Chapter 38 Female Students

Chen Shiyi tugged at his sleeve.

"What's wrong with you? Are you stupid?"

Pei Luoshu heard her soft voice, lowered his eyes, turned around and looked at Chen Shiyi again.

"I will pay you back the money I owe you as soon as possible."

Chen Shiyi chuckled.

"I have something to ask of you."

Pei Luoshu stared at her with a puzzled look.

"Please, what can I ask for?"

Chen Shiyi said hurriedly.

"I want to learn to read. Can you teach me? Do you accept female students? How much do you charge for accepting students?"

Pei Luoshu didn't understand anything at this moment. She had even thought of a reason for him not to return the money.

Pei Luoshu laughed softly.

In all these days, Chen Shiyi has never seen him smile.

"One tael of silver per month, plus four liters of new rice, three catties of top-quality pork, two catties of Lihua liquor, and gifts for every festival. Do you still want to learn?"

Chen Shiyi counted on his fingers and asked in confusion.

"How many copper plates does Lihuabai cost per pound?"

"About forty cents."

"I should have two taels of silver every month. My family's expenses are about three taels of silver a month, so I must earn five taels of silver at the end of the month. After deducting the cost, I have to sell at least 70 cakes a day. When business is at its best, I only sell more than 200 copper coins. It should be just enough, but people will get tired of eating, and there are only so many people in the town. I am afraid that business will slow down in the future."

Pei Luoshu looked at her distressed expression and smiled.

Chen Shiyi turned around and said to him.

"Can I use the money I just made to learn for a while? If I can pay the tuition later, will you teach me?"

Pei Luoshu nodded.

"Of course."

Chen Shiyi finally smiled with relief.

The summer heat is unbearable, so many camphor trees are planted on both sides of Changning Street.

The canopy of the camphor trees provides an invisible shield for these vendors to keep cool. For this reason, many people in the town, who have nothing to do, will bring their children out to play in the streets.

"You already know so many words?"

Pei Luoshu was really surprised. Is there someone else teaching her?

"While others were learning to read, I secretly learned a few words."

"So what do you need me to teach you?"

"Anything."

Pei Luoshu chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?"

Chen Shiyi didn't understand what was so funny about this.

"I have some books at home. Since you can read, I'll let you read them and give you handouts to help you solve your problems. This way you'll make faster progress."

Chen Shiyi followed Pei Luoshu and learned more words and read many books in this hot summer.

Slowly, she felt that her cognition had reached a new level, and Wu Xia Amon had also become wise.

Occasionally, she had doubts.

"One should never forget a friend who has shared the hardships of life, and one should never divorce a wife who has shared the hardships of life. Why do we need to use the word 'dragged'?"

Pei Luoshu frowned slightly.

"This is just a metaphor. Even if you become rich and powerful in the future, you cannot abandon your wife who has shared the hardships with you. Zaokang refers to coarse food and represents the hard and difficult days."

Chen Shiyi thought about it.

“I don’t like these two words.”

"Why?"

"Oh no, I have seen both bran and rice, and I have seen people eat them, but later the village chief's family fed them to pigs. Once, when they were the poorest, the village chief's wife also ate them with him. Later, the village chief became rich and had money in his hands, but he let his wife die of illness in the thatched house and chose to live with other women. When a man has wealth and glory, how many of them are willing to talk about the poor days in the past? Not many people in this world can keep their wives who have shared their hardships together."

Pei Luoshu opened his mouth, but found that he, who was full of poetry, had no words to refute.

"Someone will be able to do it. People cannot be generalized."

Chen Shiyi asked again.

"I found that most beautiful things are mentioned in books. Is it because they are rare in the world and people yearn for them only when they are written in books? Or is it because the world is too realistic and most people worry about food, clothing, housing and transportation, and they don't have the conditions and courage to arouse such beautiful things?"

Pei Luoshu looked quietly at Chen Shiyi in front of him. Her thoughts were always different from those of others, and seemed to be more sober and rational.

"Eleven, there is a mirage in everyone's heart. Without these beautiful things, the human heart is like a dried-up spiritual spring, and this life will be like a walking corpse."

"Um?"

"It is hope. With hope and fantasy, no matter how dark the road ahead is, you will find your own colorful world."

Chen Shiyi felt that his choice was right, and he always benefited a lot from studying with Pei Luoshu.

Before, I always thought that I could find some way to make his life a little better.

Now, she is the one who really takes advantage.

Later, she asked Xue Lianxing and found out that the tuition fees his children received for school were much higher than what Pei Luoshu had given.

Studying has always been an extremely expensive endeavor since ancient times.

"Mr. Pei is very knowledgeable, why don't you let your children learn from him?"

Xue Lianxing said something very helpless.

"He is very learned, which is known to the county magistrate. However, only those who have learned to read in a regular school are qualified to be recommended to participate in the county examination. Based on this condition, everyone rejected Pei Xiucai."

Chen Shiyi really felt sorry for Pei Luoshu.

"Is his face incurable?"

"It is definitely incurable. Besides, it requires a miracle doctor to cure it. Besides, Mr. Pei has a sick mother at home. How can he have extra money to pay for medical treatment?"

"Wouldn't his life be ruined then?"

"My knowledge is useless, and I can't pass the imperial examinations. My family is poor and I can't make a living."

Chen Shiyi pushed the stove to Xue Lianxing's house and saw the bundle inside the house.

"Brother Xue, are you going on a long journey?"

"No, I'm going to the county town tomorrow. Someone recommended a job to me. I'll be gone for three to five days."

Chen Shiyi asked hurriedly.

"Can you take me with you when you go?"

"The county town is a bit far. It takes half a day to walk there."

"No problem. I won't be making pancakes tomorrow. I want to go to the county town to have a look. Also, the vegetables in my garden are growing well. I'll pick some to sell tomorrow."

Chen Shiyi took out a bag of ginger candies from his pocket and stuffed them into the pocket of Haoer who was holding his calf nearby.

"You didn't finish the candy I gave you last time, and you're giving me more this time. You're the only one who gets used to him."

Xue Lianxing's wife, Su Niang, came out of the kitchen with a smile on her face and poured a basin of water into the corner. Suddenly, a cloud of misty white smoke rose up.

Chen Shiyi thought, how strange it is that pouring a basin of water could happen like this.

Pei Luoshu was a little absent-minded. He looked at the empty stall next to him and couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Where did Chen Shiyi go?

It's already been three days. You can't give up studying halfway. How can she learn well if she fishes for three days and hangs out for two days?

He suppressed his anxiety and pretended to casually talk to Aunt Zhao beside him about Chen Shiyi's whereabouts.

Aunt Zhao shook her head.

"I don't know either. Maybe something happened at home."

Pei Luoshu thought, he didn't know what happened in her family.

Is there anything I can do for him?