Stepmother in charge: Making a fortune through farming and raising her children to fight back

Early the next morning.

When it was just getting light, the whole family got up early and packed up.

Today she planned to take Yunjing to the town to see if they needed to buy any books and some school supplies. The school had held two tests recently, and the rewards for the top three had not been distributed yet, so it was a good opportunity to buy them today.

He drove his own ox cart slowly towards the city. When he arrived at Yunding County, it was just dawn.

Although there are bookstores in Liuye Town, the types of books they stock are not complete. Yun Jing wants to find some rarer books to give out as prizes.

As soon as the ox cart arrived, Yun Jing jumped off and found the largest bookstore in the county. Yun Zhenzhen ordered a cup of tea in the restaurant opposite and savored it slowly.

Such leisurely days are rare. It’s not easy to come here today, so I have to take a good rest.

I had just sat down and my butt was barely warm when I saw several people chatting at the door, walking in and sitting at the table opposite.

This is a group of men, and they speak in quite loud voices.

"Have you heard? There's news about the Xu family's eldest daughter."

"Is this true? When did this happen?"

"The exact time is unclear, but the Xu family's eldest master has already sent someone to look for him. He should be back in a few days."

"You don't know, Miss Xu disappeared this time and was reportedly sold to that kind of place..."

"real!?"

"Of course it's true. You know I have relatives working for the Xu family. You said the Xu family is also a wealthy family in our Yunding County. Now their daughter has entered such an unlucky place. I don't know who is so lucky to get such a beautiful daughter. Hahahaha..."

Yun Zhenzhen frowned.

No one else should know that I saved Ling'er that day. Logically speaking, the owner of the brothel should not know her identity either. How did this news get out?

Yun Zhenzhen's expression was somewhat solemn, and she was in no mood to drink tea. She put down the copper coins and walked out.

You don't know until you hear it. It's shocking. Many people on the streets of Yunding County are talking about this matter.

No wonder Ling'er had to wait for her father to come back before she dared to go back to the Xu family. The eldest master of the Xu family is really capable and can kill people without leaving any blood.

Not only did she not get married, she started to destroy her reputation. Even she, a modern person, knows how important a woman's reputation was in ancient times.

It's a really good method to be able to spread the news so widely and so quickly, and it's obvious that someone has invested a lot of money.

Recently, the child has been well-behaved and obedient at home, and has helped with a lot of things. She has long regarded her as her own sister. When encountering this incident, she cannot stand idly by.

Walking on the road, Yun Zhenzhen kept thinking about what to do about this matter.

After a while, Yun Jing came out of the bookstore and reported to her about today's purchasing trip.

"We've conducted two tests recently, with two classes and twelve children receiving awards. According to my budget, I bought twelve different prizes to encourage them to continue their studies. These include brushes, books, and sketchbooks..."

Yun Zhenzhen looked at him with admiration. He had considered everything very thoroughly and she couldn't find any fault with him.

She was just about to discuss what she had heard with Yun Jing, but before she could open her mouth, the sky, which had been clear just a moment ago, suddenly turned gloomy.

The raindrops fell on them, splashing on the ground and creating water splashes.

The two of them quickly hid under the eaves of a nearby house: "This rain came too suddenly."

Yun Zhenzhen only then had time to look around where she was. It looked like a school, and the servant boy waiting inside came forward to greet her.

"You two come in and take shelter from the rain."

Yun Zhenzhen walked in and took a look at the decoration. It didn't look like an ordinary school, with carved beams and painted buildings. Going further in, it was a different world. Each room was separated and the tables inside were filled with books. It was obvious that someone was studying hard.

"Little brother, your store is decorated so well, it doesn't look like an ordinary school."

When talking about this, the servant boy became excited and started to introduce it right away.

"Young lady, you don't know that this is not an ordinary school. The teachers here are at least candidates for the imperial examination. There are also many who have almost passed the imperial examination. They have studied the exam questions of previous years and the examiners' thinking behind the questions. That's why we call it - Zhuangyuan Hall!"

Yun Zhenzhen walked outside and took a look, and it was indeed the name.

"Not to mention how valuable their experience in the imperial examinations is, their knowledge is also outstanding in the surrounding counties. If you have a child taking the college entrance examination next year, staying with us for a month and a half will guarantee significant improvement."

Yun Zhenzhen nodded in understanding.

This is equivalent to the modern national examination registration class, which gathers talents who have participated in the national examination or passed it, and they gather together to discuss the test questions and predict the test questions for next year.

The owner of this shop really knows how to do business.

The servant looked the two of them up and down, then said with a smile, "I see this gentleman is very elegant and has an extraordinary temperament. He must be a student, right? Are you interested in studying here?"

"Of course, I still suggest that you enroll your brother in a class. Next year's college entrance examination will have talented students from all over the country, not to mention our county, which has several. The competition is very fierce. Without systematic study, the chances of passing the exam are still very slim. What do you think? Would you like to consider it?"

Yun Zhenzhen was somewhat tempted.

During this period, she watched Yun Jing helping out at home every day, and he didn't have much time to study. He had to study by the oil lamp until the early morning every time, and then get up early the next day to help. If he continued like this, his body would definitely not be able to bear it and he would have difficulty concentrating. So, enrolling in a class would be a good choice.

“How much does it cost to study here for a month?”

Seeing her interest, the servant immediately took out his abacus and began tapping away eagerly: "It's very convenient here. All-inclusive accommodation and meals are included. If we calculate it based on twenty coins a day, and three meals a day at five coins each, that comes out to thirty-five coins. A month only costs nine hundred and sixty coins, less than one ounce of silver."

"But ours is primarily a lecture hall for famous teachers, gathering the most famous talents in the capital to teach here. The tuition for one class is one hundred coins, and there are at least two classes per day, which comes out to six taels of silver per month. Add to that various books, exam questions, discussion workbooks, etc., and each student only needs to pay ten taels of silver per month, which is very cost-effective."

After hearing the price, Yun Zhenzhen didn't react at all. Yun Jing pulled Yun Zhenzhen's sleeve without hesitation and walked out.

Ten taels of silver, how many blankets would the aunt have to sell to get enough? This money is not enough to pay for studying. He should not let his aunt pay such a huge price for his own affairs.