Chapter 271 Class Starts
Sang Luo did not stay in the governor's mansion for long. After ordering what needed to be ordered, she bought a small bag of plaster and went back to do her chalk experiment.
Gypsum solidifies very quickly after being mixed with water. Since there is no mold, Sang Luo thought of using paper to roll it into a rough shape and then dry it in the sun.
Chen Ning looked at it in surprise: "Can you write after doing this?"
"It should be possible, right?" Chalk can, but it's hard to say whether this is chalk or not. Sang Luo herself is not sure.
It was her first time making it, so she wasn’t sure how long it would take to dry. Now that she had the blackboard, in order to have it ready for the evening classes, Sang Luo moved half of the chalk out to dry in the sun, and baked the other half over fire like she did with paper.
The sun in the first month of the year is not very hot, so you can use a fire to roast food at noon.
Not to mention Shen Ning, Shen Yin and Shen Tie were all watching. Sang Luo took one off and drew a line directly on the bluestone floor tile. It was a familiar formula and familiar chalk writing.
Except that the shape is not round and straight enough and a bit ugly, it is really usable. I called Shen Ning to get a piece of rag and found that it was easy to wipe off.
To make it round and beautiful, you only need one mold.
After getting the chalk and sewing a blackboard eraser out of scraps of cloth, Shen Yin reminded, "We also need a light, right?"
Forget about this.
In the afternoon, Sang Luo took a trip to the city again while the two little ones were asleep. This time, she ordered chalk molds from the blacksmith shop and bought six lamps, a giant oil lamp made up of twelve small oil lamps. In the words of the shopkeeper, it would be bright enough to light the house at night.
Then she returned to the village and called a few children together to explain in detail the differences between the literacy class and the basic class they taught a group of children every morning, and the direction that teaching should focus on. While she was talking, the maid named Xiaoxing beside Concubine Fan came with two male servants with the blackboard, and asked with a smile where Sang Luo put her things.
Sang Luo led a few people to the room in Shen Yin's house that was cleared out to be used as a classroom. She brought newly made chalk to try writing. The desk was quite old, but the wood was good and the paint was matte. It was not as good as the modern blackboard, but it was usable.
Xiaoxing saw that she was holding a white strip in her hand, and she was writing eye-catching words on the board like ink falling on paper, with a bit of surprise in her eyes.
Sang Luo smiled and handed her the chalk in her hand, saying, "My concubine must be curious. This is called chalk. It's made of plaster. It's very convenient to write on and erase. Take it back and show it to her."
Xiaoxing was curious to begin with, and Sang Luo took the initiative to give it to her, saving her from having to ask for it. She took it with a smile and said, "You really understand my wife."
After exchanging a few words, Xiaoxing looked at the still empty classroom, said goodbye to Sang Luo, and led his people back.
Now that I have a blackboard, influenced by my childhood habits, I must have a podium. Of course, in addition to storing the blackboard eraser and chalk, the podium now has a more important function, which is to place the headlight.
There were some old furniture left over from the old house at home, so Sang Luo asked Shi Erlang and Uncle Xu to help move them to the classroom and set them up. Chen Ning and Xu Wenyin had also discussed the class schedule and preparation. After reviewing them, Sang Luo felt that the first class was important and gave some suggestions. All preparations were complete, and the children took their chalk to the classroom to practice writing with chalk.
…
In the governor's mansion, Concubine Fan took a piece of chalk handed to her by Xiaoxing and tried to write on the remaining piece of wood that was used as a blackboard for Sang Luo.
People who are used to writing with a brush are not very used to using chalk at first, but when they found that this thing is so convenient to use with a black board, Fan Fei Niang's eyes were full of surprise: "A Luo said this is made of plaster?"
"Yes, I think Madam Sang can wipe off the writing with a dry towel."
Without waiting for someone to get a towel, Concubine Fan wiped the writing on the blackboard with her fingers, and sure enough, it disappeared with one wipe.
