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Chapter 117 Compulsory Education!

Xiao Ran listened to this for several days, feeling both confused and impressed.

I just don't quite understand.

I understood what they said, but I couldn't apply it to actual writing.

It feels a bit like a castle in the air.

It has now been confirmed that Wang Ji will be the main teacher, with Princess Li Lizhi of Yuzhang assisting in the classes.

Xiao Ran can also participate.

However, Xiao Ran did not teach the traditional Four Books and Five Classics, these Confucian classics. Li Lizhi and Wang Ji both advised Xiao Ran to teach something different.

Although I don't know what Xiao Ran will teach, I feel that what Xiao Ran teaches will definitely be different.

If Wang Ji were to give a lesson, Princess Li Lizhi might not be interested, but she would definitely come to watch Xiao Ran's lesson.

Zhang Jinhe was also quite looking forward to it. Although the teaching was relatively basic, he would definitely come to listen to the class.

Zhang Erya was the same.

"Third Sister is here for class, is Sizi Fanyin coming?" Xiao Ran looked at Li Lizhi.

“She’ll definitely come. Her parents told her before that Sizi Fanyin also needs to attend classes.”

Li Lizhi said.

Xiao Ran nodded, "Alright, I'm not familiar with how the schools in the Great Tang Dynasty are arranged. You can arrange it, Teacher and Fifth Sister. We need to take into account situations where families are small and need their children to help with chores."

Wang Ji stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over the children playing outside the window, and slowly said:
“Young master, what you say makes sense. Our school is not meant to push the children to take the imperial examinations or seek fame and fortune. It is simply to let them recognize a few words, know some principles of being a good person, and have more independent judgment in the future so that they will not be easily fooled.”

He paused, his voice softening slightly: "During the busy farming season, the work in the fields is crucial. Since we're short-handed at home, the children naturally have to go back and lend a hand."

"Forcing them to attend classes at this time will only make them feel that studying is a burden and cause them to feel disgusted, which will do them a bad thing. It's better to be more relaxed. They can come more often during the off-season and less often during the busy season. It's fine if they don't come at all. It's not like we're forcing them to do anything."

"As for the children being too young to understand the benefits of studying,"

Wang Ji smiled, his eyes revealing a clear understanding. "We need to talk to their parents about this. Tell them that if they can read and keep accounts, they won't have to worry about miscalculating the land rent."

“If they can read the notice, they will know the government’s regulations and won’t suffer losses without understanding them. Let them see that educated children are more upright in their speech and actions, and will be respected more in the future. What parent doesn’t want their child to do well? Once we explain the benefits, they will send their child over without us having to urge them.”

He looked at Xiao Ran and said firmly, "We're setting up a school to give the village something to look forward to, not to create a prison. Those who want to come, we'll teach them well; those who can't come right now, the door is always open for them. That's how we make it last."

“What you say is very true, sir.” Xiao Ran liked Wang Ji’s attitude.

He's somewhat Buddhist-like, a bit like Sun Simiao.

Not pedantic, but reasonable.

The group discussed matters related to the start of the school year.

Xiao Ran didn't understand and didn't get involved.

Wang Ji, Li Lizhi, and the others will definitely make arrangements.

Xiao Ran, don't worry, go and move the books from home.

The books that Li Lizhi and Li Shimin brought earlier are still at Xiao Ran's house.

Although they are very valuable, there is no point in keeping these books at home.

When the school was built, there were several wooden houses next to it, used to store books and for teachers to rest.

In the village, there's no need to worry about food; you can just go back and eat.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya didn't understand either, so they followed Xiao Ran to move the books.

The three little girls who were playing outside loved to join in the fun, so they followed Xiao Ran and the other two back home.

Considering that it is inconvenient for villagers to buy writing brushes and ink, and they may be reluctant to buy them because these items are not cheap.

Xiao Ran then had a batch purchased using the village's reserve funds.

No one will say anything if money is spent on things like this.

Most families have children, so they can use it.

Once everything was arranged, all preparations were complete.

Xiao Ran felt that it was a bit cold in the classroom and suggested adding a few braziers.

Kaolao Village no longer lacks coal.

It's for our own people, so it's free.

Knowing that everything was ready, Zhang Mingde and many other villagers came to take a look.

Wang Ji walked over to Zhang Mingde and said, "Old village head, before school starts, we need to have your parents come over. There are some things we need to talk about."

“Alright, I’ll do as you say, sir. Just tell me when to come, and I’ll go and fetch them.” Zhang Mingde was very cooperative.

For things like notifying people of meetings, Zhang Mingde is always the right person to ask.

