This bout of diarrhea seemed to have drained all of Lin Fang’s usual lively energy, leaving her listless and devoid of spirit. Following the usual habits of the Dalang couple, household matters were typically not hidden from the children. They would explain the causes and consequences or even listen to the children’s opinions. However, this incident at the school was kept from Lin Fang, fearing it might agitate her and cause a relapse in her condition.
Lin Fang only knew that the Guicheng family had left. Before their departure, Guicheng had beaten two maidservants and two elderly women to death, and none of the other servants were spared—all were sold off. When Lin Fang asked why they had left, her father explained that Guicheng, growing older, wished to seek out his ancestral roots and return to his homeland, so the family had gone with him.
Once she regained some strength, Lin Fang asked Qi Shi to accompany her for a walk outside. The country paths were uneven, and Lin Fang refused to let Qi Shi carry her, so Qi Shi had to support her as they slowly made their way along the brick road. At the end of the path stood the school.
After the incident with the replacement of the teaching chair, Lan Pozi had moved back into the school upon Lin Fang’s approval. Worried that Lan Pozi might feel lonely, Lin Fang had Xian’er move in to keep her company, allowing the mother and daughter to bond. With the school on break, there wasn’t much to do beyond daily cleaning, so the two would still return to the Lin household to work, though never at the same time—one always remained at the school.
During this period, outsiders had been arriving in increasing numbers—some seeking to rent land in Lin Village, others coming to apply for work, and even some hoping to settle there. With all these additional matters on top of their usual responsibilities, the Dalang couple grew busier than ever.
Tan Liu, as Dalang’s personal attendant, was responsible for recording his master’s miscellaneous affairs. Xiao Qin’s wife did the same for Li Cuimei’s side. Upon returning to the household, the two would hand over their records to Lan Pozi, who would compile and carefully organize them before rewriting a clean copy to present to the master.
Thus, in recent days, it had been Xian’er guarding the school. When Lin Fang entered the courtyard, Xian’er was washing the stone table. Seeing her young mistress arrive, she quickly dried her hands, rushed into the classroom, and brought out the teaching chair, placing it under the shade of a tree.
Looking at the dark red chair before her, Lin Fang was puzzled. Aside from her own chair, the students all sat on stools—when had this additional chair appeared? And it was even more impressive than hers.
“Haha, Sixth Miss, don’t you recognize it? This is your teaching chair! Fifth Young Master said that if it were painted, especially in this color, it would look more like a teacher’s seat. He wanted to surprise you and told us not to tell you in advance. So, are you surprised?”
Well, surprise wasn’t quite the word—more like a mild shock. The desk and chair Lin Wu had made for her were originally crafted from rosewood, meticulously polished like works of art. Now, though the paint did make them more imposing, it also obscured the natural beauty of the wood, which Lin Fang found slightly regrettable.
“Sixth Miss… are you not pleased?”
Xian’er had heard from her foster mother about the chair incident. Though Lan Pozi didn’t know why Fifth Young Master had replaced the chair, she suspected there was more to it—perhaps even a connection to the Guicheng family. Lan Pozi had warned Xian’er not to let the young mistress find out. Now, seeing Lin Fang staring intently at the chair, Xian’er grew nervous. Had the Sixth Miss realized this wasn’t the original chair?
“Hehe, it’s beautiful. Of course it’s beautiful. This color makes me look more… dignified.” With that, Lin Fang sat down, deliberately putting on a stern expression.
“Pfft—as long as you like it, Miss. Fifth Young Master said if you approved of the chair, I’d be rewarded.”
“Rewarded? What could Fifth Brother possibly give you? Unless he’s offering Xiao Sheng—but even if he’s willing, I’m not! My Xian’er will one day be freed from servitude. Marrying Xiao Sheng would mean remaining a servant, and their children would be servants too.”
Even Xian’er, usually carefree, was at a loss for words. She glanced helplessly at Qi Shi, who, despite being nearly thirty, was also unmarried and equally unsure how to respond. The two stared at each other in awkward silence.
“HAHAHAHA!” Seeing their discomfort, Lin Fang burst into laughter and strode into the classroom to admire the teaching desk that Lin Wu had “completely transformed.”
The fact that her young mistress could still joke around meant she likely didn’t know the full story. Xian’er and Qi Shi exchanged relieved glances before following her inside.
The desk had indeed been painted the same dark red as the chair, but against the rest of the classroom, it clashed even more with the mismatched student desks and stools. The students brought their own seating—some finely made, others crude, with the simplest being nothing more than four mud pillars supporting a wooden plank.
Her parents had mentioned that the village would continue growing, and the population would increase. Since they planned to charge tuition starting in the fall, perhaps they should consider standardizing the desks and stools. Maybe they could produce their own sets in advance, so each new student could receive one upon enrollment. This would not only reflect the improvements brought by tuition but also create uniformity in the classroom.
