ve taels of silver.After that, he tasted the sweetness and went to "play" with Zhang Jin every few days.But after winning a few times before, he started losing more than he won. He owed the gambling h..."I'm not hurt, second brother, please help me."

Li Lao Si was exhausted. After he finally got the donkey unloaded, he excitedly exclaimed,

As soon as I entered the mountain, I saw deer tracks. I followed them all the way to the edge of the mountain and then crouched in the grass for a long time before finally hunting down this deer. What a fine fellow! I estimate it weighs about four hundred pounds!

At this moment, when Li Laotai and the others heard the commotion, they came out in a start.

Relieved that Lao Si hadn't been hurt, they all surrounded him with unrestrained joy.

Tao Hongying quickly grabbed an old cloth to wipe Li Laosi's face and pulled him back into the house to change clothes.

"What a stroke of luck! I was just worried about not having a good gift to take when visiting people, and now this solves the problem!"

Li Laotai chuckled and instructed her sons, "Eldest Second and Third, you two quickly peel this donkey and divide the meat."

"Mother, how about we stew deer meat tonight! This is such a good thing, it's very nourishing!"

Wu Cuiflower looked at the plump deer, her eyes gleaming. Before Li Lao Tai could reply, she began to calculate in her head.

"I'll go to the county right now and call Ergouzi back. Anyway, we can't finish all this venison, so let him take some with him..."

"You dare!" Old Mrs. Li glared at her, furious and berating her with a scolding.

"You shameless things, I'm not dead yet, it's your turn to be in charge You dare bring Wu Er-Zhao back, and I'll kick both of you out!"

Wu Cuiflower shuddered in fright, quickly ducked her head and didn't dare to speak another word.

Everyone pretended not to hear or see, helping to fetch water and find buckets. After almost an hour of frantic work, the ass was finally skinned.

The peeled deer hide and antlers were set aside, to be taken to the county for sale early the next morning.

The remaining venison was divided in half. One half was cut into more than ten small pieces and given to Li Lao San, who took the children from house to house to deliver a piece to each family.

The remaining half of the venison should also be divided well. Family members eat one piece, and a few pieces are hung at the well mouth for preservation.

Most importantly, they put a large amount of something on Li Lao Er and Jia Ren. They also put some apples and pears.

Then, he followed Ersao's lead and went to her family home to inquire about the academy.

It was also Jia Ren's good luck that Zhang Er's nephew just happened to come home to pick something up.

I heard that Jiaren also wanted to study at the academy, so the family received them cordially.

Zhang Er's mother's maiden name was Chen, and she came from a wealthy family.

The courtyard was large and well-maintained, and it was said that there were also quite a few fields. No wonder they could afford to send their children to school.

Zhang Er's nephew was named Chen Feng. He had studied for over three years and was polite and courteous in his demeanor. He treated people with kindness and had no airs about him.

Chen's sister-in-law was also warm and welcoming, bringing snacks and tea from the backyard to greet her younger sister and Li La Er and his son.

"Look, here they come. Why bring so many things They're all just folks from the countryside. Come sit down, you must be tired from your journey"

Li Lao'er made some polite remarks, noticing that Chen Jia's men weren't around, he didn't want to chat too much. He got straight to the point and brought up his intention.

"Sister-in-law, we came this time to ask Mr. Chen about the academy. My son is also of age, and our family wants to send him to study."

"Oh, it's nothing serious."

Chen's elder sister-in-law waved her hand, urging her son to speak.

Chen Feng, seeing that everyone was looking at him, began to introduce himself calmly.

“Our academy is located in the western part of the county town and is called Hanbo Academy. The principal is a retired teacher from the county, who is well-learned, rigorous, and very responsible. Currently, there are forty-three students in the academy, all of whom have been studying for several years but have not yet passed the Tongsheng examination. We can eat and live at the academy, and if our homes are nearby, we can also study by commuting.”

He subconsciously glanced at Jiaren and continued.

