Hope for the Future

Mia Qian snickered from behind and said, "These people are so used to being poor. Give them a few steamed buns and meat dumplings, and they still won't come to class."

Su Li glanced back at Mia Qian and shook her head. "A true lady is a true lady—completely out of touch with reality, doesn't know the hardships of ordinary folk."

Mia Qian's cheeks flushed red, clearly indignant.

But Mia Qian's defiance was instantly slapped down by the flood of villagers!

"If there's really food, I'll sign my son up right now!"

"My son wants to come too!"

"Sigh, too bad I've only got one son—the other four are all daughters. If they were all sons, we could get so much food!"

Now the villagers with sons were overjoyed, while those with mostly daughters hung their heads in disappointment. The big steamed buns and meat dumplings were theirs to watch as the families with sons took them away.

The villagers' enthusiasm for the Clearwater Academy exploded—they crowded in to ask questions, their excitement forcing the bailiffs to maintain order, lest the makeshift schoolhouse get trampled!

"Everyone, quiet down! No shouting!" Su Li waved her hand and called out loudly.

Since Su Li was the one promising food, the villagers listened to her most. They quickly quieted down.

Su Li announced loudly, "For this round of the literacy class, there's no need to sign up, and there's no age or gender limit. If you want to learn, you can come to class! When you think you've learned enough, go to the teacher for a test. If you pass, you get food!"

"Really? Anyone can join!?" A man in his forties flushed with excitement, pointing at his own nose. "Th-then, can I come?"

Su Li grinned at the man. "Of course! The literacy class welcomes everyone! Uncle, as long as you come to learn and pass the teacher's test, you can trade your new knowledge for steamed buns and meat dumplings. Learn a hundred new characters, and you get a steamed bun; five hundred, and you get a meat dumpling. Pass the test, and everyone gets a reward!"

The man was thrilled, slapping his thigh. "Oh my goodness, this is great! Even I can join! What about my wife and daughters—can women join too?"

"Women can join too! No gender restrictions—from little girls to grandmas, as long as you can learn the characters, you can trade your literacy for food!" Su Li called out.

"Wow, women can join too! That's amazing! My mother, wife, two daughters, three sisters... that's a lot of people. We could get loads of steamed buns and meat dumplings!" The man's eyes sparkled, as if he could already see the delicious food.

Now all the villagers were buzzing with excitement.

The village chief couldn't stop smiling. "The court really did a good thing! Us farmers work all day in the fields and still can't earn a big white steamed bun. But now the court is teaching us to read and giving us food—it's wonderful! I heard that as soon as His Majesty King Qin arrived, he dealt with the bully Zhao family, and now he's teaching us and giving us food. He's truly a good man! We've got a good king now, and there's hope for the days ahead!"

"That's right, there's hope now!" The villagers' eyes shone with hope. If nothing else, this practical food reward was what touched the hearts of the farmers most.

The villagers couldn't wait any longer, crowding around Su Li with questions: "When does Clearwater Academy start? What time are the classes every day? Is it hard to learn the characters?"