My Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden

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Chapter 116 The Lecture

The next day was the official start of classes at the private school. Qi Yu dressed up early and went to the school.

I thought I had arrived early enough, but there was already a group of children waiting eagerly at the entrance of the private school.

Qi Yu arrived at the gate of the private school, took out the key to open the door, and then went inside.

A group of children followed behind Qi Yu, a total of seventeen people, including Erhu's older sister, Daya.

Da Ya's real name is Li Yuxiu. Da Ya is just her nickname. They all believe that a humble name is easier to raise, similar to names like Gou Dan (Dog Egg) or Er Zhu Zi (Second Pillar).

Daya is already eleven years old, but all she can do is write her own name.

She didn't recognize any of the other characters.

Qi Yu gathered a group of students in the courtyard and began to give them a lecture.

Qi Yu couldn't help but recall the bald old headmaster from his previous life; all he was missing now was a microphone.

“From today onwards, I am your teacher. You can call me teacher or sir, whatever you prefer.”

“What I teach you may be a little different from other private schools. I don’t teach the Four Books and Five Classics, or rather, I’m not limited to teaching you the Four Books and Five Classics.”

"I will provide a detailed schedule, and you will follow that schedule to attend classes."

"My teaching philosophy can be summed up in sixteen characters: harmony between heaven and earth, equality for all, and education for all races!"

"You are all my students, so I will treat each of you equally, regardless of whether you are male or female, rich or poor, noble or lowly. Once you enter the gates of my private school, you are my students, so I hope you can get along well!"

After Qi Yu finished speaking, all the children looked at Daya, who was older than them.

Although they are young, they do understand some basic common sense, such as that girls cannot go to school.

Private schools don't accept female students; it's the same everywhere.

Qi Yu didn't want to say anything more, so he waved his hand and said, "Alright, you all go to the classroom and wait for me!"

A group of little kids excitedly ran into the classroom, looking around with curiosity, and then found seats to sit down.

There are twenty seats in total, one for each person, leaving two empty seats.

There were no chairs at the tables, and the tables were quite short, so the students were basically kneeling.

Qi Yu was helpless and had no choice but to make do, as it was too late to replace the tables.

On each table was a flat, square box filled with sand, which Qi Yu had specially commissioned to be made for practicing calligraphy.

He wasn't extravagant enough to buy paper and pens for these children to practice writing; they should use a sand tray instead!

The first step in teaching is learning to read!

Qi Yu wrote the first character on the blackboard, which was the character '孝' (filial piety).

Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important. No matter what you do, filial piety should always come first.

Qi Yu's class lasted half an hour, or one hour, and he taught a total of eighteen characters.

After writing on the blackboard, Qi Yu gestured in the air with his finger to guide the students, and then let them practice writing on the sand table.

In the last ten minutes, Qi Yu did not give a lecture, but instead told the children a story, the story of the monkey and the monk's journey to the West.

Qi Yu only finished class when the hourglass ran out.

"Today we taught you eighteen characters. Tomorrow you will have to recite them from memory. If you can write them all, you will be rewarded with a string of candied hawthorns. If any of you write fewer than ten characters, then we will not tell you a story tomorrow."

"Class is over now. Go out and play. Come back in an hour, and I'll teach you math!"

After saying this, Qi Yu walked out of the school and headed to his 'office'.

After Qi Yu left, the group of children did not run out to play, but instead sat in their original seats, looking at the words on the blackboard, and began to practice on the sand table again and again.

They didn't feel tired at all, because in the previous private school, a class would take at least an hour, or even two hours, while Qi Yu only taught for half an hour.

Half an hour is more than enough to memorize these eighteen characters!

When Qi Yu rushed back to the school, he found that the students were all practicing calligraphy. He was stunned for a moment, but then felt a little gratified.

"Stop practicing for now. I'm going to teach you math, starting with the simplest addition and subtraction."

"Brother Qi Yu...sir, I've already learned it. I know multiplication. Can you teach me something else?" Erhu raised his hand and said.

Qi Yu had previously taught Erhu multiplication, and Erhu had indeed learned it.

Qi Yu waved his hand, telling Erhu to put his hands down, then looked at the group of students and said, "What I teach you may be unheard of, but it is very practical."

“Some of you have already learned from me, but most of you haven’t, so I’ll start teaching you from the beginning. If you already know it, treat it as a review to learn something new. If you don’t know it, listen carefully to what I’m saying and ask questions if you don’t understand. Just don’t pretend to know what you don’t!”

As he spoke, Qi Yu began writing numbers on the blackboard, saying, "There is a script in the Western Regions that is like this. The strokes are simple and easy to remember. These are numbers one through ten."