Zhang Mingde has a strong appeal.

Not only is he highly respected, but his past actions have also been impeccable, leaving others with nothing to criticize.

"Wait a minute, tell the young man to rest early at the coal mine, let's do it this evening!"

"Okay, okay, no problem." Zhang Mingde agreed and immediately sent someone to notify the other villagers.

For such important events, just like before, every household must come, and at least one adult must be present.

Many people came down from the coal mines and went straight to school.

People who weren't mining or washing coal also gradually arrived in front of the school.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya invited the others to come into the classroom and sit down.

People who had just returned from the coal mine, their faces and hands still covered in coal dust, instinctively shrank into the corner, afraid of getting anything dirty.

"This table...it feels so smooth." Someone in the back row said in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing something, and quickly withdrew their fingertips after they touched the edge of the newly made wooden table.

It was made by several carpenters in the village over three days. It was polished until it was so smooth that it reflected a mirror, and it had a faint wood color under the firelight.

"Please sit down, uncles, there's no need to stand." Princess Yuzhang said, seeing that the others did not seem inclined to sit.

"It's alright, it's alright, just stand there, it's not good to get it dirty." A middle-aged man waved his hand.

Others had similar thoughts.

Seeing this, Li Lizhi walked slowly to the middle of the school, her gaze sweeping gently over everyone, her voice clear yet warm: "Uncles and aunts, please sit down. These tables and chairs are for the children, there's no such thing as 'dirty' or not."

Li Lizhi looked at the men covered in coal dust, her smile softening: "You toil in the coal mines and work hard in the fields, earning enough to feed your families and give your children the confidence to sit here and study."

"This hard-earned money and the effort to support the family are the cleanest and most precious things. If the tables and chairs are dusty, you can just wipe them clean. But if you forget this hard work, that's truly foolish."

“Besides,” she said, gently stroking the edge of a desk, “the wood here was carved and planed by the village carpenters, and the adobe bricks of this school were built basket by basket by everyone. Everything here carries the sweat and toil of our Kaolao Village, so how could we possibly look down on our own people?”

Wang Ji nodded in satisfaction, though he hadn't quite understood what Li Lizhi had said. The others then found places to sit down.

I was a little reserved when I first entered the school.

The front was reserved for Zhang Mingde and several older relatives.

Sun Simiao also came to join in the fun, along with Li Kecheng, Cheng Chumo, and a few others who were tending the stove.

Wang Ji stepped forward half a step, holding a scroll of the Thousand Character Classic in his hand, but he didn't unfold it. He simply raised his hand in a gesture of respect to the crowd, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone to hear:

"My name is Wang Ji. Young Master Meng and the old village head trust me. From now on, I will teach the children to read in this school."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces in the room, some reserved, some curious, and smiled: "To be honest, I can't teach the knowledge required for the imperial examinations, nor do I want to."

“Our school is all about practicality—to teach children to recognize their own names, to calculate the harvest in the fields, and to know how to write and say the eight characters ‘treat others with sincerity’ and ‘act in accordance with rules’.”

"There aren't many rules."

Wang Ji counted on his fingers and said, "When the family is short of manpower during the busy farming season, the children can go back to help. If it's cloudy or rainy and the road is difficult to travel, it's okay if they can't come. But there's one condition: when they come, they must listen attentively. Even if they only learn one word a day, it's still good."

At this point, he changed the subject slightly and looked at the parents: "The children are young and don't understand the value of education, so I'll have to trouble you all to put in more effort."

“When you get home in the evening, ask them what they learned today. If they have time, have them write the new characters they learned on the sand tray for you to see. There’s no need to be strict or scold them. Just treat it as a casual chat after dinner. In time, they will naturally realize that there is something more interesting in these characters than playing with mud.”

“As everyone knows, the writing brushes, ink, paper, and school desks and chairs were all purchased with the village’s reserve funds,” Wang Ji pointed to the books piled up in the corner. “Such an opportunity is hard to find anywhere else in the surrounding area. The children can sit in a warm room to study, instead of toiling in the fields. What a blessing this is! We mustn’t let this blessing go to waste.”

He picked up a piece of chalk from the table and lightly drew a white mark on the blackboard: "Learning to read is like growing crops. If you water it more, it will yield more grain. In the future, when the children go out and people ask, 'Can you read?', they can stand up straight and say 'Yes'—that's the idea behind our school, and it's also the dignity of all your hard work, isn't it?"

The charcoal in the brazier crackled, casting his shadow on the wall, which swayed gently with the rhythm of his speech.

The people below all had their heads down. A young wife quietly tugged at the sleeve of the man next to her, and the man nodded. The confusion in his eyes was gradually replaced by a bright light of enlightenment.

