The villagers started to applaud in a dignified manner.
The village chief pressed his hands and said: "First of all, the first place we want to thank is the Xu family. If it weren't for the Xu family's understanding of justice, it would still be a problem whether the children in the village could have enough to eat, let alone go to school!"
After hearing the village chief's words, the villagers all agreed in their hearts, and looked at the Xu family with gratitude.
"Now, I'll let my brother say a few words to you." The village chief said.
There was another burst of fierce applause below.
The old man walked to the village chief with a smile and said: "First of all, on behalf of everyone in my family, I want to thank you all!"
The people below suddenly looked at each other, Xu Daniu said: "Uncle, it's all of us who should be thanking your family, why are you thanking us instead?"
"Yes, uncle"
The old man replied: "Everyone listen to me first, all along, any decision my family makes, you all support it unconditionally, even if I asked you to sell your ancestral fields to my family to dig a pond, you all agreed without hesitation, it's only because of your cooperation that we were able to get things going smoothly."
"Uncle, you can't say that. Everyone has benefited. If it weren't for your family, everyone would still be eating bran-thick vegetables!"
"Yes, our life is better now, and the children will be able to go to school soon. I have never dreamed of this day. It is all because of your family. If your family has any suggestions in the future, I will be the first to Agree."
"Yes...Uncle, we will listen to you from now on..."
...
In an instant, the shouts of the big guys kept coming from below.
The old man also sighed in his heart, how much the villagers trusted his family, and he couldn't let everyone trust the wrong person.
So he answered again and said: "I know everyone's heart, tomorrow you will send your children over to enroll at school, we have found all the teachers, and we will be able to pick them up in the afternoon. There is one more thing, I intend that no matter if it is a boy or a girl, they can all come to school, I don't know if you all are willing to do so?"
When the villagers heard this, they all exploded.
"Can girls also go to school?"
"It seems like there hasn't been such a rule since ancient times?"
"Yes, even if a girl can read and write, she can't take the imperial exams!"
"Yes!"
Listening to everyone's discussion, the old man immediately said: "Everyone, please be quiet for a moment."
All of a sudden the sound from below also got quieter and quieter until it disappeared.
"I know everyone can't understand it, but think about it, why do girls from wealthy families have to learn zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. If there is no benefit, we will not give up this idea. Although we are just a farmer's family, if the girl in the village can read and write. In the future, others will be competing to find a daughter-in-law who can read. Who doesn't want to find a literate daughter-in-law to bring home, so that she can gain face when going out? As parents, we must give our children more opportunities. Who says it's useless for girls to be literate? Look at my Qibao, she is literate and knows a lot. She was the one who suggested building a school in the village."
"It turns out that it was Qibao who suggested it. It is true that Qibao looks different from the girls in the village. Is it because she is literate?"
"Well, last time I passed by Xu's house, I saw Qibao teaching others how to read, and there were some drawing with noses and eyes."
"It's rare for girls from farm families to be literate these days. If all the girls in Xujia Village can read, it will be a wonderful thing in the future. I guess the matchmakers can level the threshold."
"When you guys put it that way, it's really true, my girl is smart, I'll go back and ask her, as long as she's willing, I'll send the children over tomorrow."
"Good, then I also send them over, our village will do this first thing, my girl is usually hardworking, if she can read and write too, she can be more formidable than any other village girls!"
Qibao was a little surprised when she listened to everyone's discussion. Although no family in the village had ever treated girls harshly, boys were still considered more important in ancient times. She didn't expect that the villagers would accept this matter so quickly and thought of the benefits.
Qibao may not know that every time the old man goes to the construction site, he always praises his granddaughter, saying that she has many ideas and is smarter than several of his grandchildren. Gradually, everyone is subconsciously influenced and think that Qibao's smartness is due to her literacy.
The old man said happily: "Okay, It's good if you all have this idea. From now on, let outsiders see that any girls in our Xujia Village can read. Think about it, your parents will be so proud!"
"Yes, I will send my daughter and son over tomorrow!"
"Haha, I'll send them too, think of the look on everyone's face when they realize that every girl in our village can read and write!"
The village chief was also a little surprised. He had never heard the old man say that the girls in the village should be literate together before, and he just found out about it. But since everyone agreed, he was relieved.
At this moment, Shopkeeper Hong and Shopkeeper Tong came together in a carriage.
Everyone in the village also saw it. The driver was a clerk from their store. There were many unknown villagers, so they all looked over curiously.
However, the Xu family knew him and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
Shopkeepers Tong and Hong came out of the carriage and said with a smile: "Congratulations on the completion of Xujia School."
The old man smiled and said: "Thank you very much, thank you so much for the two shopkeepers coming here to congratulate me!"
Shopkeeper Hong smiled and said, "No trouble, look who I brought here!"
At this time, the two people who got off the carriage were He Jie's mother and son.
The old man and the others had never met before, so he was confused for a moment.
When Xu Laosan saw this, he immediately stepped forward and introduced: "Everyone, this is the teacher that our family hired for the children, and he has the reputation of being a scholar. If it hadn't been for something unexpected in Master He's family, with his knowledge, Master He would probably be the master of the imperial examinations now.
Once the villagers heard that this turned out to be the children's teacher, their gazes instantly became respectful.
When the old man heard this, he immediately stepped forward and said: "So it's Mr. He, I've heard of his name long ago, I also wanted to let Laosan go to Leshan Pharmacy to pick you up tomorrow, but I didn't think that you guys came first. I wonder if Young Master's illness has healed?"
He Jie also knew that this was the old man of the Xu family, and immediately bent down and saluted: "Thank you for your concern, old man. This junior is able to recover thanks to the ointment sent by the Xu family. The Xu family has been kind to me. Please accept junior's obeisance." After saying that, he opened his robe and knelt down.
The old man quickly took He Jie's arm and said: "Please don't, please don't, Mr. He is a man of merit, how can you bow down to me, a country bumpkin."
Mother He exclaimed: "Master just accept this bow from Jie'er, without the Xu Family, my son and I would still be living in the slums, and Jie'er would still be suffering from his illness, the Xu Family is a great benefactor to us mother and son!"
He Jie also said: "It was the Xu family that gave me a chance to be reborn. This is a gift of reincarnation. This is what the younger generation should do."
"Yes, senior brother, you can afford to accept this worship from He Jie, or else his heart will not be at peace either." Shopkeeper Hong chimed in.
"This..." The old man was a little embarrassed, but in order not to burden He Jie, he let go.
He Jie immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times respectfully.
The old master waited for him to finish kowtowing and immediately helped the man up, smiling: "Since you've already given your thanks, don't be so formal in the future, there's also a courtyard built in the school for both of you, so you can live there without fear, and if you're short of anything, just say so, and in the future my family will give five taels of silver each month for tuition."
He Jie immediately replied: "No, how can I ask for the tuition you gave me again, I came willingly to be the teacher of the children in Xujia Village."