Chapter 41 Visiting Zheng's Academy
Sun Shan learned from Zheng Bo that those who came here to study were all rural kids from nearby who had a little spare money, and they studied not for the imperial examinations, but to learn how to read and write so they could find an easy job in the future.
Sun Shan asked: "Zheng Bo, what are we going to eat at noon?"
It takes half an hour to walk from Sunjia Village to Zhengjia Village. You can walk home for lunch, but there are only two meals here, which means there is no lunch.
I wonder if the students in the school have lunch.
Zheng Bo said patiently, "We start school at 12:00 a.m. and end at 12:00 p.m., and we have a half-hour break at noon, so if you want to eat at noon, you have to bring your own. The school doesn't provide it. But there is hot water here. If you want to have a hot meal, put the lunch you brought from home in the kitchen and I will steam it for you."
This means that you have to arrive at school at 6 o'clock in the morning, have a one-hour break for lunch, and finish school at 1:5 in the afternoon.
Sun Shan heard that the class time was much longer than that of modern primary schools.
I have to stay with Zheng Tongsheng almost all day long.
Sun Shan asked again: "Zheng Bo, does the Master have to teach us to read all day long?"
Zheng Bo touched Sun Shan, who was eager to ask questions, and said with a smile, "It won't be the whole day. Generally, I will teach you knowledge in the morning and let you study on your own in the afternoon. If you don't understand something, you can ask the teacher. Of course, it depends on how my master arranges it. He teaches three classes and will arrange study time according to the students' progress."
He took another look at De Ge'er, whose eyes were rolling around, and said seriously, "De Ge'er, Shanzi, you must study hard and don't let your parents down for the money they worked so hard to earn."
De Ge'er had known Zheng Bo for a long time, because Zheng would bring gifts back to her parents' home to visit relatives during the New Year and other holidays, and would also visit Zheng Tongsheng, so she and Zheng Bo had been familiar with each other for a long time.
She was not afraid of Uncle Zheng's expression at all. She exposed the true colors of Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun and said unconvincedly: "Uncle Zheng, the money for my studies was not earned by my father and mother, but by my eldest aunt and grandmother. My father and mother did not spend a penny. The clothes I am wearing today were made by my eldest aunt."
When Zheng Bo heard De Ge'er's frank confession, he choked and said, "You don't need to tell me. Everyone in Zhengjia Village knows that with your father and mother's character, they can't possibly afford to send three children to school. Everyone knows that your family can go to school because of your eldest aunt who married into the capital."
Sun Shan was embarrassed. De Ge'er was so stupid and naive. If his uncle and aunt heard it, he would definitely be beaten into a pork stew with rattan sticks when he got home.
Zheng Bo said sternly, "Brother De, as a child, you are not allowed to talk about your parents behind their backs. If the teacher hears you, he will spank you. Today is the first time I will not tell the teacher. If it happens again, don't blame me for being rude."
When De Geer heard that he would tell the teacher and be beaten with a stick, his eyes immediately turned red with fear and he said pitifully: "Zheng Bo, I know I was wrong. Please don't tell the teacher. I won't dare to do it again."
If he told his parents, De Ge'er would not be afraid, at most he would be scolded and beaten, but he was tough and it would not hurt at all. But if he told the teacher, it would be terrible, because De Ge'er saw that his elder and second brothers had been beaten by Zheng Tongsheng, and their hands were swollen like pig's trotters, which was terrible.
Sun Shan stared at De Ge'er in a daze. He was smiling playfully one second and his eyes turned red the next. What a great expression change.
Zheng Bo, who was standing opposite, saw that De Geer knew his mistake and said with satisfaction: "Since you know your mistake, fine, I won't tell the Master this time."
De Ge'er was pardoned and became excited again. He said with a grin, "Zheng Bo, where is my brother Hongwen?"
Zheng Tongsheng has a son and a daughter. His daughter married in the county town and his son also works in the county town.
