Having decided to send Zheng Hao to school, Gu Lin increased the daily output of cold dishes from one hundred and fifty tubes to two hundred the very next day. Although the workload increased, the silver earned grew as well.
The two coordinated seamlessly, taking turns mixing the dishes. Even with selling two hundred tubes of cold dishes in a single morning, Gu Lin did not feel very tired.
After selling out and packing up the stall on the fifth day, Gu Lin did not immediately leave the county town. He calculated the earnings from these past five days: selling two hundred tubes of cold dishes a day at eight copper coins per tube, and after subtracting the cost of ingredients, he had earned nearly eight taels of silver.
Clutching the heavy cash box in his arms, Gu Lin walked over to the money changer. Finding the copper coins too heavy and inconvenient to carry around, he had exchanged a portion of them for silver two days ago, and today would be no different.
After receiving the silver and leaving the money changer, Gu Lin raised his gaze to look at the bookstore across the street. Realizing that he now had money, sending Zheng Hao to study should also be put on the agenda. He turned his head slightly and said to the young boy beside him, “Let’s go. We’re going to the bookstore to buy some writing brushes, ink, and books.”
Even though Zheng Hao had not yet officially enrolled, the necessary preparations had to be made.
Bringing Zheng Hao into the bookstore, Gu Lin surveyed the interior layout. It was neither too large nor too small, but it was fully stocked with everything one could possibly need.
Gu Lin did not browse on his own, as he was unfamiliar with the specific items required by scholars of this era. He walked straight up to the shopkeeper and asked, “Shopkeeper, what books should I buy for a child’s early enlightenment education?”
Glancing up at the young ge’er and the half-grown boy beside him, the shopkeeper immediately sized up the situation and said, “Children’s enlightenment usually uses books such as the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, the Classic of Thousand Characters, the Juvenile Studies, and the Rhyme Primer. However, looking at the child, he is just beginning his enlightenment, so buying the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Classic of Thousand Characters will be quite sufficient.”
These three books would be enough for a child to study for two or three years. As for what came after, a child’s temperament was fickle, and whether he could continue studying was another matter entirely. The shopkeeper’s gaze swept across the two of them.
Gu Lin thought about it and felt that what the man said made sense. Whether Zheng Hao would continue studying in the future remained an unknown, and other books could be purchased later when the need arose. “Shopkeeper, please wrap up one copy each of the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Classic of Thousand Characters.”
“Very well.” The shopkeeper stepped out from behind the counter, retrieved the three books from the bookshelf, and wrapped them up. Seeing this, Gu Lin looked at the writing brushes and ink displayed behind the counter and asked, “Shopkeeper, I also need to buy some writing brushes and ink. Do you have any suitable for a beginner?”
“You’ve come to the right person,” the shopkeeper replied, then reached up to take a set of writing brushes and ink from the shelf behind him. “This set of writing materials is suitable for a beginner starting their enlightenment. Although the inkstone and brush are not made of top-tier materials, the materials used are certainly not poor. For instance, this brush is made from chicken feathers and sheep wool, offering moderate firmness and excellent elasticity, making it exceptionally well-suited for young beginners.”
Gu Lin lowered his head to look at the writing brush and inkstone being presented. Although he did not understand these things, he could still tell whether an item was good or not.
“Please wrap up this set of writing materials,” he said.
Gu Lin continued, “I also need to buy some paper.”
As if he had prepared beforehand, the shopkeeper took out a sheet of pale yellow paper from behind him. “Take a close look at this, Ge’er. This is bamboo paper. The sheets are even in thickness, neither excessively smooth nor overly rough, making it exceptionally suitable for a beginner to practice writing. It is just that, well…”
Seeing a hint of hesitation on the shopkeeper’s face, Gu Lin asked, “It is just what?”
“It is just that the price is somewhat higher than other bamboo paper,” the shopkeeper added.
The shopkeeper was not deceiving Gu Lin. This bamboo paper was different from ordinary bamboo paper; it had been imported from the prefectural city, lacking the thin, brittle shortcomings of older bamboo paper that easily caused the ink to blur, and it was exceptionally popular. Naturally, the corresponding price was slightly higher.
Seeing no other issues, Gu Lin felt reassured. “Items used for studying are of the utmost importance. It doesn’t matter if they are a bit more expensive.”
“Please wrap all of these up as well.”
Gu Lin gestured toward the Four Treasures of the Study on the counter.
After wrapping everything up, the shopkeeper said, “The three enlightenment books are two hundred copper coins each, and the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone come to two taels of silver, bringing the total to two taels and six hundred copper coins.”
Upon hearing the price, Gu Lin instantly understood why there were so few scholars in ancient times; merely purchasing these enlightenment items could consume half the savings of most families.
However, Gu Lin felt not a shred of reluctance.
After paying the shopkeeper, he still had some inquiries to make. “Shopkeeper, which private schools in the county town have a good reputation?”
If Gu Lin had asked someone else, that person might have been completely clueless, but the person he was asking happened to be a bookstore shopkeeper.
Having operated the bookstore for over a decade, the shopkeeper frequently interacted with scholars, and the store’s business depended heavily on this group of patrons. Thus, he had thoroughly figured out all the private schools in the county town.
Seeing that the young ge’er before him had spent several taels of silver in the bookstore, the shopkeeper’s expression turned contemplative. Pondering for a moment, he said, “If we are talking about more prominent private schools, those would be the Five Willows Private School and the Wang Family Private School. The teachers of both schools hold official academic ranks, though the former is a scholar who passed the imperial examinations at the county level, while the latter is a licentiate. If you merely want to send the child to receive enlightenment and learn characters, going to the Wang Family Private School would be quite sufficient.”
