57 Chapter 57
◎Xiaoqi chooses a private school◎
Xiao Qi stood there and answered respectfully, "Master, I can recognize and write all the characters in the Thousand Character Classic."
Master Zhuang's eyes lit up. "Then let me test you." He leaned back in his chair, pondered for a moment, and said, "The root of governance lies in agriculture. We must focus on harvesting crops. What's next?"
"I start working in the fields in the south and grow millet. When the taxes are ripe and the tributes are new, I encourage and reward officials and promote and demote officials." Xiao Qi said without hesitation.
"Then do you know what that means?"
"The foundation of governing a country lies in developing agriculture. We must do a good job in the tasks of sowing and harvesting."
Master Zhuang asked, "Have you ever done farm work?"
Xiao Qi was stunned for a moment. "Yes, but my mother said she doesn't need our help. She hires people to do the work."
Cheng Mu, who was sitting at the side, was suddenly called. She lowered her head, feeling a little uneasy.
"Planting is called farming, and harvesting is called harvesting. Do you know the story of Hou Ji teaching people how to farm?" Master Zhuang asked again.
"I don't know." Xiao Qi was a little dejected. He could only recognize, recite, and write. His mother had taught him many characters, but there were also some complex ones she didn't recognize. Master Huang knew much more, but he had only taught him twice and only explained the first few allusions.
Besides, who was Hou Ji? Was he more powerful than his mother? He puffed out his chest and said, "In the countryside, it was my mother who taught the people how to farm."
Cheng Mu blushed and her heart beat fast, and she lowered her head even more. If there was a crack in the ground, she would crawl into it.
Master Zhuang glanced at the man who was "teaching the people in the countryside how to farm," coughed, and said, "Madam Cheng, this child is talented and intelligent. Reading can correct one's mind, cultivate one's virtue, and broaden one's horizons. Every bit of knowledge lost is a hindrance. With daily improvement, one's learning will become bright and clear."
Cheng Xi nodded hesitantly.
"Three days later, I'll officially send him to start his studies."
After bidding farewell to Master Zhuang, when the man from the Zhuang family sent Cheng Mu to the door, Cheng Mu asked him about the tuition fees.
One stone of wheat per year.
The master of the Li family also said that the tuition fee is about 100 kilograms of wheat per year. This quote is almost double.
Although Cheng Mu had plenty of wheat, she felt uncomfortable being treated as a sucker.
Gui'er was waiting outside the alley. When she saw them come out, she followed them and carefully examined Cheng Mu's face. "How is it? Will you accept it? Did you pass it?"
Xiao Qi looked up and asked, "Mom, did I say something wrong just now?"
"Let's talk about it when we get back." Cheng Mu held his hand and quickened her pace.
"What? One dan of wheat a year?" Gui'er pounded her fist on the table. "It depends on who you ask for!"
Xiaoliu asked Xiaoqi, "You only said you knew the Thousand Character Classic? Why didn't you mention the Youxue Qionglin, the Three Character Classic, or the Thousand Family Poems?"
Xiao Qi replied, "These are just elementary books, they don't seem very impressive. Master Huang said that reading about filial piety, learning, and mediocrity is a bit impressive."
Xiaoliu: "If the Master thinks you are a genius, your tuition should be lowered. Why is the tuition so high?"
Xiao Qi was annoyed. "Maybe they thought I was being shameless when I said Mom hired people to farm in the countryside and taught the people to do so?"
Xiao Liu glared, "How can you be so arrogant? Why doesn't he go and ask around?"
Gui Er concluded, "He's snobbish, hypocritical, and short-sighted. This teacher has poor moral character. We should find another one."
Yu asked Cheng Mu, "How about going to Zhu's Charity School?"
"Okay, you guys are talking too much." Cheng Mu said, "It's Xiaoqi who's going to school. What's most important is that Xiaoqi likes it. Let's look at a few more schools. Xiaoqi can go to whichever one he wants."
Yu nodded. "That would be best. It's no exaggeration to say our Xiaoqi is a genius. We need to find someone who can recognize a rough diamond and teach him with care."
Next, Cheng Mu took Xiaoqi to Zhujiayi School and the school recommended by Zheng Lizheng's brother-in-law.
Li Jia's thirteen-year-old daughter, Li Xiucai, loved the tomato chili sauce Cheng Mu had brought her. She came to ask where to buy chili seeds. Two women from the alley had also come to her house to ask for them, so Cheng Mu simply raised seedlings at home and told them to come back in a few days.
The temperature is okay now, just a little lower at night. She grows seedlings in the main house where no one lives, so she opens the doors and windows for ventilation during the day and closes them at night to ensure the temperature remains consistent. She moves the seedling trays outside when additional sunlight is needed.
There are generally no windows on the back walls of old houses, making it difficult to form convection wind. Cheng Xi has the idea of converting all three rooms in the main house into greenhouses, which requires carving doors or windows on several walls. It would be great if Zhao Datian or Shitou came, not only could they do these things, but they could also build some racks and seedling trays.
However, there were many people in the county doing these things, so she found Liu Guanya again. Liu Guanya introduced him to reliable people, and the transformation was completed according to her requirements in three days.
Yu cleaned the main house inside and out, and it now looks completely different.
Guier brought someone in from the front door and shouted, "Mom, Li Lan is here!"
Li Lan grew up in this house when she was young. Her grandparents lived in the main house. There were not enough rooms for the family, so she and her sisters squeezed in the main house for several years.
"Here...this..." She stared in amazement at the house that had changed drastically.
All three rooms had their partition walls removed, leaving a large open space with doors and windows on all four sides. It was empty and bright.
The big kang is still there, but only a big kang is left.
