early morning.

A thin mist lingered above the small mountain village, while the blood-red sunrise lay dozing in the east.

Smoke curls from the chimneys.

Regarding the Chen family's plans to start school, Chen Xian didn't want to be the first in the village to do so, as it would attract too much attention.

He plans to raise a large group of people to study.

A horse-drawn carriage swayed and wobbled as it arrived at Qingxia Village.

The pageboy looked around curiously. "Sir, we've arrived at Qingxia Village."

Chen Xian planned to ask the old village head to find those down-on-their-luck old scholars and organize all the school-age children in Qingxia Village. Of course, older teenagers who were willing to study could also enroll if they wished.

Old Li was cutting vegetables by the roadside.

Seeing Chen Xian approach, he put down the horse basket he was carrying.

Are you serious?

Chen Gui stared in astonishment at the middle-aged man dressed in patched coarse cloth clothes.

I sniffed it hard, and mmm, I hadn't been drinking.

He also thought it over carefully and said, "The cheapest pen is fifty coins. If you replace it every three months, it will cost two hundred coins a year."

The cheapest ink stick costs 100 coins, and if you use two sticks a year, that's about 200 coins.

The cheapest paper costs fifty coins per foot, and even that can't be calculated in detail over a month.

An inkstone can be made from any stone; just dig a hole in it and it won't cost any money.

Even a broken bowl will suffice.

This book, let's just take a very basic primer, about a hundred coins, only a few pages long, plus tuition, at least ten strips of dried meat, and other New Year's gifts and allowances from the teachers.

It's impossible to calculate in detail.

Chen Gui looked up and said, "Brother Xian, you're being too idealistic and hasty."

“I know your family is doing business recently, so maybe you can afford to help your children with their studies. But for the rest of the village, forget it. If you don’t have the talent, it’s better to go to town to work or farm early. Otherwise, you might fail the imperial examinations and become obsessed with the idea that farmers are inferior, turning into someone who is all talk and no action, unable to shed their scholar’s ​​robes.”

He had heard of such people and had also seen them in person.

It's quite frustrating and lamentable; they spout pedantic and pretentious nonsense, yet they can't even support themselves.

They even looked down on the farming family they came from.

Being stuck in the middle is the most pitiful situation!

Chen Xian chuckled.

"Uncle Gui, look at me. I've studied for a year and a half, and I haven't become one of those old Confucian scholars who spout classical Chinese phrases all the time, have I?"

Chen Gui scoffed, "Yes, you don't, but you've become a lazy bum."

For a family, especially when strong laborers are needed, it would be a disaster if someone ate a lot but didn't work.

Chen Xian said calmly, "Yes, I was a bit of a scoundrel before, but I've figured it out now. A man should take responsibility for his family while he's alive. Reading can teach him honor, shame, and wisdom."

The reason why we, the people of Qingxia Village, are literate is not because we expect everyone to pass the imperial examinations—that is ultimately a fantasy. It is not to compete with others in terms of achievement, but for the people of Qingxia Village to have the right to choose their livelihood in the future and to gain dignity.

A waiter or waitress in a restaurant or inn who can read and write earns twenty or thirty coins a day more than a porter in town.

The accountant earned twenty or thirty coins more than the clerk who could only read but not calculate, and also had a higher status.

Doesn't this illustrate a point?

I'm rather pragmatic and crude in my approach to things; I only care about whether the reward is more than what a farmer earns, or whether I'll be respected.

this?

Chen Gui hadn't expected Chen Xian to bring up this point.

But where does the money come from?

Chen Xian seemed to sense the old village head's doubts.

"The village can contribute half of this money. If their grades are good and they make great progress in their studies, they can be rewarded with some writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, which will reduce their tuition fees by more than half."

Chen Gui said helplessly, "Last time the village went up the mountain to fetch water, we were paid a lot of wages, so we don't have much money left."

Chen Xian said calmly, "I can use this money to support their studies in the form of student loans."

Chen Gui shook his head decisively and said, "How can that be? Wouldn't that be treating you like an innocent victim..."

It was a very strange way of putting it, but I could understand it completely.

Chen Xian chuckled, “Of course, I’m not doing charity entirely. Once these people have completed their studies, during their exam preparation period, I require them to spend at least three days a week doing accounting and handling things for my family business. Of course, I will also pay them a certain amount of compensation.”

"They just need to pay me back the tuition within the next three to five years, without charging any interest."

"Of course, if you're really not cut out for studying, you might as well work for my family to pay off the debt. After all, the imperial examinations are difficult; you can't just pass them if you want to."

Chen Gui was even more surprised.

Judging from what Brother Xian said, he is quite confident in his family's business.

As for spending time helping out, getting paid in return, and no interest, where else can you find such a good deal?

Chen Xian stared at him intently: "Now, Uncle Gui needs to find suitable people, especially those young, down-on-their-luck scholars who have elderly parents and young children at home. These people have been severely damaged by the imperial examination system and have become obsessed with it. As long as they are provided with food and lodging and their tuition and living expenses are paid in full, they will not refuse such a good job."

Chen Gui chuckled. As expected of Xian Ge, being young means having abundant energy and passion for teaching. Having elderly parents and young children means needing income and a legitimate job to maintain one's livelihood.

She will not easily resign from her position as a teacher and leave.

Truly, cunning.

If such a cunning person is from another village, then naturally one should strongly despise them; but if they are from one's own village, well, that's great.

Su Wenhao was practicing his boxing and taking a walk in the village in the morning when he was quite surprised to see a very familiar half-face. He silently looked at Uncle Xian and the old village head without saying a word, just tilting his ear and quietly pulling back the carriage curtain, as if he was eavesdropping.

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