Literacy Class

"Come on, sit here." Tang Wen patted the spot beside his thigh.

"In your dreams!" Gu Hanyan rolled her eyes, shot him a contemptuous look, and brought over a low stool to sit opposite him, reaching for the soup spoon.

"I'm not asking you to feed me. I can eat on my own. Hanyan, I'd like your help with something," Tang Wen said, sitting up.

"That depends on what it is." Gu Hanyan looked wary.

"You're a well-bred young lady, educated and sensible," Tang Wen said.

"Master, don't put such a tall hat on my head. A lowly maid like me can't bear that honor," Gu Hanyan said sarcastically.

"Look, most of the servants our Tang household has taken in can't read. Fewer than thirty of them are literate.

"Some recognize a few characters, but not many.

"Work on the dam has started, and we have plenty of Iron Horses that need operating. They can't operate them if they can't read.

"So I'm going to set up a Literacy Class," Tang Wen said.

"A Literacy Class? What does that mean?" Gu Hanyan asked.

"Someone who wouldn't recognize a character even as big as a bushel is illiterate, so we need to teach those people to read.

"Junru's father used to be a teacher. He can be one of our instructors.

"But we have too many people. One teacher is nowhere near enough.

"So, since you can read, I'd like you to give them lessons and teach them their characters.

"And we can't do it the old way, learning from childhood. That would take years, and I can't wait that long.

"We need a crash course. What's a crash course? A class where they can learn most characters in a short time. In about two months, we need to have them recognizing some characters.

"They should be able to write letters and handle simple transactions," Tang Wen said.

"Learn all that in a month or two? How is that possible? We studied for two or three years, and even then we hadn't learned everything." Gu Hanyan shook her head.

"Of course they can't compare with properly trained scholars. They only need to recognize some commonly used characters.

"Otherwise, if it takes years, am I supposed to stop all my work here?

"Look, we have over a thousand people now, and they all need food and clothes. If we can't get anything done, we'll all be living on the northwest wind," Tang Wen said.

"You certainly have worked hard on that front, Master. But learning characters in a month or two is simply impossible," Gu Hanyan said.

"What's impossible about it? Take a look at these books." Tang Wen picked up a copy of Language Arts and handed it to her.

Gu Hanyan opened it and froze in astonishment.

"There are pictures, too?"

"Of course. Look, these two characters mean rooster, and these mean rice grain... Aren't they much easier to remember with pictures?" Tang Wen said.

"Oh, they really are! So much easier to remember. After looking a few times, I know what says rooster and what says rice grain." Zhan Junru, who was beside them, gaped in shock as she looked.

"This picture is so lifelike. It looks exactly like a rooster. Who drew it?" Gu Hanyan asked in wonder.

"Heh." Tang Wen chuckled without answering.

"You drew it?" Taken aback, Gu Hanyan stared at Tang Wen.

"I made it." Tang Wen didn't dare claim he had drawn it himself. If Gu Hanyan insisted he draw one on the spot, he would make a complete fool of himself.

It had been photographed with a phone and then printed in color. Naturally, it was lifelike.

"Then who wrote this book?" Gu Hanyan asked.

"Who besides your master could produce something this marvelous?" Looking thoroughly pleased with himself, Tang Wen curled his lips into a smile at Gu Hanyan.

"Pfft! Little sister Junru, look at these characters. They all look as if they came from the same mold. They must have been printed," Gu Hanyan said.

"Of course they were printed. But I wrote this book. If I hadn't written it, they couldn't have printed it.

"Hanyan, familiarize yourself with the book first. We're starting classes tonight, so be prepared.

"And Junru, take a copy to your father. Tell him to familiarize himself with it, too, and be ready to teach tonight," Tang Wen said.

Gu Hanyan became so engrossed in Language Arts that she spent the entire day reading it.

Heh heh, when I bring out Mathematics, won't you be floored...

And don't you like playing the zither? I'll get a music textbook, too.

Don't you like playing chess? I'll throw in the Thirty-Six Chess Games. Hahaha...

Tang Wen was grinning wickedly...

That evening, the first batch of "students" arrived for the Literacy Class, around a hundred in total. The two teachers, Gu Hanyan and Zhan Shifeng, sat solemnly on the platform at the front.

