Travel to ancient times and become rich women with your bestie

Chapter 129: Why don’t you allow people to grow?

The two men took the contract but were not in a hurry to leave. They stood there thinking about how to start the conversation.

"Is there anything else?"

The village chief was helpless. Seeing that the two women looked like they were in a hurry to pee, he couldn't guess that they had anything else to do and felt that he had lived to such an old age in vain.

"Oh, uncle, you really have a keen eye! Let's get this straight, I wonder if you can teach our family members to recognize a few words?"

Just now I was thinking of asking the village chief if there is anyone in the village who can teach people to write and read.

But when they saw the village chief's handwriting, they immediately thought of asking the village chief to teach them, but they just didn't know how to start. Since the village chief asked them to speak, they didn't need to be shy and just stated their ideas directly.

"Ask me to teach you how to read and write? Your family needs to learn how to read and write?"

This shocked the village chief even more than the idea of ​​doing business with Mr. Jiang just now.

"That's right. We are doing business with Mr. Jiang now. It is inevitable that we will have to sign some deeds and contracts in the future. We don't want to be blind when the time comes."

The two didn't finish their words, but the village chief knew that they were afraid of being cheated in the future.

"It's a good idea that you have, but I'm just a student and I'm afraid I can't teach you anything." The village chief hesitated.

"What's wrong with being a Tongsheng? If it weren't for the marriage your parents arranged for you, you might be a Juren and an official now!"

The village head's wife said something shocking. Zheng Yuan and Duan Minmin looked at each other and thought, is there something going on?

Seeing the two people's eyes shining with gold, the village chief said quickly: "You old woman, you are still digging up things from decades ago. You will be laughed at by your two nieces and nephews!"

"I didn't say anything wrong." The village chief's wife muttered.

"Wife Jiaming, I do know a few words, but I have never been a teacher. I'm afraid I can't teach Dashu and the others well. What if one of them has some talent in studying? Wouldn't he be delayed by an old man like me?" The village chief was still a little hesitant.

"You haven't taught, but you must have read books, right? I see you writing and drawing in your room every day. It was you who taught Chang Yi and the other kids before they went to school. Who else was it if not you? The kids have grown up, and now it's you who's chasing me to read and write every day, isn't it?"

"You obviously can't let it go, but you're being coy now. While Jiaming's wife and Yuandong's wife still like you, go and teach some kids, so you don't have to bother me at home all day. I'm old, and I can't tell whether it's a duck or a chicken written on the paper."

The village chief's wife's words made the village chief blush.

"you......"

"Uncle, please help us, otherwise we don't know who to ask for help." Duan Minmin spoke quickly. The old couple couldn't quarrel over this matter.

Because of her interruption, the village chief successfully swallowed back the words he was about to say to scold his wife.

"Yes, uncle, you are really a hidden talent. Not many people in the village know how knowledgeable you are over the years. We don't have much ability and can't find anyone else, so we can only think of asking you for help."

You guys don’t have any skills? Jiang Ji is going to do business with you guys, and you still say you don’t know anyone?

The village chief couldn't help but mutter to himself, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Okay, but I have to be frank. I haven't paid attention to what is tested in the current exams for many years. I can only teach them some basic knowledge such as calligraphy and reading, but I can't send them to the exams. If you still want your children to pass the exams and get a good reputation in the future, I, an old man, can't do that."

Although the village chief agreed, he still gave them a warning.

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. We don't expect them to pass the imperial examinations, but we hope they can learn a few words and not be blind."

They didn't expect the village chief to teach the children directly and help them pass the imperial examinations. If there were children who were really interested in studying, they would send them to the academy for formal studies.

"That's enough for you to know. Then do you want your boys to come over here or do you want me to go over to your side?" The village chief just thought that he wanted to teach the three boys to read and study.

"Uncle, you know our house is a mess. I'm afraid it's not suitable for studying at home. Can we ask Carpenter Li to make a few tables for us so that the children can come to your place?"

"You all come to my place? What's the matter? Those girls are learning too?" The village chief looked at the two of them suspiciously.

The village chief didn't look down on the girls, but he didn't expect these two people to have such an idea. Especially the Yuandong wife, because of these three girls, she was often tortured by Yuandong's mother, and the three girls were also beaten and scolded by her. And Jiaming's wife, they also saw what kind of life the three girls lived in the past.

They naturally knew what the village chief was thinking, but they didn't care. What's wrong with not allowing people to grow?

"That's right. All the children in our family will come and learn to read from you. We have many children, so we will have to trouble you. Uncle, how much do you think is a good amount per month?"

"What's the point of talking about money? You should find something for this old man to do, so that he won't cause trouble to me when the children go out. Don't underestimate this old man. When he was young, he wanted to set up a village school in the village. But when I went to lobby every household in the village, no one was willing to send their children here."

"People think that studying is a money-burning thing. If you want to pass the imperial examination, it will cost a lot of money. If you can't pass the imperial examination, studying is a waste. It's better to go to the fields early and share some of the burden for the family. Think about it, studying is not an easy thing. How many people in the village can afford it?"

"Later, the village school could no longer be run, and he could only teach the children at home. Now that he is old, you have come to him and helped him realize his dream of becoming a teacher."

"Why are you talking so much today, old woman? I came up with this idea because the villagers are illiterate and it is not easy for them to go out and make a living." Speaking of the past, the village chief was also a little emotional.

The two did not expect that the village chief actually had such avant-garde ideas and put them into practice. Although it did not work out in the end, he was still very respectable.

"Aunt, we must give you this money. We are already very grateful that your uncle took the trouble to take on this difficult task. We are embarrassed to ask you to help us take care of the children as a matter of course. It is said that knowledge is priceless, and we can't afford much. Uncle, how about two taels of silver per month?" After Zheng Yuan finished speaking, he looked at the two of them, paying attention to their reactions.

They also didn't know how much a teacher's monthly salary was in that era, but they thought it wouldn't be too cheap. They didn't know if two taels of silver would be enough for such old children.

"Two taels of silver, you two really stole a fortune!" The village chief glared, "I'm just a student, I can't even get into those academies, how can I ask for two taels of silver! Anyway, there's nothing to do in the village on weekdays, I'm just sitting there doing nothing, you guys just prepare your own pens, ink, paper and inkstone, as for silver and money, don't mention it!"

"Of course we have to prepare pens, ink, paper and inkstone, but we can't do without this gift. If you uncles don't accept it, we'd feel embarrassed to let the children come to our house." Zheng Yuan and Duan Minmin refused to give in.

After some arguing, the two of them could not be persuaded, and finally both sides gave in and the monthly rent was set at one or two taels of silver.