Becoming Literate

Chapter 38: Becoming Literate

Outside the thatched-roofed hut, whatever was happening, Zhao Hai didn't want to know. He trusted that Merine and the others would handle it. Right now, he was exhausted and in dire need of a good sleep.

He took a set of bedding from the Warehouse and spread it on the bed. Without wasting any time, Zhao Hai lay down and fell asleep within minutes. He was truly worn out, especially because the effects of the Water of Nothingness made him unable to handle too much physical exertion, let alone the intense events of the day.

The slaves outside the hut also took this rare opportunity to rest. They didn't dare say a word, grateful for the soft quilts that now covered them. The entire space soon fell into a peaceful silence. Zhao Hai, who sat guard at the door, found himself nodding off as well, joining the sleeping Stonehead and Blockhead on the ground.

Two hours later, Merine and the others woke up. Merine quietly approached the thatched-roofed hut, opened the door, and saw that Zhao Hai was sound asleep. She closed the door quietly and looked at the slaves, noticing that some of them had already woken up and were sitting there, unsure of what to do.

Although Merine was capable of teaching them literacy, she couldn't do it now. Teaching them would require making noise, and she didn't want to wake Zhao Hai up.

However, Merine couldn't help but be surprised when she noticed that the radishes they had planted had sprouted. The speed at which the plants in the space grew was astonishingly fast.

Merine couldn't help but squat down at the edge of the radish seedlings. The seedlings were tenaciously growing, and the soil conditions were excellent. It was obvious that they were thriving.

Meg, who had been following Merine, squatted down beside her and asked in a low voice, "Grandma, why are these Magic Radishes growing so quickly? I've heard that Magic vegetables are usually quite difficult to cultivate, so why is it so easy here?"

Merine smiled and replied, "Young Master told me that the things grown in this space mature much faster. But I didn't expect it to be this quick."

Zhao Hai's voice suddenly rang out, "Those Magic Radishes you mentioned are called radishes in my space. They're the lowest-grade crop in the space and reach maturity every eight hours."

Merine and Meg were surprised and turned to see Zhao Hai standing there behind them. Merine quickly stood up and said, "Young Master, is what you said true? Can these Magic Radishes really mature in just eight hours?"

Zhao Hai nodded and pointed to the ears of corn growing nearby, saying, "Look at this corn. Corn in the space is more valuable than radishes. It takes 14 hours from planting to maturity."

Merine and Meg followed Zhao Hai's gaze and saw the corn in the growing stage. The leaves were green and robust, showing a strong vitality.

Zhao Hai turned to Merine and said, "With the current state of the space, we don't need to worry about food anymore. There won't be any rain, and everyone can sleep on the ground outside. We can stay here for a few days without any problems."

Merine agreed, saying, "Yes, Young Master, there's no need to worry about food in the space. We can also avoid encountering Magic Beasts if we stay here."

Zhao Hai nodded and looked at the slaves who had awakened, standing before him with respectful gazes. He sighed and said to Merine, "Grandma Merine, please teach them literacy. Blockhead and Stonehead will help me build some stoves later for cooking."

Feeding over a hundred people was no small task. Although Zhao Hai had the supplies in the Warehouse, he needed to construct large cooking pots for the food. There were no ready-made items in the space, so he had to build simple stoves.

Merine looked at the slaves and said, "Young Master, let them do it. There's no rush, and you have other things to take care of. We have everything we need, so we can start cooking soon."

Zhao Hai glanced at the slaves and nodded in agreement. If he made them study right away while he was busy building stoves, they might become frightened and not learn anything at all.

Seeing Zhao Hai's nod, Merine organized the people to start digging the stoves. They had enough tools now, thanks to the items stored in the castle's Warehouse Space. Although more than ten stoves were enough for cooking, they needed pots to use as well. They had a special kind of pot with a supporting frame that could be easily carried, and these pots were specifically chosen by Green. They knew they would come in handy when they arrived here. First, they used them on their way here, and now they were for the slaves to use.

Many slave owners used this type of stove because it was the simplest. No matter where these slaves went to work, as long as they found two people to lift the pot, they could cook directly at their work site, saving a lot of time.

The ten stoves were quickly set up, more than enough for their current needs. Zhao Hai would have to wait for the corn to mature before they could use the material with temperature in the space. Otherwise, they would have to burn the wood they had purchased, which would be a waste. The wood was precious, and Zhao Hai didn't want to use it unless necessary.

Now, they lacked nothing, and they didn't know when Green would return. Once he came back, they could sell the radishes and convert them into gold coins to buy wood and other supplies. They currently had some wood, but it was only enough for them. Zhao Hai didn't want to waste it.

