CHAPTER 423: CHAPTER 0404 ATTENDING THE LECTURE TOGETHER (1)

At home, there was a mule carriage belonging to Chai Eying that was idle, and another of Mu Yuanxiu’s mule carriages was also parked in the stable.

Prince Luling instructed Li Xing’an and Li Xingmao to remove the passenger seat from the carriage, load it with a flat cargo bed, and go to Mr. Song’s house to fetch the students’ desks and chairs.

A flatbed carriage can hold four sets of desks and chairs, tied firmly with ropes, and doesn’t shake at all when traveling.

The brothers took the mule carriage to the Song family, with Mu Yuanxiu also helping out.

They made four trips to move all the desks and chairs.

Song Jinxiu also gifted them the old bronze gong, used for ringing, which hung on the tree.

The day of moving into the new school was the tenth day, a gloriously sunny day.

The Li Family rose early today.

The Second Young Master Li Xingsheng and the Great Princess and Second Princess did not go to the market but stayed home to support the event.

Yesterday afternoon, Prince Luling sent out invitations, and people would come to celebrate this morning.

Prince Luling took out the couplets he wrote last night and instructed his sons to hang them on either side of the main school’s doorway.

He didn’t write on red paper but instead on long strips of peach wood.

Nails had been pre-arranged on the sides and top of the doors, making it easy to hang them up.

On the peach wood of the couplets, there were also two red silk flowers hanging, looking very festive.

A wooden plaque hung beside the main schoolroom door bearing the school’s name: Taohua River Village School.

It was also Prince Luling’s own handwriting.

Just as the sun was rising, the first guest arrived.

It was Qin Lizheng from Taohua River Village.

Qin Lizheng respectfully congratulated Prince Luling at the doorway, "Mr. Li, our village’s children rely on your teachings from now on. Oh no, you should be called Teacher Li."

Prince Luling smiled and returned the gesture.

A while later, several elder villagers from the area, including Song Lizheng from the neighboring village, arrived.

They stood at the school entrance, welcoming the arrival of the children.

Villagers close to the Li family came to witness the event.

People praised the new school’s spaciousness and brightness.

The village supporters brought gifts, none came empty-handed.

Some brought inkwells stored at home, some pen and paper, a few brought a pair of chairs, and someone brought an old bookcase.

The villagers were poor, no matter what they brought, Li Xingmao and Prince Luling did not disdain them, accepting everything.

The children arrived earlier than usual for school, running over before 7:30 AM.

Liu Yanbai, who lived with the Li family, was the first to enter the school.

Only a few children arrived by ox cart or mule carriage.

The majority of children walked to the school.

Seeing Prince Luling at the door, everyone respectfully greeted him, "Good day, Teacher."

Prince Luling smiled and said, "Everyone, go inside and sit in your previous seats."

Everyone cheerfully ran into the room; soon, the sound of reading filled the air.

Prince Luling exchanged a few pleasantries with the villagers who came to celebrate, then went into the school to see the students.

The three Li brothers invited everyone into the house for tea.

Li Yuzhu called out to the Second Princess and Great Princess to watch Prince Luling teach.

The Great Princess waved her hand, "No, today is a rare day off, I want to do my own things. I hardly have time to make my own clothes, every day I’m sewing sachets to sell. You have Mu Yuanxiu helping you with clothes, but I do not."

Everyone knew about Mu Yuanxiu delivering clothes a few days ago.

Li Yuzhu was busy with treating people and collecting herbs; thus, her household was lenient about her lack of sewing.

The Second Princess also said she didn’t want to go; she wanted to make her own winter clothes. Hearing the Great Princess’s slightly sarcastic remarks about Li Yuzhu, she blinked, "Big sister, Mr. Pei Shenyan often visits our house bringing you things, why hasn’t he come lately?"

The Great Princess lifted her chin, indifferently answering, "How would I know?"

Earlier in the summer, Pei Shenyan indeed frequently visited the house, each time bringing gifts.

Either for the family or specifically for the Great Princess.

Recalling being called a fairy by Pei Shenyan, and his flirtatious gaze, made the Great Princess uncomfortable.

She felt offended.

In the capital, men would strive to see her, always cautious in her presence, fearing to offend her.

But Pei Shenyan, on the other hand, was indifferent to her angry glare.

Without attendants to command and drive him away, she had to swallow her anger.

Fortunately, Pei Shenyan suddenly stopped coming; she couldn’t recall exactly when he stopped, as she hadn’t taken the matter to heart.

If the Second Princess hadn’t mentioned it, she would have forgotten about Pei Shenyan.

"Oh, Mr. Pei doesn’t come, we won’t get to see any delicious pastries." The Second Princess sighed.

"If you like them so much, why don’t you go find him?" The Great Princess glared at her.

