Chapter 10: After Graduating from University, Returning to Elementary School (Part 1)

What Tang Que had in hand could be described more accurately as an illustrated book rather than a ledger. The wheat recorded in the ledger was represented by drawings of wheat ears, while soybeans were depicted as small circles, and the hired farmhands were illustrated as small figures. As for time, it was indicated by a drawing of the sun, with the duration marked by the rays surrounding the sun. In addition, there were many symbols that Tang Que could not discern the actual meaning of, which were evidently created by the Gao family. Only she herself could interpret the meanings of these symbols.

After the Tang Zhang family returned, Tang Que held two pieces of meat weighing six jin and six liang in his left hand, while in his right hand he carried a snack box and the four treasures of the study as he left the house. Behind him, the two members of the Tang Zhang family stood at the gate, watching him walk down the village road until he disappeared from view. It was not that they did not want to go; rather, Tang Que was adamant against it. It was a joke—at seventeen or eighteen years old, having to have his parents accompany him to school and smile at others was simply unacceptable.

Although there is no need to pay a tuition fee, if one is to attend school, it is essential to present two pieces of meat and a complete set of writing materials to the teacher. Even with the most meticulous preparation, the expenses will not be less than 120 wen, and if one is a bit more generous, it might even reach 150 wen. This amount is certainly not insignificant given the family's current situation. However, in the face of their only son, Old Tang's true concern is not the money; rather, he fears that his son is thinking of going to school because he cannot endure the hardships of farm work. If that is the case, then the books... Thinking of this, Old Tang found himself hesitant to continue.

"Going to school is good, studying is good, Tang Cheng, you are truly ambitious!" Not long after this remark was made, Tang Que heard a burst of uncontrollable snickering behind him

In such a secluded village, fresh news is inherently scarce; even the arrival of a few chickens at a household can be the topic of discussion for several days. The matter of the Tang family's only son, who is in his teens, attending school spread throughout the entire village like a gust of wind in less than the time it takes to burn two sticks of incense

He has seen too many such precedents in the village. They cannot learn anything in school, and they are unwilling to do hard labor in the fields. Over time, they become idle drifters. How many once-prosperous families have fallen into ruin this way? As a farmer who relies on the land for a living, enduring hardship is both a duty and the foundation for supporting one's family. Without this foundation, how can one survive?

After finishing their meal, the Tang Zhang family did not even bother to wash the pot, but took the money and hurried to the shop run by the village matron to purchase items. This is the only grocery store in the village, where villagers come to buy oil, salt, and other daily necessities.

Although the family lost a strong laborer in the subsequent busyness, with these seven guan of money, hiring two people is not a problem. With one less person to eat, if this seven guan of money is used more carefully, after paying the official taxes, they should be able to get by without buying new grain. This means that as long as they manage properly, the family will not have to worry about running out of food until the autumn harvest, and perhaps there might even be a slight surplus.

Thinking of these things, Tang Que stepped out of the courtyard in a good mood. However, as he got closer to home, he began to worry again about what to say. Given the temperament of the Tang and Zhang families, it was certain that they would not allow him to go help the Gao and Li families, especially since they were in close proximity. Reasoning would not work in this case; the only solution was to find a good excuse to cover this up. After all, earning the money was the most important thing.

Seven guan is equivalent to two thousand two hundred coins in later generations. At this time, it coincides with the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, where prices are both low and stable, with rice costing no more than seven wen. Just think about how much could be done with this seven guan. A month ago, the Zhang family of Tang was only asking for eight guan to sell their own child.

When the Zhang family spoke up, Old Tang, who was at a loss for words, let out a sigh of relief. If his son wanted to take a break, then let him rest; after all, he had worked too hard over the past three months. As for the work in the fields at home, he could bear a little more hardship himself. "Well, if you want to go, then go for a month or so to see how it is. Once you are there, listen to the teacher and study diligently. As for you, after dinner, take one hundred and fifty wen to the village head's wife. First, buy two portions of meat, each weighing three jin and three liang, then prepare a set of the Four Treasures of the Study to send to the teacher, and also get a box of four-color pastries with the character 'Fu' on top." Although the one-month time frame was just a casual remark, Old Tang did not slack off in preparing gifts for the teacher. Even if his son was only going for a month, he could not let the teachers at the village school look down on him.

