Urban Martial Saint

Two young teachers, who appeared to be just over twenty years old, one named Chen Yuzhong, and the other called Deng Xiang, were both former students of Principal Wu Yian.

According to Wu Yian, both teachers had good academic records. However, due to various reasons, they were unable to attend college, so they came to Erdao Village Primary School to teach, which was considered a job. Both of them seemed very honest, especially Chen Yuzhong, who wore thick glasses and bore some resemblance to Wu Yian, appearing like the frail Scholar type. However, Ye Qing felt more at ease with such people teaching, as they tended to be more responsible.

Ye Qing invited them to the office, and they were very pleased with the condition of the building here, which was much better than the old Erdao Village Primary School. When they learned that this was only a temporary teaching building and that the construction across the way was the future school, both were shocked. The standard of Ye Qing’s school was comparable to some of the primary schools in Shenchuan City, way beyond their expectations!

After learning about the scale of Ye Qing’s school, both became somewhat restrained and worried. Seated on the sofa, they lowered their heads to look at their feet, not daring to speak much. They were dressed like Wu Yian, clean and tidy, but their clothes were worn out. Chen Yuzhong’s shoes were even coming apart at the seams, showing how long he had been wearing them. As for the veteran teacher from the village, Zhou Tianshun, his condition was slightly better than the two younger men, and he was about the same age as Wu Yian.

”The three of you, when it comes to teaching, I’m an idiot and don’t understand a thing. Fortunately, we have Principal Wu here, and with the help of the three of you, school matters will be much easier to handle,” Ye Qing looked at Wu Yian and smiled, ”I just discussed the school matters with Principal Wu and thought of hiring the three of you as teachers. The main reason for inviting you over is to ask if you have any requirements and what salary you expect.”

The three of them exchanged glances, with Chen Yuzhong and Deng Xiang both looking towards Wu Yian, while Zhou Tianshun did not look at anyone and just slowly sipped his tea.

”Boss Ye, the school and orphanage are both funded by your money. You even allow the children to attend school for free and provide them with food and accommodation. Honestly, we have great respect for your generosity. As for the salary...” Wu Yian exchanged glances with Chen Yuzhong and Deng Xiang, and the three of them slowly nodded as if they had reached some agreement.

”Regarding the salary, when we were teaching at Erdao Village Primary School, Xiao Chen and Xiao Deng used to get eight hundred yuan a month, while Old Zhou got six hundred,” Wu Yian looked at Ye Qing and steeled himself, saying, ”Boss Ye, how about this, I can work here without taking a cent, after all, it’s for the children. But Xiao Chen and Xiao Deng still need to live, and it’s hard for young people just starting out. If you could guarantee them each eight hundred yuan, that would be enough. As for Old Zhou...”

”I don’t want a salary either!” Zhou Tianshun waved his hand, saying, ”We’re doing this for the children, and besides, they are all children from Erdao Village. It wouldn’t be right for me to take a salary. Boss Ye, save my share for Xiao Chen and Xiao Deng. They’re still young and have more need for money!”

Chen Yuzhong and Deng Xiang were filled with gratitude, and Deng Xiang quickly said, ”Teacher Zhou, how can you do this? Xiao Chen and I don’t spend much money. You’re older and travel back and forth all day, not taking a penny isn’t right.”

”Enough, don’t talk anymore!” Zhou Tianshun gave them a stern look, saying, ”You two brats, didn’t I teach you both? Let’s not talk about money. My family has enough to eat and drink, why would I need so much money? You two need money for food and clothing, don’t you? If you don’t save up, how will you ever find a partner in the future, huh?”

Chen Yuzhong and Deng Xiang were even more grateful and looked at Zhou Tianshun, not knowing what to say.

Wu Yian watched Ye Qing nervously; everything else was settled, but he feared that if Ye Qing thought the salaries were too high, it would be a problem.

Ye Qing looked at the three men with a gentle smile. Their earlier dispute made him even more convinced that choosing them for the school was the right decision.

”Principal Wu, Teacher Zhou, Teacher Chen, Teacher Deng!” Ye Qing looked at the four, saying, ”The salary you just mentioned is not what I had in mind at all!”

The four of them looked apprehensive, each feeling uneasy. Could it be that Ye Qing thought the amount was too much?

”Our school’s Teacher Mo Xiang used to teach at a primary school in Shenchuan City. I have inquired about it, and in Shenchuan City, a primary school teacher’s basic monthly salary is around three thousand yuan. Moreover, veteran teachers have even higher salaries. Eight hundred yuan for a salary is something I’ve never heard of!” Ye Qing said seriously, ”Our school may not be official, but I want to provide the children with the most formal and best education possible. As the saying goes, we shouldn’t let children suffer or education be impoverished. I may not understand the intricacies of education, but I know that if you want an employee to work wholeheartedly without distractions, you need to take care of all their worries.”

