Chapter 241 Sanwei Study

Zhou Fengyi was a little unhappy to see Runtu in the study room, because he was a scholar and was more particular about hierarchy. He thought Runtu was just a child of the Mangyue family, so how could he be qualified to enter the study room?

But seeing Ah Zhang's dedication to teaching, he did not disturb him for the time being, but just watched quietly from the side. After watching for a while, he could not help it.

Zhang Fuqing came to the house to help almost every year. Zhou Fengyi knew all the affairs of his family. Runtu had never been to school since he was a child and was illiterate. He had not been here for long this time, but he had learned to write well so quickly.

"Ahem!" He couldn't help coughing, interrupting their study. He walked over and picked up Runtu's copybook, looking at it carefully while asking, "Why do you suddenly want to learn calligraphy?"

"Master!" Jun-tu called respectfully, and then he gave the answer he had prepared long ago, "I heard from the scholar that all scholars have servants, and that the official will take the imperial examination in the future. Now that I can read a few words, perhaps I can serve as a servant to the official."

You can't call him Ah Zhang now. Ah Zhang is the eldest son in the family, so everyone calls him Da Ah Guan. Runtu has figured out Zhou Fengyi's character through indirect questions these days. He is very particular about hierarchy, so there must be no mistakes in addressing him.

Ah Zhang next to him was still a little confused. He didn't understand what this title meant, but he felt that there was a thin barrier between the two of them.

As for the book boy, he was also making it clear that he did not have such big ambitions. He did not dare to hope to take the examination for a scholar or something like that. He would be satisfied as long as he could be a servant for Zhang.

Zhou Fengyi was indeed very happy after hearing this. He passed the imperial examination for a scholar at an early age, but unfortunately he could not replicate his father's success. After that, he failed in the provincial examinations and could not pass the imperial examination for a juren. Now, when he heard a child say that his son could pass the imperial examination for a jinshi, he naturally felt happy.

"How many days have you been studying?" Zhou Fengyi asked.

"Five days." Runtu answered honestly.

"Five days?" Zhou Fengyi was even more surprised. He could write well in five days. This progress was faster than when he and Zhang first started learning calligraphy. So he became more interested. "Besides practicing calligraphy, what else have you learned these days?"

"The elder Aguan also taught me the Three Character Classic."

"Oh? Let's see from the back!"

“When man is born, his nature is good. Natures are similar, but habits make them different. Sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty are the five tastes that come into the mouth.” Runtu began to recite immediately, and stopped after reciting more than thirty sentences in one breath.

He even deliberately made a few mistakes during the process, but even so, it was enough to surprise Zhou Fengyi. He put down the copybook and said, "Continue learning!"

After saying that, he turned and walked out. When he reached the door, he shook his head and sighed, "What a pity."

It's a pity that such a good student was born into the wrong family. If he had been born into a middle-class family, he would have been educated from a young age and might have started learning to write essays at this age. If he had been luckier, it would not have been impossible for him to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar in his teens.

Unfortunately, he was born in a poor family and his family had no money to send him to school. It was not until now that they discovered that he had a talent for studying. Moreover, with Zhang Fuqing's family background, it was almost impossible to support him in studying and taking the examination for a scholar.

When Zhou Fengyi returned to his room at night, he told his wife Lu Rui about this matter. Lu Rui also felt sorry, "Ah, Xun'er meant well but did a bad thing. If Ah Tu had never known that he had this ability, it might have been better. He would have lived his whole life in ignorance. Now that he knows, he will probably be unwilling to accept it when he wakes up in the future. For a family like him, it is not a good thing if he is unwilling to accept it."

"Not necessarily. This kid still knows his limits. He didn't say anything good about taking the subject test. He just said that he wanted to be Xun'er's servant! If Xun'er can become something successful in the future, it wouldn't be bad to have someone who knows him well as his servant." Zhou Fengyi remembered what Runtu had just said.

"His father is an honest man, so he will certainly be fine. We can all rest assured with someone like him by Xun'er's side! Even if he wants to be a servant, he has to go to school first. Is Fuqing willing to spend this money on the child?" Lu Rui has always been in charge of the family affairs. She can estimate that Fuqing has saved some money.

Fuqing could earn about two thousand copper coins every year as a busy month for them. He could also make about ten taels of silver from farming, selling fruits and vegetables, and selling bamboo utensils he made himself. After deducting the usual expenses, the money saved was enough for Runtu to send him to school for a year or two.

"It's never a disadvantage to be knowledgeable and literate. Even if you can't be a book boy in the future, you can still earn money as a clerk in a shop! I'll wait and see for a few days. If Runtu really has the patience, I'll tell Fuqing. It happens that Mr. Shou has only accepted seven students now, so he is still one short. Mr. Shou doesn't care about the students' background, so maybe he'll accept Runtu if he likes him." Apart from being a little particular about hierarchy, Zhou Fengyi was quite open-minded in other aspects.

"Oh, it would be fine if we signed a contract first and then sent Runtu to school. What a pity..." Zhou Fengyi said and shook her head helplessly.

His grandmother had just passed away, and according to custom, his father had to return home to observe mourning. As a result, the family would be short of a large amount of income in the next few years. A large sum of money had already been spent on donations previously, and the Zhou family would probably have a hard time in the next few years. How could they come up with money to support the boy's studies?

However, this is a good thing for Runtu. If the Zhou family proposes to sign a contract to take him in as a servant, Zhang Fuqing will definitely be happy. But in this case, Runtu will lose his freedom.

After a few days, Zhou Fengyi saw that Runtu was indeed eager to learn, so she called Zhang Fuqing and told him about it. At first, Zhang Fuqing couldn't believe it. How could a peasant like him expect to raise a child who could read and write?

It was not until Zhou Fengyi brought Runtu's calligraphy that Zhang Fuqing believed it. He said respectfully, "The master is considerate of me and is willing to let Ah Tu go to study with Mr. Shou. How dare I not appreciate the favor?"

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"If Mr. Shou agrees, I will support Runtu's education even if I have to sell everything I have, so that he can be a servant to the great official in the future!" In his opinion, Xun'er's grandfather was a high-ranking official in the court, and Xun'er would definitely become an official in the future. If Runtu could take advantage of this opportunity and become Xun'er's servant, then their family would be able to turn things around in the future.

"Even if he can't be a servant, once he learns to read and write, I can write him a letter of guarantee and send him to work as a clerk in the store I'm going to establish. In short, as long as he is willing to work hard, he will definitely not suffer any loss in the future." Zhou Fengyi added.

Zhang Fuqing could only smile foolishly after hearing this. There were several children in his family, and the family property was not enough to be divided. If Runtu could become a waiter, it would be a way out.

The next day, as there was not too much to do that day, Zhou Fengyi took Runtu out and headed east. Within half a mile, after crossing a stone bridge, they arrived at Shou Jingwu's Sanwei Book House.

(End of this chapter)