Chapter 10

Chapter 10

With that matter settled, I took Xie Lanting and Er Ya to the village chief’s home to discuss how I would repay the village.

What I had done to Xie Er was indeed to avenge Xie Lanting. But people’s hearts were fickle. In a few years, they might forget the reason behind it and only remember that I had beaten Xie Er, and that Xie Lanting had been disrespectful to his uncle and aunt.

This was a society bound by strict rites and teachings, where the emperor ruled the realm through filial piety. Xie Lanting would go very far in the future, and I could not allow the people and affairs of this village to become stumbling blocks on his path as he grew.

I proposed building a school for the village. The Marquis’s Mansion would cover the children’s tuition, but I had one condition: the ratio of boys to girls in the school had to be equal. For every boy enrolled, one girl had to be enrolled as well.

The village chief was very troubled. He could not understand why. In his eyes, only boys had a future if they studied. They could become officials, legal clerks, or local gentry. Even if they failed to make anything of their studies, they could still go to the city and find respectable work as a shopkeeper or bookkeeper. In short, there were far too many benefits to boys learning to read.

As for girls, aside from marrying, there was no other path for them. Teaching them to read would be a waste.

I had no intention of changing his mind. I could not even change my own lack of desire to blend into this society.

So I simply painted him a tempting picture.

“My husband is a marquis now. Who’s to say he won’t rise even higher in the future? The household will need some respectable maids who can read and understand proper etiquette. Besides, if by some chance there is an opportunity… it would still be better to use our own people. After all, we know their roots and background.”

I pointed toward the sky.

The village chief’s eyes widened, and his whole body grew animated with excitement.

I had only given him the beginning, yet it seemed he had already imagined a glorious future in which someone from the village became an imperial consort, returned home in splendor, and with a grand wave of her hand, exempted the villagers from three years of taxes.

“Madam is truly thorough in her considerations. I will see to this matter properly.”

“I’m afraid there may still be people who refuse to listen.”

“Please don’t worry. Leave this matter to me. I will handle it beautifully. Whoever dares object, I have plenty of ways to deal with them.”

I was reassured.

In this era, the head of a village held considerable power. Above, he dealt with the local gentry, collected taxes, organized corvée labor, repaired roads, and dug canals; none of it could be done without him. Below, everything from births, old age, illness, and death to disputes, weddings, and funerals required him to preside and uphold justice.

As long as he could handle the matter properly and let the children study, I was perfectly willing to spend the money.

Once everything was settled, I took Xie Lanting and Er Ya back in the carriage, moving at an unhurried pace.

When we left, countless people came to see us off. They said I was a living bodhisattva, that Doctor Wang was Hua Tuo reborn, that Xie Lanting was born to a noble fate, and that Er Ya was blessed with good fortune.

People in this world had all kinds of opinions. Anything that benefited me was good; anything that did not was bad. So public opinion could be heard, but there was truly no need to care about it.

I smiled and bid farewell to everyone. My gaze swept over the crowd and met the remorseful eyes of Xie Er and Xie Er’s Wife.

They had already heard that I was donating a school to the village. This time, they truly regretted it. They must have been thinking that if they had treated Xie Lanting well back then, perhaps I would have given that money to them instead.

But there was no medicine for regret in this world. The things of the past would always leave traces in one’s life.

On the road back, Xie Lanting was weighed down with worry.

“Building a school will cost a lot of money.”

“Yes. So from now on, we need to work hard to earn money.”

“I’ll live frugally,” Xie Lanting decided solemnly.

I could not help laughing. I hurriedly seized the chance to strengthen his education in financial management.

“How do you plan to live frugally?”

He listed his ideas for me. He would eat less, chop firewood, burn charcoal, gather mushrooms, set traps, catch game, and he could also learn to gather herbs. All of those things could be sold for money.

Er Ya had originally been crying in secret. Hearing this, she joined in as well, speaking in a small voice.

“I can boil water, cook, wash pots, pull weeds, and spread fertilizer.”

They were both truly capable. Two thoughtful little treasures. They absolutely deserved to live good lives in the future.

“You two are far too considerate. I’m so happy that you’re thinking of helping me shoulder my worries. But the servants in the Marquis’s Mansion can do all those things. If you do them, you’ll be stealing their livelihoods, and they will feel uneasy. Besides, I don’t want you to live frugally either. Children should eat well, sleep well, and grow strong. After we return, both of you will go to school as well, so you won’t have time to do these things anymore. For now, as long as you eat well, sleep well, and don’t get sick, you’ll already be helping me. In the future, I will give you a monthly allowance and teach you how to spend it. Later on, I will teach you how to make money. We’ll take it step by step. There’s no rush. The good days are still waiting for us ahead.”