Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 290 - 289: Why Hasn’t the Academy Started Yet?

Chapter 290: Chapter 289: Why Hasn’t the Academy Started Yet?

"Five hundred years ago, when the seven princes of the previous dynasty rebelled, there was a couple with the surname Liu residing in a remote area. To escape the chaos of war, they had no choice but to defy their ancestors’ warnings and unlock the family’s secret treasure, the Glazed Mirror, leading their entire clan into the mirror’s realm, seeking a peaceful home in the vast world..."

Qin Yao lowered her head and asked the children, "Did your father make up this story himself?"

Si Niang scratched her hand, how to say... "Well, it’s not entirely made up; some of it was told by Grandpa."

Her father just added a bit of his own understanding.

Qin Yao nodded, understanding that it was a magical adaptation based on true events.

The entire village, young and old, loved hearing such stories; half an hour went by unnoticed.

The story reached the part where the couple with the Glazed Mirror led their clan to their ancestral land, the Liu Family Village, only to find a demon beast guarding it. The Liu Family clan was preparing for a great battle to reclaim their ancestral land from the beast.

The villagers held their breath, waiting for the most thrilling moment to arrive.

But then...

Liu Ji knocked on the firewood stick, making two tapping sounds, "Time’s up. Let’s review today’s characters: Liu, Five, Seven, Ancestor, Thousand, and Dwell."

After reciting each character once, "Today’s lesson ends here, class dismissed."

After finishing, he packed up the wooden board and firewood stick, and left gracefully.

Only then did everyone realize that today’s lesson had ended so quickly.

And just when the story was getting exciting, it abruptly stopped, leaving them restless with anticipation.

"Mother, I want to come here for class! I want to hear the teacher tell the story of our ancestors and the Glazed Mirror!"

No one knows which kid spoke first, but that evening, every household in the village became lively.

Some were crying and rolling on the ground, others were pulling at roof tiles, and some even threatened to run away, sitting at Qin Yao’s courtyard gate, all sorts of drama unfolded.

Liu Ji closed the main gate of the house, leisurely sat in the courtyard waving a fan, listening to the sounds of people wanting to enroll in the literacy class, and his mind was already calculating.

One student is five cents, ten is fifty cents, a hundred is five hundred cents...

Inside the main hall, Da Lang Brothers and Sisters were leaning over the table, trying to negotiate with Qin Yao.

Second Lang: "Mother, why don’t we open a storytelling teahouse in the city, let Father tell stories, and we’ll sell tea, we’ll definitely make money!"

The remaining three nodded enthusiastically, it was clear that Second Lang had already convinced the three, each one immersed in dreams of making money.

Qin Yao blew on the ten rules of the convoy she had just written, looked up and met the four siblings’ flushed, excited faces.

With a frown, "Not going to study anymore? Not learning martial arts? Not taking the imperial exams?"

Why on earth hasn’t the school started yet?

If it doesn’t start soon, the minds of these big and little ones will float away!

In the end, the four siblings dismissed the idea of opening a teahouse and went back to studying dutifully.

After all, their current task was to study, not to think about how to make money.

On the literacy class side, due to the suspense left by Liu Ji’s first lesson story, the number of students in the class the next day rose dramatically from twenty to fifty.

With two hundred fifty cents jingling in his pocket, Liu Ji felt as if he had discovered the key to wealth, preparing to write a few more magical and bizarre stories, spreading the concept of learning through fun to attract villagers from nearby villages into the literacy class.

Meanwhile, while Liu Ji was staying up late to write stories until he was losing hair, Qin Yao had already led the transport team through a five-day training session.

Everything was now ready, the timber merchant was already contacted, and the convoy was about to set off for the Prefecture.

Since it was the first time, and most people in the transport team hadn’t left the county before, Qin Yao had to lead the first trip herself.

When Qin Yao returned home, Si Niang rushed over and hugged her, "Mother, can I accompany you to the Prefecture?"