With that, Ye Qing gently knocked on the table, declaring, ”I’ve decided that our school’s teacher salaries will be maintained at the same level as those of other schools in Shenchuan City.”

Hearing this, Wu Yian and the three others were stunned, and it took them a while to exchange glances, their eyes brimming with excitement.

Chen Yuzhong and Deng Xiang used to earn a salary of eight hundred yuan teaching at the elementary school for two years. Later, they worked overtime in factories in the city, making just over two thousand yuan a month. Now Ye Qing was offering such a high salary, one that only formal teachers would receive, and they were going to enjoy it? Was this a dream?

”Boss Ye, this... this...” Wu Yian was so excited that he didn’t know where to put his hands, nor what to say.

”Principal Wu, listen to me say one more thing!” Ye Qing said with a light smile, ”However, our school’s situation is a bit different from other schools.”

The four hesitated slightly, not sure what Ye Qing meant by this turn. Was he going to renege on what he’d just offered?

”Boss Ye, as long as their salaries can be paid on time and steadily, it’s okay if it’s not as much!” Wu Yian hurriedly said, fearing that Ye Qing might suddenly change his mind.

”That’s not what I mean...” Ye Qing said with a smile, ”What I mean is, our school, first, has very few teachers and second, most of the children do not have parents. So, our teachers have to not only teach the children academic knowledge but also take care of their food, clothing, housing, and transportation. Sometimes they even need to talk with the children, to make sure they don’t feel lost without a family. Therefore, I think the work pressure and intensity for our teachers is a bit higher than other schools!”

”No problem!” Wu Yian quickly waved his hand, saying, ”Since we’ve come here, it’s fine for us to take care of the children; all this is our responsibility!”

”For these things, I fear we’ll really need to trouble you all in the future.” Ye Qing smiled, ”However, I won’t let everyone hustle for nothing. I’ve decided that because of the special work situation here, our teachers will receive double pay, which is to say, twice the salary of other schools in the city!”

”Ah?” All four exclaimed simultaneously, with even Zhou Tianshun’s eyes widening in shock as he looked at Ye Qing.

A salary of three thousand yuan had already thrilled them. Now Ye Qing had offered double pay—how much was that? Six thousand? Six thousand! Where in Shenchuan City could one get a salary of six thousand yuan?

Ye Qing ignored the four’s astonishment and continued, ”Considering Teacher Chen and Teacher Deng’s ages and teaching experience, their salary is at the three thousand bracket, so double pay is six thousand. Teacher Zhou, your salary should be in the four thousand bracket, so double pay is eight thousand. Principal Wu, you’re the vice principal, overseeing many aspects, so your salary will be a tier higher, at five thousand, which after double pay is ten thousand. At the same time, Principal Wu, you may freely use the school’s vehicle.”

After finishing Ye Qing’s words, the four looked at each other once again, temporarily forgetting to speak.

Ye Qing watched the four men with a faint smile. The reason he was offering them such high salaries was partly because he felt these four truly had the children’s best interests at heart. Even if more highly educated individuals were hired in the future, they might not care for the orphanage and school as devotedly as these four, hence they were worth the salary. Secondly, the school associated with the orphanage wouldn’t survive with just these four and Mo Xiang. But freshly graduated students from Shenchuan City were not willing to teach in such a remote location. Ye Qing offered high salaries to attract talent and provide the children with the best education!

Of course, the key reason was that Ye Qing was now a wealthy man. A generous person, he had never thought about saving a lot of money for himself but was more concerned about the people around him. The money he made, he hardly used for himself; most of it was invested in the orphanage and given to his brothers. Those who had come from Jiuchuan County with him were now earning seven to eight thousand, sometimes over ten thousand monthly. Ye Qing thought that from any perspective, the income of these intellectuals shouldn’t be much less than that of those petty thugs!

Now, Ye Qing’s focus in spending money was on the orphanage. Seeing the children every day gave him a sense of peace. The longer he spent time with them, the more he felt a sense of responsibility to provide the best conditions for the children. Therefore, he was not stingy at all with his investment in the orphanage!

Moreover, over at Shenchuan City, Lin Corporation was also assisting this place. Furthermore, with Lin Yashi’s health having recently improved significantly, she was preparing to work at the orphanage. Although Lin Yashi hadn’t done much business outside, she still had assets worth over a hundred million. And now, with another wealthy benefactor, the orphanage was unlikely to be short of money.