Chapter Fifty-eight: The Academy Opens

“At the beginning of life, human nature is inherently good; our natures are similar, but our habits make us different…”

The clear sound of reading drifted through the air, drowning out the clatter of wooden looms, becoming the new bustle in the small fishing village.

As the memory of the pirate raid faded, the village’s renown grew ever louder. Those who had once fled in fear of mountain bandits now returned, faces thick with embarrassment. But the fierceness with which they had once left was matched by the difficulty of their return.

The reason was simple.

The small fishing village no longer needed people.

Before, the village was weak and obscure, forced to offer generous terms to attract nearby folk. But now, with its fame as the “Model Village of Resistance,” everyone from miles around knew it was a stronghold where life and property were secure. Families flocked to settle here.

In just half a month, the population soared from a little over five hundred to more than twelve hundred, transforming the village into a bustling town.

The surge in population brought abundant labor. Now, Qin Town had no shortage of workers; on the contrary, there weren’t enough looms to go around.

The village was crowded to bursting, construction was everywhere, and the place was fast becoming more a town than a village.

The old village head was all smiles. In his fifties or sixties, he couldn’t sit still for a moment, wandering here and there, already referring to himself as the town head, delighted beyond measure.

“Zhen, how is your mind so clever? How do you come up with such wonderful things?” Li Han sat on the stone pavement outside the school, clutching a copy of the “Three Character Classic” Qin Zhen had written, unwilling to put it down.

Learning to read and write depended on interest, and Li Han had little of it. Yet the “Three Character Classic” was so simple and engaging; each three-word line was a story, teaching through entertainment and drawing readers in.

With little else for amusement in the countryside, the arrival of the “Three Character Classic” added novelty and delight to daily life. Every day, idle villagers sat in a row outside the schoolhouse just to hear the teacher tell its stories.

Even Li Han was hooked, not to mention the children.

Many parents, after a day’s work, would return home and, before doing anything else, pester their school-going children to retell the stories.

At this time, the village roosters began to crow.

Children in new clothes poured out of the schoolhouse in groups, laughing and carefree.

“If only the scriptures in my temple were as easy to understand as this, my senior sister wouldn't have to hit me every day for failing to read them,” Shan Hai pouted.

“Your senior sister—such a gentle soul—would hit you?” Qin Zhen was astonished.

In his mind, Master Miaoyun had always been the image of a gentle, wise elder sister—someone who would spare even spiders and cockroaches, catching them and releasing them into ponds rather than killing them.

How could someone so gentle ever strike another?

At the mention of this, Shan Hai wore the aggrieved look of a bullied wife and began to list his grievances.

“You don’t know, my senior sister, she—”

Before he could finish, a shadow fell over him.

Shan Hai instantly changed his tune, fawning, “My senior sister is gentle and treats me so well! She’s never hit me. If I got hurt, it was only because I accidentally ran into a wall myself.”

The speed of his change in demeanor left Qin Zhen dumbfounded.

Who would have thought such a straightforward fellow as Shan Hai could be so slippery?

“Hmph.”

Miaoyun gave a soft snort as she walked over to Qin Zhen, her eyes full of admiration.

“I must admit, the textbook you wrote is truly excellent. The children love it.”

The “Three Character Classic” had sparked Qin Zhen’s inspiration.

Entertainment was scarce in this world. Other than listening to opera in teahouses or going riding and hunting, there was little to do.

If he could introduce the entertainment of his previous world—novels, storytelling, comic dialogues, talent shows—wouldn’t that be immensely profitable?

It was a tempting idea, but there was a problem yet to be solved.

There was no papermaking here. The standard materials for writing were bamboo or jade tablets—complicated to make, expensive, and hardly suited for spreading culture and knowledge. Qin Zhen himself knew little of papermaking.

He had been trying recently to create paper, but beginnings are always hard, and the process harder still. When he’d succeed depended on fate.

“Many parents enjoy listening to this as well. Some complain their children don’t tell the stories well enough and beg me to give lectures for adults too. If this keeps up, what will become of all the fish in my pond?” Miaoyun glanced meaningfully at Qin Zhen.

They had agreed to teach together, but now she was the only one lecturing.

“I need to write more textbooks; I’m too busy!” Qin Zhen protested.

“So, your idea of writing textbooks is to sit here basking in the sun while everyone else is out working?” Miaoyun narrowed her eyes.

“Literary creation requires inspiration! I call it gathering material,” Qin Zhen replied seriously. “Besides, I just thought of a new story to include in the textbook—a tale of Liu, Guan, and Zhang risking their lives for righteousness. It’s full of virtue, and I plan to call it The Tale of the Three Kingdoms.”

“Call it whatever you wish, but you’ll have to teach it yourself,” Miaoyun said with a faint smile, strolling away.

Seeing it was late, Qin Zhen dusted himself off and prepared to head home for dinner.

Just then, Liu Yan’er hurried over.

“Brother Zhen, there’s trouble—a fight’s broken out!”

“What happened?” Qin Zhen asked.

Few dared cause trouble in the village. Those who did were quickly expelled, and serious offenders ended up beaten or crippled. As a result, the village maintained a wholesome, honest atmosphere. Though not quite a place where people left their doors unlocked at night, it was close.

“It’s the group from Wang Family Village—again fighting with the Zhao brothers from Zhao’s Place.”

The Zhao family had been among the first to join the village, about twenty people, all surnamed Zhao, led by Zhao Ming, an honest man.

The Wang family had only recently moved in with their entire clan—about a hundred people, led by the domineering Wang Gensheng.

According to Liu Yan’er, the fight had started over fishing rights.

By the time they arrived, a crowd had gathered. Stones and wooden sticks stained with blood littered the ground.

The old village head and the militia had managed to separate the brawlers.

Seeing Qin Zhen arrive, the old head called out, “It’s chaos! That Wang gang fought viciously—some of the Zhao boys have broken bones!”

A defiant voice from the crowd pointed at Qin Zhen.

“Good, you’re here! I want to ask you: they say if you work hard you get paid, but why does that Zhao lot get more for fishing than us? Are you picking on us outsiders?”