"It's easy to apply. If it's ink, then it won't work. But if it's a teaching aid..." Fan Fei Niang thought about the scene of the teacher using the chalk and blackboard made of mulberry when teaching, and she became curious: "Do you know when the school in Daxingzhuang will open?"
The most important skill for a maid is meticulousness. She has to do well the tasks assigned by her master. Even if the master hasn't assigned her anything, she has to look around and inquire about it first as long as the master might be interested in it.
So when she went to Daxingzhuang, she really knew it.
"I heard it's today."
"You Zheng? School at night?"
Xiaoxing nodded: "It is right that it is Youzhong today, but I see that the classroom is still empty."
Concubine Fan became interested and said, "Let's go and take a look tonight."
Xiaofeng responded with a smile, and then went to tell a few maids to follow him out that night without saying anything else.
…
It was the first day of classes at the Daxingzhuang Workers' School. Apparently, Fan Fei Niang was not the only one who wanted to join in the fun. At the beginning of the evening hour, Chen Ning, Xu Wenyin, Chen Xiaoya and others were still rehearsing in the classroom how to teach the first lesson. Old Man Zhao had already led his children and grandchildren to carry three sets of desks to Daxingzhuang. He asked along the way where the classroom was and personally carried them in and set them up.
The three long-term workers of the Shen family whose children were studying here seemed to have made an appointment. The Zhao family brought desks, and then the other two families also brought desks. Together with the two sets made by the Chen family, the originally empty classroom suddenly had nine sets of desks and chairs.
It was fine when seven or eight people carried tables and chairs to Daxingzhuang, but starting from the hour of You, people from the surrounding villages started carrying long and short benches to Daxingzhuang, which was eye-catching.
The villagers nearby didn't know what was going on, so they asked some of the people and found out that Daxing Village had actually set up a primary school that taught the people in the Shen family's workshop and the children of the female workers to read. At one time, many people followed suit and moved into Daxing Village.
This is not surprising. There was a lack of entertainment activities in ancient times. For such a rare event, not only the neighbors, but even those who had registered their children in the vermicelli workshop or not would go to watch the fun.
The guards at the gate of Shezhou City discovered that there were a lot of people going to Daxingzhuang this evening.
Just as they were wondering, they saw the wife of their governor coming with several maids and guards. They were actually going to leave the city at this time.
The status gap was too big, so the city guards only dared to bow and didn't dare to ask any more questions. Then, they saw Concubine Fan and her group also walking towards Daxing Manor.
"What is Daxingzhuang doing today?"
No one could answer him.
…
When Concubine Fan led Nanny Zhong and several maids including Xiaoxing, Xiaoyue and Xiaofeng to the farm, they didn't need to ask for directions at all. They could tell at a glance where the most people were.
At this time, the forty-seven students in the classroom had already taken their seats. Even Sang Luo, the founder of the school, and Shen Ning, the teacher who only occasionally scheduled a class, had to be in place. Chen Lie and Shen An specially rushed home from the provincial school early and took the initiative to take on the job of taking care of A Yao and Qian Bao, so that the two of them would have time to preside over the class.
When Concubine Fan arrived outside the mud house of Shen Jin's family, Sang Luo and Shen Ning had just entered the classroom. The door and two windows of the classroom were already crowded with people.
The female workers who did not sign up, the head of the Feng family, Zhou Laizi and his wife, the Dong Ge'er brothers, Zheng the butcher and his family, and even Lu Dalang, who usually didn't interact with the villagers, crowded by the door. Of course, there were also Anjiu, Anshi and Anshiyi, the three long-term workers who came to check out the situation and protect Sang Luo. These three were even more outrageous. Two of them directly sneaked into the classroom, and the other one was at the door.
Concubine Fan never thought that the opening of classes at Sang Luo's school would be so lively. There must be at least forty or fifty people crowded outside alone, right?
Several maids hesitated: "Madam, isn't this too many people?"
It seems like he is about to back out.
Concubine Fan had already arrived, but she didn't plan to leave. She insisted on joining in the fun. Nanny Zhong and two strong women had no choice but to go in. They squeezed in while shouting, "Please make way," and made way to the left and right to make a spot for Concubine Fan.