The Second Princess clapped her hands and said, "Ah, big sister, you’re right to remind me, I really need to find him. My shop still belongs to him. Starting this month, he should collect the shop’s rent, why hasn’t he come yet?" Saying this, she stood up, put down her needlework, and walked out of the bedroom. "I’ll go find Second Brother and ask him to look for him."

The Great Princess quickly pulled her back, "Are you silly? Is there anyone who rushes to give money to others? If he doesn’t come to collect the money, then just let him be. Isn’t it better to keep the money in your pocket for a few more days?" She suggested finding someone, but seriously?

The Second Princess had never owed anyone money before and said hesitantly, "Is that okay?"

The Great Princess said, "It’s not like we’re refusing to pay the debt, there’s just no one coming to collect it! Reason is on our side."

Li Yuzhu glanced at the Great Princess’s anxious expression and smiled, "Second sister, big sister is right, there’s no need to actively seek out Mr. Pei for the shop’s rent. He hasn’t shown up recently; maybe he’s gone somewhere to study."

"Yes, yes, second sister, third sister agrees too. Don’t go looking for trouble, Second Brother is also quite busy. There’s a lot going on at home today, don’t add to the chaos." The Great Princess said, pressing the Second Princess’s shoulder.

The Second Princess, persuaded by the two sisters, decided not to look for the Second Young Master, "Alright, I’ll listen to you both."

The two elder sisters refused to go to the school for lessons and insisted on making clothes, leaving Li Yuzhu to go alone.

At the entrance of the mansion, she saw Mu Yuanxiu leading three children, coming from the stables.

Li Yuzhu waved to them, "Why are you coming from the stables?"

She approached and picked Guoguo up.

Guoguo smiled and gave her a kiss.

Time flies so fast. When she first arrived here, this little girl was a weaned half-year-old baby, and now, Guoguo is over a year old. The little girl is quick on her feet, speaks, and eats as well as Li Jing.

"Auntie, we just went to see the mules." Li Jing said.

"Uncle Yuanxiu was feeding the mules, and we watched." Chai Tianlang added.

"Mules eat grass." Guoguo said with a smile.

Mu Yuanxiu held two little boys by his sides, smiling and asked Li Yuzhu, "You’re off somewhere in a hurry, where to?"

"I’m going to listen to the lecture, do you want to go?" Li Yuzhu asked, addressing the three children.

Let them experience the study atmosphere in advance.

"Want to go!" Li Jing clapped his hands with a smile.

Chai Tianlang also nodded, "If Jingjing goes, I’ll go too."

"Then let’s go." Li Yuzhu said, carrying Guoguo out.

Li Jing and Chai Tianlang, being older, were able to express their opinions and talk to the adults about their ideas. Guoguo was still young, merely following them around, mimicking their actions.

Li Yuzhu carried her out of the mansion gate, and she was all smiles along the way.

Arriving at the gate of the school courtyard, Li Yuzhu turned back and quietly warned the three little ones, "No loud noises, if your Grandpa hears, you’ll be punished."

Li Jing widened his eyes, "How will we be punished?"

Chai Tianlang said, "You’ll get hand slaps, Jingjing. I heard from my dad that naughty kids get their hands slapped by the teacher."

Li Jing blinked, "The teacher is my Grandpa."

Chai Tianlang corrected, "Grandpa Li becomes the teacher and will slap hands."

Li Jing’s little face tightened as he hesitated over whether to eavesdrop on the lecture.

Mu Yuanxiu picked him up, "You’re not a student yet, as long as you’re not noisy, the teacher won’t slap you."

Li Jing asked timidly, "Really?"

"Of course." Mu Yuanxiu said, "Your Aunt and I listened to the lectures at Mr. Song’s school for two days, without getting our hands slapped once."

"That’s good." Li Jing relaxed.

They quietly arrived outside the school building, sitting by the steps, listening closely to the lecture.

Li Jing and Chai Tianlang tilted their heads, listening without daring to make a sound.

From time to time, they looked at Guoguo, motioning with their hands, telling Guoguo not to make noise.

Guoguo glared at them, frowning, pursing her lips tightly.

Li Yuzhu settled the three children and stealthily peeked through the window.

Inside the school, Prince Luling, just like before, was teaching, giving lessons to each child individually, then checking their recitation and writing.

"You got this wrong, the slanted hook on the ’武’ character shouldn’t have an extra point here." Prince Luling pointed out a child’s written assignment.

"Teacher, you once said that the ’武’ character resembles a person wearing samurai attire and said martial artists must have a sword or blade; this dot is the martial artist’s belt knife." This was the youngest child in the school.

Prince Luling was taken aback by the question.

Outside the building, Li Yuzhu couldn’t help but laugh.

This child, although he wrote the character wrong, demonstrated abundant imagination.

She waited to see how Prince Luling will reply to this child.