Liang Shuyan's analysis made sense. After listening, Li Zheng nodded repeatedly: "Then let's do it this way. Let each student pay five coins as a book fee upon entering the school. That would be more reasonable."
When the villagers heard the news, some were very supportive, while others were unhappy and began to discuss the matter privately.
"Tell me, with this kind of environment, why are you even charging money? Seriously, anyway, none of the girls in my family need to come anymore!"
Aunt Liu wrapped her arms around herself and was furious when she saw Ge Laosan: "Oh dear, is your family so poor that you can't even come up with five coins? This guy, Li Zheng paid for the tutor himself and cleaned up the old house in the ancestral hall, but you didn't contribute a single coin. What, now you don't even want to pay for the children's school books?"
After all, people like Ge Laosan are a minority; most people in the village are willing to spend five coins to send their children to school.
Jin Wang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well, then my family will have Xiang Dong come to study, and this is my Xiang Dong's book fee!"
Jin Wang took the silver and handed it to Li Zheng.
Li Zheng instructed someone to set up a rectangular table at the school gate. Mr. Su sat there, holding a pen and paper, and wrote down, stroke by stroke: "Jin Xiangdong, five coins!"
The plump aunt also brought her grandson. She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Both of my grandsons want to go! I, the plump aunt, am a sensible person. This little bit of silver is only ten taels of silver for the two children. Even if my grandsons can't go to school, they can at least do business and learn to do accounting. Unlike some families, who are reluctant to spend money now, they will suffer losses and no one can protect them from being cheated in the future!"
Chunyan's face was long as she tugged at Zhao's clothes and said, "Mother, I gave you all the money I collected for the potato chips from my aunt. Why won't you let me go to school now that I've only paid for school fees? I want to do business like my aunt!"
"Alright, Chunyan, what are you doing learning business? You're a girl, you can get married as soon as you learn some needlework. Why are you wasting money studying here?"
Chunyan cried and sobbed, "Mother, why can Xiangdong go to school, but I can't? Mother, please!"
Zhao shoved Chunyan away: "Get out of here, you shameless hussy! If you say another word, I'll sell you to a slave trader tomorrow!"
Chunyan was so frightened that she squatted down to one side and cried.
Jin Wang replied, "What's the point of a girl going to school? Even if she finishes her studies, she'll still belong to someone else's family. I, Jin Wang, am not stupid. Why would I marry someone else?"
Liang Shuyan pondered for a moment. This Chunyan had always been treated like a maid by Zhao Shi. She still remembered that a few days ago, Chunyan had come to her house to steal the recipe for liangfen (cold noodles). But she wouldn't blame Chunyan for this. What did it have to do with a child when adults were ordering them around?
Chunyan is a child who is illiterate. If she could read and do accounting, she would be a very good businesswoman.
Thinking of this, Liang Shuyan walked over to Chunyan and helped her up: "Chunyan, don't cry. Your mother won't let you go to school. Auntie will give you money so you can go to school, but after school you can live at Auntie's house and help Auntie with chores in your spare time, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Chunyan nodded happily: "Yes, Auntie, I'm willing. I'm willing to live at Auntie's house and learn skills from you. But please rest assured, Auntie, I will never listen to my mother and try to steal your skills again. If you're willing to teach me, please teach me some. If you're not willing, I'll still listen to you."
Everyone heard Chunyan's words clearly.
"Oh dear, I can't believe Zhao is such a person. She made Chunyan steal Dashan's skills. She's really despicable. Dashan was the one who developed the cold jelly business. Zhao is just jealous that she's making money and wants to steal her business."
"That's right, they're all sisters-in-law from the Jin family, how come they're so different? Look at Da Shan's mother, not only is she filial to her mother-in-law, taking her into her own home and caring for her like her own mother, but she also raises her children to be so obedient and filial. And look at Zhao Shi, not only is she lazy and good-for-nothing, but she always thinks about her own family when she has a little money. Bah, she's nothing!"
This infuriated Zhao Shi. She pointed at Chunyan and said, "Chunyan, don't forget, you're part of our family. How can you be fooled into going to someone else's house? I'm warning you, even if you don't go to school, you still have to work and earn money for our family. How can you go to your aunt's house? Absolutely not!"
Li Lanfang emerged from the crowd at some point, glanced at Zhao Shi, and pointed at her, cursing, "You idiot! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? Chunyan is your child, but as her mother, do you even treat her like a child? School only costs five copper coins, and you can't even bear to part with that. What, when you send bags of grain to your family, don't you feel any reluctance at all? Your sister-in-law uses expensive face cream and wears silk, and look at you, all dark and grimy, like a beggar!"
Jinwang glanced at the old lady and said, "Mother, what are you saying? My wife isn't giving anything to her family anymore. In short, Chunyan absolutely cannot go to school, and she certainly can't stay at my sister-in-law's house!"
"Pah! You good-for-nothing! What kind of time is this to still be siding with that tigress? Chunyan is my granddaughter. I'm not as good as I used to be. What, can't Chunyan stay and take care of me?!"
Liang Shuyan didn't say anything, but took Chunyan's hand and came to Mr. Su. She said to Mr. Su, "Sir, let's add three more children to our family. Sanwang will be one, Niuniu will be one, and Chunhua will be one!"
"Mother, I don't want to go. Please don't waste the money. We can save it for later."
The old lady of the Liu family took out five coins from her bosom and handed them to Mr. Su, saying politely, "Mr. Su, I would like to let my daughter Ruyan learn something too!"
Liang Shuyan then slapped her forehead and said, "Oh dear, how could I forget Ruyan? Mr. Su, Ruyan is also like a child to me, so please add her to the family!"
Then, she handed the silver to Old Lady Liu and said apologetically, "Oh dear, in-law, it was all my oversight that I forgot about Ruyan. Please don't be angry. Since Ruyan is in our family, I should pay for this. Please take it!"
The old lady resolutely refused the money. She felt that she and her daughter had already caused enough trouble at Liang Shuyan's house, and now she wanted her in-laws to pay for Ruyan's tuition. She felt she couldn't accept it no matter what.
"No, my daughter and I have been eating and drinking at your house, how can we take your money? Let me pay for Ruyan's tuition!"
Erniu walked over and grabbed Old Lady Liu: "Mother-in-law, if you consider me your son, then let my mother pay for Ruyan's tuition!"
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