readytorunbook Chapter 1258 3 Not Accepted
Chapter 1258 3 Not Accepted
The group ate lunch until late afternoon.
The conversation at the dinner table ranged from the autumn harvest to the locust plague, from the locust plague to grain tax, from grain tax to county soldiers, and finally, from county soldiers back to the fields.
After the yamen runners finished clearing away the dishes, Shen Zheng suddenly remembered something: "How are the new crops planted in the public fields doing?"
Yu Shizhang took a sip of tea: "You mean... those vines brought back from the capital?"
“Yes.” Shen Zheng nodded: “It’s been so long, I haven’t had a chance to see them.”
I wonder if the potatoes are growing well.
Upon hearing this, Yu Shizhang hissed and paused, "I just arrived at the public fields a few days ago when I received news that Xiao Xu was critically ill. I didn't even have time to check on him properly..."
He put down his teacup, racked his brains for a moment, and then his brows furrowed: "It seems... the plants aren't growing very well."
Shen Zheng was startled and put down her teacup as well: "What makes you say that?"
Is it because sweet potatoes cannot adapt to the climate of Tongan County?
Or was it that the person taking care of the child was not attentive enough and neglected the care?
However, after thinking for a moment, Shen Zheng rejected both ideas.
The seeds provided by the system are all very hardy; there is absolutely no such thing as "withering due to inability to adapt to the climate".
The person taking care of the sweet potatoes was an old farmer carefully selected by Xu Yunyan, and there was absolutely no possibility of him being careless.
Seeing the worry on Shen Zheng's face, Yu Shizhang carefully described what he had seen that day: "Those vines are not as green as before, and... many leaves have withered and fallen off, just like... a decline in vitality."
"Vitality waning?" Li Shiyuan and Shen Xingjian sat up straight at the same time.
Li Shiyuan said, "Once Yunyan is feeling better, I'll go back immediately to see if I can prepare some medicinal fertilizer to help them..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Xingjian interrupted him: "No, that's not a decline in vitality."
After saying that, he looked at Shen Zheng, as if asking for her opinion.
Shen Zheng smiled, her earlier anxiety subsiding: "Xing Jian is right, that's not a decline in vitality."
"What is that?" Yu Shizhang asked, puzzled.
Shen Zheng picked up her teacup again, a smile appearing in her eyes: "Those are crops hidden in the soil, starting to grow."
"In the soil..." Yu Shizhang paused for a moment, then suddenly realized, "You mean... it won't be long before we can harvest it?"
When that time comes, will he be able to taste the new crop?
Thinking of this, Yu Shizhang secretly became excited.
Shen Zheng lowered her head and paused to consider the timeframe: "About a month from now. I have to go back then no matter what."
She couldn't miss such an important event as harvesting sweet potatoes.
Yu Shizhang swallowed hard: "That's how it should be."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a rustling sound came from under the eaves of the house.
The group turned around and saw Li Shiyuan exclaim in surprise, "Why did you get up so suddenly!"
Who else could it be but Xu Yunyan, the man standing under the eaves with his armrest against the pillar?
In an instant, Li Shiyuan got up and ran to the corridor, with Shen Zheng and the other two following closely behind.
"We can't leave yet!"
"Go back to bed!"
"Are you hungry?"
"Do you need to use the restroom?"
"speak!"
The group surrounded Xu Yunyan, who looked weak, and were in a state of panic.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xu Yunyan's face as he whispered, "After I woke up, my stomach felt a little sore..."
Oh, it's time to detox.
"Let's take care of it indoors!"
Li Shiyuan pushed him toward the house, but he clung to the door frame, refusing to move.
Shen Zheng looked around, then finally said, "Well, you guys go ahead and argue, I need to take care of some official business..."
......
That evening, Xu Yunyan took a carriage back to the Shen residence to recuperate.
Shen Xingjian was concerned about Tongan County. After asking Shen Zheng about the county's future arrangements, he embarked on his journey home overnight.
After the autumn harvest, the weather gradually turned cool. At night, Shen Zheng wrapped herself in a quilt and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She thought about "spiritual powder" one moment, sweet potatoes the next, and then the "student aid" that the government had just established.
Oh, right... I wonder where Yu Zhengqing, who was escorting Huai Gongwang back to the capital, is now.
With all these thoughts swirling in her mind, Shen Zheng slept very lightly. She opened her eyes almost the instant the rooster crowed.
"A new day!"
She sprang to her feet, rubbed her face vigorously, and cheered herself on: "Shen Zheng, you can do it!"
He got up, ate breakfast, and went to the government office in one go.
Upon arriving at the government office, she immediately delegated all of Xu Yunyan's work and took over matters such as the establishment of county schools in various counties.
For the next few days, she was practically constantly on her feet, running back and forth between the prefectural government office, the prefectural school administration, and the prefectural school itself.
Finally, the day before Xu Yunyan was to return to his post, the news that "the prefectural government has officially established a 'student aid fund' to help counties build and repair county schools" spread throughout the streets and alleys of Liuyang Prefecture.
This drastic change stunned the people.
A large crowd gathered in front of the notice.
Some people were incredulous, some were in tears, and some even knelt down and bowed three times to the government office.
Among the crowd, a merchant looked puzzled and asked those around him, "Why are you all so agitated? Although some counties don't have county schools, they do have private schools. Private school teachers... can't they also teach people to read and write?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone retorted, "That's different!"
Upon hearing this, the merchant turned around and discovered that the other party was a farmer who was also leading a young child.
He asked, "What's the difference? If a child is intelligent, it doesn't matter where they study."
"How can that be the same!" The farmer's voice trembled with excitement: "In the entire Qingzhu County, there are only two private schools, and those teachers refuse to accept three types of students!"
"Three things we won't accept?" This was the first time the merchant had heard of such a thing. "What three things won't we accept?"
"Those over ten years old who have not yet begun their education will not be accepted! Those who cannot pay their tuition and writing fees on time will not be accepted! Those without a guarantor will not be accepted!"
As the farmer uttered his final "I won't accept it," the merchant's brow furrowed even more deeply.
The farmer's eyes reddened slightly as he patted his child's head: "Take my son, for example. He's eight years old this year, and he's been smart since he was little. He's memorized quite a few farming proverbs by following me. I wanted to send him to learn to read and do arithmetic, but because we only have four mu of poor land, I've asked the private school three times, and they all refused to take him in..."
The merchant was stunned upon hearing this, opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
He had grown up in a well-off family and rarely experienced the embarrassment of having nowhere to turn, so he was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Dad, I don't want to learn to read anymore." A childish voice came from below.
The merchant looked down and saw the child beside the farmer wearing a faded short jacket. The child gently tugged at the farmer's sleeve and looked up, saying, "Don't be sad. I'll learn to farm from you, and I won't let you and Mom go hungry in the future."