Ah Mian worked in the shop and unknowingly saved up six taels of silver.
She doesn't have to spend any money on food, drink, or lodging on a daily basis; this is the first time in her life she has been so wealthy.
This sum of money was quite a lot, enough to give her many ideas: should she build a stone mill in the backyard, or use it as capital for her next business transaction?
She inquired about the price of making a bluestone millstone and learned that it would cost at least fifteen taels of silver.
To open a small stall on the food street, you have to pay a stall fee of 500 coins per month. Not only that, the competition for food street stalls is fierce, and without real skills, you can't even survive for a month.
As a fellow worker, Ah Mian had lofty dreams, but reality was cruel.
While she was serving customers, she suddenly overheard several customers shaking their heads and discussing something.
"It's hilarious! Those old fogies at the academy are so focused on making money that they'll disregard all rules these days!"
"The world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be!"
"That's right. Last time there was an epidemic, several students were lost, and it looked like the academy was going to have to close down."
Ah Mian, unaware of what was going on, took a detour to the academy after finishing her work.
A crowd had gathered at the entrance, all talking amongst themselves. A-Mian stepped forward and asked, "What happened?"
The middle-aged man said, "This is outrageous! Even academies have become tainted with the stench of money! To make money, they'll take anyone now—women, criminals, no less!"
"Women can also study here?"
Only then did the man turn around and see a young woman in front of him. He said earnestly, "Don't be fooled! What's the use of a local girl studying if she can't take the imperial examinations or participate in the selection process? It costs ten taels of silver a year. Even if she has some savings, wouldn't it be more practical to buy herself a few sets of jewelry or add a meat dish to the table for the elderly and children in her family?"
To be fair, there's some truth to what I'm saying.
The passersby seemed to agree, since even among the men, few were literate at that time. The tuition fees for women and men were the same; what ordinary family could afford such fees?
Amian said, "What if the academy runs out of money to continue operating?" She scratched her head and said, "What you said makes perfect sense. Since you don't want the academy to admit women, why don't you contribute fifty taels of silver? That way, the teachers at the academy won't have to worry about making a living."
Fifty taels?! Why don't you just rob someone?!
The man immediately bristled, his eyes wide with anger, "You, you little brat, how dare you speak to your elders like that! No wonder the ancients said, 'Women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with!'"
Ah Mian didn't understand, her face full of sincerity: "What do you mean? Why?"
"Well... this quote comes from the Analects of Confucius, and it refers to the state of Wei..." Although the man felt she wasn't being provocative, he still felt somewhat embarrassed. But if he continued explaining, wouldn't he be teaching a woman to read? He stamped his foot in frustration, "Enough! Enough!"
Seeing him walk away angrily, A-Mian was very puzzled: "Why did you suddenly get angry while you were talking?"
She could only ask others, and the old man guarding the academy chuckled: "Yes. The academy now accepts all kinds of people, as long as they can afford the money. However, they don't teach the Four Books and Five Classics. I heard that they mainly teach the Thousand Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Three Character Classic."
"With ten taels of silver a year, is it still necessary to spend money to buy books?"
"Yes, it's ten taels of silver, and you have to pay it all at once. If you drop out midway, you won't get a single penny back."
After A-Mian found out the details, she immediately felt that the academy, like building a stone mill, was very far removed from her life. She wasn't too disappointed, but instead took out three copper coins, bought a meat bun, and ate it as she walked.
Back home, she rummaged through her closet, having grown tired of kites. She found a wooden sword about the size of her palm, held it in her hand, and imagined herself as a reclusive martial arts master.
Naturally, Adou was her Akhal-Teke horse.
She led the donkey to the foot of the mountain to play, unaware that she was about to face a terrible disaster.
“Sir, look, this is the way she came up with to keep a record,” Meng Chijian said, showing A Mian’s self-created “ledger” in the academy. “This one mark represents fifty, it’s clear at a glance, she’s extremely clever, definitely not an ordinary person. And this nine-linked rings, she solved it in just two days.”
The academy's teacher: "..."
“I will bring her here in a couple of days. You can tell her that because she is exceptionally smart, her tuition has been waived and she has been admitted to the hospital. Just tell her not to tell anyone else.”
The academy teacher nodded. Since the money had already been paid, he said, "As long as she has a desire to learn, we will teach her the same as everyone else."
Meng Chijian said, "Thank you so much, sir." This money was originally the dozen or so taels of silver that the bandits had received for transporting goods that time (including one tael of silver that they had recovered from A-Mian), and it had not been used until now.
After leaving the academy, Meng Chijian went to the money shop, which was now run by a female manager surnamed Ye.
He repeated the story of Ah Mian being a child prodigy, saying, "She's very good at business. She sells all kinds of food and there are always a lot of people buying from her. She can even calculate the cost and the right selling price herself. Nobody ever told her any of this."
At first, Manager Ye thought he had come to redeem money, but as he listened, he was speechless. Was this guy just here to show off?
Meng Chijian then revealed his purpose, saying that he wanted to send Amian to the shop as a junior apprentice to learn how to use an abacus, because the money shop was the most professional in this area.
Manager Ye was about to refuse, but Meng Chijian said, "You'll know when you meet her; you'll definitely want to take her as your apprentice." He then left another tael of silver.
After making these arrangements, Meng Chijian went home that evening and called A-Mian to his side, his eyes flashing with something A-Mian couldn't understand.
"Tomorrow, go to the academy and submit your name. After the teacher finishes his lesson, go to the money shop and learn to use the abacus for an hour. After you've finished using the abacus, go back to your own shop and review your lessons. You must not wander around playing anymore, understand?"
A-Mian: "?"
“But it costs ten taels of silver to study at the academy, and it also costs money to buy books and brushes... Besides, I have to work during the day.”
"You've been working for several months now, it's time to learn to read. Don't you want to learn to read? Once you learn to write and use an abacus, you'll definitely be able to find a better job."
Seeing that Ah Mian was still hesitant, he continued, "Besides, the academy has a secret examination. Students who pass don't have to spend ten taels of silver; they can study for free."
"Really?!"
Seeing such a great deal, Ah Mian was like a bright red carrot dangling in front of a donkey, thinking, "I'll give it a try. If I can really study for free, I'll quit my job!"
She was delighted: "You're amazing! You managed to find out this inside information. When I went to ask this afternoon, the old man at the academy said that the tuition wouldn't be reduced by a single copper coin."
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