You can find an inkstone using a broken bowl.
The boy stood in the first row and quickly received a set.
There were very few girls.
Some of the men looked embarrassed, their eyes pleading and yearning as they gazed at the pens and paper. They shrank back and cautiously took a small step forward, then tentatively stepped back, glancing left and right at others, as if afraid of being discovered.
Mr. Zhou frowned slightly upon seeing this scene.
He glanced at Chen Xian.
It seems that many things are not as simple as he thought.
Chen Xian frowned: It seems that popularizing culture and education in Qingxia Village still has a long way to go.
Many men, though thirsting for knowledge, are still constrained by their environment and fear being ridiculed for being so old and still attending school with children.
It's necessary for someone to take the lead.
Thinking of this, Chen Xian stepped out.
"Mr. Zhou, I wonder if I can go back to school and study with the children. After so many years, I am unfamiliar with much of the knowledge in the books and have little memory of it. Is that possible?"
Mr. Zhou was taken aback, then chuckled and nodded.
"Can."
The villagers stared at Chen Xian, utterly bewildered. How could someone so old still want to go to school, especially to study with children?
Don't you feel ashamed?
Chen Xian looked at the villagers, his voice calm and his expression indifferent.
“My family’s workshop may hire a group of people in the future. People who can read and write will have an easier job and will be paid more.”
These words caused an uproar in the room.
A large crowd began to surge towards the school.
"Take me with you, I'm willing to learn to read and write."
"I didn't have a choice before, but now I want to study hard and learn to read."
"You think you like reading? I can't be bothered to call you out on it."
Of course, there's also a great deal of relaxation from having all the little thoughts hidden—finally, there's a legitimate reason to read and learn to read.
The writing brush, ink, paper, inkstone, the six gifts used for apprenticeship, and celery represent diligence and a thirst for knowledge.
Chen Gui brought over a large bag and handed it out to everyone who enrolled, whether adults or children.
The bitterness of lotus seeds symbolizes painstaking efforts; red beans represent good fortune; red dates symbolize early success in examinations; and longan represents the fulfillment of one's merits.
Enter the school.
The pageboy stared blankly at the strange combination, his brain starting to shut down.
Young boys and girls, farmers, peasants, women...
They completely blocked off the school.
No girl has ever been allowed to openly attend school.
Moreover, the villagers and adult women are truly strange in Qingxia Village.
Of course, the strangest thing was that my husband would agree to such a peculiar and bizarre request.
But since things had come to this, he led everyone to face the shrine of Confucius and kowtow nine times.
Then I bowed to Mr. Zhou three times.
Then the villagers took turns putting their hands into the basin of water to cleanse their hands and minds, removing impurities and preserving their essence.
In my future studies, I will be single-minded and focused.
Then Mr. Zhou took a brush dipped in cinnabar and placed a red dot on the center of everyone's forehead.
As he continued, Mr. Zhou felt a bit numb and his arm started to ache.
A birthmark made of cinnabar symbolizes a clear mind and sharp eyes.
Finally, Chen Gui noticed Mr. Zhou's fatigue and coughed a few times.
"Alright, don't tire Mr. Zhou out like this. It's such a small thing. Everyone can try applying the cinnabar to themselves. The rules are just for show. Whether Mr. Zhou applies the cinnabar to you or not, your primary task from now on is to learn to read and write properly. If you don't write and listen to the lessons attentively, no matter how big, heavy, or round the cinnabar is, it will be of no use at all."
The words may be rough, but the principle is sound.
The atmosphere was lively.
The idea was that adults should accompany children and sit in on the classes.
However, Mr. Zhou still had his own concerns. Adults are naturally more sensitive, especially as they get older, and their reaction time and memory are not as good as children's.
Therefore, boys and girls are put into one class, and adults are put into another class.
On the first day of class, Mr. Zhou explained the school rules, and most importantly, he conveyed the daily class rules to them.
There is a small test every month and a big test every two months.
"Alright, I'll start by teaching the children the first lesson on literacy: Heaven, Earth, and Man."
The sound of students reading aloud came from the school.
Chen Gui smiled and saw him as an extremely serious teacher, sunlight streaming through the window onto the classroom floor.
Tranquil and beautiful.
It was evening at Chen Xian's house.
For dinner, my family had twice-cooked pork stir-fried with wild vegetables, along with steamed white flour buns.
Drinking red rice porridge.
"Alright, everyone, let's discuss what kind of business our family should start in the future?"
Erzhuzi was the first to speak.
"Our family made our fortune from braised pork, so how about we specialize in researching some meat dishes from now on?"
Dazhu scratched his head.
“I raised pigs with Yang Xiaoshu a while ago. I think I’m very good at it and I really enjoy it. Why don’t we try raising a few pigs at home?”
Cuihua also got involved.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but our chickens have started laying eggs these past few days. And the eggs from our chickens taste much better when fried than the ones from the town."
Su Liniang frowned.
"Could it be because our chickens are all free-range, with these chickens, ducks, and geese running around the yard eating grass seeds, insects, wild vegetables, and so on?"
Su Shuangshuang nodded in thought.
"No way, I remember when the locusts first started, our chickens, ducks and geese went out to forage in the fields. Maybe they ate those insects."
Chen Xian: "Back then, our chickens were still chicks. All the insects they ate were helping them grow, which had nothing to do with laying eggs later. But as Li Niang said, because the chickens were free-range, their meat might be firmer. They ate a variety of things, like grass seeds, insects, and wild vegetables, so their eggs might be more nutritious. Of course, they might also taste better."
Upon hearing Chen Xian's praise, Su Liniang unusually showed an embarrassed expression.
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