Ling Yun thought about it thoughtfully, this feudal society was very hierarchical, with scholars, farmers, industry and commerce.
If you become a businessman, even if you become as wealthy as Shen Wansan, you will still end up cutting leeks in the end.
In ancient times, profit-seeking by merchants was not tolerated by the world. Otherwise, there would not be so many businessmen buying land and becoming landlords after making money.
A businessman is a businessman. No matter how rich you are, you are not as reliable as a scholar. Isn't Shen Wansan of the Ming Dynasty a living example?
In the final analysis, it is best to be able to read and write. After all, here, reading is the only way to be inferior to others.
Ling Yun dared not say that he was a Jinshi, the one-in-a-million level, but he was also the knowledge reserve of a distinguished college student.
If you work a little harder, even if you can't win the exam, it shouldn't be a problem if you become a scholar, right?
Not to mention the benefits and prospects of becoming a scholar in the high school entrance examination, becoming a scholar means having fame.
Not only is it recognized by the court, but it also receives a certain amount of respect locally and also has various privileges.
For example, you are exempted from corvee service, you do not have to kneel when you see the magistrate, the magistrate cannot torture you at will, you can report to the magistrate in case of official business, etc.
Just being exempted from corvee can relieve a lot of pressure, making scholars flock to it.
If you can go one step further and win the exam by luck, it will be a world of difference compared to a scholar.
The most important thing is that if you win the election, you can be exempted from taxes. Not only can your whole family be exempted from taxes, but there is no need to pay taxes on the property in the name of the person who won the election.
Not to mention that people in the clan will put their land in your name, even outsiders will bring a lot of property to join you.
Because the government's taxes are so heavy, farmers and small businessmen would rather give their property to the government in order to get tax exemption.
If the land is put in the name of the juren, although the juren will take a portion of it, this part is much less than the government tax, and all tax burdens can be exempted.
In order to reduce the tax burden, villagers will declare all the land under their names in the name of the person who won the election.
So this is why so many people are willing to bribe the candidate when they know someone has won the election.
When I was studying, I thought it was so incredible that Fan Jin went crazy after passing the exam.
Now that I am personally there and looking at it from his perspective, the surprise of becoming famous overnight is indeed not something that ordinary people can bear.
As the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
But until now, he had never found any writing paper at home, let alone books.
I remember that the first time he saw writing was when he posted documents issued by the government in the village.
At that time, he was standing behind with his father holding him, listening to the village chief explaining the contents of the document to everyone. The text was very different from the history books that Ling Yun knew.
However, it was written in traditional Chinese characters. Looking at a piece of paper, Ling Yun could understand one or two tenths of it.
"Okay, don't talk anymore, let's listen to Shiro's thoughts."
For a moment, the whole family's eyes were focused on Ling Yun.
Looking at the expectant eyes of the whole family, Ling Yun was slightly surprised, then slowly stood up and said thoughtfully.
"Grandpa, can you ride a carriage after learning a craft?"
I usually see Ling Yun being well-behaved and somewhat clever, but I never expected him to ask such a question. Ling Dashan was so surprised that he remained silent for a while and said with a smile on his face.
"Oh, how could my dear grandson think of riding in a carriage? Come on, grandpa said."
"Grandpa, it's like this. Some time ago, my mother took me to sit and chat with Aunt Zhou on the bridge. During the period, I saw a luxurious carriage passing by. My grandson felt it was very majestic at the time. Afterwards, my mother said that it belonged to the second master of the Zhao family. Cars, and if there is a chance, my grandchildren should do the same, so that we don’t have to walk when we go out as a family."
Childish voices echoed in the kitchen, and the family was stunned for a moment when Ling Yun had to answer.
Seeing this, the grandfather, who had no idea why, looked at Yang. The latter hesitated for a moment, then paused and smiled.
"My daughter-in-law was sitting on the bridge chatting with Sister-in-law Zhou that day. She happened to meet Mr. Zhao who was driving a carriage back to his hometown. He was very impressive. Then he heard Mrs. Zhou talk about it and said that Mr. Zhao was returning to his hometown to take his parents to the county.
I enjoy the happiness here, but my daughter-in-law doesn’t know the details.”
After hearing the whole story, Ling Dashan couldn't help but help his slightly raised beard and said.
"The second boy of the Zhao family turned out to be a naughty and mischievous boy. He spent all day doing nothing in the village, moving here and there, causing the village to turn upside down."
"Because he didn't listen to discipline, old man Zhao thought it over and sent him to the Longmen Escort Bureau in the county to be an apprentice. The second boy of the Zhao family sneaked back within half a month, and then he didn't know what happened.
He kept saying that he didn't want to go anymore, so Old Man Zhao just let him go after seeing his behavior. But after that, the temper of the second boy of the Zhao family became much more eccentric."
The whole family listened quietly to Ling Dashan. After a while, his mouth was dry and he paused. Tulu took a sip of porridge, and then sighed with emotion.
"After that, it was even more incredible that I went to Master Li to study and became literate. Later, I heard that he worked as a waiter in a county inn. In recent years, I heard that he was very wealthy. Everyone in the village politely called him "Second Master"
, I never thought that I would become so prosperous, and I also thought about taking my parents to enjoy the blessings, but I did not live up to the expectations of my parents."
Mr. Li is actually neither a scholar nor a scholar. His real name is Li Chuan.
