After He Daqian found he couldn’t make money at the Gu Family, he started running to Lin County last year. Rumor has it that he beca close with a nobleman there and even beca sworn brothers.
But that person was not a noble at all. He was an evil man overseeing a gambling house who had once been imprisoned for kidnapping people.
Rembering the incident with He Dacai years ago, Gu Jin’an had no trust in He Daqian’s family. Now he had an opportunity and wanted to drive He Daqian’s family out of the village to eliminate this nace.
Having such a "noble brother," who knows when He Daqian might bring that evil man to take on his family?
And why would that person beco sworn brothers with soone worthless like He Daqian? Gu Jin’an couldn’t believe there wasn’t an ulterior motive. Thus, he intended to use this opportunity to eliminate all dangers in the village!
Village Chief He also heard about He Daqian connecting with a gambling house thug from the neighboring county. It was said he was planning to invite that "noble brother" to the village for the Dragon Boat Festival.
However...
Upon hearing Gu Jin’an’s words and thinking carefully about He Daqian’s sworn brother, Village Chief He shuddered. Was He Daqian inviting that noble brother to the village to connive with him against the Gu Family?
Oh God, this was terrible.
Village Chief He was almost scared to death and imdiately instructed He Dayuan: "Go to He Daqian’s house and bring his entire family to the ancestral hall."
Then he told He Dacang: "Beat the drum to gather the He Family people to the ancestral hall. Anyone who refuses will be banished from the village!"
Seeing that Village Chief He understood, Gu Jin’an said nothing further. This was the He Family’s matter, best resolved by Village Chief He. If he couldn’t, then his family would intervene.
"Okay." He Dayuan and He Dacang imdiately took people back to capture He Daqian and notify the villagers.
After they left, Luo Wu pointed at Mrs. Niu and told Dasheng and the others: "Take her directly to the county governnt."
Mrs. Niu was gagged, unable to speak, only making muffled noises as she glared at Luo Wu. However, there was fear in her eyes, showing she was truly scared.
Upon hearing this, the mothers of Liang Furong, Hu Taoya, and Xu Xiaoxiang started crying: "Squad Leader Luo, spare us this ti. We dare not do it again. Don’t send us to the governnt office; our husbands will beat us to death!"
Luo Wu simply replied: "You dared to stay out with your daughters all night, so your husbands must be aware. They will also be brought to the governnt office for questioning. By then, after a few rounds of punishnt by the governnt, they won’t have the strength to beat you."
These words left the won stunned, and once they realized what it ant, they started lanting and regretting it, wishing they had never tried to sche against Gu Jin’an.
The weeping from these won was overwhelming, with Hu Taoya and the others crying out for their mothers as well.
The wives from the He and Lu Families were also shedding tears, but since they didn’t have to face imprisonnt, they still felt quite fortunate.
Village Chief He, whose head was aching from their crying, scolded: "Stop crying, get up quickly, take your relatives’ daughters back to the village. If you continue to disgrace us here, you will all be divorced."
The won of the He and Lu Families dared not cry anymore and led their relatives’ daughters back to the village under the supervision of the villagers.
The won from other villages, including Mrs. Niu, were taken away by Dasheng and the others.
The clerk from Si Li Square was newly appointed after County Magistrate Zou fell, hailing from Shang Family Village. He addressed Gu Jin’an: "Gu Tongsheng, Lord Shang will personally report today’s incident to Lord County Magistrate. Rest assured, the county governnt will not let off these won who plotted against a student."
Gu Jin’an cupped his hands toward the clerk and said, "Thank you, Uncle Shang."
Hearing Gu Jin’an call him uncle, the clerk was very pleased. He often returned to the county governnt and heard from Steward Zheng that Gu Jin’an was very talented and well-liked by even Magistrate Gu, ensuring a bright future. Being called uncle by such a person brought him much pride.
"There is hardly any toil to speak of; it’s you who should not let this incident affect you and should continue studying diligently for the college examination."
Gu Jin’an smiled, saying, "Rest assured; I will not fall behind in my studies and will strive my best for the examination."
Hearing this, the clerk said no more and took his leave.
But as soon as he turned away, Gu Jin’an took out the compensation he previously received and handed it to Village Chief He: "Village Chief, you should take this Silver back. Consider it a contribution from my family to build a village school."
Hearing these words, the clerk paused, suddenly stopping... Gu Jin’an didn’t accept compensation and wanted to build a village school? This was fantastic news! Once this spread, the Gu Family’s reputation would only improve!
That was precisely what Gu Jin’an intended.
He’s not a fool; he understood the value of reputation, hence he never considered keeping He and Lu Families’ compensations for himself. Instead, he gave the Silver to Village Chief He, announcing the plan to build a village school.
Throughout history, noble families have always built schools for their clans, offering free education to the clan’s children to ensure soone from the family remains in power at court generations later.
Later on, wealthy households also began establishing clan schools to nurture their descendants. However, a village school was unheard of, which piqued the clerk’s curiosity, prompting him to return and hear more about Gu Jin’an’s intentions.
Village Chief He was shocked, looking at the Silver Gu Jin’an handed over while trembling, "Good Brother An, what did you say? You want to build a village school for us? What is a village school? Is it similar to a clan school?"
Gu Jin’an smiled and nodded, "It’s pretty similar, with the difference being that a clan school allows children of the sa clan to study for free, whereas a village school allows all children in the village to study for free."
In Great Chu, the concept of the clan is deeply ingrained; everything prioritizes the family. Yet, Qin Gu, Luotian, and a few families are outsiders, unlike the He and Lu Families, which share the sa surna. Thus, he wouldn’t foolishly suggest establishing clan schools for these two families. Instead, he would propose pooling together to build a Da Feng Village school, uniting different surnas within the village.
Don’t think he’s being overly cunning. He’s soone who has escaped famine and seen great wickedness. Although he has a kind heart, he won’t undertake actions that don’t benefit his family.
"Building a village school is quite simple. An initial investnt of thirty taels of Silver would suffice. As for the future tuition fees for the teachers, they would co from the output of the village’s public fields. Our families, Qin Gu and Luotian, would collectively buy twenty acres of paddy fields, twenty acres of dry land, and an additional ten acres of wasteland."
Land within the village doesn’t need purchasing; demarcating a piece of ground and erecting a structure can serve as a school. There’s no need to buy books either, as Gu Jin’an and his family have copied a houseful of books over the years, which they can move directly to the village school. Once the village children learn to read, each can transcribe a few volus, and his family’s books would return again.
The yield from these lands would be significant, especially the wasteland. Planting dicinal herbs there would be more lucrative than rice cultivation.
Gu Jin’an didn’t ramble, concisely laying out the plan for establishing a village school. Finally, he handed a booklet to Village Chief He, saying, "I’ve detailed the plans for building the village school. Please review it; if there are no issues, gather the villagers to discuss it."
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