Wen Si Niang shook her head and said, "That won’t work. I have some esteemed guests too, and I only managed to get twenty copies in total." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The child became anxious, "Why didn’t you ask for more?"

"There’s none left. I got mine during the second distribution, and they wouldn’t allow me to take too many, saying that they wanted to reserve some for those who received theirs during the first distribution."

The child grew more anxious and looked around. The other children who had gotten their newspapers had already run off, and seeing Wen Si Niang about to leave as well, he quickly grabbed her arm and asked, "Are your esteemed guests in a hurry for them?"

"Not particularly, they’re all old customers, students from the Imperial College."

"Then why not let me have the newspapers? Let’s do the math together," the child suggested, pulling out his string of coins and said, "Look, eighteen newspapers for a string of coins, I’ll split it with you half and half."

Wen Si Niang hesitated, "But the students at the Imperial College are all regulars..."

"How many copies do you need? I’ll go with you to collect them. We’ll refund them half of their money."

Wen Si Niang said, "Twelve copies, we still need to collect another ten copies and refund ten cents."

The two of them didn’t even need to count on their fingers to realize they’d be making a profit this trip. With a mutual glance, they immediately decided to collaborate, and they sprinted together towards the restaurant.

Xie Pi and the others were already waiting. The two children arrived, panting, and carefully counted out eighteen copies of the newspapers to hand over to them.

Upon confirming everything was correct, the two of them bowed and left. As soon as they exited the restaurant, they headed straight for the eateries and tea stalls at the end of the street, made rounds, and finally managed to buy back ten newspapers at a price of two cents each. After flattening them out and confirming there were no issues, they immediately rushed to the Imperial College.

The two brand new newspapers were delivered to the students who had preordered them, and then they sought out the remaining ten students, explaining that today’s newspapers were in such high demand that they couldn’t procure enough new ones. These were old newspapers that others had already read, and they could sell them at one cent less.

Upon hearing that today’s newspapers were so popular, the Imperial College students immediately opened them to peruse, casually asking, "How much did you pay to acquire the newspapers? Generally, people are reluctant to sell them, aren’t they?"

Even if it’s a newspaper that’s already been read, usually no one wants to part with it.

Most people would choose to keep the newspapers, not only for their own repeated reading but also to teach the children back home how to read, for educational purposes.

The contents are national policies, not inferior to the "Endless Seas of Learning" that only comes out once every ten days.

The two children replied, "We repurchased them for two cents each."

They also knew that newspapers were hard to repurchase; unlike "Streetwise Gossip," which also sold for two cents but was bought back by the pound. A single "Streetwise Gossip" wasn’t worth much.

But newspapers and "Endless Seas of Learning" are different: they can’t be bought back cheaply; it must be at a fair price or a high one, difficult to acquire. Today, they were lucky to find a few scholars who weren’t very wealthy and were willing to pass them on after reading.

Upon hearing this, the students reluctantly tore their eyes away from the newspapers and handed them two cents, saying, "How can I possibly let you lose a cent? Take it."

Wen Si Niang intended to refuse, but then heard the students exclaim and run off, "Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang, look quickly, the rules for the recruitment exam have changed; you have to pass the state exam first..."

Wen Si Niang closed her mouth, put away the money, and exchanged glances with her companion. The two of them then found a tree nearby, sat down, and began to count and divide the money.

It’s safest to split the money inside the Imperial College, with no fear of being robbed if seen by others, so the two children divided the money beneath the tree.

Once they finished counting, they joyfully ran towards the bookstore to repay the cost for today’s newspapers.

When Wen Si Niang handed over the money, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right; however, she couldn’t pin down exactly what it was.

The child behind her who was counting out the payment for fifty newspapers also felt something was amiss, yet likewise couldn’t identify the issue—why did he only need to pay once even though he had collected newspapers twice?

Although he didn’t get newspapers the last time, he certainly sold newspapers twice.

As they exited the bookstore, the clock chimed the time in Luoyang City, and the two jumped up, instantly throwing their doubts aside and sprinting towards the academy.

Arriving at the academy panting, they entered just as the teacher holding a textbook stepped into the classroom. Upon seeing them, the teacher paused at the door, chest heaving, and gazed at them apprehensively.

She glanced at the satchels on their bodies, her expression stern, "Hurry and sit down already; we are about to start class."

Relieved, the two hurriedly took their seats.

The academy’s curriculum was divided into two types, A and B. The A curriculum had classes starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m., with a half-hour lunch break.

The B curriculum started at Si Zheng and ended at 5 p.m., also with a half-hour lunch break.

Most who chose the B curriculum were orphans or children from impoverished families under significant survival pressure, needing to assist their families as many economic activities occurred in the morning.

Initially, Zhao Hanzhang didn’t differentiate the curriculum; it was Zhao Cheng who strongly suggested it.

Zhao Cheng was the Jijiu, overseeing all the imperial and private academies, and upon receiving letters from teachers reporting that many students would skip class.

This problem wasn’t unique to Luoyang Academy; it occurred in other places as well, with a considerable number of students skipping classes.

As a teacher, Zhao Cheng was initially furious, thinking that if these children didn’t wish to study, they shouldn’t be forced.

An unsalvageable piece of wood subjected to mandatory carving would only harm both the teacher and the wood.

But after walking around the Imperial College, listening to the students’ recitations, he gradually calmed down, his anger dissipating, and he pondered how there could be children who didn’t love to study.

If they were idle sons of nobles, one could say they were lazy due to having no concerns about food and clothing, unwilling to exert effort; however, most students at the academy came from struggling backgrounds.

Studying might be their only path to transcend class barriers.

Zhao Cheng didn’t ask the teachers for reasons but instead found a time to discreetly observe and follow those students who skipped classes.

He then discovered why: not all students, even equipped with textbooks, could sit in classrooms and comfortably study with the academy providing a meal at noon.

They may have siblings at home crying for food, parents who were severely injured or disabled, or ill family members.

Besides studying, they also needed to care for their family. While other children harvested wheat and sowed beans during agricultural breaks, these families might not manage due to various reasons, leaving them to wake before dawn to sow, harvest, and weed...

Then quickly rush back to the academy to study.

Their parents and families would complain, insisting they shouldn’t have gone to school, preferring they return home to work; in a household, it’s enough to send the smartest child to the academy.

Getting them seated in the classroom was already the result of persistent effort from the village chief, senior villagers, and the teachers. Fearful of angering the Great General and getting penalized by the court, they hadn’t taken steps to bring them back home yet.

Feeling both pained and resigned, Zhao Cheng had to consider reality, suggesting Zhao Hanzhang modify the curriculum to include a night class alongside the A and B systems.