"Of course," Fu Wenwen chuckled. "But remember to come back early for lunch."
"Got it!" Lin An's excited reply was followed by him running out, clutching Fu Wenwen's storybook.
Watching Lin An venture out for the first time, Fu Wenwen smiled.
She didn't know why Lin An had been reluctant to go out before, but now that he was willing, it was a good sign.
As Fu Wenwen turned to hang the marinated ribs to dry, Zhang Cuihua and a group of villagers rushed over, grabbing Fu Wenwen's arm.
Fu Wenwen was startled. Seeing it was Zhang Cuihua, she asked in confusion.
"Sister Cuihua, what's wrong? Why is everyone in such a hurry?"
"Sister, I've brought everyone! They all agree to hold the literacy class you mentioned in the village. You go with us to tell the village head! This literacy class absolutely cannot be beneficial to people from other villages," Zhang Cuihua urged Fu Wenwen.
"That's right! Literacy classes teach people to read, such a good thing, how can we let people from other villages do it."
"Our village has so many people, we can definitely learn half of it! Isn't it just learning a few characters!"
"Exactly, if we all learn to read, then our daughters' marriage prospects will have to be improved!"
"..."
The aunts Zhang Cuihua brought chattered amongst themselves. Fu Wenwen, hearing their words, smiled and waved her hand, asking them to quiet down and listen. "Aunts, can you let me say a few words first?"
"Fu Zhiqing, speak your mind!" the villagers immediately responded.
"Sister, you tell us!" Zhang Cuihua also said.
"This literacy class will be held in the evening. After you come back from work, you'll have to come to the literacy class. You'll have to write and listen to lectures, it's not a game! And you can't just come today and not tomorrow! Does everyone understand?" Fu Wenwen called out to them.
"Furthermore, this literacy class will not have work point rewards. It will all depend on yourselves. You must learn of your own volition, we are not forcing you to learn, you must also understand this point! Don't have any dissatisfaction, and certainly don't cause trouble or throw tantrums. You must show respect to the teachers who teach you, and you cannot interrupt or talk back when the teacher is speaking," Fu Wenwen continued to them.
"This..." Hearing Fu Wenwen's words, everyone exchanged glances, feeling a bit hesitant.
"What's there to question? Of course, we're learning for ourselves! Once we can read, I'll see who dares to put on airs of being a university student in front of me!" Zhang Cuihua immediately declared, her demeanor more like someone going to fight than to study.
"We've got nothing to do after dinner anyway. Now that there's a literacy class, if we don't learn to read, how can we do ourselves justice!"
"He calls me an ignorant illiterate woman every day, I'll show him! Isn't it just learning a few characters! What's the big deal! I won't swallow this insult!"
"Exactly!" Zhang Cuihua immediately ignited the crowd's emotions! It's just learning characters after dinner! What's so difficult about that!
"Fu Zhiqing! Tell the village head! We all want to learn to read!" a woman shouted at Fu Wenwen.
"Alright, I'll go find the village head now!" Fu Wenwen nodded, wiped her hands, and prepared to head to the village head's house.
"We'll go with you!" Zhang Cuihua quickly said.
"Yes, we'll go with you!" The villagers behind her followed Fu Wenwen to the village head's house.