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“You little rascals always manage to keep me busy,” Wang Jinhe said with a smile and a shake of her head.
“Is it not good this way, Mommy?”
“It’s good this way. It can help those young masters understand the hardships of life.”
“Mommy is right.”
After informing the students and their families, Wang Jinhe and the children left Xie Family Village early to head to Linjiang Town.
Throughout the journey, the children were excited and happy, chatting non-stop as if they had endless things to say.
During the two-day journey, they spent one night in an inn and another night camping outdoors. They set up their own tents and tried their hand at cooking. It was a completely new and exciting experience for everyone.
Upon arriving in Linjiang Town, all the students could sense the apparent joy among the townspeople.
“Mommy, they all seem so happy,” Xiao Zhi curiously remarked, observing the cheerful faces of the townspeople at noon.
“Yes, they all seem very happy. Every face seems to be filled with joy,” Wang Jinhe agreed.
The children nearby, upon hearing Xiao Zhi and Xiao Bao’s words, turned to look at the people around them. Indeed, everyone’s faces were filled with serene smiles, as if they had no worries at all.
Someone couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why are they so happy?”
“Yeah, they seem to have no troubles at all.”
“Tomorrow, you will find out why they are so happy,” the teacher didn’t directly answer their question, leaving them in suspense.
Nan Qiao, despite his fondness for children, found himself getting a headache from each of the little ones’ remarks.
Standing next to Su Yu, Nan Qiao helplessly said, “Brother Yu, these little ones are too noisy.”
Wang Jinhe, upon hearing Nan Qiao’s complaints, chuckled and asked, “But don’t you like children?”
“I do like children, but when there are so many of them and each one is talking, it’s really too noisy,” Nan Qiao replied. He regretted not staying back in Xie Family Village. Now it seemed that Luo Hou and the others were the smartest. Did they know in advance that it would be like this, which is why they were so reluctant to come out?
Just the thought of it made Nan Qiao feel uneasy. “Brother Yu, I feel like I’ve been deceived by those kids.”
Su Yu gave Nan Qiao a pat on the back. “Didn’t they tell you not to come? It was your own insistence to follow along. Why are you complaining now?”
Nan Qiao fell silent. Indeed, Luo Yan had warned him.
After that, Nan Qiao never made a fuss again.
The next day, everyone, including the children, woke up early, eager to see what would unfold.
Originally, Wang Jinhe planned to have the townspeople bring the cotton to the county office. However, considering the large area of cotton and the inconvenience of transportation, she decided to have the officials inform the county magistrate to have the townspeople deliver the cotton directly to them.
Early that morning, Wang Jinhe and her husband took the group of children to witness the cotton collection.
When they arrived, the collection had already begun.
The townspeople, dressed in patched clothes, trembled as they received their payment.
“Thank you, County Princess, for leading us in growing cotton,” the first person to receive payment for the cotton planting said, tears welling up in their eyes.
Their family had a lot of dry land, and from planting cotton on ten mu of land, they harvested a total of 7,000 catties, earning over fifty taels of silver. This was an amount they might not earn in ten years, yet they had earned it in just a few years.
The onlookers were envious, but they also knew that their family had planted a lot of cotton. The thought of being able to sell their cotton at home made the townspeople very happy.
The children watched for several days in a row. One child, whose family was involved in business, asked in confusion, “Is fifty taels of silver a lot?”
He didn’t earn that much in a month, so why were they so happy?
“It’s a lot,” the commoner children nodded earnestly.
“You come from a business family, so you are a wealthy young master, and you cannot understand this feeling. Fifty taels of silver might be something that an ordinary family might not earn in ten years. Today, my family also planted cotton. My maternal family used to grow flowers, and our family has been living a good life because of the County Princess. Before the County Princess achieved high crop yields, we sometimes couldn’t even have enough to eat,” another child explained.
“That’s right. We commoners can attend the academy not only because the County Princess’s academy has lower tuition for us, but also because our families finally have some extra money thanks to the County Princess. That’s why we can sit in the school and study together with you,” another added.
“I always think that if I could become an official, I would definitely follow the County Princess’s example and make the people’s lives better. If I can’t become an official, I will help the County Princess with her work and be grateful for making our lives better,” one child expressed.
“I have the same thoughts. The County Princess is our role model. She has saved many people from starvation and given many a new lease on life. There are still many people in Xuan Empire who cannot earn much money. I must study hard at the academy now. When I become an official in the future, I will ensure that all the people in my area can earn money and live a good life, just like these people here,” another child added.
Many commoner children instantly had their own aspirations, while some of the wealthy children still seemed a bit lost.
Seeing them in this state, Wang Jinhe spoke up with a smile, “You can think carefully about why you are studying. Is it just to follow your parents’ wishes and bring honor to your ancestors, or is it because you want to become an official, or perhaps you have other aspirations.”
Other aspirations?
For a moment, all the children fell into silence.
Seeing their bewildered expressions, Wang Jinhe felt that this group of children would surely achieve great things in the future.
“You don’t have to rush to give an answer. You have plenty of time to consider,” she reassured them.
“To become an official, a merchant, a military officer, a teacher, a musician, an artist, and so on, all of these are possible.”
“Why did the County Princess say that being a merchant is also an option, even though it’s the lowest status?”
“Why is being a merchant considered the lowest? Is it because of the four occupations—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants? But I don’t think so. Every occupation is equal, as long as it is lawful and does not do anything harmful. Why can’t one be a merchant? If there were no merchants, who would sell the things that the people grow?”
“If we only rely on what we grow ourselves, would our homes have everything we need?”
“The people grow food and raise silkworms to prevent hunger, while merchants travel around to bring different things from other places. If there were no laborers, could the merchants’ shops continue to operate? As for being an official, it is about maintaining the operation of a country. My explanation may be different from what you understand, but I want to tell you one thing: ‘Do what is right for your position, and as long as you have a clear conscience and do not do anything harmful, you can do anything.'”
The teacher and Su Yu looked at Wang Jinhe thoughtfully. Her explanation might not be comprehensive, but they couldn’t say that she was wrong.