Zhao Hai inspected one of the stoves and nodded in satisfaction. Then, he looked at the slaves and said to Merine, "Grandma Merine, the corn will be ready in about two hours. During this time, please teach them how to read and write. I'm going to rest in the room."

Merine nodded, and Zhao Hai walked towards the room. Merine watched him enter the room and then turned to the slaves, saying, "Don't worry, in about two hours, the corn will be ready, and we can have a meal. In the meantime, I will teach you to read and write."

Before she finished speaking, the slaves buzzed with excitement. Literacy was not common among slaves. Only a few slave owners would teach their slaves to read and write. So for slaves, literacy was a sacred matter. When they heard that Merine would teach them, they were all thrilled.

Merine quickly commanded, "Settle down."

The slaves immediately quieted down, their eyes filled with excitement as they looked at Merine. She continued, "Our Buda Family is different from most noble families. Young Master is a kind person. With his agreement, if anyone can learn to read and write well, Young Master will free them from slavery. Do you understand?"

The slaves grew even more excited. Not only were they fortunate to have Zhao Hai teach them to read and write, but now they were being promised freedom if they succeeded. To them, it was like winning the lottery.

Observing their reactions, Meg, who had attended a noble school in the Empire, couldn't help but compare these slaves to the noble students. The noble students regarded going to school as a burden. They lacked enthusiasm and eagerly awaited the end of classes so they could play. It was quite the contrast to the slaves, who showed great excitement and dedication towards learning. Meg was deeply moved by their earnestness.

Blockhead and Stonehead also observed the slaves. Although they weren't very intelligent, they had learned to read and write when they were adopted into the Buda Family. However, their learning process had been far less enthusiastic. They were young and not very intelligent, so they had to repeat the process several times to remember a character. Moreover, they had found the learning process too easy. It was often the case that when something came easily, people didn't fully appreciate its value. Now, looking at the slaves' sincere efforts, the two felt a sense of shame.

Merine also noticed this and suddenly understood how correct Zhao Hai's decision was. These slaves didn't know how to read or have any education. Even if they wanted to contribute to the Buda Family, their limited abilities prevented them from doing much. However, if they could learn to read and write, they could provide even greater assistance to the family. The Buda Family needed people in each clan to display their maximum strength and help the family grow. Teaching them literacy was crucial.

With this realization, Merine began teaching with great dedication. She took out several pieces of white paper and a writing brush. On each piece of paper, she wrote a character and taught the slaves how to read and write it. Without a blackboard, they had to make do with the white paper. Since there were so many students, she only wrote one character on each sheet, ensuring that the writing was large enough for everyone to see, even those sitting in the back.

Meg stood by Merine's side and watched the slaves earnestly studying. This included Chrysanthemum and Secure. Although they were commoners and had the opportunity to attend school, they couldn't afford the tuition fees. As a result, they had never been able to go to school. Now that they had this opportunity, they couldn't let it slip away.

Meg had attended noble school in the Empire, and the difference between the slave students and the noble students was striking. The noble students saw attending school as a burden, lacking enthusiasm and eagerly awaiting the end of classes to play. Adam was once such a student. On the other hand, the slaves were completely different. They were filled with excitement and dedication as they learned to read and write. Meg couldn't help but be deeply moved by their earnestness.

Blockhead and Stonehead also observed the slaves. Although they weren't very intelligent, their adoption into the Buda Family had taught them how to read and write. However, they hadn't been as enthusiastic as the slaves in their learning. Partly because they were young, partly because they were not very intelligent, and partly because the learning process had been too easy for them. They had only needed to learn a character a few times, and they already had it memorized. Now, seeing the slaves' enthusiasm, the two of them couldn't help but feel a sense of shame.

Merine noticed this as well. She understood why Zhao Hai's decision was so correct. The slaves didn't know how to read or write, and without education, their abilities were limited. Even if they wanted to contribute to the Buda Family, they could only do so much. But if they learned to read and write, they would be of even greater value to the family. The Buda Family needed every member of each clan to contribute their maximum strength to help the family grow. Teaching them literacy was a necessary step.

With this understanding, Merine became even more dedicated in her teaching. She took out several sheets of white paper and a writing brush, writing a single character on each piece of paper. Then she taught the slaves how to read and write each character. There was no blackboard, so they had to make do with the white paper. Since there were many students, she wrote one character per sheet and made sure the writing was large enough for everyone to see, even those sitting in the back.

Meg stood beside Merine, watching the slaves study with such earnestness. Chrysanthemum and Secure were also among the students. As commoners, they had the opportunity to attend school, but they couldn't afford the tuition fees, so they had never been able to go. Now that they had this chance, they were determined not to let it slip away.