Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 29 School
Near dusk

The men came to report. That "Donkey Jiang" had confessed that he had hidden 24 boxes of gold and silver treasures in Qingliang Mountain and was now leading people to recover them.

Zheng Guohui turned his head to look at the Western clock. It was only four and a half hours since "Donkey Chiang" had shouted those harsh words, which made him speechless.

Where's the tough stuff you promised me? It's just this... isn't that bullshit?

Soon after dark
Zheng Guohui had just finished dinner and was burping. He wiped his mouth with a hot towel and casually placed it on the maid who was carrying a tray. The housekeeper Zheng Tian came in to report.

"Master, the guards who went out have all returned, and they've brought back several carts of stuff. Look..."

"Send the items to the warehouse in the backyard, and have Mr. Dong inspect them tomorrow. Once they're properly stored, have them return them. I'll give them a reward of 200 taels of silver, and they can divide it among themselves. Remember... tell everyone to shut up."

"I understand, sir, I'll take my leave.

Zheng Tian stood up swiftly, lowered her head, took two steps back, turned around and left without asking any questions.

Zheng Guohui looked at Qiao Yue and Qiao Xing who came forward to serve him and said gently, "No need to serve me. I'm going to the study to do some work. You two should eat quickly while the food is still hot."

"This servant respectfully sends you off, Master."

"Um……"

Zheng Guohui waved his hand and walked towards the study in the backyard.

He walked through the winding flower path. Several wintersweets beside the courtyard wall were in full bloom, and the flowers brought bursts of fragrance that was refreshing.

The study is warm and the furnishings are antique.

Zheng Guohui was very excited to have unexpectedly obtained a large sum of money today, and he was one step closer to his dream of going to Southeast Asia.

Money is a person's courage, and without money you can't succeed.

on desk

There is a thick book on display, which contains the British military training drill method compiled by the foreign instructor Smith, including infantry, artillery and cavalry. It basically restores the British Army combat training regulations.

This text was completed over several months with the assistance of my master.

Zheng Guohui flipped the page open and read it carefully. After a long moment, he closed the book, thought seriously, and wrote:
This is the English method of training soldiers, and it has quite a few subtleties. As the saying goes, "One can polish jade with a stone from another mountain," we should import it in its entirety, establish military academies to teach officers and use it for our own benefit.

It also wrote: 1200 taels of silver were allocated, and Mr. Dong Huanzhang was given full authority to handle the affairs of the Military Academy.

Putting down the brush in his hand, Zheng Guohui looked quite pleased with himself as he looked at the powerful and vigorous characters.

Young people are full of energy and their handwriting is sharp and vigorous.

The trivial matters related to the Military Academy were handed over to the aide-de-camp Dong Huanzhang. A few training classes would be held first, and when all conditions were met, enrollment would begin on a small scale.

Anyway, there are many properties in Jinling City, so we can just choose a large courtyard to set up a school.

"Run a school", when Zheng Guohui thought of these two words, an idea suddenly came to his mind.

Yes, I have plenty of money now. Why not recruit some young people to run a school in the name of charity and instill in them the concepts of loyalty and gratitude? Wouldn’t they all be our soldiers in the future?

Thinking of Zheng Guohui, he became excited and began to think about this matter seriously. He wrote and drew whatever he thought of on paper, and soon he had written more than ten thick sheets of paper.

Unconsciously

It was already late at night. The two personal maids, Qiao Xing and Qiao Yue, came to check several times. Seeing that the master was busy in the study, they did not dare to disturb him and left quietly.

Returning to the backyard, he asked the cook to carefully stew a pot of ginseng, antlers and old hen soup in a large casserole.

The other one brought some hot pastries that had just come out of the oven, covered with cotton cloth. The two girls carried them and walked towards the study.

"My lord, it's late at night, and I've made some supper on my own initiative. Please enjoy it, sir."

Qiao Yue's whispering voice came from outside the door, like the crunch of a white radish.