He is about the same age as his grandfather, but the Li family used to be a wealthy family, but they were in trouble when they moved here.
As the saying goes, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. In the early years, he relied on his family wealth to go to school in the county.
He was lucky enough to pass the county examination for the first time. From then on, he studied harder and tried to get ahead.
But no matter how obsessed he was with the imperial examination after that, he was not as lucky as the first time, and in the end he did not go any further.
When he was established, he had very little savings left and could no longer support him to continue studying. Seeing that there was no hope of passing the imperial examination, he gave up his dream of taking the imperial examination.
But he was a scholar with thin arms and legs, and he could neither cook nor farm.
I had no choice but to hang up a plaque and rely on my status as a child to educate some children in the village, which was enough to make a living.
Perhaps because of the example of Li Chuan, people from the village and outside the village brought their children here just to learn some words and have no intention of continuing to go to school.
Because the Li family was also a big family in the village when they first came here, but they ended up like this because of their studies.
No matter what, no one is willing to let their children embark on the road of imperial examination, so as not to go further and further on the road of not having enough to eat.
Ling Yun also once insinuated Da Wa and asked her where she could learn and read.
Da Wa once told him that there was an old man in the north of the village who loved reading. He would hold a book with his mouth full every day.
He seemed kind, but everyone in the village who went to him for enlightenment was beaten by him, so the children in the village were afraid of him, so much so that they would avoid him when they saw him.
"Grandpa, can you ride in a luxurious carriage if you can read? Then my grandson also wants to be literate. Grandpa, in the future my grandson will drive a carriage to pick you up and take you to the city to enjoy your happiness. Grandma, father, mother and sisters will also go with you.
"
Ling Yun pretended to be a child and showed his stubbornness that he could make them happy, so that they would be willing to let him study.
Ling Dashan frowned and stared quietly at his grandson's young face without saying a word.
Everyone was too dumbfounded to say anything, which shows how serious the matter of reading and literacy is in this kind of family.
In an instant, Ling Dashan's eyebrows were solemn, his eyes were full of light, but there was a hint of severity in his tone.
"Grandson, the matter of studying is up for debate, but you have to tell grandpa, do you want to know some words and be a bookkeeper like Mr. Zhao? Or do you want to be a child like Grandpa Li Chuan from the north of the village?
Mr. Enlightenment?”
"Grandpa, are there only these two types?"
"Of course there are more than just these two, but ordinary people like us are generally literate, just so that we can have light work, but we want to be a bookkeeper in a wealthy family or something like that."
Don't underestimate the workers of wealthy families. In ancient times, the master's status was very important, and he was the ninth-rank official in front of the prime minister.
The accountants of wealthy families not only receive good treatment, but sometimes they are rewarded with monthly rewards for good work, which is a bit dangerous. After all, the safety index of servants in this era is too low.
"My grandson is not very happy about it. Grandpa, is there anyone who is more powerful and more majestic?"
"Of course there is, it's just that we don't have the chance."
Ling Dashan shook his head helplessly, he hesitated to speak, and there was no light in his eyes.
Seeing this, Ling Yun ran up to Ling Dashan obediently, took his hand and said cutely and coquettishly: "Grandpa, grandpa."
"Scholars must be successful in the imperial examination, honor their ancestors, and be an official. But among us people within a few miles, I have never heard of anyone who can be so great."
Ling Dashan gently stroked Ling Yun's head and sighed with some hope but helplessness.
"Grandpa, if your grandson wants to be the most majestic, he will be able to honor his ancestors in the future."
Ling Yun's sudden high-spirited speech shocked everyone, and then they couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Eat first, let's talk about this later!"
Although he couldn't bear to interrupt his ambition, Ling Dashan still stopped the topic to prevent his grandson from talking about irrelevant things again.
With the matter of studying being put on hold, Ling Yun felt indescribably depressed.
But I do know that this matter cannot be rushed. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but the future will be long.
Although noble children have been born from poor families since ancient times, you can't even provide basic food and clothing. How can you talk about ideals? It's really hard for a clever woman to make a meal without rice.
Until after dinner, Ling Dashan didn't ask Ling Yun to study, and he didn't ask again.
He just sat at the door of the courtyard in a daze quietly, and then he stood up again when he saw the big baby coming over with food for the chickens.
"Sister, let me help you."
"Shiro, why are you so depressed? Are you still unhappy about what happened just now?"
Da Wa didn't ask him to help, she just touched his head gently, her eyes full of distress.
She knew that her younger brother had been different from others since he was a child, and seemed to be hiding a lot of things on his mind.
Every time I asked him, he just shook his head silently and refused to say anything.
"Sister, if I go to school in the future and become a high official, how about I live in a big courtyard for you?" Ling Yun suddenly confided without turning his head to look at the sky.
"Okay, I know that Shiro will have great potential in the future and will definitely become my support. I believe in you."
The eldest son was not surprised when he heard Ling Yun's words, because when his family, Shiro, was alone with her, he would always say some irrelevant things in an original way.
In fact, in Dawa's mind, it doesn't matter whether her Shiro becomes a high official or whether he has money. What matters is that he will be satisfied if he can grow up peacefully.
"Shiro, grandpa asked you to go to his room."
At this moment, Erwa's voice sounded, Ling Yun came back to his senses, pondered for a moment, then said to the eldest child, and went to Ling Dashan's house.