Chapter 44: Change? Nonsense! 

The old scholar twitched the corner of his mouth at Hu Zhaodi’s flattery of being “well-versed in literature,” but still stubbornly replied, “It doesn’t matter how many compliments you give, I’m not going. Go home, girl!”

Hu Zhaodi pouted again. “Mr. Ji, you’ve lived in Dawai Village all your life; you know how poor our village is.

Not to mention, you often go without a meal yourself.

Knowledge can change one’s fate, Mr. Ji. I don’t believe you don’t want to change your circumstances.

Just half a month ago, I found out that I was bought by the Hu family, having endured eleven years of hardship and abuse there.

If it weren’t for the kind-hearted villagers secretly helping me, I probably wouldn’t have made it this far.

Now that I’ve escaped the Hu family, I want to work hard and live a good life on my own.

After leaving the Hu family, I risked my life to venture into the mountains to hunt and gather medicinal herbs, earning a little silver.

But I cannot forget those who helped me; it was you and your family who took me in and treated me like your own.

Moreover, so many uncles and aunts spoke up for me back then, providing witnesses; they are all my benefactors, and I want to repay them.

There are so many children in our village, from teenagers to toddlers; how many of them can go to a private school?

Either they find it too far to the county town, which disrupts their farming, or they simply can’t afford the fees to send their children to study.

Mr. Ji, you are the only elder in the village capable of being a private school teacher. I hope you can agree to this, considering the village children’s desire to learn!”

Hu Zhaodi’s long-winded speech left the old scholar momentarily speechless.

He felt that this girl might truly be a gifted scholar with profound knowledge.

How could a fourteen-year-old girl, who couldn’t read, articulate such profound truths?

However, he had to admit that what she said was reasonable.

The old scholar had spent ten years in hard study; his originally well-off family had gradually fallen into ruin to support his education.

They had emptied their savings, sold their property, and in the end, he hadn’t even passed the lowest exam due to the dark and corrupt bureaucracy.

Now, at over fifty, he was still a penniless scholar, living in his decrepit little courtyard with only two acres of thin farmland to see out his days.

What was the point of studying?

Could knowledge really change one’s fate?

Change? Nonsense!

With all his literary knowledge and ambition, he still ended up wielding a hoe to make a living.

Seeing through the old scholar’s thoughts, Hu Zhaodi spoke sincerely, “Mr. Ji, perhaps when you took the imperial examination, you encountered dark corruption in the government, which prevented you from realizing your ambitions.

But not everyone in the bureaucracy is corrupt and dark. Besides, education doesn’t only lead to taking exams to succeed or to bring glory to one’s ancestors.

If you can learn a few more characters, wouldn’t that open more paths for you outside the village?

To be an accountant, don’t you need to know how to do calculations?

And if you start a small business, don’t you also need to be able to count?

We all understand the hardship of farming; a hoe can’t dig up gold nuggets, nor can it turn out silver ingots.

Mr. Ji, please agree!

I won’t let you teach the village’s children for free; I’ll pay you two taels of silver a month as a reward.

Furthermore, I will arrange for the villagers to help manage your fields…”

The old scholar couldn’t wait for Hu Zhaodi to finish her lengthy pitch and interrupted her, “Alright, you don’t need to say any more; I agree.”

“Huh?” Hu Zhaodi stared in disbelief. “You… you agreed?”

To be honest, Hu Zhaodi had prepared a whole basket of persuasive arguments. She was ready to talk until her voice went hoarse to convince the old scholar.

Hu Zhaodi never expected that the old scholar would suddenly agree. What exactly had touched his heart?

Soon, the old scholar gave her the answer: “I agree, you’re right. Studying doesn’t always mean taking the imperial examinations; at least it can open up more paths.”

Oh! So it was this line that moved the old scholar!

Hu Zhaodi’s face lit up with joy. “Thank you, Mr. Ji! Don’t worry about the vegetables; come on, let’s go to Ji family house for a meal. I’ll treat you to meat, and we can chat while we eat.”

With that, Hu Zhaodi unceremoniously pulled the old scholar along.

Hearing that there would be meat, the old scholar, who hadn’t tasted any for a long time, couldn’t help but swallow hard, his feet moving instinctively alongside Hu Zhaodi.

After walking a couple of steps, the old scholar realized he was a bit out of line and quickly patted Hu Zhaodi’s little hand affectionately. “Girl, don’t be so hasty; you need to wait for me to lock the door, right?”

“Oh! Right, right, you go lock the door. I’ll hold onto the vegetables. Since we’ve picked them, they won’t be fresh by tomorrow anyway, so let’s just take them to Ji family house to cook!”

The old scholar couldn’t help but twitch his mouth upon hearing this.

His family was already out of food, relying on these vegetables to get by. This girl actually wanted to take them away.

At that moment, the old scholar started to doubt whether Hu Zhaodi could really pay him two taels of silver a month as a reward.

However, Hu Zhaodi genuinely thought that if the vegetables weren’t cooked today, they wouldn’t be fresh tomorrow, and she didn’t want to waste them.

After locking the door, the old scholar followed Hu Zhaodi to Ji family house.

Outside the courtyard, they saw Yang Dahui and his wife kneeling, their eyes flashing with curiosity, but the old scholar didn’t ask a word.

At this moment, the fragrant aroma of braised rabbit meat was wafting from the pot.

Yang Dahui and his wife were trying hard to suppress their sore throats while swallowing, their eyes fixated on the kitchen of the Ji family.

The old scholar couldn’t resist taking a deep breath, letting the delicious aroma fill his nostrils.

This girl really wasn’t lying; she was indeed treating him to meat.

With meat on the table, he didn’t mind the vegetables anymore.

Entering the Ji household, Ji family chatted with the old scholar, while Hu Zhaodi hurried into the kitchen to help.

Although there were plenty of vegetables in the space supermarket, Hu Zhaodi didn’t dare to take them out openly; she could only make do with the Ji family’s existing ingredients.

After about an incense stick’s worth of time, a large bowl of braised rabbit meat, a bowl of cold roasted eggplant, a bowl of stir-fried wild eggs with chives, and a bowl of vegetable soup were served at the table.

Watching bowl after bowl of dishes being brought from the kitchen to the main hall, the aroma of the delicious food wafted through the air, causing Yang Dahui and his wife’s eyes to widen.

The Ji family was eating so lavishly now!

Yang Dahui had been the village head for several years, and aside from the New Year, his family had never been this extravagant!

Then, bowls of rice made from a mixture of white rice and cornmeal were served from the kitchen, and Yang Dahui and his wife began to doubt their life choices.

Even when Yang Dahui was the village head, he had never been able to eat rice mixed with cornmeal!

In these times, which family could afford to eat white rice?

When the dishes were served, the old scholar was directly stunned, his mouth agape.

This meal was even more sumptuous than what he had eaten during the New Year!

With a promise of two taels of silver a month, Hu Zhaodi must not have been joking.

Hu Zhaodi spoke up, “Mr. Ji, I made a few dishes in a hurry today, so don’t mind them. Just make do with these, and next time I’ll make something better for you to enjoy together.”

The old scholar exaggeratedly rolled his eyes. “I can’t even get such a lavish meal during the New Year!”