Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family-Chapter 1013 - Elder Xus Worries

Chapter 1013: Chapter 1013: Elder Xu’s Worries

Chapter 1013 -1013: Elder Xu’s Worries

“Feng’er will be back in the afternoon, Third Aunt, so you can rest assured,”

Feng’er naturally understood Liu Sisi’s concerns, and her hand brushing over her stomach was especially gentle.

Hopefully, this child would be a boy, and would relieve her dad of a lifelong worry.

Everyone finished their tasks and set off for their respective destinations.

Chou Chou, learning that she could go out to play with her cousin today, was so excited that she hopped three feet high and insisted on dragging Di Ying along by the hand, refusing to take no for an answer.

Di Ying, left with no choice, agreed to accompany her cousin for the outing.

What was initially Feng’er’s solo trip back to her mother’s home suddenly became a party of three.

At the moment, Liu Sisi couldn’t concern herself with the situation here, as she met up with Elder Mr. Xu at the crossroads and started climbing towards the academy on the mountain top.

Initially, Liu Sisi had established the academy halfway up the hill to keep it away from the noise and distractions of the outside world. The first reason was to prevent the students’ focus on studies from being disrupted by a myriad of thoughts from the outside; secondly, it was to help build the students’ resilience.

The stone steps, running from the foot of the mountain to the mid-hill, number 1000 in total, embodying the idea of attaining perfection. These steps were once nothing but an earthen ridge road. Over several years, the villagers organized themselves to replace the earth ridge with these stone steps, creating the stone path as it is now.

Liu Sisi hadn’t taken this original path for many years, and with Elder Mr. Xu being advanced in years, she took these into account and directly ordered two soft sedan chairs to be brought, planning for them each to be carried up the mountain in one.

To her surprise, Elder Mr. Xu waved his hand and refused.

“If I am to be a teacher for the students, I must set an example as a teacher. These students come from far and wide, and they climb up and down the mountain on foot. If they can walk it, this old man can walk it too!”

Without waiting for Liu Sisi to respond, he stepped onto the stone steps.

“But Elder Xu, with so many steps, how can you rely on walking alone? Even if you want to persist, your health…”

“The decision of this old man shouldn’t be further persuaded by the Princess.”

Elder Mr. Xu was exceptionally stubborn. The reason Liu Sisi could invite him to teach was that he had been willing to come out in the first place. Once he made up his mind, not even nine horses could drag him back.

“If later on this old man truly cannot climb anymore, then you can send the soft sedan chair to pick me up.”

Seeing such persistence in an aging body, Liu Sisi felt a pang of sorrow and quickly stepped up her pace to catch up.

She recalled the strange incidents she had learnt about the fire at the village school, realizing that there was something particularly odd about it, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“Alright! Sisi will stake her life to accompany you today, climbing the mountain with Elder Xu!”

Liu Sisi proclaimed this with a fervor, straightening her back and quickly catching up.

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Along the way, Liu Sisi briefed Elder Xu about the current situation of the academy: “…His Majesty sent three Lord Imperial Envoys led by Scholar Xia Hongyuan. The academy is now headed by him as Dean. Apart from them, we have a few teachers sent by the Liu Family, and several from the Di Family, plus a few teachers recruited from various places. They have formed cliques, stirring turmoil within the academy…”

Elder Xu didn’t interrupt Liu Sisi’s narrative but his furrowed brows tightened more and more.

“Nevertheless, after the outbreak of war, a portion of the students on the mountain perished tragically, while others were taken back by their parents. The remaining few stayed at the academy. As of today, a large number of the students who stayed have completed their studies and left, or have returned to their towns to marry and start families, heading towards their own futures. Currently, there are about twenty-one teachers and roughly thirty students left in the academy. So…”

Liu Sisi turned her head to look at Elder Xu, “Once you’re up the mountain, my intention is to appoint you as Vice Dean, in charge of enrollment matters. As for how many students you can recruit, that will depend on your own ability, Elder Xu.”

She made no effort to hide her own agenda.

Elder Mr. Xu remained silent for a while before heaving a long sigh.

“You must have decided all of this early on, hadn’t you? Although the chaos of war has now subsided, the common people can barely ensure their basic living needs. How many would still be willing to send their children to the academy for study?”

“Sisi actually doesn’t agree with your opinion, Elder Xu.”

Liu Sisi shook her head and couldn’t help but laugh a few times, wiping the sweat off her forehead, “In times of poverty, the first thing people think of is becoming officials. And to become an official, one must study. Who else could be closer to the current Emperor than me? What do you think, Elder Xu?”

This statement actually made Elder Xu nod in agreement; he understood Liu Sisi’s plan.

Being a princess, Princess Ruyu naturally was the person closest to the current Emperor and the best at interpreting the Emperor’s will—at least that’s how it seemed to outsiders!

But these words couldn’t come from the Princess herself; she had to find someone else to speak for her. And Princess Ruyu had chosen herself to be that someone!

In this Macheng County, in this stretch of land, if you were to talk about who truly understands the students nearby and who can really make a difference, it was most suitable to be her.

“Princess, if it were the past, your strategy would be useful, and you could make use of the old fame of an old man like me. But now, I fear that I may even be a liability to the academy…”

The events of that year had a great impact on him, he had also suffered in the years following. With Liu Sisi’s current arrangements, he feared he wasn’t up to the task.

“Elder Xu, you needn’t worry. Haven’t you felt that the events of that year were too strange?”

Liu Sisi was full of confidence, “Not talented Sisi has already sent people to investigate the matter thoroughly. I believe good news will come soon. For now, just stay in the academy, there’s no hurry to act until the exact news from over there arrives. No need to rush in these next few days.”

Elder Xu was immediately overjoyed!

“Princess, if you truly can uncover the truth of what happened that year, from then on, this old life of mine is yours! I am willing to serve under your command, to offer up my utmost loyalty without any hesitation!”

The integrity of a literatus was fully displayed in Elder Mr. Xu’s person.

He spoke with passion. Having lost all his family members and become a lonely man, he had long made up his mind. As long as Liu Sisi could help him clear his name, he would thereafter regard the academy as his own home.

“Elder Xu, do not be anxious; the investigation results are not out yet. Once there is news, I’ll notify you immediately.”

Liu Sisi’s eyes and brows were smiling, keeping Elder Xu in the academy had been something she worked hard for.

As the two chatted and laughed, it wasn’t until noontime that the party finally reached mid-hill.

And in the academy, Xia Hongyuan and others had been eagerly waiting at the entrance for a long time. Seeing the group approaching, Xia Hongyuan quickly strode forward.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have been waiting for a while. Inside, we have already prepared tea water. Let us go inside first and then talk.”

As he spoke, he led Liu Sisi and her party inside the academy.