"My salary here is twenty taels of silver a year. You need to bring your own pen, ink, paper and inkstone. If you don't have any books, you can buy them from me. They are cheaper than those in bookstores outside. In addition, if you are far away, you must buy them from here. The private school provides lunch. Of course, you can also bring your own, and help heat it in the stove, and give the cook ten cash a month. If you don’t bring your own, you can eat it at the private school, and you will be given two hundred cash a month as food expenses. I have lunch here at the beginning of noon, so I have to come in the morning after eating the morning meal, otherwise my stomach will not be able to bear it." Mr. Wen is very satisfied with this student. He is quite intelligent, has a calm temperament, is not impetuous, is good at observing people, and has good aptitude. That’s right. In fact, even if he only said the first paragraph, he would accept him. It’s good for a five-year-old kid to think of this. But what he said later was more to his liking. He is not the kind of old stubborn who doesn’t know how to adapt. Why? Isn’t it just to become an official after passing the exam? Why bother saying those high-sounding words? It’s better to be honest.
Thinking that Gu Chengyu would become his official student tomorrow, he gave him careful instructions because he knew that farmers' families were not well-off and usually only had two meals a day. After attending a private school, the diet at home was different.
"Thank you, sir, for the reminder." Two taels of silver doesn't sound like much, but when you first join a private school, you have to buy pens, inks, paper, inkstones, and books, and you have to give gifts during the holidays. This adds up to a lot of expenses. If your classmates want to go out to socialize, That would cost even more money. No wonder it was difficult to be poor in ancient times!
"Then the books can be left here, sir! By the way, please pay the repair and food expenses. Sir, how much money is it?" It seems that Father Gu handed over the repair today, and tomorrow he only needs to bring the six rites of apprenticeship.
"Three books, each costs 180 renminbi, which is 20 renminbi a book cheaper than outside bookstores. The food cost is 200 renminbi, and the bundle is 20 liang. The total is 22,740 renmin. And since it is me. I am a student, so forget the forty coins, just give me two or seven coins, and I will give you the book when you come tomorrow." Mr. Wen thought that it was not easy for a farmer, and even though the father and son were dressed in fine cotton, they were still wearing fine cotton. The fabric was brand new and must have been rare to wear, so the price was forty cents short.
"Thank you sir, student!" Gu Chengyu saluted Mr. Wen again.
Father Gu took out three taels of silver from his pocket and handed it to Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen counted out three hundred coins from the purse he carried and gave it to Father Gu.
"Then my son and I won't disturb you, sir, and we'll go back!" After seeing that the matter was settled, Mr. Gu planned to leave. He felt a little uncomfortable staying here.
Gu Chengyu looked at his father's hunched back from the moment he entered the door, and felt a little sad. In ancient times, people had a high status. When a farm man met someone, he felt a little shorter before he even spoke. In addition, the Gu family has been poor for so many years, making His father didn't have the confidence to speak. Alas! Gu Chengyu cheered him up, he must be good, otherwise he would be sorry for his many golden fingers, and even more sorry for his father and mother who wholeheartedly care about him! But it's too early to think about these things now, it's better to Let’s make the family rich first. Isn’t it said that money is a man’s courage?
After leaving Mr. Wen's private school, Gu Chengyu and Mr. Gu went to the bookstore.
"Shopkeeper Pan, we're here to disturb you again." Mr. Gu greeted Shopkeeper Pan with a smile on his face.
"Hey! Looking at Uncle Gu's face, Xiaobao must have passed Mr. Wen's test, right? But he wants it? He will be a human being in the future!" Shopkeeper Pan was also very happy to see the two of them! This means that his business is coming!
"Haha! I asked you to guess right! Isn't that right? I'm going to a private school tomorrow! I'll bring Xiaobao here to buy some four treasures of the study, as well as paper for writing large characters. Do you have any good recommendations? Say it first! It's bad.
I don’t want it, so you have to give me a cheaper price.”
Shopkeeper Pan was a little surprised after hearing this? Isn’t it true that the Gu family is not short of money? "Uncle Gu, what are you talking about? How can I give it to you? Did you buy the book from Mr. Wen? I won’t hide it from you.
, Mr. Wen is very kind to students. As long as they are students of his private school, he will sell them cheaply. The books are all hand-copied, either by hiring others or copying them by yourself. The books sold to students are always cheaper than outside.
Shi Wen, we all know these. But he only sells them to his own students. They still have to buy some necessary books for examinations or other books from me." In fact, shopkeeper Pan knew clearly that one hundred and eighty
There is still money to be made for every ten pieces of literature, but now that I am Mr. Wen’s student, I can’t say some things, right?
What Shopkeeper Pan knows, Gu Chengyu can also think of. The cost of handwritten manuscripts is lower. After all, it is just waste ink and paper. Of course, it must be good and fast, and there must be no typos, otherwise it will be rewritten. This way
It's a waste of paper and ink. But just like this, you can still earn forty yuan for less than 180 essays. In this way, you will not only gain fame, but also benefit the students. Why not? However, this is good for books.
For bookstores, there is some less income. There are also many hand-copied books in bookstores. If they use printing, it is estimated to cost more than 200 yuan a copy. Therefore, the handwritten books sell for 200 yuan a book, and the bookstore is also black.
"I'm here to get you pen and ink. Come and take a look." Shopkeeper Pan took out three inkstones and several brushes from the counter. Gu Chengyu also practiced calligraphy with the teacher in his previous life, although the teacher said that he wrote
He had more than enough uprightness, but lacked spirit and character, which meant he had too much craftsmanship. But because he liked it, he didn't give up. After practicing for two years, he had a fairly good understanding of calligraphy and Yantai.
There are several kinds of brushes. Shopkeeper Pan probably only took the brushes for writing large characters and small letters. He doesn't need the others yet. Gu Chengyu picked up one of them and looked at it carefully. It should be made of rat whiskers.
In addition, there are others with mountain rabbit hair, but there are no good varieties such as wolf hair or sheep hair. This is just an ordinary brush. It is not expensive, but it is not the worst.
The inkstone is also very ordinary, it is just a porcelain inkstone, but it is white and moist fine porcelain. Then I picked up the ink ingot that I just put on it. This ink ingot is rectangular, there is no pattern on it, it is glowing with black light, and it feels good to the touch.
It's not very delicate, it's of medium to lower quality.
He thinks these are enough for his current calligraphy practice. In fact, it doesn't matter if he uses inferior ones now, but the ink ingots are too inferior and the smell is not good. The brushes should not be bought too inferior, as it will affect the quality of calligraphy.
He practices calligraphy. Okay! He admits that he is stupid, but why should he save? If he doesn’t have money, just make money! You can’t make a fortune by saving money.
Gu Chengyu picked a white porcelain inkstone with green bamboo painted on it, and took an ink stick, plus two mountain rabbit hair brushes, one large and one small, and put them aside, "Shopkeeper Pan, do the math.
How much do these cost? I don’t want them if they’re too expensive!” Half-jokingly, he looked at Shopkeeper Pan, who was about to get the ink ingots.
"Ah! You picked it out so quickly?" Shopkeeper Pan looked at the pile Gu Chengyu had selected and praised, "You have a good eye. You picked all my stocks with the most affordable prices and good materials. These are the ones I have.
If I hadn't known you, I would have been reluctant to take it out!"