Chapter 489 Canteen Fees
The teachers present here did not have any intention of not wanting women to study.
Even though I had some conservative ideas at first, after staying in Qiushi Academy for a long time, watching those girls holding pens and studying seriously, and listening to their crisp answers to questions, my heart was slowly assimilated.
At this moment, they frowned and spoke out in opposition, not because they were against girls going to school, but because they were really thinking about the future of these girls.
In short, women in the whole society are imprisoned in this way. If there are exceptions, they are considered outliers!
Outliers are not allowed to exist.
"Headmaster, think about it," Master Du said, tapping the table lightly, his voice heavy. "Just because we can understand it doesn't mean everyone else can. When these girls get married, their in-laws will inevitably gossip if they know they studied with a bunch of other men when they were young."
Another teacher nearby nodded. "That's right. Ordinary people always look for a quiet wife. If people say she's been seen in public, her reputation will be affected, and her future life will be difficult."
"I think it's a good idea to continue with the current model. Jinxiu Building is independent of the academy and basically has nothing to do with the boys in the academy. This is fine. It won't affect the girls' continued studies, right?"
"I even think we could open a small door on the wall near Jinxiu Building, so that the girls can take this route to and from school. This will avoid unnecessary trouble, and parents who send their girls here to study will feel more at ease."
Gu Jiayue listened quietly, her fingertips curled lightly under the table.
She knew clearly in her mind that these concerns were not unreasonable, and that this was even a common phenomenon in society as a whole.
But when she looked up, her gaze was filled with an unwavering determination. "I understand everyone's concerns."
If you want women to be able to enter the court, have their own livelihoods, and be treated fairly in the future, the first step is to let them come out of the boudoir.
Since I want to get out, how can I not deal with men?
During the busy farming season, both men and women worked on the ridges of the fields, and there was nothing wrong with them chatting and laughing. However, the school had grown in size, and the students weren't just from the village, but also from the children of landlords and wealthy families in the county town. Their families had many rules, so they inevitably paid attention to them.
"So I plan to continue teaching separately after the merger." Gu Jiayue's voice became clearer. "The girls will be in one class, and the boys will be in another. Their daily classes and activities will be separate, so there will basically be no conflicts."
She knew in her heart that this matter could not be rushed and she could not challenge the bottom line of the old rules right away.
We have to take it slow, let everyone get used to the way women read, and then move forward little by little.
Even if something happens to her someday, the children she has taught and the teachers in the school who have been influenced by her will always take over the matter.
Thinking of this, a faint smile quietly appeared on the corner of her mouth, and the light in her eyes became brighter.
After hearing what she said, the teachers' frowns gradually relaxed.
Someone hummed softly. "That's all right."
The voices of opposition have clearly weakened.
Seeing that no one objected, Gu Jiayue cleared her throat and talked about the third thing - pricing the dishes in the school.
"Before, the meals in the cafeteria were free. We didn't charge students any money, and there was no limit on the amount. We could just take as much as we wanted."
Her tone darkened, and she frowned slightly as she recalled the scenes she saw every day. "But now there are more and more people, and the waste is getting worse and worse."
There was a bucket of leftover rice in the corner of the cafeteria. There were still some uneaten pieces of meat on the white rice, and a bitten steamed bun was thrown next to it.
When she thought of this, she felt a lump in her stomach.
At first, the children were able to finish everything in their bowls.
What about now? Whatever is left over is thrown away, and many dishes are thrown away without even being touched.
Aunt Cai, who was in charge of the cafeteria, couldn't help but interject, her voice tinged with distress. "That's right! Every day I tell them, 'Serve less, and add more if it's not enough.' But some of the kids, especially those from the county, don't even bat an eyelid and just keep taking a lot."
Those grains were earned by Kangzi with his hard work. It would be such a shame to throw away the white rice!
Gu Jiayue nodded. "So I wonder if starting to charge for the cafeteria can help avoid unnecessary waste?"
"But the price can't be too high. Most of the students in the school are from ordinary families and can't afford it."
She looked at Aunt Cai, who was sitting in the corner. "Aunt Cai, please tell us the cost of the daily ingredients and the approximate cost of each dish."
Ever since she returned the indenture to Aunt Cai, she changed her name to "Aunt Cai".
She is not a servant, so calling her "Mammy" would be impolite.
Aunt Cai stood up and took out an account book from her bosom. When she opened it, the pages made a rustling sound.
She has been in charge of the accounts since the school was founded, so she knows all about these things.
He reported the expenses one by one and finally added up the total. "It costs about a hundred taels of silver every month."
"Hiss——" A gasp sounded in the office.
Over a hundred taels? An ordinary family couldn't possibly save that much in their entire lifetime!
"Everyone, tell me how to set the price so that all the children can eat and there is no waste." Gu Jiayue looked around at everyone.
The teachers immediately started discussing it.
"One penny for a dish?"
"No, no, it's too cheap and it will still be a waste."
"How about a meal ticket? You can change what you want to eat yourself, so you know how to weigh it."
"What should we do with poor children? We need to provide them with some subsidies."
After a while of arguing, the rules were finally decided.
Make meal tickets, each costing one cent, and then set a different price for each dish.
For example, one meal ticket can be exchanged for two meat buns, or a bowl of vegetarian dishes, or half a bowl of rice.
