The benefits of studying are obvious, but they seem to be useless except for being promoted to become an official.

Of course, this is what we see from the standpoint of the majority of ordinary people.

If you stand in the position of a real person like Xu Xiao, it will not be the case at all.

The reading in the eyes of the third grandmother is different from the reading in Xu Xiao's eyes. But both of them agree that reading is very, very good. What the former thinks is good is that after reading the book, he will not think about gambling, didn't the sage say that he will cultivate and read the heirloom. And what the latter thinks is good is that it has the golden house Yan Ruyu that is known to scholars, and can also cultivate the talents needed by those in power.

As the highest generation in Angelica Village, the third grandmother is about to die, and she is old, and she is most worried about it, or hopes to have a school in Angelica Village. There is no longer a need to run so far, so that the children can read at the doorstep, and they can come out of the village to read.

The government-run school is too far away, several villages, only the farthest from Angelica Village, but it is no wonder, because there are only a few villages within a radius of 100 miles.

Looking down from the sky, within a radius of 100 miles, Angelica Village is alone at the edge of the circle, while several other villages are concentrated in the center of the circle. Therefore, it is no wonder that the government can only build schools in villages with more people.

Xu Xiao suddenly stood up, leaned over and said loudly in the ear of the third grandmother: "Third grandmother, don't worry, I'll go to the village chief and find a way to build a school for our village." ”

The third grandmother looked at Xu Xiao's back as he strode away, touched the heads of the dog baby and the cow baby, and smiled on the old bark-like face, and muttered: "Xiao Xu is a big man, and the big man is so concerned about our small village, this is a blessing from heaven." Dog baby Niu Wa, you remember, in the future, whether you go out or not, whether you become a big person or still a small person, don't forget your grandfather Xu, you want to repay him, you know?"

The dog baby and the cow baby didn't know if they understood it, but they still understood the word repayment, and both of them nodded and said in unison: "Third grandma, don't worry, Grandpa Xu is our benefactor, and we won't forget it." ”

Xu Xiao found the village chief and gathered the elders of the village and the heads of each family.

The people gathered in the ancestral hall.

Xu Xiao took the arm of the village chief, who was over seventy years old, and said to everyone: "Fathers and fellow villagers, I have something important to tell you today. ”

"But according to the benefactor's orders, my whole village will go to the soup and fight the fire. ”

"That's right, go up the knife mountain and down the sea of fire, frown, we are not the descendants of the heroes!"

"Benefactor, please speak. ”

...

The people were excited, as if Xu Xiao was about to rebel and would never look back.

Xu Xiao waved his hand and said, "The word benefactor will never be mentioned again, and it is the duty of my generation of cultivators to draw a sword to help when the road is uneven." That's right, I think...... Build a school in Angelica Village. I've already told the village chief brother, and the village chief agrees with it, I don't know what you think?"

More than 20 years ago, when there was no change in their village, they discussed that everyone would pay for the construction of the school, but at that time, it was still difficult for every family to make ends meet, how could they still get extra money to run the school. Later, when the gambling house entered the village, five or six out of ten the owners of the family became frequent visitors to the gambling house, and they couldn't live their lives, let alone run a school.

Now that Xu Enren has mentioned running a school again, every household still can't come up with the money!

An old man with gray hair and beard stood up, arched his hand and said, "Benefactor, if you have any ideas, just say that the school is for the good of our village, and we all know it." You are a big man, you know things better than us, you know more than us, although we don't understand what you say, but as long as you say, we will do what you say. Guys say, don't you?"

The village chief raised his hand and said, "We all listen to our benefactors." ”

"Yes, we all listen to our benefactors!"

All the people spoke with one voice.

Xu Xiao hummed and said, "I heard the village chief say that we also prepared for the school decades ago, but at that time, every family was not rich and couldn't take out the extra money. And now, it's only been a year since the damaging gambling house was disbanded, and I think the family's situation is even worse than it was a few decades ago. The government-run school is too far away from our village, so it is indeed a waste of time for children to spend half a day going back and forth every day. However, if our village wants to live a good life and inherit the spirit of the martyrs, the only way is to let the children study, so I will pay for the construction of the school..."As he spoke, Xu Xiao took out a stack of silver tickets from his arms.

"How's that going to work? The benefactor has been kind enough to us. ”

"We must not let our benefactors pay money, and our deceased heroic spirits in Angelica Village will not agree. ”

"Yes, let's all pay for it, even if we sell land and houses, we will also build a school!

