Chapter 385 : Eyes Of A Rat Can Only See An Inch Of Light (1)

Yuxi called Han Gao over and asked, “You really decided to return to the capital tomorrow?” It would be hard for ordinary people to travel in this freezing weather.

Han Gao nodded. “We will leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

Yuxi, no longer trying to stop him, said, “In that case, I will not force you to stay. Rest well today. I have something for you to bring home in the morning.”

Han Gao nodded. “Thank you, Madam.”

Yuxi took the booklet and looked at it for a long time, but there was nothing good enough for her to send back. The jade was too heavy to bring along and would only add to their burden. In the end, Yuxi did not let Han Gao bring anything but only prepared some dry food for them. “Do not rush your journey. Safety is most important.”

Han Gao took the stack of letters, put them on his body, and left with the other four guards. All the five men rode horses. Their journey had become relatively faster without carriages to slow them down.

After two days, it snowed heavily again. Looking at the goose feather-liked snow falling, Yuxi wondered, “Say, why does he have to rush back in such a hurry when it’s so cold, and there’s nothing urgent for him to do?”

When Mama Qu listened to this question, she guessed, “Perhaps the previous trip here is so tragic that they don’t mind the cold. The most important thing in their mind is their safety.” The bandits would not come out to rob in this cold weather, so they felt it would be safe.

Yuxi sighed. “It’s too far.” Their journey wouldn’t be easy as Yu City was thousands of miles away from the capital.

Near noon, Yu Zhi came back from outside and entered the inner courtyard. He went in to report something to Yuxi. “Madam, the Qin residence has dispatched many people today. They send rice, flours and meat to those having a hard time, and there’s a lot of buzzes out there right now.”

Yuxi smiled at this and commented, “This is a good thing.” Since the Qin residence was willing to share their wealth, this would benefit the soldiers’ families struggling to make ends meet.

Zijin asked, “Will Madam send some too?” Zijin was a little sad. If Madam had listened to her, the Qin family wouldn’t have monopolised the limelight.

Yuxi shook her head. “There is no need to go with the tide.”

Zijin did not understand why Yuxi was unwilling to send something to those poor people so that they would have a good New Year. Her Madam was not such a stingy person!

Yuxi didn’t even give Zijin any explanation.

This time, the Qin House was being very generous when it came to spending their money. They had sent more than 1,000 families a total of five jin of white rice and white flour, plus five jin of meat, some of which was lamb and some pork. The people who got this stuff were delighted and grateful to the General’s mansion.

Jing Bai’s family did not receive any, though. Not only her family but all the families that sent their children to study at the school had gotten nothing. It was clear that this act was intentional. Jing Bai was a bit confused and asked, “Mother, many students in the school are talking about why the Qin family will send rice, flour and meat to everyone, but Madam did not. If Madam had also sent them, we would have had meat-filled dumplings for New Year.”

Zeng Shi’s face changed slightly when she heard this, and then asked, “Then tell me, why should Madam send us rice, noodles and meat?”

Jing Bai did not think it was wrong for Madam not to send rice, noodles and other things. They were Madam’s own things. It was up to Madam if she wanted to share them or not. This was not something that could be forced.

Zeng Shi pulled Jingbai to the bed and asked another question. “Do you think five jin of rice, white flour and meat is better than what you got at the school?”

Jing Bai said, “Of course not.” She not only ate ten jin of food a month, but she could also read and practice martial arts. Oh, she also got a new set of clothes.

Zeng Shi stroked Jing Bai’s head and said in a serious tone, “It’s just a few jin of rice and noodles plus a few jin of meat, so it will all be gone after eating. But what you learned in school can be used for the rest of your life.” Zeng Shi was pleased with her daughter’s changes during this period.

Zeng Shi and Jing Bai’s days were also tough. Their lives were awfully hard that they couldn’t even see any minced meat and fish for a month, but Zeng Shi was a strong-minded woman. Her two older brothers wanted to help her, but looking at her unhappy two sisters-in-law, she refused their assistance and decided to raise her child on her own, and she wasn’t a person who liked to beg either. But when Zeng Shi heard that Yuxi would open a school for orphan children to learn how to read and write, it was her first time looking for her husband’s former colleague. Not that Jing Bai didn’t meet the requirements, but there were too many people and too few slots, so if she didn’t seek someone’s help, her daughter would probably be squeezed out. Sending her daughter to school and watching her change one day at a time, Zeng Shi felt genuinely relieved and happy.

Jing Bai blushed a little. “Mother, I’m not blaming Madam for not sending us anything. I just think that if she had sent rice, flour and meat over, you could have had a good meal of meat dumplings!”

Zeng Shi felt satisfied upon hearing these words from her daughter. But what she should say still had to be told. Otherwise, it would be easy for one to go astray. “Bai-er, don’t get confused because of two or three words from others. No matter what you do, you can’t be easily swayed by other people. You should stick to what you feel is right.”

Jing Bai nodded. “I know, Mother.” After saying that, she asked, “Mother, why do you think the Qin family will send rice, flour and meat to everyone this year? Why didn’t they do the same in previous years?”

