As soon as the officials left, Wu Wen's neighbors immediately gathered around, all asking what the officials had come for.
In the past, when officials came, they would summon the entire village with gongs and drums, or go straight to the village chief and a few respected elders.
This was the first time that government officials had come and gone into a villager's house. Everyone's curiosity was practically overflowing.
When Wu Wen slowly and methodically recounted the whole story, the crowd that had gathered around immediately erupted in uproar.
"Really? Lord Pei wants to set up a school so that our children can also study?"
"Studying? Good heavens, our children actually have the opportunity to become scholars?"
"Wen'er, is this really Lord Pei's intention? He even specifically asked you to be his tutor?" An elderly neighbor asked excitedly, tugging at Wu Wen's sleeve.
Wu Wen's hand was being pulled and shaken, but he still answered in a good-natured manner: "It was indeed Lord Pei's idea. Those officials just now were sent by Lord Pei."
The news spread like wildfire, and soon the entire Wutong Village knew about it. Every household with children was excited, and everyone was discussing the possibility of setting up a school.
As soon as Aunt Cui got home, she said happily, "Honey, Lord Pei is going to set up a school and invite Wu Wen to be the teacher. This is a great thing! Our Xiao Tong is nine years old this year. If he can go to the school and learn a few words, maybe he can become an accountant like Wu Wen in the future!"
In Aunt Cui's opinion, being a bookkeeper was already the best way out.
This job is stable, and you don't have to be out in the fields every day, exposed to the wind and sun. It's tough working when it rains, but you worry about the crops not growing well when it doesn't rain.
Wu Si'er was engrossed in chopping wood when he heard this and was immediately taken aback. "Where did you hear that from?"
"Lord Pei sent several officials to Wu Wen's house to say this. We just asked Wu Wen and found out. Wu Wen explained it very clearly."
Wu Si'er even put down the wood-chopping knife in his hand, stepped forward and asked carefully, "Where is the school located? How much tuition do you charge?"
Aunt Cui said, "I heard it's near the patrol station, but they didn't say how much tuition they'd charge."
Wu Si'er was somewhat worried, "Can our family afford to send Xiao Tong to school? It's not easy to support a student."
Aunt Cui was utterly exasperated with her family's blockhead. "We're not counting on Xiao Tong to become the top scholar. He just needs to know a few characters and be able to do arithmetic. What's there to be unable to afford?"
Wu Si'er then realized what was going on and said happily, "You're so clever! That's exactly what we're saying. We'll keep offerings for as long as we can."
Aunt Cui had already thought it through. All three of her eldest sons were married, and their wives were all hardworking. Now that the family was going to support their younger brother's education for a few years, no one would object.
After all, they're supporting their younger brother's education now, and they'll be supporting their children in the future; no one can fail to calculate the costs.
Less than three days after Pei Han gave the notice, construction began near the patrol station.
Without wasting a moment, Wu Dazhuang went to the nearby villages and found a few old craftsmen to lead a group of prisoners in building houses.
According to Pei Han's requirements, the school should not only have a spacious hall, but also have a kitchen and living quarters built together so that the teachers and students can live there.
Given the geographical conditions of Sanping County, it is clearly impractical for the students to go home every day. It would be more convenient for them to live at the school, while also ensuring their safety.
This was the first time the old craftsmen had worked with prisoners to build a house. They were initially quite uncomfortable, but once they got used to it, they immediately discovered the fun in it.
Back then, when these bandits first appeared, they and their families had to hide. Sometimes, if they couldn't hide, they would be beaten and robbed in broad daylight by these bandits. They hated these people to the core.
But now the tables have turned, and these bandits are actually obeying their orders, doing whatever they're told. It's absolutely gratifying!
Moreover, these bandits were morally corrupt, but they were strong and numerous. With these bandits working, the construction of the house progressed by leaps and bounds.
As soon as construction began in a grand manner, the news that Lord Pei wanted to build a school spread like wildfire.
This is the first private school in Sanping County, a momentous event that has never happened in many years. In the past, no one would have dared to dream that such a good thing would happen to them.
In the past, people couldn't even get enough to eat, and they had to hide every now and then. They had neither the mind nor the time to think about something as unattainable as reading.
You should know that studying is directly linked to taking exams and becoming an official; Sanping County has never produced an official.
For the people of Sanping County, it was already a great achievement for a child to be born with a good physique and be selected by the government to be a soldier. It was considered that the child was getting a government job.
After Pei Han arrived, this path became much wider, because Pei Han recruited many young and strong men to join the patrol and inspection department as soon as he arrived.
After joining the patrol and inspection office, not only would they have no worries about food and drink, but they would also receive a salary. If someone from a family was selected, the whole family would be happy.
Moreover, besides training and patrolling, the soldiers of the patrol office also spend their free time farming; farming is just a side job for them.
When people in various villages heard that Lord Pei was going to set up a school, families with children were both happy and worried.
The good news is that the child finally has a good future, but the worries are varied.
Some families felt that the patrol station was too far away, and that their children would have to run there and back every day. Even if the children were born with the ability to run, they still couldn't keep up.
A few families have many children, two or three of similar ages. If they were to support one, which one should they support? If things go wrong, wouldn't the children start fighting?
Some families were simply too poor to afford the tuition fees charged by the academy, and could only watch helplessly as other children went to school.
Fortunately, Pei Han did not keep them worried for long; the official notice from the government was quickly sent to all the villages.
When people learned that the school would temporarily waive tuition fees and that all they needed to do was bring food for their children, and that children from far away could even stay at the school, it is no exaggeration to say that many people wept with joy.
The children who were a little older cried even louder, because they were afraid that all their friends would be able to go to school, and they would be left all alone at home.
The officials went to various villages not only to inform the government of the upcoming school opening, but also to register the information of school-age children from house to house.
The school was newly established, and everything was still in the planning stages. It was impossible to accommodate all the children at once. Therefore, some children of suitable age had to be selected, who at least had to be able to take care of themselves. Otherwise, wouldn't it be chaotic if they lived in the school?
Taking all factors into consideration, Pei Han set the age limit for the first batch of enrolled students at nine years old, and the officials registered children who were nine years old or older.
The mountain people happily reported the basic information of their children and planned to start preparing food rations for their children as soon as they got home, so that they could send their children there as soon as the school was built.
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