Mo Sanniang came back to her senses, a bitter smile on her face, "I didn’t expect he had been through such an ordeal."
Patting Lin Yuan’s hand, Mo Sanniang smiled resignedly, "Don’t worry, I’ll vent this anger for you! With such a great opportunity at hand, if he doesn’t seize it, then he’s truly lost his mind!"
Without waiting for Lin Yuan to respond, Mo Sanniang picked up the cotton robe she just finished, bundled it up in a trice, and left the house, "Watch the shop for me, and wait for the good news!"
It was not until Mo Sanniang’s figure had vanished at the doorway that Lin Yuan, with eyes wide and stammering, said, "I, I didn’t break up this pair of mandarin ducks, did I? Oh no, that scared me to death!"
Lin Yuan thought Mo Sanniang would take a good while to return, yet before she could finish a cup of tea, she saw her twisting her slender waist and returning triumphantly in the distance.
Lin Yuan’s sip of tea got stuck in her throat, "So, so soon? Did it work out?"
Mo Sanniang gave her a "of course" look, shooed Lin Yuan away from the stool in front of the counter, sat down, and said, "Ah, I’m parched."
"Sister, have some tea!" Lin Yuan gratefully offered her tea cup with both hands. Not only that, but with a deep bow, nearly at a ninety-degree angle, her manners nearly matched those of a servant in a wealthy household.
A twitch crossed Mo Sanniang’s lips, "You little wretch!"
"Hehe." Lin Yuan, with a mischievous smile, put down the tea cup. She knew without asking that as long as Mo Sanniang was willing to intervene, the matter was bound to succeed. She just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly and was quite curious about how Mo Sanniang had persuaded that stubborn mule.
Upon being asked by Lin Yuan, Mo Sanniang spread her hands, "Nothing much, I just made a cotton robe, didn’t I? I told him that if he didn’t agree to become a teacher, I would send the robe to Xie Zhiyuan’s place. After all, Xie Zhiyuan is being henpecked by Ma Xiaoqian and doesn’t even look like a man anymore. If I push this onto him, he’ll surely be too happy to find his bearings."
Lin Yuan couldn’t help but be taken aback, such is the nature of a woman! A woman who knows exactly how to press someone’s weakness!
Whether threatened or willing, Meng Liangdong ultimately agreed to take on the teacher’s job. As for whether he would devote himself wholeheartedly, that was not a concern at all. Such a thorough and precise person as Meng Liangdong, even if asked to farm the land, would complete the task with meticulous care.
Indeed, when Lin Yuan returned to Rice Flower Fragrance to discuss the school operations with him, Meng Liangdong already had quite a few ideas. After all, he grew up in the town and was very familiar with the situation in Zhuma Town. He had heard somewhat of Old Mr. Cheng’s reputation, though at the time he was solely focused on pursuing official honors and never paid much attention to the school. It was only after Lin Yuan brought it up that it came to his mind.
No sooner had Lin Yuan entered the door than Meng Liangdong handed her a piece of paper he had just written, "Since you are taking over the school, you need to understand it. Although my knowledge is limited, at least I understand some aspects. Old Mr. Cheng’s school in South City has quite a few students, but they are mostly children from poor families who can barely pay tuition. When it comes to textbooks and writing materials, it’s difficult to afford them, so you, madam, will have to pay for these expenses with silver."
Having said this, Meng Liangdong carefully observed Lin Yuan, knowing that the cost of these materials was substantial, especially the books, which were not cheap. Otherwise, Old Mr. Cheng wouldn’t have had to copy books himself.
While Lin Yuan was looking at the list, Meng Liangdong couldn’t help but ask, "Madam, if you’re thinking of making money from running a school, I advise you to buy another one instead. This South City School really isn’t the best choice."
Having been Mr. Accountant at Rice Flower Fragrance for a few months, Meng Liangdong had picked up a bit of knowledge and understood where and how to make money.
Lin Yuan waved her hand, "I didn’t buy the school to make money."
She managed several shops on her own, and even without Xia Zheng’s Fuman Building, her tofu shop and Rice Flower Fragrance alone could earn a decent amount of silver. Besides, schools are not a profitable venture; she had initially thought of the school for her younger siblings, and now, for Old Mr. Cheng and the lovable children of South City.
She was confident about the expenses. She had made a rough estimate before, planning to allocate ten percent of Rice Flower Fragrance’s monthly profits to maintain the school’s normal operations. This amount of silver was not a significant sum for her.