CHAPTER 407: CHAPTER 388 DISCUSSION ON BUILDING A SCHOOL (2)

Li Yuzhu said, "My elder sister and my mother dislike him for being so fat that he wastes fabric, but I think he’s too fat and doesn’t like to exercise. Over time, his health will deteriorate; he’ll have aches and pains everywhere. I’m doing this for his own good. After forty, being too fat or too thin is bad for your health."

Mu Yuanxiu thought of the middle-aged fat man he remembered.

He already knew someone wanted to assassinate him. Because he was too fat and clumsy, he still couldn’t escape the hands of the enemy.

He was pierced through by a javelin thrown by the Imperial Guard.

That scream echoed through the silent night.

Mu Yuanxiu couldn’t help but shiver.

"Let him lose some weight; it will be good for him." Mu Yuanxiu said.

Li Yuzhu scooted over to him, "Hey, Mu Yuanxiu, what’s up with you? Are you okay?"

He was just laughing, so why did his tone change in the blink of an eye? Why is his voice trembling?

Mu Yuanxiu calmed his mind, glanced back at her, and said with a smile, "Uncle Li is stubborn; I don’t know if he’ll agree."

Li Yuzhu sneered, "We have my mom; he doesn’t dare not listen!"

Back at Li Mansion, they went together to the rear hall to see Prince Luling and his wife.

Li Yuzhu relayed the suggestion from Song Lizheng of Qingshui River Village, "Mr. Song is almost seventy and in poor health. He doesn’t want to teach students anymore. He and Song Lizheng want to hire someone else. Dad, why don’t you take on this task?"

Princess Consort Luling immediately agreed, "Good! I agree."

"I... I can’t teach students well." Prince Luling frowned.

Managing a few kids at home, he could barely handle it, but handling dozens of students, he couldn’t manage. The noise from kids would drive him crazy.

Prince Luling disagreed, waving his hand.

Princess Consort Luling sneered, "What? Enjoying the leisurely life of eating and doing nothing every day, are you? Every child has their own work, and you’re the only idle one in the family. Aren’t you embarrassed? An old man nearing seventy is teaching students, and you’re in your forties and can’t handle this?"

Princess Consort Luling criticized Prince Luling for his various laziness.

Said he found weaving baskets too prickly for his hands.

Started a word stall, got into fights, was cheated out of money, went once and refused to go again.

Complained about farming under the hot sun.

Said chopping wood was too tiring.

His archery was poor for hunting, not good at running, feared poisonous snakes and bugs in the forest.

In short, he had reasons to dislike anything he did.

Even exiled and doing hard labor, he managed to get fatter!

It’s excessive!

Prince Luling’s face was embarrassed, "It’s not that I dislike this task, it’s just... I’m afraid of failing and being laughed at. After all, our status is..." Formerly a prince!

Princess Consort Luling snorted, "If you can’t teach well, isn’t there still me? And there’s Dalang and Erlang too! Except for the third child who doesn’t like to study, which of our kids isn’t top in their studies?"

Prince Luling glanced at Mu Yuanxiu and Li Yuzhu, stammering, "Alright." Criticized in front of the children, his wife was giving him no face at all, really!

Mu Yuanxiu held back a laugh, "Then I’ll reply to Song Lizheng from Qingshui River Village."

Prince Luling felt uneasy, "Yuanxiu, let me take it slow first. Half the day is already over, not suitable for teaching. Tomorrow, I need to think things over, and the day after I’ll have to..."

"Yuanxiu, go tell the lizheng from Qingshui River Village that your Uncle Li can start teaching first thing tomorrow morning." Princess Consort Luling dismissed Prince Luling’s various excuses and said.

Prince Luling glared, daring not to speak.

Li Yuzhu suppressed her laughter.

Mu Yuanxiu smiled, "Alright, I’ll go tell him now."

He just had a drink of water and drove the mule cart to Qingshui River Village.

An hour later, Mu Yuanxiu returned and conveyed Song Lizheng’s response to Prince Luling and his wife.

"Song Lizheng said, if we have a place here for students to come for learning, he’ll notify them immediately to have the students come here. If there’s no place, the school will be temporarily set up at Mr. Song’s, and we can slowly build a school." Mu Yuanxiu said.

Prince Luling immediately said, "Huh? Going to Qingshui River Village early and returning late every day? It’s about seven or eight miles for one trip, and I have to walk back and forth..."

Princess Consort Luling sneered, "You’re an adult and you’re afraid of walking back and forth? Kids just a few years old walk every day! Walking from Taohua River Village to Qingshui River Village is ten miles of road, and even kids are walking it, but you can’t?"

"I can’t handle it with my body." Prince Luling rubbed his belly, sighing.

"Lose weight!" Princess Consort Luling glared at him.

Prince Luling, "..."

Li Yuzhu said, "Dad will first take over Mr. Song’s class, and then we’ll add two classrooms beside our house. By the time they’re built, we’ll move the students over. Our house is situated in the middle of the two villages, three miles from Taohua River Village and seven to eight miles from Qingshui River Village. For the children of both villages, it’s a fair place."

