Wang Laowu is an honest farmer in Liaoyang. He has only had his first son in his 30s, which is considered to be a child in his old age.

Wang Laowu had no other goal, so he thought of raising his son well in this troubled times and let him inherit the poor land in his family. Watching his son get married and have children and pass on the family line, it would be worth it for his life.

Of course, Wang Laowu had not thought about letting his son study in the future.

It’s just that reading is too far away, so I can only think about it normally.

His wife often talks about schooling with him, and occasionally complains, saying that Wang Laowu has no ability and cannot let his son go to school, etc.

But at this time, Wang Laowu would always go out, silently look at the clouds, or carry a hoe to walk around the fields more often.

Although there is no work to do, I am always at home and tell my wife that the child is better at going to school.

It was not that he couldn't listen to his wife's rhyme, but he just thought that his children could not go to school, and he felt sad and blamed himself. As a father, it was natural to have such emotions.

In February of the 12th year of Hongwu, when Wang Laowu was farming in the fields, he heard two fellow villagers sitting on the ridge of the field and chatting. One of them said:

"Have you heard of it? Yesterday, a propaganda team went to our village to promote the new school."

After the man said that, the other person looked confused, while Wang Laowu was also confused.

Yesterday, he didn't care about the publicity team coming to the village. He pricked up his ears and wanted to understand. The other person thought so, and asked:

"What's going on with this propaganda team? What's going on with the new school? Tell me a good story."

The man then started talking, it turned out that the propaganda team was sent by His Highness the King of Liao, and the propaganda was the new school.

Although I don’t know what a new school is, it is still very different from what everyone thinks about teaching the Four Books and Five Classics.

The children here heard that they could also teach words and other things, but they were more teaching other aspects of knowledge, not things to deal with the imperial examinations.

What is the imperial examination?

All the big guys understand that they have heard of the Four Books and Five Classics. What else can they teach if they don’t teach the Four Books and Five Classics in this school?

The people in the village also thought so, and the propaganda team explained in detail, saying that the school was not the talents who were going to take the imperial examination, but the talents who would work in the Liao Palace in the future.

To put it bluntly, the people recruited by the Liao Palace must have special skills, and those who want to go to the Liao Palace must graduate from a new school.

Although this new school does not teach the Four Books and Five Classics, and these things used in the imperial examinations, it is still a place to recognize words after all.

Nowadays, it is already a great thing to be able to learn to write. If you know how to write, you can set up a stall outside and help others write letters at home, and you can support yourself.

Even when I became a teacher, I was able to be respected and enjoy a high status in the village.

When you get old, you are also a fellow villager!

No matter what, there are many benefits of recognizing words, so there is no need to mention them. His Highness of Liao is now opening this new school. Everyone thinks that most of the tuition fees are required, and the price should not be very cheap.

However, the facts are completely different from what they thought. The price of this new school is so cheap that it is so amazing that it is unbelievable.

New-style schools do not calculate prices in one year, but in one semester, which only takes three months per semester.

In these three months, only 500 students are required per student. If calculated based on one or two semesters per year, the annual tuition fee is only one or two taels of silver.

The tuition fee is only one or two taels of silver, which doesn’t seem to be a lot. After all, other private schools need to have at least five or six taels of silver a year.

But for a poor peasant family like Wang Laowu, the tuition fee of one or two silver dollars a year is still unaffordable.

You should know that the cost of their family’s annual meals may be within three or four taels.

So for Wang Laowu, such tuition fees are still unaffordable.

Just as Wang Laowu sighed secretly, he heard the two people continue to say:

"Although one or two taels of silver a year is not expensive, it is not acceptable to us ordinary people."

Another person quickly said:

"Who is our King of Liao?

What you can think of, can’t Your Highness think of? Your Highness has already thought about it for you. If we poor people don’t have the money to send their children to school, then let them go to school to work!"

"Work, work?"

The farmer was shocked when he heard this fresh word.

Wang Laowu was also confused. Is His Highness the King of Liao going to hire children as thugs? Who is this person called labour?

He had just thought this way, and a person next to him hurriedly said:

"I know you're misunderstanding when you look at your expression. This is not about hitting people, but about helping your highness do work. As long as you do a good job, you can get tuition fees."

After hearing this, others suddenly felt relieved, and Wang Laowu was also moved. If he could really make some money by working and make up a little more, he might be able to send his children to school, maybe.

He was also moved in his heart, then looked at the two people who were still talking, and walked over carefully. The two people also saw Wang Laowu walking over. Someone took out the wine gourd and handed it to Wang Laowu, and said with a smile:

"Old Wang, you are not interested in that new school, right? I want my baby to try it out recently."

Wang Laowu didn't think much about it, and said:

"If I can really send my children to school, then I must have thought about it."

He thought about it and asked again:

"Did the publicity team say this tuition fee reduction? What is the specific reduction method?"

When the two of them heard that Wang Laowu was also interested, they sat down with him and started to talk in detail.

His Highness the King of Liao sent to the propaganda team in the village, and naturally explained it in detail. Work-study is actually helping in the canteen, cleaning the school or doing some handicrafts, etc.

The tuition fee reduction is also very high. According to the labor fee on the market, it can be said that if the tuition fee of one or two taels a year is taken out every day to work and study, you can basically study without paying the tuition fee. Of course, the prerequisite is to pass the entrance examination.

Good guy, I have never heard of working in school and earning all the tuition fees back.

In the eyes of the common people, this is simply His Highness the King of Liao doing charity!

Of course, Zhu Qi could not do such charity. The work he asked those students to do was naturally worth much more than this tael of silver.

Even if he wants to do charity, he doesn't have the money.

What's more, if these students are asked to study with other people's money every day, some people will inevitably feel inferior in their hearts, but if they are allowed to earn tuition through labor, it will be different.
Chapter completed!