Chapter 280 The song ends and everyone disperses
Two days later, Aunt Sun was ready to return home. She had been away for so long and was worried about everything at home.
Even if Aunt Sun didn't leave, Huang would still ask her to go back, saying that her daughter had a big family and a big business, and she couldn't stay out for so long.
What if the boss is not here and the business comes? What if the waiter is lazy?
Sun Shan originally wanted to go to the provincial government to find out about the college's situation.
Then he thought that he wouldn't be able to find out anything if he continued like this, as he was from another place and needed a local to come.
Aunt Sun nodded and said, "Shanzi, you stay home first. I will write to Jing'er and ask him if there are any good colleges. He is more familiar with them. However, colleges usually recruit students before the New Year and students start attending school after the New Year. Once I find out more, I will ask you to come down."
Uncle He added: "If you don't have an acquaintance to recommend you, you'll have to pass the exam. I'll ask the people in the clan to see which colleges are recruiting, and then I'll ask you to come down and take the exam."
Uncle He continued, "Shanzi, I'll tell you the truth. Unless you get an introduction from someone you know, you can only get into a good college by taking the entrance exam or by buying your way in. The tuition for those who get in isn't expensive. Some are even free, so just come and study. If you can't get in, you need to sell your place, and the price will be expensive, at least..."
Uncle He stretched out his hand and slapped him: "Your eldest cousin's Guangya Academy costs 500 taels to buy in, and the annual tuition of 100 taels is not included, and there are also accommodation fees, etc."
Sun Shan took a deep breath. This sponsorship fee was too expensive. It was 500 taels.
Moreover, Uncle He said that 500 taels was just the beginning. The annual tuition fee was also sky-high, and accommodation, food, and other expenses also cost a lot of money.
He Shujin was able to go to school because of a recommendation letter from his clan. He only had to pay 10 taels of silver for tuition, 10 taels of silver for accommodation, and 10 taels of silver for food every year. Other expenses were calculated separately.
Some students with excellent academic performance are not only exempt from tuition fees, but also receive monthly subsidies.
The tuition fee was as high as 100 taels.
This is a transfer payment, where the rich subsidize the poor.
Uncle He added, "There are several colleges in the provincial government, and the situation is similar to Guangya College. It's good if you can pass the exam. If you can't pass the exam, it will cost money to buy in. Generally, these colleges will recruit students before the Chinese New Year. Your aunt and I will keep an eye on it. When they recruit students, you can come down and take the exam."
Uncle He paused and said bitterly, "My uncle and aunt are not capable enough to find someone they know to write a letter of recommendation for you. Your cousin can study at the college thanks to the protection of the clan."
Sun Shan understood that what Uncle He meant was that he was of low status and not a big shot in the clan, and that his brother Jing only received help from the clan because of his surname He.
As for Sun Shan, the He family will not help outsiders.
If you want to study in a good college, you must pass the exam based on your ability.
Of course they can buy it, but the price is so expensive that the Sun family can’t afford it.
Sun Shan held Uncle He's hand tightly and said gratefully, "Uncle, I understand. I will work hard to get in."
Sun Shan also thought about this problem. It was really difficult to find a college in the provincial government, especially for a farmer like him who had no money and no power.
Unless you are gifted and noticed, it is really impossible to go to a good prestigious school.
As for the exam, Sun Shan was not sure whether he could pass. He came from a small village and didn't know if he could pass better than the city people.
As for those who were powerful and well-known, Sun Shan only knew He Shuqiang's grandfather, Old Master He San.
The generous gift from Old Master He San had already compensated for saving his life. Sun Shan knew what was good for him and would definitely not flatter Old Master He San and ask for his help in exchange for a favor.
Looking left and right, he could only go to school based on his own abilities.
Of course, there are some second-rate colleges in the provincial government, but who wouldn’t want to go to a first-rate one?
As for the second-rate ones, Sun Shan also asked Uncle He to find out which ones were good and which ones were reasonably priced.
If he really couldn't find a good college, Sun Shan still had a way out, which was to go to Zhangzhou Prefecture School.
The professors there were all juren (academic candidates' candidates) and were more than qualified to teach him, a scholar.
Sun Shan doesn't have to worry about dropping out of school.
This time, Aunt Sun also brought letters and gifts on behalf of He Shuqiang.
I haven't seen He Shuqiang for several years. I didn't expect that the fat boy had such deep feelings for him. Whenever Sun Dagu wrote a letter back to Sunjia Village, He Shuqiang would also take a ride to write to Sun Shan.
In his letter, He Shuqiang first congratulated Sun Shan on passing the imperial examination and expressed his admiration for Sun Shan and his belief in his abilities.
Afterwards, he expressed that he also wanted to come to Sunjia Village, but his parents and Aunt Sun opposed it. He had no choice but to write a letter to Sun Shan.
In the letter, Fatty He described his troubles in studying, saying that he was the same age as Sun Shan, but Sun Shan was already a scholar, while he was not even a student, and he was under a lot of pressure.
He particularly emphasized the expectations of his parents for him and felt that he had let his family down.
He Shuqiang said a lot of irrelevant things, but he knew everything.
He also said that he was too fat and his classmates laughed at him and called him a fat pig. He also said that his sister was too fat and was also laughed at by her classmates and called her a fat pig.
He also said that they started to lose weight, but they just lost weight in vain and couldn't stand fasting for a day, so they gave up and ate more than before.
When Sun Shan saw the dozens of thick pages of letter paper, the corners of his mouth twitched.
He Shuqiang treated Sun Shan as a trash can, vomiting everything out.
Of course, the little fat boy also understands the ways of the world.
This time she also bought an inkstone as a gift for Sun Shan, and said that he had saved 5 taels of silver that he had accumulated for a long time, plus his sister's 5 taels of silver that she had accumulated for a long time, a total of 10 taels of silver was used to buy it.
If Sun Shan is asked to use it, he must do so.
Sun Shan looked at the 10-liang inkstone carefully, and couldn't tell whether it was worth 10 liang or not, but this was his most expensive inkstone and he would cherish it.
Sun Shan also wrote a letter to He Shuqiang, expressing his liking for the inkstone given by him and He Chunyuan.
Later, he and He Chunyuan were encouraged to lose weight, after all, being too fat was bad for the health.
Especially He Shuqiang, he also has to take the scientific examination.
He exaggerated his own suffering of squatting in a smelly cell for three days and warned him that he was too fat and there would be no room for him in the examination room, let alone pass the exam.
The second thing was to encourage He Shuqiang to study hard and strive to pass the examination to become a tongsheng and a xiucai as soon as possible.
He also shared his experience of how he passed the imperial examination for reference.
The letter was written, and it also included some specialties from Sunjia Village, which she asked Aunt Sun to bring to He Shuqiang.
After getting up early in the morning, Sun Shan and Sun Bomin sent Sun Dagu, Ming Ge'er and others to the escort agency. After watching them leave, they returned to Sunjia Village with peace of mind.
This time, Aunt Sun and Brother Ming's two children did not follow them to Luofu City.
Aunt Sun said she wanted to stay in Sunjia Village to help Qing'er find a wife.
Uncle Sun was happy. His wife and grandchildren were back, so the house didn't have to be so lonely anymore.
The eldest sister Guyu and the second sister Lixia also returned to the county town. After all, they had been away from their husband’s family for so long, and if they stayed at their parents’ home, they would be gossiped about.
After the song ended and the crowd dispersed, Sun Shan looked at the huge empty yard, which had returned to its former quietness.
It seems like nothing has changed, and yet it seems like everything has changed.
After all, he has changed. He is no longer Sun Shan, but Sun Xiucai.