Zhu Yanyi stood firm. She had good reasons for her stance, and with the Yan family backing her, no one dared to oppose her.
Her philosophy resonated well with everyone present.
"I think this idea is great," Wu Ling said with a smile. "I dislike people showing off just because of their parents' connections. If you want to learn medicine, you must act like a student."
"I agree," Hua Tian added. "It is like our Hua family doctors. We train our village children this way. If you fail the exam, you cannot go out to travel. It is a matter of principle."
Old Man Huang nodded. "Doctors are responsible for people's lives and health. We cannot be careless. Unlike other jobs, we cannot accept people just because of connections. Especially in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is hard to learn. If we accept people through connections, they might just use the name of TCM. If a life is at risk, it will be a big trouble."
Old Man Yao said, "Old Huang spoke to my heart. Indeed, our TCM school must not allow any connections. No matter if you are poor or rich, if you pass the exam, we accept you. If you fail, then forget it."
Zhu Yanyi hummed in agreement and continued, "If we are strict from the very beginning, we will not have to worry about problems later."
Smiling, Zhu Yanyi said, "Since that is settled, let us discuss the courses for the students."
She thought for a moment. "Regular courses cannot be missing. Besides daily classes, we must add TCM courses as required subjects.
For the kindergarten class, ages five to seven, they will memorize some herbal songs and basic medicine songs. They do not need to understand them yet; just memorize or sing them. Of course, we can let them recognize basic plants. For example, digging for wild vegetables, taking a home economics class, and making wild vegetable dumplings. I think children will remember more this way."
"This method is excellent," Hua Tian said from the side. "We can also give them seeds to grow medicinal flowers. Later, they can make medicine packets together, like simple mosquito repellent bags or refreshing bags. They can make them themselves and learn which herbs are inside. This way, medicine knowledge will slowly enter their daily lives."
"That is exactly what I mean," Zhu Yanyi said seriously. "Many children today are very playful. Forcing them does not work. We must spark their interest. Only those who truly love TCM can learn it well. Otherwise, they might not even be able to memorize the herbal songs."
"Indeed," Old Man Yao nodded. "But we old folks might not be able to do these things with children. We did not have such methods when we studied."
Zhu Yanyi thought and said, "I plan to teach the kindergarten class in the first semester. But I cannot do it for long. During this time, we must find good teachers to guide them. After all, I must report to the Sage Academy in two years, so I cannot stay long."
Wu Ling said from the side, "How about I join you? I like children. Playing with them should be fun."
"Great. Then when I leave, Wu Ling will be fully responsible for kindergarten teaching. Hua Tian and Senior Brother Dong will be in charge of primary school. Senior Brother Gu will handle middle school. Old Man Huang will take charge of high school. Grandpa Yao will be responsible for university. All other teachers will be subject teachers, assisting the heads. What do you think?"
Zhu Yanyi tilted her head and looked at everyone.
Wu Ling was young and full of energy, so she was perfect for kindergarten. Besides, Zhu Yanyi would help initially, so there was no need to worry. It would be easy to get started.
Primary school lasted six years, so Hua Tian and Dong Bo Cao would share the responsibility. This was a good idea. Hua Tian dealt with flowers daily, so her personality was gentle. Dong Bo Cao was lively and suitable for teaching grades one to three. So, the two of them were a good match.
Middle school students were more sensible, so Gu Jing Tian was suitable. He could teach them about authority. Only those who truly loved TCM would understand the content. Then, entering high school, they would have Old Man Huang as their professional mentor. University was even more important, as students there had great talent. Old Man Yao would teach them the true wonders of TCM.
Zhu Yanyi thought this distribution was the best, especially in the early stages. The teachers were rare talents gathered from various places, but the school’s reputation was not yet known. Of course, once the school became famous, they would not need to worry. Then, Old Man Yao and Old Man Huang could step back.
"Good, let’s distribute it this way for now." After thinking, everyone agreed.
"Since everyone agrees, please write your own recruitment plans," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile, assigning tasks.
"(⊙o⊙)…" Everyone looked at Zhu Yanyi, speechless.
Zhu Yanyi laughed. "Don't worry. I want you to write the plans yourselves, then we discuss them together. This way, we can have a plan and requirements that everyone accepts. Don't worry about promotion. How to recruit and how to choose exam questions are the most important things."
Old Man Yao pointed at Zhu Yanyi. "I think you are doing this on purpose, just to trouble us."
Zhu Yanyi giggled and said, "In a few days, students from the Sage Academy who are practicing in the mortal world will come to help. They promised to serve as part-time teachers here. In the future, students from the Sage Academy who come to the world for practice will come to our school to practice and teach. The duration depends on their practice period.
Anyway, those from the Sage Academy have no problems with their medical skills or character. At least those I know now are fine. So, you can invite them to discuss with us later."
"I didn't expect the Sage Academy to return to the mortal world after so many years," Old Man Yao said with emotion. "The Sage Academy students only stay for a short time. If they stayed long-term, I would even want to give them my position as principal. Their knowledge and medical skills are truly excellent."