They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 104 The county school is about to open

County schools are not comparable to ordinary colleges or schools.

The teachers in the county school were all the most outstanding Confucian scholars and academicians hired by the government. They were all highly skilled, had a wider network of connections, and were more informed about various educational policies in the court. Being taught or valued by them would undoubtedly be of great benefit.

County schools usually also have libraries with a wide variety of books that students can borrow free of charge, which alone is enough to make countless students envious.

Furthermore, county schools were very inexpensive, usually only about a quarter of the cost of other colleges and schools. If the county had abundant tax revenue, it might even be completely free.

Aside from wealthy families who are never short of money, this was the most tempting aspect for other scholars.

In addition, the county magistrate would certainly pay close attention to the county school, and might even personally communicate with and guide the students, which is something that money can't buy.

Everyone present, whether they were students or scholars, almost went crazy!
Their eyes lit up, and those who had been somewhat reserved before were now completely unreserved, bombarding the county magistrate with all sorts of questions.

Of course, what everyone is most concerned about is: how exactly is the "selection of the best" method used? How many students were admitted as candidates for the lowest level of education (童生) and the highest level of education (秀才)?

Magistrate Lu laughed and said, "It's still uncertain for now, but getting into the top ten shouldn't be a problem. This county school wasn't built solely by Qingshan County; it was built together with the neighboring Qingyang and Changshui Counties. So, the students enrolled in the county school include not only those from our county but also those from Qingyang and Changshui Counties. In short, this is a great thing, so everyone should work hard! Haha! Even if you don't pass, don't be discouraged. In the future, the county school will hold literary gatherings from time to time, and anyone who is a student or a scholar can register to participate. The county school holds a three-year cycle, and after three years, everyone will be re-examined and selected based on merit. You can only take the exam a maximum of three times, so everyone still has a great chance. Even if you don't pass this time, you can take it again in the future."

The crowd perked up, finding some comfort and hope, and showered the praise and flattery upon them.

This is a major local cultural event, and people are willing to flatter it wholeheartedly!

After the banquet ended, Magistrate Lu left first, and the others left one after another, excitedly discussing the event.

Master Shao ordered his men to keep Liang Mingxuan behind and led him to pay his respects to the county magistrate and his wife. Lu Xiaoyue was also present.

Magistrate Lu and his wife were extremely grateful and expressed their thanks. When Madam Lu saw that the child was so beautiful, yet had lost his parents and relatives and only had his sister-in-law to rely on, she felt even more pity for him. She repeatedly told him not to come to her if he had any difficulties, and had Granny Ji personally escort him out.

Madam Lu then smiled at Magistrate Lu and said, "That Madam Xu is indeed virtuous and righteous, which is quite rare. It is inconvenient for me to personally visit and express my gratitude. I would like to ask Granny Ji to go there, without revealing her identity to the public. What do you think, sir?"

Magistrate Lu smiled and nodded: "That's very good, Madam, you can make the decision. Just for the fact that Madam Xu has raised such a fine son, it's truly admirable."

What connection could a county magistrate's family possibly have with a peasant family? If this were made public, it would inevitably arouse curiosity and scrutiny. The matter of the missing daughter certainly couldn't be spread, and making up other excuses wouldn't be appropriate either.

It would be better to keep it a secret from the outside world and just say that they were ordinary people I met by chance.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaoyue clung to her mother's arm, shaking it and pleading, "Mother, I want to go too! I want to go with Granny Ji to visit Sister Xu."

Madam Lu couldn't persuade her otherwise and chuckled helplessly: "Since you want to go, that's fine, but you mustn't be naughty and you must listen to Granny Ji."

Lu Xiaoyue cheered, beaming and nodding repeatedly, "Okay, okay, Mother, don't worry, I'll listen to Granny Ji the most!"

Madam Lu affectionately tapped her nose, "You!"

When the banquet at the county government office ended, Xu Zhichun and his group had already sold out of their goods and packed up their stall. The oxcart was still parked at the street corner across the street from the government office, waiting.

Xu Zhichun gazed into the distance.

We've picked them up, let's all go home together.

Liang Mingxiang didn't go back; he went straight back to the school. Zhang and Uncle Liang then went back with Xu Zhichun and the others.

Zhang started showing off again: "My Mingxiang is exceptionally hardworking. He said going back to the village is too much of a waste of time, so it's better to go back to school and study. There's always a difference between having a teacher and not having one! Without a teacher, how far can you go? Mingxuan, have you decided which school you want to go to?"

Zhang's eyebrows shot up with smugness, as if she were practically saying, "Come and beg me! Beg me to put in a good word for my Mingxiang and get the school to accept you."

Of course, such a big favor can't be done for nothing.

Unbeknownst to Zhang, when Liang Mingxiang and his fellow students returned to the school and discussed the plan to open a county school with entrance exams, the two teachers were both delighted and regretful.

The good news is that this is a major literary event. If two or three of their students are admitted, their reputation will be established, and they will also be able to participate in the literary gatherings held from time to time, which will definitely be beneficial.

Unfortunately, their original plan to have Liang Mingxiang talk to Liang Mingxuan and get him admitted to the school is now completely ruined.

"What a pity!"

When Liang Mingxiang heard the two gentlemen's idea, his face turned green.

Fortunately, otherwise, if Liang Mingxuan had come, would the gentlemen still have any respect for him?

But the thought that Liang Mingxuan had secured a spot in the county school made him feel uneasy again.

The two gentlemen lamented the loss of such promising students, but quickly rallied, saying, "You both have the opportunity to enter the county school. Prepare well during this time and strive to get in."

Liang Mingxiang and his senior brother both respectfully agreed, full of fighting spirit.

The news spread and the whole school was in an uproar. Everyone could participate in the test and had a chance to be selected.

Looking at his classmates' gleaming eyes, Liang Mingxiang sneered silently. This test wasn't going to be easy. They were probably just getting their hopes up for nothing. Of course, he himself had a very good chance.

Xu Zhichun felt nauseous just looking at her aunt. She thought to herself, "It's a good thing you hinted that I should beg you instead of saying it outright, otherwise I would have told you the truth and upset you. My Mingxuan can't be in the same school as your son, no matter which school he goes to."

"We don't know either. Let's go back and discuss it with the village head before making any plans."

Uncle Liang couldn't help but snort, quite disdainfully. Still making plans? We'll see what your plans are.

Liang Mingxuan didn't want to provoke them, but he couldn't stand seeing them bully his sister-in-law like this.

“Sister-in-law, there’s no need to plan anymore. The county magistrate said today that our county is going to set up a county school, which will open in about half a month. I can go directly to the county school.”

Xu Zhichun didn't quite understand the significance of this county school, only that it sounded like a public school, and public schools in this era were certainly very reliable, after all, they were backed by the government. He was delighted and praised, "Really? Mingxuan is amazing!"

Uncle Liang, Zhang Shi, Zeng Xiaoyan, and others, though they had never eaten pork, had at least seen pigs run, and were all shocked.

"What? Our county is going to open a county school?"

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(End of this chapter)