Chapter 20 - 0 Female Zhuge
Chapter 20: Chapter 020: Female Zhuge
Chapter 20 -020: Female Zhuge
Mountain Village is situated by the mountain with a simple folk style, due to the lack of any work apart from farming in daytime, when having free time, villagers particularly liked to gather together to chat, especially such summer evenings, after eating dinner, villagers loved to chill outdoors and chatter away.
“Did you all hear, Bai Scholar’s second son donated the silver he had to repay the Liu family to the establishment of the school in the village!
Don’t judge Bai Yihong by his few words, he really does care about our village and is considerate towards the children in the village.” An old lady who had lost most of her teeth was talking a mile a minute.
“Why shouldn’t we have heard?
Apparently, Bai Yihong is pretty wise.
In order to maintain harmony with the Liu family, he said that it was not the Bai family who made the donation, but the Liu family.
They even went out of their way to make furniture for the school.
Truly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; the Liu Family can’t compare in this respect.” A middle-aged man was full of admiration for Bai Yihong.
“Isn’t that so?
They say it’s better to overcome grievances than to hold on to them.
Our village must strive for peaceful coexistence, with no inciting trouble towards others.” Another woman made a face, but everyone knew she held a grudge against Ms.
Liu.
Everyone was talking at once, a young man who had been hiding heard the conversation for a while and then quickly ran back home.
“What?
The second son donated the sparkling silver?
Does he have too much money to burn or what?!” The old lady of the Bai family, Bai Liushi, listened to her third grandson, Bai Zehong, and her face suddenly elongated.
Grandfather Bai expressed his unhappiness, coughed and said, “How many times have I told you?
Don’t use the crude language of the country women.”
Those more observant would notice, the Bai family is different from the typical farming households in the village, even Bai Yihong, who has never been educated, speaks official language, unlike the villagers who tend to say “huh?”, “what happened?”, and such.
This is because Grandfather Bai attaches great importance to his family image, claiming that the Bai family is a scholarly family and thus forbidding the family from using crude language.
Bai Liushi rolled her eyes, her mind still on the silver that Bai Yihong did not pursue, she stared at Bai Zehong and asked, “Xiao San, you heard clearly?
Is it a large sum of money?”
Bai Zehong is the son of Bai Yibo and Madame Wang.
Among the grandchildren of the Bai family, he is ranked third, so he is usually addressed at “Xiao San” (Little Third).
Bai Zehong pouted unhappily, “Granny, if you don’t believe me, go and listen for yourself.
Would I, with my sharp ears, mishear it?”
Bai Liushi glanced at her husband surreptitiously, she wanted to go out and listen herself, but her husband wouldn’t allow it.
What was she to do?
After taking a few sips of tea, Grandfather Bai thought for a moment and said: “What do you know?
Yihong has given our Bai’s family status!
Now who in the village doesn’t admire him?
You’re just focusing on the silver, but it wasn’t even his money that was donated.” The matter of if the silver should or should not be accepted is another story, Grandfather Bai is a smart man, what he thought, he did not express.
Bai Yibo and Madame Wang glanced at each other.
Both were annoyed at Grandfather Bai’s praise for Bai Yihong.
Just as they were about to express their objection, Grandfather Bai said, “Establishing a school in the village is a great thing.
Eldest, you didn’t have a place to teach, why don’t you teach in the village?”
Upon hearing this, Bai Yibo immediately grew flustered and got up from his stool.
He lost the demeanor of a scholarly man and was more like a village rogue.
“Father, what are you talking about?
What benefits could I gain from teaching those village children?
It will delay my studies and future success.
Also, staying in such a godforsaken place to teach, my reputation could not endure it!”
Grandfather Bai had also thought of the “no benefits” factor, but it wouldn’t be good if Eldest always idled around at home, would it?
Besides, there was no sign of making a name for the Bai family these years, it would be better to have a steady income.
Moreover, referring to here as a “godforsaken place” made him more disgusted.
This place was his hometown.
There was no need to speak in such a way.
“Am I the head of this house or not?
If you are reluctant to teach in the school, then you can go work in the field and earn your own keep.
I can’t support a hanger-on like you!” He put on a strict face.
Madame Wang immediately tried to give Bai Yibo a signal.
Bai Yibo’s eyes darted and he said: “Father, no need to get upset.
A few days ago, I met a former classmate.
He now teaches at a big household in Beiyu City and mentioned that the relatives of that house also want to hire a teacher.
He plans to recommend me.
Seeing the great opportunity ahead, you can’t say that I should give it up to become a schoolteacher, right?”
Grandfather Bai hesitated upon hearing these words.
The big households in Beiyu City were substantial, even local landlords couldn’t compare.
“Let’s see how things turn out first,” he said.
…
Today, Lin Ping was particularly happy.
She went out and was asked about the head of the family’s visit to the Village Chief’s House.
She answered according to what her daughter had suggested, and by evening word had spread throughout the village.
Several women from a few households came to talk to her and kept complimenting her and Bai Yihong for the great things they did for the village.
Lin Ping looked at her daughter’s closed door and felt that her daughter was becoming smarter and more competent.
She managed to improve the reputation of the Bai family with silver that was originally not theirs.
Not only that, she even did a good thing for the village.
Her daughter really deserved to be called the “Female Zhuge”.
A few days later, the people in the village were praising the Bais to the skies.
Many people also followed in the footsteps of Bai Yihong, willingly donated money and goods to the school, or offered manpower.
The Village Chief was so pleased he couldn’t stop grinning, feeling even more grateful towards Bai Yihong.
He sang his praises in front of the village elders.
At the same time, things weren’t going well for the Lius.
The old lady from the Liu family was very stingy and was reluctant to part with her precious silver.
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She had originally planned to cheat her way out of it, but now all the villagers knew about it.
She had no choice but to hand it over, but she was unwilling.
Why should she empty her pockets to give the Bai family a good reputation?
It wasn’t until the Village Chief visited for the third time that Mrs.
Liu finally handed over the silver resentfully.
There had already been some gossip in the village.
People were saying that the Lius were avoiding their financial responsibilities and were selfish for not supporting the establishment of the school.
The Village Chief even suggested that if the Liu family did not contribute, their descendants would not be allowed to attend the school once it was established.
Master Liu from the Liu family was so angry that he was berating his old lady for disgracing the family and even broke a dry tobacco pole.
Mrs.
Liu only then brought out the money.
During this time, Bai Ruozhu was pampering herself at home and took strolls around the village to exercise and catch up on the local gossip after sleeping in.
Everything was going as she had planned, a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.
As she walked, she saw a group of kids huddling together.
She suddenly became interested in children’s affairs after she was pregnant.
She went over with her hand on her belly, and saw several children bullying a five or six-year-old boy.
“Little mute, playing in the mud like a fool, Little mute, go home with your foolish head!” Several kids were clapping and chanting.
It seemed like a rhyme they created themselves.
The boy they were hitting was covered in mud, but he neither cried nor resisted, his face even seemed void of expression.
Upon seeing the boy’s face clearly, Bai Ruozhu became shocked.
Isn’t that…?