Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Establishing a Schoolhouse

“No, nothing.”

Qi Zheng shook his head and staggered out of the room where the two gentlemen were sitting.

The arrival of his grandson was pleasant, but his granddaughter’s words were shocking.

Qi Zheng didn’t even know how he made his way back to the main hall.

Sitting in the chair, he stared fixedly at a point, as if possessed.

By the time everyone realized they couldn’t find the old man, more than half an hour had already passed.

“Dad, why are you sitting here alone?”

Qi Dafu was the first to find the old man, and he immediately inquired upon entering the room.

Qi Dalang, who was following behind, hurried to the backyard to call out.

Everyone relaxed only after realizing the old man was found.

But just as they were about to disperse, they heard Qi Dalang shout, “Everyone come to the main hall, Dad has something to say.”

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t bother with their tasks and hurriedly went to the main hall.

Qi Zheng was seen sitting upright in the main seat, looking serious, with no trace of joy about his grandson.

The originally cheerful crowd fell silent upon seeing the old man’s expression, each finding an appropriate place to stand, not even daring to sit.

Mrs. Qi also came over, and upon seeing her husband like this, she felt a sinking feeling.

She hadn’t seen him like this in a long time; something major must have happened.

Mrs. Qi walked over to Qi Zheng and called softly, “Old man?”

“You sit down first!”

Qi Zheng, however, did not give his wife any attitude, but instead looked around at everyone present, frowning: “Where’s the fourth?”

“Fourth Brother is with Fourth Sister-in-law.”

Qi Quanli answered quietly.

“Ask him to come over, just say I have something to announce.”

Qi Zheng wasn’t angry.

Qi Quanli was about to agree, but then blurted out, “Shall I call my Fourth Sister-in-law too?”

With that, everyone looked at him as if he were an idiot.

“Wife.”

Qi Zheng suddenly called Mrs. Qi.

Mrs. Qi snapped back to reality, looked at Qi Zheng, and waited for him to continue.

With a complex expression, Qi Zheng glanced at Qi Quanli before saying, “It’s time to arrange a marriage for the sixth.”

“Huh?”

Mrs. Qi was momentarily speechless, “Old man, you called everyone here just to say this?”

The sixth is already nineteen this year and should have been matched with a girl long ago.

But with so much going on these past two years, it had been delayed.

Qi Zheng shook his head: “No, first we settle the sixth’s marriage. Once he becomes a father himself, he’ll understand that during postpartum confinement, women shouldn’t be exposed to drafts.”

This reason left Mrs. Qi at a loss for words momentarily.

But on reflection, it seemed quite reasonable.

Given the sixth’s personality, he really needs someone to tame him.

Mrs. Qi promptly agreed: “Fine, I’ll ask around tomorrow.”

Qi Quanli had not yet left and naturally heard his parents’ discussion, his face instantly turned beet red, and like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he shot out three feet high.

“Hahaha!”

Everyone laughed heartily seeing Qi Quanli’s reaction.

But the laughter only made Qi Quanli run faster.

What happened, how did the topic suddenly shift to him matching with someone?

No, wait!

Isn’t matchmaking for girls?

Why would a guy like him need to match with someone!

Regardless of Qi Quanli’s thoughts, Qi Zheng was now addressing what he really wanted to discuss with everyone.

Although the fourth wasn’t here, it didn’t matter; after all, he was just informing everyone, not consulting.

Qi Quanjin was sent out by Yi Meng.

Qi Quanjin left the room step by step, often looking back, but once outside, his face turned cold instantly, looking at Qi Quanli with evident disdain.

“What’s the matter that you had to call me out at this time?”

Qi Quanjin asked as he walked to the front yard.

Qi Quanli’s face was still burning, especially after hearing his fourth brother’s words; he felt even more embarrassed.

“Fourth Brother, you have to talk to our dad about it. I’m such a grown-up already, how can there be talk about matchmaking? It’s a girl’s thing, I, I don’t want it.”

Qi Quanli decided to seek help from his fourth brother.

Qi Quanjin was bewildered, “What matchmaking?”

“It’s, it’s just…”

Qi Quanli was too embarrassed to repeat his parents’ earlier conversation, so he just said, “Anyway, just help me out when the time comes!”

Having said that, he ran away swiftly, fearful that Qi Quanjin might question further.

Qi Quanjin was also keen to finish the business quickly so he could return to his wife in the room, so he chased after him.

When Qi Quanjin arrived at the main hall, he immediately felt the atmosphere was a bit strange.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

Qi Quanjin scanned the room, finally looking at the old man in the main seat.

Qi Zheng tapped his pipe twice and said, “I just told them, starting tomorrow, we will choose a place to build a school.”

“Build a school? Tomorrow?”

Qi Quanjin was surprised, “But Dad, wasn’t it agreed that we’d start building the school after the walls are finished?”

That’s the reason he didn’t mention the school when arranging this year’s plans with the villagers.

They needed to build the walls first, to ensure safety, only then could they focus on other tasks.

Qi Zheng paused while stuffing tobacco, glancing at Qi Quanjin, “The old man is telling you, not asking your opinion. What, now that you’re the village chief, you don’t even listen to your old man?”

“I will, I will listen!”

There was no way Qi Quanjin would defy him!

But he still needed to understand what had happened to make his father suddenly change his original plan.

“Dad, it’s not that this can’t be done, but you should at least explain the sudden change,”

Qi Quanjin quickly explained as the old man was about to get angry, “I mean, everyone’s busy building the walls; if we suddenly switch to building a school, manpower isn’t the only necessity. There are also materials, and all that requires time to organize.”

“Just look at our current situation, everyone wishes they could have seven or eight pair of hands to manage everything.”

“Dad, it’s great to build a school, but, but…”

Qi Quanjin earnestly tried to calm his father.

But Qi Zheng was already calm enough and didn’t need his fourth son’s nagging to get calm.

“The school doesn’t need village people to build it. Second, you head into town tomorrow to find craftsmen; we’ll employ the best craftsmen to build the school.”

Qi Zheng paused for a while before continuing, “Fourth, you also go into town tomorrow, go to the county government and buy another piece of land specifically for building the school.”

“But Dad, I can’t go to town tomorrow.”

Upon hearing he needed to go to town, Qi Quanjin didn’t even pay attention to the reasons and directly shook his head in refusal.

Qi Zheng looked at him, “Why can’t you go?”

“I, I need to stay home with Meng Niang.”

Qi Quanjin stated confidently, “Meng Niang just gave birth to our child, she’s feeling weak, I can’t leave her, I need to stay and take care of her.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep