Chapter 17 Open and Honest What? Someone actually imitated her live stream...
After ending the conversation with the system, Wen Yu felt a strange sense of mission.
She carries not only her own fate on her shoulders, but also the fate of countless others.
While processing the overwhelming amount of information, she continued tidying up the newly built chicken coop with her hands.
Just as I finished feeding the chicks and ducklings, a friendly call came from afar.
"Wen girl—"
Wen Yu looked up and saw Granny Wang standing outside the low bamboo fence with a smile on her face, carrying a willow basket filled with several bunches of fresh wild vegetables.
"Aunt Wang!" Wen Yu quickly put down what she was holding and went out to greet her.
“While you were away, everyone was thinking about your land.” Aunt Wang handed over the basket. “Here, these are freshly picked. Your millet seedlings are growing so well, a lush green, they’re a delight to see.”
"Everyone asked me to come and thank you. If you hadn't found the water, we wouldn't have had this hope."
Wen Yu felt a warmth in her heart and accepted the wild vegetables: "Auntie, you're too kind! I should be thanking you. While I was away, I was so grateful to you and the villagers for taking care of my fields."
She knew all too well how precious it was to spare the effort to look after someone else's crops in such a difficult year.
She silently made a mental note that once her chickens and ducks laid eggs or hatched chicks, she would definitely send some to Aunt Wang and the neighbors who had helped her.
Good days are only truly enjoyable when everyone shares them.
She looked up at the sky, where a few gray clouds were slowly gathering: "Auntie, judging from the sky, it looks like it's going to rain."
Grandma Wang looked up as well, her eyes full of anticipation: "Rain is good! Now that we have a well, we don't have to rush to fill basins and jars with water like before, when we see just a few drops of rain. But this rainwater is different; it moistens the soil and nourishes the seedlings. With rain, the seedlings in the fields will be stronger."
A gentle breeze blows, and the green millet seedlings in the field sway gently, making a soft rustling sound.
The entire Luxi Village was enveloped in a rare tranquility and peace.
After seeing Aunt Wang off, Wen Yu walked to the edge of her own field.
The tender green millet seedlings had indeed grown quite a bit taller, their leaves unfurling and swaying gently in the wind, displaying a vibrant vitality that was even better than she had expected.
However, there is still a long time to wait before the millet heads emerge, fills, and is ready for harvest.
At that moment, she suddenly remembered the "soil nutrient" bottle in the system space that was said to shorten the ripening period and increase yield.
A bold idea popped into my head.
What if we dilute it and mix it into the irrigation water?
Although the concentration is reduced and the effect may be diminished, the coverage area is large.
Perhaps it can improve the overall output rate of the village's fields?
The sooner we can harvest, the sooner we can open the store and buy new items, which will enrich everyone's recipes.
She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten meat. Even when she took people to the city for a meal that day, it was just plain porridge and side dishes. The rarest thing on the table was a plate of stir-fried tofu with scallions.
"System," Wen Yu asked in his mind, "is this nutrient solution harmful to the human body or the land itself?"
【No.】The system's answer was crisp and clear: 【This preparation is synthesized using advanced technology. After thorough dilution, it is used for irrigation and has no negative impact on soil structure, crop quality, or human health.】
This answer perfectly matched her thoughts!
She pressed on, "If it's drunk, will it harm a person's body?"
The system seemed somewhat surprised: "[No, not really. However, one thing I must remind the host is that this preparation only works on crops; it will not provide any benefit to humans who ingest it.]"
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant." Wen Yu smiled. "I meant, if I poured it into the village well, everyone could benefit from using it to irrigate their fields, right?"
The system seemed to pause for a moment, trying to process her whimsical idea.
When it spoke again, its calm tone held a hint of approval: "...Theoretically feasible; the host may boldly attempt it."
Yay!
She actually stumbled upon a new method by accident!
As Wen Yu was pondering how to proceed, a cool raindrop landed squarely on the tip of her nose.
It's raining!
----
As the fine rain began to fall, she temporarily put aside her work in the fields.
