Furthermore, he promised that after Qingzhai finished dealing with his family affairs and after the New Year, he could return to the county school to study.
It should be noted that after passing the imperial examination and studying at the county school, one could receive a stipend, which is commonly known as "food and lodging included".
However, the number of students admitted is limited, with only twenty students. Many people are eyeing those spots, waiting to squeeze in a student as soon as one leaves.
The county school's willingness to reserve a place for Qingzhai certainly showed its regard for him, but it also attracted a lot of hostility from others.
The Great Yan Dynasty valued education. Although one was not allowed to take the imperial examinations or become an official during the mourning period, studying was not prohibited. Tongsu wanted to take the imperial examinations in place of Qingzhai. However, burying herself in books and studying hard was not an option. She absolutely could not give up the opportunity to enter the county school.
However, once she went to the county school, she could only return on the first and fifteenth of each month. She wanted to take Xia's mother to the county, but Xia's mother preferred to stay in the village.
But Tongsu was worried about leaving Xia's mother alone in the village. After careful consideration, Tongsu went to Sun Tiehu's mother and asked her to take good care of Xia's mother.
Many villagers who had benefited from Tongsu's kindness also patted their chests and said they would definitely take good care of Xia's mother.
Soon, it was the Lantern Festival. After Tongsu and Xia's mother went to see the lanterns, it was time for her to start school.
The county school of Yunyang County is located at the west end of Qianjie Street in the county town, and you can see the towering Lingxing Gate from afar.
The six-pillared archway has five bays across its front, with a width of about ten feet from east to west. Between each pillar are two adjacent lintels, each carved with a relief of two dragons playing with a pearl. At the base of the pillars are drum-shaped stones, and the doorways between the pillars are fitted with wooden gates.
This is a place for worshipping Confucius.
Upon entering the Lingxing Gate, you are greeted by a row of buildings, with the Dacheng Gate in the center. To the east and west of the Dacheng Gate are the Temple of Famous Officials and the Temple of Local Worthies, which serve a similar purpose to modern "memorial halls for distinguished alumni".
Behind Dacheng Gate, the Temple of Local Worthies, the Temple of Famous Officials, and Lingxing Gate, there are various places to worship Confucius. Only at the very back is the actual place where students studied.
The second courtyard has three gates, with the main hall in the middle and the lecture hall in the third. To the left of the lecture hall are buildings and side rooms, which served as rest areas for the teachers of the county school.
To the right of the lecture hall, another single-story building was constructed, and on the left and right sides of the east and west wing rooms of the lecture hall, dormitories were built.
Tong Su reviewed her memories again, and then went inside to pay her respects to the instructors and other leaders.
The instructors and teachers welcomed her back. After inquiring about her family's situation, they urged her to study hard so as not to disappoint her parents' high hopes.
She was told to go back to her cell to pack her things, and then report to the lecture hall the next day.
The cells were all single dorm rooms, very simple, with a desk, a simple bed, a chair, and a cabinet—that was all there was.
Tongsu quickly got ready and, seeing that it was getting late, prepared to go out for dinner. Just then, she heard hurried footsteps coming from afar, accompanied by laughter and commotion.
"Have you heard? Xia Qingzhai is back!"
"That kid, he still dares to come back. Didn't I warn him last year? If he comes back to fight again, I'll beat him up every time!"
"That's right! The top scorer in the provincial examination will definitely be our Min-ge. If he shows any displeasure, he should just obediently drop out of school and not compete with you! He's probably back now because he didn't get enough of a beating last time and wants us to teach him a lesson again!"
As they spoke, the pedestrian arrived at the cell door, and the doorman kicked it open with a bang. Someone outside shouted and cursed:
"Xia Qingzhai, have you lost your mind? You actually dared to come back! You've got some nerve!"
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