Chapter 113: Master Xie

“The sky gradually brightened with a rosy glow.”

Ye Xin Ran woke from a dreamy sleep, stretching contentedly.

“Did you sleep well?”

Opening her eyes, she greeted the man beside her with a cheerful tone.

The man beside her, however, wasn’t in as good a mood.

Sleeping without a blanket was one thing, but Ye Xin Ran had spent the entire night burrowing into his arms. It left him feeling utterly restless, neither able to fully relax nor ignore the sensation, a mix of emotions swirling in his chest.

“Pretty well,” he replied, lying through his teeth while sporting dark circles under his eyes.

“Do you remember last night?”

Xiao Huai’an asked, somewhat surprised.

He had been very restrained the night before because Ye Xin Ran was drunk. He didn’t want to take advantage of her vulnerability or have her regret anything when she woke up.

But it seemed she remembered everything?

The heart felt conversation? She remembered that.

Insisting he stay by her side? She remembered that too!

“Of course, I remember! Didn’t I share my secret with you?”

Ye Xin Ran casually twirled a lock of Xiao Huai’an’s hair, tickling his ear with the end of it, causing him to turn his head away uncomfortably.

“Good that you remember.”

Xiao Huai’an sighed against the wall, regretting his overly gentlemanly behavior last night.

“Let’s head up the mountain today,” Ye Xin Ran said abruptly, changing the subject. “The previous plot of land is fully planted. I think we need to find another suitable spot.”

Xiao Huai’an marveled at how quickly Ye Xin Ran could jump topics, unaware she had intentionally shifted the conversation to dispel the awkwardness between them.

“Alright,” he readily agreed.

Both of them got up, washed, and headed to the backyard, where the sound of bubbling congee greeted them from the pot.

As soon as they appeared, Chang An ran up and hugged Ye Xin Ran’s leg tightly.

“Auntie, I slept with my brothers last night! Wasn’t I so good?”

Ye Xin Ran patted his head. “Yes, you were very good.”

Chang Ping and Chang An turned their heads away, unable to bear watching his antics.

“Chang An is the best at acting cute!”

“Why are you up so early today?” Ye Xin Ran asked the other two children.

Normally, although the children were well-behaved, they wouldn’t wake up this early.

“Because the teacher from the academy is coming today!”

Chang Sheng sounded a little nervous.

“The teacher is arriving today?”

Ye Xin Ran was surprised. “I didn’t hear Uncle Li Zheng mention that.”

“Grandpa Li Zheng came by last night to tell us. At that time, you and Second Uncle had already gone back to your rooms to rest.”

Ye Xin Ran nodded awkwardly.

So that’s what happened.

It was all because she accidentally drank too much last night.

She had only planned to drink half of it, but who would’ve thought Xiao Huai’an wouldn’t even take a sip, leaving her to drink it all herself?

“Then after breakfast, you should all change into your new clothes, and I’ll take you to the academy.”

“Alright!”

The three children nodded enthusiastically.

After eating, they changed into the blue scholar’s robes Ye Xin Ran had bought for them.

Lined up in a neat row, they truly looked the part of young students.

In addition to new clothes, Ye Xin Ran had also prepared a book case for each of them, filled with newly purchased brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

These supplies had been bought earlier and were finally being put to use.

When Ye Xin Ran and Xiao Huai’an brought the children to the academy, they found a group of people already gathered at the entrance.

Everyone was standing by, waiting for the arrival of the teacher.

After a while, a modest little horse-drawn cart came trotting down the small path from the outskirts of the village.

It took some time for the cart to reach the crowd.

As soon as it stopped, a man in a white robe with green accents stepped down from the cart.

The teacher appeared to be in his thirties, tall and upright, with a serious demeanor that made him look like a learned scholar.

He hadn’t expected such a large group to be waiting for him. As he stepped off the cart, he stumbled slightly before steadying himself.

Carrying a small bundle, he reached into his pocket, pulled out five copper coins, and handed them to the cart driver before turning to face the crowd.

“Thank you all for waiting. I, Xie, am not worthy of such honor.”

“Master Xie, you’re too modest. For you to come here to teach is already a great kindness to us. Even if we had to wait a day and a night, we’d do so willingly,” said Uncle Li Zheng, quickly bowing.

“It’s no hardship,” said Master Xie. “Teaching and nurturing young minds is the same no matter where it is.”

He looked at Li Zheng and said, “Shall we go inside and take a look at the academy now?”

“Yes, yes, let’s head inside.”

This was the first time the village had ever welcomed a teacher.

The villagers’ faces were filled with admiration.

As they saw Master Xie walking forward, they quickly made way, creating a clear path for him to pass through.

Master Xie observed the ancestral hall’s surroundings and nodded. “The environment is simple, but it is sufficient.”

Turning to Li Zheng, he asked, “How many students are there in the village?”

Li Zheng immediately replied, “There are sixty-three students in total.

The oldest is sixteen, and the youngest is only four years old.”

“Have they had any prior education in literacy?”

Li Zheng responded with some embarrassment, “Only three or four of the children can recognize some characters. The rest have never attended any school.”

Li Zheng worried that Master Xie might disdain the students for being inexperienced. To his surprise, Master Xie remarked,

“So they are all like unpolished jade.”

“As long as you don’t mind, Master.”

Li Zheng continued, “The courtyard next to the academy has been prepared for your accommodation. You can place your belongings there. If there’s anything left to bring over, I can have Niu Er drive the ox-cart to fetch it for you.”

Master Xie declined, “I have only these few belongings. There’s no need to fetch anything else.”

Li Zheng scratched his head awkwardly.

“In that case, please settle your things and take a rest.”

“There’s no need to rest. I’ve already rested on the cart earlier. Let’s have the children come in so I can meet them.”

Hearing this, Li Zheng was delighted and quickly called for the children to enter the academy.

The tables and chairs inside the academy were a mismatched assortment Li Zheng had gathered from various places.

Some were old and bought second-hand, others were newly custom-made, and a few were hurriedly built by the village carpenter. As a result, the desks varied greatly in height and size.

Master Xie had the children find seats that suited their sizes before beginning to speak.

The villagers stayed outside the ancestral hall, listening to Master Xie’s lecture.

However, Master Xie didn’t mind their presence. Instead, he invited everyone to come inside and listen.

“I’ve heard from Dean Wei that the children here are eager to learn but lack a teacher to guide them.

I am merely a scholar and may not be capable of fulfilling a great responsibility. I can only teach the basics to the children. If I find any exceptional talents, I will recommend them to Dean Wei for admission into the academy.”

“A scholar! It’s my first time seeing a real, living scholar.”

“Same here. Our village has never produced a scholar before.”

“Li Zheng is amazing to have invited a scholar to teach the children.”

“Don’t you know? It’s all thanks to Lady Ye! If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have had this opportunity!”

“I’ve heard about that. I never imagined Lady Ye would become the village’s lucky star!”

“Absolutely!”

“Shh, lower your voice. Don’t disturb Master Xie’s lecture!”

Li Zheng gave them a look, and the crowd quickly quieted down.