When the appointed time arrived, Zhou Yu began the lesson. In the first class, he talked about the origin of Chinese characters, using the children’s surnames to demonstrate the evolution of the script. This process of character development left a deeper impression on the children.

The kang bed in the classroom had been dismantled. Including Xiaofeng and Xiaoya, there were sixteen children in the room. They huddled together for warmth, with a brazier in front of them. There was no helping it—because they needed light, the broken windows hadn’t been covered, which also made it easier for the villagers to see what was going on inside.

Zhou Yu allowed the villagers to listen to the lecture outside. The villagers, already lacking much entertainment, remained, staring intently at the large wooden planks, unblinking, despite the cold. For the entire hour-long class, no one left.

Yang Xi didn’t stay inside. She and her son warmed themselves by the fire in the kitchen, the warmest place.

Ziheng had already started learning and knew all the Hundred Family Names, so he didn’t join in the study. Yang Xi taught her son how to memorize them individually.

Li Shi and the village head’s wife, bored for a while, joined the lecture by the window.

The morning ended, and the villagers were still eager to learn. The class had deepened their respect for Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu came out and picked up his son. “Let’s go home.”

The little guy was a little embarrassed, but his hands tightly clung to his father’s neck. He said insincerely, “Dad, I’ll go by myself.”

Yang Xi laughed. “You say one thing and mean another.”

Ziheng’s cheeks flushed. “Mom.”

Yang Xi’s heart ached. Her son was so adorable. “Okay, okay, Mom won’t say anything more.”

Zhou Yu laughed. His eldest son, lost and found, was his obsession. In this life, his eldest son would have many children and grandchildren.

Back at the house, Xiaomei prepared lunch. The Zhou family, when not traveling, always had three meals a day, and as long as there were enough ingredients, no meal was a sloppy one. For lunch, they made egg sauce and dried bracken stir-fried with dried chilies. The main course was multi-grain pancakes and millet porridge.

Yang Xi ate with great satisfaction. “Xiaomei, your cooking is getting better and better.”

Xiaomei was delighted to receive the recognition. “Sister-in-law taught me well.”

Yang Xi said, “You’re just naturally gifted.”

She had seen that people without talent could never be taught well, just like her modern big brother, who was a disaster movie the moment he stepped into the kitchen.

After dinner, Third Yang said, “Jiejie, I’ve bought all the materials for a bow. What else do you need?”

Yang Xi said, “You’re really quick.”

Third Yang said, “I’m so anxious.”

Yang Xi thought for a moment and said, “There are hunters in the village. Can you lend me a bow? Then find some books on bows and arrows. Well, not just bows and arrows. If you can find the ‘Comprehensive Classic of Engineering’, that would be even better.”

The “Collected Work on Industry and Economy” was similar to The Exploitation of the Works of Nature (Tiangong Kaiwu)—a Ming Dynasty book she had read when she was in the modern world. Although the histories and authors of the two worlds were different, the content was nearly the same. This book included topics on machinery, handicrafts, and more. However, Tiangong Kaiwu was recorded in greater detail. When asked how she knew so much about it—she had read it!

She wanted to try improving the bow. Now that Third Yang was willing to provide the materials, it happened to save her some silver. With the opportunity at hand, her hands itched to get started.

But there was no rush. She could explain the sled as something she had read about in miscellaneous books and as a result of her childhood fondness for tinkering—showing she simply had a natural talent. Modifying the bow and arrow, however, was a bit much.

Last time, the bow design she used was a copy of Hunter Wang’s bow. This time, she would need a proper reference, so she had to read more books.

Third Yang was a little confused; he just knew there was a book called “Collected Works on Industry and Economy“. “Sister, have you read a lot of books?”

Yang Xi said, “I haven’t read that much. I used to read all sorts of things, but never studied them seriously. It was only after leaving the capital that I realized the importance of practical skills. So now, I want to study them properly. Luckily, I have a bit of talent—it would be a real waste not to put it to use.”

Third Yang was amazed, “Sister, how can you say you are just a bit talented? In my eyes, no one is more talented than you.”

He always remembered the blueprint drawn by his sister, which shocked him a lot at the time.

Yang Xi’s eyebrows curved, “Then I will study hard. If you have the ability, find more books on mechanics. I like this kind of book.”

Third Yang patted his chest and promised, “Brother will find them for you.”

Yang Xi smiled, “Great.”

She was already enjoying the benefits of having a younger brother; it was delicious, and it saved her money for future books.

Third Yang left excitedly. The feeling of nurturing a sister gave him a sense of motivation and accomplishment!

Zhou Yu remained silent until Third Yang was far away, then smiled. “Having another younger brother is great!”

Yang Xi chuckled, and when she had had enough, she said, “Let’s go, I have to go to my lecture.”

In the afternoon, Yang Xi noticed that more people were coming to listen to her lectures. They were all smart people who hadn’t had the opportunity before.

As the couple entered the courtyard, every villager greeted them, their tone a little embarrassed.

Because of Zhou Yu, the people no longer doubted Yang Xi. In fact, Yang Xi’s class was quite simple, simple addition and subtraction. She didn’t know the history of arithmetic, so she couldn’t teach it like Zhou Yu.

However, the whole hour was filled with practical knowledge. The older children learned some simple addition and subtraction; most of them used their hands to calculate, and some, feeling clever, used small wooden sticks to add and subtract.

Yang Xi didn’t plan to teach simple methods in the first class; she also wanted to test the children’s understanding and logical thinking skills.

An hour later, the village headman came over and asked, “I’d like to send my granddaughter here. Are you still accepting her?”

Zhou Yu nodded, “Yes.”

The headman thought to himself, this was the first time he’d seen someone accepting a girl. He didn’t expect his granddaughter to be successful; his goal was simple: that she learn enough to marry into a better family and live a comfortable life, thereby gaining support from her parents.

The next day, Yang Xi was delighted to see three more girls in the classroom. Qijia Village wasn’t large, and Yang Xi hoped more girls would study. Unfortunately, life was difficult, and not everyone was willing to spend their eggs.

There weren’t many wealthy families in the village; poverty was the norm. They barely had enough to eat, so how could they afford to spare eggs? Most villagers sent their boys to study, hoping that their learning would allow them to become clerks in the county.

That evening, Yang Xi wanted to make an abacus, but there were no carpenters in the village, so she’d have to go to another village. She wanted to polish it herself, but Zhou Yu was reluctant to let her do it.

Finally, she gave it to her younger brother, Third Yang, and told him to go to the county town to buy an abacus the next day.

Third Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Sister, are you going to teach the children how to use an abacus?”

This was a skill that only shopkeepers could master, and it was passed down from master to apprentice.

Yang Xi said, “There are two with high aptitude—just teaching them basic arithmetic would be a real waste.”

Third Yang touched his chin, “Sister, they are so lucky, you will change their destiny.”

Yang Xi curled her eyes, “Isn’t it good?”

Third Yang was stunned by his sister’s bright smile, and then smiled, “Yes.”

The next morning, Zhou Xiaodi was reluctant to leave. He stood at the door and didn’t move, staring at Third Yang eagerly. Compared with Third Yang, who was good at socializing, Zhou Xiaodi was really no match.

Originally, Third Yang agreed to accompany Zhou Xiaodi to the temple fair, but unfortunately, his mind was now full of looking for books, so he broke the appointment.

Zhou Xiaodi looked at his brother and sister-in-law, “Brother, sister-in-law.”

Zhou Yu, “Hmm?”

Zhou Xiaodi, “…”

His brother’s eyes were too sharp, and he was scared!

(End of this chapter)

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