A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 29 Borrowing a Talisman

“In ancient times, those who wished to manifest illuminating virtue throughout the world first governed their country; those who wished to govern their country first governed their family; those who wished to govern their family first cultivated themselves…”

In Fengjiabao private school, Dong Xiucai was giving a lecture to the students.

Li Yi was listening outside the door, listening attentively. "Cultivate oneself, manage the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world" - this is a classic Confucian saying from the University.

After class, Mr. Dong invited Li Yi to sit under the shade of a tree.

"What is Wuyi's understanding of the lesson I just taught you?"

"Peace in the world is the ultimate goal of Confucianism."

"What does it mean to pacify the world?"

“To achieve the ideal state of universal peace.”

"What is equality?"

"Just, fair, balanced and orderly."

Mr. Dong looked at Li Yi with new eyes and said, "You understand it thoroughly."

"My master taught me before."

Li Yi also stated his purpose. He wanted to send the brothers Gousheng and Shitou to study in a private school. Luo San was his benefactor, and these two kids were usually very much liked by Li Yi. He was willing to pay their tuition so that they could study and learn to read.

Mr. Dong shook his head.

"My private school is only this big, but I already have a lot of students. If there are more, I won't be able to take care of them all, and it will only delay other people's children." He looked at Li Yi and said, "Why don't you open a private school and teach some students?"

Li Yi was stunned. He had never thought about this question.

Dong Xiucai said seriously, "You have donated money and grain to our private school several times recently. I heard that you have a tofu workshop and business is doing well. You should be able to open a private school now."

Most private schools can actually make some money, but Dong Xiucai’s private school does not make money. He accepted many children from poor families, and not only did he not charge tuition, he also had to pay for paper and pens.

Dong Xiucai said that although Li Yi was a Taoist priest before, it can be seen that he is a man who has read a lot of books, so he should not be content with a small fortune and only want to be a stable landlord.

"We scholars should cultivate ourselves, regulate our families, govern our country, and bring peace to the world. Even if we live in the countryside, we should be virtuous and good people."

Li Yi felt that Old Dong was indeed a respected local figure, and he was very different from landlords like Guo Erlang who only knew how to lend money and collect rent.

"Opening a private school to teach village children and enlightening them is a great merit and a blessing from nature."

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of them by then, and end up delaying the children."

"Enlightenment is better than chaos and ignorance. Don't worry too much, just do it."

Dong Xiucai also gave him sincere advice. Li Yi's workshop is now quite profitable and has become well-known in Yusu Township.
But it's not all good.

Li Yi is a Taoist priest who has just returned to secular life. He is easily coveted by others and needs a talisman.

It’s actually not bad to run a private school and gain some fame for yourself.

This is like Dong Xiucai, who is highly respected in the village. Even the Wannian County Magistrate often invites him to the county to discuss matters. He is also a guest of honor for many officials and nobles in Chang'an.

Dong Xiucai also admired this young man very much, not only because Li Yi had sent money and food to the private school several times, but also because he had heard a lot of rumors about Li Yi recently and knew what he had done after returning to secular life. This man was capable and had good character.

Whether it was when he gave one or two taels of gold to the private school when they first met, or now helping the villagers of Luojiabao, these are all very rare.

This made Dong Xiucai appreciate talents, especially his understanding of self-cultivation, family harmony, governance of the country and peace in the world, which made him appreciate him even more.

Young people like this need help.

"If you don't mind me being an old man, I would like to take you in as my disciple."

This was beyond Li Yi's expectation.
"Don't you want to?" asked Dong Xiucai.

"willing."

Li Yi came back to his senses and quickly said that he knew very well that Dong Xiucai was willing to accept him as a student, which really showed that he cared about him very much.

Although Dong Xiucai was only a township assistant, he was highly respected and even the fifth-rank Wannian County Magistrate was extremely respectful to him. The so-called township assistant was just borrowing his reputation.

He was a student at the Imperial Academy and had even taken the imperial examinations. When he was young, the imperial court recruited him several times, but Dong Xiucai was unwilling to serve as an official.

"Very good, go back and prepare. Three days later, I will invite some friends to witness it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Go ahead, and remember the saying: cultivate yourself, manage your family, govern your country, and bring peace to the world. In three days, I'll come to your private school to listen to your first class."

When Li Yi left, he was still a little dazed.

I originally came to Fengjiabao just to look at the custom-made pots, and stopped by to visit Mr. Dong at the private school to give him some bean curd sheets and millet, but I didn't expect to get such a reward.

Mr. Dong usually looks cold, but unexpectedly he has such a kind-hearted side.

Running a private school is a bit thankless, but from another perspective, it is a way to boost your reputation.

Li Yi is now on the right track. He has become a little wealthy and is no longer short of money. But as Mr. Dong said, he has a very profitable business, but he does not have the corresponding status to match it. If he attracts the covetousness of some powerful people, it will be easy for something to go wrong.

If Mr. Dong accepts him as a student and he opens a private school, his reputation and status will be greatly improved.

Spending some money on a private school is really nothing.

Back to Wujiyuan,
Li Yi mentioned this matter to Sanniang and Luo Er.

"Mr. Dong wants to accept you as a student. Are you going to open a private school?" "Yes, the first batch of students will be children from our village. Shitou, Gousheng and others will come to school."

