Chapter 313: Yu Luo’s Reasoning
The Yu family’s third branch had always been farmers—honest men who relied on the land for survival. All the men in the family knew how to hunt, but they had no other skills.
Seeing their hesitation, Yu Luo immediately understood. These two brothers had likely come along without a clear idea of what business to start, hoping her family could help them figure something out.
“Xiao Luo, your family is capable. Could you help us come up with a trade?”
Hearing this, Yu Luo chuckled and nodded readily. “Alright. Are you two planning to run separate businesses, or do you want to work together?”
The brothers had always been close, and there were no conflicts between their wives. Moreover, Yu Yongjun didn’t have children yet. If he continued working labor jobs, his wife, Wu Hongping, would have to run the shop alone. Yu Luo already had a strong hunch that the brothers wouldn’t want to split up.
Sure enough, as soon as she asked, both men spoke at the same time: “Together! We’re not splitting up!”
Watching their unity, Yu Shanhai felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
If only his wife, Liu Lan, had a better temperament, his younger brother Yu Shanhe wouldn’t have been forced to move out and live separately.
“Not splitting up is good. Since you don’t know what business to start, we’ll do it together—I’ll take half, and you’ll take half. But even though we’re family, we should make things clear from the start. The investment will be split in two—you cover half, I cover half. Likewise, profits and losses will also be shared equally. You won’t be getting wages—are you okay with that?”
Yu Luo didn’t want to bear all the risks. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it, but she understood that sharing hardships was easy, while sharing prosperity was much harder. She didn’t want to risk someone turning into an ingrate once the business became successful.
“We agree! We don’t even know what to do on our own—having you guide us makes us feel at ease. We’ve already talked it over—our wives will manage the shop, while we and our father will continue doing labor work.”
This time, before the usually talkative Yu Yongjun could speak, Yu Yongcai, as the elder brother, quickly agreed.
Now that the major concerns of several families had been resolved, Bai You and Liu Mingxia exchanged glances, feeling anxious.
Both of them were scholars—Liu Mingxia had worked as a minor government official, and Bai You had been a county magistrate. Among their families, most were either farmers or common folk. They knew nothing about running a business, had no specialized skills, and lacked the deep connections that Yu Shanhe and Yu Haojie had with Yu Luo’s family.
Even if they wanted to shamelessly ask for help, they had no idea how to begin.
“Uncle Liu, Uncle Bai, are you also thinking about starting a business?”
Before the two could find the courage to speak, Yu Luo turned her gaze on them. Hearing her question, they quickly looked up and met her eyes, nodding nervously.
“Xiao Luo, our two families together have sixty people, but none of us have any special skills or business experience. We want to start something, but we don’t know what.”
“How about opening a private academy?”
Before Bai You could finish speaking, Yu Luo immediately made a suggestion.
The moment those words left her mouth, not only did Bai You and Liu Mingxia freeze, but even Yu Haojie and the others stared at her in disbelief!
“X-Xiao Luo… Are you serious? You’re not joking?”
Bai You was so startled that he stuttered, his lips struggling to form the words. His face remained frozen in shock.
“Xiao Luo, are you sure you’re not messing with us? We’re exiles, and this is the wilderness. The only children here are from a handful of families—we wouldn’t even have enough students!”
“That’s right! Even if we count all our families’ children, there aren’t even thirty kids old enough for schooling. And out of those, at least ten are girls, and several are still infants who can barely talk! If both our families start a private school, won’t we end up running it at a loss?”
Liu Mingxia followed up, quickly breaking down the numbers.
Hearing their concerns, Yu Shanhe also added skeptically, “Exactly! Also, schooling costs money, and these kids won’t be able to take the imperial exams anyway. Wouldn’t it be better for them to learn a trade instead?”
Seeing all the doubtful gazes directed at her and hearing their concerns, Yu Luo smiled and nodded.
“That’s the current reality, yes. But a private academy doesn’t have to be just for boys, nor does it have to be solely for those pursuing government careers.
“I envision a school where anyone—children and adults alike—can learn. Of course, students would be divided into different classes based on their age.
“These children have limitless potential. Education isn’t just about passing the imperial exams—it’s about understanding the world. Isn’t it better for them to be literate, to learn critical thinking, and to gain knowledge that will help them in life?
“Would you rather see your children grow up unable to read or write their own names? Wouldn’t you prefer that they understand arithmetic, so your family can have someone who can keep accounts properly?
“Besides, Luo City is growing. As more people settle here, there will be more children in need of education. Right now, Luo City is a new city that desperately needs skilled people. If children gain knowledge, they’ll have better job opportunities here in the future—jobs that don’t require them to break their backs doing manual labor.
“Even if they leave the wilderness someday, their education will give them an advantage over common laborers. And for those who aren’t suited for studying, they can still attend school for a few years before learning a trade. At the very least, they’ll be literate, which will give them a higher standing than most craftsmen.”
Listening to Yu Luo’s reasoning, the group couldn’t deny that she had a point.
But Bai You and Liu Mingxia, the ones most directly affected, knew that running a private school wouldn’t make them any money. It wouldn’t help improve their families’ lives in the wilderness.
Yu Haojie, who had initially been stunned by Yu Luo’s suggestion, gradually calmed down. As he listened to her explanation, a smile slowly formed on his lips.
As her father, how could he not understand? These weren’t just excuses to convince everyone—Yu Luo was planning for the future of Luocheng.
“This is something we’ll have to think about carefully. We’re more than willing to teach, but we still have to make a living. If there aren’t enough students and tuition fees are low, we might not even be able to afford the rent for the school.”
