Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

Chapter 461 Who to Send to School

She paused, looked around at everyone, and continued, "Also, regarding the school building project in our village, the wages will also be 20 wen a day, and I will pay for it all. If anyone is willing to participate in the school building, please go to Shenghui to register and note that it is a school building project."

Zhao Cunliang and Tian Guilan carried baskets on their backs and hid in the crowd.

Zhao Cunliang was the first to speak sarcastically: "Humph, all the money in the village's public account is in your hands, so you have the final say."

Tian Guilan also echoed, "Yes, yes, that sounds nice, and you're the one who paid for it. Who knows who paid for it?" Then, she curled her lips and added fuel to the fire, "How the money was spent and who ended up in its pocket? Who knows?"

The Zhao family's reputation in the village was like two rat droppings spoiling the whole pot of soup. Xiuying had long expected that some people would question the use of the money in the village public account, especially people like the Zhao family.

Xiuying said slowly, "The money in the village account has always been kept by a dedicated person, and every time the money is used, there must be a village supervisor on hand to ensure that every expenditure is clear and accounted for."

As soon as he finished speaking, Butcher Li stood up with a look of righteous indignation on his face, pointed at Zhao Cunliang and shouted, "Zhao Cunliang, look at what your family is living in now, and you still have the nerve to cry like this! The village account books, after everyone receives the money and signs, please keep them safely with me so I can check them at any time!"

At this time, Grandma Zhang and Grandpa Li also stood up.

Grandma Zhang looked straight at Zhao Cunliang and said, "Zhao boy, you can rest assured! Every time you use money, we two old guys have to put our handprints on it. We can't afford to be careless."

Grandfather Li frowned, his tone tinged with reproach. "Zhao family boy, you're even more cunning than your late mother in everything you say and do! The village is working for the benefit of everyone, and it's fine if you don't help, but you're still here making sarcastic remarks. How dare you!"

Zhao Cunliang and Tian Guilan had never imagined that the people overseeing the village's finances were the highly respected Grandmother Zhang and Grandfather Li. They were speechless for a moment, but a surge of inexplicable anger simmered within them. They had always hated Xiuying's prominence in the village, and now their anger was even greater.

Tian Guilan snorted and said sarcastically, "Hey, it's just a little money to build a school, what's there to show off about? If Xiuying can give money to build brick and tile houses for each of the more than 300 households in the village, then I, Tian Guilan, will write her a big 'surprise' in front of everyone!"

Seeing this, Xiuying raised her voice slightly and said, "Since everyone has no doubts about the money in the village public account, then I will continue to talk about the school. Everyone knows that Shenghui, the village chief's son, is a real scholar in our village.

Now, he has decided to stay in the village school and teach our children to read and learn. This is a great thing for our village!

Xiuying glanced at the crowd and continued, "We can't treat Shenghui unfairly. So, the school has set a monthly tuition of 20 coins per child. I think this little money is not a big problem for any of our families. Why do we work so hard in the fields every day? Isn't it just to fill our stomachs and hope that our children will have a bright future?"

Mrs. Sun stood in the crowd and was the first to speak out loudly: "Xiuying is absolutely right! We work so hard, isn't it all for our children? Shenghui is a student, one of the most knowledgeable in our village, and he has seen the world. I will definitely send Goudan to school!"

Goudan, who was standing next to Mrs. Sun, looked up at his mother with surprise and disbelief in his eyes. He never thought that he would have to go to school one day.

Aunt Li also agreed: "That's right, who can't afford twenty cents nowadays? I'll enroll my daughter in the school and send her here to learn how to read as soon as it's finished."

Aunt Li was filled with envy when she thought of the girls in Xiuying's family learning to read. The young ladies in the city all had teachers come to their homes to teach them, and she had no chance of that. Now that she had this opportunity in the village, she couldn't miss it.

When Tian Guilan listened to Aunt Li's words, she felt a surge of anger in her heart, and she always felt that these words seemed to be said deliberately to her.

Cuihua was now the head of the household. Even if she wanted to make a menstrual belt, she had to report it to Cuihua, not to mention the twenty cents. Thinking of this, how could she swallow this anger? She had four sons, so what did Aunt Li have? Just a maid.

"Oh, Aunt Li," Tian Guilan said sharply with a sinister smile on her face, "Is your money blown away by the wind? Twenty cents a month, just for your daughter to learn to read. Why don't you let your son come?"

At this point, she paused deliberately, then covered her mouth and let out a shrill laugh, "Oh, sorry, I almost forgot, you don't have a son at all, you only have this precious daughter."

When Butcher Li heard what Tian Guilan said, he immediately flew into a rage. He rolled up his sleeves and rushed forward to teach Tian Guilan a lesson, "You woman, how can you speak so harshly!"

Just as Butcher Li was about to take a step forward, Aunt Li was quick to stop him.

She looked at Tian Guilan and said slowly, "Sister Tian, if I remember correctly, your family has four sons. Why don't you let your four boys go to school? Is it that your family can't afford the money? Or maybe you have no say in the family?" Aunt Li's tone seemed calm, but every word she said hit Tian Guilan's sore spot.

Tian Guilan was so angry that her chest heaved violently like a bellows. She was filled with rage and wanted to rush up and fight with Aunt Li immediately.

But when she looked up at the burly butcher Li behind Aunt Li, and then at her own weak and unimpressive man, she immediately lost her temper. Her man was incompetent outside and couldn't hold up the stage at home. He was no match for her husband.

"Who says I can't make the decision!" Tian Guilan shouted at the top of her voice, "Guangzong is already married, why should he continue his studies? Yaozu and Dafu are busy with farm work at home, so they don't have time to go to school. As for Dagui..."

Before Tian Guilan could finish her excuse, Aunt Li ruthlessly retorted her.

Aunt Li said with a half-smile, "Oh, I heard your youngest son is quite clever. Besides, it's the off-season right now, so how can your family be so busy?"