kingnovel Chapter 996 The Girls' Academy Opens!
Chapter 996 The Girls' Academy Opens!
2. [Hanging a Healer to Save the World] (Teacher: Liu San Niang): She teaches the secrets of the human body's internal organs, the principles of herbal medicine, the methods of bandaging wounds, and strategies for preventing and treating diseases.
The purpose is to enable students to learn the skills of self-help and helping others.
In the initial stage, one can treat minor daily ailments and is proficient in more than five first aid and bandaging techniques.
3. [The Way of Farming] (Instructor: Shi Man): He taught the secrets of identifying plants, methods of improving soil, the order of farming in the four seasons, and the methods of raising livestock.
The purpose was to make students aware of the difficulty in obtaining grains and to teach them the techniques for increasing production and ensuring abundant harvests.
In the initial stage, one should be able to cultivate more than three kinds of high-yield grains in the academy's trial planting garden.
IV. [Law and Morality] (Instructor: Du Jiu): Instructed on the legal framework of the Great Wu Dynasty, with particular emphasis on the three chapters of Household Law, Marriage Law, and Commercial Law.
The intention is to enable all students to understand, comprehend, and apply the law, so that their actions are guided by rules and regulations.
In the early stages, one can independently draft a flawless prenuptial agreement.
5. 【Business World】(Master: Qian Duoduo): Instructs on bookkeeping and accounting methods, cost and profit/loss calculations, and the way of business management.
The aim is to cultivate students' knowledge of financial management and business operations.
In the early stages, one can prepare a well-organized annual income and expenditure budget for a small business.
For a moment, the only sound in the courtyard was the gentle turning of pages, accompanied by Bai Wuyue's soft recitation.
Liu San Niang's eyes flickered slightly.
She had originally thought that this time she was going to teach the cook how to butcher.
Unexpectedly, Bai Yiyue refined the medical skills she had learned throughout her life into the study of hygiene and epidemic prevention and "first aid and wound care," which was both practical and respectable.
As Shi Man listened, a radiant light suddenly appeared on his dark face.
He toiled for half his life, wishing only to pass on his farming experience to future generations, but lamented that no one could understand its true meaning.
Now, his farming methods have even been recognized and taught in academies... which makes him so excited that his hands tremble slightly.
Song Jiuzhou's gaze lingered on the four characters "格物致知" (investigating things to attain knowledge), and he did not look away for a long time.
The knowledge he devoted his entire life to studying has always been dismissed by the world as strange and frivolous skills, and not of common use.
But in this young girl's writing, it became a path to knowledge comparable to the classics of sages!
These four simple words, more powerful than any amount of gold or silver, resonated deeply with him.
Only Du Jiu had stopped pacing at some point and stood quietly behind Bai Yiyue, watching her explain to everyone with eyes full of admiration.
Of all the people in the courtyard, only Qian Duoduo, after his initial shock, frowned deeply again.
“Miss Bai,” he said, closing the book in his hand, “this idea, while ingenious, is perhaps too idealistic.”
"These students all started from scratch."
"You're making them learn so many skills; can they really master them all?"
"If you try to do too much at once, you'll end up with nothing to show for it."
This statement hits the nail on the head; it is indeed a very real problem.
Bai Yiyue seemed to have expected this, and nodded with a slight smile upon hearing it: "Mr. Qian's words hit the nail on the head."
"That is why our college intends to implement a credit system and an elective system."
"What is the credit system?" Upon hearing this novel concept, Song Jiuzhou immediately became interested and quickly asked.
"Our college stipulates that all students must complete the required credits for elementary education within three years, and choose at least two practical subjects to complete the required credits before they can graduate."
"After graduation, the academy will issue an assessment of their abilities based on their major, and may recommend them for a suitable job or help them start their own business to make a living."
She paused slightly, then threw out an even more impactful idea: "As for the elective system, it would allow students to freely choose the major they want to study in depth based on their own interests and talents."
"Our college does not seek that everyone becomes a generalist, but rather that everyone can reach the pinnacle in their favorite field."
"Those skilled in medicine may continue their studies under Mr. Liu; those with business acumen may become his disciples."
"The responsibility of the academy is simply to find good teachers for them and build a platform for them."
Freedom to choose your profession!
Teach students in accordance with their aptitude!
These eight words, like a thunderclap, exploded in the hearts of the four masters.
They all spent their entire lives confined to one particular area.
They never imagined that such a brand-new teaching method, brimming with infinite possibilities, would slowly unfold before their eyes.