The vast majority of these people recognized dozens or even a hundred characters, while a small number knew only a few.

"Everyone, within books lie houses of gold, and within books lie beauties with faces like jade. Do you know what that saying means?" Dressed as a gentleman scholar, Tang Wen stood at the lectern and asked.

"Does 'houses of gold' mean there's gold in books?" Bu Feng asked.

"Exactly!" Tang Wen nodded.

"How could there be gold in books?" Zhao Du asked in confusion.

"That's right, Master. If there's gold in books, couldn't we all get rich by buying a few?"

"Exactly, exactly..."

"Hahaha..."

The whole classroom erupted in laughter.

"Be serious. This is a classroom. If Master says there is, then there is." Li Quan sided with Tang Wen, and at the sight of this, he scolded them sternly.

"So what if it's a classroom? A classroom should allow everyone to discuss things," Gu Hanyan said.

"Miss Gu, you mustn't say such things carelessly." Li Quan grew anxious.

"That's enough, Li Quan. Of course discussion is allowed in a classroom. Different opinions are even better. Plenty of things improve through discussion." Tang Wen waved a hand.

"Then I'd like to ask Master Tang how you conjure gold out of books. I'd like to conjure ten or a hundred taels myself," Gu Hanyan said with a hint of sarcasm.

"A thousand would be even better," someone added.

"Where does knowledge come from? Most of it comes from reading.

"Knowledge is wealth. Let me give you a simple example.

"If you study, pass the metropolitan examination, and become an official, won't you have more and more money?

"And if you do business without knowing how to read, you won't even realize when someone cheats you.

"If you're knowledgeable, understand reason, and can see things clearly, you won't be so easily swindled, and you'll earn more money.

"Here's another example. Look at the dam we're building. Aren't the excavators impressive?" Tang Wen asked.

"Of course they are. That Iron Horse is incredible." Zhan Dongwen nodded.

"Knowledge is needed to build all these things. One excavator can dig as much earth in a day as over a hundred people.

"The people who make excavators possess extensive knowledge. An excavator shipped over from the Western Lands can sell for hundreds of thousands of taels.

"Think about how much you could earn.

"Hundreds of thousands of taels-most people in this world could never earn that in their entire lives.

"If you had extensive knowledge, you would have that opportunity, too.

"And why can licentiates and Provincial Graduates earn more than you? Because their knowledge is broader than yours," Tang Wen said.

"Then what about the beauties with faces like jade?" Gu Hanyan asked, unconvinced.

"That refers to a beauty from ancient times," Tang Wen said with a smile.

"Master Tang really is impressive. I can just about accept conjuring gold from books, but conjuring beauties, too? What a joke," Gu Hanyan said sarcastically.

"Of course you can. Think about it. How much does a beauty cost in this world? Buying a pretty girl from a brothel only costs a few dozen taels of silver. Once you have knowledge and earn money, why worry about having no beauties?" Tang Wen said with a smile.

"Hahaha..."

"Master Tang is absolutely right."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly how it works..."

"I want to study..."

"Everything I just said was to prove how important reading is. Actually, you all understand that.

"So, starting today, whether you're a master craftsman or an artisan, however high and mighty you used to be, you'll knuckle down and learn your characters first.

"Only once you can read will you be able to move on to the next stage of work.

"Come, I'll broaden your horizons today." As he spoke, Tang Wen switched on the "whiteboard."

The next moment, the whiteboard lit up and beautiful music rang out. Everyone stared, transfixed, including Gu Hanyan.

"Ah! Master knows immortal arts?"

"Master, how can there be sound coming from inside it?"

"There must be a mechanism inside. I heard someone from the Gongsun Family can do this, too, making wood produce sounds."

Tang Wen let them discuss it for a while before motioning for quiet. He had selected the opening theme of The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Since it was a period drama, he didn't have to worry about giving himself away.

After all, the styles of clothing were much the same.

Then he tapped the whiteboard, and a crowing rooster appeared.

Pointing at the characters, Tang Wen said, "These two characters mean rooster... Open your books and find where the rooster is."

"Found it! Found it!" someone cried in delighted surprise. A moment later, everyone had turned to it.