Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 190 - 189: Implementation of Two Years of Free Education
Seeing the once peaceful ancestral hall turn into a noisy marketplace, the village chief shouted impatiently: 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"What are you all yelling about! You people really have no patience at all, yet still dream of seizing such a great opportunity?"
Only then did everyone quiet down a bit, muttering softly, "Well, could you tell us then, what’s that great benefit? Why can the tuition fee be waived? What is it for?"
The village chief slapped the document on the table. Well, the document he just read was all in vain.
Oh, actually not, at least they heard the most critical part.
The village chief no longer held any expectations for this group of villagers, raised his hand to command silence, and then began to speak again:
"The court has announced great news, now we, the peasants, can send our children to school too!"
As soon as he said this, the once quiet ancestral hall exploded with excitement again!
Qin Yao had been waiting for the village chief to reveal the key information. Hearing the noise again, her brows furrowed, almost pinching a mosquito to death.
She looked up at the village chief, whose brows were furrowed even deeper than hers. This feeling of wanting to speak but being unable to was utterly frustrating!
Qin Yao decided to help the old village chief, took a deep breath, and yelled on the spot:
"Shut up, all of you! If anyone interrupts the village chief before he finishes, I’ll throw them out! If you don’t believe me, go ahead and try!"
Her shout was as powerful as a loudspeaker set to maximum volume right by their ears, instantly silencing the noisy villagers.
In an instant, the ancestral hall became so quiet that even breathing couldn’t be heard.
The village chief took a long deep breath, nodded gratefully at Qin Yao. Now he felt at ease and could finally finish his speech in one go.
The court has issued a new decree. Starting today, Sheng Country will implement two years of free education.
Anyone aged six and above, but below twelve, whether boy or girl, noble or commoner, can enter the nearest school free of charge for two years after passing an assessment.
The tuition will be covered by the court, and students only need to bring their own writing materials and pay for textbooks.
The decree caused a stir nationwide, having already swept over the Capital.
Now, as it reaches each county and village, it is still widely discussed.
Liu Family Village was truly abuzz this time, with households having boys being both delighted and worried.
They were happy because their children could actually go to school, worried because the court only waived the tuition, requiring them to cover other expenses themselves.
This sum of money is a burden for most families.
And then there’s the matter of the entrance assessment, how will it be conducted? How many will they accept?
People here had never read or written for generations; the children grew up playing in the mud. Could they pass the assessment?
After the initial excitement, the villagers calmed down and mostly gave up.
"It’s just two years, what happens after that?"
"What can be learned in two years? Won’t they still go back to farming? What’s the use of those two years?"
"Exactly! After two years of school, nothing changes; they can’t eat or drink this. At least they could do some work at home."
"Forget it, the cost of books is not something a family like ours can afford, this decree was not meant for people like us."
"..."
Villagers dispersed steadily, and soon the ancestral hall was mostly empty.
Only Qin Yao and a couple of family representatives remained, exchanging glances as they continued to ask the village chief for specific information.
"Which academy will our village be going to?"
"What’s on the assessment?"
"Is there a limit on how many from each household?"
Feeling heartened by the proper attention to such a good decree, the village chief patiently explained:
"As luck would have it, the Ding Family School in Jinshi Town has just been completed; our village is the closest, so the children will all attend the Ding Family School."
"There is no limit per household as long as they meet the age requirements."
"As for the assessment, I don’t know how it will be conducted. The decree just reached our Kaiyang County, and I’ve just learned about it. However, Ding Clan School starts in two days, so you better hurry up!"
Fearing they wouldn’t heed the importance, the village chief repeatedly urged them. Regardless of whether they pass, just take the children there first, what if they get selected?
Don’t underestimate these two years of schooling; within that time, the basics can be completed.
Whether a child has a knack for learning will become apparent after two years.
If they indeed have potential, grit your teeth and continue to support them; the benefits will far outweigh the costs.
If not, with the foundation laid in two years, knowing how to read and do basic math, they could work as a bookkeeper or steward in town or county, enough to support a family, much better than toiling in the fields.
When hearing this decree from the county, the village chief felt it must be due to the Liu Family’s ancestral tomb emitting lucky smoke, or how else could such a great policy be anticipated?
In short, "Stop overthinking it, just take your boys to the Ding Family School and give it a try!"
"After all, it’s an opportunity not to be missed, nothing to lose!"
Seeing that those who stayed were still hesitant, the village chief grew anxious for them.
Qin Yao suddenly burst into laughter, "Village chief, I’ll take the kids tomorrow!"
With that, under the surprised gazes of a few people, she strode out of the ancestral hall, and shouted loudly to Si Niang, who was still unclear about the situation:
"Liu Pingling, congratulations! You can go to school now!"
The little girl widened her eyes for a moment, seemingly in disbelief, "Really? Are you not lying, Mother?"
Qin Yao nodded heavily, "Really."
Villagers calculated age by lunar years; once past the New Year, they are a year older. The Dragon and Phoenix Twins happened to meet the criteria above six and below twelve.
"Let’s go, get ready, and tomorrow I’ll take you and Sanlang to town."
Qin Yao gestured for the siblings to follow.
Hit by this pleasant surprise, Si Niang, who had been disgruntled for days, finally smiled.
Along the way, Si Niang earnestly informed every villager she met: "I can go to school now!"
She was like a lark just released from a cage, chirping noisily, full of energy.
"Aunt Zhou, I can go to school now!"
"Granny Wang, I’m going to school!"
"I’m going to school now!"
Hearing this joyful childlike voice, the villagers subconsciously responded kindly, "Congratulations, congratulations."
After speaking, they suddenly froze.
The villagers suddenly realized they had overlooked something important—girls can attend school too.
Passing by the old family house, Si Niang stepped inside eagerly, cheerfully calling out:
"Sister Jinhua, we can go to school!"
However, the imagined chorus of congratulations didn’t come.
Si Niang’s bright smile slowly faded, as she turned back to look at her mother behind her.
Qin Yao stepped forward, gently stroking her hair to comfort her, noticing a strange atmosphere in the old family house.
Jinhua stood alone in the middle of the courtyard, exuding defiance.
Opposite, in the main room, the various members of the Liu family were either sitting or standing.
And there were Liu Zhong and his wife, full of misunderstanding, holding their sleeping son, looking helplessly at their daughter.
