Chapter 31: Split the Family to Run a School
As soon as Jiayue finished speaking, it was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake. Everyone in the Gu family was in an uproar, and the sound of whispers was endless.
When Father Gu heard this, his heart was shaken. He opened his lips slightly, as if he wanted to say a thousand words, but he swallowed them back.
He thought to himself that his daughter's move was too bold. He had never seen a woman who could run a school and teach. But thinking of her sincere heart, he didn't know how to express his feelings.
Grandpa Gu's expression suddenly became stern, his eyes like torches, staring closely at Gu Jiayue, and asked in a voice like a bell: "Girl, do you really know what you are talking about?"
Gu Jiayue's face was calm as she said calmly, "Grandpa, I know what's going on. I know that in the eyes of you and my family, I'm just a teenage girl. How much knowledge can I have? How can I be compared with those students and scholars who studied hard in private schools and passed the imperial examinations?"
"But Grandpa, look at Taohua Village. It's a remote and impoverished place. How could any scholar be willing to condescend to open a school here? If the children in the village want to learn to read and study, they have to travel a long way to the county town to study. The annual tuition alone costs two taels of silver. This doesn't even include the six gifts given to the teacher during festivals, daily food, clothing, and the expenses of pens, ink, paper, and inkstone."
As soon as the words came out, Gu Jiayue secretly regretted it in her heart.
She knew she had to start the school regardless of her family's approval. The atmosphere just now was so wonderful that she couldn't help but feel a tinge of hope. She thought that if she could get her family's support, she would be even more motivated to do things in the future. So, she spoke about it without hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Gu's brows knitted into a deep, swirling knot. Anger welled up in him, and his tone grew even more stern. "Don't let your wishful thinking fool you! You're a girl, and instead of staying home to study needlework and learn the proper skills of a woman, you're thinking of running a school. How disrespectful! Has anyone, throughout history, ever publicly taught?"
Grandpa Gu was usually a quiet man, and most of the household matters were decided by Grandma Gu. Today, he was really irritated by Gu Jiayue's bold idea, which was why he started to rant and ramble.
He also understood that Gu Jiayue had good intentions and wanted to find a way out for the children in the village. He himself knew how difficult it was for people like them, whose ancestors had been farmers for generations, to study.
To send Gu Yuchuan to school, the family scrimped and saved, eating only porridge for three years and only one meal a day. During the slack season, all four men in the family went out to find work, working in the elements and enduring hardships. After three years of painstaking effort, they finally managed to scrape together enough for a year's tuition.
But precisely because he knew the hardships and difficulties involved, he was unwilling to let Gu Jiayue get involved in this mess.
Seeing her grandfather so angry, Gu Jiayue became increasingly anxious and quickly said, "Grandpa, my granddaughter is teaching children to read and write, spreading knowledge. This is a legitimate and good thing. Why is it so improper?"
Grandpa Gu was so angry that he was shaking all over and stamping his feet. Just as he was about to explode, he looked up and saw his granddaughter's fair and tender face, and suddenly came back to his senses. This is not the rough-skinned grandson who can withstand scolding, but the precious granddaughter who grew up spoiled in the marquis's mansion. If he is too strict and his words are too harsh, will it leave an indelible shadow in her heart? Thinking of this, Grandpa Gu suppressed the anger in his heart, tried to make his voice smoother, and said: "I am not forbidding you to teach the children to read. If you are willing, it is enough to teach Gu Yuhe and the dog Dan of the Zhang family at home. Why do you have to do those thankless tasks?"
"Jiayue, your grandfather is right. After all, you are still an unmarried girl. Running a school will inevitably require you to come into contact with all kinds of people, which is not good for your reputation." Grandma Gu also patiently and earnestly advised you.
Gu Jiayue bit her lip. She knew she should just go along with the old lady's wishes and slowly make plans later. But she still wanted to clarify. "Reputation, reputation. If reputation is the only thing that matters, then why does Grandma still work so hard outside? And why does my eldest cousin go to the mountains to pick wild vegetables? If that's the case, why should women be allowed to go out at all? Wouldn't it be more 'appropriate' to lock up all the women in the world and seal the door?
"Besides, my granddaughter isn't the first woman to want to open a school. Grandma, do you know that Ban Zhao not only continued the Han Shu, but also taught classes, nurturing many talents and becoming a legend through the ages? And there was Cai Wenji, proficient in literature, music, and calligraphy, and her talent was widely praised. They were also women, yet they shone brightly in the fields of scholarship and education, and were admired by future generations. My granddaughter opened a school with the original intention of passing on knowledge. As long as she is dedicated to education, how can it damage our reputation? On the contrary, like them, we can bring honor and glory to our Taohua Village."
After hearing this, Grandma Gu opened her mouth to refute, but she was speechless and didn't know where to start.
Grandpa Gu was so angry that his face turned ashen. He pointed at Gu Jiayue with a trembling finger and said, "You child, why are you so stubborn? I'm telling you this today. If you insist on running this school, we'll split up!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Jiayue was struck by lightning and froze in shock.
She never expected that her grandfather would say such cruel words. For a moment, she felt mixed emotions, including grievance, sadness, and confusion.
Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Grandma Gu hurried out to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, why are you talking about this so late at night? We've all worked hard all day, aren't we tired enough? Go back to your rooms and get some rest!"
After saying that, she hurriedly pulled Grandpa Gu into the room.
As soon as he entered the room, Grandpa Gu shook off Grandma Gu's hand, sat down on the edge of the bed, and puffed furiously on his pipe. He was still furious. "Why did you pull me in? I haven't explained the stakes of this to Jiayue yet."
There was no light in the room, it was pitch black, so Grandpa Gu naturally didn't notice Grandma Gu rolling her eyes.
Grandma Gu said angrily, "What's the point of you saying that? Not to mention whether she can run this school, even if she does, how will it affect you?"
Grandpa Gu frowned and said in a muffled voice, "How can it be okay? She's out and about all the time, so how can she avoid all the gossip in the village?"
Grandma Gu snorted coldly, "Hmph, that widow Zhang next door who never left the house before, isn't she still being gossiped about? People have their mouths on them, so let them say whatever they want. Our Jiayue is doing great things that benefit the country and the people, so why should we be afraid of that?"
Grandpa Gu was even angrier when he heard this. "So you agree to her opening a school?"
Grandma Gu sighed and said, "What do you mean by agree or disagree? Jiayue respects us and treats us as elders. She is just asking according to the rules. Do you really think you are so important? Go to bed early. Instead of worrying about whether Jiayue will open the school, you should worry more about whether there are enough rice seedlings to plant this year."
After hearing this, Grandpa Gu stopped talking and just sat on the edge of the bed, smoking his pipe one after another, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.
After a while, Grandma Gu spoke again: "But thinking about it carefully, what you just said reminds me. This family may really be divided."
When Grandpa Gu heard this, he paused smoking his pipe. His heart was filled with emotion, but he remained silent, just smoking his seemingly endless pipe in the darkness.
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