From Folly to Fortune：I Rewrite My Life After Rebirth!-Chapter 839 - 835: Matters of Opening the Academy (Update 4)
In the town’s academy, the fees are tiered. For kids who are just beginning their studies, it’s relatively cheap—three taels of silver a year, plus a few pots of good wine, and five pieces of cured meat.
For the kids in town, it’s indeed not expensive, but for farming families, it’s the result of long-term frugality and savings.
Moreover, going to town incurs additional expenses, including travel and food for the students, which are not covered.
Mu Shuangshuang calculated and decided to charge one tael of silver per student. As for the dried meat, three pieces per student, or families can work off the debt if they don’t have dried meat.
The idea of working off the debt comes from Mu Shuangshuang’s plan to plant some beans in the dry lands, which have a high yield and are easy to harvest.
Pickled beans made from them are very tasty.
Mu Shuangshuang plans to pair the pickled beans with some dishes to serve as special cuisine at her family’s restaurant.
Since it’s tied to the restaurant, the production needs to be more than just a little.
The academy Mu Shuangshuang built is a courtyard-style house. With all the costs of construction, including labor and various materials and furnishings, it came to eighteen taels.
Additionally, the fee for hiring Mr. Luo has to be deducted, so Mu Shuangshuang guesses that making a profit in the next few years isn’t feasible.
Honestly, this time building a private school isn’t just for Xiao Han or to make money, but to establish a foothold in the village.
Mu Dade as a scholar has a significant influence over Er Gui Village; everyone basically listens to Mu Dade. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Even Wang Erma’s smooth capture was because he injured Mu Dazhong with a knife.
If it had been the third branch, Wang Erma might not have been caught so easily.
Therefore, without inherent advantages, for Mu Shuangshuang to deal with Mu Dade’s tricks in the village, she must find a better identity for the third branch.
Analyzing this, Mu Shuangshuang has more than a few headaches.
Especially with no one to discuss her thoughts with.
Just thinking this, Mu Shuangshuang suddenly felt like there was a burning flame behind her.
She turned around and saw Lu Yuanfeng at the courtyard entrance, smiling at her.
Mu Shuangshuang’s eyes widened in confusion.
Isn’t this guy supposed to be helping at the construction site?
Why is he back?
"What’s up? Is the construction site short of water or something?" Mu Shuangshuang went up to ask.
"Third Uncle said they didn’t need me at the construction site anymore and told me to come back to help you out," Lu Yuanfeng said with a wide grin.
"Oh, looks like the progress has sped up a bit," Mu Shuangshuang responded with a smile.
"You came back at just the right time; I have something to discuss with you." Mu Shuangshuang dragged Lu Yuanfeng into her room.
This wasn’t Lu Yuanfeng’s first time in Mu Shuangshuang’s room.
The room felt very cozy. Though there weren’t many decorations, everything was arranged in an orderly manner.
Everything in Mu Shuangshuang’s room was arranged according to the strict requirements of her past life in the police force.
Whether it was the blankets or the placement of items, even the shoes were neatly placed.
Lu Yuanfeng sometimes felt that Shuangshuang’s love for cleanliness wasn’t just that simple.
She gave off an air of strict discipline.
Very much like the feeling he got from the commander during his time in the army.
But he never mentioned this to Shuangshuang.
Mu Shuangshuang went over her ideas in her mind and shared them with Lu Yuanfeng.
Lu Yuanfeng thought for a moment and provided an answer that satisfied Mu Shuangshuang: "We should leverage Luo Juren’s reputation, as Shuangshuang suggested, for publicity.
Luo Juren is a scholar, and in the entire Da Ning Dynasty, there’s no doubt about his position, which is on par with your uncle’s.
The only thing is, he’s not from our village; people here don’t trust him like they trust your uncle."
Mu Shuangshuang understood this well.
Nepotism comes first. In any case, Mu Dade is a local, born and raised in the village. Trusting Mu Dade is definitely more likely than trusting Luo Juren.
"So what does Fengzi suggest we do to make the villagers trust Luo Juren and send their children to our private school?" Mu Shuangshuang asked.
"Shuangshuang, we actually don’t need to confine ourselves to kids from this village. You should know, in every village, there aren’t many willing to send their kids to school.
It’s not just about the one tael per year but also the future. To truly nurture a scholar, just a scholar, costs no less than a dozen taels.
Someone like Liu Zian might not spend much, but your uncle has probably spent over two hundred taels over the years, right?"
Mu Dade’s examination attempts could possibly have cost more than two hundred taels.
In the county, that would buy a three-courtyard house and even hire a few maids and servants.
But the Old Mu Family wouldn’t think about these things.
They only see Mu Dade’s current achievements, without considering future possibilities.
"I had also considered children from other villages, but it is indeed challenging. It’s still a trust issue. However, since we’ve used the village head’s connections before, we can again ask for his help.
Oh, and I remember the village head’s grandson is also at the age for primary education. If he’s willing, we can let his grandson study here for free. What do you think?" Mu Shuangshuang asked.
"It’s a good idea, but the village head should prefer sending his child to study in town because it’s bigger." Lu Yuanfeng replied.
"That might not be the case; young children should stay close. The village head’s wife dotes on her grandson, so if we convince her, it shouldn’t be an issue."
The two of them kept discussing, feeling more and more confident about the plan’s feasibility.
Right then, Mu Shuangshuang couldn’t wait to find the village head’s wife to talk about it.
She didn’t notice Lu Yuanfeng’s gaze had changed.
The two were already dating, and in the somewhat closed setting, Lu Yuanfeng suddenly reached out and wrapped his arms around Mu Shuangshuang’s shoulders.
"Fengzi, you..."
"Shuangshuang, don’t say anything. Let me hold you for a while!"
Such bold words made Mu Shuangshuang’s face turn bright red.
This guy is getting more and more improper.
"Fengzi, let’s solve the problem first and then you can hug me for as long as you want, okay?" Mu Shuangshuang said.
"No!" Lu Yuanfeng firmly refused.
At this moment, he was reluctant to let such a soft figure leave him.
Holding Shuangshuang, Lu Yuanfeng felt particularly at ease, with warmth continually washing over his chest.
"Then... just one kiss," Mu Shuangshuang barely whispered.
It was almost inaudible.
But Lu Yuanfeng’s sharp ears caught it.
He quickly released Mu Shuangshuang and, with a hint of amusement in his eyes, stared at her and asked, "Really... can I kiss you?"
Mu Shuangshuang glared fiercely at Lu Yuanfeng: "I was joking!"
