“Stop grinning. Help me. Don’t you worry that this may affect Jinghan?”
Throwing his dagger eyes at Ling Jingxuan who was grinning there like this had nothing to do with him, Yan Shengrui sat over squeezing his precious sons away, but didn’t forget to hold them up and put them on his thighs, since he didn’t want his sons to diss him again.
“Since they don’t want a new personal tutor, then let it go. Why it should be Yan Yi?”
Ling Jingxuan picked his eyebrows, saying with a casual tone, then stretched out a hand to pinch the small bun’s face. Hmm, a bit fatter, it didn’t waste his time feeding them meat and fish and all kinds of delicious food everyday. Now in some extent, they could be called meat stuffed buns, but still some distance to go.
“Then you mean to send them to the private school in town?”
Confused, Yan Shengrui asked so. He wasn’t supposed to be a daddy who didn’t care about his kids’ education, right? Why he performed like this now?
“No. Since the old xiucai’s private school was closed, the study of those kids in nearby villages become a problem. Those comparatively wealthy families could buy a carriage or an ox cart to send their kids to town for school. But those from the poor families can’t. They could only let the kids learn to help with the farm work, and maybe they’ll spend the rest of their lives in the field. So I am wondering if we could buy the land near Zhang Hu’s house that has been burnt and build a school. We can name it Hanling School. Han is the last word of Chu Yunhan. And Ling is my surname. Firstly, we can accumulate some prestige for you and Yunhan, secondly, we can also rebuild our family name. In the future, if Jinghan will serve in the court, it will also help with his career. Thirdly, the problem of our kids’ studying is also solved. One stone with three birds. Isn’t it perfect?”
Finally having been amused enough, Ling Jingxuan also no longer hid it from him. Actually he had been considering this a long time ago. Not only Datong town, in the future, he planned to open a branch in each town throughout the whole kingdom, and recruit students open to all places, which imitated the nine-year compulsory education in modern times. They’d only charge some fee for books and food, to truly realize the goal that every kid could go to school to study. Of course, him doing so didn’t mean he was concerned about people in the whole world. He also had his own purpose. Except what he had just said, the most important was, he hoped that the whole kingdom could be prosperous and its people could be strong and powerful. Only by this could he be a rich landlord comfortably.
“That’s a good idea. Aren’t you afraid my imperial elder brother will send someone to investigate?”
Stroking his chin and pondering for a moment, Yan Shengrui raised his eyebrows and asked so. Why he felt he was more familiar with the imperial family’s way of doing things than he was?
“Nonsense, he’ll send someone definitely, all right?”
Throwing him a filthy look, Ling Jingxuan continued, “Our school is different from any common private school. Our school will divide the students into different classes according to the kids’ qualifications. We will not only teach them knowledge, but also teach them some basic self-defense skills. Those with super good qualifications, we could teach them some martial arts and art of war, and train them into some young generals. Every year, we could list the students with best grades in both martial arts and literary. And the school will offer them rewards. In general, students of the school have to learn both knowledge and martial arts and pursue both professional excellence and moral integrity. As for the tuition, since we want fame, forget about that. They only need to pay for the food and books. We will cover the regulating fee and tutors. Now we can use Ling village as a trial place. If it works well, we will expand then.”
As his words fell, not only Yan Shengrui was stoned there, even Yan Yi who hadn’t accepted him couldn’t help dropping his jaws. How broad was his mind to have such a grand plan? Was he really only a farmer?
“So, actually, you had this planned long time ago?”
No one knew how long it had passed. Yan Shengrui asked bitterly. Such a big plan, he had never heard it from him!
“Not really. Before, it was just a rough idea and we haven’t had enough money to put in into practice. Now, you are so rich. Anyway, money couldn’t give birth to money if you put it there. Why not take it out to do something beneficial to us? Kids are the future of the kingdom. Now the basic national policy of the kingdom only means to cultivate the minority of the kids. Most talented kids got their talent buried. So I wonder if we could promote the development of the future of Qing Kingdom.”
He knew it was impossible to achieve human equality in this era, but by doing so, at least the children of poor families could be given more opportunities. Although his starting point was for himself, if this thing succeeded, it would be absolutely a good thing for the benefit of the kingdom and the people, and the court should also support it.
“All right. But in the future, remember to tell me if there was such big things. I don’t like the feeling of being the last one to know. That’d make me feel that I am not the most special one in your heart.”
Not caring the time and occasion, Yan Shengrui held him while complaining. Yan Yi who saw such a scene for the first time couldn’t help popping out his eyes, only doubted that if he had blurred vision. How could their domineering prince have this side?
“I…I also want to be the most special person in daddy’s heart.”
“So do we.”
By contrast, the three little buns performed much calmer. Being used to their father’s acting shamelessly before daddy, they didn’t find it strange at all, but only felt it was quite reasonable. Occasionally, they even joined them. Such kind of unbelievable way of getting along, to the outsiders, it might be beneath Prince Sheng’s dignity. But to themselves, that was what a sweet family would do.
“All right, all right. You are all the most special in daddy’s heart.”
Unable to stand the cute appearance of the three little buns, Ling Jingxuan rubbed their heads one by one, and said to Yan Shengrui smilingly, “So this is decided?”
“Hmm, you are the boss. I’ll all listen to you.”
Since it was such a win-win-win good thing, as his husband, of course he’d support him. Anyhow, it was only a finger-lifting thing for him. Besides, he was doing it for them.