Chapter 297: Ancient Parents Also Have to Choose Schools

Inside the farmstead, there were two small rooms; Gu Xixi kept one for herself, and the other, originally used for storing miscellaneous items, had its unused things cleared out to make space for a small double-door cabinet, a wooden bed, and a three-legged round table.

This became the dwelling place of Wu Niangzi and her daughters.

The furniture were all old castoffs left by the previous owner; the cabinet door had fallen off, the wooden bed was loose and wobbly, and the round table was missing a leg—all of which Wu Niangzi repaired herself.

Gu Xixi pushed the door open and saw that the room's windows were bright and the tables clean.

The goose-yellow coarse-checkered bedsheet on the bed was originally a very ordinary, plain style.

Yet on it was embroidered, in a unique touch, large pale-pink lotus flowers; the goose-yellow paired with pale pink not only brightened this humble hut but also added a sense of homey warmth.

The two little girls were hunched over the table writing, each with a candy in their mouth, cheeks puffed out like cute little squirrels, yet every stroke they wrote was extremely careful.

Gu Xixi also sat down at the table; the several tall stacks of wooden slips on it were the characters the two little ones had written these past few days.

Considering that Wu Niangzi had no spare money to buy paper, thin wooden slips were used instead of paper, and water boiled from dried indigo plants substituted for ink.

This method had also been used by the children of Huachi Du Cun before.

However, nowadays more students in the village school are using genuine brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Gu Xixi looked at Xiu Lan and Xiu He, thinking, I hope they will keep getting better and better.

A few days later, during the time of sudden warmth still mixed with chill.

Qin Dasao came over to Gu Xixi's home carrying the steamed date-paste buns she had just made.

Gouwa also came along, but he wasn't looking for Shitou to play with; instead, he brought the book he had newly bought.

In the past, at the village school, none of the children had textbooks.

They relied solely on the teacher's oral instruction, leading the reading, and having the children recite over and over.

This was simply because books were truly too expensive.

Back when Gu Xixi also had little money, sending Mu Nan Zhao off to become a teaching teacher, buying books was still a tight squeeze.

Gouwa and Shitou sat facing each other on a small stool, discussing important matters.

Gouwa said seriously, 'School is about to start; we two need to review and also preview.'

'Otherwise, when the new teacher comes and does spot checks on homework, if we can't recite it, we'll lose face for the whole Huachi Du Cun village!'

Shitou nodded seriously, 'Mm, what you say makes sense.'

'Master Liu said he would invite a very capable teacher, one even more capable than he is at teaching students.'

'He surely also told that teacher about us, so we absolutely must not show weakness!'

Qin Dasao and Gu Xixi, listening from the side, were straight-up amused.

Qin Dasao whispered, 'You hear that? It's still about the face of the whole Huachi Du Cun village.'

'It turns out we're all pinning our hopes on these little things.'

Gu Xixi laughed, 'They're willing to study, seeking improvement; no matter the reason, it's altogether a good thing.'

Qin Dasao hesitated a moment, then said, 'Speaking of improvement,'

'My family's Lao Qin recently made acquaintances with people from the medicine shop, as well as a few medicine merchants.'

'At the gathering, listening to them, they said that if you want a child to take the imperial exam path, staying in the village school is no different from being a frog at the bottom of a well—there's no hope.'

'For a place like ours, after initial enlightenment, at the very least they should be sent to the county school in Qing Tian County; families with better conditions can even send them to an academy in the prefectural city.'

Qin Dasao and her husband now rely on selling medicinal herbs, and they have managed to save a little money.

She now pays more attention to her son's studies than before, even willing to spend money to buy books for Gouwa.

This shows that the couple still holds great hopes for Gouwa's future.

Gu Xixi asked, 'Are you planning to send Gouwa to the county school?'

'I've heard that the county school provides lodging for students, paying a monthly stipend that covers food and board.'

Qin Dasao said, 'I've also inquired; we two tightening our belts can just barely afford to support him.'

'After two more years, when the pomegranate trees bear fruit, life will only become more affluent—except…'

She shifted her butt along with the stool, leaned in, and said, 'Lao Qin also heard people say that our Qing Tian County's county school, since the former school chief retired and the new teacher was hired, is not as good as before.'

'Last year's young scholars didn't even pass this number.'

Qin Dasao said this while extending one palm.

Gu Xixi thought, this promotion rate is a bit low.

She remembered that Jiang Mingyuan had always been studying in the prefectural city.

Qin Dasao worried, 'Now it's a faraway place we can't reach, let alone even think about the academy in the prefectural city.'

'I'm just hesitating—if going to the county school makes no difference from staying in the village, what's the point of all this effort?'

Gu Xixi thought for a while and suggested, 'If the county school really is like that, we might as well wait a bit and first see how the new teacher who's come to the village school is.'

'After all, the former…'

Gu Xixi cleared her throat before continuing, 'Mr. Chen, Mr. Liu, and Mr. He all taught quite well.'

'I think the teacher that Mr. Liu personally sought out shouldn't be much worse than those three.'

Qin Dasao nodded, 'I'll listen to you and wait a bit longer.'

She then laughed, 'Actually I haven't read much, and I don't know what makes teaching good or bad.'

'All I can do is listen to people say which teacher produces many young scholars and how many of them become recommended candidates.'

Gu Xixi was at a loss for words.

Choosing a school is all about the promotion rate; ancient parents seem to be the same.

But she couldn't explain to Qin Dasao how that tiny village school, since its founding, has been a hidden lair of dragons and tigers.

The first Mr. Chen, a genius who won the triple top honors, is none other than today's Regent Prince Mu Nan Zhao.

The second Mr. Liu, a scholar who passed the jinshi exam, is about to enter officialdom.

Mr. He, who worked with Mr. Liu, the eldest daughter of the He family, has also read extensively in poetry and books, her calligraphy is peerless, but limited by her status as a daughter, she could not become an official.

Gu Xixi smiled at Qin Dasao, "Sister-in-law, drink tea, drink tea."

In the afternoon, Gu Xixi received a letter from the capital.

Because the mountains and rivers are long and far, the letter first went to Qing Tian Xiancheng Zhenbaoge, then was forwarded by Meng Dangni zi to Huachi Du Cun.

Gu Xixi saw the handwriting on the envelope, smiled knowingly, returned to her own room, sat down at the table, and then carefully opened it.

This is a reply letter from He Jinglan.

Gu Xixi had previously written to inform that she would go to the capital after spring, choosing a date, and she had detailed the purpose of this trip.

He Jinglan was very happy; first, she spoke of longing and separation, hoping to reunite with Gu Xixi soon in the capital.

Second, she said that since Boss Gu would be arriving, she would start preparing in advance for the partnership to open a shop, so that Boss Gu would have time to hang the sign and cut the ribbon when he arrived.

Third, she spoke of Meng Chengping's recent situation staying in the capital, detailing her several meetings with Meng Chengping, and said for now they should let things take their natural course.

Fourth, which is also the last.

He Jinglan wrote: "Just take these few words as a joke; that Chen Fang you know originally wanted to return to Huachi Du Cun, but several times he couldn't make it."

"Xixi ah, my older brother says, someone is afraid that too much time has passed, so in Huachi Du Cun, especially in Gu Xixi's home, there is no place for him."

"Xixi, I look forward to your coming to the capital, to talk face-to-face about recent events; will it be as my brother guessed?"