Chapter 590: Chapter 590: Wishful Thinking, My Good Sir

After finishing the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone sat together in the main house to stay up late.

People gathered around the fire, chatting and looking at the twinkling stars outside the open door, enjoying this moment of peace and contentment, praying for the same in the coming year.

The children fell asleep past midnight, and Qin Yao asked Song Yu’s family and Yin Le and Ah Wang to take them home first, while she and Liu Ji stayed back with the others at the old house to usher in the New Year.

As the horizon gradually turned pale, with the sound of roosters crowing and the break of dawn, the New Year arrived.

After having breakfast at the old house, Qin Yao and her husband returned home to catch up on sleep.

From the first day of the first month to the fifth day, the village was lively, with families visiting relatives, until the eighth day when industries gradually resumed work, and the festive atmosphere slowly faded.

The children had been idle for quite a while, so as the village school began classes, Liu Ji rounded up the four children at home to study and read, first settling their temperament to adapt to the new curriculum.

The two-year period of free schooling was up, and many villagers started to worry about their children’s schooling.

After the fifteenth day of the first month, some villagers went to Ding Family Manor to inquire and learned that the Ding Family clan school did not plan to accept outside students, which caused panic among them.

If the children had never gone to school, it might not seem good or bad.

But having attended for two years, not only the students, but even the parents realized the benefits. Thinking further, having already studied, how could they stop halfway?

Thus, nearly half of the Kaiyang County people still planned to present gifts and send their children to study.

But with many students and few schools, the closest option was a college in Kaiyang County.

Qin Yao was unaware of the situation in other villages, but the villagers of Liu Family Village planned to continue sending their children to the county college.

In the past, it wasn’t feasible, but now with stable income and dividends, it’s worth a try for families to support one scholar.

At the old house, there’s no need to worry about Jinbao as Liu Ji had already taken care of it before the New Year; he can attend the Ding Family clan school along with the Dragon and Phoenix Twins.

As school start time approached, Mrs. He became increasingly happy; she had no other hobbies but enjoyed the envious gaze of others.

Seeing other young children crying and wailing, afraid of entering the county college, Mrs. He felt quite smug inside.

But she still offered comfort outwardly: "Poor thing, you can return home twice a month, don’t cry."

Others admired and said: "It’s great for your Jinbao, having a scholar uncle and a village chief aunt with such capabilities, the admission must have been taken care of."

Mrs. He felt pleased instantly.

Her Jinbao had such an uncle and aunt, he certainly wouldn’t suffer.

He didn’t have to live alone in the county college at a young age, returning home only once every half-month. He could study under teachers in the Ding Family clan school, maybe even becoming a scholar like his uncle!

With such arrangements for Jinbao, the old house children surely had similar options, and Mrs. Qiu was not worried about where her daughter would study next year.

The limitation of boys only has long been broken; Si Niang entered the Ding Family clan school this year, so it’s impossible not to admit her Jinhua next year.

Even if they don’t, her uncle and aunt would surely have a solution.

Mrs. He and Mrs. Qiu exchanged glances and laughed; with their third sister-in-law around, they weren’t afraid of going hungry.

At the start of February, Kaiyang County residents received news that County Magistrate Song’s term was up, and he was about to be transferred elsewhere.

For a time, there were countless people gathering in front of the Song Mansion, trying to keep him.

For the people, they couldn’t manage the political battles of the court nor did they care which emperor ruled.

They only knew that County Magistrate Song had eradicated the rampant bandits and oppressive bullies, rectified the corrupt county government, and dealt harshly with the greedy clans, securing more free schools so children from poor families could also get education.

The more they thought of these deeds, the more reluctant they were to see County Magistrate Song leave. However, the three-year rotation of county magistrates was a court rule that couldn’t be defied, and Song Zhang, emotional though he was, could only do one last thing for the people before leaving Kaiyang County.

He recorded into documentation all he had gathered during his three-year inspection of Kaiyang County, including population, fields, forests, lakes, for the next county magistrate’s reference.

He wrote down the ongoing proposal for seventy percent crude cultivation and thirty percent refined farming, hoping the next magistrate would continue implementing it.

There were many, many governing methods already underway but whose effects couldn’t yet be seen, all put in records left in the county government of Kaiyang County.

There was so much to write and leave behind that until late February, when the transfer documents urged him a second time, Song Zhang reluctantly left this place where he had stayed for three years.

To avoid the sadness of farewell from friends, Song Zhang’s family quietly departed; when Qin Yao and her husband found out, it was too late to see them off.

Song Zhang entrusted someone with sending the keys to the Song Mansion built in Liu Family Village to Qin Yao, hoping she would help rent the house cheaply to students staying in the village to study, providing them a peaceful place to focus on learning.

She didn’t need to send him the rent, but keep it in the village, hiring an elderly person to manage the house.

Song Zhang left a message saying he might return someday to have a barbecue party with them again, warning Qin Yao not to sell his house.

"Am I that kind of person?" Qin Yao said, amused and annoyed, shaking the house keys, dismissing the fleeting thought of selling the house, and walked towards the village to hand the keys to Granny Wang.

There were many students drinking coarse tea at her place; her yard had become a gathering place for students to study and chat, and the chickens she once raised were now left to roam freely on the back mountain.

Granny Wang was strong and had so many student connections, so managing the Song Mansion was most suitable for her.

Moreover, she had to support a little grandson’s education, so an additional steady income could make life easier.

Qin Yao put down the keys and turned away, leaving Granny Wang with surprise and gratitude; when she looked up, she was gone, leaving only a helpless smile.

That village chief, her legs were too swift, at least wait until she gave the children a bowl of eggs.

At Qin Yao’s home, during dinner, Liu Ji curiously asked:

"Wife, do you think the new county magistrate is coming soon? Should we go inquire and maybe welcome him?"

Seeing his excited expression, Qin Yao frowned and asked: "Why are you so eager?"

Liu Ji didn’t refute; he fully intended to curry favor with the new magistrate! He said confidently: "I want to become a secretary!"

The four Da Lang siblings looked up in surprise: "Dad, really?"

Liu Ji flicked his hair, "With your father’s current status, even a county magistrate is within reach, let alone a mere secretary!"

Seeing the four siblings’ eyes light up, Ah Wang couldn’t stand it and explained to them: "An Advanced Scholar can become a county magistrate; a mere scholar doesn’t qualify. Our father’s words are just wishful thinking."

Liu Ji jumped up and exclaimed, "I bloody..."

Ah Wang stubbornly looked at him.

Liu Ji said: Forget it, I can’t beat him, let this fool have his way for once!