Gu Xueer took Shen Zhizhu on a symbolic tour of the school. Seeing that Shen Zhizhu was a little absent-minded, she suggested that they stop there and take him around again when the class officially started.

Shen Zhizhu thanked him and went to Yishe after leaving school because she and Xu Haonan had agreed to meet there. When she arrived, Xu Haonan had not arrived yet. Estimating the time, he was probably getting familiar with the campus, or receiving encouragement in the principal's office.

"You came back so soon. Was it smooth or not? Shouldn't you be visiting the school classroom now?"

Shen Zhizhu nodded.

"It went very smoothly. The principal was very easy to talk to. He said that as long as it didn't affect my studies, it was fine. He respected my wishes."

Shen Chunli just couldn't understand this. She was such a considerate and kind principal, so why did Shen Zhizhu look so sad?

"Then why do you look so serious?"

Shen Zhizhu thought about it and did not express her concerns directly. She asked in a different way.

"Sister Chunli, did you know that after the college entrance examination was resumed, going to school will be free of charge?"

"I know. I was thinking about going at first, but then I decided that I wasn't cut out for studying, so I gave up. Why are you asking me that?"

Shen Zhizhu was not surprised that Shen Chunli knew about this, because this is the county town and information flows faster.

"I didn't know about this, and I doubt most people in our village know about it either."

"Ah? Wasn't this news known long ago?"

She thought, maybe it had been there from a long time ago, and everyone took it as a tacit agreement and didn't mention it again. This made it so that people who didn't know about it in the first place had less of a way to find out.

"Let's not talk about this for now. My man will be here soon. We'll know when we go back and ask. Sister Chunli, how is the factory search going?"

Speaking of this, Shen Chunli sighed.

"The factory I have been cooperating with is about to collapse. They will not cut corners or use inferior materials, so the cost is not much more than the profit, which means the wages are not as high as those of other factories. In fact, the difference is only a few dollars. However, the factory director is a responsible and serious person. His stubbornness has offended many of his subordinates. Many people in the factory have been poached by competitors, and there have been no new orders. There are not enough people. I am worried. I am thinking about finding another factory."

This way, they will have to find a new one if it really stops running.

Shen Zhizhu thought about it for a while and realized that this was indeed a problem.

"I think we should not change it. There are not many factory managers who are serious and responsible. If there are quality problems with our clothes in the future, we will have to pay double the compensation, which will be a headache for us."

"If there are not many people, I will go back and ask the uncles and aunties next door. If they are willing to go, I will give them a chance to try. But they should not be embarrassed to refuse them all just because I introduced them. Whatever happens, it will be fine. I don't plan to tell them that I am the second boss of Yishe. I just need to tell others that I am just a designer."

Shen Chunli thought this was a solution. If the factory really couldn't last long, and Yishe's reputation became known, there would be many factories looking for them.

"Okay, I'll wait for your good news."

"Azhu."

Xu Haonan came over, and you could see that he wasn't in a very good mood either. He must have known about that incident, and maybe he had the same idea as her.

"Sister Chunli, when I come the day after tomorrow, I will bring you three new sets. The drawings have been completed and are almost finished."

Shen Chunli's smile was so brilliant. She felt that Shen Zhizhu was a reservoir of inspiration. How could he have so many good ideas that popped up from time to time?

She is really rare.

…

Shen Zhizhu and Xu Haonan exchanged the information they got on the way. All the courses were free, and Xu Haonan asked more detailed questions.

"When it comes to notification, in some places it is the village head who notifies, and then the village head implements it to every family. Some of the children who come here are from poor families, but because of this policy, they can learn and they especially cherish the opportunity to learn."

If this is the case, then their guess is getting closer and closer. Next, they need Aunt Li to clear up their confusion for them.

Aunt Li had finished her work in the fields and was sitting in the yard doing the job that Shen Zhizhu had introduced to her.

"Auntie."

The gates of the rural courtyards were open during the day. They stood at the door and shouted, and Aunt Li heard them and asked them to come in quickly.

"Xiaozhu, this is a really good piece of braiding. My aunt has already gotten the hang of it."

Shen Zhizhu looked at it and found it was a small package.

"Not bad, Aunt Li, you are so skillful, you became proficient so quickly, and you even added other small flowers, not to mention, they look really good, don't you, husband?"

Xu Haonan is a straight male aesthetician. He likes practical things. However, he thinks it will look good on Shen Zhizhu's back, so he nodded.

"Yes, Auntie Li's cooking skills are good."

Aunt Li, who received the compliment, kept praising the two for their sweet talk.

"By the way, Aunt Li, Haonan and I have something to ask you."

Aunt Li put her things in a basket beside her and sat down to listen to them.

"Why did you and Uncle Li borrow fifty yuan? Did you use it all to pay Erdan's tuition?"

Aunt Li didn't think much about it. She knew that their names were crossed off the list and that they had found the school themselves. She thought that they went to the school today perhaps to compare the tuition fees.

"Not entirely."

Shen Zhizhu and Xu Haonan breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, but before they could finish their breath, Aunt Li dropped a piece of heavyweight news.

"In fact, thirty was given to the village chief, who said fifteen would be given to the school, and the remaining five would be put together as gifts to ask the teacher to take care of them. Everyone gave this amount."

"The twenty yuan is for your uncle Li. He is working outside, so he may buy new things. It costs a lot of money. And he also has to eat out occasionally. The family's money is mainly for the children's food and drink. Studying is very demanding, so he should eat more good food."

Shen Zhizhu kicked his legs in anger, which scared Aunt Li so much.

"Du Zai De is really a big eater. He just ordered thirty directly."

"What...what happened?"

Xu Haonan told Aunt Li that they learned about the free education at school today, which really made Aunt Li angry.

"You're saying that Du Zai De cheated everyone out of their money, and he took the money and didn't pay the tuition to the school, but kept it all for himself?"

Shen Zhizhu shook his head and expressed his guess.

"I guess they didn't take all of it. Maybe they gave some to someone in the school to help keep it secret. Who else has paid the village chief?"

Aunt Li said indignantly.

"Xiao Zhu, you guys wait here, I will quietly call everyone over."