Master Huo would not miss any opportunity to tease everyone. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, he would arrange for them to give lessons to children over five years old in the village.
No one found it difficult.
Most of them have some basic knowledge. Even if they were ignorant when they were young, their families would arrange for them to read and learn to read. Now they have consolidated their knowledge in the academy and studied hard every day, making great progress.
But they didn’t expect that in this small village, seven or eight children were so capable!
They can memorize the "Three Hundred Thousand" by heart. Children aged seven or eight have even read the Four Books. The oldest child, at the age of twelve, is already reading biographies and knows more than the others.
Zhou Jingmao and his companions were stunned.
Faced with the innocent and trusting questions from the children, they could hardly hold back their blushing.
What if I can't answer the question? I feel like I've lost all my face and dignity.
At the critical moment, they thought of Zhuang Jiulang. They didn't care about anything else and directly pulled Zhuang Jiulang out to explain to the children. Only then did they feel relieved.
"They are not children at all, they are obviously little smart guys. When I was their age... they could read a lot of words, but they knew nothing about these articles." Zhou Jingmao was deeply touched.
He is the best performer in the entire academy except for Zhuang Jiu!
The teacher said that he was smart. Although he didn't have a photographic memory, he could memorize things quite quickly. Lately, he had been feeling a little proud, but only now, when he saw these children, did he realize where he was lacking.
"I think these children have the potential to be the top scorer in the imperial examination." Qian Jialu couldn't help but admire him.
"Studying costs money. They must have been sponsored by our academy to continue their studies until now. But look at those twelve or thirteen-year-old children. They are already half adults and can work in the fields. They will definitely have to support their families in the future and will gradually have no way to continue their studies. Their current abilities make them better than ordinary children in other villages, and it will be easier for them to make a living in the future." Xiao Cunyu poured cold water on him without hesitation.
These kids look energetic now, but judging from their facial features, none of them can pursue a career in politics.
In other words, he could only be a scholar at best, and could not even become a juren.
"How much does it cost to study?" Zhou Jingmao was puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Cunyu calmly said, "Every scholar's expenses are different, but even the most frugal scholar will spend about four or five hundred taels of silver. This is the cost of passing all the levels and making it to the end. If someone fails along the way, it will cost even more."
The number Xiao Cunyu calculated was not an exaggeration at all.
She was talking about the children from ordinary families who had no famous teachers at home, whose parents were uneducated, and who could not rely on their grandparents, so they could only study on their own.
It costs money to study and learn from a teacher, and it also costs money to show filial piety during festivals and holidays. This expense is still the smallest.
Pens, ink, paper, books, transportation, food, lodging, and miscellaneous expenses would cost at least fifteen taels a year, right?
But for ordinary families, without the guidance of famous teachers, even those with talent would need at least fifteen or sixteen years to pass the imperial examination.
The transition from a Juren to a Jinshi is as difficult as jumping over a ditch. It requires not only knowledge, but also vision and bearing, and there are more places to spend money.
"Students from poor families are also easily distracted. There may not be as many trivial matters in their homes as in the wealthy families like us, but if something goes wrong, it will almost certainly damage their vitality. Parents and children need to be supported, and brothers and sisters cannot be separated. How can it be easy to give birth to a noble son in such an environment?" Xiao Cunyu said again.
She spoke softly, as soft as a floating feather, but it made Zhou Jingmao and the others feel uncomfortable.
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