CHAPTER 238: CHAPTER 233: ONE POT

Zhao Cheng saw they had matters to discuss and didn’t intend to stay long, so he took his leave.

Zhao Hanzhang hurriedly stopped him and said, "Uncle, Hanzhang still has a request for you."

Zhao Ming gave her a knowing look and gave Zhao Cheng a smug glance, as if to say, didn’t he tell you so? She indeed was aiming for Lord Pei.

Zhao Cheng was indifferent; he wasn’t in the mood for Zhao Ming’s probing games and directly asked coldly, "What is it?"

Zhao Hanzhang was very straightforward with him, and directly stated, "I want to ask Uncle to write two sets of textbooks for the children in the school, one for literacy and etiquette, and another for arithmetic and calculations."

Zhao Cheng was stunned for a moment, "What virtues and abilities do I have to write textbooks?"

This was not sarcasm; it was his sincere belief.

Only great scholars have the qualifications to write textbooks. He hadn’t even resolved the doubts in his own mind, so what right did he have to write textbooks?

Wouldn’t that be misleading the youth?

"Uncle is too self-deprecating. I don’t need you to teach them profound wisdom, just simple common sense. It’s enough for them to recognize some characters." Zhao Hanzhang looked at him and carefully explained, "I want them to quickly participate in the construction of the county. You know, I currently need people who can read and do calculations everywhere, so..."

Zhao Cheng’s face, which had just softened, suddenly turned gloomy again, "What do you take education for, what do you take being a teacher for?"

This highlighted the conflict in educational ideals between her and Zhao Cheng. Zhao Cheng treated every student seriously, teaching them with the hope that each would become a future great scholar, and earnestly helping them understand the truths of the world.

However...

Zhao Hanzhang just wanted them to quickly learn to read, understand addition and subtraction within a thousand, and then be put to use directly.

This was just like the literacy classes at the founding of the nation, but Zhao Cheng wanted to turn the literacy classes into a training class straight to university. Their ideals were opposed, irreconcilable.

Zhao Hanzhang was once again driven out.

She sighed and led the guards home. Qiu Wu didn’t understand, "Miss, why do we still want to use him when he’s so stubborn?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "In the whole of Xiping County, apart from the people in the county government, only a few families’ children are literate, and most are from the Zhao Family. If I don’t use Zhao Family members, would I use the Song Family or Qian Family?"

Although those families were quiet, they hadn’t aligned with her; now they seemed more like they were waiting to see how far she could go.

And the Zhao Family, although they often showed disdain for her, had consistently helped her, providing various conveniences.

Currently, most of the teachers teaching in the school are from the Zhao Family. If Zhao Hanzhang doesn’t use Zhao Cheng, the Zhao Family students in the school would quickly leave as well.

"Moreover, we must learn to listen to different voices, allow different opinions to exist," she said. "Uncle Cheng’s words are not wrong; mine are not entirely right either, we can only say they’re more suitable for the present, more suitable for me."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Looking long-term, Uncle Cheng is indeed right."

Qiu Wu: "Then why not listen to Mr. Cheng?"

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him, saying, "Didn’t I just say, my proposal is more advantageous for me and more suitable for now."

"Now Mr. Cheng is being disobedient."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Then the capable must bear more responsibility. Mr. Fu and I will just have to work a bit harder."

Lately, she hadn’t been transcribing the "Thousand Character Classic" much. Soon, she’ll transcribe the remaining parts, and the "Three Character Classic", as for mathematics, she would leave it to Fu Tinghan.

Zhao Hanzhang was thinking as she walked briskly. Upon seeing her heading out of Wu Castle, Qiu Wu hesitated but still mentioned, "Miss, since you returned to Wu Castle, shouldn’t you visit Madam?"

Just as he spoke, Mrs. Wang’s voice sounded from behind, "Third Lady!"

Zhao Hanzhang turned around to see Mrs. Wang standing behind with a face full of grievance and sorrow.

Zhao Hanzhang slapped her forehead, only then realizing she hadn’t seen Mrs. Wang for over half a month.

She immediately jogged forward, "Mother, I was just planning to bring Tinghan and Erlang back for a meal. What are you doing outside? The wind is so strong and it’s so cold, what if you catch a chill?"

Mrs. Wang immediately soothed her and her expression brightened, "Is Mr. Fu coming back too?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "He’s still busy at the county government, but by this time he should be almost done. I was just about to go pick him up."

Mrs. Wang said, "Then you should go quickly, I’ll go back and prepare some delicious food for you. What do you want to eat?"

"Anything, as long as it’s made by Mother, I love it."

"How can it be anything?" Mrs. Wang said with heartache, "You’ve lost weight."

Mrs. Wang immediately decided, "Let’s have mutton. I’ll send someone to Seventh Ancestor’s house to buy sheep."

Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes lit up, "Mother, I brought back a new cookware this time. Let’s make braised lamb ribs tonight, or sweet and sour lamb ribs, which are also delicious."

Mrs. Wang considered herself quite knowledgeable, but the dishes Zhao Hanzhang mentioned she had never heard of. She quietly looked at her, "Where have you eaten such dishes?"

"Uh, outside, doesn’t the home cook know how to make them? Wait for me, I’ll bring back the new cookware and make it for you."

Mrs. Wang hesitated upon hearing Zhao Hanzhang would cook. "Maybe it’s better to have stewed mutton. If you find it bland, I can have someone roast a leg of lamb... It’s better if you don’t do it yourself."

Afraid of discouraging her daughter, Mrs. Wang didn’t say the last sentence.

It’s not that she underestimated her daughter; it’s just that her daughter truly lacked cooking skills, and wasn’t very talented in needlework, nor inclined to learn.

From a young age, she was both reading and learning martial arts, with a small figure worrying like an adult. The family hired cooks to teach them culinary skills; her cousins and sisters learned well, but she only mastered the knife skills, and the rest of the dishes were just muddled through.

In the end, even the father-in-law found out and personally ordered not to have her learn cooking, and that was the end of it.

However, Zhao Hanzhang was confident in her culinary skills; she didn’t plan to do it herself, but speaking was manageable.

She ran back to the county government, fetched the pot she had just placed in the kitchen, and handed it to Ting He, who came running, "Pack it up, we’re going back to the old house."

Ting He: "...Didn’t you say this pot is a treasure, and we should use it diligently?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "I’m gifting it to Mother. Next time, I’ll have Wushan make another one. You go prepare some spices to bring, I’ll go find Mr. Fu."

Fu Tinghan was writing and drawing in the study. Zhao Hanzhang joyfully told him, "Tonight we’re eating braised lamb ribs and sweet and sour lamb ribs. Do you have any particular dish you want?"

"I’m fine with anything. Are you planning to use this pot exclusively tonight?"

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at the paper in front of him, finding symbols she couldn’t understand, so she urged, "Stop calculating, let’s go. Mother is waiting at home."

Fu Tinghan agreed, put away the papers, pressed them on the table, and stood up to return with Zhao Hanzhang.

The two didn’t wait for Zhao Erlang, but sent someone to the military camp to call him over, letting him run back home himself.

The two returned with the pot; when they reached the old house, the family had just finished slaughtering the sheep.