Chapter 404 Return to Taohua Village
Gu Jiayue stayed in the county town for about 10 days.
These days, her main task is to help the scholars in the county learn how to teach the refugees and complete their literacy work.
Yes, this job has been assigned by Zheng Qinghe to the scholars in the county town.
Anyone who has received education must come and help the refugees learn to read and write, otherwise he will not sign the teaching certificate.
Thanks to the new education law promulgated in Kyoto at the beginning of the year, otherwise he might not be able to command these old-fashioned scholars.
Gu Jiayue only needs to teach them the teaching materials she compiled.
However, not all scholars are suitable to be teachers. Some people are very impatient and will get very angry if the refugees don’t remember what they have said three times.
Such people must be transferred from this position.
However, there were too few literate people and too many refugees, so there was no choice but to let the refugees study in batches.
Study half in the morning and half in the evening.
Although it was hard work, the refugees now had hope and the security issue in Annan County was resolved.
Zheng Qinghe was very happy and promised those scholars that after the matter was over, he would open a class in the county town to give lectures, and all students could attend.
Those students who were originally somewhat passive and lazy suddenly became energetic and motivated.
Those who originally had bad tempers also began to reflect on whether their methods were wrong.
Are you kidding? Who is Zheng Qinghe? He's a renowned genius from a young age, a rare and exceptional talent. If they could receive his guidance, it would greatly benefit their path to the imperial examinations.
Seeing that the refugees were able to study step by step and all affairs were on the right track, a big stone in my heart finally fell to the ground, and I prepared to leave with peace of mind.
She was still thinking about the children who were sent to Taohua Village. She left in a hurry after settling them there and never had the chance to visit them again. She wondered how they were doing now.
On the way back to Taohua Village, the scene was even more desolate than before.
The trees on both sides of the road, which used to have a few yellow leaves hanging on the branches, have now all fallen off, leaving only bare, strangely shaped branches, which sway gently in the weak wind, making a "woohoo" sound, as if telling of their pain.
The road beneath my feet was also covered in flying dust. As the carriage passed by, it stirred up a cloud of gray fog that made people frown.
All this shows how water-scarce this land is.
After entering the village, Gu Jiayue lifted the car curtain and looked out, and found that the village had undergone considerable changes.
The main road, which was not very wide originally, has now been widened to about 4 meters. Although it is still a bumpy dirt road, it is much flatter than before and is much smoother to walk on.
The carriage continued to move forward and arrived under the big banyan tree. The stones that were originally piled next to the tree were moved away.
A flat area was cleared around the big banyan tree.
The refugees who had previously broken into Taohua Village were wielding hoes and shovels, sweating and working hard.
The sweat beads on his forehead slid down his cheeks, dripped onto the cracked ground, and disappeared in an instant.
Not far away, there were some women holding dustpans, moving soil back and forth, doing what they could.
Although their movements were not fast, they were all very serious.
On the open space next to it, there were three or four children drawing something on the ground with branches, chasing each other and playing, and occasionally making crisp laughs, adding a bit of vitality to this silent land.
The sound of the wheels of the carriage that Gu Jiayue was riding in broke the tranquility here and attracted the attention of the refugees.
When they looked up and saw that the person in the carriage was the woman who asked them to stay that day, gratitude immediately appeared on their faces and their eyes brightened up.
Wang Chun put down his work and quickly walked over to her with a simple smile on his face. "Miss, you're back? Did your trip go well?"
During their stay in Taohua Village, they had come to realize that the people there were very simple and honest. As long as they didn't cause trouble, no one would deliberately bully them. As long as they worked hard, the village chief would not only not deduct their food, but would even give them something extra.
The time they stayed here made them feel like they had returned to their hometown, and they felt very at ease.
Gu Jiayue didn't expect these people to greet her on their own initiative. Surprised, she quickly opened the carriage door and stepped out, smiling warmly at them. "It's going pretty smoothly. Are you used to life here?"
"I'm used to it, I'm used to it!" A refugee responded quickly with a sincere smile on his face. "This place is not too far from our hometown. The food and climate are similar. It's like being at home here!"
"You'll get used to it." Gu Jiayue nodded. "You guys continue with your work. I'll be over first."
Gu Jiayue did not go home directly, but turned around and went directly to the school.
After passing through the school yard, she came to the yard built by Jiang Luli.
She temporarily requisitioned this yard to serve as an orphanage. She was actually a little nervous, wondering if Jiang Luli would be angry when he came back.
But on second thought, she felt that it probably wouldn't happen.
Based on her understanding of Jiang Luli, if he knew that she had converted the yard into a nursery, he would not only not be angry, but would also be very supportive of her actions.
Before I even reached the door, I could hear children crying, laughing, and playing in the yard from afar. It was a lively scene.
She gently pushed open the gate and saw several aunts and sisters-in-law from the village sitting under the eaves, holding a few young children and chatting. They kept patting the children in their arms to cheer them up.
The older children were playing in the yard, chasing each other, running and jumping, full of energy.
There are many toys placed in the corner of the yard. They are obviously those discarded from the first floor of the library. Some of them are broken educational toys with traces of repairs on them.
But these children didn't seem to mind. They were having a lot of fun, with innocent smiles on their faces.
There were also some older children who sensibly helped the aunts with their work. Some helped pick vegetables in the corner of the yard, while others carried wooden basins and helped wash clothes by the well.
Everyone in the yard is busy with their own work, and the scene is prosperous.
Gu Jiayue stood at the door, looking at the scene in front of her, a warm feeling welled up in her heart, and she felt very relieved.
One of the aunts who was picking vegetables was the first to notice her presence. She looked up and smiled. "Jiayue is back?"
Gu Jiayue nodded, walked over, and sat down in the empty seat among the aunts. "Aunts, thank you for taking care of the children these days."
"Hey, what's so hard about it!" A plump auntie waved her hand and said with a smile, "These children are much more well-behaved than the naughty ones at home!"
"Yes, yes," another aunt echoed, "She doesn't make any noise or fuss. She eats whatever you give her and does whatever you tell her to do. She's so well behaved."
Are you good?
Gu Jiayue sighed softly in her heart, but that wasn't entirely true.
If there had not been this severe drought, they would have been the treasures of their parents at home, and perhaps they would have been naughty and mischievous, causing their parents a headache.
But because of this sudden disaster, they lost their parents and the support that allowed them to do whatever they wanted at any time.
They can only be forced to grow up on their own, restrain their tempers, and learn to be well-behaved and sensible.
When Gu Jiayue thought of this, she reached out her hand distressedly and touched the hair of a girl sitting next to her.
The child glanced at her timidly, then lowered his head, his hands tightly clutching the hem of his clothes. He seemed to be resisting, but he didn't dare to resist.
"Then please continue to take care of these children. If you need anything, please let Aunt Cai know directly. After this period of time, we will see if we can find their families. If we can't find their families, we will arrange for them to study in the county school. Then they won't all be gathered here."
The aunts nodded repeatedly, their tone sincere. "Don't worry, we will take good care of your child. Just go out and do your important work!"
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