"That's what they say, Headmaster. This wine smells delicious. May I have a cup to try?" Master Zhang had lost his refined demeanor in front of the Zhao family and was now just a child craving wine.
Zhan Tong glanced at Master Zhang's obsequious old face.
"Hmph, don't try to trick this old man into drinking my wine."
If you're willing to bring me this bottle, then surely the Zhao family's student must have brought at least two bottles.
Otherwise, you would have hidden it yourself long ago; why would you have sent it to me?
"Tell me, what are your plans? You're beholden to someone who takes your things."
Master Zhang chuckled twice.
"Nothing can be hidden from the headmaster. Indeed, he gave them two bottles of wine, hoping that the other members of their families could also study at our county school."
As for food, lodging, writing materials, etc., they are responsible for their own expenses and do not need our county school to provide them free of charge.
"Headmaster, aren't you lonely here all by yourself? I've noticed their great-grandson; he's young, but quite clever. You could take him with you to keep him company."
Zhan Tong's eyes scanned Zhang Fuzi up and down like radar.
"You old bastard, how much did they give you for this? You're already speaking up for them like this. Don't tell me you only took a bottle of wine from them."
Our county school strictly prohibits embezzlement and bribery.
Master Zhang was speechless for a moment, and picked up the examination papers of the Zhao family members from the table.
"Headmaster, these are the examination papers of several members of the Zhao family who have achieved the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), and these are the examination papers of those who have not achieved any such title. Headmaster, please take a look at their academic performance first."
I'll continue later.
Zhan Tong sat down, full of suspicion.
First, he poured the wine in the glass into his mouth, savoring the taste, while his eyes swept over the exam paper.
He nodded as he watched.
"Not bad, not bad. Zhao Qianci is indeed worthy of being the top scholar. His writing is really good. He can definitely pass the imperial examination."
The remaining ones still need further refinement.
The remaining few articles without official rank are acceptable.
With this level of ability, passing the preliminary examination should be no problem. How come none of them passed this year?
Master Zhang nodded and said...
"That's exactly what I wanted to say. Does the headmaster know how long this family has been studying?"
Apart from Zhao Qianci, the others only started formally enrolling in school last year.
To achieve such results, one must be born with a talent for studying. Would the headmaster like to meet this family?
Zhan Tong picked up the empty glass again, smelled the lingering aroma of the wine, and nodded in agreement.
Then they went to see the Zhao family.
Zhan Tong checked each person's name against the one in the article again, and nodded to himself in approval.
Her eyes lit up, especially when she saw Da Bao nestled in Zhao Qingshan's arms.
This child isn't particularly good-looking, but he has big, bright eyes that are full of life. His chubby little face shows he's been raised very well.
It's so cute that it makes you want to love it.
Da Bao was held in the headmaster's arms again.
Soon, Shan Shang grew fond of the little guy, Da Bao.
Finally, it was decided that those members of the Zhao family who did not hold official titles would attend the Dingzi class as auditors.
They received none of the privileges afforded to scholars with the title of Xiucai, and had to fend for themselves in terms of food, clothing, and lodging.
You can live off-campus or on campus, but the cost is one hundred taels of silver per year for a courtyard.
The tuition fee is fifty taels per person, so for five people it's two hundred and fifty taels.
Zhao Qingyan, suppressing a laugh, nudged Huang Shi.
"Grandma, why don't we let Grandpa and the others live in the county school? We can afford the rent of one hundred taels."
Otherwise, "250" is really offensive; it's an insult.
Huang was taken aback. "What does 'two hundred and fifty' mean? Are you sure it's an insult?"
Zhao Qingyan nodded. Before Zhao Qianci could decide whether to live outside or on campus, Huang quickly took out a 350-tael silver note and handed it to the teacher in charge of collecting fees.
"Master, our family members all live at the school. Could you please arrange a courtyard for them? Besides the tuition and accommodation fees, what other expenses are needed?"
For example, I'll pay for the clothes and food in advance.
The teacher in charge of collecting the fees was almost thrown off balance by Huang's actions, and after fiddling with the abacus again, the final total fee was 480 taels of silver.
This includes two sets of clothes per person, and the cost of food, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for 12 months of the year.
Huang touched her slightly deflated purse, feeling a little heartache. If she had gone to a private school, she wouldn't have needed so much money.
But looking at Zhan Tong holding his great-grandson's hand again, I realized it was worth the money.
Soon, the Zhao family students found a private courtyard for their family, put down their luggage, and went with Madam Huang to buy some daily necessities and bedding. Only then were they completely settled.
Learning waits for no one. After settling in, the Zhao family students quickly went to their classrooms.
Huang and Zhao Qingyan each took a carriage and headed straight for Zhao's snack shop.
When we arrived at the shop, it was already noon, and business was booming.
Although few people eat barbecue at this time, many still eat fast food.
That's right, Zhao's snack shop no longer only sells mala tang (spicy hot pot), but mainly fast food.
Thirty coins per person, four meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. The staple food is a bowl of white rice or two white steamed buns.
It's a bit pricey, but it tastes great and is very filling.
After all, families who can afford to eat out must be doing well, otherwise they wouldn't have the money to eat out, so their appetites wouldn't be too large.
The Zhao family's snack shop earns money equivalent to that of the middle class.
Of course, we also take into account the cost of living, so there is also a set meal priced at 15 coins, which includes two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and the rice is not white rice, but brown rice.
This is brown rice; it's enough for two bowls.
Therefore, at Zhao's snack shop, the line of people holding wooden plates and queuing up for food not only snaked out of shape but also stretched quite far.
From a distance, anyone queuing up must be waiting to eat at the Zhao family's restaurant.
Madam Huang and Zhao Qingyan knocked on the back door and drove the carriage inside.
After greeting Liu Qing and the others and seeing that everything seemed alright, the grandfather and grandson decided not to disturb them as they worked to earn money.
With plenty of time to spare and no rush to go home, the grandfather and grandson had time to ponder the details.
Considering that Da Bao is favored by the headmaster, if he were to be accepted as a disciple, Da Bao's future would be limitless.
Da Bao is still young. If he eats with the adults all day long, he will definitely not get enough nutrition.
After the grandfather and grandson came out, they began to prepare delicious and easy-to-preserve food to send over.
200 fresh eggs, beef jerky, pork jerky, fish fillets, dried fruit, etc., were each wrapped in oil paper and sealed.
Label what it is on the outside.
The milk powder is packaged in a ceramic jar with screws, so there's no worry about it getting damp due to poor sealing.
Two large baskets of apples, since they are the most durable fruit to store, and besides, the Zhao family men wiped them out in just a few days.
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