Wen Yu returned to the house and pulled out the last clean cotton quilt from the bottom of an old wooden box.
She unfolded the quilt and carefully spread it on the half of the earthen bed that belonged to Wen Qingshi.
"Qingshi, please make do with me for now." Wen Yu patted the quilt. "Once I'm done with what I'm doing, we'll figure out how to tidy up the room and get you a decent bed."
The immediate priority is to complete the "main house renovation" required by the system.
Then, I need to have a good talk with Ning Shengan about the task of "basic education".
Thinking of the conspicuous "1/4" on the task panel, Wen Yu's gaze involuntarily fell on Wen Qingshi.
The girl was quietly packing her meager belongings. Wen Yu glanced at them and saw only a few changes of clothes and some odds and ends.
Last time by the donkey cart, the girl, in a moment of desperation, revealed her true feelings, almost forgetting her pretense, and even brought up the fact that she was educated.
Since our identities are already half-hidden, perhaps...
Wen Yu watched the girl's retreating figure as she packed her things, and casually asked, "Qing Shi, last time you mentioned you could read, how many characters do you recognize?"
Wen Qingshi's hands, which were tidying up clothes, suddenly stopped.
They've arrived.
The question has finally come to pass.
How should she answer?
"meeting"?
This is an undeniable fact.
Miss Shen Huaiyu of the Shen family was educated by a tutor from a young age. She was familiar with classics, history, philosophy, poetry and prose. Although she could not be said to have profound knowledge, reading and writing were her basic skills.
As her personal maid, Lin Lan had learned some common characters through exposure, but compared to herself, she was still far behind.
But the word "will" carries too much weight.
How can a young maid who fled from war explain her knowledge that far exceeds her social standing?
Did Sister Wenyu notice something from my usual words and actions, or did I say too much without thinking last time and let her know something?
Is she testing me at this moment?
Now that the Shen family is in prison, if they catch and hand over "Shen Huaiyu," who faked his death and escaped, they could probably get a lot of money in return.
Countless thoughts clashed fiercely in her mind.
Ultimately, trust in Wen Yu outweighed all concerns.
She took a deep breath, raised her head, met Wen Yu's gaze calmly, and said clearly, "Yes."
After saying that, instead of making up some excuse, she seemed to have made up her mind and continued, "Sister, I'm sorry. There's something that Ah Lan and I have been keeping from you."
She closed her eyes, as if she had used all her strength to tell the whole truth.
“As my older sister knows, my real name isn’t Wen Qingshi. I changed my name to escape the Shen family…”
"My former name was... Shen Huaiyu."
As the last sentence fell, she held her breath, waiting for the expected surprise, questioning, and even... alienation.
Her back was like a bow stretched to its limit, yet it still trembled slightly uncontrollably.
Wen Qingshi understood the anger of being deceived, but also knew that revealing the truth would do more harm than good.
But she had no intention of deceiving the sister who had rescued her and kindly taken her in.
However, none of the reactions Wen Qingshi had anticipated occurred.
Wen Yu's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had found some rare treasure.
"That's great!" Wen Yu stood up almost immediately, so quickly that she knocked over the small stool next to her without even bothering to catch it.
She strode up to Wen Qingshi and, without a word, took her hands in hers.
Wen Qingshi was startled by this sudden action and trembled slightly.
Her hands, which had been icy cold from the tension of her earlier confession, were now being held tightly in the other person's warm hands. The warmth soothed her and calmed her heart without her realizing it.
The candlelight flickered and cast the shadows of the two people, who were closely entwined, onto the wall.
Wen Yu spoke solemnly, as if entrusting her with something extremely important: "Qing Shi, listen carefully! From now on, in our Luxi Village, A Lan, Xiao Ning, A Yue, and you, none of you can be left behind. You all must study and learn to read!"
"Reading?" Wen Qingshi finally found his voice and asked in confusion.
The words, spoken by Wen Yu, sounded so ordinary, yet so breathtaking.
“Yes, education.” Wen Yu smiled. “From now on, in our village, whether it’s children, young people, or elderly aunties and uncles, anyone who wants to learn can come and learn. Everyone should be able to read and do math!”
