"Don't be afraid of being laughed at by Mr. Zheng. I don't have such a great ideal. I read those books just because I love to read them. There are enough books in my home for me to choose from. I have read so many books day after day and year after year. I can't travel thousands of miles, so I can only find comfort in a golden house, that's all."
Hua Zhi smiled, "Now I seem to have broken free from many constraints, but I also have more distracting thoughts in my mind. There are too many things to worry about and too many things to do. How can I calm down and study when there is no one to hold up the sky above? What I can do now is to hold up the sky by myself so that other people in the Hua family can study well."
What's more, she has no ambition to fight against the entire environment on her own. Whatever a person gains, he will lose the same amount. She doesn't need that.
Hua Zhi stood up and bowed to Zheng Zhiying, "Hua Zhi, thank you, Mr. Zheng."
Zheng Zhi waved his hand and motioned her to sit down. "I have been away from the capital for so many years. I didn't expect to have such an unexpected surprise when I came back. I will accept this matter, but you don't have to give up completely. Don't waste this talent."
Hua Zhi lowered her eyelids. She had never considered clan studies a burden. Sometimes she treated teaching as a break. She would talk about what she wanted to say and teach them what she thought was good in a subtle way. It was a pleasure to watch them absorb it like a sponge. But if she were asked to teach the Four Books and Thirteen Classics again...
"Then let's open a miscellaneous course to broaden their horizons."
Zheng Zhi nodded in appreciation. He knew what to do and what he could do on his own. Hua Zhi grasped the balance very well. It was a pity. If she was willing to study hard, he would be willing to accept her as a student. It was a pity that he rarely met someone who suited his taste.
"Let Mr. Zheng know that the other gentleman's surname is Mu, Mr. Mu Qingmu. We need to discuss how to arrange the classes with him. I wonder if Mr. Zheng has any ideas in this regard?"
"You don't need to worry about this. Mu Qing and I will discuss it then."
"Yes." Hua Zhi liked Zheng Zhi's straightforwardness. She also realized that Mr. Zheng was not so disciplined as her grandfather said. Otherwise, he would not have urged her to write a book. "It is not convenient for the Hua family to accommodate outsiders. I will ask someone to rent a house for you nearby..."
"No, I have a place to live."
Hua Zhi looked at her second uncle, and Zhu Haodong nodded slightly. Hua Zhi didn't say much, let alone the tuition. She would just give Mr. Mu the same amount and prepare another for Mr. Zheng. As for the rest, I think my grandfather should have said it.
Zheng Zhi glanced around. The books here were nothing to him, but when he thought that these were bought in the few months after the Hua family was ransacked, he sighed again. It was a pity that Hua Zhi's mind was not on learning, otherwise he would really be willing to accept a female student.
After drinking another cup of tea, Zheng Zhi got up and went back to the clan school. With his keen insight, he could see that Zhu Haodong had something to say to Hua Zhi.
Hua Zhi glanced at Nanny Su, and Nanny Su understood and went to guard the door.
"Zheng Zhi is from the capital. To be more precise, he is a posthumous child. His father was a teacher in the Zhu family. He was handsome and had many female confidants. But his father died when Zheng Zhi's mother was pregnant with him, and his death was not very glorious. He had no money, and left behind a widow who was pregnant. She was so anxious and angry that she almost died with him. His father asked his mother to help bury the body for the sake of the employer, and left some money for Zheng Zhi's mother. Otherwise, there might not be a person like Zheng Zhi in this world."
It turned out to be such a great favor. No wonder Zheng Zhi came back even though he didn't want to. Hua Zhi nodded, "So he moved back?"
"After receiving his reply, my father had his house renovated, so it's fine for living." Zhu Haodong looked at his niece. "Your grandfather said that he inherited his father's talent for learning, and being a clan teacher is a waste of his talent, so he was only given a three-year term. He has a wild temper, but he knows the proper etiquette. You just need to pay attention to him in private and don't restrict him too much."
"Yes, I understand."
"We are all very confident in you." Zhu Haodong smiled and talked about his real purpose. "Your grandfather was in charge of the soap business and recruited someone to join. General Zhou Jingzhou, do you know him?"
"Zhou Jing, the mighty general of the second rank who is in charge of the Central Camp." Hua Zhi had done her homework on the officials of the Daqing Dynasty during this period. She was naturally familiar with Zhou Jing, who held real power. She just didn't expect that her grandfather would bring a military general into the group.
"The old general I went to see personally promised that if anything happens to the Hua family, the Zhou family will not sit idly by."
Hua Zhi was stunned for a moment, then she understood. This must have been something her grandfather had fought for her, or it could be said that this was the protection she got in exchange for this benefit. The Zhu family couldn't use it, but the Hua family needed it. Every layer of her network of relationships was to increase the capital for the Hua family. The Zhou family was important enough.
"I will personally thank Grandfather some other day."
"We are family, so let's not talk behind each other's backs." Zhu Haodong smiled and was in a very happy mood. As long as he could get this deal done, no matter how high his brother's position became in the future, no one would look down on him. To be honest, he should thank Zhier.
***
Hua Zhi attended Zheng Zhi's first class. Halfway through, Mu Qing also arrived. The two of them sat in the corridor and listened intently.
This is probably the difference between reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles. When Mu Qing talks, he will add his own understanding, as well as the insights generally recognized by scholars, but it is always within the scope of books. Zheng Zhi breaks this scope. He interprets based on his own years of experience traveling outside. It is hard to say whose is better, but there is no doubt that Zheng Zhi's talk is more vivid.
Hua Zhi felt that the extra class she had taken was a bit redundant.
Looking back and seeing Mu Qing's gloomy expression, she paused, hesitated a little, and said pertinently: "Mr. Mu, there is no need to think too much. Not every scholar can travel thousands of miles without any worries like Mr. Zheng."
Mu Qing smiled bitterly, shook his head and left.
Hua Zhi couldn't persuade him any more. Who wouldn't envy him? She envied him too. She also hoped that one day she could travel thousands of miles. The strange mountains and steep cliffs in nature, the beautiful scenery blessed by the Creator, could not be described in even a fraction of the beautiful words in the book.
It’s just that there are too many things I have to do.
After leaving here, she still had to think about how to make more money, how to expand her network of relationships, and how to make it stronger. She also had to think about the people in the Hua family, young and old, and her relatives far away in the north...
There are so many things to think about, so how can I have time to care about the thoughts in my heart