Chapter 318: Chapter 60: Behind the Scenes! Manipulating Changning (7000 Words)_2
The two of them, upon hearing this, were not frightened but rather delighted. They cupped their hands towards Wang Shouzhe and said, "Thank you, Fourth Uncle/Fourth Brother." Doing these tasks not only doesn’t require the family’s head to intervene but also can earn some merit points.
Finally, Wang Shouzhe’s gaze fell on Wang Lili and Wang Luqing.
The two little girls looked at Wang Shouzhe with a bit of fear, appearing as if they were ready to receive their fate.
Wang Luqing, being the ninth in the Lu Generation, was likely to be the youngest of her generation if nothing unexpected happened.
Of course, one couldn’t rule out Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai having a sudden burst of youthful vigor and giving Wang Shouzhe another younger sister.
Now that the family’s conditions have improved, economic pressure and burdens have eased considerably, and the birthrate has increased quite a bit.
"Fourth Brother." This year, Wang Luqing was only six years old. With her watery eyes, she blinked at Wang Shouzhe and said in a childish voice, "Sister Yaoyao said that the old master was too much of a bully."
"That is your niece Yaoyao, you mustn’t confuse the generations." Wang Shouzhe affectionately rubbed her little head, "Besides, how could the old master bully you?"
This mischievous girl was the youngest in age, yet her seniority was high, even Wang Zongwei, who was already thirty, had to honestly call her Ninth Aunt.
"Fourth Uncle," Wang Lili said with a bit of grievance, "I also think Sister Yaoyao is right. The old master shouldn’t look down on those female teachers in the clan academy."
Wang Lili was the eldest daughter of Second Brother Wang Shouyi, and she was only seven this year. Although she was a year older than Wang Luqing, they were practically little girls of the same age.
Given their young age, Wang Shouzhe couldn’t bear to scold them harshly. He could only pinch her cheek and say, "Your goal now is to study well. If there’s truly a problem, report it to Fourth Uncle, and Fourth Uncle will solve it."
"Fourth Brother, we were wrong, and we’re willing to be punished." Wang Luqing seemed quite responsible, "We’re also willing to help in the refugee camp."
"Alright, once I finish dealing with this matter, none of you will get away." Wang Shouzhe said, giving Wang Liyao a glance, "You too, understand?"
"Understood, Father." Wang Liyao wasn’t afraid of punishment. "I also heard from Seventh Aunt and Fourth Aunt that refugees have been arriving in Ping’an Town one after another, and there’s a lot of resettlement work to be done."
"Good girl~"
Wang Shouzhe praised her and then let her go, following her and the female teacher into the old master’s office.
Inside the office sat an elderly man in his seventies. The old man’s appearance was quite pitiable. His originally imposing white beard was half burnt off, and his face was blackened in patches, looking rather sorry.
He was supporting himself with a cane and even up until now was still trembling slightly, as if he had not yet recovered from his fright.
"Shouzhe, how do you usually discipline your children? Look at your Wang Liyao, she’s causing trouble in the clan academy every day."
Upon seeing Wang Shouzhe, the elder finally found a vent for his emotions and began sharply criticizing him.
"Mr. Wang, calm down, calm down. Let me first inquire about the situation."
Wang Shouzhe held a great deal of respect for this elder, who had diligently served the Wang Family for half his life, and readily tried to soothe him.
This old man was named Wang Yangjie, a member of the Wang Family’s collateral line and a very outstanding scholar. He had traveled the world and had vast knowledge, even having served in a civil position at the Changning Capital City Mansion.
Back then, it was Ancestor Longyan who personally brought him back to serve as a professor in the clan academy. He had taught many people, including the previous Wang Shouzhe was also one of his students, thus his efforts and contributions could not be denied.
Hence, he served as the vice dean in the new clan academy.
As for the official dean, of course, it was merely a title for Wang Shouzhe. Due to his busy affairs, he was typically not involved in the clan academy’s management.
Wang Shouzhe’s stature as the family patriarch still held significant weight. Once he spoke up, the old man did indeed quiet down.
Subsequently, Wang Shouzhe turned his gaze to his beloved daughter.
His daughter had already turned eight and was way past the age of being clueless about things.
With her arms crossed and puffed-up cheeks, she spoke with a bit of grievance, "Father, haven’t you always said boys and girls are the same? But the old master always favors those boys."
"When those boys make mistakes, he just lightly scolds them. But if the girls in the clan academy make mistakes, the old master always talks about sending them back home. Also, the old master often says there shouldn’t be female teachers in the academy, constantly reprimanding them. I got really angry and that’s why I opposed him."
This was something Wang Shouzhe was aware of.
Mr. Wang Yangjie indeed had this problem of favoring males over females. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Luqiu and the others were never keen on studying.
Moreover, Luqiu and Luojing back then hadn’t clashed with Wang Yangjie infrequently.
"But you can’t go around burning the old master’s beard. If there’s a problem, it needs to be solved," Wang Shouzhe said sternly. "Now, what do you suggest we should do?"
"I think there should be a female vice dean in the clan academy." Wang Liyao had clearly thought about this issue long beforehand. As soon as Wang Shouzhe asked, she crossed her arms and earnestly began to talk, "There should also be strict rules in place, and anyone who makes a mistake should be punished, regardless. Boys and girls shouldn’t be treated differently."
"Hmm, what you say makes some sense." Wang Shouzhe said, "However, Yaoyao, your way of handling this is too extreme. First, apologize to the old master."