Chapter 37: Escape from the Troubled Times 35

Lin Xia was so ecstatic that she couldn't suppress the smile on her face. She wanted to go to the county town right now.

Look at the sky and suppress the excitement in your heart.

Farming!

She will never farm this crappy field again!

Qi Xiu'er next to her was equally excited, and she kept patting Lin Xia's arm with her hands, "Sister Lin, did you hear that? I'm 11 years old, I can read, I can read!"

Then he turned to the Qi family and said, "Dad and Mom, did you hear that? I can study now!"

Mr. and Mrs. Qi were filled with joy. They only had this one daughter, and they also had a two-year-old son who did not survive. Perhaps they would only have this one daughter in the future. Their daughter would be able to go to school soon, and they could even learn a craft. How could they not be excited?

"Xiu'er, don't get excited. We will go to the county town early tomorrow morning to find out the situation." Qi Da comforted his daughter.

"I'm going there tomorrow too, let's go together then." Lin Xia said casually.

"Yeah, yeah." Qi Xiu'er nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at rice.

The second day.

It was just daybreak when Lin Xia got up, washed and ate.

She was too excited last night and couldn't sleep until midnight. She barely dozed off for a while, and her mind became clear automatically at dawn.

After locking the gate, I saw that all members of the Qi family except the two elderly people had gone out.

"Xiao Lin, you're up too. Have you eaten?"

"Let's eat and leave quickly. There will definitely be a lot of people going to the county town today."

"Yes, yes, let's go." Qi Xiu'er rushed forward impatiently.

Sure enough, people with children came one after another along the way. When they arrived at the gate of the county town, there were densely packed people crowding under the city gate. They arrived a little early today and waited outside the city for an incense stick of time before the city gate opened.

Lin Xia followed the crowd into the city. There were soldiers maintaining order. They pointed to the newly built villa on the hill in the north and said, "The academy is over there."

It turns out that the news of recruiting workers on the mountain that Xiu'er had mentioned was for the construction of a college.

Most people flocked to the academy. Lin Xia and Qi Jia successfully arrived at the entrance of the academy. They saw four big characters "Lingzhou Academy" on the plaque on the door, and a few small characters "Branch No. 3" in the lower right corner.

These characters were really easy to recognize, and Lin Xia could recognize them even though she had never learned traditional Chinese characters.

It seems that Lingzhou has several branches. Could it be that the heroine’s benefactor came here to investigate the environment?

When we walked into the academy, we saw many staff members in uniform receiving us. The square was divided into three areas, with signs clearly stating Women's College, Men's College and School. There were also staff members shouting loudly, and the whole scene was bustling and lively.

The school had the largest number of people seeking consultation, so Lin Xia and her companions first came to the girls' college, which had the smallest number of people.

After the introduction, Lin Xia learned that the age limit of the girls' college is over 10 years old and all students have to pay tuition.

There are various majors to choose from, and you can only study one major at a time, all of which are practical skills. For example, there are common professions such as weaving and embroidery, as well as rare professions such as makeup artist, midwife, and gynecologist.

Although it is called a college, it is actually more like a technical school. These majors are divided into two academic systems, one is one year and the other is three years.

Just like modern schools, the year is divided into two terms, with winter and summer vacations. The tuition fee for one term is 1 tael of silver, the boarding fee is 100 wen, and students are required to provide their own living expenses.

The tuition fee is actually quite low. Before, we had to pay a head tax of 5 taels per person per year as long as you were over 16 years old. Now we can save a lot of money, which is more than enough to learn skills.

Now there is no head tax to pay, and the college cafeteria is subsidized, so meals are half the price of those outside. Even if you live frugally and tighten your belt, you can still come to study.

As for those who live in real hardship but want to study, they can apply for financial aid from the college.

In short, as long as you are willing, you can learn the technology.

After graduation, you can work in the county town. A number of new shops have been opened in the city, and they focus on recruiting female employees.