Everyone was taken aback, and even the village chief didn't expect it. Before everyone gathered, the village chief just listened to Xu Bene's words and tried to find a way to build a school in the village. At that time, he was still worried that it had only been a year since the family restored their premises, and no one might be able to come up with any money left. He thought that the benefactor wanted to encourage and encourage the people, or give some advice like not to be afraid to go far, and to go to school no matter how far away. I didn't expect that the benefactor had already thought of paying out of his own pocket to build a school for our Angelica Village.

Xu Xiao had expected that the villagers would refuse, smiled slightly, and thought to himself, after all, he was the descendant of the martyrs, and he still had the backbone. He raised his hand to suppress the angry crowd and said: "This is six hundred taels, even if I lend it to you, build the school first, so that the children can have books to read, and in the future, as long as you can go out of your village and lift people, this money can be repaid." At that time, I will be proud of it. As he spoke, Xu Xiao patted the village chief on the back, handed the silver ticket to the village chief, and said, "Village chief, this matter is settled." ”

The village chief subconsciously took the silver ticket, was stunned for a long time, sighed, and said to everyone: "Since the benefactor is gracious, we are disrespectful." I don't want to say something bad here, silver money is the most worthless thing in the world, study and become an official, and if you can serve the court and make decisions for the people, then we are worthy of our benefactor!"

Everyone was silent for a while, and several old men stepped forward, holding Xu Xiao's hand tightly, choking and not knowing what to say, but kept saying thank you to the benefactor. The other young farmers also had red eyes.

Among them, there are very few literate people, all of whom have cultivated the land all their lives, and cannot speak anything profound. But at this moment, each of them made up their minds to let their children study. Children who have read books, even if they can't pass the Tongsheng Xiucai exam, can at least say a few nice words when facing their benefactors.

"Let's go back first, in the next few days, we will make a plan, and we will still need everyone to work together at that time. The village chief waved his hand and motioned for everyone to disperse.

When everyone dispersed, only a few old people and the village chief and Xu Xiao, the great benefactor of Angelica Village, were left in the ancestral hall.

Xu Xiao said: "There are still a few words to say. First, you have to use all this money on the blade of the knife, and build a school next to this ancestral hall, which can be regarded as an explanation to your ancestors. Second, I will recommend a few old Confucian students to come to the village to be gentlemen, no matter whether the children are studious or bad, you must respect Mr. and respect Mr., this is the minimum etiquette of a scholar. Third, it is necessary to make the whole village work hard, and the six hundred taels are not too much to say more. If you continue to lose money, this school will only last for five or six years at most. Therefore, I can only be regarded as a beginning for you, whether it can be sustained depends on the efforts of future generations. Okay, that's it, I'm gone. ”

With that, Xu Xiao walked out with his hands in his hands, just like the last time he left. There is no reluctance and unease, free and uninhibited.

"Congratulations to the benefactor, I wish the benefactor good health, and the road meets endless scenery!" The village chief and the old men knelt down one after another, and said loudly towards Xu Xiao's back.

Xu Xiao gradually walked away, and when he heard the voices of the group of old people who were about the same age as him behind him, he almost couldn't hold back his laughter, and said in his heart, who taught them? You must know that the last time he left like this, the group of old men couldn't say anything, just cried, like a funeral, which made Xu Xiao unhappy in his heart, as if he was giving him a funeral.

Walking to the entrance of the village, Xu Xiao saw that the dog and the cow were feeding his horses.

"Dog baby Niu baby, I'm leaving. Xu Xiao took out a few pennies from his sleeve, handed it to the two children, and said, "Buy you sugar gourds to eat." ”

The eyes of the two children immediately turned red, and they didn't go to pick up the copper plate, but only pulled Xu Xiao's sleeve and said, "When will Grandpa Xu come again?"

Xu Xiao took the horse and said, "I don't know, grandpa, I don't know how long it will take to come back, maybe three or five years, maybe never come back." ”

The two children cried with a whoop, and their noses and tears wiped Xu Xiao's sleeves wet.

Xu Xiao was helpless, and said: "Okay, okay, don't cry, I promise you, after you finish reading the Four Books and Five Classics taught by Mr., I will come back to see you." ”

The two children immediately stopped crying and asked in confusion, "What are the Four Books and Five Classics?"

"That's... It is a book written by the sages of the ancients, and some of the thoughts about human life written by the sages, some of which make sense, and some of which are not necessarily reasonable. Xu Xiao said.

"What is a sage?" the child asked again.

“...... A sage is... People who have great abilities are not right, sages are people who always want everyone to live a good life. Xu Xiao put the copper plate into the pockets of the two children, led the horse, and walked out.

After walking half a mile, I heard two children shouting behind me: "Grandpa Xu, you must talk and count, we must come back to see us after reading the Four Books and Five Classics!"

"Definitely!" Xu Xiao waved his hand and did not look back.