A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

Chapter 458

As Alessia chatted with the villagers, she quickly pieced together a clear picture of life here.

Most households were made up of elderly folks living alone and children whose parents had left to work elsewhere. In a few families, the women stayed behind to care for the kids while the men went out to earn a living. The few young men who remained in the village usually had some sort of disability; they spent their days tending small gardens and selling vegetables at the local market.

University students had come before to teach for a month or so, but it was rare for anyone to stay as long as Alessia’s team-almost half a

year.

Apparently, the village mayor had negotiated with the authorities for this arrangement. If things went well, they’d send teachers regularly, invest in new educational resources, and even pave new roads. If the village improved, it would be a blessing for future generations.

That’s why everyone cared so much about this volunteer teaching project. Their hopes were simple: they believed that only by leaving the mountains could their children find a better future.

It was hard to argue with them. Most villagers had little education, no qualifications, and could only find the hardest, lowest-paid jobs.

Susannah Holt’s family was considered one of the better-off ones. They’d even managed to repair their house, though it was still smaller than a single Morton family living room in the city. Even so, there was no way they could afford to raise two children in a big city.

the little money they did earn was still more than they could

and more young people were leaving, and the real problem was that once they were

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Chapter 458

the elderly and the children-grandparents raising grandchildren, with no resources, no future, just waiting for those kids to grow up, become parents themselves, and repeat the cycle all over

this partnership succeeded, if more teachers came, if the government stepped up and encouraged young people to return, maybe things could change. Maybe, given the chance, these kids would use what they’d learned to make their hometown a better place,

had drilled all these points into the team, making sure everyone understood

everyone was determined to make this project work.

new roads or money, but the minute

“It’s nothing fancy, but the sheets and pillows are brand new. I put them out in the sun, so you

family’s living room back home. Alessia’s room was tiny: a single bed, a wardrobe, and a

three.

had been her parents’ room when they carne to visit, but they hadn’t been back in years, so the room had sat empty until now. They’d cleaned