Mr. Song’s school in Qingshui River Village was favorable for the children there, but to the children of Taohua River Village, it was rather unfair.

It’s three miles from Taohua River Village to the Li Family, and another seven to eight miles from the Li Family to Qingshui River Village, totaling ten miles.

Precisely because of this, not many children from Taohua River Village went to school.

Mu Yuanxiu said, "I think it’s feasible."

The Princess Consort Luling also agreed, "When the eldest returns, tell them to go into the village and invite some craftsmen, invite several, the school needs to be built quickly, we can’t delay the children’s learning."

With a solution in place, the Prince Luling finally fell silent.

As it was nearing noon, the Princess Consort Luling invited Mu Yuanxiu to join them for lunch and urged Li Yuzhu to go to the fields to call back Li Xingmao and Li Xing’an, so everyone could discuss the matter of setting up the school together.

Mu Yuanxiu said, "Let me go, I walk fast."

The Princess Consort Luling laughed, "Very well, you can speak with the two brothers."

Mu Yuanxiu went to the field next to the mansion and called out loudly to the Li brothers.

"Brother Li, Third Brother Li!"

The field was wide, and with a loud shout, they could hear him from over a mile away.

The brothers looked up at the sun in the sky; it was already noon.

The two of them put away their sickles, each carrying a bundle of firewood, and started walking toward the road.

Some crops in the field, like corn stalks and sorghum stalks, after the grains were harvested, dried stalks made for excellent firewood.

Mu Yuanxiu went over, took the firewood from Li Xingmao, and carried it on his shoulder, "Brother, let me do it."

Li Xingmao laughed, "What is it that you called us so urgently?"

"Mr. Song from the neighboring village is ill, and he’s also old and wants to quit teaching. Thirty or so students from the two villages are without a plan, and the village chief of Qingshui River Village is looking for someone to replace Mr. Song. Uncle Li is willing to take on this task," Mu Yuanxiu said.

Li Xingmao took the firewood from Li Xing’an; the two brothers carried it together. He laughed and said, "That’s a good thing, anyway, Father is idle."

Li Xing’an scoffed, "My father teaching students? Can he?"

Li Xingmao’s expression darkened, "Third, only say this among us, you mustn’t speak like this in front of Father."

Li Xing’an pursed his lips, "Got it."

The brothers carried the firewood to the front of the kitchen and washed their hands and faces.

Nanny Jiang in the kitchen called out that the meal was ready.

The people who didn’t leave were gradually arriving in the kitchen.

The three children eagerly climbed into their seats.

Each holding a wooden bowl with a small wooden spoon, waiting for the adults to serve them food.

Nanny Jiang, Chai Eying, and Li Yuzhu took care of Li Jingguoguo and Chai Tianlang, the three children, while Prince Luling and his sons discussed the school affair.

Li Xingmao said, "To the left of our mansion, there’s a piece of wasteland, we can dig up that land and build two more rooms."

Li Xing’an said, "I’ll go to the village this afternoon to find Liu the bricklayer."

Both sons wholeheartedly supported Prince Luling in setting up a school.

Prince Luling did not expect his sons to be so agreeable, "Is there nothing you want to say? Any suggestions?"

"No!" The brothers replied together.

"E Ying, what about you?" Prince Luling turned to his daughter-in-law for help.

Chai Eying always listened to Li Xingmao. Since her husband agreed, what was there to oppose?

"I have no objections, I listen to my husband," Chai Eying smiled.

Indeed, a good daughter-in-law, the Princess Consort Luling was very pleased, "E Ying, don’t just take care of Guoguo and the others, you should eat too, you mustn’t go hungry."

"I’m eating, Mother," Chai Eying smiled.

The family meeting concluded with unanimous support.

The sons and daughters-in-law supported it, and the little grandchildren and granddaughters also supported it, leaving Prince Luling with no choice but to reluctantly accept the task.

After lunch, Li Xing’an went to Taohua River Village to find Liu the bricklayer.

Mu Yuanxiu and Li Xingmao began clearing the land for building the house.

The Princess Consort Luling took the children to Chai Eying’s room to look at baby clothes.

Prince Luling sat in his room, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Li Yuzhu walked in, smiling, "Father."

Prince Luling replied sullenly, "Oh, it’s Yu Zhu."

"Father, isn’t it just teaching children to recognize words and study? How hard can it be?" Li Yuzhu laughed.

Seeing there was no one else around, Prince Luling said quietly, "Dear daughter, your father is Prince Luling, uncle to the Emperor, a prince by status! If I don’t teach well, won’t it ruin my reputation if word gets out?"

Li Yuzhu laughed in exasperation, "Father, before the Emperor summons you back to the Capital, you are just a rural villager! Not some prince! Big Sister and Second Sister are already selling things on the street, why are you still putting on airs?"

Prince Luling mumbled, "They are children, your father is an adult!"

Come off it, exiled here, everyone is equal.

Li Yuzhu said, "Father, do you know why everyone respected you in the Capital, but here, no one pays you any mind? Even Lady Lian dares to glare at you? Third Brother, Second Brother, Big Sister, Second Sister all dare to raise their voices at you?"