Chapter 598 - 592_1
Just as Lin Yue had anticipated, Zhao Erhu went to find the village head. The village head was not only willing but overjoyed, taking the initiative to undertake the task of building the school. He also gathered the entire village to explain and praise Zhao Erhu’s righteous act.
The villagers were ecstatic when they found out. They always held an awestruck regard towards educated people. There’s a saying, "all walks of life are inferior, only scholarship is held high," which shows the status of the educated. Who wouldn’t want their children to thrive? But the peasant families struggled just to get by, and their children could hardly afford to study. They had not expected Zhao Erhu to suddenly propose such a good deed. Along with their delight, they naturally felt grateful to Zhao Erhu, and his family’s prestige in the Zhao Family Village grew even taller.
Moreover, some villagers believed that the rise of the Zhao Family was due to their greater literacy compared to others in the village—even Zhao Erhu’s wife could read and write. If their children could learn too, perhaps they could lead their families to prosperity. With this thought, enthusiasm for building the school reached an unprecedented high. Without the village head having to say a word, they voluntarily came to help. In those days, every household had several children, and the sooner the school was built, the sooner their children could start their education.
Over at Zhao Anyu’s place, Zhao Erhu told him about wanting to invite Anyu to teach at the village school. Anyu had long hoped to use his talents to provide for his family but as a mere scholar without the ability to perform manual labor, he had struggled to find suitable work. As a result, he had been staying at Zhao Erhu’s house. Now that there was an opportunity that suited him, he readily agreed without hesitation.
"Of course, there’s no problem. Although I am modest in ability, I have studied for many years and obtained the title of Scholar. Teaching children and enlightening them should pose no issue. However, I wonder if the school could provide accommodation? I intend to bring my mother and child with me. I have already imposed upon my cousin’s family for several months, and it wouldn’t be right to stay any longer, thick-skinned as that would be. Besides, even if my cousin and his wife don’t mention it, I’m aware that my wife is not the easily contented type. She grew up in a previously well-off household and has developed a haughty and willful nature, which I know has caused trouble for my cousin and his wife."
With Anyu’s confession, Erhu realized that Anyu was well aware of his wife’s actions and was not the type of scholar completely detached from worldly affairs. This was a very good thing.