Transmigrated into a seven-year-old child, my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

“Zhao Lian, you’re severing ties with your family yourself. You’re only seven years old. If you break off your family ties, how will you find food? Have you thought about these things?” He Changfu tried to persuade Zhao Lian.

Zhao Lian looked at He Changfu with a stubborn expression and firm eyes: "Second Grandfather, Third Grandfather, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I have already thought about all of this. Even if I die, I want to die outside. I don't want to be a ghost of the He family."

These words made many villagers feel ashamed. They realized that they might not have had such courage if they were in her shoes. It was amazing that a seven-year-old girl had such ambition.

Village Chief Fu nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of admiration. He thought to himself, "Zhao Lian is a promising young girl. If she can get through this, I believe she will achieve great things in the future."

"it is good!"

Since Zhao Lian had made up her mind, He Changfu could only nod and say to the village chief beside him, "Village chief, could you please find someone to invite Master Liu to write a letter severing ties with your family?"

The village chief nodded: "Okay, I'll go find someone right away!"

Immediately afterwards, the village chief called his eldest son, Fu Biao, and asked him to invite Master Liu. He also instructed him to have Master He bring writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and ink pads.

He Changfu rarely left home, so he had very little impression of Zhao Lian. He remembered that the little girl was obedient and timid, and dared not speak loudly.

He has indeed changed drastically now, and he remembered what Old Yang had said about being possessed by a jinx, but he dismissed the thought as soon as it surfaced.

She's just a little girl; she can't harm anyone, and besides, she's protecting herself. If only her descendants had even a fraction of her ambition.

Although Zhao Lian is a girl and only seven years old, her courage and boldness are no less than any adult man.

It seems this little girl is destined for great things. It's wise to leave room for maneuver in the future; we can always meet again someday. I'll see if I can do anything for her.

If Zhaolian becomes successful in the future, she might remember my kindness and let her grandchildren benefit from it.

The village chief shared the same idea, and he was currently pondering how and where to settle Zhaolian.

Soon, Master Liu arrived. Master Liu was 58 years old this year. Perhaps 58 years old is still young for modern people, but in ancient times, 58 years old was considered an old man.

Speaking of Liu Yan, he is a legendary figure in Datian Village. His father, Liu Ke, was a hunter who had Liu Yan when he was 25 years old. He often hunted wild game in the mountains to exchange for money.

Liu Ke had only one son, Liu Yan, and the family was relatively well-off. They were at least able to afford three meals a day and even had some money left over.

Although hunting ensures a comfortable life and even leaves some money, Liu Ke knows that the mountains are teeming with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts, making it a risky endeavor. If he's not careful, he could easily become their meal.

Moreover, he only had one son, and he didn't want his son to follow in his footsteps. So he discussed with his wife, Qiao, about sending their 12-year-old son, Liu Yan, to a private school for his early education.

However, there is no private school in Datian Village, but there is one in Changting Township. However, it is ten miles from Datian Village to Changting Township, and there is no accommodation there.

This means that if you want to study in Changting Township, you have to travel 20 li (10 kilometers) round trip every day.

Liu Yan also longed to study, was very ambitious, and was not afraid of hardship. At first, his mother picked him up and dropped him off, but after he became familiar with the place, he began to walk to school on his own.

The teacher said that Liu Yan was of average talent, but he was more hardworking than others, and his father Liu Ke also supported him.

If one year wasn't enough, he'd try two; if two years wasn't enough, he'd try three. With sheer grit, Liu Yan spent a full 15 years before finally passing the imperial examination for the first degree.

In order to pass the imperial examination, he never got engaged. That year, Liu Yan was already 27 years old and a bookworm.

A scholar who had passed the imperial examinations had emerged from Datian Village, a feat unprecedented in the village. Those who had previously mocked Liu Ke's father were now fawning over him.

It is said that Liu Yan's passing the imperial examination is an honor for Datian Village, and Liu Ke should hold a banquet for the successful candidates and invite everyone to have a good drink.

Liu Ke was naturally happy that his son had passed the imperial examination. He thought that what the villagers said was true, so he decided to go hunting in Gouhun Mountain because there was a lot of wild game there. He wanted to hunt some game to prepare a feast.

Most people dare not enter Gouhun Mountain easily because the terrain is treacherous and there are many poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. Many people who enter cannot come out.

Perhaps Liu Ke was too confident in himself, or perhaps his son's success in the imperial examination gave him courage.

But joy turned to sorrow. It was on that occasion that Liu Ke entered Gouhun Mountain for the first time, and it was on that occasion that he never returned.

Liu Ke hasn't returned for several days. People had heard beforehand that he was going to Gouhun Mountain, and now that he hasn't come back for several days, everyone guessed that something must have happened to him.

Everyone guessed that he must have encountered wild beasts, because Gouhun Mountain is densely vegetated and often frequented by wild animals. Abundant resources mean a high level of danger.

Liu Ke's wife, Qiao, tearfully begged the villagers to help search for him, but no one dared to agree. Liu Ke was an experienced hunter, and even he himself had failed, let alone someone else.

Qiao cried for seven days and seven nights, eventually going blind and falling ill. She died less than two months later, leaving Liu Yan all alone.

Although Liu Yan is 27 years old, he has been waited on hand and foot for many years and basically has no ability to take care of himself.

His basic manual dexterity was still at the level of a 12-year-old. Now, with his father gone missing and his mother gone, it was a huge blow to him.

I was depressed and down during that time. After burying my mother, we had almost no money left.

He didn't know how to farm, and in order to support his education, the family had little money left over and not much surplus grain. After several months of this, they still had to rely on relatives or villagers for food.

He originally had the chance to take the imperial examination, but family misfortunes caused him to fall from a promising student to a state where he struggles to even have enough to eat, which is truly heartbreaking.

At this time, Fu Lin took office as the village chief of Datian Village. He had grown up with Liu Yan since childhood and had also studied in a private school for several years.

Thinking of helping Liu Yan, he came up with an idea: since he himself was a student of the Imperial Academy, he could open a private school at home.

He specifically accepted students from the surrounding villages, paying them a few hundred coins each. If he accepted eight or ten students a year, it would be enough for him to support himself.

This way, he could both make a living and teach the children in the village, achieving several goals at once. This idea also woke Liu Yan up.

Yes, one's most valuable asset is one's knowledge, and one cannot let one's knowledge go to waste, especially since it can also change one's livelihood.

So, with the help of the village chief, they found someone to make a dozen or twenty small tables and opened the Datian Village Private School, recruiting students from all around, charging each student 50 coins a year.

Fifty coins may not sound like much, but 30 years ago, an average farming family could only earn a few hundred coins a good year, and not every family could afford it.

At first, the village could only take in five or six students a year, barely enough to make a living.