Li Yi asked Luo Er's grandchildren to go to school as well. Luo Er was very excited. Although he was illiterate and had been selling tofu for half his life, because he had always been at the bottom of society, he was more and more in awe of scholars. Now that there was a chance for his grandchildren to study, he would not miss it.

No matter how well you can read, even if you can only recognize a few words, it's great. At least you can work as a clerk in a shop in the future, which is better than being a long-term laborer.

The seven-year-old Shitou shook his head and said, "Sister, I don't want to study."

"I don't want to study either," Gousheng also said.

Lan Xiang frowned, "Brother Wuyi is willing to teach you, if you dare not read, I will beat you to death. When Ye comes back, I will beat you to death again."

Li Yi smiled and said, "Lanxiang, you can also read along."

"Ah, girls can also study?"

"It's just learning some characters and arithmetic, it's not like you need to acquire profound knowledge," Li Yi said.

Sanniang's eyes lit up as she listened nearby. "Can I learn from you too?"

"Of course you can, if you want."

Li Yi had just thought it through on the way. His private school would first serve the children of Luojiabao. Its main function was to be a literacy primary school. Not only could the children come to study for free, but adults and girls could also attend as auditers if they wanted.

He even thought that the private school could be a half-day school, so that it would not affect the children's help with housework. To put it bluntly, this private school is a non-profit organization, and it does not expect to make money by collecting tuition, nor does it expect to produce any outstanding scholars.
It is to enlighten and educate everyone.
If children from surrounding villages are willing to come, he would also welcome them.

As for the courses, the main focus is on literacy, handwriting, and arithmetic, and there is no need to teach anything advanced.

The name of the school has been decided: Wuji Primary School.

Should we use one of the rooms in the east wing as a classroom, or simply ask someone to build a few more rooms in the west yard?
Shitou curled his lips and said, "What's the point of studying? I want to follow my brother and make tofu. It's very profitable and I can have a full meal every day."

Gousheng quickly followed suit and said, "We still have to herd cattle and feed ducks for my brother."

Li Yi rubbed the two boys' heads and said, "There are many benefits to studying. Study first and we'll talk later. You can attend classes for half a day without interrupting your work of herding cattle and feeding ducks."

That day, Li Yi notified the villagers of Luojiabao to hold a meeting.
He told everyone that he would open a private school in three days to teach students. He would not charge tuition. Children aged five to eleven or twelve who were willing to come could take classes for free.

Li Yi teaches for free, provides free paper and pens, and even provides a meal.

There are half-day classes every day and one day off every ten days.

There are holidays during the busy farming season, as well as in winter and summer.

In short, Li Yi provides free education to children, and the half-day courses will not prevent the children from helping with housework.

He even said that during the slack season in the future, literacy classes would be held regularly, and adults who wanted to learn to read were welcome to come, and it would be free.

These words shocked more than a dozen households in Luojiabao.

This small village, which originally had only about twenty households, had no literate people at all. Both adults and children were illiterate. Although there was a private school in Fengjiabao next door, no one sent their children to study because they could not afford the tuition. Many people even felt that they were not worthy of studying given their status.

A book cost one or two thousand coins, a pen cost dozens or hundreds of coins, and a piece of ink was worth a stone of grain. Poor families could not even imagine reading.

But now Li Yi said that he would open a private school in the village, where children could study for free and paper and pens would be provided free of charge.

If someone else said this, everyone would think he was making fun of them, but Li Yi said that he had returned to secular life and settled in the village, and even became the village chief. He had done a lot of good things during this period.

For example, when villagers went to do labor service, he would send them dry food. When villagers were in financial difficulty, they would borrow money and food from him, and he would even work for them to earn money to pay off their debts.

"I hope that those who have children at home can send them to school,"

"Girls are also welcome to attend the class if they wish."

The villagers were very tempted just because they could go to school and get one meal a day. They thought that the young boy had bankrupted his father, and if he could eat one less meal at home a day, they could save a lot of food.

"If girls come to school, will they be provided with a meal?" a woman asked loudly.

"Just come to class, no problem."

Everyone exclaimed,

Finally, everyone excitedly expressed their willingness to send their children to school. Wuji Primary School has students of all ages, regardless of gender, ranging from five to twelve years old.

Some villagers also wanted to send their two or three-year-old children, but Li Yi refused. This was a primary school, not a kindergarten, let alone a nursery school. If the children were too young, they would not be able to learn and he would not be able to take care of them.

Classes last until noon, and students go home after lunch. They have one day off every ten days, and they have holidays during busy farming seasons.

Literacy classes are in future plans and will be held when conditions are ripe.

At once, more than 20 kids signed up.
There are quite a few girls here, and they all come for the free lunch, so they can save as much as possible for their family.

After everyone left,
Sanniang pulled Li Yi aside and said, "What are you trying to do? We have more than 20 children now. If we only feed them once a day, we'll need two dou of grain, which is six dan a month. And you're also responsible for pens, ink, and paper, which will cost even more. Although workshops can make money now, they're not built that way."

"If you make money, you have to spend it. Don't worry, private school doesn't cost that much."

“What if other villages send their children here?”

"For now, I'll only take fifty. I'll take more later if conditions permit."

"Can you take care of it?" Sanniang asked worriedly.

"You and Second Uncle are in charge of the workshop, so I don't have to worry too much. I'll teach the private school first, and we can consider hiring a teacher later."

(End of this chapter)