The Resolute Cannon Fodder Teaching In Ancient Time

Chapter 52: Fifty-Two Treasures✨

In the following days, Xun Qianchun did not come again. Xu Zhen waited for her in the house, like a lonely, resentful woman left alone. Fortunately, she gradually became familiar with people in Pingliang and could find others to chat with. Recently, she had another task to focus on—teaching.

Xu Zhen was eager to earn merits and took this responsibility seriously. She often sat cross-legged on the steps at the second city gate, taking advantage of the good sunlight to write her lesson plans. Pingliang Academy had only two classes, divided by age, with sixteen as the dividing line. Xu Zhen taught the class with generally younger students.

The academy was noisy and chaotic; none of the students in the two classes were particularly fond of reading. Their attire clearly showed they were all martial enthusiasts. When Xu Zhen entered the classroom, the students inside were still comparing their short knives, laughing and playing. Only when they saw Xu Zhen did they stop and reluctantly return to their seats.

Xu Zhen said, “Class is starting, everyone open your books.”

At her words, the group of kids slowly slumped over their desks, reflexively wanting to sleep. Xu Zhen continued, “Come on, everyone, let’s read together.”

Some continued to lie down, trying to sleep. Seeing this, Xu Zhen threatened, “If you don’t read, I’ll tell your parents.”

Finally, the students perked up a bit, sitting crookedly on their low stools, holding their books to read.

“The art of opening and closing, tested through yin and yang…”

Xu Zhen chose the opening content of "Guiguzi" for everyone to read together. If the volume was too low, they had to read again, and if they made mistakes, they had to start over.

The students were interrupted once, twice, three times.

Someone immediately got upset. A student stood up and said, “Teacher, I think you’re making things difficult for us!”

The speaker was a girl, her voice steady and firm, her face scarred, her clothes frayed, with two small knives tucked into her belt, looking like someone who had been tumbling in the mud and sand since childhood.

Xu Zhen asked her, “What do you mean by making things difficult?”

The student replied, “The content could be finished in one go, so why make us read it so many times?”

Xu Zhen smiled and said, “It’s because you’re not reading well. If you just go through the motions, it’s like not reading at all.”

“It’s just a textbook, nowhere near as useful as real weapons on the battlefield. What good is reading the classics?” The student was quite disdainful.

From a certain perspective, Xu Zhen actually agreed with the student’s viewpoint. However, since she was tasked with teaching them something, she couldn’t agree so readily.

Xu Zhen decided to take a roundabout approach. She asked, “What do you want to be in the future?”

The student answered firmly, “A famous general!”

Xu Zhen asked again, “There are many types of famous generals, like the killing god Bai Qi, the wise generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, and the various scholar-generals of the Three Kingdoms period.”

The student couldn’t answer for a moment.

There weren’t many books at the border; everyone learned from storytellers in teahouses, who narrated the Three Kingdoms with gusto, describing the era of three kingdoms, famous generals everywhere, wielding swords with grand bravado. She had once admired those brave warriors, dreaming of showcasing her prowess on the battlefield.