"What a brilliant idea of teaching according to aptitude!" Song Jiuzhou slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. His old eyes, which were usually a little cloudy, were now surprisingly bright. "In this way, we can both preserve the foundation of elementary education and allow those with exceptional talent to stand out and shine!"
wonderful!
That's absolutely brilliant!
Upon hearing this, Qian Duoduo slowly nodded, a glint of shrewdness flashing behind his glasses.
What he saw, however, was a much more profound vision.
Women cultivated in this way are no longer the same kind of delicate ladies confined to their chambers, but rather individuals with a skill or expertise, capable of becoming useful talents.
“I have no objection.” Liu San Niang said succinctly, and finally showed a look of genuine approval on her face.
"I...I'll listen to Miss!" Shi Man rubbed his hands together excitedly, his dark face beaming with joy.
Du Jiu laughed loudly, walked back to the table and sat down: "From the perspective of the law, this outline has clear responsibilities and powers, is well-organized, and is feasible!"
At this point, a consensus was reached on the academy's core teaching philosophy and curriculum framework.
Bai Yiyue looked at the group of extraordinary people who had finally come to terms with each other, and her heart was filled with joy.
The soul of the academy has been forged.
Now, all that's missing is a body to house this soul.
Qian Duoduo pushed up her crystal glasses. "Miss Bai, tell me, the first step is money!"
people!
land!
How do you plan to resolve this?
Bai Yiyue smiled slightly, confident and composed.
She looked at her sisters, her eyes filled with trust and pride.
“We have money.” Bai Sanyue stepped forward and gently patted a heavy camphor wood box beside her. Inside were the savings that the sisters had accumulated over the years, as well as the money that Bai Lu had given them before.
"That's enough to get it running."
“We have people,” Bai Eryue replied, unfolding a newly drawn map of Qingzhou, on which several places were circled in red ink.
"June, July, and I have marked all the large mansions and abandoned gardens in the city that are for sale or rent."
We can visit the site at any time.
“We have no shortage of alternatives when it comes to land.” Bai Yiyue pointed to the largest red circle on the map, located in the Hundred Herbs Garden in the east of the city.
"This place was once the private garden of a medicine merchant in the previous dynasty, covering nearly 100 acres, with pavilions, towers, ponds and waterside pavilions. Later, the family fell into decline and it was abandoned for many years."
Most importantly, it is large enough and quiet enough that with a little renovation, it would be the best school building available.
"If we can't get the land next to Bailudong Academy, then we'll go to Baicaoyuan in the east of the city."
Qian Duoduo leaned forward for a look and immediately nodded: "Good taste."
Although this location is slightly remote, it is intact and independent, making it easy to manage.
And because it has been abandoned for so long, the price is definitely negotiable.
"Leave this to me."
"If we're going to Bailudong Academy, this Hundred Herbs Garden in the east of the city is much better."
"Bailudong Academy is still too expensive. When the land next to Bailudong Academy becomes cheaper, we can use it as a branch of the girls' academy."
He looked at Bai Sanyue: "Miss Bai, give me your account book and money box."
I guarantee that I can acquire this land with half the budget, and turn the remaining money into a continuous stream of funds.
Before Bai Sanyue could react, Bai Yiyue nodded decisively: "Okay!"
"From now on, the academy's finances will be entrusted to Mr. Qian!"
She knew that professional matters should be left to the most professional people.
"No problem!" Qian Duoduo's eyes gleamed with excitement, as if he had seen a masterpiece of chess.
Song Jiuzhou stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping across the map, and said in a deep voice, "The Hundred Herbs Garden?"
I visited this place many years ago; it had artificial hills and flowing water, and an exquisite layout, but the buildings had fallen into disrepair over the years.
"Converting it into a school, workshop, and dormitory that can accommodate hundreds of people is a huge undertaking."
"Leave the blueprints to me!"
"I guarantee that the school buildings I design will not only be practical and sturdy, but will also show you what true mechanical engineering is all about!"
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Song!" Bai Yiyue bowed.
Liu San Niang also spoke up: "Since it is a Hundred Herbs Garden, there must be many abandoned medicinal herb gardens inside."
Mr. Shi and I can go and see which lands are suitable for development into experimental fields.
Students' medical and agricultural studies classes cannot remain merely theoretical.
“That’s exactly right!” Shi Man excitedly agreed.
Du Jiu then slowly added, "I will draft all the contracts and documents for the land purchase and school construction."
To ensure a flawless cover-up, leaving no room for anyone to criticize.
The Bai sisters were all deeply moved by the bustling scene before them.
