Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 77 Brother and Sister Who Can’t Afford to Go to School

Old Ivan has been a little worried recently.

Yesterday, the steward sent people to knock on every door to notify everyone.

It’s still about the school. I heard that there will be some new courses called advanced.

There were quite a few names, but he didn't remember any of them. The only thing he remembered was that these courses could only be taken during the day.

The night school only has literacy and general education classes. If you want to advance, you have to come to school during the day.

There is no doubt that Gaia wants to take these classes. Her grades in literacy class are quite good. Miss Zoe even praised her for her quick learning.

But if you take advanced courses, you will have to attend classes all day and learn general knowledge and spelling literacy in the evening.

In other words, there is absolutely no time to work.

What's more, advanced courses require payment.

Although I heard that the tuition was not high, it was not a free course after all. Ivan was just a fisherman, and he felt a little reluctant when he thought about paying for it.

Besides, he has a son, Ken.

Although Ken didn't say it, Old Ivan knew that he was actually quite interested in these courses, but Gaia was more obsessed with it, so he pretended not to care that much.

Gaia is fine, if you are willing to take the advanced course.
Old Ivan sighed again. He could still go to work in a factory. He was currently working in an olive oil factory, and occasionally he could get the job of harvesting olives - that paid extra money, and many people were eyeing it, so it was difficult to get the job.

By this calculation, if you are lucky, you can earn three rios a day, which is barely enough for the whole family to eat.

One rio could be exchanged for about six pounds of bread, which seemed good.

But this was the Middle Ages when productivity was extremely low. Wood was very expensive for boiling water or making soup. There were forests on the island, but the wood had to be cut down in the mountains, carried out on shoulders and backs, and then transported to the residential area far away on the other side. When all was taken into account, the islanders still couldn't start a fire.

Water also needs to be fetched outside, which requires labor. In the past, Gaia was always busy with chores at home.

What? You mean we can just eat it directly without making a fire to cook?

Look at the brown bread in your hand. It's hard to say whether it's easier to chew on it or on a piece of wood - the texture is even similar, after all, there are real sawdust in it.

This kind of bread must be soaked until it is softened before it can be eaten.

Moreover, eating only this kind of black bread can kill people. I'm not talking about dying from the taste, but it can really lead to malnutrition and gradual death.

Old Ivan was still too optimistic. With a daily expenditure of two to three rios, the three of them would only gradually become thinner and then get sick and die.

This troubled mood followed him until night. Holding a torch and a spear, he looked carefully at both sides of the road before turning his gaze back to the night school team.

He was a member of the night school team guard.

Things have been a bit uneasy at night lately, and a lot of wild wolves were caught in the past two days, so he has to be more vigilant.

Gaia was talking, laughing and joking with some classmates who went to night school together. Ken followed quietly beside them, occasionally interjecting.

Whenever Ivan saw such a scene, he would be shaken. He would remember that before school started, he and Ken would tell Gaia many interesting stories every night at the dinner table.

She had to clean up the chores, cook, fetch water, and dry the crops at home by herself, and could only occasionally take a walk around the neighborhood after she was done.

Old Ivan knew Gaia's personality. She loved the stories he and Ken told her, always listening attentively with curiosity and longing. She was still a child, and even if she tried to hide it, Ken could sense her disappointment when she waved goodbye to the two of them in the morning, and her excitement when she saw him and Ken return in the evening.

She really wanted to see with her own eyes everything her father and brother had described.

Old Ivan knew it, but he had no way. The poor people knew everything, but could not change anything.

So he could only rack his brains to tell some stories to make Gaia happy.

But all this changed after she started school.

Gaia made more friends at school, began to learn to read, and found Miss Zoe's stories after class interesting. Even though she still had to work hard during the day, she would still come to school in the evening with a happy heart.

Gaia loves to laugh more and more.

Old Ivan also forced a smile. Things are better now than before, and that's enough, isn't it?

After the night school class ended, Ken and Gaia packed up their things and prepared to go home. They had learned a lot of new words recently and were happily discussing them with each other.

"Please wait a moment!" Zoe called out to the two of them, then looked at Old Ivan who was peeking out the back door. "Come over here. I'll tell the patrol. You can come back with us later."

The three of them looked at each other and followed Zoe to the office next door with some trepidation.

"The school will start advanced courses tomorrow. You should have been notified, right?"

Old Ivan's heart skipped a beat. Did he have to make a decision now? He hadn't thought it through yet.
"Got it." Gaia answered honestly. She grabbed the corner of her clothes a little nervously, lowered her head and didn't dare to look at anyone.

"Here is the class schedule. You can take a look at which courses you want to take."

Zoe handed over a piece of paper. Gaia subconsciously reached out to take it, then seemed to think of something and looked at her brother and father at a loss.

"Ken, you're very careful. I recommend studying mechanics. Caution and caution are essential qualities for engineers. As for Gaia, I know you enjoy exploring, but I have to remind you that chemistry is a dangerous subject. Even the slightest carelessness during an experiment can lead to irreversible consequences. If you want to learn, you must overcome your shortcomings."

Zoe finished speaking and looked up at Old Ivan.

Old Ivan quickly put on a smile and spoke cautiously, "Ms. Zoe, please, how much do these courses cost?"

"You are all citizens of Castel, and you are also the lord's hired servants. The tuition is the lowest tier. Mechanical principles are two rios per week. Chemistry requires a lot of reagents, so it's more expensive, four rios per week. All teaching materials, including textbooks, are provided by the school. I'll look for the course list. Please wait a moment."

Zoe walked out of the office quickly.

Two rios plus four rios makes six rios, enough to buy two pounds of butter, and that's just one week's tuition.
Old Ivan's heart was filled with bitterness.

To be honest, this price is not expensive. Paper was not cheap in that era, and books that carried knowledge were even more staggeringly expensive. This did not include the teacher's fees. I heard that these courses were taught by the lord himself. Where else could you hire an earl to teach with two pounds of butter?

But, but.
Old Ivan was just a fisherman, and Ken and Gaia were both children of fishermen. Studying was not something they were meant to do. Ken was supposed to take over his father's fishing nets one day in the future, and Gaia would marry another poor young man and start a family with a meager dowry.

This was a great opportunity. Old Ivan had a good vision. He knew that he might never encounter such a good opportunity in his lifetime, but he really had no other choice. He could not afford the six Rios' weekly salary. Even if he took out all his savings and borrowed money from his neighbors, he would not be able to last long.

He could only watch the opportunity to change his fate slip away.

No, maybe there is a way. If only one child is allowed to go to school, the other child should be able to go to school, but is it really worth doing so?
Moreover, even if I have to send one person to school, who should I choose?
Ken and Gaia also thought of this. They looked at each other and turned to look at Old Ivan.

(End of this chapter)