"Besides, if you hear too many lies... eventually people will believe them!" Fu Wenwen frowned, deciding she needed to rein in Zhu Xi's tongue.
"Hearing you say that, it does sound quite serious! But that's the village head's youngest daughter... Aren't you afraid of offending the village head?" Zhang Cuihua glanced at Fu Wenwen, reminding her.
"I believe in the village head's fairness and impartiality." Although Fu Wenwen had only interacted with the village head a few times, she could tell he wasn't a selfish person. On the contrary, he cared deeply for the villagers.
"No matter how fair and impartial, she's still his little daughter! Zhu Xi is the one he dotes on," Zhang Cuihua didn't see it that way. She knew that no matter what, Zhu Xi was the village head's most beloved youngest daughter, so why would he side with Fu Wenwen?
"The village head is educated; he'll surely understand these principles and be just," Fu Wenwen said with a smile.
"How can being educated mean he won't favor his own family?" Zhang Cuihua clearly didn't believe it.
"Sister Cuihua, do you know what the use of reading is?" Fu Wenwen looked at Zhang Cuihua and asked.
"What's the use? Isn't it just recognizing a few characters and being able to read newspapers?" Zhang Cuihua was a typical rural woman who hadn't been to school since childhood. She envied literate people but didn't feel the benefits of literacy herself.
"The greatest use of reading isn't just recognizing a few characters; it's more about helping you leave this village and experience more of the world," Fu Wenwen said with a light smile, looking at Zhang Cuihua. "You might not understand what 'in books there are beauties,' but you must understand that those who rise above are definitely educated people."
"Sister, I don't understand what you mean." Zhang Cuihua seemed to grasp some but not all, struggling to follow Fu Wenwen's words. "What other use can reading have? For a rural woman like me, who works all day, raising children for a man, and striving to feed this family, what's the use of reading for me?"
"If you learn to read, you can teach your children! When you go to town to buy things, you'll know what the labels say! At the most basic level, if you're literate, other illiterate aunts will look up to you!" Fu Wenwen gave examples.
Zhang Cuihua didn't understand much else, but she definitely understood the last sentence. "Sister, you mean being literate can give you face?"
Fu Wenwen chuckled. So, the most important thing was dignity?
"Sister Cuihua, after I've said so much, is it less important than being looked up to?" Fu Wenwen smiled.
"Of course, you don't know, we rural people value face the most! If you have something happy happening in your family, you can walk with your chest held high," Zhang Cuihua said earnestly. "But if something goes wrong in your family, and you lose face in the village, you can't hold your head up wherever you go!"
"But sister, you've said so many benefits of reading, just tell me quickly what's going on," Zhang Cuihua leaned closer to Fu Wenwen and asked in a low voice. "Don't worry, sister will keep it a secret for you."
Fu Wenwen smiled lightly. If she told her, the whole village would probably know.
However, Fu Wenwen wanted the whole village to know.
"Didn't I go to see the village head yesterday? I wanted to find some work I could do to support myself and Lin An. The village head told me that he and the secretary were already planning to start a literacy class in the village to teach everyone to read and write!"