For the next month, the entire city of Qingzhou could feel an undercurrent surging.
Qian Duoduo demonstrated his incredible business acumen.
Instead of buying land directly, he first joined forces with several cloth shops to acquire the exclusive right to use Song Jiuzhou's improved loom design drawings, which immediately attracted a large investment.
He then used the money to easily buy the property rights of Baicao Garden, and invested the remaining funds in several short-term businesses that were sure to make a profit, thus establishing the academy's first active reserve fund.
Song Jiuzhou locked himself in his study for three days and three nights, and what he took out was not a blueprint, but a complete set of exquisite wooden architectural models.
Liu San Niang and Shi Man practically lived in the Hundred Herbs Garden.
One of them revitalized the abandoned medicinal herb garden, while the other cultivated a neat experimental field, introduced fresh water, and even built chicken coops and rabbit cages.
Du Jiu oversaw the review of all incoming and outgoing documents and contracts, while simultaneously beginning to compile the first "Concise Handbook of the Laws of the Great Wu Dynasty" specifically for women.
The Bai sisters all came out in force.
Bai Yiyue coordinated the project, Bai Eryue supervised the construction, Bai Sanyue assisted Qian Duoduo in managing the accounts, Bai Siyue and Bai Wuyue began designing the academy's uniforms and textbook layouts according to the teachers' requirements... Bai Liuyue was in charge of logistics and meals, while Bai Qiyue used her well-connected network of contacts to search for poor but intelligent girls in the city who were willing to study.
Finally, as summer fades into early autumn, the air is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.
A brand-new academy, bearing the plaque "Seven Fairy Maidens Girls' Academy," rose from the ground on the site of the former Hundred Herbs Garden.
It retains the original elegance of the garden while incorporating the ingenuity of Song Jiuzhou's design, making it both classical and innovative.
On the first day of school, there was no fanfare, no gathering of celebrities.
Only seven Bai sisters, dressed in matching sky-blue academy uniforms, and five solemn-looking teachers stood at the academy gate to welcome their first batch of thirty students.
These girls included the daughters of laundry women, the sisters of small vendors, and orphans who were almost sold off.
They wore patched clothes, their faces showing timidity and confusion, but more than anything, an irrepressible yearning for the future.
When they entered this academy, which resembled a fairyland, and saw the bright and clean classrooms, the vibrant fields, and the teachers they had only heard of in legends, their eyes lit up with an unprecedented light.
Bai Yiyue stood on the high steps, looking at the young faces before her, and said loudly:
"Today, you enter through this door not to learn to be a better wife or a better mother."
"Today, you will learn arithmetic, medicine, agriculture, law, and business here, in order to learn how to become a complete human being!"
"A person who can think independently, protect themselves, create value, and take control of their own destiny!"
"The Seven Fairies Girls' Academy officially opens today!"
Under the sunlight, the girl's voice was clear and firm, like a phoenix's cry, breaking the silence of Qingzhou City for thousands of years.
After the excitement of the opening ceremony, the thirty new students were divided into five classes, and with the same trepidation, they ushered in their first real lesson in life.
To give all students a basic understanding of the subjects, the academy decided to designate the first week as General Education Week, with five professors taking turns to teach introductory classes to all students.
Song Jiuzhou's classroom was set up in the newly built workshop.
This place is filled with all sorts of gears, wooden strips, levers, and strange tools.
When the girls came in, they were like little people who had wandered into a land of giants, both curious and afraid.
With a stern face, Song Jiuzhou walked onto the podium without saying a word.
He carried neither books nor chalk, but a huge wooden box covered with a black cloth.
"To investigate things and acquire knowledge means to understand how things work." He said succinctly, and then lifted the black cloth.
"Wow!" The room erupted in exclamations.
The wooden box contained nothing but a dozen or so exquisitely crafted wooden toys.
There are wooden birds that can flap their wings by themselves, little people that can walk around when wound up, and a wooden crab that can creak and crawl.
These are things that girls have only seen in their dreams.
"Want to play?" Song Jiuzhou's face revealed a smug smile.
The girls nodded timidly.
"If you want to play with it, you have to take it apart first." Song Jiuzhou picked up the wooden bird. "Who knows why it can fly?"
A bold girl whispered, "Is...is there some kind of magic?"
"Nonsense!" Song Jiuzhou's eyes widened. "There aren't that many immortal techniques in the world!"
These are the things that are making the difference!
With a snap, right in front of everyone, he disassembled the exquisite wooden bird into a pile of parts: gears of various sizes, thin springs, and several connecting rods.