Chapter 284 Village Women Surround the Chen Family
The news that Wan Ziyan was teaching people to read in the Chen family courtyard quickly spread throughout Lianhua Village.
Early on New Year's Eve, many people arrived at the Chen family's courtyard.
Almost all of them were holding children's hands, wanting Wan Ziyan to see if their children had any talent for studying.
If a child has talent, they will sell everything they own to send them to an academy.
If you lack talent, find another way out as soon as possible to avoid wasting time.
Wan Ziyan would never have imagined that a casual remark he made would attract so many onlookers.
On the day I arrived, these people were somewhat hostile towards me, but now they are sending their children to me one by one, as if they are afraid of missing out on something.
Wan Ziyan was refined and gentle, and he wouldn't say anything harsh to drive people away, so he was surrounded by women who chattered on and on.
Seeing the women's imposing presence, the three Chen brothers dared not approach, fearing they would be sprayed with spittle.
But they also knew they couldn't let Wan Ziyan get surrounded.
So Chen Yongliang invited the powerful deity in his home who could fight a hundred men single-handedly.
Wan Qiqi looked at the group of women and children and scratched her head.
I invited Wan Ziyan here for a vacation to relax, how did it turn out like this?
She cleared her throat and shouted, "Quiet!"
With a shout, he drowned out all the chattering and made the women pause.
The women all turned around.
Wan Qiqi stood with her hands on her hips at the doorway, her face cold.
The women immediately fell silent.
Although Wan Qiqi is now very famous, no one has forgotten how she used to throw a tantrum and curse people in the village.
With Chen Yongnian now working in the county government, no one dares to easily provoke Wan Qiqi.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the three Chen brothers squeezed into the crowd and escorted Wan Ziyan to Wan Qiqi's back before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Just when everyone thought Wan Qiqi was about to start swearing, she shushed them and said, "There's a pregnant woman in the house who's about to give birth. If we disturb her rest, something could happen to the baby!"
The women breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that she wasn't going to yell at them, and they lowered their voices accordingly.
"Master Wan, I only have one son. Could you please tell me if he has any talent for studying? I'd like to make some plans for him as soon as possible."
“It’s the same at home! If not, I’ll send him to town to learn a trade, so he can stay home all day like his father.”
"And my family, last time I went to town, a scholar said my son has some talent for studying, but you are a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, so you may be more accurate in your assessment than that old scholar."
...
Wan Qiqi felt that these people were treating Wan Ziyan like a fortune teller!
Whether or not one can study is not something that can be explained in a few words.
Moreover, if someone is said to have talent but fails the exam, they'll probably blame the person who made that prediction.
Wan Qiqi cannot allow such a thing to happen to Wan Ziyan.
She said earnestly, "I think whether a child has talent or not is one thing, whether the child is willing to learn is another."
“If your child is talented, but doesn’t want to pursue academic studies and prefers to learn a trade, then naturally he won’t be able to learn anything if you send him to school.”
"Talent is only a foundation and cannot determine the future path. If you really want your children to succeed in the future, you should ask them what they think and what they want to do in the future, instead of choosing for them."
Wan Ziyan nodded upon hearing this, “Diligence can make up for lack of talent. Talent is not a measure of whether a person can study. For example, among the three brothers, Yongnian has the least talent for studying, but he can keep up with the pace of my teaching. He puts in more effort than any of the others.”
"Dear ladies and aunties, my opinion is that regardless of whether children are talented or not, they should be encouraged to study. Even if they don't achieve academic success, at least they can find a good way to make a living and won't be looked down upon by others."
As Wan Qiqi spoke, she pushed Chen Yongnian half a step forward, "Everyone knows that Yongnian works in the county government, which is a clerk position, a job only educated people can hold. Although he was appointed to this position, many people look down on him because he is illiterate!"
The words had barely left his lips when an uproar erupted.
The villagers all knew that Chen Yongnian worked in the county government and was very prestigious, but they never expected that he would be looked down upon.
"Alright, it's Lunar New Year's Eve today, and everyone is probably busy at home. If you want to leave your children here to play, feel free to do so."
As soon as Wan Qiqi finished speaking, the women began to murmur amongst themselves.
Soon, the women dispersed, most of the children were taken away, and a few remained.
Wan Ziyan stared at Wan Qiqi with a complex yet joyful expression.
His sister's thoughts were also his own.
But he couldn't figure it out.
Wan Qiqi has never left the house, so why are her thoughts completely different from ordinary people?
Wan Ziyan couldn't tell from her that she was illiterate; instead, she seemed like a young lady from a scholarly family.
Wan Qiqi noticed the gaze fixed on her, turned around, looked at Wan Ziyan with a hint of confusion in her eyes, and asked, "Second Brother, what's wrong?"
Seeing her puzzled look, Wan Ziyan suddenly smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just think what you said is very good."
Wan Qiqi shrugged and smiled.
The Chen family courtyard has returned to its former tranquility.
Seeing that it was still early and he couldn't be of much help, Wan Ziyan simply sat down and taught the children who stayed behind to recognize characters.
Wan Qiqi's smile grew even stronger.
She thought that the scenery would help Wan Ziyan relax, but she never expected that her students would be the best way for Wan Ziyan to relax.
"Qiqi".
A shout suddenly came from the entrance of the courtyard.
Wan Qiqi looked up and saw Aunt Fengxian standing at the door. She immediately went to greet her, "It's Sister-in-law Fengxian, is there something you need?"
Aunt Fengxian put down the basket on her back, took out two very large bamboo shoots from it and handed them to Wan Qiqi. "These were just dug up by my husband on the mountain. He heard that you like to eat them, so he gave you two."
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