Zeng Shi felt that her daughter was already old enough and decided not to hide some things from her. “Madam has gained a good reputation by founding the school. The Qin family can’t let Madam monopolise the limelight. They take advantage of the New Year to send everyone rice, flour and meat so they can gain people’s gratitude.” However, the act of abandoning the families who sent their children to school was really disgusting.

Jing Bai understood at once. “The Qin House sent things to everyone, not to make everyone have a good New Year, but to get everyone’s gratitude?”

Zeng Shi nodded, stroked Jing Bai’s head and added, “Also, Madam used her own dowry silver to start the school……” Zeng Shi did not continue the rest of her words. The child was still young and unable to conceal her words, so there were some things Zeng Shi could not reveal.

The Qin family delivered things out like a raging fire. While some people looked at it with great enthusiasm, the families whose children were enrolled in the school could not receive financial support. The reason people refused to send the stuff to them was also straightforward. Since they had already received help, they had to leave the opportunity for other people. Five jin of rice and flour with five jin of meat was too much temptation that some people from the school were swayed.

More than a dozen children did not come to school on this day. Their parents also did not come forward to request sick leave, causing Hao Dazhuang to be worried. He had someone tell Yuxi the news and dispatched some people to the children’s dwellings to see if they were home. Hao Dazhuang’s main concern was that it would be bad if the children had an accident on the road in this cold weather.

When Yuxi heard the news, she frowned and asked, “Is there any sick child in the school? Could they have been infected by any disease?” If something were to happen, it would be impossible for more than a dozen children to be in an accident at the same time. It would have been better if these dozen of children were living in one area, but their homes were all over the place!

Yu Zhi shook his head. “That can’t be! And these children have diligently practised martial arts and are all in good health. None of them could have gotten cold; even if a few did, they would have been persuaded to return home.” Zijin had a violent temper, but Yu Zhi was mild-mannered and patient. Therefore, the girls’ school children were handed over to Yu Zhi to be taught. It could not be helped that not only Yuxi but also Yun Qing could not find a suitable woman master to train them.

Yuxi was a bit puzzled. “Then how come more than a dozen children were absent at once.”

An hour later, Yuxi knew the cause. After hearing the explanation of why the children didn’t go to school, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Just for five jin of white rice, white flour and meat, they won’t let the children go to school?” Could it be that these people didn’t know how to count? There was a saying that adolescent boys ate a lot. Most of the children in the school were very good eaters, and as these children also practised martial arts in the afternoon, they consumed even more. Even the youngest child could devour more than a jin of food in a day, not to mention the older ones.

Even Yu Zhi found it hard to believe when he heard it and continued to relay Hao Dazhuang’s words. “These people said they hadn’t had a good year in a long time. With the white rice, flour and meat sent by General Qin’s family, they would have a good year this time. Madam, in fact, these families do have too much difficulty. It’s not really unusual to have this idea.”

Yuxi listened and looked at Yu Zhi, asking, “Then what do you think should be done about it?” She did not deny that these people were having a bad time and did not blame them for anything. It was, after all, their own choice.

Yu Zhi hesitated before answering, “I think if we had also sent them the same things, this would not have happened.”

When Mama Qu heard this answer, her complexion changed a little. The experience of being in the palace had actually made Mama Qu master the skill of not changing her expression even when Mount Tai collapsed before her. However, today, it was ruined because of Yu Zhi.

Yuxi laughed as she asked, “Was it you who came up with the idea of sending rice flour to these children when Zijin proposed it to me that day?”

Yu Zhi shook his head. “No, it was Zijin who wanted to help these children.” Zijin just felt sorry for those children, plus she had her own personal experience, so she wanted to help to the best of her ability.

Yuxi’s heart was slightly relieved. She did not want Zijin to be influenced by Yu Zhi without having an idea of her own. “You help relay my message to Hao Dazhuang. This school enrollment and withdrawal are only voluntary. Do not make it difficult for them. However, since they have already withdrawn from school, they are not allowed to enter again.”

Hearing this, Yu Zhi was a bit anxious. “Madam, how could it turn into this?”

Yuxi looked at Yu Zhi and said, “What is a school if anyone can leave and return anytime they like? Do you think that place is a food market? You can’t draw a circle and a square without a compass and a ruler. This unhealthy trend must be stopped.”

Yu Zhi argued, “But the decision is made by adults, not these children. The children are innocent.” Why did children have to bear the consequences of what adults do and suffer such severe consequences at that?

Yuxi replied expressionlessly, “Then they can only blame themselves for the misfortune of having such greedy parents.” If she guessed correctly, this should have been the Qin residents’ intention. These people must have been instructed to take the children home for a few days and then let them return to school after receiving the things so they wouldn’t lose any benefit. Once these children appeared at the school, the other children would start thinking about it, and someone might follow the same example. If she allowed such behaviour, the school’s morale would be ruined, and the school wouldn’t last long.

When Yu Zhi heard this, he had nothing more to say.

Yuxi was too lazy to reason with Yu Zhi. He was too soft-hearted and couldn’t even see what was going on. He was indeed all brawn, no brains type of guy. “You can go!” Alas, she had to say, Master Yang’s education had been a failure! She didn’t know about the two earlier apprentices, but just by looking at these three people, her Er Ge, Yu Zhi and Zijin, she could know Master Yang’s calibre. Fortunately, she did not let Master Yang teach those children at school. Otherwise, he would have led those young people astray.