"Aying, you know that my daughter is no longer a little girl. I don't expect her to be as brave and resourceful as you, but I can't let her be illiterate like us for the rest of her life..."
Zhang hung her head nervously. "A few of us have been thinking that it would be good for our kids to study for a few days and gain some knowledge."
The other fishing women blushed with shame and nodded silently.
Li Ying was rather pleased. Zhang wasn't completely stubborn. She actually had the idea of sending her daughter to school. Her thinking had "awakened" quite a bit.
"So, you were trying to save some silver on the sly? Why didn't you discuss it with me?"
Zhang thought that since she had been caught red - handed in this sneaky business, Li Ying would scold her severely out of anger and never hire her again. But she didn't expect Li Ying to talk to her kindly. This made her even more ashamed.
"Aying, we would never be disloyal and steal the factory's silver! Now that our families have a little money, we can afford books like *Hundred Family Surnames* and *Thousand Character Classic*. We just thought we could use the cuttlefish ink for the kids to practice writing..."
Only then did Li Ying notice that there was indeed a broken bowl beside the female workers, filled with pitch - black cuttlefish ink.
"I also know that sending the girls to school might seem like a daydream... You're so busy every day, and I didn't dare to bother you, so I made the decision on my own. It was all my idea, Aying. You can fire me, but please spare my sisters!"
Li Ying found Zhang's honest look quite amusing.
"So all your sneaky efforts were just for a bowl of cuttlefish ink?"
Seeing that the women were too ashamed to raise their heads, Li Ying sighed helplessly.
"You never even asked me. How did you know I would oppose it? Wanting to send your daughters to school is a good thing. Our village really should have a school. I've been too busy and neglected this."
She pulled Zhang up from the ground. "Although you didn't cause any real loss to the factory's profits, in order to get this cuttlefish ink, you colluded with the fishermen and lied about the weight of the catch. This still violates the factory's rules, so there must be a punishment."
"I'll cancel your bonuses this month. In the future, if you have any ideas, come and discuss them with me first. If you act on your own again, don't blame me for being strict."
The fishing women looked at each other in surprise. They thought they were going to lose their jobs, but instead, Li Ying was so reasonable. They were all moved to tears.
"Aying, you can rest assured. We'll never do it again! We'll accept the punishment. It's just... can we take this cuttlefish ink away?"
Li Ying found their cautious but eager looks both funny and annoying.
"You just saw that the cuttlefish ink is black and thought it could be used for writing?"
Zhang looked blank. "Yes. We can't afford the Four Treasures of the Study. We finally came up with this makeshift method..."
Li Ying smiled. "The words written with cuttlefish ink will disappear before long. It can't be used. Don't be distracted by such things. Leave the kids' schooling to me."
She always kept her promises. Although the fishing women lost their bonuses, they got her guarantee. They were overjoyed as if they had received a great gift and were eager to kneel down and thank her.
Li Ying took the cuttlefish ink and went to find Su Buchi.
Although this junior - uncle hadn't achieved any great academic success yet, as a direct disciple of Yan Lianzhi, his knowledge and vision were outstanding.
It seemed a waste of his talent to let him be a teacher in this small fishing village, but Li Ying's principle was always to maximize everyone's value. He was the most suitable candidate.
"Junior - uncle? Are you leaving?"
Hearing her voice, Su Buchi turned around with a gentle smile. He was holding two volumes of poetry in his hand, and there were many clothes scattered in the tent. It was obvious that he was packing.
Li Ying secretly thought it was bad.
Su Buchi put down his things and nodded kindly. "I came here from afar to look for my master before. I've troubled the fishing village for several days and am grateful for Miss Li's hospitality. Now that I know my master is well, I should set off."
Li Ying quickly asked, "Junior - uncle, is it because I didn't entertain you well? You've just found Master Yan. Since you're free anyway, why not stay in the fishing village for a few more days?"
Su Buchi smiled. "Since I was a teenager, I've been determined to follow in my master's footsteps and travel the famous mountains and great rivers of the world. Moreover, there seems to be someone in the village who is quite wary of me. I'm not the kind of annoying person who doesn't know when to leave, so it's time for me to go."
Lu Xunguang's wariness of him was obvious to all.
He had stayed in the fishing village before because he was worried about his master and admired Li Ying.
Now that his master was well and Miss Li had found her beloved, he really had no reason to stay in the fishing village and pester her.
Li Ying didn't want to force him to stay and felt quite regretful.
She could see that Su Buchi was a noble and unrestrained person.
"In that case, I wish junior - uncle a smooth journey and a bright future."
After exchanging a few polite words, she was about to leave when Su Buchi seemed to remember something and curiously asked, "Miss Li, it seems you originally wanted to discuss something with me?"
Li Ying briefly mentioned the idea of building a school in the village. Only then did a look of understanding flash in Su Buchi's eyes.
"Guiding the village kids to start their studies is not a difficult task. If Miss Li really thinks I'm the most suitable candidate, it's okay for me to stay a few more days."
Seeing that he really put down his packed luggage, Li Ying quickly waved her hands.
"How can I force junior - uncle for my own selfish reasons?"
Su Buchi smiled. Looking at her embarrassed look, he said softly, "Miss Li, you don't need to worry. Since ancient times, schools have never accepted female students. Your idea of a 'co - educational school' is novel and bold. I'm very curious, so I decided to stay. It's not just to accommodate you."
He said it casually, but Li Ying could tell that he didn't want her to blame herself.
Her sense of apology deepened. "Then I'll thank junior - uncle on behalf of the village kids first! If junior - uncle feels tired, just leave at any time. Don't force yourself!"
Su Buchi nodded in agreement. Watching her bow to him repeatedly in gratitude and finally turn away, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
Since she had asked for his help, he, Su Buchi, would do his best.
Although he wasn't as strong and burly as Lu Xunguang, there were still some things in this world that only he could do.