bookbashuk Chapter 99 Reading is good!
Chapter 99 Reading is good!
On the 26th day of the first lunar month, Qingyun Academy will begin its new year of classes.
Before dawn, countless children, accompanied by their parents, were already heading to the mountain gate.
These young children, dressed simply yet neatly, followed closely beside their parents, their eyes filled with curiosity as they looked up at the mountain academy.
The returning students who enrolled last year had arrived at the foot of Qingyun Mountain early in the morning. Before dawn, Zhong Xiutian, along with Huang An and Huang Ning, were stationed at the entrance at the foot of the mountain.
When the older students saw her, they all greeted her warmly and called her "Instructor Zhong," and then, led by the Huang brothers, they went up the mountain in an orderly manner.
The new students and their parents were led by Xu Ping and walked slowly along the winding mountain road.
By the time Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the eighty students, along with their parents who came to see them off, had already crowded the mountain path.
As the students from the foot of the mountain ascended, a group of people slowly made their way towards Qingyun Mountain on the official road outside the city.
The day before yesterday, Wang Shouzhou sent the list of new students to the county magistrate's office. This magistrate, Ma, did not waste any time and went to find the county magistrate to seek benefits for Qingyun Academy.
For reasons unknown, Zhao Yuanlang not only granted Instructor Ma's request, but also added a lot of supplies under the pretext that Qingyun Academy was good for teaching and learning and for benefiting the local area. He then ordered his disciple Li You to lead a group of yamen runners to escort the supplies up the mountain.
Sure enough, Li You and his yamen runners arrived at the foot of Qingyun Mountain at Chenshi (7-9 AM), and nearly ten donkey carts drove into the mountain road one after another.
The cart was filled with supplies allocated by the county government to Kaichun Academy, including twenty shi of rice and flour, as well as all the necessary oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, and a large quantity of writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and other school supplies for students.
Four women in plain clothes followed behind the donkey cart. They were all cooks carefully selected and hired by Magistrate Zhao Yuanlang from Qinghe County, and were in charge of cooking for everyone in the academy.
Shen Qing had already rushed back to the mountain gate from the back mountain. Seeing this well-organized formation, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. This county magistrate was indeed worthy of being a disciple of a major sect; he really knew how to handle things.
The academy is now far more bustling than it was last year.
Li You dismounted and quickly stepped forward to bow to Shen Qing: "Sect Leader Shen, the county magistrate has ordered me to deliver the first batch of daily necessities for the academy this spring. There is enough rice, flour, and cooking oil for the academy to last for two months, as well as all the necessary teaching materials, documents, and writing supplies."
"These four cooks are all experienced cooks from the county town. They will be stationed in the mountains from now on to take care of the entire household's food and daily life."
Shen Qing returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "I am grateful for the trouble you have gone to, Magistrate. I am also grateful for the trip you have made. When you return, please convey my thanks to the Magistrate."
Li You smiled and said, "Sect Master, you are too kind. The County Magistrate has always valued Qingyun Academy's role in educating the local people and has already established regulations that will ensure sufficient supplies are allocated every quarter, so there will never be a shortage of funds for the academy."
After speaking, he immediately instructed the accompanying yamen runners to drive the donkey cart into the backyard of the academy and set it up. The four cooks also went to the kitchen to familiarize themselves with the arrangements.
After all the supplies were delivered to the academy and properly settled, Shen Qing stepped inside, with Li You following closely beside him. Li You whispered, "Sect Master Shen, my master has another matter for me to convey. The spiritual plant seeds needed for the spiritual fields have already been submitted to the Spiritual Plant Bureau of the county city for application. They should be delivered to the mountains in at most half a month."
Shen Qing paused slightly, then nodded gently.
He knew in his heart that Zhao Yuanlang's all-out assistance was a way of showing goodwill to the Qingyun Sect.
The company provided two months' worth of grain in one lump sum and even hired a cook to prepare the meals, demonstrating its sincere and considerate nature.
However, the true intentions behind this goodwill are also quite obvious.
Zhao Yuanlang already knew the method of cultivating spiritual fields. Once the spiritual fields were formed and the spiritual grains matured, he could take half of the harvest. It was a long-term plan that would guarantee a profit.
As for Qingyun Academy, which teaches and nurtures students, he considered it to be just an ordinary rural primary school and did not pay much attention to it.
In front of the main hall of the academy, eighty children were already lined up in neat rows, with the older students in front and the new students behind.