Qin Yao patted the little girl’s head, picking her off from around her waist and holding her hand as they went to the backyard to collect the drying clothes, "What do you want to do in the Prefecture?"

Si Niang stretched out her hand, "Mother, give me the clothes, I’ll carry them for you, I can carry a lot!"

Qin Yao obliged, choosing a couple of short shirts for her, Si Niang flashed a grin showcasing her white teeth, "Mother, I don’t want to do anything, just want to be with you."

The mother-daughter duo carried the clothes back to the children’s room, the dried clothes belonging to the four siblings, as they didn’t need to go to school at this time, with both father and mother busy with their own work, they’d have Ah Wang take them playing all over the mountains. If they accidentally fell, they might change clothes twice a day.

Fortunately, now there’s Ah Wang to do the laundry, otherwise, Liu Ji might have grabbed each of the four kids and given them a spank.

Qin Yao taught Si Niang how to fold clothes, aware that the little girl couldn’t bear for her to leave, she coaxed her, "I’ll only be gone a few days and come back soon, I’ll bring you something fun when I return."

Si Niang shook her head, she didn’t want anything fun; she leaned over with her little head, "Mother, can I sleep with you tonight?"

At home, everyone had separate sleeping arrangements. Previously, when they went to the Prefecture, to save money, everyone shared a room, and Si Niang always slept with Qin Yao. The feeling couldn’t be described by the little girl but felt comforting and fulfilling.

However, once back home, they all separated again.

Seriously, Si Niang counted on her fingers, "Mother, it’s been half a month since you last slept with me." She sounded quite aggrieved.

Qin Yao thought it was no big deal, gladly nodding, "Of course you can."

"Really?" Si Niang asked joyfully, eyes shining like grapes as she gazed at her.

Qin Yao found her heart melting, putting down the clothes she had folded and scooped up the little girl, "Alright, it’s hot now, let’s lay out the bamboo mat so we won’t be too warm sleeping together at night."

"Okay!" Si Niang quickly clung to her neck, and as the mother and daughter passed through the courtyard, Si Niang stuck her tongue out at the three brothers trying to come up with story ideas for their father.

Da Lang smiled gently, Second Lang scoffed dismissively, not at all envious!

Only Sanlang tried to follow, but Liu Ji pulled him back, sneering, "A boy wanting to sleep with his mom, aren’t you embarrassed."

He couldn’t even imagine it!

Pressing Sanlang in front of him, sparing no inspiration, he urged, "Hurry and tell Dad what you dreamt of the other night?"

Sanlang pouted, refusing to speak, while Liu Ji kept urging; the father and son were locked in a standoff until Ah Wang set the table calling, "Dinner is ready!"

Finally ending their childish standoff, they washed up and sat down to eat, devouring their food as if they were starved ghosts reincarnated.

Si Niang frowned slightly, whispering to Qin Yao’s ear, "Mother, they have no manners, but I won’t, I’ll eat properly."

Receiving an encouraging nod from her mother, the little girl beamed and started eating heartily herself.

After the meal, Qin Yao said, "I’ll set out with the team tomorrow morning; the round trip should take about ten days if all goes well."

Turning to Ah Wang, she instructed, "In a couple of days, the community school will start, you’re responsible for dropping off and picking up the four of them in the morning and evening. Da Lang can halt his daily exercise for now and resume on the rest days."

"Oh, and don’t forget my melon field, spread some of the manure from the livestock shed over it, and water it lightly twice."

This is the critical period from flowering to maturity for the watermelon; providing enough nutrients is essential for growth.

She then looked at Liu Ji, "The refugees outside the city have now received the returning grain from the court and will gradually disperse. In and out of the city should soon return to normal, and before you return to the academy, remember to enhance the foundational literacy of those in the literacy class for me."

With nothing more left unsaid, the arrangements at the factory had already been made; ensuring stable production there would suffice.