Zheng Tongsheng has two grandsons. The eldest grandson is 2 years old and works with his father in the county town. The younger grandson is 16 years old and studies in the home of a scholar in the county town.
De Ge'er was asking about his second grandson, Zheng Hongwen. They had played together before, and he was just asking about where to go out of boredom and gossip.
Speaking of Zheng Tongsheng's grandson, Zheng Bo said lovingly: "Brother Wen has already started school. He is studying with Mr. Yan in the county town."
De Geer said in surprise: "School starts so early, how boring! I wanted to play with Brother Hongwen."
Zheng Bo gave De Ge'er a roasted chestnut and scolded him angrily: "Play, you only know how to play, study hard in the future, learn more knowledge, and find a good job in the future, don't be ungrateful, many people don't have the opportunity, you are lucky, you should make good use of it."
Zheng Bo had watched Zheng grow up since she was a child. After all, she was a daughter who married out, so he also hoped for the best for her.
If you want her to be well, and your son to be well, a mother will be honored by her son.
De Geer was beaten up and said aggrievedly: "I know, I will study hard."
Sun Shan chuckled. De Ge'er was a funny guy. With this kind of temper, he would suffer in school.
Zheng Bo took Sun Shan and De Ge'er to walk from the front yard to the back yard for a tour.
Zheng Tongsheng's family was simple, with his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson all in the county town. There were only him, his wife, and Zheng Bo in his hometown, and the entire Zheng family compound seemed empty.
Zheng Tongsheng's wife accompanied her grandson to the county town to live for a few days and would come back after the Zheng School started.
Sun Shan calculated that Zheng's School could maintain about 10 students a year, which meant that he could earn 10 taels a year.
Although 10 taels is not much, it is considered a high income in Huangyang County.
Combined with the income from Zheng Tongsheng's family's land, it is no wonder that they were able to build such a large yard and also have the ability to send their grandson to school in the county town.
It seems that although the status of a tongsheng is not as good as that of a scholar, his life is not bad.
Sun Shan was even more determined to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, so that his living standard would at least be better than Zheng Tongsheng's.
Sun Shan was thinking this at the moment, and had no idea that the first obstacle to his imperial examination was Sun Bomin, because his father had not allowed Zheng Tongsheng to teach him about the imperial examination. He just wanted him to learn to read so that he could find a job.
Sun Shan thought that he should study with Zheng Tongsheng for two years and then transfer to the scholar's school in the county town.
I heard that a scholar in a county must be a student with high talent and a student with some basic knowledge.
Ordinary blind people will not be accepted.
Sun Shan would not think that he is superior to others just because he is a time traveler. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person in terms of his behavior and work.
Naturally, you have to learn step by step, be neither arrogant nor impatient, and keep your feet on the ground.
After the tour, Zheng Bo took Sun Shan and De Ge'er back to the reception room.
In the reception room, Uncle Sun and Zheng Tongsheng were chatting animatedly, while Sun Boming sat on the side, nodding his head in agreement.
Seeing Shanzi coming back, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Zheng Tongsheng is not serious, but I don’t know why we can’t have a conversation. I really admire my third brother. He can have a flawless conversation with anyone.
Sun Shan and De Ge'er clumsily performed the little scholar's etiquette that Zheng Bo had just taught them. He also said that in the future they should perform the same etiquette when meeting the teacher or classmates, because they are scholars and should understand the rules of scholars.
Zheng Tongsheng said lovingly, "Are you familiar with them?"
Sun Shan and De Ge'er said they understood.
Uncle Sun saw that the time was almost up, so he stood up and said, "Master, let's go back first. Thank you for today. If the boy does anything wrong in the future, just beat him. I'll leave the children in your care."
Sun Bomin continued to play the role of agreeing on the side.
Zheng Tongsheng was very satisfied with the attitude of the Sun family. He stroked his beard and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely teach you seriously. After all, you are also half a son of Zhengjia Village."
A son-in-law is half a son, not to mention that Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun are well behaved and polite.