The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 271: Starting the Class

Sang Luo did not stay long at the Inspector’s residence. After taking care of the necessary arrangements, she bought a small bag of plaster and returned to work on her chalk experiments.

After mixing plaster with water, it sets very quickly. Without a mold, Sang Luo decided to roughly shape it with paper and let it dry.

Shen Ning looked on with curiosity, “Can it write once it’s dry?”

“Maybe?” Sang Luo wasn’t sure if it would work like chalk, as this wasn’t exactly the same as chalk. She herself wasn’t entirely certain.

Since it was her first attempt, she didn’t know how long it would take to dry completely. With the blackboard ready, Sang Luo placed half of the chalk in the sun to dry, while the other half was dried by fire, much like how she had dried paper before.

In January, the sun wasn’t very strong, so the fire-dried chalk was ready by noon.

Not just Shen Ning, but Shen Yin and Shen Tie also watched. Sang Luo tried a piece on the bluestone floor, drawing a line that revealed familiar formulas and chalk writing.

Although the chalk wasn’t perfectly round and straight, making it look a bit rough, it was functional. She asked Shen Ning to fetch a rag, and it turned out that erasing was also easy.

To make it look better, she just needed a mold.

With chalk ready, she also made a blackboard eraser out of rag. Shen Yin reminded her, “Don’t forget the lights.”

Sang Luo had forgotten that. In the afternoon, while the two little ones were napping, she went back to town. This time, she ordered a chalk mold from the blacksmith and bought six large lamps, which were actually made up of twelve smaller oil lamps. According to the shopkeeper, they would make the room very bright at night.

Returning to the village, she gathered a few children and explained the differences between the literacy class and the basic morning classes they taught to a group of children, as well as the focus of the teaching. While she was explaining, a maid named Xiaoxing, who served beside Concubine Fan, arrived with two male servants and the blackboard, asking where to place the items.

Sang Luo led them to the room in Shen Yin’s house that had been cleared for the classroom. She brought along the newly made chalk for a test. The desk and table were quite old, but the wood was good, and the paint was matte. It wasn’t as good as modern blackboards, but it was usable.

Seeing the white piece of chalk in her hand, Xiaoxing was surprised as she watched Sang Luo write clear words on the board, just like writing with ink on paper.

Sang Luo smiled and handed the chalk to her, saying, “Concubine Fan would be curious about this. It’s called chalk, made from plaster. It’s quite convenient for writing and erasing. You can take it back for her to see.”

Xiaoxing, already curious, was pleased to receive it without having to ask for it. She smiled and said, “You truly understand my lady.”

After exchanging a few words, Xiaoxing glanced at the still empty classroom and took her leave, returning with her group.

With the blackboard ready, Sang Luo wanted to have a podium, influenced by her habit since childhood. Besides holding the blackboard eraser and chalk, the podium’s main purpose was to hold the large lamp.

There was some old furniture left from the previous house, so Sang Luo called for help from Shi Erlang and Uncle Shu to move and arrange it in the classroom. Shen Ning and Xu Wenyin had finished planning their lessons, and after reviewing them, Sang Luo gave some additional advice for the first lesson. Everything was set, and the children began practicing writing with the chalk in the classroom.

……

In the Inspector’s residence, Concubine Fan received a piece of chalk from Xiaoxing and tried writing on the remaining board pieces.

Accustomed to using a brush, she found it somewhat difficult to adapt to the chalk at first. However, when she saw how convenient it was with the blackboard, her eyes lit up, “Did Ah Luo say this is made from plaster?”

“Yes. I saw that Madam Sang could also wipe off the writing with a dry cloth.”

Without waiting for a cloth, Concubine Fan wiped the writing off with her finger, and indeed, it disappeared with just a wipe.

“Convenient for erasing. If it were ink, it wouldn’t work, but for teaching tools…” Concubine Fan thought about the scenario where Sang Luo’s chalk and blackboard were used for teaching and was curious, “Do you know when the school at Daxing Village will open?”

The maids were attentive and knew to check on things even if not specifically asked. Xiaoxing had found out.

“I heard it will open at the time of You.”

“At the time of You? At night?”

Xiaoxing nodded, “Yes, it is said to be at the time of You, but the classroom still seems empty.”

Concubine Fan became interested, “Let’s go see it tonight.”

Xiaoxing smiled and went to inform several maids to accompany her in the evening.

……

On the first day of the Daxing Village school opening, it was clear that Concubine Fan wasn’t the only one interested. At the beginning of the time of You, while Shen Ning, Xu Wenyin, and Chen Xiaoya were still rehearsing how to conduct the first lesson, Old Zhao had already led his children and delivered three sets of desks to Daxing Village. He personally placed them in the classroom.

