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The news of the academy’s enrollment quickly spread to the nearby villages. Families with children planned to come and see. If the tuition fees were not too high, they intended to send their children to study.
When Xie Kui arrived at Wang Jinhe’s house, he was taken aback to see how much her belly had grown. “Xiao He, how long has it been since we last met? How did your belly grow so much in such a short time?”
He had come to talk about the medicinal seeds when they had just returned, but Wang Jinhe had been too busy, so he hadn’t wanted to disturb them. He hadn’t expected that in just over half a month, Xiao He’s belly would have grown so much.
Wang Jinhe felt a bit embarrassed as she explained, “I’m pregnant with twins.”
Xie Kui nodded in understanding. “I see.”
“Uncle, what brings you here today?” Wang Jinhe asked.
Xie Kui patted his head, then remembered the reason for his visit. “Xiao He, you’re about to start enrolling students at the academy, right? Also, for the girls learning crafts, your maternal uncle’s children are quite good. When I heard the news, I came over to ask if it’s possible to reserve a few spots for them. Can you arrange that?”
“Why not? Uncle, you’re solving my urgent need,” Wang Jinhe said, relieved to hear that Xie Kui wanted to send students over. She naturally wouldn’t turn him away.
In this era, there were no opportunities for girls to receive an education, and it was generally considered a waste of time and money to send girls to school. In the eyes of most people, girls were seen as a financial burden, destined to be married off sooner or later. Why spend so much money on their education?
Wang Jinhe had already prepared herself for the possibility that very few girls would enroll. Now, with the opportunity to promote the academy, she was naturally willing to take it.
“Why don’t you invite the Village Chiefs from the surrounding areas to come over? I can discuss the details with you and then you can inform the villagers. I’m not able to travel too far with my current condition,” Wang Jinhe said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Why be so polite with me? I’ll go find them now. How about we come back tomorrow morning? Is that okay with you?” Xie Kui suggested a time.
The current time was neither too early nor too late, so it would be more convenient to come back the next day.
“Alright,” Wang Jinhe agreed to Xie Kui’s arrangement.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Upon returning home, Xie Kui informed Rong Shi about the matter and then went out to find the Village Chiefs.
Rong Shi was delighted and knew that Xie Kui was busy. She planned to wait until he had some free time before asking him to take her to her mother’s house to discuss the matter with her brother.
The next morning, Xie Kui, accompanied by several Village Chiefs, went to see Wang Jinhe. When they arrived, Wang Jinhe was still asleep, so Su Yu received them.
“Uncle, why don’t you rest for a while? I’ll go check if Xiao He is awake,” Su Yu suggested.
“If she’s still asleep, don’t wake her. We can wait a little longer,” Xie Kui said, understanding that pregnant women tend to sleep more, and it was still early, so it was normal for her not to be up yet.
“Alright.”
Su Yu went to the room to call Wang Jinhe, but before he could do so, she had already sat up in bed.
Looking at the person beside her, Wang Jinhe yawned softly and asked, “What time is it?”
“You can get up now. Uncle and the others have arrived,” Su Yu replied.
Wang Jinhe, who had been a bit groggy, instantly became wide awake. She looked at Su Yu with a hint of worry. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier? It’s impolite to keep them waiting.”
“It’s okay. Uncle said not to wake you if you were still asleep, and that it’s understandable for a pregnant woman to need more rest,” Su Yu reassured.
Wang Jinhe gave Su Yu a playful glare and said, “You don’t understand. I’ll go change and freshen up quickly.”
She was not someone who would want to waste anyone’s time, and it wasn’t right to keep them waiting.
Su Yu chuckled and shook his head. Seeing Wang Jinhe’s urgency, he decided not to insist further.
After getting ready, Wang Jinhe went out and apologized to Xie Kui and the others, “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“Xiao He, don’t worry about it. You should go and have something to eat first. After all, you have two little ones in your belly, and we can’t have you starving,” Xie Kui said kindly.
“Yes, County Princess, go and have something to eat. It won’t take much time,” another Village Chief added.
Su Yu looked at the Village Chiefs and felt a sense of goodwill towards them.
“Then I’ll go and have something to eat first,” Wang Jinhe said. She went to the dining hall, and as soon as she sat down, Qiu Yi brought her some porridge and steamed buns.
After finishing her meal, Wang Jinhe discussed the enrollment with Xie Kui and the others. “Uncle, I called you here today to discuss the academy. For boys, the annual tuition fee is two taels of silver, and they can have lunch here. They need to bring their own writing materials. As for girls, they can start from the age of seven, and the annual tuition fee is also two taels of silver. However, they need to sign an agreement with me, stating that after completing their studies, they will work for me for five years. If they wish to continue working in the workshop after five years, they will need to sign a new agreement,” Wang Jinhe explained, offering a cup of warm water.
After taking a sip of water, Wang Jinhe looked at them, eager to know their opinions.
Xie Kui was the first to nod in agreement. “That sounds good.”
“After we agree, we will make it clear to the people in the village. As for their thoughts, it will be up to them,” another Village Chief added.
With an annual fee of only two taels of silver and the opportunity to earn wages during the five years of service, the tuition was quite affordable. Compared to the academies in the county, it was much cheaper.
I believe that there will definitely be people willing to participate in such a program.
“Xiao He, since we’ve finished discussing the matter, we’ll take our leave,” Xie Kui said.
“Alright.”
After returning to the village, the Village Chiefs began to gather the villagers and inform them about the matter.
Some villagers were displeased upon hearing that girls would have to pay to learn a trade.
“Is the County Princess trying to swindle people? Is it appropriate for a girl to go and study?” they questioned. While they were willing to pay two taels of silver for their sons’ education, they felt that asking for the same amount for their daughters was unreasonable. They were not wealthy, and they couldn’t understand why the fee was the same for both boys and girls.
The Village Chief glanced at the person who spoke and said coldly, “If you don’t want to send your child, don’t hinder others.”
Then, addressing all the villagers, the Village Chief continued, “I’m sure you all know that the County Princess has not only established a school but also a workshop. Upon completion of their studies, the students can work in the workshop, where they will earn a good wage. Is two taels of silver really too much now?”
Is it worth it to make such a fuss?
Moreover, having a trade and working in the workshop will enable them to earn more money.
“We want to enroll,” said a person with four daughters.
“How many are you planning to enroll?”
“I’ll enroll the eldest and the second daughter first. After earning money from working with the County Princess to grow cotton this year, I’ll send the third and fourth daughters to the school.”
“What’s there to be proud of when they’re all just a financial burden?”