Tang Que had inquired in detail about the situation at the village school some time ago, and naturally knew that the customary practice was to present two pieces of meat along with a set of writing materials. As for adding an extra box of pastries, this was considered a significant gift for becoming a disciple at the village school. He understood the reasons behind the elders' actions, especially when taking into account the current state of his family, which made him feel even more touched.

However, there is another matter that brings Tang Que joy. Looking at the thickness of this stack of account books accumulated over eight years, it will take at least two months to organize them into a format suitable for submission to the county office for record-keeping. Two months means he can earn at least seven guan from this task.

Hearing Tang Que's words, Old Tang abruptly stopped the slurping sound of the noodle soup. After a moment, it resumed. "What is wrong with my son? When he was young, our family was in a good situation, with two older sisters helping with the work. Back then, he wouldn't even go to school no matter how much we urged him. Why is he suddenly bringing this up today?" As Old Tang pondered these thoughts, his expression grew somewhat heavy.

He knew that they were laughing at him. To put it bluntly, the village school he was about to attend was akin to a primary school in later times. Just think about it: what would it be like for someone who should have graduated from high school to go back to primary school? If this were in later times, it would probably make the headlines. Especially considering that men in this era generally married at the age of fifteen, such an action seemed even more ridiculous. It would be quite fortunate if those villagers did not call him insane, given the circumstances.

However, how should one find the source of this matter

Is this what they call a generation gap? Here, the term 'generation' does not refer to one or two generations, but rather to an era, a difference of over 1,300 years. How could they possibly understand my thoughts? With this in mind, Tang Que felt at ease, greeting the villagers along the way with a confident demeanor, showing no signs of awkwardness. As a result, those villagers who had intended to mock him found themselves at a loss for words.

It was only a few months ago that my son recovered from a serious illness. For the past three months, he has been working steadily without any sign of weakness. Haven't you heard that the whole village is praising him? He certainly doesn't seem to be someone who has suffered hardship. Given this, it is difficult for me to express my advice. After all, he is only sixteen or seventeen years old. If it weren't for this illness holding him back, he would have likely married and started a family by now. I must consider his dignity.

When Tang Que returned home, it was just time for a meal. He ate solid food when busy and porridge when leisurely; this was the only condition his family had at present

The head of the family was pondering what the Tang Zhang family naturally understood; she too harbored concerns in her heart, but these worries were soon replaced by the pain she felt for her son. Reflecting on the scenes of her son being so exhausted over the past few months that he often couldn't eat or even speak, Tang Zhang felt a wave of heartache.

A few years ago, the family's situation was good, and they could easily hire mountain guests to help with the farm work. In case they couldn't manage, there were also two sons-in-law to assist. Her only son, it could be said, had not really suffered much since childhood. How could it be that just a few months ago, his hands were worn and calloused from labor? Although the son deliberately hid this from them, how could a mother not know? Because of this, she had no idea how many times she had secretly cried at night. Now that her son wanted to take it easy, there was no reason for these incapable parents to stop him.

After laughing, Tang Que slightly furrowed his brows. If that is the case, it means that he will have to spend day and night with the Gao family for a period of time. He is not afraid of being affected, but he fears that his awkwardness in consulting a dictionary when encountering characters he cannot write will be hard to conceal.

... ...

Tang Que walked along the village path and soon encountered several villagers. These individuals looked at the item he was carrying with astonishment, asking, "Tang Cheng, are you going to the school?"

Indeed! Tang Que did not say much more, merely acknowledging with a response before continuing to walk forward

Unable to stay in the hot room, Tang Que washed his hands and face by the well. Afterward, he took a large bowl of vegetable leaf paste handed to him by Tang Zhang and drank it. After finishing more than half of the bowl in one go, he raised his head and said, "Father, Mother, I would like to discuss something with you. These days happen to be a free time, and there is not much work at home. I want to learn some literacy and arithmetic skills at the village school."

After coughing a few times and noticing that the head of the household remained silent, Tang Zhangshi set down the coarse earthenware bowl in her hand and said, "Cheng'er, you want to go to school, which is a good thing. Whether it's learning to do accounts or recognizing characters, there will always be benefits. At the very least, in the future, you won't have to spend money on wine and food to hire someone to write documents for you. As your parents, how could we stop you from going? Your father, don't you think what I said makes sense?"