Fan Fei Niang moved closer to the window and only then could she see the scene in the classroom.
It was an old rammed earth mud house. She had someone help her make a blackboard today, a podium, and a big lamp on one side of the podium. The not-so-big classroom was packed with people of all ages, some in their thirties and forties, and some who looked to be seven or eight years old. The stools they sat on were also of various kinds, with the children sitting in the front rows and the adults sitting in the back.
Sang Luo was probably talking about the first speech she gave at the class.
"People who are familiar with Daxing Village may know that Daxing Village originally had a small school where children in the village studied. The idea of opening this school for employees' children was a sudden idea because the grandmother of the Zhao family in Xiaonan Village and the two aunts in Bei Village came to me and wanted to send their children to the village to learn to read and write."
"Nowadays, you can see that everyone in Daxing Village can read and write. In fact, only a few years ago, when I wanted to teach my uncle and aunt to read and write, I went to the county to ask for pens, ink, paper and inkstones, but none of them were affordable for a small family like us. I was lucky enough to be reborn into a commoner family in the north. My family had a clan school and I could go to school. I learned a few words. At that time, I bought a brush and a piece of the cheapest ink. When I got home, I made bamboo slips and used a stone as an inkstone. I memorized a copy of the Thousand Character Classic for my uncle and aunt to start with. At first, I only taught them, brother and sister, and later I taught all the children in the village together."
"This is because I can read and write, so I have the ability to teach them. However, whether it is the previous dynasty of Dagan or the current Daqi, the vast majority of farmers do not have the opportunity to read and write. Even if the imperial court runs a school, how many people can afford it?"
"I know very well that it is not easy for ordinary people to have the opportunity to study. Grandma Zhao and the two aunts have people working in my house. They know the benefits of studying and come to me for help. I thought that I have two shops and a workshop with more than 50 helpers. Do you or your children want to learn to read and write? That's how I came up with the idea of setting up this private school for children."
Someone beside Concubine Fan was quite excited, and her small voice was filled with excitement: "Mother, the lady is talking about you!"
Concubine Fan subconsciously turned her head to take a look. It was very dark, but she could still see that there was an old lady in her sixties next to her, and next to the old lady was a woman in her thirties or forties.
Sang Luo's voice was heard again in the classroom, and Fan Fei Niang's attention turned back to the classroom.
"Food is the primary need of the people. Farming in the fields is the foundation of everyone's survival. Therefore, unlike other schools, our school has classes at night."
"There are more than 50 workers and 110 places available. The actual number of applicants is 47. To be honest, the fact that 47 people have signed up has exceeded my initial expectations. However..." She paused here and smiled at the crowd below, "You can take a look at your classmates. Have you found anything?"
The students in the classroom turned around and looked at each other, and the people outside the classroom also stretched their necks and pricked up their ears.
Sang Luo smiled and said, "Among the forty-seven students, half of them are from Daxing Village, and most of them are older people from Daxing Village, because the children from Daxing Village have small classes during the day. In other words, the total number of applicants from the other villages is no more than twenty."
She paused here, then looked around the classroom, pointed at Zhao Da's eldest daughter, and said, "Big girl, tell me, how many of your brothers and sisters have signed up to study here?"
Zhao Daya was suddenly called and stood up. She was fifteen years old and looked a little embarrassed. "Six, plus my younger sister and cousin who were originally studying at my mother's house, there are eight children in my family studying in Daxing Village now."
There was a sudden uproar in the crowd.
Eight???!!!!!!!!!
Even Concubine Fan was shocked!
She was quite familiar with the people's livelihood in Shezhou, but... these were Shezhou villagers?
Just as I was thinking this, I heard Sang Luo inside smiling and saying, "Okay, then please ask the Zhao brothers and sisters to stand up."
As soon as Sang Luo finished speaking, the five Zhao brothers stood up on both sides of Zhao Daya. Wow, they were so tall and strong, and the oldest one looked like he was over 18 years old. Was he the Ding man who had been allocated the land?