After a year of diligent study, the once unruly child has now become upright, and his gaze toward Shen Qing is full of affection and respect.
The new students, feeling quite reserved, quietly glanced around. Although the academy, with its blue bricks, gray tiles, and upturned eaves, was located in the mountains, it was far more grand and prosperous than their cramped homes in the north of the city.
Sun Wenyuan, along with teachers Li Molin and Fang Jingzhi, stood on the left, while disciples Zhong Xiu, Xu Ping, and Fang Xue lined up on the right.
Upon seeing Shen Qing arrive, Sun Wenyuan immediately bowed and greeted him. Then, he turned to face the group of children and announced loudly, "Today is the opening day of the academy. We invite the headmaster to come up and give his instructions."
Shen Qing slowly walked up to the high platform, his gaze sweeping over the young faces below.
He didn't rush to speak, his gaze shifting from the senior students in the front row to the small, thin freshmen who were not even as tall as Gao Tai.
The senior students secretly observed the headmaster who had become younger, knowing that this was a divine intervention, and their longing for him was beyond words.
After a moment of silence, Shen Qing finally spoke. His voice was not loud, but it spread throughout every corner of the academy with the spiritual power around him, reaching the ears of every child.
"Dear students, today is the opening day of Qingyun Academy."
"I will only ask you one question: Do you know what kind of life your fathers led?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent, and several older children who were already sensible lowered their heads in silence.
"Your fathers toiled in the fields, facing the yellow earth, working hard all day long. Only when the weather was good could they barely make ends meet; once natural disasters and famines struck, they had to endure hunger and thirst."
"My loving mother spun yarn and wove cloth day and night, her hands covered with thick calluses. In the dead of winter, she had to wash clothes in cold water, enduring all kinds of suffering."
"They were not born mediocre or incompetent, but they had no books to read or words to read from childhood, and were trapped in their hometowns all their lives, never having the slightest chance to get ahead."
"Among you, some of your fathers toiled at the docks to make a living, carrying heavy loads all day long, bending their backs and suffering from various injuries and illnesses. The money they earned from their hard work was barely enough to feed their families, and they had to save for a long time to buy a new piece of clothing."
Shen Qing paused briefly, giving them enough time to let his words resonate in their hearts.
"I ask you, are you willing to spend the rest of your lives following in the footsteps of your fathers, enduring poverty and hardship?"
At first, there were only scattered, timid whispers from the audience, but these reluctant voices gradually gathered and eventually merged into a unified cheer.
"So, what kind of person do you ultimately want to become?"
Shen Qing scanned the crowd, "Do you want to acquire skills that will earn you respect and allow you to travel far and wide? Do you want to use your knowledge to escape poverty and hardship, establish yourself, and protect your families?"
"think!"
This time, the children responded in unison and loudly, with many new students clenching their fists and their faces full of enthusiasm.
Shen Qing looked at the group of teenagers and children below the stage, watching the confusion and bewilderment in their eyes gradually fade away and a glimmer of light ignite within them. He knew in his heart that the seed had been planted.
"Do you know that there is only one righteous path if you want to turn your lives around and establish yourselves?"
"Reading and learning."
"You have entered my Qingyun Academy not merely to seek a meal, but to defy fate. Your families have sent you here hoping that you will escape poverty and live a better life than your fathers."
"All the principles of living and the skills of making a living are hidden in books. The methods of farming, the way of bookkeeping, the writing of documents, and the ability to understand principles and distinguish right from wrong are all taught to us without anyone to guide us. We will remain ignorant and clueless throughout our lives. Here, you gentlemen will impart all your knowledge to us."
Shen Qing's tone suddenly changed, and his expression became even more solemn and serious: "Besides learning to read and write, you must also cultivate your character and establish virtue. Uphold filial piety, respect your teachers and elders, be harmonious with your classmates, be sincere in your hearts, have upright conduct, be able to endure hardship, know how to be patient, understand the principles of things, and cultivate your character. These are the foundations of your life."
Shen Qing looked at all the students and slowly raised his voice: "Those who study here today, some may become wise accountants, some may become martial arts masters, some may become clerks in government, and some may even embark on the path of cultivation and enter the immortal sect."
"No matter what situation you find yourself in in the future, you must never forget your roots. You came from humble backgrounds and know the hardships of the common people. When you achieve success in the future, remember to be kind-hearted, help your hometown, and never forget the path you came from."