Wang Ji didn't try to sound profound; he explained things in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

Even illiterate farmers can understand it.

After Wang Ji finished speaking, he smiled and looked at Zhang Mingde, "Old village head, say a few words to everyone."

"Alright, alright." Zhang Mingde slowly stood up, with Sun Simiao beside him offering a helping hand.

Zhang Mingde walked to the podium and looked at the villagers below.

"The gentleman has said what needed to be said, and everyone has heard it."

"But I'd like to repeat two sentences."

"We never even dared to dream of studying before. It's only because of this young master that the children have this opportunity. We must seize this opportunity."

This made Xiao Ran a little embarrassed.

Zhang Mingde's core idea is to encourage everyone to attend classes as much as possible.

A rare opportunity.

After Zhang Mingde finished speaking, he looked at Xiao Ran, Li Lizhi, and the others.

When asked if they had anything to say, they all waved their hands to indicate that they did not.

Wang Ji and Zhang Mingde have already said what needs to be said, so repeating it would only annoy people.

I'm not busy now; I'll go to school tomorrow.

Everything is ready, I just hope school starts soon.

The others did not linger and left the school.

The little princess didn't want to leave, so she came close to Xiao Ran and stretched out her arms. Xiao Ran picked up the little princess.

Li Ke picked up Princess Chengyang, while Sun Simiao picked up Third Sister.

Xiao Ran looked at Sun Simiao, "Grandpa, I'd like to invite you to attend the class as well!"

"You don't need to come every day. Occasionally, you can talk about commonly used medicinal herbs and methods for treating simple illnesses. These things are useful."

“Studying all the time can be boring and tedious. A balance between work and rest helps you learn faster.”

Upon hearing Xiao Ran's suggestion, Wang Ji, Li Lizhi, and the others beside him expressed their strong agreement.

Wang Ji stroked his beard, his smile deepening, and turned to Sun Simiao, cupping his hands in greeting:
"Young master's suggestion is brilliant! These common medicinal herbs and emergency remedies may seem ordinary, but they are the foundation of daily life."

"Now that the children have learned it, they can handle their own minor ailments and help out neighbors with minor bumps and bruises. It's much more practical than memorizing obscure characters. But this will only trouble you, sir, and I feel really bad about it."

Upon hearing this, Sun Simiao loosened his grip on Third Sister's arm slightly, helping the child to sit more steadily, and then smiled:

“Sir, you are too kind. During my time in Kaolao Village, I have been eating and staying at the young man’s house every day without paying. The other villagers have also treated me well. I will remember this kindness.”

Sun Simiao looked at Xiao Ran with gentle eyes: "Teaching children to recognize herbs and treat minor injuries is a doctor's duty, how can it be considered 'troublesome'? It's a good thing if these methods can be spread and fewer people suffer from minor injuries and pains. I'll come over every few days to visit, bring some dried herbs for them to identify, and explain how to make ginger soup to dispel cold and how to use mugwort to stop bleeding. It won't take much effort."

Sun Simiao indeed could not refuse this proposal.

Wang Ji is now convinced; he had previously thought it was just ordinary teaching.

The reason they were able to stay was largely due to Sun Simiao's presence.

Now Wang Ji has changed his mind; the school in Kaolao Village is truly different.

It was Xiao Ran who guided and propelled all of this.

It was because of Xiao Ran that this school in Kaolao Village came into being; it was also Xiao Ran who made this matter different.

Village schools are rare, but there are quite a few in Chang'an.

This was the first time I had ever seen Wang Ji like this.

Wang Ji looked at Xiao Ran and said, "I was blind before. Young master, you are very knowledgeable and have a far-sighted view. I really admire you."

The sudden praise caught Xiao Ran off guard.

"Sir, you flatter me. I only read these things in books when I was wandering in the Western Regions," Xiao Ran said, using the same excuse.

These things are not my original creations.

This excuse was used so many times that Princess Yuzhang, Li Lizhi, was starting to doubt it.

"Young master, have you seen anything else?" Princess Yuzhang teased.

"There are other things too. In terms of education, there's a term that I remember very well: 'compulsory education'."

Li Lizhi, Wang Ji, and the others stopped and looked at Xiao Ran.

Several people were very interested in compulsory education, a term they had never heard of before.

"What is the meaning of this? Please enlighten me, young master." Li Lizhi asked earnestly.

"To put it bluntly, it means 'to make sure that all the children in the village, regardless of whether their families are rich or poor, learn to read a few words and acquire some skills to make a living.'"

(End of this chapter)