Chapter 10, Uncle Cong San who is short on money

Ignoring Jia Dairu and his grandson Jia Rui, who were there flaunting their power and assigning tasks, Jia Cong leisurely gathered his paper, ink, brushes, inkstone, and books, and did not return directly to the First Class General's residence as he usually did

Jia Cong did not conceal his thoughts, spreading his hands and speaking candidly

Does Third Master have anything he wants to buy or eat

The primary learning objective is to become familiar with the understanding patterns and writing norms of Confucian classics in the world of "Dream of the Red Chamber," in order to avoid incorporating traces of the main world that are incongruent with current habits

On this day, it was time to leave school again

It is merely reciting from books verbatim, along with some universally applicable clichés, dry and uninteresting

Without mentioning the others, there has been a significant improvement in the classroom discipline of ethnic studies over the past month, yet Jia Dairu remains oblivious, continuing to go through the motions at his own pace.

Rather than wasting time on ethnology, it is better to stroll around the streets and experience the local customs of the capital, as one might gain even greater insights.

The handwriting, resembling that of a dog dragging its paws, is of no concern; it perfectly reflects his current status as a beginner. Jia Cong has no intention of becoming a top student, as being too conspicuous is not a good thing.

Mr. Jia Dairu's ink is simply not worthy of consideration

Due to the large number of servants and attendants in the Ningrong Second Mansion, as well as the presence of relatives from the eight prominent families in the capital, and their considerable purchasing power, several prosperous commercial streets have emerged with Ningrong Street as the core

Nearby, several boys aged between 10 and 15 gathered around, each expressing their opinions and offering suggestions, displaying a demeanor of loyalty and sycophancy

However, these treasures, which are regarded as valuable by ordinary scholars, have become mere decorations in the eyes of the Jia clan's academic circle, not that the clan lacks collections

Jia Cong is also pleased to have a few more underlings around him who are willing to proactively come forward to curry favor and ingratiate themselves; they are either individuals with quick wits or genuinely ambitious individuals

Through familiar comparison, Jia Cong easily adapted to the understanding and writing norms of Confucian classics at present

The reason for today's enthusiasm is that Jia Cong had mentioned a few days ago that he planned to take a stroll in the streets together after school today

Despite looking down on the loose discipline of the ethnic studies program, and even being able to describe the environment as chaotic, he still diligently attended school without making any rash changes

Regardless of how they are looked down upon in the residence, they still hold a dominant position in the clan studies, and no fellow students in the clan truly dare to offend them completely

I am short on money, and I am currently exploring ways to earn some

The eldest is called Jia Yun, who is humorously referred to as the 'Second Master of the Corridor' in Dream of the Red Chamber, and he is the most accomplished member of the Jia family

The fundamental purpose of Jia Cong's clan studies is literacy. After a month of 'effort', he has basically been able to recognize all commonly used characters. Even so, this must be kept under wraps and not made public; it is necessary to allow his fellow clan scholars to gradually adapt.

In the span of one month, Jia Cong had gathered several like-minded classmates from the clan studies around him

Jia Cong has been attending the clan school for a month now, going to and from school on time every day, behaving properly without causing any trouble whatsoever

Most of the visitors are servants and attendants from the Ningrong family, or relatives from collateral branches, so there is no need to worry too much about safety. After Jia Cong and his group of young boys went out to the street, they immediately began to enjoy themselves.

They are all young lads, the time when they love to play and make noise the most, and they can also get closer to Jia Cong, how could they possibly not respond actively

Jia Cong did not believe that Jia Rui had not revealed any details about the family studies at home, yet Jia Dairu showed no reaction at all

In any case, with his suppression, there was not much noise during school, allowing for a peaceful self-study environment, which is already sufficient

A group of people left the clan school, but they did not actually run to the main commercial street of the capital; they merely wandered around the bustling Ningrong Street

That is to say, Jia Cong still needs to use the guise of clan studies; at least until the age of ten, he must immerse himself in clan studies, otherwise he would have long since packed up and left.

I also know that when we get to the street later, we will go take a look

With his accumulation of knowledge, even if he were to participate in the most basic examinations for child scholars and the provincial examinations at this time, he would easily pass. As for the examination for the degree of juren, he would not be without a chance to compete.

Boss, this time we must enjoy ourselves thoroughly and not rush back to the residence

Still the same statement, apart from the legitimate offspring of the Ningrong family, the status of illegitimate sons like Jia Cong and Jia Huan in the clan's academic hierarchy is quite remarkable

As for the various elementary books taught by ethnology, some are also available in the main world, while others can be easily memorized in the face of his formidable memory

There are fundamentally no teaching methods, which means that only in noble families like the Ningrong family can one attain the title of 'teacher'; outside, one lacks even the ability to establish a private school

Time has passed in a blur, and suddenly a month has gone by

Jia Yun was quite clever, always staying close to Jia Cong to attend to him. Seeing that he was merely looking around without any intention of joining the commotion, she couldn't help but cautiously inquire.

Master Cong San, I am well aware of many interesting places

... ...

The study of the Jia family lineage is naturally distinct, as most Confucian classics are available in the market, along with some precious texts annotated by renowned scholars, all of which serve as excellent reference materials

In recent years, examination papers from various levels of the imperial examination, as well as classic collections of answers, have all been preserved. Do not assume that noble families are ignorant of everything.

The Confucian classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics are far more abundant than what is possessed by the clan studies, and there is no need to continue expending effort on memorization.

Jia Cong understood very clearly that Jia Dairu had no so-called passion for teaching at all, and he treated the students of the clan school with complete indifference. Unless one was truly exceptionally gifted, a genius that appears once in a century, otherwise, it would be nothing but a delusion to expect to achieve success under his guidance

If it were a family of modest means, achieving these goals would be quite difficult, primarily due to the scarcity of reference books

Jia Huan had long been unable to contain his eagerness and had come over, while his books and other belongings were all tidied up with the help of his uncle and servant Zhao Guoji.

As for the youngest, it was Jin Rong, who was kicked over by Jia Cong on the first day of school, shamelessly wanting to be Jia Cong's errand boy

Whatever Third Master wants to play, we will all follow along

... ...

The classmates who are quick-witted wish to ingratiate themselves and completely climb the high branches of the Rongguo Mansion; as for those who are ambitious, they also feel that the appearance of Jia Cong has significantly improved the discipline of the clan school, which is beneficial for their self-study. Naturally, they also harbor thoughts of climbing up to the Rongguo Mansion, which is why they gather around.

There are indeed no establishments such as restaurants, inns, brothels, or gambling houses, yet there are numerous vendors bustling with activity, offering a wide variety of goods for purchase

Even a child can accomplish this, and they may even do it better than him

It is not that he employed any means; these few youngsters approached of their own accord

After all, he is a junior, and moreover, a junior of a secondary branch; even if he is very dissatisfied with the management of the clan's studies, it is not his place to dictate or interfere.