"Hey, what do you guys think of those training courses advertised in the newspaper?"
"What opinions could we possibly have? We're all scholars, why should we care about those things?"
"The Emperor values newspapers so much. Since it has already been published in the newspapers, it must be supported by the Emperor. Let's not talk about anything else. How many of us who go to school can actually succeed? In the end, we all have to rely on our skills or crafts to find a job to make a living. Besides, it is said that the training class does not require money."
"You want to go?"
“I’ve been to school, so even if I wanted to go, my parents wouldn’t agree. I’m not thinking about my cousins; they’re all honest and hardworking people. If they could learn a trade, they could make a good living in the future.”
If our relatives and friends are doing well, at least we'll see fewer of them looking miserable.
The person who was speaking to him thought about it carefully and realized that it made sense. Both of them came from poor families. Now the emperor values talent and also values those from poor families, and has relaxed the requirements for their studies.
At the same time, in order to give more students the opportunity to study, a series of policies have been introduced, which have greatly reduced the cost of education.
However, further reductions would be necessary as the economic resources of ancient farmers were limited, and their income was already meager.
Zhang Mingxuan came from a poor family and did well in his studies, but this was also because his father and brothers were willing to support him.
His family supported him as a scholar, but they could barely make ends meet. Besides, many of his brothers relied on the weather for their livelihood. If he could have a skill to rely on, at least his family's situation could be improved.
He was chatting with his classmate. Although they studied in the same place, their family backgrounds were quite different. His classmate, Liu Jiangqing, came from a relatively wealthy family because his father was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations. Although he did not obtain any official position, he worked as a teacher at the academy where they studied in the capital.
Now both he and Liu Jiangqing have the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations). They are about the same age and can chat with each other, so they are not estranged because of their family background.
Because of their different family backgrounds and perspectives, Liu Jiangqing did not understand Zhang Mingxuan's ideas. However, although he did not understand, he did not object. It was someone else's family matter, and he should not interfere too much.
"If you think it's okay, you might as well go home and discuss it with your uncle and aunt. The elders know more, and it's always the elders who should make the decision in this matter."
"You're right, I really need to have a good talk with my parents."
Zhang Mingxuan felt very lucky. His father and brothers were open-minded, and his sister-in-law was understanding. They were willing to support him throughout his studies, and his cousins often helped him out. To be honest, he didn't lament about his background, but he always felt that he wanted to repay his family for treating him this way.
Liu Jiangqing thought further ahead: "Don't rush to tell your uncle and aunt about this. Although we believe the information in the newspaper, we still need to investigate further. The newspaper gave an address, so let's go take a look first, and then make a decision."
Zhang Mingxuan: "Brother Liu is absolutely right. You have considered things more thoroughly."
Liu Jiangqing shook his head, smiling but saying nothing.
Liu Jiangqing's family background was not bad, but in the capital, a place where powerful and wealthy people gathered, it was really nothing special. In the eyes of the real elites, his background was not much different from Zhang Mingxuan's.
Liu Jiangqing is intelligent and has a good eye for people, but he is unlucky. He is now twenty-five years old, his parents are still alive, but he is still unmarried.
Of course, it wasn't because he was poorly educated. His grandmother passed away when he was twenty, and he observed three years of mourning. After he finished observing the mourning for his grandmother, his grandfather passed away, so he continued to observe the mourning for his grandfather.
Liu Jiangqing is very knowledgeable, but he is currently only a scholar.
Zhang Mingxuan is not yet twenty years old and is also a scholar. The two of them felt that the other had good qualities, which is why they became friends.
Because Liu Jiangqing is older than Zhang Mingxuan, he is more thorough in his considerations.
At Liu Jiangqing's suggestion, the two went to Wu's Department Store.
Wu's Department Store has not yet opened, but the interior has been decorated according to Wu Yiming's requirements.
Since it's a department store, Wu Yiming wanted to create a place similar to a large department store, so the land area is obviously a big concern.
Wu Yiming had connections and money, so this shop occupied the size of about five inns.
When Zhang Mingxuan and Liu Jiangqing arrived, they were somewhat bewildered by the sight of this place.
There were few, if any, people like Zhang Mingxuan and Liu Jiangqing who came to inquire about the news from the newspapers. After all, most literate people were somewhat aloof and unwilling to become craftsmen, and their social status was even lower than that of farmers who grew crops.
So when the two arrived at the place, they only saw one waiter in the lobby.
The two men looked at the ridiculously large shop and started chatting with the shop assistant.
Both men were quite eloquent and not at all pedantic, so they quickly learned a lot from the waiter. Of course, the waiter also knew why they had come.
Seeing this, the shop assistant said to the two men, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I will inform my master. Please sit down, I will be there shortly."
The man left after he finished speaking.
When Wu Yiming saw someone coming to report, he asked, "What is it?"
She's busy writing her business plan! Although she already has the shop, figuring out how to successfully develop it and get people to recommend her products is a skill in itself!
"Reporting to Your Majesty, two scholars have come to the main hall to inquire about the study group."
Wu Yiming was good at finding the key point: "Scholar?"
"I have inquired and found that the two scholars are not very old. However, judging from their clothes, one of the young men's clothes, although clean, are already somewhat faded, so his family should be of average means. From their conversation, I learned that they were probably inquiring about the matter for their families."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
