Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 167: Money is not important in order to eat Jiang's home-cooked meals

While Mr. Yang and his friends were playing chess, Mrs. Li pulled Mrs. Yang aside and asked her about Mr. Yang.

When Aunt Yang mentioned her nephew, she could only say that she didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and her face looked helpless.

Mr. Yang was an excellent scholar and passed the imperial examination when he was only seventeen or eighteen years old.

However, he went to Beijing to take the exams twice in a row, and both times he started having diarrhea and vomiting before the exams, and he couldn't even enter the examination room.

I came back from Beijing after taking the exam the year before last. It would take another three years before I could take the next one.

I don't know what Mr. Yang was thinking, but he said that to kill time, he opened a school and enrolled a few children for enlightenment.

Unexpectedly, I became addicted to teaching and felt it was better than being an official.

I plan to be a teacher in the county town in the future, teach children to read, and eat delicious food in my free time.

Mr. Yang's father initially thought that his son opened the academy to kill time, but now when he heard his son say that he didn't want to take the exam again, he was so angry that he didn't let him go home.

When Mr. Yang was free, he came to visit his uncle and used his uncle to persuade his father.

As soon as Li heard this, he thought that Mr. Yang was good. He accepted students not for the sake of tuition but because he liked teaching. This was a rare thing.

So he told Aunt Yang directly that he wanted Yucheng to go to the academy to study with Mr. Yang.

Aunt Yang took Li over to tell her what happened. Before Mr. Yang expressed his opinion, old man Yang kept praising Yucheng for being sensible and hardworking, and said that he was a good child, and asked Mr. Yang to accept Yucheng.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Yang said that he would not accept children who had not been tested. Whether the child can study or not has to be tested in person before he can be accepted.

Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang knew their nephew's temper and it was useless to persuade him, so they could only explain to Li awkwardly, asking her not to take it to heart and that their nephew did not dislike Yucheng.

On the contrary, Li felt that Mr. Yang was a good person and had his own standards. He was not a good man who would accept any child just for money, but he just didn't know the student's academic knowledge.

After Li finished speaking, he said with emotion: "Compared with Mr. Tao, this Mr. Yang is really a good gentleman."

"I asked him if he would beat his child if he couldn't memorize the lesson."

"Our Yucheng came from the countryside and started school later than other children, so he might be a little dumber. Guess what Mr. Yang said to me?"

Without waiting for anyone to answer, Li continued with a look of admiration: "Mr. Yang replied directly to me. If you don't have the ability to teach students well, you should be beaten yourself."

"As long as the student is not born stupid, there is nothing difficult about this little book. As long as it is explained clearly, the child can learn it, it's just a matter of speed."

Jiang and Shen Yu nodded as they listened, and they felt relieved.

Yu Cheng heard that he could learn everything, and he let out a long sigh of relief. He quickly pushed Li to sit at the table and said, "Then I'm not afraid anymore. I'm hungry, mother. Let's eat quickly. If we don't eat now, it will get cold."

While eating, everyone else was fine except Dun Dun, who seemed a little unhappy.

Shen Yu didn't notice it at first, but later he discovered that Dun Dun, who usually talked and laughed with Yu Cheng, was just keeping silent today for some reason. He also ate little and said he was full after just a few bites.

Jiang was watching from the side, a trace of helplessness and bitterness flashed across her face. She secretly wiped the corners of her eyes while going to serve the rice, and did not look up for a long time.

Shen Yu saw it all but pretended not to know.

After dinner, Shen Yu took Li to another room.

Shen Yu asked quietly: "Mother, have you asked Mr. Yang how long it takes to study in the academy and how much the tuition fee is?"

At first, Li thought Shen Yu wanted to ask something important, so he pulled himself aside to hide from everyone.

Hearing Shen Yu ask this, she scolded: "Girl, why are you hiding from people?"

"I asked, there are two school seasons in a year, autumn and winter from September 3rd to December 23rd, spring and summer from February 2nd to June 3rd. There are no schools for the three months of June, July and August.

"The tuition fee for each quarter is ten taels of silver. Students who live far away have to eat lunch at the academy, and the cost of the lunch is extra."

After hearing this, Shen Yu felt relieved.

Fortunately, it was lower than she expected.

She had previously inquired that a teacher's tuition for a season was linked to his fame and knowledge.

If a teacher is from a famous university and has good reputation, the host will invite him to his home to teach only one student, and the tuition fee for one season can be as much as one hundred taels.

In a school like this that accepts children who are just starting to learn, the tuition fees will be lower.

Because it is not a one-on-one program, usually there are about ten students in a semester, and the tuition for each student ranges from five to twenty taels.

Shen Yu calculated the remaining silver in his family and discussed with Li: "Mom, ten taels of silver for one semester is not much. Even if you add the meals, ten more taels for one semester will be enough."

"Once we move and open a restaurant, we won't have to push the cart out every day. I plan to change the stove to burn coal, so we don't have to have someone standing by the stove to add firewood and keep the fire burning."

"Dundun is still young, so he is not needed for cooking and serving food. This way, Dundun will have nothing to do."

"Why not let Dun Dun go to school with Yu Cheng? He can read and is smart, it would be a shame to waste his time."

Li was reluctant at first, thinking that the cost of studying had suddenly doubled, which was very painful.

But when she thought that if Dun Dun had nothing to do, Jiang might feel guilty and take the initiative to quit her job and leave with Dun Dun.

Not only would she lose a diligent and efficient kitchen helper.

The key point is that I can no longer eat the home-cooked meals that Jiang prepares in different ways every day.

I have to start worrying about cooking again!

Thinking of this, Li, who was not good at cooking, felt his scalp tighten.

No, it’s more important that someone knows how to cook!

As for money, just earn more!

Li understood the importance of Jiang and immediately agreed, "Yuzhi, you are right. Children should go to school. What can Dun Dun do at home? You should go to school with Yucheng."

Shen Yu was stunned. He didn't expect that Li would agree so readily this time.

I didn't have to use any of the reasons I prepared and I just got through it so easily.

Li stood up and said, "I'll go talk to Sister Jiang and bring Dun Dun and Yu Cheng with me tomorrow. You don't have to worry about this."

Shen Yu sat there, sighing helplessly. If only there was a school that accepted female students, Yutao could also go to school and learn to read. Although girls could not take part in the imperial examinations, it was still much better than being illiterate.

The next morning, it was obvious that Dun Dun was full of energy. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he would whisper with Yu Cheng from time to time.

Shen Yu smiled and shook his head. I guess these two brothers are not discussing how to pass the exam. I wonder what Mr. Yang will test on.