Mrs. Cheng's face was ashen.
She roared angrily: "Even if my eldest grandson can only be a boy for the rest of his life, you are not qualified to ask our Zhao'er to be your teacher! My Zhao'er is extremely talented. The mountain at Nanfu Academy personally said that he will become a scholar in one fell swoop, and then You will be promoted in one fell swoop and eventually become an official! None of you are worthy of having the eldest grandson of our Cheng family teach you how to read and write in person!"
Under the old lady's roar, everyone in the village fell silent.
Although Cheng Zhao could no longer pass the examination as a scholar, he was still a boy. Dahe Village had never produced a boy in so many years.
Moreover, during this period of time spent with Cheng Zhao, the villagers deeply realized that there were countless huge mountains separating them from the scholars. They were already doomed in this life. They could see the head at a glance, but they hoped that their children and grandchildren could be like Cheng Zhao. Similarly, I don’t seek to be admitted as a scholar, but I seek to be able to read and write. Under the influence of my ears and eyes, I hope to develop the temperament of some scholars.
Their hope was simply a luxury.
Cheng Zhao did not look down on them, but Mrs. Cheng's words were full of contempt and contempt, and they were unable to refute.
"Cheng Zhao is an adult. Let him make his own decision whether he should leave or stay." Cheng Wanwan said quietly, "Zhao'er, you can make your own decision."
Cheng Zhao pursed his lips and spoke loudly and responsibly: "I can no longer take the scholar examination in the future. If the second aunt and Dahe Village still need me, I will naturally stay."
Cheng Wanwan laughed: "From the first day I kept you, I knew that you would not be able to take the college examination. Of course, my second aunt hopes that you will stay."
The rest of the village immediately followed suit.
"Cheng Tongsheng, we also hope you stay."
"I even paid the repair fee, so I naturally hope that Cheng Tongsheng can teach my grandson how to read and write."
"It doesn't matter whether you are a scholar or not. We recognize you as a person. You are a scholar in our minds."
"You are not allowed to go to Huzhou to take the exam. This is the loss of the imperial court and the luck of our Dahe Village."
"Cheng Tongsheng, just stay."
"..."
Cheng Zhao's eyes were a little hot.
He thought that after telling him about his expulsion, these villagers would look down upon him.
But he didn't expect that there was still respect and greater expectation in their eyes when they looked at him.
He nodded: "I'm staying and not leaving."
Old Mrs. Cheng's lungs were about to burst with anger. The future scholar in their Chengjia Village was actually regarded as a teacher in Dahe Village.
She originally thought she was forced by Cheng Wanwan, but looking at the situation, her eldest grandson was clearly enjoying it.
After the New Year, she was preparing to go to Huzhou to take the college examination. How could her son waste precious time in Dahe Village?
"Zhao'er, you are so unwilling to make progress." Mrs. Cheng suppressed her anger and said, "I will go back and invite the head of the Cheng family and Li Zheng!"
She waved her hand and left.
The man she brought quickly followed up: "Aren't you here to get me a wife? Are you not going to take that woman away?"
"Marry your uncle!" Old Mrs. Cheng roared over, "What's more important, my grandson's affairs are more important than yours. I won't marry you until my grandson's affairs are settled!"
If Zhaoer doesn't study anymore, what use will the three taels of silver gift she brought her have.
This is a major event for their family, the Cheng family, and the Chengjia village. Zhaoer must be brought back to school as soon as possible.
Mrs. Cheng's angry scolding gradually faded away.
Cheng Zhao looked at everyone, cupped his hands and said, "Thanks to everyone for not giving up, Cheng Zhao will definitely do his best to teach the children to read and read."
Originally there were twenty-nine students, but Mrs. Cheng made a fuss and many people in the village became interested. In the end, the number of students who could read and read increased to forty-three.
Half of the courtyard of Cheng Wanwan's house is a vegetable patch and half is a chicken coop and duck shed. There is no room for more than 40 students to sit down.
Li Zheng helped find a way: "In front of our Zhao family's ancestral hall is a large courtyard, with bluestones on the ground. It is flat and clean. With a little tidying up, it can be used as a school for teaching. For those who send their children to study, the family will send someone Go tidy up, everyone brings his or her own table and chairs..."
There were forty-three students, and thirty or forty parents came to deal with them.
The Zhao Family Ancestral Hall is only opened once a year. Although there are bluestone slabs on the ground in the yard, there are weeds in the gaps between the slabs. A group of people pulled weeds and cleaned them, and then put tables and chairs. Forty-three tables and chairs were spread out, high and low. Low, the momentum is a bit better, it looks inexplicably like that.
Li Zheng said with his hands behind his back: "When the village has enough money, we will build a school next to the ancestral hall. We cannot let the children read and write in the open air all the time. When it rains, they will have to delay their studies..."
When it comes to rain, the villagers sigh. It has not rained for a long time. They have forgotten what rain feels like.
After the important matters of studying were arranged, a woman in the village pulled Cheng Wanwan and asked, "I just vaguely heard that Mrs. Cheng is here to help you as a matchmaker?"
"The man who came with Mrs. Cheng couldn't be the new man the Cheng family found for you, right?"
"Ah this..." Mrs. Zhang said as she mingled in the crowd, "That man is too ugly. He has a big pimple on his face, which makes people unable to eat. Speaking of which, Zhao Orion from our village lived alone. After so many years, wouldn’t you and Dashan Niang be a perfect match?”
Cheng Wanwan glanced over with a cold look. This woman was the best at looking for trouble. If she and Zhao Orion were brought together, she must have other plans.
"If Dashan Niang thinks Zhao Orion is good, how about I go to the matchmaker?"
Mrs. Zhang said with a smile.
She thought she had seen through the affairs between Cheng Wanwan and Zhao Orion, and when she said this, she seemed to be looking at Cheng Wanwan from a high position.
Cheng Wanwan twitched her lips: "I heard that Dagang's mother has taken over her niece from her mother's side. Your niece is not married yet. Isn't this a perfect match for Uncle Zhang Liu from our village?"
Uncle Zhang Liu is a lonely old man in the village. He has some mental problems and relies on Li Zheng for support.
Cheng Wanwan's words sounded very vicious to Mrs. Zhang's ears.
She suppressed her anger and said: "I can't even decide the marriage of my natal niece. How can I get Dashan Niang to be the matchmaker?"
Cheng Wanwan smiled but said: "Yes, you don't care about your niece's marriage, so why do you care about me?"
In the past, there was Mrs. Cheng who acted as a matchmaker, and later there was Mrs. Zhang who randomly matched her, and for no reason, a man matched her. Does she seem to be so in need of a man?
Granny Zhang opened her mouth and wanted to spray it back.
But when she thought of her plan, she still endured it.
Although Cheng Zhao can no longer be a scholar, his status as a scholar is still very popular in Dahe Village. When the school is established in the future, he can live and eat and drink for a lifetime just by relying on the maintenance fees. Her niece will not be disadvantaged by marrying Cheng Zhao.
While Mrs. Zhang was thinking about it, a group of people suddenly ran towards the ancestral hall from the other side of the village.
"Li Zheng, it's not good!"
"Locusts! Many locusts flew over from the other side of the mountain!"
"Locusts have flown to our Dahe Village. The locust plague is really coming!"
He looked serious and said loudly: "Calm down, don't be anxious! According to the method Dashan Niang and Cheng Zhao said before, the whole village will go out to hunt and kill the locusts, and the action must be fast!"