Oh, and the kitchen needed renovating too. They could build two more rooms beside it, furnished with square tables and long benches for meals, so students wouldn’t have to sit on cold stone tables in winter.
And what about uniforms? Like the school uniforms in her past life… Ah, never mind. Most villagers were too poor. Charging extra for uniforms might scare away those barely able to afford tuition as it was.
And… and… Resting her elbows on the desk and propping her chin in her hands, Lin Fang grew more and more excited, her face cycling through a range of expressions that left Qi Shi and Xian’er utterly baffled.
Xian’er was used to her young mistress’s eccentricities, having seen them countless times since childhood, though she wondered what idea had struck her this time. Qi Shi, however, was seeing this side of Lin Fang for the first time and found herself increasingly curious about the little mistress she was to serve.
Feeling a light nudge against her leg, Lin Fang snapped out of her thoughts to see Xian’er bringing the chair inside and placing it behind her—likely worried she’d been standing too long but not wanting to interrupt. Hmm, she hadn’t noticed while lost in thought, but now she really was tired.
Sitting down, Lin Fang closed her eyes, planning to rest briefly before heading back. She hadn’t fully recovered, and her parents would worry if she stayed out too long. Just as her eyes shut, Qi Shi whispered in her ear, “Sixth Miss, there’s a stranger approaching.”
Hm? Lin Fang opened her eyes. A stranger? With Lin Village undergoing reconstruction, nearly the entire village was involved in building houses—especially her own family, whose compound now resembled a small fortress. Naturally, this required many craftsmen and trips to town or beyond for materials, so strangers were hardly uncommon. What was so strange about that?
Still, if Qi Shi mentioned it specifically, Lin Fang wouldn’t dismiss it as idle talk. As a shadow guard, Qi Shi was highly sensitive to unfamiliar presences and sounds—perhaps she sensed something amiss with this particular stranger.
Lin Fang’s hearing was sharp too. Moments after Qi Shi spoke, she picked up voices approaching, one of which she recognized.
“My, my, so this is the school you’ve been raving about? How… quaint. Tsk tsk tsk. Oh dear.”
The classroom door faced the school gate, so Lin Fang saw the group of women the moment they appeared. Judging by their attire, the speaker was a well-dressed maidservant from a wealthy household. She entered first, followed by two young girls, around five or six years old, also finely dressed.
The first three stepped aside, revealing a figure that caught Lin Fang’s attention—a small girl in a pale pink dress, her face obscured by a white veil hanging from a gauzy hat. She didn’t rush in but instead turned her head left and right, surveying the school’s surroundings.
“Miss Sima, this is where the children of Lin Village learn to read and write. Don’t let our young teacher’s age fool you—she knows a great deal. In my opinion, even the old scholars in town might not be as learned as our little teacher.”
Ha! Who knew Gu Sao held her in such high esteem? Lin Fang found it amusing. Gu Sao had been illiterate before and had never set foot in a proper school—how would she know how learned those town scholars were?
Miss Sima didn’t respond, stepping into the courtyard instead. Two more maidservants followed, slightly older but none appearing over ten. Gu Sao brought up the rear.
Lin Fang found it odd—Miss Sima’s attire was plainer than that of her maidservants and the older woman.
Xian’er went out to greet them. Though she disliked the maidservant’s tone, as representatives of the Lin household, basic courtesy was necessary. Besides, as the school’s guardian, she needed to assess the visitors so her young mistress could respond appropriately.
The moment Xian’er stepped out, Gu Sao boomed, “Xian’er, you’re here! This is Miss Sima from town—the young mistress of the family I mentioned, the ones who buy our eggs.”
Xian’er curtsied to Miss Sima. “Greetings, Miss Sima.” Her tone was neutral, offering nothing further.
The two maidservants who had entered later—one carrying a woven grass bundle, the other holding a cushion—looked around the courtyard. Spotting the stone table and stools under the locust tree, they moved toward them, intending to place the cushion on a stool and unpack the bundle to serve their mistress water. But noticing the stools were still damp from recent washing, they hesitated.
Seeing Xian’er in coarse clothing, sleeves rolled up, and no hair ornaments, the maidservant who had spoken first curled her lip. “You there! How ill-mannered! Can’t you see my mistress standing in the sun? Not even a chair to offer? Did no one teach you how to receive guests?”
The two younger maidservants also turned their heads away in disdain.
Xian’er didn’t engage. Instead, she fetched a small stool from the kitchen—the one Lan Pozi used while tending the fire, barely reaching calf height.
Placing it under the locust tree, Xian’er retreated to the kitchen doorway.
The maidservant scoffed. “That stool is filthy and much too low. How could my mistress possibly sit on it?”
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