Chapter 28: The village children have no schooling

Qin Dasao walked warmly with Gu Xixi, talking about her experiences in the county town.

"At first, I told my husband I wanted to go to the city to sell vegetables; he would water and weed the garden at home, so neither would interfere, but he still wasn't reassured about my going."

"I refused to listen, came back and slapped the money from selling vegetables right in front of him!"

"I just wanted him to see clearly that we women can go out and handle things beautifully!"

Gu Xixi smiled, pursing her lips, "That's right."

Lao Langzhong chimed in, "So who handles the money in your household now?"

Qin Dasao twisted her waist, flipped her eyelid, "Of course it's me!"

"Back then he knelt before my parents to ask for my hand, promising I'd manage the household after marriage—let him try to go back on his word!"

Gu Xixi laughed; she really liked Qin Dasao's spicy, straightforward personality.

Qin Dasao sighed again, "What state are my few mu of land in after the fire? Whether we could plant winter wheat was already uncertain."

"Now we've followed your advice, fixed up the land, and added income from selling vegetables—how does that saying go again..."

Qin Dasao frowned, drew a breath, and the words on her tip of tongue slipped away.

Lao Langzhong helped from the side, "A blessing in disguise."

"Exactly!" Qin Dasao rejoiced, "That's what I mean."

"I haven't studied much, so I'm not good with words."

Gu Xixi laughed, "Everyone knows Qin Dasao has a silver tongue—don't be modest."

Qin Dasao was delighted, looking at Gu Xixi; the more she looked, the more pleasing she found her.

"My natal family only has brothers, no sisters; from now on we should visit each other often."

"All right," Gu Xixi nodded in agreement.

She had not made any friends since arriving here; others had extended an olive branch, so she ought to return the favor.

"If you encounter any problems in your field, sister-in-law, feel free to ask me anytime."

Qin Dasao was somewhat moved, "If you hadn't helped this time, I really wouldn't have known what to do."

Gu Xixi said, "This still owes a lot to the Village Chief's proactive follow-up."

Qin Dasao echoed repeatedly, "Yes, yes, no matter what others think, you and Lao Qian are the lucky stars of our family!"

Gu Xixi thought it over and reminded them again, "As I said before, water spinach grows fast but consumes a lot of water and fertilizer; planting it in the current ratio with our local pumpkins, chives, and radishes can improve the soil."

"It's best not to expand the planting any further."

Qin Dasao hesitated a moment, "To be frank, my husband told me last night to transplant more; I didn't agree, and he said I'm leaving money on the table."

"Now hearing you mention it again, I've made up my mind—I'll listen to you and not do what he wants."

Gu Xixi's expression grew solemn.

Agricultural research has always meant going deep into the fields, relying on farmers' cooperation.

And communication and coordination between people are the most prone to problems.

How could she, after transmigrating into a book, almost forget this point!

"Elder sister-in-law, could you do me a favor?"

Qin Dasao naturally agreed readily.

Gu Xixi said, "The several households growing water spinach have adjoining fields; please trouble yourself tomorrow to pay attention and see what condition each is in."

Qin Dasao is a smart person; she understood at once, "All right, I'll go check early tomorrow morning; if anyone has planted too much water spinach, I can first persuade them."

"If I can't persuade them, you step in."

She intentionally reassured Gu Xixi, "Don't worry too much; if worse comes to worst, there's still Lao Qian."

Gu Xixi nodded, "Then I'll trouble you, sister-in-law."

Under the big pagoda tree at the village entrance, several boys were swinging sticks at each other.

In the midst of their laughing and chasing, one boy's stick nearly hit Lao Langzhong.

Qin Dasao raised a hand to block it, laughing and scolding, "A bunch of monkey brats, all they know is play, and they don't even watch where they're going!"

The little boy froze in fright; the other kids also stopped their roughhousing and looked over here.

Lao Langzhong, good-natured, chuckled, "No harm done; they're just at that mischievous age."

Gu Xixi saw the little boy's clothes were filthy; his sleeves, perhaps from repeatedly wiping his nose, looked shiny and bright.

He stood there pitifully, looking guilty and afraid, yet didn't know he should say "sorry" at this moment.

Even after walking far away, Gu Xixi still felt a sour ache in her heart.

Qin Dasao glanced at Gu Xixi and said, "During the day the adults are busy working; the older kids can still follow to help, but these little ones have no supervision—they're like wild children."

Gu Xixi asked, "I don't seem to have seen any of our village's children going to school."

Qin Dasao gave a helpless, wry smile, "Where would a school come from in our village?"

From Qin Dasao's words we learned that Huachi Du Cun has no village school of its own; for children to attend school they must pass several other villages.

Which adults have the leisure to take their children to school?

Thus, hardly anyone in Huachi Du Cun is literate, so the village cannot select a private tutor from among its own people—a vicious cycle.

Gu Xixi recalled that in the book, her father Gu Pipi had once been the most cultured person in the village.

He had been sent to study in another village for a few years because his family was well-off when he was young and he was an only child, so great hopes were placed on him.

Gu Pippi personally taught his daughter to read, which prevented Gu Xixi from being illiterate.

Qin Dasao continued, "Lao Qian had thought about setting up our own village school, but there's no one in the village who can serve as teacher, and outside teachers won't come."

She suddenly fixed her gaze on Gu Xixi, "Gu Xixi, you can read and write, and you're quite capable now—letting you be the teacher would be perfect, wouldn't it?"

"I can't." Gu Xixi refused in a low voice.

"I don't know how to get along with small children."

Teaching and studying are originally two different things; just because one can learn doesn't mean one can teach students.

She didn't choose to stay on campus to teach back then, precisely out of this self-awareness.

Moreover, she never even studied ancient textbooks.

After parting with Qin Dasao, Gu Xixi and Lao Langzhong were stopped by someone at the intersection in front of their home.

After not seeing him for a long time, Gu Daye's hair had turned even whiter.

He leaned on his crutch, standing straight in the middle of the road, with the aura of one man holding a pass against ten thousand.

Gu Xixi knew the comer meant no good, yet she smiled and greeted, "Grandpa, you've come—why aren't you going home?"

Gu Daye's crutch struck the ground heavily, "You still know I'm your grandpa, and you still know your own surname is Gu!"

Gu Xixi was puzzled, "What is this for again?"

Gu Daye snorted coldly, "You know it in your heart!"

After all, we're both surnamed Gu, yet you actually help those outsiders grow and sell vegetables.

You're doing this because you're holding a grudge over the past incident, deliberately cutting off my family's livelihood, right?

Gu Xixi looked up speechlessly, sighed, then said, "Grandpa, there are so many vegetable vendors in the city now; can you really go tell each one they're not allowed to sell?"

Gu Daye obstinately said, "Anyway, in Huachi Du Cun, only my family is allowed to sell vegetables."

By this point, Gu Xixi had no patience left to indulge him.

Well then, you can go find those few vegetable growers yourself and repeat what you just said to them.

Take your time going; I have other things to do, so I won't see you off.