"What are you going to do if you don't live here?"
Cheng Mu came over from the east wing and said, "It's a greenhouse and seedling cultivation."
How willful! Li Lan looked at Cheng Mu in disbelief. The owner of the house did not live in the main house, but lived in the small compartment in her father's former study, while these little seedlings lived in the main house.
Cheng Mu instructed Yu, "Aunt Yu, go dig some soil and make two flower pots." Cheng Mu brought Li Lan to the seedling tray on the shelf where the seedlings had already sprouted. "They've sprouted. Although they're still small, you can take them home and grow them yourself. Peppers love warmth. It takes three or four months from seedling to flowering and fruiting. As the weather gets cooler, it's best to grow them in pots. If the temperature gets too low, move them indoors."
Cheng Mu gave Li Lan detailed instructions on planting and maintenance.
Yu's flowerpot was ready, and Cheng Mu asked Li Lan to go back and make a few flowerpots according to the same pattern. There was only one thing to note: leave a hole at the bottom of the pot so that the water could drain out easily after watering, otherwise the roots of the plants would rot.
"By the way, I've already found out about that matter." Li Lan almost forgot to report the news she brought this time.
The reason why Master Zhuang charged Cheng Tai one stone of tuition per year was not because he looked down on Cheng Tai, but because he liked Cheng Tai too much. However, considering his old age, he was afraid that he would not be able to teach him, so he pushed him away, hoping that he would find a better place.
"You said Master Zhuang wanted us to give up when we encounter difficulties?" Yu still couldn't understand. How could a master push away good students?
"It's not impossible." Cheng Mu said, "In any case, Xiao Qi has made a decision."
Li Lan asked them where they would choose. Cheng Mu glanced in the direction of the study and said, "You should also tell Xiao Qi what you learned today. He can make his own judgment."
When Li Lan was a child, she didn't dare to disturb her father whenever he was in the study. So she didn't dare to ask any more questions and just took her things and left.
Cheng Mu packed up and went into the study. Yu kept an eye on her movements. When she saw her go to the east wing, she immediately washed her hands and rushed over.
Xiaoliu is checking Xiaoqi's endorsement.
Xiao Qi could already recite Thousand Character Classic, Young Learners' Classic of Qionglin, and Three Character Classic by heart. He had already bought The Book of Filial Piety, The Great Learning, and The Doctrine of the Mean at a bookstore in the county town, but he wasn't in a hurry to learn them.
People at that time read based on memorization. When studying any book, they would memorize it first without explaining the meaning. Only after they could recite it fluently would the teacher explain its meaning. Different teachers had different understandings of the articles. One had to read more annotations by predecessors, communicate with others more, and review the old to learn new things from time to time.
In front of Xiaoliu was a copy of "Nine Chapters". Xiaoqi would also learn mathematics in the future, so this book was bought specially for Xiaoliu by Cheng Mu. After Xiaoliu came to the county town, she had insisted several times on selling things on the street. Cheng Mu therefore made an agreement with her to let her learn "Mathematics" thoroughly first, and she could set up a stall and do business as she pleased in the future.
Cheng Mu was cautious. She thought it would take at least two or three years for her to learn thoroughly. By then, she would be six, eight, or nine years old. Most of the kids who often went to restaurants and teahouses to sell things were of this age, so she could be let out to run around.
After Xiaoqi finished reciting, Xiaoliu nodded, meaning that it was correct.
He acted very serious, and Cheng Mu smiled silently.
Xiaoliu immediately returned to child mode, "Mom, who was that just now?"
Cheng Mu scolded lightly, "Your body is sitting here, but your mind is already flying somewhere else?"
"It's because Aunt Gui'er spoke so loudly that Xiao Qi heard it too, didn't he, Xiao Qi?"
Cheng Mu then told them the news that Li Lan had found out. Xiao Liu asked, "Mom, do you believe it?"
Cheng Xi asked her, "What do you think?"
Xiao Qi interrupted, "I believe Master Zhuang thinks so."
"You want to choose him as your teacher, so of course you should speak for him," Xiaoliu said. "Mom, I don't think what he thinks is important. What's important is what we think. One dan of wheat a year isn't much for us. If you think it's worth it, then it's worth it."
"You're right, that's right." Cheng Mu asked Xiao Qi, "Xiao Qi, what do you think?"
"Mother," Xiao Qi pursed his lips and said slowly, "Zhu Jia Yi Xue doesn't charge tuition. As long as you pay a tuition fee to Master Zhu, you can enroll. He doesn't test the students' level at all. Everyone attends classes together and repeatedly learns the most basic knowledge. There are two masters in Hexingxueguan, one for students under ten years old and the other over ten years old. Although the master tested me, he didn't care about whether I knew the interpretations and allusions like Master Zhuang did. Mother..." Xiao Qi rarely said such a long string of words and swallowed his saliva.
"With Xiaoliu accompanying me in my studies, I have no problem memorizing. What I lack is a teacher who can explain things to me. Master Zhuang has few students, so it's convenient for me to ask for advice."
Cheng Xi couldn't help but applaud him, "It's great that you can analyze it this way. The best one is the one that suits you."
Yu was so happy that she cried and started to wipe away her tears. "The young master is indeed a well-educated and sensible person."
Xiaoqi chose a private school for himself, and Cheng Mu prepared a stone of wheat and six gifts for him.
Soon he became a disciple and enrolled in school.
I go to school for half a day every morning and study at home in the afternoon.
Since they were so close, Xiao Qi felt that she could come and go independently, but Cheng Mu still asked Gui Er to follow behind from a distance.
Three or five days later, Saohu and Li Yu arrived.
"Madam Cheng, something happened!"
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