"Lili, you're here!" Tie Dan's mother greeted Gu Lili with a smile.
Thanks to Tie Dan's father, whom Gu Lili's family asked for help when they were building their house.
Otherwise, my son Tiedan wouldn't even have a place to pay for his school fees.
Gu Lili replied with a smile, "Yes, Auntie, we've come to pay Yan Yu's tuition."
There were not only children in the yard, but also several adults.
I guess they're all here to teach tuition, just like Gu Lili.
Tie Dan's mother leaned closer to Gu Lili mysteriously and said, "Lili, I went back to my parents' home a few days ago and heard something big!"
Judging from Tie Dan's mother's expression, Gu Lili probably guessed that it was about Niu Cuihua.
After all, their families were from the same village.
There were no cell phones or anything like that in ancient times, so Gu Lili was somewhat curious about it.
"What's the big deal?" Gu Lili asked with a gossipy expression.
Anyway, Niu Cuihua has nothing to do with me anymore, so I'll just listen to her gossip to pass the time.
Tie Dan's mother looked around and found that no one had noticed her and Gu Lili.
He then lowered his voice and said, "When I went back a few days ago, my mother told me that Niu Cuihua was sold by her younger brother to two old bachelors in their fifties in the next village for five hundred coins!"
Gu Lili guessed correctly; it was indeed about Niu Cuihua.
However, her younger brother was too unethical, actually selling his own sister!
Two old bachelors?
Gu Lili looked at Tie Dan's mother in disbelief. She recognized all the characters, but the combination of them left her somewhat bewildered.
What does it mean to sell to two old bachelors?
This was far beyond Gu Lili's comprehension.
Seeing Gu Lili's surprised expression, Tie Dan's mother continued.
"Those two old bachelors are brothers. Because they are poor, they have been unable to find wives, so they thought of buying Niu Cuihua to have a child to carry on the family line!"
Gu Lili felt as if something was churning in her stomach, and she couldn't help feeling nauseous.
She originally thought Niu Cuihua was already very vicious, but she never expected that her younger brother would be even more vicious than her.
Sure enough, they're all from the same womb, how good can they be?
Gu Lili thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly, Tie Dan's mother's next words made Gu Lili feel so disgusted that she vomited.
"I heard that Niu Cuihua was brought back that very night. Those two old bachelors made a huge scene in our village, saying that Niu Cuihua was pregnant with someone else's child and that Niu Dali had sold her to them! When Niu Cuihua came back, her lower body was covered in blood..."
Gu Lili couldn't listen anymore, covered her mouth and rushed out, vomiting as soon as she reached the door.
Iron Egg's mother seemed to realize then that she had said too much and shouldn't have said these things to an unmarried young girl.
He quickly ran out to pat Gu Lili's back.
"Lili, I'm so sorry, your auntie just doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut and said some nonsense to you. Please don't take it to heart!" Tie Dan's mother said apologetically while patting Gu Lili's back.
Gu Lili vomited, and felt much better.
Gu Lili took a deep breath, looked up and said, "It's alright, Auntie, let's go in and pay our tuition!"
Niu Cuihua deserves her fate.
Tie Dan's mother wisely stopped talking.
What she didn't finish saying was that Niu Dali was really fed up with being bothered by the two old bachelors.
They had no choice but to return the five hundred coins to the two men, and Niu Cuihua was also kept behind.
However, Niu Dali and his wife thought Niu Cuihua was unlucky, so they didn't care about her and just let her lie there in the yard.
Even Niu Cuihua's own parents turned a blind eye to her plight.
Niu Cuihua lay there in the courtyard, letting her blood slowly drain away until she died.
That day, before dawn, Niu Dali found Niu Cuihua, who had died of thirst, and carried her up the mountain while cursing.
They didn't even give her a straw mat, just left her to her own devices...
The two arrived in the courtyard, and Master Yuan also came over.
Everyone greeted Master Yuan with smiles.
"Greetings, Master!"
Master Yuan smiled and nodded in return.
“Master Yuan, I would also like to send my son Tiedan here for his early education. I wonder how much the tuition is per month?” Tiedan’s mother asked with a smile.
Although neither she nor Tie Dan's father had ever been to school, they knew the importance of education.
Even if Tiedan doesn't pursue a career in government in the future, being able to read a few characters won't be a bad thing.
Master Yuan stroked his gray beard and laughed, "I originally intended to retire to my hometown. This donation is fine if you have it, but don't worry about it if you don't. We're all neighbors, no need to stand on ceremony!"
The Han family naturally paid for Master Yuan's wages, and teaching the children in the village was just a side job.
When the Han family approached him, Master Yuan also set conditions.
That means not only must Professor Han Mingyue be allowed to teach, but also the children in the village must agree to teach them.
Therefore, whether or not tuition is paid is irrelevant.
"How can that be! The tuition fee must be paid! There can be no order without rules!"
Grandpa Village Head's voice came from outside.
Today, he also brought his grandson to study, but he had something to do earlier and couldn't come with Master Yuan.
Everyone looked up and saw the village headman walking in with a smile, holding his grandson Gousheng's hand.
Oh, it's not called Gou Sheng anymore.
That day, when Gu Lili went to the village head's house and asked Master Yuan to name Gu Yanyu and Gu Yunchu, the village head also begged Master Yuan to give them a new name.
His name is Gu Lewei.
When they saw Grandpa Village Head come in, everyone greeted him warmly.
The village head is right; without rules, nothing can be accomplished.
Moreover, if we don't impose any fees, these children won't appreciate things that are too easily obtained.
“Yes, Master Yuan, we still have to pay the tuition!” Tie Dan’s mother chimed in with a smile.
Everyone present nodded in agreement; what needed to be paid still had to be paid.
Master Yuan thought for a moment and then said, "Thirty coins a month there. If you don't have that, you can bring some firewood, rice, or flour to offset the cost!"
Thirty coins a month isn't actually that high.
If I went out to work in town, I could earn more than ten coins a day.
However, not everyone can go to town to work.
However, as Master Yuan said, firewood and grain can be used to make up for it.
After listening, everyone expressed their gratitude to Master Yuan.
This amount of money is considered relatively low among the schools in Donghai Town.
"You disagree? Such a low fee is only for people from our manor."
Everyone paid their tuition fees readily, and those who had no money went back to get food.
In just half an hour, more than a dozen children who came to study had gathered in the village.
Gu Lili paid Gu Yanyu's tuition and then went home.
Before I even stepped into the courtyard, I heard someone calling my name from behind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com