The carriage moved slowly, and the two sat inside, swaying with the motion. Outside, the sounds of the crowd were boisterous, but Lu Yu’s eyes and heart were solely focused on Shen Xuan, making Shen Xuan feel a little uneasy.
“Wife, where are we going?”
After the carriage had traveled a bit further, Shen Xuan could no longer suppress his curiosity. He looked up at Lu Yu, hoping she would tell him in advance.
“I can’t tell you that. It’s a surprise, and if I tell you, it won’t be a surprise anymore.”
“But you’ve already said there’s a surprise, so even if you hide it from me, I’ll have some expectation. Please, just tell me.” Shen Xuan playfully shook Lu Yu’s hand.
“That’s still not allowed!” Lu Yu was resolute and answered with conviction, “I guarantee that even if you know it’s a surprise, you’ll still be astonished.”
“Hmph.” Shen Xuan pouted, looking extremely wronged, and sat there pitifully.
Lu Yu couldn’t stand seeing him like this, but there was nothing she could do. She was the one who spoiled him.
“We’re almost there, don’t be impatient.”
Hearing Lu Yu’s instruction from inside, the coachwoman sped up the carriage.
“Whoa—”
The coachwoman lifted the curtain, respectfully avoiding looking inside, and lowered her head to announce, “Patriarch, Master, we have arrived.”
Shen Xuan’s eyes lit up upon hearing they had reached their destination, and he instantly perked up. He put on the veiled hat he had prepared, and with the help of the small stool placed by the coachwoman, he alighted from the carriage.
Lu Yu shook her head helplessly, a doting expression on her face. Her husband was becoming more childlike.
The moment Shen Xuan stepped off the carriage, he was stunned by the sight before him. It looked like an unfinished mansion, still under construction, but the general outline was already discernible.
“Wife, what is this?” Shen Xuan suppressed his excitement and voiced his question.
“Didn’t Xuan’er guess what this is?” Lu Yu took Shen Xuan’s hand and placed it in hers. Although Shen Xuan’s hands were no longer as cold as they used to be, Lu Yu had not changed this habit; it was likely to last a lifetime.
“This is… a school?” Shen Xuan uttered it word by word, his excitement barely concealed.
“That’s right. This will be the only school for men in our town. Come, let’s go inside and take a look.”
Lu Yu tightly held Shen Xuan’s hand as they stepped through the school’s main gate.
The interior of the school was mostly completed. The layout was spacious and the design unique, with many small rooms arranged side-by-side.
Further inside, some construction workers seemed to be discussing something, working with great fervor.
Zheng Yu, who was talking with someone inside, caught a glimpse of the two passing by and blinked several times in surprise.
After confirming it was indeed them, she quickly put down her work, called out to them loudly, and hurried over.
“Why have you come here?”
“Town Chief Zheng.” Shen Xuan turned and saw Zheng Yu standing behind them, politely bowing.
“I’ve told you, there’s no need to be so formal.” Zheng Yu waved her hand with a smile.
“I brought my husband here to have a look. Why are you, a town chief, also here?” Lu Yu answered Zheng Yu’s question and then asked Zheng Yu with a hint of curiosity.
Logically, even if a town chief wasn’t busy every day, they shouldn’t be this idle. She used to visit the medical clinic frequently, but now that she hadn’t been for a few days, she had time to come here.
Were all town chiefs this idle? More idle than herself, a doctor.
Zheng Yu immediately extracted the important information from Lu Yu’s words and shot her a glare, “Of course, I’m not idle. I’m busy to death every day, always dealing with one thing or another.”
“I did some extra work a few days ago, so I’m taking advantage of this free time to see how much longer it will take to complete.”
“It looks almost done to me. It should be ready for promotion soon.” Lu Yu had observed the construction progress herself when she arrived.
“Indeed, it will be completed within ten days. I’ve already arranged for publicity in the next couple of days.”
“Then, we’ll be relying on brother-in-law to teach the students,” Zheng Yu said with a smile, already picturing the lively scene on the opening day.