Wen Qingshi was stunned.
Children? Young people? Old people?
Everyone?
Does all of this include women?
Wen Yu was completely unaware of the inner turmoil she was going through, and continued planning on her own: "Since you have such a good foundation, you should start by teaching them to read, to get things off to a good start. Once you've finished what you're doing, we can work together to plan properly and get this 'school' up and running!"
Wen Qingshi was completely stunned.
She looked at Wen Yu in disbelief, wondering if she was hallucinating.
Even in her former Shen family, which prided itself on passing down poetry and books, the sisters in the clan could only sit beside their brothers and listen to a few bits and pieces of their lessons when the brothers were beginning their education.
Among women from aristocratic families, those who learned some "Admonitions for Women" and "Inner Teachings," knew a few hundred commonly used characters, and could understand simple accounts were already considered rare "talented women" in their boudoirs.
My father's admonition, "A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent; being skilled in needlework and managing the household is the foundation of her character," still echoes in my ears.
As for the imperial examinations and the art of governing the country, those were the paths for men to gain fame and glory, what did they have to do with women confined to their chambers? They were nothing more than a waste of effort, only to end up marrying someone else.
As for places like Luxi Village, it's already a blessing that the girls can grow up safely and help their families make a living.
Reading and writing? That's just wishful thinking.
Last time, by the donkey cart on the way back, Sister Wenyu put her arm around her shoulder and said that she could do whatever she wanted, and that her sister would hold up the sky if it fell.
She only felt warmth at the time, but took it as just words of comfort.
After all, in this remote and impoverished area, being able to read and write is such an unattainable thing.
But at this moment, Wen Yu said so naturally, "Everyone in our village needs to go to school!"
His tone was so calm, as if he were saying something as natural as "I need to eat tomorrow."
Wen Qingshi was unable to express his feelings at that moment in words.
It felt as if the door that had long imprisoned all women had been suddenly flung open in the face of Wen Yu's simple words.
Behind that door lay a possibility she had never dared to hope for.
It is a kind of freedom that allows women to hold books with dignity and have the right to choose their own lives...
【！！！！】
Holy crap! Wen Yu is really going to start a school?!
I like that the cultural and educational undertakings in Luxi Village started from scratch. Please share more if you enjoy watching this!
[A celebration for idealists! Everyone, study hard! I won't allow anyone to be illiterate!]
Wen Yu glanced at the rapidly scrolling barrage of comments and a thought flickered in her mind.
The number of viewers in the live stream had quietly climbed to over 70,000, nearly 80,000, and the goal of 100,000 didn't seem so far away anymore.
Moreover, it seems that quite a few new viewers have joined, with some questions appearing in the comments.
[New here. My friend recommended this livestream, saying it's amazing, but people outside say Wen Yu doesn't have a good reputation?]
Don't listen to the rumors outside, keep reading and you'll understand. Investing won't hurt!
This live stream is truly one of a kind; you simply can't find meal replacements here.
Don't even mention it. I've seen several online celebrities try to imitate this, creating some kind of 'immersive ancient farming' gimmick. It's all so fake. Even the 'poor' characters are dressed in brand-new, beautiful clothes, and their fingernails are spotless. It's hilarious.
[Yes, yes, yes! And that TV station is going to film an ancient farming live-streaming variety show. The trailer looks like it was shot in a photo studio. It would be a miracle if they could portray Wen Yu with such realism.]
I check this every day now; I even take a quick look while slacking off at work to relieve stress, hahaha!
Wen Yu raised an eyebrow.
Someone is imitating her? She found it rather absurd.
She was trapped here against her will; what are those people after? Popularity?
However, this accidental success seems to have also brought traffic to her "official" live streaming room.
She shook her head and stopped thinking about it.
No matter how chaotic the outside world is, she only needs to focus on the present and walk her own path.
She sat down again at the table and called to Wen Qingshi, "Qingshi, let's think about what we should teach in the first lesson of this 'school'?"
A note from the author:
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