The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 329 Village-Run Private School
"Jingzhe, it's been arranged with the village chief that our private school will start on the 18th of August. You should go to Pingchuan County the day after tomorrow to invite Mr. Li."

After the meal, Tong Huaqiong told her son about the opening hours of the village's private school.

Two days ago, Gu Jingzhe and Su Fuzi went to Mr. Li's place in Pingchuan County to present gifts and offer monthly allowances. Mr. Li was very happy to come to Qinghewan.

"Okay, I'll go tomorrow after the holiday." Gu Jingzhe was very confident that he could invite Mr. Li.

Tong Huaqiong wrote a message for Gu Jingzhe to deliver to Magistrate Liu.

Tong Huaqiong was also very confident that she could invite Magistrate Liu to come.

For Tong Huaqiong's contribution to this year's bumper corn harvest, Magistrate Liu would not refuse to do her a favor.

In addition to the invitation letter for Magistrate Liu, Tong Huaqiong also took stock of the gifts that the prefectural city had brought to Magistrate Liu's mother, Madam Han, and planned to have Gu Jingzhe take them with her as well.

Tong Huaqiong also planned to personally go to Pingchuan County after finishing her work to ask Han Shi to arrange a marriage for Lu Zhaoyang.

As soon as village chief Liu Tielian finished his lunch, he called a meeting with all the villagers.

The meeting focused on the upcoming establishment of a private school in Qinghewan.

When the village chief announced that Tong Huaqiong had personally paid for a teacher to come and teach in the village, the villagers were in an uproar, both surprised and delighted.

In the village, every family with a son hopes their son will become successful and doesn't want to change their social standing.

Take Tong Dajiao's family, for example. They were so poor, yet she was so proud. It was all because her family had a scholar named Gu Jingzhe.

According to the village chief, the money for hiring a teacher and for building the private school does not need to be contributed by everyone; everyone only needs to contribute tuition fees.

When everyone heard that the tuition was half the price of the private school in town, they all considered sending their sons to school.

“My son needs to study. I don’t expect him to pass the imperial examination. As long as he can read and understand account books, he can find a job outside. It’s better than farming at home or carrying sandbags at the docks,” Liu Yue’e’s brother, Liu Shan, said first.

Since it was a private school set up by the owner and his uncle, he, as the dessert shop assistant and the village chief's nephew, naturally had to lend a hand.

"I'm not married yet, so I'll send my younger brother to school so that our family can produce a scholar someday." Er Gouzi, a hired hand at Tong Huaqiong's house, made plans for his youngest brother.

"My son wants to study too."

"My son is too."

“Since there is a private school in the village, there is no reason not to study there. Both of my grandsons are studying there.”

Everyone is vying to send their sons and grandsons to school.

Some parents don't expect their children to excel academically; they just want them to be able to read accounts and make a living in the city. Others, however, hope their children will be as successful as Gu Jingzhe, or even more successful.

In short, the desire to read made the atmosphere at the scene lively and exciting.

“I don’t have a son now, but when I do, I’ll make sure he goes to school. Even if I have a daughter, I’ll make sure she goes to school,” Qin Qingyou said.

Now that Chen Sufeng is pregnant, Qin Qingyou is extremely envious.

Liu Qiaoyun has been married to him for a year but hasn't gotten pregnant. He wasn't in a hurry before, but now he really wants a child.

Some people mocked Qin Qingyou, saying, "It's one thing for your son to study, but to let your daughter study? Are you out of your mind? What kind of private school accepts female students?"

Simply whimsical.

Qin Qingyou retorted, unconvinced, "Who said there wasn't? Our boss, Aunt Tong, was planning to have Man'er and Yaozu study at the private school together."

Everyone was stunned and turned to look at Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong nodded and said, "That's right, my Man'er will be studying at the private school with the boys from the village." "Tong Dajiao is really open-minded." After a long silence, a sigh came from the crowd.

The head of the Gu family stood on the periphery, wanting to oppose Man'er's enrollment in the private school. He thought it was absurd for Tong Huaqiong to let her granddaughter attend the private school.

Private schools are places for men; women entering them would only bring bad luck and would affect the men's studies.

He felt that speaking would damage the clan leader's authority, so he winked at his grandson, Gu Dahu.

Gu Dahu understood his grandfather's thoughts and said, "Private schools have always been places for men to study. Women going to private schools are not afraid of bringing bad luck. Aunt, you should give up the idea of ​​letting Man'er study in a private school."

Tong Huaqiong didn't even frown. She said to the clan leader, "Dahu, if you think it's bad luck, then you can just not send your son to the private school. I set up this private school, and Man'er will definitely be studying here. Let me make this clear: if any family dislikes sending their daughter to the private school, you don't have to send your child there."

What bad luck? It's just an excuse.

Tong Huaqiong didn't believe that Man'er's entry into the private school would prevent other boys in the village from entering one.

Gu Taohua chimed in, "You blame everything on women. You're all women, don't you feel unlucky? If you're so capable, you might as well just die."

The Gu family patriarch's face turned ashen with anger.

Once Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua spoke, the others dared not speak.

They were afraid that if they spoke up, they would offend Tong Huaqiong, who might then prevent their child from attending the private school.

The village's private school teacher was hired by Tong Huaqiong, and the funding for the school was provided by Tong Huaqiong and Boss Qian. The tuition is half the price of other places. Where else can you find such a good deal?

Although people felt uncomfortable hearing that girls were also going to private schools, everything comes at a price. If they prevented their own children from attending private schools because there were girls there, wouldn't that cut off their family's path to changing their social standing?

Oh well, anyway, this private school was set up by Tong Huaqiong, so she can do whatever she wants.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Not only my Man'er can study at the private school, but any of your daughters can also be sent here if they want to."

The villagers shook their heads, saying there was no need for that.

No girl can compare to the Gu family's daughter.

Their girls have to do chores and take care of the family. What can they do if they can read? That's something for young ladies from wealthy families.

In rural areas, girls usually get married around the age of fourteen or fifteen, as no family has the spare money to send their daughters to school.

Once the crowd had calmed down, the village chief announced that classes would begin on August 18th, and that families who wished to attend should register with Gu Jingzhe.

"Since everyone is here today, let's clean out a room in our Liu family ancestral hall. We'll bring the desks, chairs, and benches for the children to study from our own home. Since they're going to start their education, we need to prepare all the necessary writing materials so that the children don't come empty-handed on the first day of school."

The village chief gave everyone some instructions, and then led them to the Liu family ancestral hall to tidy up.

Upon hearing that the children could go to school, the villagers were full of enthusiasm. Before sunset, they had thoroughly cleaned the Liu family ancestral hall, leaving it spotless and setting out tables and chairs for each family.

Gu Jingzhe hung the portrait of Confucius that he had obtained from Su Shi on the wall in front of the classroom.

On the table at the very front of the classroom sat a boxwood ruler.

The ruler was meticulously crafted by Gu Guangkui, a carpenter from the village, at the village chief's request.

Looking at it this way, it really does look like a classroom.

Tong Huaqiong expressed her satisfaction.

Tong Huaqiong picked up the registration form in front of Gu Jingzhe. Most families in the village had registered their sons or grandsons.

Tong Huaqiong is already looking forward to the start of classes on August 18th.