"If you live in the academy, it costs three hundred wen per month. Each month, pens, ink, and paper for studying also cost three hundred wen, and tuition is five hundred wen per month. In total, each student needs at least more than one tael of silver per month."

Every festival and teacher's birthday, we also have to prepare gifts. The amount depends on your sincerity, but it shouldn't be too shabby.

As expected, Li Jiaren frowned after hearing this and tugged at Li Lao'er's sleeve.

"Dad, this is a bit too expensive. Let's go home and discuss it."

Li La Er smiled and nodded, got up to thank Chen's mother and son, and then prepared to say goodbye.

Chen's elder sister-in-law didn't want to keep them, the father and son, but she let Zhang's second sister-in-law stay for one night.

After leaving the Chen family courtyard, the father and son walked in silence for half the way before Li Laoer spoke to his son.

"Son, a few silver coins aren't much. Father will go to the county town to find work in a few days and be able to afford your schooling. You're still young, listen to what we say at home, and don't ever say you won't study anymore. Your father isn't very capable, but he wants you to succeed and bring honor to our family."

"Father..." Li Jiaren's eyes were slightly red, not knowing what to say.

Back home, Li Lao Er told his family everything about the academy in detail. Everyone who heard it was astonished.

It's indeed quite expensive, you know. For a whole family, even all the essentials like rice, oil, salt and firewood wouldn't cost more than a couple of silver coins in a month.

A moment of silence fell in the room, and Li Lao Si was the first to speak up loudly.

"No matter how expensive it is, I have to let my children go to school, our family can afford it! Tomorrow I'll continue going up the mountain to hunt. Even if I sell a fox, the silver will be enough for my nephew to study for three months!"

"Yes, I can go out and take on some roofing jobs too. The pay isn't bad." Li Laosan supported the idea as well.

"Tomorrow, Hongying and I will finish all the housework, then we'll go pick up dried goods to sell in the county town and make some money."

Even Zhao Yuru, who was usually taciturn, spoke up.

Several children even stomped their feet and shouted, “We can help too, earn money to buy big brother stationery!”

Jia Yin was held in Li Lao Tai's arms, and seeing the family so united, she couldn't help but be moved too.

She waved her little hand and shouted "aaahh," casting a resolute vote in favor.

Jiā Rén is fair and clean, intelligent and polite, and he also likes to read. Such a good seedling should not be wasted!

She needs to work hard to provide food for the family so that her older brother can study!

Jiarren couldn't help but wipe away a tear, and once again assured Lao Tai Li and the whole family that he would never let them down.

Li Laotai wiped the tears from her eldest grandson's eyes.

"Reading is for understanding principles, so you can stand out and excel. Even if you don't pass the exam, like your father, you can still find a way to make a living and support your family."

Jiarong nodded seriously, "Mama, I remember."

Zhao Yuru and Tao Hongying started preparing things for Jiaren that night, including bedding, clothes, and some daily necessities.

The next morning, Li Lao Er brought with him the meeting gift for Mr. [Name], a piece of deer meat, a pair of rabbits, and a pair of wild chickens, and set off for the county town with Jia Ren.

Li Laosì was going with his companions. He wanted to sell the antlers and deerhide.

Li Laosan wasn't idle either. He took Jia Yi and a few others to help repair houses for several families in the village.

Li Lao'er and his son, following Chen Feng's address, found the entrance to Hanbo Academy.

Before he even went in, he could hear the melodious sound of reading. Li Jiaren thought about how he would study here in the future and felt a stirring in his heart.

The old man guarding the door was quite amicable. After receiving a few coins, he went to help find Chen Feng.

Chen Feng originally thought Li Jiaren wouldn't come, but he was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected guest.

"You're here, that's wonderful! Come in with me to see the master. Class hasn't started yet."

He led Li Laoer and his son into the academy, whispering as they walked.d fanning her. "Mother is just greedy. Our little Funiu is so good! There's no child more caring and smart than her! Our family isn't as poor as we used to be. We lack nothing, how could we possibly l...