Chapter 7: The World of Elementary School Students

A standard candle typically produces around 12 lumens of luminous flux. Four candles together serve quite well as a reading light

Zhu Er, who is about fifteen or sixteen years old, gently wiped Cheng Jinzhou's face with a towel while smiling and said: "If it weren't for waiting for you today, the young mistress would have gone to sleep around seven. Third Brother studies so late every day; it would be good for him to take a nap."

The resentment expressed in the words is profound

Mother Cheng looked up and down at her son, then took a jacket and draped it over him, saying: "I heard that you bought a lot of rice and flour, and even registered it at the yamen?"

Soon, a sound of "hiss" came from beside, accompanied by a child's voice saying: "The reputation of my noble family has been tarnished by people like you"

When Cheng Jinzhou arrived home, the sky was already pitch dark. Cheng's mother was still waiting in the room. Hearing the noise outside, she ran out, lifting her skirt, half complaining and half feeling distressed, saying: "You mustn't go out so late in the future. Your health is fragile, and you need to rest more on ordinary days. Attending the private school in the clan is a family tradition, and there's no way around it. After school, you shouldn't wander around anymore"

Under the influence of the West, the Great Xia Dynasty also began to adopt the 24-hour system, particularly among wealthy families where it became widespread

Having used more than half of the candle, Cheng Jinzhou finally put away the manuscript and fell asleep.

On the second day, I went to class as usual, but I had changed to a new classroom, and both the teacher and classmates were different. In terms of the educational environment, it was quite similar to universities in the 21st century.

Within the boundaries of Jinchuan Prefecture, the Cheng Family Private School is quite renowned, as it produces over a dozen successful candidates for the imperial examination every five years. In fortunate times, it can even yield star-ranked astrologers. Unlike those who cheat through physical means, being fortunate enough to become a ranked astrologer is akin to a carp leaping over the dragon gate, instantly entering the upper echelons of the empire

As she spoke, she unexpectedly began to weep softly

Since the advent of the Star Sorcerers, food has become increasingly important, not only as a strategic reserve but also as the subject of study for countless Star Sorcerers. In private academies, teachers often conduct experiments using various types of food.

As she spoke, Cheng's mother sighed and patted Cheng Jinzhu's head, saying: "I do not expect you to achieve great success; just being safe and sound is enough, like your uncle, what an impressive person he is..."

The governor is indeed Cheng Jinzhou's convenient father; regarding matters related to Cheng Jinzhou, there will naturally be minor officials who will come to report one or two things.

The young boy, upon seeing Cheng Jinzhou's unwavering gaze, immediately spoke in his unchanged childish voice: "Without learning and skills, how can one be a role model for others?"

That's it, just leaving with a flourish, leaving behind a face full of sorrow, while the heart burns with anger, still shouting from afar: "I wasn't even looking at you..."

Mother Cheng did not truly care where the grain was used, tapping Cheng Jinzhu's forehead and saying: "Do you know how much grain is produced from one mu of land? You can casually make something, but that represents a whole year's worth of effort for many families"

I am doing well. Looking at Cheng's mother with a worried expression, Cheng Jinzhou felt a warmth in his heart, recalling the times when he returned home late and received the same kind of words. He couldn't help but laugh, but then he felt a tinge of melancholy.

Cheng Jinzhu involuntarily turned his head, and indeed, there was a little boy wearing a light green vest, who looked to be no more than 10 years old. Searching through the memories of the sickly Cheng, he realized he had never seen this child before

Thus, his behavior naturally stands in stark contrast to that of others, and his incessant actions inevitably affect the other students

The young professor on the stage continued to shake his head, reading a sentence for the students below to repeat. His voice was clear and fluent, but it lacked the boldness of Mr. Cheng from yesterday, pretending not to notice any of Cheng Jinzhu's actions.

Having taken off his shoes and had his feet washed, Cheng Jinzhou simply lay down on the bed, propping himself up with a pillow, and said: "Zhu'er, please bring me two candles; I would like to sit and read for a while"

18 stones of grain is approximately 900 jin, which is essentially the best land that can be cultivated with the finest labor. However, there remains a significant gap compared to modern agriculture—by the 21st century, mixed yields reaching 1,000 kilograms per mu of grain fields are no longer exceptional. Without this, 1.8 billion mu of land would not be able to sustain 1.3 billion people

Cheng Jinzhu did not know how to offer comfort, but fortunately, Cheng's mother quickly dried her tears and said with a smile: "Let’s not talk about these unhappy matters anymore. Let’s go back, tidy up, and get some rest. Zhu'er, you go help out."

