Chapter 58: Chaos, First Day of School

The village school at Tudimiao opened ahead of schedule.

The newly made desks and chairs hadn't yet been varnished, so they had to be brought out and used as-is.

When Mu Nan Zhao entered the schoolhouse, there were over ten little tots.

Some ran around in circles laughing and chasing, some jumped onto tables shrieking and hopping, while others got creative, stacking stools one by one on the tables to form a human pyramid.

At the front desk sat a baby with legs spread apart, wearing open-crotch pants.

When Mu Nan Zhao looked at him, the baby suddenly pouted and burst into a deafening wail.

Seeing Mu Nan Zhao's face stiffen bit by bit, Lao Qian grabbed him, fearing he might run away.

Then, with an apologetic expression, he bowed and said, "It's the children's first day of school, and the adults at home are also first-timers; they truly have no manners, Mr. Chen, please forgive us."

"I'll have them quiet right away!"

Lao Qian picked up the ruler from the lectern, struck it hard twice, and the classroom instantly fell silent.

He put on a stern face and shouted loudly, "What's the ruckus? What are you making a fuss about? What did your parents tell you at home? Didn't they say the schoolhouse isn't a place to play?"

"Didn't they tell you to sit properly once you enter the schoolhouse? No running around, no noise!"

The Village Chief still had some dignity; the children mostly feared him, so they immediately scrambled to find seats.

Now it was chaotic again: some kids overturned desks and collided, others fought over stools.

Lao Qian hardly dared to look at Mu Nan Zhao's expression.

He hurriedly lifted the baby in the first row onto a stool, directing, "Two per stool, the younger and smaller sit in front, be aware—everyone has a spot, don't fight or grab!"

At last, all the children were seated.

Lao Qian wiped sweat from his forehead, gave an apologetic smile to Mu Nan Zhao, "First day, no experience. Sorry to have embarrassed you, Mr. Chen."

"I've already told them that from now on each will keep their own seat; tomorrow it won't be so chaotic."

Mu Nan Zhao gave a slight nod, "Troublesome."

Lao Qian saw him spread out his textbook, about to relax, when he heard loud laughter from several men outside.

"I wouldn't have guessed, but your wife at home is really formidable."

"When you two do that on the kang, do you also have to fight over who's on top?"

Lao Qian's face blackened like a pot bottom; he stormed out shouting, "Damn it, all of you shut up!"

"You bunch of disgraceful idiots, your own brats are sitting in the schoolhouse, yet you talk filth with lard-covered hearts—dare to make noise in this important place, and I'll kill you!"

……

Now the entire Tudimiao was quiet.

In the classroom there were eighteen children of various ages, the oldest fourteen, the youngest under two.

At a glance, they varied in height, uneven.

But they were all illiterate, not knowing a single character.

At that moment they were quiet as quail, blinking their eyes curiously at Mu Nan Zhao.

Mu Nan Zhao flipped through the Enlightenment Primer with mixed feelings, beginning his very first lesson in life.

"Class, I'll read a line, and you all repeat after me."

Lead the reading, then explain, then have them recite the material above.

After a brief rest, continue teaching character recognition and writing.

However, the above was merely Mu Nan Zhao's own lesson plan.

But the actual situation was as follows:

Before the first page was finished, several older kids in the back discovered something on the windowsill and all looked over.

Immediately after, a five- or six-year-old boy in the middle flushed red, squirming as if something sharp were pricking his bottom.

Mu Nan Zhao had to stop and ask, "What's wrong? Stand up and say."

The boy stood up, stammering, "I-I want to pee."

The children burst into laughter.

Looking again at the baby in the front row wearing open-crotch pants, now asleep, drool dripped onto the desk, forming transparent threads.

Mu Nan Zhao gave a cold stare and waved his hand, "Go ahead."

People were guarding inside and outside Tudimiao, so there was no fear that a little monkey would slip out to urinate.

Mu Nan Zhao set down his textbook, walked to the back, picked up the golden turtle that had fallen on the windowsill, opened the window, and threw it out.

Then he looked at the several older kids and asked, "Anything else?"

They hastily sat upright, shaking their heads like rattles.

This was only because Mu Nan Zhao had little prior contact with the villagers; these children were unfamiliar with his temperament and thus dared not overstep—at least for now.

But what about in a few days? Further ahead? Just thinking about it gave Mu Nan Zhao a headache.

At afternoon dismissal, Gu Xixi's honey-bait stall was still operating; only the women who had to pick up their children left first, while the others continued working.

Because scattering honey bait for rats had yielded a rich harvest, if they didn't speed up and make more, they feared they wouldn't be able to keep up supply.

When Mu Nan Zhao entered, Gu Xixi saw his weary face and guessed it might not have gone well.

She pretended to go in to fetch water, then approached and asked, "First day of school, how did it feel?"

Mu Nan Zhao gulped down half a bowl of plain water, "Not great."

Gu Xixi knew somewhat about the village children's condition: "Their ages vary widely, they usually lack discipline, and they've grown used to running wild in the village."

"Suddenly locking them up and making them sit properly on stools, they're bound to be uncooperative."

Mu Nan Zhao glanced sideways, "You sound like you've seen it yourself."

Because of that previous incident, Gu Xixi, whenever she saw Mu Nan Zhao lately, always felt guilty.

Thus she took the initiative to suggest, "I actually have an idea…"

Mu Nan Zhao almost spoke at the same time, "But I have plenty of ways to deal with them."

After they finished speaking, both were stunned, looking at each other.

Gu Xixi laughed, "Could it be that you and I thought of the same thing?"

Mu Nan Zhao said, "You speak first."

Gu Xixi said, "The villagers describe raising a bunch of kids as being like herding sheep."

"If that's the case, why not pick out a lead sheep from among them?"

Mu Nan Zhao gazed at Gu Xixi, a faint smile rippling in his eyes.

Gu Xixi realized, "Do you already have someone in mind?"

"Qin Ruilin."

"Gouwa?!"

Mu Nan Zhao and Gu Xixi spoke in unison again.

Today in class, Gouwa performed the best; he not only could sit still, but also studied very seriously.

Before dismissal, he already knew how to write the three new characters taught that day, and understood most of what Mu Nan Zhao taught.

Gu Xixi laughed, "Besides Gouwa's own effort, Qin Dasao surely put in a lot of work behind the scenes."

"Tomorrow I'll tell Qin Dasao, when she makes honey bait, to chat more with the other mothers."

Mu Nan Zhao praised, "Rather than moving three times like Mencius' mother, it's better to have several more such mothers around."

This was a rare pleasant atmosphere between them over the past few days.

"Brother Chen, Sister Xixi." Gu Qingye's voice broke the laughter of the two inside.

Gu Xixi turned her head, "What's wrong?"

Gu Qingye glanced at Mu Nan Zhao, then said, "The materials you gave me I've used up; I want to take some more, to make extra before dark."

Since it concerns the whole village's interests, Gu Xixi didn't stand on ceremony with her, "Alright, then I'll take more materials."

She said and hurried out; Mu Nan Zhao also wanted to follow, but Gu Qingye blocked him.