“These numbers are somewhat similar to the Arabic numerals I know, and I’m starting to wonder if I have some fellow countrymen in the Western Regions.”

"This vertical line is one, this one that looks like a duck swimming is two, and this half-gourd shape is three..."

"Compared to the open-ended nature of literature, mathematics is simpler because it has very few variations; the answers are basically fixed!"

……

Qi Yu was giving a lecture, and the students were listening and watching very attentively.

Two pairs of eyes were also staring at Qi Yu outside the window, their expressions a mixture of complexity and shock.

Su Yue knew Qi Yu was knowledgeable, but she still didn't expect that her husband would know such Western Region numbers.

Moreover, her husband seemed to be very comfortable with this kind of teaching; he could always find some interesting teaching methods to engage the children.

Cheng Xin was also looking at Qi Yu, a flicker of emotion appearing in her empty eyes.

I heard that he was once a scholar who passed the imperial examination. If his academic qualifications had not been revoked, he should be on the list of successful candidates now.

If I had married Qi Yu instead, would I be in the same situation now?

As she pondered, Cheng Xin's gaze fell upon Qi Yu's smile.

From their first meeting, she felt that Qi Yu was no ordinary person.

She felt very comfortable after just a few words.

Talking with Qi Yu doesn't feel stale or uncomfortable, unlike many other scholars.

Qi Yu has a unique temperament; he feels refreshing and sunny, and talking to him is never dull.

Marrying him would be a very happy thing.

Cheng Xin's eyes were vacant and unfocused as she murmured, "Miss Su, you are really lucky!"

Su Yue smiled, then looked at Qi Yu with gentle eyes and said softly, "I am indeed very lucky!"

She was very happy with Qi Yu because he only had eyes for her, and she could feel his tenderness and love.

Being with Qi Yu allowed her to forget her identity; she was no longer a demonic cultivator, but simply Qi Yu's wife.

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Chapter 117 Discussion

Qi Yu's private school has been open for half a month, and Qi Yu is attending classes according to the system from his previous life.

Work five days a week, then rest for two days.

A balance between work and rest is essential for achieving good results. While rote memorization can yield good results, it's too strenuous for a group of young children.

Qi Yu didn't want to turn these kids into bookworms who only knew how to read all day.

It's Friday again. Qi Yu said to the students below, "You don't need to come tomorrow and the day after, but I have to assign you homework!"

The eighteen children below all looked up, staring blankly at Qi Yu, waiting for what was to come.

"Go back home in the next couple of days and wash your parents' feet. The day after tomorrow, I will visit your home to ask about this matter."

"If you didn't finish, give your palms five times. That's it. Now you can go home!"

After Qi Yu finished speaking, he picked up his book and left the school.

Teaching students how to be good people is more effective than teaching them any knowledge.

They taught the students knowledge, but not how to be a person. When they grow up, they will only be parasites that harm society.

It is necessary, or rather, essential, to cultivate in them the right values.

First, they need to know what filial piety is!

You can let down heaven and earth, your country, and your teachers, but you must live up to your parents' expectations.

……

Qi Yu and Cheng Xin were the last to leave the private school. After closing the door, Qi Yu looked at Cheng Xin and smiled, "Goodbye, Miss Cheng!"

"Just call me Cheng Xin, Miss Cheng sounds too awkward," Cheng Xin said.

Cheng Xin's eyes finally regained their color, no longer as empty and lifeless as before.

Qi Yu nodded, put the key away, and smiled, "Well then, Cheng Xin, goodbye, take care on your journey!"

Cheng Xin nodded, then turned and walked toward the carriage parked not far away.

Cheng Xin travels by carriage from Jiangzhou City to Jiangting Village to teach every day, and then returns by carriage in the evening.

After watching Cheng Xin's carriage leave, Qi Yu turned around, his back to the setting sun, and walked home, stepping on his own shadow.

Winter is just around the corner, and it gets dark earlier.

The walk home takes only about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, roughly twenty minutes.

But within those twenty minutes, the sky darkened.

Stepping outside into the courtyard, the house was already brightly lit.

Qi Yu had never realized before that candlelight could be so warm.

In my past life, every time I came home from get off work, it was pitch black. After turning on the lights, I would feel lonely looking at the empty living room.

But when another person comes into your life, knowing that there is someone waiting for you at home, you still feel warm, even on this cold night.

"My wife, I'm back!" Qi Yu called out to the house after pushing open the courtyard gate.

Su Yue quickly appeared at the door, looking at Qi Yu with a smile.