Cheng Jinzhu also harbored a long-standing disdain for learning, and inevitably exchanged a few words with the young boy. Seeing that all the classmates in the room were looking over, he simply stood up, cupped his hands, and said: "Sir, I have an urgent matter."

The two young girls walked out in succession, and Cheng Jinzhou leisurely took out the copied manuscript from his bosom. Each page contained approximately two hundred characters, written in tiny, densely packed script.

In this world, making good use of every book may well be his greatest advantage

This fellow speaks in a rather elaborate manner. Cheng Jinzhou couldn't help but laugh and said, "The reputation of the nobility in our dynasty has long been ruined; what does it have to do with me"

Cheng Jinzhu laughed and casually explained, "I want to create something"

Cheng Jinzhu raised one foot and read "The Elements" from beginning to end once again. To be honest, throughout his many years in school, he had indeed never read this book. Normal mathematics students, after the year 2000, rarely choose "The Elements" as an elective reading.

Whether it is through time travel or other means, one must always gain something while losing something else

The professor was also reluctant to stop Cheng Jinzhu, and he let out a silent sigh. The Cheng family's private school had a wide range of students; not only did families from Shaonan City and nearby prefectures send their children there, but even those newly risen prominent families would send their illegitimate sons to study. This job was not as glamorous as it appeared on the surface

"Did you learn that from your father?" Cheng Jinzhou rudely interrupted the other person, waved his hand, and bluntly admonished, "Focus on your studies, don't stare at me. If you have time to watch me, it would be better to put a little effort into your textbooks. It would justify your father sending you to this private school."

Cheng Jinzhuo's education was primarily based on the imperial examination system. For the wealthy and influential families, even if the conditions were met, lacking the talent for astrology would make it more advantageous to pursue a career as a civil official—being somewhat clever would always secure a decent position. In the realm of astrology, however, the advantages brought by family background are significantly diminished.

Throughout the entire Great Xia Dynasty, it was not guaranteed that even one person would pass the rank assessment each year. Of course, countless ordinary-level astrologers could still emerge, although for the majority, becoming an astrologer was exceedingly difficult.

The world of elementary school students remains turbulent

Cheng Mu looked at Cheng Jinzhou in surprise, reached out to tug at his face, and said: "Not bad, it seems you have read some books."

In a moment of daze, Cheng Jinzhou felt a sense of temporal dislocation and couldn't help but rub his eyes, saying: "I just went to the villa today to relax a bit."

Zhu Er took out four candles, each the thickness of a thumb, from the drawer and lit them near the head of the bed. Just like in ancient China, the brightness of the candles was very high, and their price was equally steep. Ordinary families, however, did not even dare to use oil lamps.

Still laughing, Cheng's mother Qiao angrily said: "In a few days, it will be the day of ancestor worship. What will you do if you catch a chill from the cold wind again"

This is what I just learned today. Cheng Jinzhu smiled and said: "Sloped land can yield two crops a year, producing 3 shih of grain; flat land can yield 6 shih; if the paddy field also produces two crops, it can yield 10 shih; the best land can yield six times that of sloped land, which is approximately 18 shih of grain, right?"

Cheng Mu's eldest brother was originally the most promising astrologer of the Zheng family in Hexi, but unfortunately, he was killed in an explosion on an airship while leading troops in battle

The sharply contradictory social relations have nothing to do with maintaining one's integrity, and Cheng Jinzhu would not engage in detailed discussions with a little brat.

The girl beside him immediately said with delight, "Third Brother is so clever and works hard in his studies; he is bound to achieve great success."

The young boy's childish voice still resonated as he amplified his tone: "The noble families and esteemed relatives are indeed the foundation of our dynasty..."

Cheng Jinzhu was so pleased that he flipped through a few pages of the geometry textbook he had copied himself, painstakingly calculating with a goose quill, attempting to memorize all the proof processes. Occasionally, he would gaze out the window, appearing lost in thought.

Having been reluctantly ushered into the east wing, Cheng Jinzhou had no choice but to freshen up again under the service of two maidservants, muttering unwillingly, "It is only 9 o'clock, I even took a nap at noon."