Sang Luo said, "As you can see, the Zhao family's children are now all strong laborers in the family. You should know that I didn't have the idea of running a night school. The school at home is taught during the day. Even if it is only half an hour a day, plus the delay on the way back and forth, it will also affect a lot of farm work. Have you ever thought about why the Zhao family wants these grandchildren who are already capable and have taken on most of the labor in the family to come to school?"
When Sang Luo asked this question, she even tilted her head to ask the person outside the door.
What is the reason?
A small half of the people watching the fun outside the door are those who have quotas at home but have not used them, and there are also those who have two quotas but only give one to their seven or eight-year-old son.
How can I understand the thought processes of Old Man Zhao and Old Lady Zhao?
No one outside the classroom could answer, but an eight or nine-year-old child inside the classroom said, "Reading and knowing how to read is good, and it will lead to a promising future."
Several children agreed.
Sang Luo asked again: "How can you be successful?"
The children who were answering were stumped by the question. The one who spoke first scratched his head and said, "I don't know. That's what my parents said."
Sang Luo smiled, then looked at Zhao Daya and said, "Tell me, Daya, how could your grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts bear to let you and your siblings go to school?"
Zhao Daya was stunned: Can I say this?
That look of confusion.
Sang Luo understood it immediately and said with a smile, "You can tell me what's going on."
Zhao Daya licked her dry lips and said, "My younger sister and cousin are studying in the farm. They saw that those who can read and do accounting can go out to do business. The wages of doing business are very high, much more profitable than farming. So my grandparents thought that we brothers and sisters can also learn more words. If my wife's farm recruits more people in the future, maybe we can be used."
He was very smart and only talked about the key points, but didn't say anything about earning a thousand coins in a few days.
As soon as she finished speaking, a group of female workers outside were stunned.
This is a direction they had never thought of! ! ! ! Those who have teenagers at home but have not registered them are a little confused.
Sang Luo felt that the effect was almost there, so she smiled and asked the Zhao brothers and sisters to sit down. Then she looked at everyone in the classroom and said, "You've hit the point. What is the benefit of studying? Generally speaking, studying can help you understand reason and increase your knowledge. The Great Qi Dynasty encourages reading and holds imperial examinations to recruit scholars. If you study well, you can even pass the imperial examination to become an official, govern the country, and change your family's status."
"Of course, this is far-fetched. It requires a lot of talent, subsequent efforts, and financial resources from the family. Let's talk about something smaller. If you can read and do accounting, it will be much easier for you to find a job in the city than if you are illiterate."
"I don't know about other shops, but in my shop, all the employees in my two shops are literate. To work as an employee in a shop, you need to know the words on the product name and price tags, and you need to record the daily delivery of goods and the inventory every ten days. Only those who can write and count can be qualified for the job. In my shop, such employees who can write and count can earn one string of silver a month."
One tael of money!!!
Everyone in and outside the classroom, except the people from Daxing Village, took a breath, held it, and exhaled without knowing it.
Don’t think that since millet sells for 190 wen a dou, one guan of coins is worthless. No, one guan of coins is worth a lot of money!
The price of grain is only like this because the impact of the war has not yet subsided. It goes up wildly and falls quickly. In peaceful times, a dou of millet costs 60 wen.
For one string of money, a strong laborer could only earn about twenty cents a day by working as a porter at the dock during the slack season, and he had to be strong enough to carry heavy bags.
In the past, various taxes were high, and farmers might not be able to save a penny throughout the year.
Who among them didn't know about the two shops in Daxing Village? There was even a young lady working as a clerk in the specialty shop.
One tael of silver a month!
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Those who were quick-witted took another look at the classroom and saw a group of men and women from Daxing Village all studying inside. They finally realized that studying is not just about studying, they are fighting for future jobs! ! ! !
They were so stupid that they didn't even think about the people from Daxingzhuang and didn't seize the opportunity that was right in front of them.
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