"Uncles and aunts think that it's useless for girls to study. I wonder if you have ever thought that the teacher who is teaching the children today is also a girl. If my uncle is like you think, how could my cousin be standing here today?"
"Perhaps you find my cousin's words convincing enough that we could invite another literate teacher today. Then, uncles, how about I?"
"I often hear you and my grandfather praising me. I hope our children can be as smart and capable as yours!"
"But uncles, have you ever thought about this? No one is born with these skills. I also learned a lot from books by following my father's side. Only then did I gain a little vision and was able to open a shop and a workshop this year. If my father hadn't taught me anything, how could I have the skills I have today?"
"It's because I've benefited from reading that I want the children in our village to learn knowledge. I wonder if they will do better in the future after learning knowledge? Will they be more successful than me?"
Everyone present was silent.
Li Yan continued, "But now you're unwilling to let your daughters learn to read and write. You think that even if girls grow up and learn knowledge, they'll marry into other families and become their own."
"But I want to ask you uncles, once your daughter-in-law marries you, does that mean she is no longer connected to her family? If your Yue family gets into trouble, will you aunts just stand by and watch?"
Everyone knew in their hearts that this was impossible, but they just kept silent.
"There's an opportunity before them now. They can absorb all kinds of knowledge from books, understand various principles, and learn various skills. Perhaps one day they can do something that will make you proud. So why deprive them of that possibility?"
Some girls present secretly wiped away their tears because of Li Yan's words.
It would be fine if they gave all the good things at home to their older brothers and younger brothers first, but isn’t this an opportunity for them to broaden their horizons?
But their parents still didn't want them to study. They were their children, so what had they done wrong? Was it just because they were girls?
Seeing that most of the villagers' expressions had softened, Li Yan continued, "For a family to prosper, it depends on every household in the family. If even one household stands up, the entire family will benefit."
"By the same token, this family's success is inseparable from the contributions of every family member. Let's not talk about distant families. My family is a ready-made example. If my father hadn't taken me to school, how could our village be in such a good situation?"
Li Yan's words shocked them and made them feel mixed emotions. They didn't even care about their own daughter as much as an outsider.
How could they not understand what Li Yan said? It was just a habit, and they used the same old excuse, "My daughter has to get married when she is old enough, and she is someone else's after all." It was just self-hypnosis!
"Girl, don't say anything. It's the uncles who are short-sighted! When I go back, I will let the girl at home come to the village to study!" A villager promised.
Other villagers echoed.
Li Yan didn't know whether they really thought their daughter should go to school, or they were simply afraid that if they didn't let their daughter come to the village school, she would be annoyed.
She also asked the children to tell her behind her back that they themselves did not want to study.
Li Yan didn't want to fall into such an awkward situation right from the start, so she announced, "Girls who come to the village to learn can also take needlework classes in the future. The teacher is a famous teacher invited from Jiangnan. If the girls do well in the future, I will naturally not bury their talents. The embroidery needlework of Jiangnan is very popular in our northern land!"
The meaning of Li Yan's unfinished words is actually very clear. As long as the girls learn these needlework techniques, it will be no problem for them to find a husband or make money to supplement the family income in the future.
This last sentence is much more useful than all the advice Li Yan has given her for a whole day.
After a brief moment of shock, the villagers became excited and expressed their desire to enroll their girls in school in the village.
Compared with the vague benefits in the future, they prefer to see practical things. Not to mention the needlework from Jiangnan, even the embroiderers in ordinary embroidery shops would not easily teach others the skills to make a living!
Li Yan signaled everyone to be patient. "We've already wasted too much time. Let the children go to class first. Those who want to attend can bring their children here at 3 p.m.! We'll teach the girls separately then."
The girls present were so excited that they didn't know what to do. After hearing Li Yan's words, their faces were filled with hope. They didn't bother to stay there and ran towards their friends' homes. They wanted to tell their friends the good news.
The villagers who had daughters were no less happy, and they went home with such joy that their teeth were showing.
After sending most of the villagers away, Lin Qing led the children back to the classroom. Although the classroom was large, some of the desks and chairs were empty because he thought that the married young people would come.
"Master Lin, don't worry about us. We can just stand behind the building. We'll bring our own stools from home tomorrow!"
Lin Qing felt a little uncomfortable when being called "Little Master", but fortunately she quickly adjusted herself and nodded slightly.
"Has anyone among you ever learned to read? Please stand up!" Lin Qing wanted to understand everyone's basics first.
At this time, only Maomao stood up uncomfortably.
Lin Qing nodded and asked Maomao what books he had read, whether he knew any words, and whether he could recite them.
Maomao answered all the questions one by one, without showing any signs of stage fright.
"I can recite Thousand Character Classic and Three Character Classic." These were the things her second sister often tested her on, and he answered them almost off the top of his head.
"Then please recite the Thousand Character Classic for everyone!" Lin Qing suddenly said.
Why do I have to endorse it in public?
After all, Maomao was young, and being suddenly stared at by dozens of eyes made him a little nervous. This nervousness made his brain freeze, and he couldn't think of anything.
Just when he was nervous and at a loss and wanted to ask Lin Qing for help, he found eight big words written on the blackboard: "The sky and the earth are dark yellow, the universe is vast and boundless."
His mind immediately regained clarity and he continued to recite what was written on the blackboard.
After Maomao memorized the Thousand Character Classic fluently, Lin Qing nodded with satisfaction, motioned him to sit down, and began to lecture.
Maomao, who was sitting down, felt the admiring gazes from all directions.
He puffed out his thin little chest slightly.
Although he looked calm at this moment, his slightly sweaty palms and pounding heart showed his nervousness just now.
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