idea of "why not eat meat porridge?"
People at the very bottom of society are only thinking about how to fill their stomachs; they have no time to think about anything else.
"Our children... hahaha, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. As for us, all we want is to fill our stomachs. Sometimes, being too enlightened isn't a good thing," someone said with a self-deprecating laugh.
What use is all that knowledge to them?
Men might have a chance to pass the imperial examinations and achieve official rank, but the probability was extremely small.
Let alone the years of hard study, they couldn't even afford the pens, ink, paper, and inkstones they used for writing every day.
You have to understand that for these farmers, having someone in the family who is studying means they have to cut back on food and clothing for more than a decade.
Moreover, the final result may not necessarily be good.
That would mean that all their efforts over the years have been in vain.
Therefore, none of them were willing to gamble.
In their view, being able to grow crops well and, when they are well-off, buy some meat to treat their families is already a very satisfying life.
Seeing that Lin Xiyao was about to argue, Gu Lili patted her hand, signaling her to calm down.
Gu Lili knew that only core interests could sway them.
Moreover, Gu Lili did not intend to teach only literacy at this girls' school.
It teaches women how to support themselves in this world by their own hands.
"Do people really want their children to spend their whole lives toiling in the fields for a living?" Gu Lili asked with a smile.
After hearing Gu Lili's words, the crowd fell silent.
Are you willing to accept this?
Naturally, they were unwilling to accept this.
If they had the choice to choose a better life, they would definitely run faster than anyone else.
But they had no choice.
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