Hearing this, Shen Xuan looked at Lu Yu in disbelief, his mouth agape. No one had ever told him he would be a teacher here.
Seeing Shen Xuan’s reaction, Zheng Yu also looked at Lu Yu in bewilderment.
For a moment, four eyes, two pairs of gazes, fell upon Lu Yu simultaneously.
“You haven’t told brother-in-law about this yet?” Zheng Yu’s eyes widened, full of confusion.
“You should go back to your work now.” Lu Yu smiled and pushed Zheng Yu, subtly gesturing for her to leave quickly.
Truly discarding someone after using them, prioritizing romance over friendship, and being disloyal!
Zheng Yu grumbled inwardly but didn’t disturb them. She gave Lu Yu a disdainful look, then nodded to Shen Xuan. Seeing that Shen Xuan wasn’t looking at her, she rolled her eyes so hard they almost went to the heavens.
Fine, I won’t embarrass myself here. When I have a husband in the future, I’ll definitely show off like this in front of you.
“Xuan’er, this is the second surprise I wanted to give you today. Do you like it?”
Every word Lu Yu spoke seemed to possess a magical power, striking directly at Shen Xuan’s heart.
A warm current surged through him, making his heart feel warm. His eyes grew hot and red as he gazed steadily at the smiling Lu Yu before him.
Feeling that his eyes could no longer contain the overwhelming tears, Shen Xuan quickly lowered his head. As he did, tears “plinked” onto the ground.
He then quickly wiped away the moisture from his eyes and let out a softly nasalized “Mmm.”
“Alright, why are you crying when you’re touched?” Lu Yu chuckled and pulled Shen Xuan into her embrace.
“Wife, thank you.” Thank you for being so good to me. I’m so happy.
“I told you before, no more thank yous, or I’ll ignore you and take back this surprise.” Lu Yu pretended to be fierce to scare Shen Xuan.
“No, you gave it to me, so you can’t take it back.” Shen Xuan wasn’t afraid of her at all. He pulled away from her embrace and looked at Lu Yu, replying earnestly. At the end, he lifted his chin, his expression one of triumphant joy.
“You’ve really spoiled me! My little husband isn’t even afraid of me anymore.”
“Wife, isn’t this exactly how you like me? Or do you not like it anymore?”
Shen Xuan detected the doting tone in Lu Yu’s voice. He stuck out his tongue at her, his eyes full of playfulness and slyness.
“Yes, I love you exactly like this. I’m crazy about you.”
Shen Xuan had been trained by Lu Yu to the point where he no longer felt shy about saying sweet nothings in public, completely disregarding whether anyone was around. He lowered his head and let out a satisfied chuckle.
“Wife, why did you choose me to be the teacher at the men’s school? I don’t have that much knowledge.”
As his excitement subsided, Shen Xuan began to seriously consider the matter. No matter how he thought about it, he felt he really shouldn’t have been chosen.
“The men’s school has just been established, and most people won’t accept it. The education men receive here is also based on the principle of gender segregation. If we were to find a female teacher, then the men’s school would truly be unable to attract any students.”
“Moreover, there aren’t many educated men in this town. As far as we know, you are the only one. And with the establishment of a men’s school, other educated men might not dare to come forward, as they still fear societal judgment.”
“Furthermore, the national policy hasn’t changed. Even if men study as well as women, they won’t be allowed to participate in the imperial examinations.”
“This men’s school is simply to allow men to learn some principles, to not look down on themselves, and to provide an opportunity for men like you who already enjoy learning to do so.”
“The ultimate goal of building this school is to enrich their spiritual world. Men are also people; they have thoughts and should not be deprived of their right to learn because of their gender.”
“Therefore, the teacher at this men’s school doesn’t need to have extensive knowledge, but rather needs to be a man with independent thinking, someone who can guide them and teach them confidence. That is enough.”
Lu Yu explained the specific reasons behind it to Shen Xuan one by one.