“However, the Five Willows Private School produced two imperial students over the past two years, which shows that being taught by a qualified scholar makes a distinct difference,” the shopkeeper remarked with a sigh.
Hearing this, Gu Lin did not immediately state which private school he would choose. He bade farewell to the shopkeeper and prepared to leave the bookstore.
Before he stepped out of the bookstore, the shopkeeper offered a reminder: “If you wish to visit the private school to pay respects to the master, you should change into a long robe and bring the six formal ritual gifts. Scholars place great emphasis on these ceremonies.”
After expressing his gratitude, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao left the bookstore.
Holding a basket of newly purchased items, Gu Lin walked down the street and lowered his head slightly to ask Zheng Hao, “Which school would you like to attend?”
Gu Lin had a specific idea in mind, but the person going to study was ultimately not him. Regarding the choice of school, Zheng Hao had to be satisfied with it himself.
The half-grown boy did not hesitate at all, speaking as if he had already thought it through: “The Five Willows Private School.”
Gu Lin looked at Zheng Hao, his outer eye corners lifting and a smile coloring his expression. This was also the school he favored, yet he still asked, “Why choose the Five Willows Private School? Is the Wang Family Private School not good?”
Gu Lin had chosen the Five Willows Private School because its teaching staff far surpassed other private schools in the county town, and having produced two scholars in recent years indicated that its instruction was solid.
That was his reasoning, but Gu Lin was curious about why Zheng Hao chose it. He watched as the boy’s brows still retained a trace of fierce wildness, yet the boy adopted a calm and composed demeanor quite unlike his usual self: “The Wang Family Private School is a clan school, so the teachers there are bound to favor the Wang family descendants more. Besides, I’ve heard that the Wang family youths in the school are arrogant and overbearing, and the teachers do not dissuade them but instead show heavy partiality. On the other hand, although the Five Willows Private School hasn’t been established as long as the Wang Family Private School, its academic atmosphere and teaching ethos are renowned far and wide. Comparing the two, I naturally choose the Five Willows Private School.”
It was rare for Zheng Hao to speak such a lengthy passage, and Gu Lin was somewhat surprised, though what truly astonished him was not this: “How do you know so much?”
When he inquired about private schools these past few days, he could only gather rough details, such as the academic ranks of the schoolmasters and how many students had passed exams, remaining completely oblivious to deeper matters.
With a calm gaze, Zheng Hao replied, “Many scholars in the county town know about it. Quite a few people who come to buy cold dishes have scholars in their families, and they inevitably chat while waiting in line. Although I didn’t listen intently, I remembered it after hearing them mention it multiple times.”
Hearing this, Gu Lin recalled the bustling noise of the morning when he sold cold dishes, a time when he had to rely on shouting just to be heard; if customers didn’t speak loudly, he couldn’t hear them clearly at all, let alone overhear other people’s conversations.
Zheng Hao said, “There’s no need to put in effort; I just remembered it after hearing it.”
Looking at the carefree and unconcerned expression of the half-grown boy before him, Gu Lin fell completely silent. Unwilling to invite further humiliation upon himself, he turned and walked toward the clothing shop.
Although Zheng Hao was young, his legs were not short. Seeing Gu Lin turn and leave, he showed no panic and followed closely behind him step by step.
The next day, after waking up, Gu Lin did not dress as casually as usual. Instead, he deliberately changed into the new long robe purchased yesterday, bound his hair up, and looked into a bronze mirror. The mirror surface reflected a face that, although somewhat hazy, clearly showed a clean and refreshed individual.
Satisfied, Gu Lin left his bedchamber and walked to the outside of Zheng Hao’s room. “Xiao Hao, are you ready?”
A moment later, the door opened, and Zheng Hao appeared before Gu Lin.
The young ge’er’s eyes lit up. Usually, the boy wore short coarse-hemp garments, looking dusty all over and making it difficult to catch anyone’s attention. Now, having changed into a light-colored fine-cotton long robe, his posture was as straight as a young pine, and his entire appearance looked neat, exceptionally spirited, and handsome. Especially given his naturally fine facial features, at a glance, he truly looked like a scholar.
Gu Lin did not hold back his praise: “You look truly handsome.”
The young ge’er praised others without a shred of reticence or reserve. Zheng Hao considered himself indifferent to how outsiders viewed him, but facing the young ge’er’s straightforward and bold words, he felt an intolerable discomfort throughout his body, as if bitten by ants.
Seeing the young boy’s hair hanging loose, Gu Lin stepped forward and said, “I will bind your hair for you. Today, you cannot simply tie your hair back behind your head like before.”
Zheng Hao was pressed down by Gu Lin to sit on a wooden stool. There was no bronze mirror in the room, so he could not see what was happening behind him, but he could feel slender, warm palms wandering across his head. It was a warmth and reliability different from a mother’s; the young ge’er’s unhurried, slender fingers weaving through his hair inspired a deep sense of peace.
Gu Lin used a wooden comb to smooth out Zheng Hao’s hair. Actually, he did not originally know how to bind hair, but after coming to this world and following local customs, he had learned how to manage his own long hair. However, binding his own hair and binding someone else’s were two entirely different concepts; Zheng Hao’s hair was thick and rather stiff, and Gu Lin barely managed to gather all of it in both hands. When he picked up a hair ribbon to tie it, he found it somewhat strenuous. After struggling for a good while until his hands ached, he finally managed to bind Zheng Hao’s hair properly.
Gu Lin looked with satisfaction at the hair he had successfully bound and patted Zheng Hao’s shoulder. “Not bad, you look very spirited.”
Zheng Hao turned his head slightly, watching the young ge’er behind him wear a smile, chin slightly lifted, and hands resting on his hips in a rather uncomposed manner. Clearly looking unreliable, the boy felt his floating heart finally find a secure and peaceful resting place.