A family of three travels through time together, and the golden finger is turned on

A piece of land cannot be used to plant sweet potatoes all the time, otherwise it will get late blight. Although Bai Canxing did not remind them, the old masters have their own wisdom, so the Bai family only plants one acre of sweet potatoes every year. However, the yield of sweet potatoes is very high, about 70 to 80 dan per acre. Compared with the previous output of 3 dan per acre, it is simply a world of difference.

The nearby villages had all planted the seeds, and the court had learned of the naturally high-yield variety. If they hadn't requisitioned a batch for promotion, their family wouldn't have been able to plant only half an acre this year. Of course, the court also issued rewards, but after layers of exploitation, there was nothing left. But even if it was just a copper coin, it was better than nothing.

The best part is that high-yield crops appeared more than a decade earlier, which would also reduce the number of people suffering from hunger. Since the sweet potatoes appeared, Bai Canxing wondered when potatoes could be produced. Sorghum, corn, soybeans, peas, in short, the variety of food materials needed to be enriched.

One stone a month can allow all the children in the family to learn to read, which is simply a great thing! The tuition for private school education is five taels of silver per child per year, and this does not include the expenses of pens, ink, paper and inkstone.

"Okay, Dad, I'll go right away." Bai Qingjiang was also happy. Of course, Bai Qinghai and Qian Duoduo immediately packed up the two children and sent them back. The lower classes always have a special admiration and awe for reading and writing.

Bai Canxing had asked her father to grind a piece of wood for her to write on with charcoal and bamboo pencils. Now, each of the children in the family had one. The next day, the children, full of energy and excitement, set off for Zheng Xiucai's house, holding the wood and charcoal pencils.

Even Bai Rongfu, already thirteen years old, was thrilled. As the eldest brother, he tried his best to appear calm and composed. However, he couldn't suppress the smile, so he gave up.

"Hello, Master Zheng!" All the children were full of energy.

"Okay, okay, from today on, you will learn to read with me. Although we are not teacher and disciple, we are still teaching each other. Since you are not aiming to take the imperial examination, I will not teach you step by step. But I will still give you this enlightenment material. This one is handwritten by me, and you brothers and sisters can take it home and review it every day." After Zheng Xiucai finished speaking, he handed the handwritten book to Bai Rongfu.

Although it's just a handwritten enlightenment book, why was reading expensive in ancient times? Because pens, ink, paper, and inkstones were expensive. It seems she could have figured out how to make paper. It seems she knows all about pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, and they're all available in stationery stores and bookstores.

But don't act rashly. With such a small family like hers, it's not like she can compete with the wealthy and powerful families for the cake. Even if she doesn't have the aura of a heroine, she wouldn't be so reckless. It's more important for the whole family to be safe and sound!

"Yes, Master, we will cherish it." Bai Rongfu wiped his hands and solemnly took it. Then the first lesson of the day began. Zheng Xiucai was very curious when he saw the wooden boards and charcoal pencils of the brothers and sisters. He suppressed his curiosity. The first lesson of children's enlightenment is very important!

"Xing girl, is this another idea you came up with?" After class, Zheng Ziru called Bai Canxing.

"Yes, my dad made it for me. Isn't it awesome?" Bai Canxing felt a little proud.

"That's great. Your father is at home today." Zheng Ziru tapped her little head and asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am." Bai Canxing nodded.

"Go home and tell your dad first. I'll come visit you later," Zheng Ziru said. Bai Canxing was momentarily overwhelmed. A home visit on the first day of school—what a disaster! Then he realized he had to go get the board and charcoal pencil.

"Okay." Bai Canxing agreed happily. After returning home with his brothers and sisters, he told his father.

Zheng Ziru waited for a while before taking Zheng Yunxiu to the Bai family's house. The two families weren't actually far apart, and compared to other neighbors, they were quite close. Zheng Ziru went to the Bai family's house to find Bai Qingshan, specifically to ask him to make him a larger one and exchange two charcoal pencils for it. He thought this idea was a good one for someone who just wanted to learn to read, without the need for imperial examinations or a need for excellent handwriting.

Two days later, Bai Canxing saw the wooden blackboard in Zheng Ziru's house. Although he had already made some guesses, he still felt that the wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated.

A month later, Zheng Ziru's home felt like a village primary school. What secrets could a village hold? If the Bai family taught their children, there was no reason for the others not to teach them, too.

However, Zheng Ziru had set a rule in advance: if a child skipped classes three times without a valid reason, the food would not be refunded and the child would no longer be taught. He didn't accept all children, only those over six years old. If he wanted him to help look after the child, forget it.

Gradually, the whole atmosphere of Gujia Village changed. First of all, the road became much cleaner. The villagers spontaneously built a stone road leading to Zheng Xiucai's house. There were fewer children running around, and during the slack season, they would chat outside Zheng Xiucai's house and listen to the sound of reading inside.

The treatment of girls in the village has also improved a little. After all, they all pay the same amount of grain, which is also considered as a salary. For the same salary, of course it is most cost-effective for a family to send as many children as possible. The Bai family has seven children, and all of them went. Those families with only one child of school-age feel that they are at a great loss. Compared with taking advantage, it is not so cost-effective to send the girls in the family.

Studying was far more important than chores at home; even small tasks could be divided among the adults and done. Even if families weren't particularly devoted to their daughters, the food was already provided, and a literate woman could negotiate a good price for marriage later. While it was a bit of a truism, these girls did find a moment of peace during class, discovering another world through books, which was a source of comfort.

Among all the children, Bai Canxing always learns the fastest and best because he has a good foundation and can get special tutoring. This also causes Bai Canxing, who has always been a bad student, to work hard secretly to maintain his precarious halo as a genius.

Among the other children, there were indeed three who Zheng Ziru felt had the potential to succeed in the scientific research. One was Bai Canxing's older brother, Bai Rongjing; another was the village chief's grandson, Shi Haoran. The third was Gu Can, but unfortunately, she was a girl, which made Zheng Ziru very sad. Gu Can was the most talented of all the children.

After Zheng Ziru told the two families, the Bai family naturally wanted Bai Rongjing to try. Even if they didn't ask for the top scorer in the imperial examination, just having the same title of scholar as Zheng Ziru would make him a promising member of the Bai family. The village chief's family even said they would give it a try even if it meant selling everything they had. This was a promising young man that the scholar had mentioned, and their talent couldn't be wasted.

Afterwards, Bai Rongjing and Shi Haoran paid a separate tuition fee, a proper one, and performed the rites of assent to their teacher. They began their studies at Zheng Ziru's house at noon every day. His family bought him brushes, inkstones, and paper, but as for books, they were all too expensive for the two families to afford.

Zheng Ziru lent them his own books so they could copy them by hand, practicing calligraphy at the same time—killing two birds with one stone. They both studied very hard. And because of Zheng Yunxiu's connections, Bai Canxing was also able to study at the Zheng family's house. But this wasn't something to be spread outside.

Gu Can was very talented in studying. Although she could not pass the imperial examination, she made Zheng Ziru admire her talent and let her read books at home often. As a result, he became close to Zheng Yunxiu and Bai Canxing.