Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Building the School Until the early morning, Zhao...
In the early morning, Zhao Qingyue returned with the news that Xiaohu's fever had subsided. After learning that Xiaohu was safe, Zhao Mingsheng finally couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep.
I slept until noon.
When he woke up, Zhao's father was there. Zhao Mingsheng told him about his plan to build a school in the village.
Zhao's father thought this was a good idea, so after lunch he took Zhao Mingsheng to visit the old village chief's home.
When we arrived, the old village chief had just finished lunch and was taking a nap in the yard to enjoy the cool air.
"Uncle Liu, I'm sorry to bother you with your rest. I want to discuss something with you." Father Zhao woke him up.
The old village chief was not annoyed when his nap was disturbed. When he heard that it was serious business, he immediately called his wife to bring tea to entertain him.
Father Zhao quickly refused, "Just leave now, I won't bother you anymore."
Then he talked about building a school. The old village chief had lived for so many years and naturally knew the benefits of it. How could he not agree to such a good thing?
He was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He wanted to tell everyone immediately that there would be a school in the village! The children in the village would have another way out!
Zhao Mingsheng didn't know about the construction costs, but she thought the old village chief should know about them, so she asked:
"Uncle Liu, I wonder how much it will cost to build this school? I can go back and prepare some money."
The old village chief waved his hand and said, "You don't need any money. There are several empty houses in the village. I'll take charge. You can pick any one you want." He thought about the current state of the houses and added, "But most of them have been in disrepair for a long time and need repairs before they can be used."
There was no need to rebuild, and there were ready-made houses to use. This had already far exceeded Zhao Mingsheng's expectations. She said happily:
"Okay, then I'll hire some workers to fix it in a few days."
The old village chief twisted his beard and said with a smile: "There is no need to hire workers. There is no adult man in the village who can't do this kind of house repair work."
Father Zhao, who didn't know how to repair the house, looked up at the sky.
Zhao Mingsheng: ...
The old village chief also realized that what he said seemed too absolute, and he cleared his throat to try to ease the embarrassment.
"Ahem, wait till everyone in the village comes back tonight and I'll tell them about this. Just wait a moment."
In the evening, the old village chief gathered everyone together and talked about this matter. As expected, everyone agreed.
Many young and strong men also volunteered to renovate old houses and convert them into schools.
Zhao Mingsheng wanted to pay them according to the market price, but was rejected.
A dark-skinned, rosy-faced uncle smiled cheerfully and said, "It's just a few days of hard labor, and the things are ready. No need to pay." He scratched the back of his head and asked hesitantly, "We don't want wages. Can we charge a little less tuition when the time comes..."
He was honest yet a little humble, but he was completely devoted to his children, shouldering the arduous work of working outside. Such fathers were not uncommon in the village. His question echoed the sentiments of most people. There was a moment of silence, a heartbreaking one.
"Don't worry, uncle. This village school is free, and I've already found a teacher," Zhao Mingsheng explained to everyone. "This school is just for enlightenment, to teach everyone how to read and write. More knowledge will give you more career options in the future."
After the words were explained clearly, those families who were not well-off to begin with all showed smiles of relief on their faces.
An elderly woman in gray hesitated for a long time, and finally, for the sake of her child, she asked, "My child is twelve years old this year. I wonder if the school will still accept him..."
Rich and powerful families start their children's enlightenment at the age of three, while ordinary schools should start their children at the age of six or seven at the latest. Her own child is older, and she was afraid that the school would not accept him.
There was a half-grown boy standing next to her. When he heard his mother's question, he couldn't help but tug at her sleeve.
"Mom, don't ask. I definitely won't accept him. It's impossible to start enlightenment at my age." As soon as he said this, a look of loneliness appeared on his face.
Zhao Mingsheng recognized the boy. It was Shi Xiaozi who often came to deliver goat milk to the Zhao family. His father died when he was eight years old, leaving him and his mother to depend on each other. Children from poor families have to grow up early, and his mother was frail and sickly. He had to shoulder the burden of the family at a young age, and naturally missed the opportunity to go to school.
"Auntie, there's no age limit," Zhao Mingsheng assured. "Even if you're old enough to study, the school's doors are open to you."
The old lady's face flushed with excitement. She said, "As long as my child can go to school, I'll let it go..."
The woman next to him also started talking at once:
"We are already old, and this is just like occupying the toilet without doing anything!
"That's right, as long as the children can go to school, we will be very satisfied!"
Zhao Mingsheng was left in a state of confusion by these clichés. But she persisted, "As long as you want to learn, it's never too late. The school accepts students of all ages and genders."
Her heartfelt words resonated with everyone, and everyone felt reassured and immediately signed up their children for the program.
Those men who knew how to build houses spontaneously started working that night.
The wood and stones were brought from the mountains, and the mud and sand were dug from the riverbed.
The villagers of Qingshan have been building houses in this way for generations, using fresh and good wood to replace the rotten old wood in the old house and then using earthen kilns to make earthen bricks.
Everyone agreed not to take any wages, so Zhao Mingsheng gave up. Every time it was mealtime, he and Aunt Zou would prepare a big pot of rice and bring it to them.
Normally, we only have some meat during festivals, but here we have meat for every meal. Everyone eats with relish and feels more energetic after the meal.
Many hands make light work, and many hands build houses quickly. Within three days, the old house had been transformed into a brand new one.
The originally low and dilapidated straw house was transformed into a tall and spacious wooden house. In order to make it easier for the children to study, several more windows were specially opened to provide better lighting.
The carpenters, led by Carpenter Wang, went up the mountain to cut some bamboo to make desks and chairs for the children. They polished the edges and corners to ensure that they would not hurt the children.
Brand new bamboo tables and chairs were neatly arranged in the bright classroom. Looking at the empty table, Zhao Mingsheng always felt that something was missing. She slapped her head and finally remembered what was missing.
Pen, ink, paper and inkstone.
Zhao Mingsheng was going to the town to buy some writing brushes, inkstones, and other study supplies. He also wanted to take the remaining Qibao Meiran pills and the prepared herbs to the town to see if he could sell them.
These days, Zhao Mingsheng was busy with school affairs while also busy refining the Seven Treasures Beard Pills, and she really managed to make it.
Zhao's father also gave her full approval of the pills she had made. He gave them to Zhao's mother for two days, and within three days, the white hair on her temples turned black.
Zhao Mingsheng saw a business opportunity in this.
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