Three families with children in the school seemed to have coordinated, as Zhao’s family delivered desks, and soon the other two families also delivered desks. With Chen’s family preparing two sets, the once empty classroom now had nine sets of desks and chairs.

It was manageable for seven or eight people to carry the desks to Daxing Village, but as the time of You approached, villagers from surrounding areas began to arrive with benches and stools. The sight was noticeable.

Neighbors, curious about the activity, asked and learned that Daxing Village had established a school. Not only the children from the Shen family workshop but also other local children were enrolled. Many people came to Daxing Village to see the excitement.

This was not surprising; in ancient times, entertainment options were very limited. Such an unusual event attracted not only local residents but also those who had registered their children in the workshop.

The gatekeepers at the entrance of Shezhou City noticed a particularly large number of people heading to Daxing Village that evening.

While they were puzzled, they saw the Inspector’s wife, accompanied by several maids and guards, heading out of the city at this hour.

Due to their different statuses, the city guards only dared to salute and did not dare to ask further. They then saw Concubine Fan and her group also heading towards Daxing Village.

“What’s happening at Daxing Village today?”

No one could answer him.

……

When Concubine Fan arrived at the village with Mrs. Zhong, Xiaoxing, Xiaoyue, and Xiaofeng, she didn’t even need to ask for directions. The crowd was so dense that it was immediately apparent where the people were concentrated.

At this time, the classroom was already filled with forty-seven students. Both Sang Luo, the founder of the school, and Shen Ning, who only occasionally taught a class, had to be in their places. Shen Lie and Shen An had deliberately rushed back from the county school early, taking on the responsibility of looking after Ayao and Qian Bao so that Sang Luo and Shen Ning could focus on starting the class.

When Concubine Fan arrived outside Shen Jin’s earthen house, Sang Luo and Shen Ning had just entered the classroom. The door and windows of the classroom were packed with people, forming several layers of onlookers.

Unregistered female workers, the Feng family patriarch, the Zhou couple, the Dong brothers, the Zheng butcher’s family, and even Lu Dalang, who usually kept to himself, were all squeezed by the door. Among them were also the three bodyguards—An Jiu, An Shi, and An Shiyi—who were there to protect Sang Luo, with two of them mingling inside the classroom and one by the door.

Concubine Fan hadn’t expected such a scene at the school’s opening; there must be forty to fifty people outside alone.

The maids were hesitant: “Madam, there are too many people.”

They seemed to be on the verge of backing out.

But Concubine Fan had come to be part of the excitement, so she was determined to stay. Mrs. Zhong, along with the two strong women, had to push their way through, asking people to make way while creating a path for Concubine Fan.

As Concubine Fan approached the window, she finally saw inside the classroom.

The old earthen room had the blackboard she had helped set up, a lectern, and a large lamp on one side. The not-too-large classroom was packed with people of all ages, from those in their thirties and forties to children who appeared to be around seven or eight years old. The chairs varied greatly, with children sitting in the front rows and adults in the back.

Sang Luo seemed to be giving a welcoming speech for the first class.

“Those familiar with Daxing Village might know that there was once a small school here where village children went to study. The establishment of this workers’ children’s school was a sudden idea. The reason was that Mrs. Zhao from the South Village and two aunts from the North Village came to me, wanting to send their children to the village to learn to read and write.”

“Everyone here now sees that people in Daxing Village can read and write, but just a few years ago, when I wanted to teach my younger uncles and aunts to read, I went to the county to buy writing materials. None were affordable for families like ours. Fortunately, I was born into a northern gentry family with access to a clan school, and I had some basic literacy. I bought a brush, the cheapest ink, and made bamboo slips and a stone inkstone at home to teach them a book called ‘Thousand Word Classic’. I initially taught only my younger siblings, and later included other village children.”

“I was able to teach them because I knew how to read, but whether in the previous Da Qian or the current Da Qi, the majority of farmers had no chance to learn to read. Even if the government set up schools, how many people could afford it?”

“I understand that it’s hard for ordinary people to get a chance to learn. Since Mrs. Zhao and the two aunts have workers in my house and recognize the benefits of education, they came to me. I thought, with my two shops and a workshop, and over fifty workers, perhaps you or your children would want to learn. Thus, I decided to establish this school for children.”

Nearby, someone was quite excited and whispered, “Madam, she’s talking about you!”

Concubine Fan instinctively turned her head. Though it was dark, she could still make out a woman in her sixties and another woman in her thirties or forties.

Sang Luo’s voice continued to be heard in the classroom, drawing Concubine Fan’s attention back.

“Since food is the foundation of life, farming is essential for everyone’s survival. Therefore, unlike other schools, our school holds classes at night.”

