Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 960 The School Starts Classes and Another Freeloader Arrives (1)

Chapter 960: Chapter 960 The School Starts Classes and Another Freeloader Arrives (1)

Zhao Fengnian had "successfully" rescued Fan Meijiao, but before considering the storms that gesture might stir within the Zhao Family, Mo Yan instructed two birds to keep an eye on them. Then she temporarily set aside the matter and busied herself with other things.

Early in the morning on the sixth day of July, a long string of firecrackers sounded in the sky above Liu Yang Village. It was registration day for the newly built schoolhouse, a grand occasion not only for Liu Yang Village but also for the several surrounding villages. The villagers who were willing to send their children to study at the school put aside their fieldwork and arrived early in the morning to register their children.

By now, a long queue had formed at the school’s registration desk.

The two newly hired teachers were too busy to handle everything, so they asked Mo Yan, who was literate, to help out.

"County Lord, this work should have been done by old Zeng and me, but we have troubled you instead. I am very grateful," said Master San, who took a moment to drink some water and quickly voiced his thanks to Mo Yan.

Mo Yan was busy registering children who were paying their school fees. Hearing Master San’s words, she took a moment to twist her sore wrist and said with a smile, "I am also very happy to exert some effort for the schoolhouse. Master San, you don’t have to be so formal! The village folks all call me ’Yan girl,’ so in the future, you can call me that too. It feels strange to be called County Lord."

"Haha, all right, I’ll call you ’Yan girl’ from now on." Master San was not a pedantic man and, seeing Mo Yan wasn’t just being polite, he agreed cheerfully.

The two shared a laugh and seeing that the other teacher was overwhelmed, Master San excused himself with a word and went back to helping out.

Seeing both teachers working so hard in the heat for such a long time, yet still speaking patiently with the registering children without a hint of impatience, Mo Yan nodded to herself, thinking that these teachers were rightly chosen.

Both teachers had moved into the small courtyard built behind the schoolhouse just a few days ago—one named Zeng and the other San.

Master Zeng was past the age of sixty and had taught for decades. He had a particular knack for enlightening young children. Master San, just past the age of thirty, had failed to pass the imperial examinations the previous autumn. He stayed in Jing City, studying while teaching neighboring children, known for his progressive ideas and humorous teaching style that was very popular among the kids.

Both teachers had been carefully recruited by Mo Qingze. They personally toured Liu Yang Village, and after being satisfied with the place, they decided to stay. Learning that the schoolhouse also provided free housing, they brought their families over as well.

Master Zeng had both a son and a daughter who had already established their own families and had children. This time he brought only his wife and a young grandson. Since school had not officially started yet, he spent his days wandering around with his wife and grandson, becoming increasingly fond of the picturesque, rustic Liu Yang Village.

Master San was not originally from Jing City. His wife had sadly passed away giving birth to their daughter, and he had not remarried for various reasons, raising his only daughter alone. Previously residing in the city, where everything cost money, much of his annual earnings went towards rent, while he also needed to buy books for his studies, leaving him barely making ends meet. Seeing that his daughter was twelve and at an age soon to be married, Master San could not even afford a decent dowry for her.

Although the salary from the school was not as high as in the city, the fact that rice and grain for daily consumption were free, along with not having to pay rent, meant significant savings. Master San was very satisfied and decisively brought over his daughter, San Zhen.

With many villagers still queuing at the table, Mo Yan glanced over, then turned her attention back and began receiving the fees from the villagers, recording the children’s names in the register.

To make a good impression on the teachers, the villagers had dressed in their best clothes, usually worn only during the New Year, and they also dressed their children in brand-new outfits. Many of them carried baskets with eggs, or held a live chicken, and some carried hefty strips of meat. These were all gifts for the two teachers.