Chapter 382: Seeking Your Guidance, Teacher
Liu You arrived at Gao Family Village with his wife, son, and three carts of coal.
If his shop had been small, three carts of coal certainly wouldn't have fit. Fortunately, his establishment was a brothel, which meant ample space. All three carts of coal were unceremoniously dumped and piled into a private room, turning what had been a pleasant, elegant space utterly black with grime.
While he was busy hauling the coal,
Mrs. Liu, meanwhile, strolled through this novel "village" with their son.
She discovered her husband hadn't been exaggerating; this place far exceeded the scale of a mere village. It could easily be called a city, bustling with life and prosperity many times greater than even Heyang County.
Walking down the streets, the dazzling array of goods left her wide-eyed with wonder.
An elderly woman was selling radishes by the roadside for eight copper coins a catty. She mused that with her husband earning good money now, eating a few radishes shouldn't be a big deal. She quickly bought a catty and asked her son to carry it.
A few steps further, another old woman was selling Chinese cabbage, ten copper coins a catty. After three years of severe drought, she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten cabbage. She quickly bought another catty, and once more, asked her son to carry it.
Continuing on, she saw a fabric shop selling padded cotton jackets. A thick, floral-patterned jacket cost five silver taels. It wasn't actually expensive; this was the usual price. Padded jackets were typically only afforded by young masters and ladies from wealthy landlord families, while ordinary folk shivered through winter wrapped in thin hemp clothes.
Her heart screamed, "What a bargain!" but she didn't dare buy it. She thought to herself, *Only after my husband earns even more money can we afford a padded jacket. We adults don't really need one, but we should buy one for our son.*
Just then, a group of children came walking down the street.
None of them were older than ten, and as they walked, they were actually reciting poetry, as if it were a game. One child said, "I learned a new poem today, by Li Bai, the Tang Dynasty poet! 'Before my bed, the moon's light bright, / Appears like frost upon the ground...' Oh? What comes after that?"
The others laughed. "Haha! I learned 'Hoes till the grain in midday sun'!"
Mrs. Liu saw that these children were about the same age as her own son, yet each of them could recite poetry. A pang of envy rose in her heart. *Oh dear, my child hasn't even learned to read or write yet. Now that our family can earn money, it's high time we sent him to a private tutor.*
With this thought, she quickly turned to the elderly vegetable vendor by the roadside. "Excuse me, are there any private tutors in Gao Family Village?"
The old woman grinned, revealing her few remaining teeth. "We don't have private tutors in Gao Family Village, but we have a school. All children attend for free!"
"What? Free schooling?" Mrs. Liu jumped in surprise. "No tuition fees?"
"None!"
At that, Mrs. Liu couldn't contain herself. After asking for directions to the school, she grabbed her son's hand and bolted towards it.
The school's security guard was dozing off at the entrance when Mrs. Liu rushed over, urgently demanding of him, "I heard schooling here doesn't require tuition fees?"
Startled awake by her shout, the guard immediately grinned. Since the establishment of Gao Family Village School, he had seen too many people like Mrs. Liu. Every time immigrants with children arrived, this exact scene would play out.
The guard, well-versed in such situations, peeled back his lips and rattled off the instructions like a machine gun: "Main building, fifth floor, Principal's office. Register there with Principal Wang. Grades and classes will be assigned according to the child's current learning level. Collect textbooks from the fifth-floor library, then report to their assigned class..."
After finishing his lengthy spiel, he spread his hands. "Off you go!"
Mrs. Liu listened intently. Women were strange creatures; tell them anything else, and they'd often forget details, even mixing up left and right turns at a street corner. But speak to them about their children, and in an instant, their inner strength ignited, a surge of energy coursed through them, and an aura of fierce determination enveloped them, enabling them to execute tasks flawlessly.
Mrs. Liu remembered every single lightning-fast word the guard uttered, perfectly. Grabbing her son's hand, she sprinted off like a shot, scaling the five-story school building in seconds. She swept into the principal's office like a whirlwind, and after a flurry of words with Principal Wang, her son's registration was complete. Then, as if phasing through walls, she stormed into the adjacent library. The whirlwind she kicked up as she ran sent Song Yingxing's research materials flying like confetti.
Song Yingxing shrieked in alarm, "Who goes there? Cease this reckless dashing about in the library!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Mrs. Liu had already collected the textbooks and seemingly teleported to First Grade, Class Five. She handed her son over to the class teacher and respectfully said, "Teacher, my child is rather dull; I trouble you with him from now on. If he is disobedient in any way, please do not hesitate to discipline him severely."
The child, still clutching a catty of radishes in his left hand and a catty of Chinese cabbage in his right, wore a look of utter bewilderment.
With a swift movement, Mrs. Liu replaced the radishes and cabbage in his hands with *Elementary Language Arts* and *Elementary Mathematics* textbooks, then ushered him into the classroom with a firm push.
The teacher: "..."
Mrs. Liu: "Please take good care of him, Teacher!"
The teacher: "..."
Mrs. Liu: "On festive occasions and holidays, I will bring gifts to visit you, Teacher."
The teacher: "..."
Mrs. Liu: "Son, you must study hard so you can become a high official in the future!"
The teacher: "..."
Mrs. Liu: "Forgive my intrusion; this foolish woman shall take her leave now."
With that, she smoothly retreated.
Just as she was about to slip away, the teacher suddenly spoke up. "Madam, wait a moment!"
"?"
Mrs. Liu: "..."
The teacher sighed softly. "What I am about to tell you is a divine decree from the Heavenly Lord. You must listen carefully."
Mrs. Liu: "???"
The teacher asked, "Do you know why children don't like to chat, confide in adults, or share their own thoughts?"
Mrs. Liu's expression grew slightly serious. "No, I don't. Please enlighten me, Teacher."
The teacher said, "When a child says, 'This roast duck is delicious,' parents always reply, 'Then you must study hard, so you can afford roast duck when you grow up.' When children say, 'That dress is beautiful,' parents always reply, 'Then you must study hard, so you can afford beautiful clothes when you grow up.' When children say, 'Being a high official is so impressive,' parents always reply, 'Then you must study hard, so you can become a high official in the future...'"
At this point, the teacher paused, smiling. "Do you understand?"
Mrs. Liu gasped, and sweat poured down her face.
The teacher continued, "The Heavenly Lord says that studying is important, but not so important that you should treat it with such an attitude. Please show more respect for this vibrant and colorful world.
"I will teach your child well and be a good teacher," the teacher said. "I also ask you to be a good mother."
Mrs. Liu bowed respectfully, and only then did she finally leave the school.
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