2. Pay Tuition and Buy Food

‘It’s a waste of money for him to study like this! Why not save money to buy land, marry a wife, and study, so that everyone can study? ’

‘The land is thin and pines and cypresses are planted, and the poor family is studying. read

МThere is a future, but I am already a teenager. Studying at this age is unbearable, unbearable! Pity! ’

‘…’

Behind the scenes, there could be faint chatter from the diners at Wangji Restaurant.

He seemed to still be able to see some scholars dropping their book bags and shaking their heads.

laugh?

ridicule?

"Maybe I'm too sensitive!"

Bai Gui, who was walking on the street, glanced at the rags he was wearing with a self-deprecating look.

Pedestrians coming and going in the town,

Deliberately avoid.

Maybe it's not avoidance, maybe it's because of his inferiority complex, so it seems that people around him are flattering others, despising the poor and loving the rich.

In the past, he had seen some news on the Internet about poor people from poor families having low self-esteem. He also made comments and angrily criticized these poor people for not knowing what it means to be poor. As long as the heart is strong, low self-esteem is empty talk.

But now...

Go to hell, money is the courage in the chest, but there is no courage in the heart without money.

"Let's take it step by step. We all know the basics. If you show off your wealth rashly, even if you buy a few more liters of white flour or a cotton jacket, other neighbors may think you have stolen it!"

Bai Gui warned himself in a low voice.

There was not much movement in the countryside during the late Qing Dynasty, let alone the late Qing Dynasty. Even in modern times, if any house in the village added something, it would be immediately publicized by the aunts at the head of the village.

Not to mention now!

If you don’t even have a few coppers at home, how can you buy property?

"in addition……"

Bai Gui narrowed his eyes.

When he was at Wangji Restaurant, he deliberately observed the reactions of the diners. When he took out the white-feathered chicken, many of the diners clearly showed excitement, but did not make a sound.

He acquiesced to Shopkeeper Wang's low-price purchase.

oppression! Exploitation!

This time it shows vividly!

"That's why...you have to study!"

It's not like Bai Gui has never thought about starting a business, performing miracles, and convincing the villagers in the late Qing Dynasty. But why do you think you are the son of a tenant?

Emperor Shun Li Zicheng was also a post official at the post station.

Zhu Yuanzhang?

He is the real Dragon Emperor! This one has been around for ages.

Three hundred and sixty lines, and he will be the number one scholar!

But since the establishment of the imperial examination system, studying has always been a shortcut to getting ahead. Throughout the ages, there is no better way.

Disciples of saints are the greatest confidence!

It is possible to break into other industries, but it is also difficult to break into. He still remembered the movie "Farewell My Concubine" he had watched in his previous life. Xiao Laizi said: "How many beatings do you have to get before you become a good actor?"

…

soon.

Sishun Grain Store.

"Fill one bucket of rice (one bucket equals ten liters), five liters of polished rice for bundles, and five liters of brown rice for your own consumption."

Bai Gui said to the shop workers.

Polished rice costs fifteen cents per liter, which is two cents more expensive than the rabbit meat he sells, and he is reluctant to part with it.

Brown rice costs nine cents per liter, and its quality is undoubtedly worse than polished rice. Mixed with the new rice that was just harvested this year, the old rice has a stale air and is dull.

"Good!"

The shop clerk quickly filled two cloth bags with rice and asked casually: "The bundles for Mr. Xiu don't need to be so expensive. There are many people filling rice from the front store. Most of them want old rice. Some are old rice." What people even want is corn grits, which can save twenty or thirty cents. Only wealthy families can get new and polished rice.”

Corn is often called corn in the north.

Grain grits, grains ground from corn.

The yield of corn per acre is larger than that of wheat, so it is generally cheaper. The rice dumplings sold in Sishun store cost seven cents per liter.

When Bai Gui heard this, he smiled and said nothing.

The teacher can tell the difference at a glance between using polished rice as a bundle and using brown rice as a bundle. Maybe it would be fine if they were teachers from poor families, but if those who are rich want to save even this little money... then they are asking for blessings.

Modern teaching is based on a class teaching system. One class is taught uniformly without distinction.

As for teaching in private schools, classes are mixed together, with some learning first and some learning later. Those with good qualifications learn quickly and the teacher teaches quickly.

As soon as this difference came out, the teacher also murmured in his heart.

"Sir, the total is 120 Wen. The other two grain bags cost four Wen, totaling 124 Wen."

The shop assistant said.

"I lent you the grain bag as a credit. I'll pay you back in a few days. I live in Bailu Village. We are all fellow villagers, so we can't defraud you of the grain bag."

"Do you know the Wangji Food Shop at the west end of the street? The shopkeeper is Uncle E. I'm here today to sell mountain products and buy rice on the way."

Bai Gui took out a handful of coins from his arms, counted 120 coins, and handed them to the shop assistant.

He didn't give the remaining four cents.

Although four cents was nothing to him, there were not many people who had the luxury to go to the grain store to buy grain and buy grain bags these days, so he was afraid of arousing suspicion.

Even in later generations, rural areas did not buy grain bags specifically to carry grain, but instead used fertilizer bags.

Grain bags are made of hemp, also called sacks.

Although sacks are cheaper than silk cloth, there is no such thing as giving them away for free.

"Okay, okay."

The shop assistant took out the loan account book. It was obvious that this was not the first time he had encountered this. There were basically few people in this village who cheated people. Even if they cheated, they would not cheat grain bags. After all, the rice money made more than the sack money. Even if he could not get it back, it would not matter. He wrote on it: "On November 3, Wushen year, Bai Gui, a villager of Bailu Village, nephew of the owner of Wangji Food Store, borrowed two grain bags for a total of four cents. The loan period was five days."

"Poke the red clay with your thumb and press the fingerprint."

He reminded.

Bai Gui followed the instructions of the shop assistant and first poked his thumb on the ink, and then pressed the fingerprint of his thumb on the account book.

He did not volunteer to show the shop assistant that he could write his own name.

The illiteracy rate in the late Qing Dynasty was astonishing!

According to the article he read in his previous life, the county annals of a certain county originally recorded that there were more than 300 private schools in the Ming Dynasty. By the time of the Qing Dynasty, there were only more than 100, and more than 200 private schools disappeared. The Kangxi and Qianlong periods were also a period of population explosion.

It is quite normal that you cannot read a single word.

There is no need to be special!

Zishui County is named after Zishui River. The water from Qinling Mountains flows along the valley to Xi'an. In the Tang Dynasty, Zishui River was one of the eight rivers surrounding Chang'an. Although the water is not as strong as in ancient times, it is still one of the largest rivers in Zishui County. (Zishui River is actually Bahe River, which is the ancient name of Bahe River. In order to promote his martial arts, Qin Mugong changed Zishui River to Bahe River.)

The water surface is wide. Because it is running water, the surface of Zishui River has not frozen yet in winter.

Bailu Town and Bailu Village are both near Zishui River.

It's just that Bailu Village is located in the upper reaches of Zishui River, on a hill, and the village is built on the hillside.

The distance between the two places is about ten miles.

Thanks to Bai Gui's original wild monkey-like character, he was used to being wild, so his muscles and bones were good. He carried a bucket of rice and walked more than ten miles without blushing or panting.