Zheng Guohui suddenly woke up and subconsciously took out his gold pocket watch to check the time. Before he knew it, it was already past 11 o'clock in the evening.

He was indeed hungry, so he said, "Come in." "Yes, sir."

As soon as the door opened, a gust of cold wind rushed in.

Qiao Yue held a large casserole covered with a small quilt in her hands, and Qiao Xing held a steamer covered with a small quilt. The two pretty maids came in one after another, their fair faces red from the cold.

After putting down the things in her hands, Qiao Yue turned around and closed the door.

Seeing that the master was still busy at the desk, Qiao Yue gave Qiao Xing a wink, and the two women started working quickly.

Open the casserole, pour in the hot ginseng and antler old hen soup, select the fattest chicken wing roots, chicken legs and gizzards and put them in a celadon bowl, pick up a spoon to test the temperature, it's just right.

The pastries had already been served on a plate and placed on a tray.

The delicious and fragrant ginseng, antler and old hen soup whetted the appetite of the hungry Zheng Guohui. He drank three bowls in a row and ate a lot of pastries before stopping.

Seeing that there was quite a bit of soup left, he said, "I bet you two must be hungry too. Have a bowl of the chicken soup before it gets cold."

"Master, I dare not."

"Since the master has said so, it is a reward for you, eat it quickly!"

"Thank you sir for the reward."

This was the first time that Qiao Yue and Qiao Xing had supper in the master's study, which was a great blessing.

The study is an important place in the mansion and no one is allowed to enter.

The two girls silently lowered their heads and sipped the chicken soup. Soon, their eyes were red.

In this era of strict feudal hierarchy
When the master and the young master sit down to eat, servants and maids are absolutely not allowed to sit with them. That would be against the rules.

The only people who could sit at the same table to eat with the master and the young master were the wives who were married through formal marriages; the concubines had to stand behind them and serve them.

Even if a concubine is in her fifties or sixties and her illegitimate son has grown up, according to the rules she still has to stand behind the dining table and serve, and she is not qualified to sit at the table.

There is only one possibility

Only when a concubine's son passes the imperial examination and becomes a Jinshi, and is promoted by the court to a higher position and honor, bringing glory to the family, can a concubine be qualified to sit at the table.

Zheng Guohui was also aware of these old customs and habits. He sighed in his heart and turned his attention back to the plan of building a school. He took the manuscript and reviewed it repeatedly, making corrections.

soon
Qiao Yue and Qiao Xing finished drinking the chicken soup, packed up the things in their hands, bowed silently to the master, left the study room gently, and closed the door gently.

From beginning to end, no sound was made.

Zheng Guohui put down the draft in his hand, rubbed his eyebrows with his fingers, looked at the dim lights, and felt complicated and inexplicable emotions in his heart.

If in the future
Both Qiao Yue and Qiao Xing are beautiful girls picked from thousands of people, enjoying the tolerance and favor of the society.

Qiao Yue is not tall, with a pair of big watery eyes on her fair and cute face. She is a typical baby-faced girl.

After being moisturized, her girlish immaturity has faded and her body has gradually become more curvy.

In addition, she has a gentle personality and is very much loved by Zheng Guohui.

Qiao Xing is a beautiful girl of the Yangzhou skinny horse type, with skin as white as snow and a slender waist that can be held in one hand, which is very lovable.

Unfortunately, the two girls were born in the wrong era and could only become playthings.

After calming down his complicated emotions, Zheng Guohui stood up, turned off the light in the study, and walked towards the dormitory in the backyard.

Faced with the strict feudal ethics, he was helpless.

It is even more impossible for him to challenge the established rules just because of his love for these two girls, as that would affect the big things he has planned.

Even if there is only a slight possibility, it will not be allowed.

If he is labeled as "heretic and rebellious", his credibility will be greatly lost. How can he still be a commander?
(End of this chapter)