"Mom, this snack is delicious!"
As soon as she stepped out of the pastry shop, Jiang Wenxi couldn't wait to open the pastry package, take out a cookie, and stuff it into her mouth.
"Suihe, you stay here and watch over your younger siblings. I'll be right back!" Jiang Ling said to Jiang Suihe as she left the pastry shop, glancing at the study next door.
Jiang Suihe didn't speak, but simply nodded obediently.
"What would you like to buy, ma'am?" Jiang Ling asked as she walked into the bookstore, as the shopkeeper stood up from behind the counter.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like to ask if you know how to enroll in Linghui Academy in the next town?" Jiang Ling knew nothing about studying or taking the imperial examinations in this era; her only memory of it came from her original brother.
"This..." The shopkeeper glanced at Jiang Ling and saw that she was wearing coarse linen clothes with patches on them. Her rough face was obviously the result of years of wind and sun exposure. No matter how you looked at Jiang Ling, she didn't seem like the kind of person who would come from a scholar's family.
Moreover, Linghui Academy is a renowned girls' school, where the girls are either daughters of merchants or daughters of politicians. I've never heard of a farmer sending his child there.
"Auntie, are you asking about Linghui Academy?" The shopkeeper scratched the back of his head and asked tentatively.
“Yes! Linghui Academy!” Jiang Ling answered clearly and distinctly.
"Well... Auntie, let's not even talk about the expenses of Linghui Academy for a semester. Every year, the enrollment process is strictly screened. Although there is no age limit, everyone must be familiar with elementary education publications and arithmetic up to 100. Enrollment is held twice a year, in April and September. May I ask how old your daughter is this year?" The shopkeeper looked Jiang Ling over again. For some reason, he felt that the village woman in front of him seemed a little different.
Jiang Ling was secretly surprised when she heard this. She did not expect that Linghui Academy had such high requirements. In modern times, the first nine years of education are compulsory, but now an academy requires an exam.
Suihe was indeed wasted by that bunch of scumbags from the Lu family. Self-pity was never in Jiang Ling's nature. She looked up at the shopkeeper and said, "Shopkeeper, could you please give me one of each, the introductory publication and the basic arithmetic?"
"Auntie, which type would you like? The prices vary depending on the people who copy the books here. A scholar's copy costs 100 copper coins per book, while a student's copy costs 80 copper coins per book," the shopkeeper inquired.
In ancient times, the cost of studying was considerable, and many students from poor families would choose to copy books at the study to support their daily expenses. This money could alleviate some of the burden on their families and could also be used for travel expenses to take the imperial examinations in the future.
Jiang Ling thought for a moment, and decided that since she was going to buy something, she might as well buy the best. She took out 200 copper coins from her pocket and placed them in front of the shopkeeper, saying, "These are copied by a scholar, right? Please give me one copy of each."
As the shopkeeper watched Jiang Ling generously take out 200 copper coins from her bosom, he became even more convinced of his previous idea that the village woman in front of him was no ordinary person.
As Jiang Ling walked out of the study, she smiled and waved the two books in front of Jiang Suihe, whose eyes immediately lit up.
"Books? Books! Mom, you bought me books?" Jiang Suihe asked excitedly.
"Yes, Suihe, you need to study harder. I just inquired about the admission requirements for Linghui Academy, and you need to be familiar with both of these books!" Jiang Ling said, placing the books in Jiang Suihe's hands.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Suihe, who had been excited just moments before, drooped her eyebrows and eyes after hearing Jiang Ling's words, looking unhappy.
At first, Jiang Ling thought she had put pressure on Jiang Suihe, so she quickly said gently, "Suihe, what's wrong? Is your mother putting too much pressure on you?"
Unexpectedly, Suihe shook her head, clutched the hem of her clothes, opened her mouth and hesitated, "No, no, Mother, I... how about we forget about sending me to school? I've heard from others that this academy costs a lot of money per semester."
“Suihe, didn’t I tell you? You don’t need to worry about money! I’m not only sending you to school, but I’m also sending your younger brother and sister away!” Jiang Ling said, patting Jiang Suihe’s shoulder.
After having a meal in Changning Town, Jiang Ling and her group of four waited at the town entrance for Uncle Lu's oxcart.
"Oh! Jiang, you've sold out of this bucket? You must have made a lot of money!" As soon as she pushed the cart onto the oxcart, the sharp-eyed Lu noticed Jiang Ling's empty bucket and asked tentatively, examining it closely.
“How could a small business like this possibly make money? I just earned all of it and I said I’d use it all to buy books!” Jiang Ling said, pointing to the two books that Jiang Suihe was holding in her hands.
"What? Jiang, you said you bought books for your girl?" Madam Lu stared wide-eyed at Jiang Ling in disbelief and exclaimed.
“Yes! What’s wrong with the girl? There’s Linghui Academy in Pingxi County, where all the girls study!” Jiang Ling glanced at Madam Lu and said indifferently.
"What? Jiang Shi! Don't tell me you're sending your girl to Linghui Academy? I've heard it's full of girls from wealthy and powerful families!"
Lu's words annoyed Jiang Ling, but she could understand. In those days, farmers could barely get enough to eat, so how could they possibly focus on education?
She composed herself and said, "Give it a try, what if it works?"
"She's gone mad! She's really gone mad!" Madam Lu muttered, shaking her head frantically after hearing Jiang Ling's words.
The oxcart took everyone back to Lujia Village. Jiang Ling took several children back to the old house. Before they even reached the door, Jiang Ling saw the village chief pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.
"Village chief, why are you back? Where's Yaojie?" Jiang Ling pushed the cart and walked a few steps quickly. After looking around but not finding Jiang Yaojie, she frowned and asked with some concern.
"Oh dear! Jiang, where have you been!" The village chief cried out as if he had grasped a lifeline when he saw Jiang Ling.
"Where did Village Chief Yaojie go?" Looking at the village chief's expression, Jiang Ling's heart gradually became uneasy.
"Clatter clatter clatter..." The sound of horses' hooves came from behind Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling quickly turned around and saw a carriage slowly approaching from not far away and stopping in front of her.
"Mother!" Jiang Yaojie lifted the curtain of the carriage and jumped out.
Then a chubby figure appeared in front of Jiang Ling.
"It's him?" Jiang Ling didn't have time to think, and quickly led the children to kneel on the ground and said, "Greetings, Magistrate Duan."
"Madam Jiang, please don't stand on ceremony. Your son is truly outstanding!" Magistrate Duan said, his mouth almost splitting to his ears, his eyes and brows brimming with unconcealed joy.
"What... what exactly is going on?" Jiang Ling was completely bewildered. She quickly tugged at Jiang Yaojie's sleeve and asked in a low voice.
"Mother, this matter..."
"Madam Jiang, how can we let the magistrate stand here in such hot weather!" The village chief saw Jiang Ling standing there in a daze and quickly tugged at her sleeve to remind her.
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