Chapter 22: Li Wen’s Admission to School – Wuyou Grass

Jia Qingshan walked out of the Li family courtyard and handed the matchmaker, Huang, two taels of silver as a thank-you gift. Seeing the money in her hands, Huang smiled brightly.

When she first heard that the match was for Li Guo’er, she had rejected the proposal, but as soon as she received the two taels of silver, she immediately agreed.

She had already prepared herself to be turned down by the Li family, but to her surprise, things had gone so smoothly.

It seemed that she had overthought it; clearly, the families had already made up their minds.

After sending Huang off, Jia Qingshan returned to the thatched cottage on the hillside. Looking around at everything in the house, he felt that he shouldn’t let his young wife suffer.

Taking a machete, he headed for the bamboo forest. After two weeks, he had finally made the thatched cottage look new.

Satisfied, he went to prepare dinner, ate, and went to bed early, planning to go up the mountain again the next day.

“Did you find out about the matter your father asked you to investigate?”

Li Youyin went to the kitchen, fetched a scoop of water from the water tank, and after drinking it, he replied, “Chef Sun said there are two private schools in the town.”

“One school is run by a scholar surnamed Sun. I heard that although Mr. Sun only has the title of ‘Xiucai’ (a lower-level degree), his talent is very good. He gave up the imperial examination due to poverty and couldn’t afford the travel expenses. Instead, he opened a private school, making use of the years of learning he had accumulated.”

“The other school is run by a teacher surnamed Zhang. He is somewhat self-important and holds the title of ‘Juren’ (a higher-level degree). However, the number of students who pass the imperial examination from his school is far fewer compared to Mr. Sun’s.”

“So, Father, which private school do you think is better for my younger brother?”

“Yes, which one do you think is better for the child?” Mrs. Shen looked at Li Youyin and asked.

After hearing what the mother and daughter said, Li Youyin replied, “I want Wen Ge (Li Wen) to go to Mr. Sun’s school.”

“I heard from Chef Sun that Mr. Sun has excellent character and never allows bullying or mistreatment among his students. Anyone caught doing so is immediately expelled from the school.”

“Father, though I also approve of Mr. Sun, the information we’ve gathered is one-sided. I think it’s better to verify things with my own eyes before making a decision.”

After hearing Li Guo’er’s words, Li Youyin agreed, thinking it made sense, and he supported his daughter’s idea.

As soon as Li Wen heard that his father and sister were going to the private school in the town, he immediately ran over, shouting that he wanted to go with them. In the end, the father and daughter, both helpless, took the excited son/brother along.

The father and son trio went to the restaurant to deliver the rabbit, then asked around until they finally arrived at the school gate. They saw that the school building was a large structure with three rooms, all made of blue bricks and tiles.

Inside, the residential area was separated from the school, ensuring there was no disturbance between the two. The yard outside the school was well-kept, with a few peach trees planted. There were also two osmanthus trees, and beneath them were a few stone tables where the children could sit and play.

At this moment, it was just around the start of the fourth watch (9:00 AM), and the class hadn’t ended yet. Inside the school, only about ten children were scattered about, reciting the Three Character Classic: “Human nature is initially good…”

Those who could afford to send their children to school were families from nearby villages or the town who were relatively wealthier.

Li Guo’er leaned over the windowsill and looked inside. She noticed that the teacher was not present. However, the children were well-behaved and didn’t make noise or fool around in the absence of the teacher.

“Who are you?” A gentle voice came from behind, causing Li Guo’er to shiver in surprise. She quickly turned around to look at the source of the voice.

An elderly man, about fifty years old, with graying hair and a kindly face, was standing there.

Li Guo’er sized him up. Could this be the teacher of the school?

“What’s the matter?” the soft voice asked again, interrupting Li Guo’er’s thoughts.

She quickly responded, “I came to inquire if the school is still accepting students. Do you know where the teacher is?”

The old man smiled gently and said, “I am the teacher here.”

Upon hearing this, Li Guo’er realized that the old man must indeed be the teacher of the school. She reflected on his mannerisms and behavior and thought that, as everyone had said, he was indeed a person of good character.

“The school is still accepting students, but they must pass an entrance exam first,” the old man explained.

“An intelligence test?” Li Guo’er was confident in her clever younger brother. “How much is the tuition fee?”

“The tuition is paid every half year, and it’s four taels of silver each time, which includes the cost of books and stationery,” the old man replied.

Four taels of silver every half year, making it eight taels a year. It didn’t seem too expensive.

Li Guo’er had just heard from a passerby that the tuition at Zhang Juren’s school was six taels of silver per half year, not including the books and stationery.

Li Guo’er nodded. With the family’s current monthly income of over ten taels, paying four taels every six months was certainly manageable.

The old man then asked, “Is your younger brother here as well?”

Li Guo’er replied, “Yes, he came. He had a stomach ache, so my father took him to the outhouse.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard her father calling, “Guo’er, I’ve seen the teacher!”

Looking toward the sound, she saw her father and younger brother walking toward her, holding hands.

“Father, this gentleman is Mr. Sun, the teacher of the school,” Li Guo’er said, and the father and son quickly stepped forward to greet the teacher respectfully.

After a round of testing, Mr. Sun told the father and daughter that the child was very intelligent and could join the school.

“You can bring the child here whenever you have time,” Mr. Sun said.

The father and daughter were both delighted by the news, especially Li Wen. He was finally going to school and no longer had to envy the village chief’s grandson.

On the way back, Li Wen was bouncing with joy, clearly overjoyed.

When Mrs. Shen heard that her son could attend school, she immediately went to prepare the six ceremonial gifts (used for paying tuition).

The father and son brought celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, longan, dried meat strips, and even a large fat rabbit from home as additional gifts.

The school was divided into three classes: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Class A was for young children, aged five to eight, who were learning the basics. Class B focused on the Four Books and Five Classics, and was for children aged eight to twelve. Class C was for students who had already passed the imperial examinations.

Li Wen was assigned to Class A. Since the school did not provide boarding, students had to be picked up and dropped off by their family members.

Li Youyin had to go to the town every day to deliver rabbits, so it was his responsibility to take Li Wen to and from school.

Mr. Sun told Li Youyin, “Li Wen has a great talent for learning. He can memorize any book after reading it once. If you continue to nurture him well, he will certainly achieve something great in the future.”

Initially, they only wanted to send Li Wen to school to help him learn how to read and write. They never expected him to be so smart and receive such high praise from the teacher.

Li Youyin was overjoyed when he heard Mr. Sun’s compliments about his son. On the way home, he even bought a jar of wine to celebrate.

Li Wen had also heard what the teacher said. Seeing his father’s happy expression, he felt that he must not disappoint the teacher’s expectations and his family’s efforts.

From that point on, Li Wen became even more diligent in his studies. He would read books until midnight every day after school.

His family, seeing how much effort he put into his studies at such a young age, were worried that it might harm his health. They all advised him not to put so much pressure on himself.

Li Wen understood that his family was concerned about his health, and he would nod in agreement each time. However, the lights in the house would still stay on until midnight.