Zhao didn't know what was happening outside the thatched hut. He believed that irin would take care of it. He was really tired now and just wanted to have a good sleep.
From the barn, he pulled out a blanket, then he imdiately layed down on the bed. It only took him a few minutes to fall asleep. After drinking the Water of Nothingness, his body couldn't even handle a large amount of exercise, let alone the situation that happened today.
Outside the thatched hut, the slaves were also resting. With such a rare opportunity to rest, they naturally wouldn't say anything. Plus the ground was covered with a soft blanket. Soon the entire space was quiet. Even in front of Zhao's door, Rockhead and Blockhead was sitting down while napping.
After more than two hours, irin woke up. She slowly walked to the hut and opened the door to check up on Zhao, finding him fast asleep. She then quietly closed the door.
Looking at the slaves, she saw that so of them were already awake, just sitting there not knowing what to do.
Although irin could teach them how to read, she didn't know if now was the right ti. Teaching these people would make noise, and she didn't want to wake Zhao up.
But then she noticed that the radishes, which were planted before she slept, had actually started to sprout. She was very surprised. This was her first ti seeing how fast sothing could grow in this space.
irin couldn't help but squat to look at the growing radish seedlings. These seedlings were very sturdy, and they looked healthy.
Making the sa movent, g crouched down next to irin, and whispered, "Grandma, how could these radishes sprout so quickly? Is it so kind of advance vegetable magic?
irin smiled slightly. "Master told long ago that anything he planted in this space would have a greatly shortened maturation ti. But I didn't think that it would be this short."
"In this space, the magic radishes will mature every eight hours." Zhao's voice ca from a distance.
irin and g were surprised for a mont. They turned around and saw that Zhao had co out of the hut, with Blockhead and Rockhead standing behind him. irin stood up. "Master, is what you say true? A batch of magic radishes can mature in eight hours?"
Zhao nodded, then he pointed to the corn field. "See those corn? In the space, they only need fourteen hours to reach maturity after planting them."
They followed the direction of Zhao's finger. They saw the growing corn, with green leaves that looked strong and long.
Zhao turned to irin. "We will have enough food to eat inside this space. So it's better to stay here instead of encountering those spirit beasts."
"Yes, Master is right," irin said. "If we don't have to worry about finding sothing to eat, then we could stay here for a few days."
Zhao turned around and looked at everyone who was awake. The slaves were standing up respectfully while watching him. "Grandma irin, while you teach them to read, Blockhead and I will dig a stove to cook."
They had more than a hundred people to feed. Although Zhao had brought a lot of supplies from the castle's storage, if he wanted to make sothing for the slaves to eat, he would have to build a place to make a fire. There was nothing like that here in the space, so he could only dig a simple stove.
"Master, let the slaves build it," irin said. "They can do it in a shorter amount of ti, and it would be strange for you to do it."
Zhao looked at the slaves and nodded his head. If the slaves were learning how to read and write, while their master was digging a stove, it would scare the slaves because it was contrary to what they knew.
irin saw Zhao nod, and imdiately organized the slaves to start digging a stove. Zhao fortunately had the castle's supplies in his spatial barn so they weren't lacking any tools.
Although they had to feed more than a hundred people, they only needed ten or so to dig the stove. Then they would use the pot that Green had purposely bought for the slaves.
In fact, many slave owners would use this kind of thod because it was the easiest way to feed the slaves. While the slaves were working, you just needed to find two people to carry the pot and cook the rice, thus saving a lot of ti.
The ten slaves dug a good stove fra, but it was impossible to light a fire now. Zhao had to wait for the corn to mature first, then they would have sothing to burn, otherwise they would have to use the wood that he had brought, which would be a pity.
Zhao knew that they were short on wood, and he didn't know when Green would co back. After he returns, they could sell the radishes in exchange for gold coins, and then they would be able to buy more wood. But for now, Zhao didn't want to waste the supplies he had on hand.
After looking at the stove fra, Zhao nodded at the slaves, then he turned to irin. "Grandma irin, it'll take more than two hours for the corn to mature. In that period of ti, you have to teach them to recognize so words. I'm going to go take a break inside the hut."
irin nodded, and once Zhao walked inside the hut, she turned to the slaves. "Please do not worry. In two hours or so, the corn will mature, and then you can eat. In these two hours, you will learn to read…"
Before she could finish, the slaves buzzed with excitent. The slaves couldn't read. It was common sense in the Continent to not teach the slaves to read. So for them, literacy was a sacred thing, and now they had just heard that irin was going to teach them, so all the slaves were very surprised.
irin shouted, "Quiet!"
The slaves imdiately quieted down, but they all had a look of excitent as they watched irin. "We of the Buda clan are not the sa as the other nobles. Our benevolent master has consented for everyone to learn. If you can learn the words quickly, Master can absolve you of slavery. Understand?"
This got the slaves more excited. Zhao letting them be taught was amazing, but if they were to learn well, then they could even beco free commoners. For the slaves, it was like telling them as long you eat, you will also get a bonus. Such a good thing was hard to find.
"Because of the conditions we have now," irin said, "I can only teach you to recognize so simple words. In these two hours, I can only teach you ten words, but you must learn to read and write it." Having said that, she picked up so paper and a brush.
They didn't have a blackboard. Writing on paper was the only way she could teach the slaves. There were too many people, so she could only write one word on each piece of paper to make the word large enough for the slaves in the back to see it.
g was around irin, watching everyone, including Daisy and Ann, studying seriously. Before, Daisy and Ann were commoners, but they couldn't go to school because they didn't have the money for a teaching fee. Now that they had the opportunity to learn, they wouldn't miss it.
g had previously been to a school in the Empire. In the elite schools, she found that the reaction between the slaves and the school's students weren't the sa. Those aristocratic students considered school as a form of torture. They didn't put any spirit into it. They would only be happy after class had ended and they could go ho to play. Adam was such a person.
But the slaves were completely different. Learning to read, they looked excited and also very focused. Fearing that they won't rember the lesson, and because they didn't have anything to write with, they would trace their finger on the ground. Their earnest struggle to learn deeply touched g.
Blockhead and Rockhead also looked at the slaves. The two had been adopted by the Buda clan so they automatically received lessons on how to read. However, they didn't take it as seriously as the slaves. The reasons were because they were young, and they weren't very smart, but mostly because they got the opportunity to learn how to read so easily.
You do not know the value of things that are too easily obtained.
They had studied how to read together with Adam. Adam was not considered a wise man. Yet although he was smarter than the two, he was not fond of reading, so it took him several tries to learn, just like them. Looking at the slaves who were so focused on learning, Blockhead and Rockhead couldn't help but feel ashad.
irin naturally saw this, and suddenly understood that Zhao's decision was correct. If the slaves didn't know how to read, then even if they wanted to contribute to the Buda clan, they would only have a limited ability to do so, no matter how much they work. But if they learn how to read, then they could help the Buda clan be greater. The Buda clan needs each person to be at their best in order to help revitalize the Buda clan. So she taught them very seriously.
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