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“Adding the cost of the meat brings it to 502 wen, along with the previously calculated tuition refund for the teacher, making a total of 2 taels of silver.”
Jiang Mixia extended her hand further, “Take out the money, teacher.”
Two taels of silver!
Yang Shunde’s eyes widened like brass bells. “You… How dare you be so disrespectful!”
“This account is crystal clear. Every single wen has been calculated with reason and evidence. How can you accuse me of being disrespectful?” Jiang Mixia retorted, “Could it be that the teacher was eager to take the money when receiving it but now doesn’t want to give it back?”
“Or perhaps, the teacher is deliberately trying to withhold the tuition fee and the gesture of respect my family offered, perhaps looking for an excuse to chase away my husband? If that’s the case, then I will have a good talk with the teacher about it.”
“Or perhaps, I won’t say much to the teacher. I’ll just gather all the villagers from Dayangshu Village, and even invite Yang Lizheng over, so everyone can discuss and question why the teacher suddenly became money-minded.”
As Jiang Mixia spoke, she made a move to leave.
Yang Shunde hurriedly stopped her.
As a teacher and a scholar, aiming to pass the examinations to become a Xiucai and Jinshi in the future, he couldn’t afford to tarnish his reputation!
It was evident that Jiang Mixia was being troublesome. If she went out and caused a scene, his reputation would be at stake. After a brief internal struggle, Yang Shunde gritted his teeth and, with frustration, handed over the two taels of silver to Jiang Mixia, exclaiming, “Here!”
Jiang Mixia weighed the silver in her hand, finding it satisfactory, and instructed Song Jingyun to pack his things.
Once he finished packing and slung the small bamboo box on his back, they left together.
“Despicable, shameless!”
Yang Shunde spat twice at the door.
Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun didn’t go far and naturally heard Yang Shunde’s insults. However, they remained unfazed and left Dayangshu Village directly.
“Madam, did I do something wrong today?” Song Jingyun expressed concern on the way.
“In this matter, the main fault lies with Teacher Yang. He is too concerned about saving face, unwilling to admit his mistake in reading, only wanting to gloss over it. This is highly inappropriate. By not explaining the meanings to you and just making you memorize, his teaching method is flawed,” Jiang Mixia explained. “Students come here to learn with the tuition fee paid, not to be deceived. As a paying student, it’s perfectly reasonable for you to demand explanations from the teacher.”
“Teacher Yang lacks knowledge and ability, but he is overly concerned with his reputation, refusing to acknowledge his faults and using his status to pressure others. In terms of knowledge and character, he is not a good teacher,” she continued.
Song Jingyun nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.
“However, in today’s events, you also acted inappropriately,” Jiang Mixia continued. “If the teacher’s punishment was justified, you could have accepted it. But today, Teacher Yang was clearly being troublesome, and you didn’t know how to avoid it, which was one issue.”
“Secondly, people have their pride. By publicly pointing out someone’s shortcomings, even if they realize they are wrong, as a teacher, admitting fault in front of so many students is difficult. They tend to argue instead of admitting mistakes. If you persist, they can become angry and redirect their frustration towards you,” she advised.
“While it’s considered a virtue for someone to humbly admit their mistakes, especially for a teacher as it reflects their professional ethics, many people are not willing to do so. By acting this way, you end up causing unnecessary trouble for yourself. If you genuinely have doubts, you can phrase it differently, such as saying you didn’t remember and requesting the teacher to read it again. By observing which version matches, you can discern the correct one. If after three readings they are still inconsistent, it indicates the teacher’s limited knowledge, and it might be best to seek another school.”
“The same applies to explanations. If the teacher refuses to explain in class, you can seek private clarification. If they persist in not explaining, the same idea applies – they are not a good teacher, and it’s time to find a better one,” Jiang Mixia advised.
After hearing Jiang Mixia’s words, Song Jingyun pondered for a moment. “I understand,” he replied.
Then, scratching his head, he asked, “Wife, if you think I was wrong, why were you so upset with the teacher earlier?”
Jiang Mixia remained silent.
Can’t she defend her own?
Moreover, even the obedient and well-behaved husband was treated like that – how could she not be anxious?
Seeing his wife roll her eyes at him, Song Jingyun chuckled, “I spoke out of turn. Naturally, you care about me.”
That’s settled then!
“For the next few days, let’s take a break at home, give your hands some rest, and I’ll discuss with my father and inquire around to find a suitable school,” Jiang Mixia suggested.
Absolutely no more shortcuts or compromises. The conduct and abilities of a teacher have a significant impact on a student, so careful consideration is essential.
As Jiang Mixia contemplated finding a new school, the story of Mencius’ mother moving three times suddenly popped into her mind. She felt that her current situation was somewhat akin to Mencius’ mother planning meticulously for her child.
Indeed, when facing her husband, it was truly a mother’s perspective.
Upon returning home, Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi learned the full story of the school incident. Seeing the swollen hands of Song Jingyun and the red marks on his face, they were deeply angered.
Song Jingyun is such a well-behaved child, obedient and sensible. They treat him at home almost like a cherished son, with a place in their hearts second only to Jiang Mixia. How could they let a man like you end up in such a state after being hit?
Moreover, what wrong did their Song Jingyun do? He simply wanted to verify that the text was correct and understand the meaning within.
As a teacher, instead of educating properly, he resorted to violence. Where is the logic in that?
“This Yang Deshun, despite being a scholar, he’s not even as good as an illiterate peasant! What a disgrace!” Jiang Youcheng slammed his hand on the table in frustration.
Liu shi echoed the sentiment, “A person like him truly doesn’t deserve to be a teacher.”
“No wonder he has run his private school for so many years, always having around ten students who only come to learn basic literacy. Anyone slightly older goes elsewhere. Now, it seems everyone sees through him,” Jiang Youcheng continued.
“That’s right,” Jiang Youcheng added, “With this incident involving Jingyun, all the children from different families will definitely go back to learning their basics. Just watch – Yang Deshun’s reputation is surely going to suffer.”
Indeed.
His reputation is definitely going to suffer.
Song Jingyun nodded earnestly.
After lunch, the students at Yang Deshun’s private school resumed their classes as usual.
Upon reviewing the two sentences they had studied in the morning, Yang Deshun felt that something was amiss.
Hehe, What do you think will happen next to Yang Shunde? Comment down below..