As Master Wei's melodious teaching voice echoed from inside the academy, the villagers in front of the school gradually dispersed, leaving only Meng Zhao and the village head in the courtyard.
A gentle breeze carried the children's innocent voices as they read aloud. The village headman slowly announced, "This first batch of students consists of ten boys and four girls."
Meng Zhao remembered that the village head had told her before that about twenty households in the village wanted to come to the school, so she asked why the number of people had decreased.
Upon hearing this, the village head sighed, "Alas, our annual tuition fee of 500 coins is already cheap enough, and many people in the village can afford it. However, some villagers feel that the cost of writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and books will be higher, so after doing the math, they simply decide not to come."
“I tried to persuade them for a long time, saying that there are blackboards in the academy now, and Master Wei will write the contents of the books on the blackboard in advance. Two or three children can use one book together and look at the blackboard several times, which will also help them learn some characters.”
"But some people just can't see it. They say that once the children go to school, there's no one to feed the chickens or help take care of the fields. They have all sorts of excuses. Sigh, I can't force them to come."
The children's tuition fees were paid to the village. In addition to providing accommodation for Master Wei's family so that he could teach in peace, the village also had to pay him three taels of silver per month. The tuition fees collected each year were enough to pay Master Wei two months' wages.
Not to mention the cost of building the school, customizing desks and chairs, blackboards, and future maintenance fees—all of which require money. It's fair to say that building the school is a pure loss for the village.
But the fact that education costs money is obvious, and she couldn't force others to study. She could only try to let everyone know the many benefits of education. After a moment of contemplation, she said:
"Village head, please tell Master Wei for me to arrange an assessment every month and select three outstanding students. I will personally fund a scholarship of 100 coins for each of them."
The village headman's eyes widened in surprise. "If a student is clever and ranks in the top three every month, wouldn't they earn more than one tael of silver a year?"
Meng Zhao nodded. "Yes, and I'd also like to trouble the village head to keep an eye out for you. If there are any promising young men or women who can't afford to go to school because of their family's financial difficulties, please bring them to see me. If I think they're suitable, I can give them some extra help."
Scholarships and poverty relief are offered simultaneously. Those students she sponsors will most likely be grateful to her in the future. Moreover, both programs select outstanding students, who are more likely to succeed in the future.
The village head was overjoyed to hear the news. Meng Zhao then introduced Wei Jinglan to him, saying, "Village head, this is Wei Jinglan, whom I mentioned to you before."
The two knew of each other but had never met. Wei Jinglan bowed slightly, and the village head quickly returned the bow. Seeing that the two had met, Meng Zhao continued, "From now on, Jinglan will come to the village to give a lesson every other day. At first, it will mainly be for literacy, and she will repeat the same content. If the villagers have time, they can come and learn. As for the workshop, there is a strict requirement that everyone must attend three literacy lessons every month, otherwise they will lose their eligibility to receive the monthly allowance."
The village head nodded, indicating that he would make the arrangements, and then sat down with Wei Jinglan at the table and chairs in the courtyard to discuss the upcoming class schedule.
Shen Qinghe stood not far away watching Meng Zhao. Seeing that she had finished speaking, he walked over as well. Meng Zhao turned to look at him, her eyes asking, "Second brother, what do you think of Master Wei's scholarship?"
"I just had a brief conversation with Master Wei. From his words, I could tell that Master Wei is very knowledgeable and knows how to guide students. In my opinion, he should be a rare and excellent teacher."
Seeing that Shen Qinghe also praised him, Meng Zhao felt relieved. The two hadn't been back to the village together for a long time, so they decided to go back to the Shen family's courtyard together.
At this time, the weather has gradually warmed up, and the air is filled with the fresh scent of spring. The villagers are either working in the workshops or preparing for spring plowing in the fields. The people who usually sit at the crossroads chatting are gone.
As Meng Zhao walked, he noticed that Shen Qinghe had grown much taller during this time; even when she stood up straight, she was only up to his eyebrows.
She always walked rather fast, so Shen Qinghe silently followed behind her, keeping a half-step distance.
Meng Zhao deliberately slowed her pace, and Shen Qinghe, unaware of her presence, walked ahead of her. Looking at his slightly thin back, Meng Zhao couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity. How come he only seemed to grow taller, but not fatter?
Before he had taken more than a few steps, Shen Qinghe noticed that his sister-in-law had slowed down, stopped, and turned around to look at him with a question on her face.
Looking at that handsome face, Meng Zhao smiled and said, "Second brother, when you're studying, don't forget to exercise more. You'll be taking the imperial examination next year, so you'd better take good care of your health."
Having said that, he lifted his foot and walked forward, leaving Shen Qing standing there stunned. Then, he lifted his sleeve to look at his wrist, noticing that his fingers were long and slender, with smooth lines, subtly exuding a sense of strength.
He raised his hand and rubbed his shoulder. The bones under his palm were hard and solid, covered with a thin layer of firm muscle. He thought to himself, he didn't seem that thin and weak.
I guess it's because the weather was warm when I went out today, so I changed into a thinner cotton coat, which is why I look a bit thinner. However, knowing that my sister-in-law was concerned about me, I still feel happy.
Watching Meng Zhao's figure grow smaller and smaller, Shen Qinghe quickly caught up with her and said, "Sister-in-law, I know. It was a bit cold a few days ago, so I slacked off. I will practice the Eight Pieces of Brocade that you taught me every day from now on."
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