“With over fifty workers and a quota of 101, but only forty-seven actually enrolled, to be honest, having forty-seven students already exceeds my initial expectations. But…” She paused, smiled at the audience, and said, “Can you see anything about your classmates?”

The students in the classroom looked around, and those outside craned their necks and listened intently.

Sang Luo smiled, “Among the forty-seven students, half are from Daxing Village, and most are older villagers. Since Daxing Village’s children have another small class during the day, this means the total enrollment from other villages is only about twenty.”

She paused, looked around the classroom, and pointed to Zhao Dalang’s eldest daughter, “Big Yao, can you tell us how many of your family members are here for school?”

Zhao Dalang’s daughter, suddenly called out, stood up, a fifteen-year-old girl with a slightly embarrassed expression, “Six, including my younger sister and cousin who were already studying at Madam’s house. So now, eight of us from my family are studying at Daxing Village.”

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

Eight???!!!!!!

Even Concubine Fan was stunned!

She was somewhat familiar with the local conditions in Shezhou, but… was this really the local villagers of Shezhou?

Just as she was wondering, Sang Luo’s voice continued, “Now, you see, the Zhao family’s children are all strong laborers at home. Originally, I didn’t plan for night classes; our school was intended for daytime teaching, but even with just half an hour a day and the time spent traveling, it still affects farming. Have you ever wondered why the Zhao family wants their already industrious grandchildren, who contribute greatly to the family, to come to school?”

When Sang Luo asked this question, she even tilted her head toward the people outside the door.

Why is that?

Outside the door, some of the onlookers had spots available in their families but hadn’t used them, and some had two spots but only sent their seven or eight-year-old sons.

How could they understand the Zhao family’s thinking?

No one outside could answer. Inside the classroom, an eight or nine-year-old child said, “Reading and writing are good, it helps you succeed.”

A few other children echoed the sentiment.

Sang Luo asked again, “How does it help you succeed?”

The children were at a loss. The first one to speak scratched his head and said, “I don’t know, that’s what my parents said.”

Sang Luo smiled and looked at Zhao Dalang’s eldest daughter, “Big Yao, could you tell us how your grandparents, parents, and uncles and aunts are willing to let all of you siblings come to school?”

Zhao Dalang’s daughter was stunned: Was this something she could talk about?

She looked confused.

Sang Luo quickly understood and smiled, “It’s alright to talk about it.”

Zhao Dalang’s daughter licked her dry lips and said, “My younger sister and cousin are studying in the village. We see that those who can read and write in the village can go out to trade, and the pay for trading is very high, much better than farming. My grandparents and parents think that if we siblings learn more words, we might be able to help when more people are needed in the village later.”

She was quite clever, focusing on the key points and not mentioning the specifics of earning a thousand wen in a few days.

As soon as she finished speaking, the group of female workers outside was stunned.

This was an unexpected perspective for them! Those with teenagers at home but not enrolled were puzzled.

Sang Luo felt the point had been made, so she smiled and asked the Zhao siblings to sit down. Then she addressed everyone in the classroom, “So, where does the benefit of reading lie? On a larger scale, reading can broaden your understanding, increase knowledge. Da Qi encourages education, and by passing the imperial exams, you could become an official, govern the country, or change your social status.”

“Of course, that’s a long way off, and it requires a lot of talent, effort, and family resources. On a smaller scale, being able to read and calculate makes it much easier to find a job in the city than someone who is illiterate.”

“I don’t know about other places, but in my case, all the clerks in my two shops are literate. In the shop, you need to read the product names and prices, handle goods daily, and do inventory every ten days. Only those who can write and calculate can handle these tasks. Such clerks in my shop earn a monthly wage of one guan.”

One guan of money!!!!

Everyone in and outside the classroom, except for the people of Daxing Village, gasped and then held their breath, unsure whether to exhale.

Don’t think that because millet is sold for 190 wen a dou, one guan is not valuable. No, one guan is worth a lot!

Grain prices are currently inflated due to ongoing conflicts. When things stabilize, the price of millet will drop quickly, but in peaceful times, millet is only 60 wen per dou.

A guan of money is worth around 20 wen for a day’s hard labor at the docks, and that’s for someone strong enough to carry heavy loads.

In the past, taxes were high, and farmers might not save up even one guan of money in a year.

Everyone knew about the two shops in Daxing Village. Even the specialty shop had a young woman working as a clerk.

One guan of money a month!

They were all stunned.

Those quick to realize saw that all the men and women from Daxing Village were students in the classroom. They finally understood that studying wasn’t just about learning—it was about securing future job opportunities!!!

They were truly naive, unable to grasp the opportunity right in front of them.