Chapter Thirty-Four: The Yang Family Academy

Yang Cheng nodded. “And finally, as for the last matter, from what I understand, most of you have children at home, don’t you?”

The crowd looked puzzled. Among ordinary folk, even if the family was poor, whether it was for the sake of continuing the family line or simply to have hope for the future, having children was a given. Take Aunt Wang, for example—in her forties, with several children and even grandchildren already a few years old.

In the cultivation world, ordinary people married and had children early as well. Even common families were large with many offspring, which was a significant reason why the Cloudflow Nation was able to hold its own within its borders, thanks to the flourishing of the human race. Only cultivators like Lu Baichuan, whose lifespans were long, didn’t care much about marrying early or late; even at over a hundred years old, their bone age was equivalent to a person in their twenties.

Yang Cheng continued, “Very young children can’t work yet, but leaving them to play at home all day isn’t ideal either. I intend to establish a Yang Family Academy. Steward Yang will find a quiet spot in the back mountain and, according to my plan, build an academy. Then we’ll hire literate teachers to give lessons. Any worker employed by the Yang family can send their legitimate children, from the ages of four or five up to under fifteen, to study here for free. They’ll learn to read and do arithmetic, which will help them secure a better future. At the very least, they’ll pick up some useful skills to support themselves. What do you all think?”

Tears welled up in their eyes. Aunt Li choked out, “This is a tremendous blessing, young master. If you need our help, just say the word. I’ll rally my family—anyone available can come help out, and you don’t need to pay us. This is for the sake of our descendants; we can’t let you bear all the cost.”

“Yes, young master, if we call our kin, they can bring their own food. You don’t have to worry about it,” others echoed emotionally. From ancient times, the poor valued literature while the rich valued martial prowess. In the cultivation world, training required vast resources, making it nearly impossible for ordinary people to break in—they remained weak for generations. But if their children could read and write, at least they could become clerks or help manage affairs for wealthy families. At the very least, they could run a small business and know how to keep accounts.

Cloudflow Nation revered cultivation above all and paid little heed to education. Only noble houses and powerful clans had their own academies for their children; there were no state-run schools. A few destitute scholars might run private schools, but for most impoverished families, sending children to learn to read was out of reach.

For people like them, watching their innocent children grow up aimless each day was a constant worry. Who didn’t want their descendants to have a better chance in life? The young master’s proposal was a monumental kindness, resolving their anxieties one by one.

Su Yunxue was quite surprised. In her sharp mind, this was an act of righteousness. For the young master, building a small academy wasn’t a large expense, but the potential returns could be immense. She couldn’t quite grasp all the possibilities, but she silently admired his grand vision.

In Yang Cheng’s view, the cost of land, construction, and hiring teachers for an academy was not significant. In essence, it was a win-win: the children would receive an education, binding two or three generations of families more closely to the Yangs. In the long run, including ideological teaching would instill in many a deep loyalty to the Yang family from childhood.

Some with good aptitude could be trained as family merchants, becoming his agents in various industries with a high degree of loyalty. If any rose to official positions, they would bring him countless advantages. Many would learn crafts, becoming reliable workers in the future.

He could even have Lu Baichuan keep an eye out—should any children have notable talent, they could be trained as his personal martial retainers. He intended to do good and reap rewards, though such thoughts, of course, he kept to himself.

With the main plans settled, Yang Cheng then outlined in detail his ideas for the two factories’ construction. He explained the new food products, using his own drawings to illustrate. As some materials differed between the two worlds, or had different names, he could only describe them roughly, leaving the women to experiment with combinations themselves.

After a lengthy discussion, he dismissed the group, leaving only Old Yang and Su Yunxue behind.

In informal settings, Yang Cheng always respectfully called Old Yang, who had raised him, “Uncle Yang.” He said, “Uncle Yang, you’ll probably be the busiest in the coming days; all kinds of construction need your personal supervision.”

Old Yang’s face glowed with pride as he grinned, “It’s no problem. I’m happy to see the Yang family thriving.” Then, after a pause, he added, “Young master, I may not understand all you’re doing, but I’ll make sure each detail is handled well. The Yang family is changing quickly. I just hope you don’t overextend yourself. We don’t need the family to become great and famous; it’s enough to remain stable and secure.”

Yang Cheng was moved. Old Yang was not eloquent, but he was gently reminding him to be cautious and not to let early success breed recklessness.

Still, Yang Cheng was confident. Everything remained under his control. He nodded. “I’ll remember your advice, Uncle Yang. There will be a lot of building going on soon, and some of these architectural styles are new to the workers. Once the temporary laborers get used to the work, keep thirty or so reliable men. In the future, we’ll have even more projects, and having our own trained construction team will be a real advantage.”

Old Yang agreed, and Yang Cheng turned to Su Yunxue. “Sister Yunxue, when you managed your family’s business before, did you have contact with the ladies of the prominent families in the southern part of the city?”

Su Yunxue was taken aback. “I know many of them; some were quite close to me.” Her expression dimmed. “But later, we lost touch.” After her husband died, old acquaintances and friends avoided her for fear of trouble. When she’d sought them out in her hardest days, they’d refused to see her, letting her taste the bitterness of human fickleness.

Yang Cheng said, “The Yang family’s reputation isn’t much yet, and the steward’s status may not open doors. I’d like you, as director of the two factories, to cultivate good relations with those ladies.”

Su Yunxue looked troubled; she truly disliked dealing with such hypocritical women. “Those I know are mostly from lesser families; I can’t reach the great clans. With a factory employing several hundred, they might treat me as an honored guest.” Then, as if realizing something, she asked, “Is this perhaps your way of seeking a good marriage alliance for yourself, young master?”

Yang Cheng flushed and replied awkwardly, “No, no, you misunderstand. I haven’t thought about that. I haven’t met anyone who truly moves me.”

“So, you’d call them ‘fair-weather friends’?” he asked.

“Young master, what does that mean?”

“It’s about the same as being insincere, putting on a false face.”

“That’s quite an apt term,” Su Yunxue admitted.

“That makes it easier. Treat it as a task. In your free time, visit them, bring gifts, build connections. In the future, when we release new products, you can give them samples.”

“You mean to give things away for free?” Su Yunxue was reluctant. “Why?”

“Women’s purchasing power is formidable—they are a boundless source of wealth,” Yang Cheng said, chuckling.