For the next few days, Princess Jade Hayes was completely swamped by matters concerning the Clearwater Literacy Program.
As for Mia Qian, it seemed the blow she received that day kept her out of Princess Jade Hayes’s sight for several days.
"Martin Wu, we don't have enough teachers in the surrounding counties. Send a few more." Princess Jade Hayes busied herself with the Clearwater Literacy Program.
Martin Wu nodded, "Yes, I'll calculate the manpower right away."
"Also, make sure the grain supply is watched closely. No embezzlement allowed. We must ensure the people can exchange for food that’s both high quality and plentiful."
"Understood..."
With the Clearwater Literacy Program just getting started, all sorts of unexpected issues cropped up. For nearly seven or eight days straight, Princess Jade Hayes and Martin Wu were run off their feet.
Lola handled the training of simplified character teachers, while Martin Wu and Princess Jade Hayes coordinated everything. The three women were so busy, even their monthly cycles got out of whack—but finally, the program was moving forward smoothly.
"Oh my goodness, I’m about to collapse!" Martin Wu plopped down onto a cushion, limbs sprawled out everywhere.
"I’m exhausted too!" Princess Jade Hayes was so tired she looked like she had panda eyes.
The two of them simply flopped onto the carpet like corpses. When Lola pushed open the door and saw them sprawled out, she froze in surprise.
"Lola, come rest with us!" Princess Jade Hayes waved her over. "You've worked so hard these past few days."
Lola walked over with an exasperated look and sat down beside Princess Jade Hayes.
Princess Jade Hayes slung an arm around Lola and Martin Wu, declaring, "Ah, my two Lady Scholars, the Clearwater Literacy Program owes its success to your help. By the way, Lola, how are the villagers doing with their lessons?"
Lola glanced helplessly at Princess Jade Hayes's salty pig hand on her shoulder and replied, "The villagers are super enthusiastic about learning to read. In every village with a Clearwater Academy, almost everyone who can walk is coming to study. And since food is the reward, they're all working hard. We've added more staff to handle the assessments and make sure the system runs smoothly—no cheating or embezzlement."
"Good, good. The hardest part is getting started, and we've done it. The rest of the Clearwater Literacy Program should go much smoother," Princess Jade Hayes said, counting on her fingers. "The program is for everyone—it's about opening minds and enlightenment. Next, we need to set up more Modern Academies."
"What’s a Modern Academy?" Martin Wu asked.
"It’s a school that doesn’t teach the Four Books and Five Classics," Princess Jade Hayes explained. "Times have changed! Just memorizing Confucian texts won’t make the country strong. People need practical skills. First, we build up the nation, then we talk about culture. Modern Academies are split into Elementary and Middle School. Elementary is four years—language, math, and foreign languages. Middle School is three years—language, math, foreign languages, plus physics, chemistry, biology, geography…"
Princess Jade Hayes ticked off each subject on her fingers as she spoke, adapting the modern school system and streamlining the curriculum—after all, there’s not that much knowledge in this era, so she could compress the years of study.
Martin Wu and Lola listened, jaws dropping in awe. "Professor Jade Evans, you’re a total genius!" Martin Wu exclaimed.