Children can choose how much they want to eat and exchange it for.
As for children from poor families, the school gives them meal coupons every month, which is enough for them to have enough to eat.
In this way, children from wealthy families can learn to cherish food, poor children will not be wronged, and the burden on the canteen can be reduced.
Although the price is much lower than the market price, it can still play a role to some extent.
All three matters were discussed and at the end of the meeting, Gu Jiayue proposed that Jiang Luli be the school's principal, which was equivalent to the school's second-in-command, mainly assisting Gu Jiayue in managing the school's affairs.
No one objected to this decision, and it was passed unanimously.
The faculty and staff meeting was finally over.
The teachers went their separate ways and went about their business, while Gu Jiayue also immersed herself in teaching.
Three days passed quickly, and Gu Jiayue was going to the county town to pick up Yue'er.
Through the system, she learned that Yue'er had completed the fourth task and gained 10 health points.
Although my health is still low, I don’t have to worry about dying at any time.
It's just too inconvenient to be a cockroach all the time, so she plans to change her back as soon as Yue'er can bear it.
As for how to explain it to everyone after I get it back, that’s a matter for later. I can’t always occupy someone else’s body.
Jiang Luli knew she was going to the county town, and his brows immediately furrowed, his tone filled with obvious worry. "I'll go with you."
"No need." Gu Jiayue waved her hand, pointing to Hu Zi and Ye Ren beside her. "They're here with us. The academy is missing four teachers now, and the class schedule is so tight that you can't leave."
"But hold on for a while longer. Once the results of the college entrance examination come out, the students who have passed the examination and become scholars will be able to fill this vacancy."
"But this time, I wanted to train them in advance on how to be a good teacher. Otherwise, a situation like Song Qiquan and the others might happen again, slowing down the children's progress."
Seeing her resolute attitude, Jiang Luli had no choice but to grab Hu Zi's arm and whispered, "Be careful on the road, and protect Miss Gu." He turned to look at Ye Ren with a serious look, "You two should be alert."
Hu Zi and Ye Ren both nodded heavily.
Jiang Luli waved behind him as he watched Gu Jiayue and the others walk out of Taohua Village.
Two dark figures flashed out from behind the tree and knelt on one knee: "Master."
"Follow her," Jiang Luli said in a low voice, "Follow quietly, don't let Miss Gu find out, and make sure to protect her."
"Yes!" The black shadow responded, and disappeared in a flash.
Gu Jiayue didn't know any of this.
She entered the Annan County Government smoothly and followed the servant to Zheng Qinghe's residence.
As soon as I stepped into the hall, I saw a man and a cockroach eating around a table. The scene was indescribably harmonious.
Zheng Qinghe sat on a chair, holding a steamed bun in his hand, but his eyes were staring at the corner of the table.
There was a small plate with pieces of cake, minced meat, and a small spoonful of candied fruit.
A cockroach was buried in the plate, its little head moving rapidly, and it seemed that it was eating with great relish.
When it heard the footsteps, it didn't even raise its head, but just stuffed the food into its mouth.
Zheng Qinghe did hear it, but it took him a long while before he slowly raised his eyes. His gaze moved away from the cockroach and fell on Gu Jiayue.
At first he was stunned, with a blank look in his eyes, as if he hadn't reacted.
After a moment, he realized that it had been three days.
These three days passed much faster than usual, and he didn't even notice it.
"Jiayue," he said, his voice still a little hesitant from just reacting. "Are you here to take Xiaoqiang back home?"
"Xiao Qiang?" Gu Jiayue was stunned.
Zheng Qinghe pointed at the cockroach on the plate, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "That's it. I saw it was quite resilient, so I gave it this name."
Gu Jiayue looked at the cockroach that was still eating hard, and thought to herself: It does fit the description.
"Three days have passed," she said, smiling as she stepped forward. "I'm here to take my little pet home. Sorry to bother you for these three days."
Only after hearing the word "go home" did the cockroach slowly raise its head.
Its little eyes were covered with cake and looked black.
But it was very skilled and scratched its eyes with its front paws, finally revealing its sparkling eyeballs.
Seeing that the person coming was Gu Jiayue, it crawled forward quickly with its six little legs "da da da", and its little tentacles curled up excitedly.
Sister Gu! Sister Gu, you came to see me!
Looking at its heartless and cheerful appearance, Zheng Qinghe suddenly felt a little disappointed, and the corners of his mouth turned down slightly.
He treated it to delicious food and drinks for the past three days, and made a small house, a small bed, and small toys for it, but it didn't even miss it?
Gu Jiayue took out a handkerchief from her pocket, placed it on her hand, and gently lifted the cockroach. She carefully wiped the cake crumbs and grease off its back and asked softly, "Have you had fun these days?"
Because both of them are bound to the system, the system in Yue'er's body is separated from Gu Jiayue's system, and they can communicate through consciousness.
"I'm happy! Brother Qinghe is so nice to me! He made a small house for me and put a lot of small toys in it, as well as a small bed and small tableware..." Yue'er's consciousness was full of excitement, and she wanted to pour out all the new things that happened in the past three days.
Gu Jiayue gently touched the cockroach's head with her fingertips and asked consciously, "Has the system issued you the fifth task?"
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