After Lin Xia learned about it, she had a general idea in her mind. She would rent out the farmland when she returned. As for which major to apply for, she needed to consider it carefully. She wanted to study medicine and embroidery, but unfortunately both majors were three-year programs.

While she was thinking, the two daughters-in-law of the Qi family were also moved.

They also wanted to learn skills as it was related to their own interests, so they argued fiercely and finally decided to go to the school first.

When everyone arrived at the school, they found that there were more people. They crowded together and listened to the staff's loud introduction.

A school is a place for serious study. The only difference from a private school is that it does not discriminate between boys and girls and the age limit is under 25 years old. It is not the case that only children are accepted as the village chief said yesterday.

There are two age stages in total.

The first one is for children aged 6 to 12, with a four-year system, free tuition and accommodation, but not living expenses;

The second one is for those aged 13 to 25, with a two-year course and the same tuition as the girls' college. After completing the course, you will be issued two certificates - a graduation certificate and a degree certificate.

A graduation certificate is obtained after completing the course, while a degree certificate requires an assessment and will only be awarded if a certain score is achieved.

Wang Zhaozhao’s face appeared in Lin Xia’s mind. It was obvious that Wang Zhaozhao was involved in this matter. They were both time travelers, so why was there such a big gap between them? She is struggling to survive at the bottom of society, while others are doing great things at the top.

Her thoughts wandered for a moment, then she came back to her senses and continued to listen to the introduction. The reality before her was life, and she had benefited from it, so she couldn't just pick up the bowl to eat and then put it down to curse.

After finishing school at the branch college, if you want to continue your studies, only students who have obtained double certificates can go to Fucheng to study. Fucheng Academy has a 6-year curriculum. It is said that students who study in Fucheng for 6 years and finally obtain double certificates can become officials, regardless of gender!

Lin Xia initially thought that the school only accepted children under the age of 12, but it turned out that adults could also go. She immediately decided not to study medicine for the time being, but to go to school for two years first and then decide whether to study medicine or continue her studies.

Lin Xia made the decision, and the Qi family also made their decision. They all agreed to send their three children to school.

Finally, I went to the men's college, which was similar to the women's college, except for the different majors and a wider range of choices than the women's college. There was no other difference.

There's nothing you can do about it. This is a patriarchal society, and men simply have more job choices than women.

In the end, only Lin Xia and her three children signed up for the school, while the other adults did not sign up to learn skills. Their family was poor and they did not have much money. The three children also needed living expenses for their studies, and it seemed that they would not be able to apply for financial aid positions. Their family had several laborers and fields, so they did not fall into the category of poor.

Those who can apply for the financial aid positions are refugees or local people who are poorer than them. In fact, Lin Xia can apply because she is a single refugee, but she doesn't want to. She doesn't want to work to study, and it's not like she has no money.

Not all local farmers are in the same condition as Wuliao. Many local people are also poor.

They have limited ways to make money, one is selling grain, the other is selling sugarcane.

Brown sugar is extremely expensive in other states and counties, but very cheap in its place of origin, so the money earned is limited.

The local farmers rely on these two taxes, and they don't have much money left every year. Some of them also get sick and have to take medicine. They have a miserable life. In the end, they even have to sell their land and are not as well off as the new refugees.

Take the Qi family for example. In the first year of land reclamation, they were lucky if the yield was enough for their own consumption. It was impossible to make money. So the Qi family wanted to sign up but suppressed their actions with reason. They decided to farm first this year and also reclaim wasteland to plant sugarcane. The time was tight and the task was heavy, and they were short of money and people.

There have been constant natural disasters in the past two years, and this year there has been another drought in the north. The whole country is short of food, and food prices remain high. As long as they plant for one year, plus three years of tax exemption, they will definitely have money to learn technology by selling grain and sugarcane.

The two families quickly decided on the future development. There was still half a month before the school officially started, and everyone could come and sign up during this half month.

This academy is the only branch of several nearby counties. There are many villages that have not received the news or have just received the news and are on their way. Their village is the first to receive the news, so there is plenty of time and they can come back anytime if they have any ideas.