Chapter 489 Going to School Together
Yang Heshu turned around and stopped talking to him. The method sounded good, but he was not a fool. This kind of thing was not something that a small county magistrate like him could do, not even his father could do it.
So just keep this unrealistic method in mind and there is no need to ask in detail.
but……
Yang Heshu looked at the three children, and finally fixed his gaze on Manbao and Bai Shanbao's faces. These two children are really smart.
He couldn't help but smile with his eyes narrowed, and said to the two of them: "You must study hard and go to the Imperial College in the capital in the future."
Manbao asked curiously, "Can I also go to the Imperial College?"
Yang Heshu looked at her with regret, but he didn't want to criticize her directly, "To this day, no woman has ever been able to pass the Imperial College."
Manbao was very confident in himself and pointed at Bai Shanbao and said, "If he can pass the exam, I can too."
Manbao decided to go back and study more seriously.
Bai Shanbao was also inspired by her and naturally did not want to fall behind. When the two of them worked hard, Bai Erlang suffered because he was soon left behind.
Fortunately, after the Chinese New Year, villagers from three nearby villages brought their children to our house again, wanting to send their children back to study.
This time, there were about ten fewer people sent back than before, and the two oldest groups have not returned.
Those who were sent back were about the same age as Bai Erlang, or even younger than Bai Erlang.
After a brief thought, Mr. Zhuang returned the generous salary given by the Bai family and agreed to their request.
Mrs. Liu and Mr. Bai did not stop Mr. Zhuang from continuing to teach at the school, but they were unwilling to lose the tuition.
They both knew that Mr. Zhuang was teaching Bai Shanbao and Bai Er the money for this tuition.
When Manbao got home, he suggested, "Dad, let's send Datou and Daya to school as well."
"That won't work. Didn't they learn to read from you?"
"My teaching is never as good as the teacher's, and they don't have pens, ink, paper, and inkstone. Their handwriting is too ugly, and the account books are not good either."
Old Zhou thought about it and shook his head. "There are so many children in the family. If I send them all to school, how much money will it cost? And how much books and writing brushes, inkstones, and paper will I need to buy? No, no."
Manbao said: "The family is not short of money now."
"I don't have the money for that."
Manbao pouted and went to see her mother.
Qian looked at her sons and asked, "What do you think?"
Zhou Dalang and his brothers looked at each other and said, "Mom, let's go back and ask the child tonight."
The children naturally wanted to go, even the oldest one, Datou, wanted to go. "Although studying is difficult and I don't really like it, I know it's useful. I want to learn to write well. My aunt has already started teaching us how to write, but we just can't get it right."
Daya nodded repeatedly, "My aunt said that she learned it as soon as the teacher taught her. She said it might be because she didn't teach well."
Zhou Dalang was silent for a long time. After sending the children back to bed, he spoke to Xiao Qianshi, "I remember when my uncle was very young, he and I went into the city together. When we passed by a school, he would lie down outside the window to listen to the teacher's teaching. He memorized several words at once. Later, he would often walk nearly an hour to the city to eavesdrop on the lessons."
"It's the same with Manbao. So you see, uncle and Manbao are very smart." Zhou Dalang whispered, "Dad must be reluctant to spend money if he has to manage a large family. Besides, the number of children in each room is not right. I think it's better for us to pay for it ourselves."
After calculating, Xiao Qian frowned and said, "The tuition isn't much, but buying so many books, as well as writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, it's going to cost a lot, and..."
She lowered her voice and said, "The children have always done the housework, such as sweeping the floor, mowing the lawn, and washing clothes. Now that they are all going to school, who will do these chores?"
"Then let's do it," Zhou Dalang, with a tenacity inherited from Qian, whispered, "As long as their future and their future children are half as smart as Manbao, that's enough."
Xiao Qian thought so too.
So he nodded and said, "Okay."
Zhou Erlang was also discussing school with Feng. "...the children are already grown up, and Er Tou and Er Ya have studied with Man Bao for several years and know how to read. They will only need two years of study with Mr. Zhuang. They will learn everything that Man Bao couldn't teach or hasn't taught them yet, and then they can come back."
"Will my father-in-law give me money?"
"Dad will definitely not be happy about it, but I think Mom might be willing. We'll see when the time comes. Anyway, we'll prepare it first. If it really doesn't work out, we can send it ourselves."
Feng had no objection and said with a smile, "It doesn't cost much to give one away anyway."
Although she didn't care about the money in the room, she knew how much money her husband had.
Zhou Erlang was surprised and said, "How can it be just one? If Er Tou, Er Ya and San Ya both go, there will be three now."
"Are Erya and Sanya going too?"
"Of course I'll go. Well, Sanya is still young, so maybe I shouldn't send her. Let her stay at home with Manbao for two more years. When she's older, she can go there for two years like her sister and then come back." Zhou Erlang planned, and the more he thought about it, the better he thought it was. "That's good, and we can save a lot of money."
"What's the point of a girl studying?"
"Look at Manbao, what's the use?"
Feng: "...Then, isn't that my aunt?"
"Arya is also very smart, at least much smarter than Ertou."
Feng: "You know that's not what I'm talking about?"
"Which one is that?" Zhou Erlang frowned, then realized what was happening and frowned even tighter. "Things are different now. We don't need that little bit of money anymore. And it's great that Erya has learned to keep accounts. You don't know how important it is that nowadays, even if you set up a stall on the side of the road in the county town, it's better to know some arithmetic. Otherwise, you'd be foolishly happy if you were teased by some thugs on the street."
"Look at our Manbao. If she goes out, are you worried that she'll be bullied like a fool?" Zhou Erlang asked. "Of the money we earn now, how much is earned by Manbao, and how much is earned by us brothers? The difference between studying and not studying is huge. Don't you want your daughter to have a good life in the future?"
"Well, at least we should ask our eldest brother and his wife to see if they will send Daya."
"Don't worry, my sister-in-law will definitely have no objection. Look at Daya, although she is a maid, my sister-in-law is not partial to her."
"You mean I'm biased?"
"I didn't say that, you said it yourself."
Feng was so angry that she pinched him.
Zhou Sanlang didn't have this worry. He only had two sons, one of whom had just learned to stand and couldn't even move, so he just sent the other four over.
Zhou Silang was very worried. He looked at his son left and right, and no matter how he looked at him, he didn't look like Manbao. So he couldn't help complaining to Fang, "Don't people say nephews look like aunts? How come this kid doesn't look like Manbao at all? How can he go to school in the future?"
Fang was so angry that she pushed him aside, carried the child to the bed and put him to sleep on his side, saying, "People say nephews look like their uncles, but I've never heard of a nephew looking like his aunt."
"Who said that? I heard it from more than one person."
"Stop torturing your son's brain and think about your own wallet first. Education costs a lot of money. When your son can go to school, can you afford it?"
(End of this chapter)
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