Outside the county of Qizhou County, Huangzhou Prefecture, in the southeast of the city, in Lijia Village.

The morning at the end of summer was already a little cool.

Li Zhongxian opened the gate of the courtyard early in the morning, and his wife Li Liu also started to make breakfast early. Today is a big day for their Lijia Village.

It is said that more than three years ago, when the Huangzhou Mansion was still under the rule of the Manchu Dynasty, Li Zhongxian bought iron hoes and other agricultural tools from the "Nanji Hardware Store" in the county seat.

After Huangzhou Mansion was brought under the rule of the Chinese Empire, the "Nanji Hardware Store" was even more prosperous. During this period, Li Long accidentally learned that a steel technical college had been opened in the city of Wuchang Prefecture, which was recruiting students, not only did not need tuition, but also included food, and after graduation, he could also arrange to work in the factory of "Nanji Hardware Shop" and become a regular employee.

Li Long signed up because he knew how to read, but he didn't expect to be admitted. So, he quit his helper and entered this steel technical college in Wuchang as a cadet. Half a year ago, he hurriedly returned home from the college, and then left home to work in the newly built Daye Iron and Steel Plant in Daye County, Linxian County.

This work is half a year, during this half a year, Li Longtuo villagers brought money home three times, each time it was five or six holy yuan, which was a huge amount of money, so that Li Zhongxian and Li Liu's husband and wife could not keep together, and the Li family became a wealthy family in Lijia Village.

Not only that, but the neighbors also respected the Li family because they heard that Li Long had entered the Daye Iron and Steel Plant and eaten the imperial grain of the imperial court, and Li Zhongxian was also elected as the deputy head of the Li family. And several matchmakers from several neighboring villages came to Li Liu's family to say goodbye to Li Long, which made Li Liu's family so happy that they couldn't keep their mouths together. Originally, I was worried that because of the family's poverty, the two sons in the family could not find their mother-in-law, but now this worry has disappeared.

Recently, there is a daughter, and the conditions are very good, so Li Liu responded and sent a letter to his son Li Long, asking him to ask for leave to go home, and in these two days, Li Long will come back and make this family affair with the girl.

As soon as he thought of this, Li Liu looked towards the entrance of the village.

"Mother, don't look at it, the eldest brother is coming back, and it will be noon or afternoon." Li Hu, who was dressed in new clothes, said.

Today is the day when the Qizhou No. 2 Primary School located in their Lijia Village was established and opened, and Li Hu was the first batch of students enrolled in the school.

Li Liu smiled and said, "Okay, it's still our little tiger who is the most important." Hurry up and eat, and ask your dad to take you to the school early after eating. ”

What Li Liu said was to ask Li Zhongxian to take his son Li Hu to the Qizhou No. 2 Primary School in the village to attend the opening ceremony. As the parent and deputy head of Lijia Village, Li Zhongxian must go.

"Baby, didn't you want the baby to go to that school at the beginning, what's the matter, now that you have tasted the sweetness?" Li Zhongxian laughed.

"Boss, don't just talk about me, weren't you like this at the beginning? Who would have known that these schools set up by the government were completely different from the original Manchu Qing Dynasty, they were all about learning crafts and really making a living. Li Liu responded without losing the wind.

They were talking about Li Long's going to study at the Wuchang Iron and Steel Technical College. At that time, Li Zhongxian and Li Liu both felt that the children of peasant families, their ancestors had been digging in the land for generations, and seeing that the policies of the new imperial court were good, and the taxes were much less, they still farmed the land honestly to live, worked hard for a few years, and saved some money to Li Long to talk about family affairs, and the most important thing was to pass on the ancestry.

Unexpectedly, Li Long was bent on going to the Rausch Academy to study, saying that it was a steel technician, which was much better than a farmer who farmed.

Li Zhongxian and Li Liu's are always in charge of their parents. As a result, for some reason, the town knew about it, and the mayor of the town personally came to intercede, and Li Zhongxian and Li Liu agreed to Li Long to go to the academy to study.

In just a year and a half, Li Long graduated from the college, and the government directly assigned him to work in the nearby Daye Iron and Steel Plant, which was not far away, but he didn't expect that this monthly salary turned out to be half a year's harvest of the Li family, which surprised the Li family and secretly rejoiced in the original choice.

Therefore, a short time ago, the county wanted to build the second primary school in Qizhou in Lijia Village, Li Zhongxian volunteered to help, and also registered his second son Li Hu early, and waited for the school to be completed to study.

After a hurried breakfast, Li Zhongxian took Li Hu to the school located at the entrance of the village.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the village, hundreds of people had already gathered there. On a gentle hillside, rows of new brick and stone bungalows, surrounded by a white fence more than half a man high, sits the school.

"Brother Zhongxian, you also sent your Huzi to study?" A middle-aged villager, also pulling an eight or nine-year-old boy, greeted Li Zhongxian with a smile.

"Brother Manquan, your dog is here too? Okay, just have a companion with our tiger! Li Zhongxian saw that it was Zhang Manquan, a villager from a neighboring village, so he greeted and responded with a smile.

"Brother Zhongxian, you say, why is this new imperial court so good! Not only did we give us villagers to farm, but also reduced taxes, and also paid for the construction of such a good school and free education for children? Where did the government get so much money? Hey, if only we had such a school when we were young, I wouldn't be illiterate, and I wouldn't even recognize my own name. Zhang Manquan sighed with emotion.

"Yes! This is really a good era, we, the people, not only have a way to live, but also have a good life! Li Zhongxian thought of today's Chinese Empire, and said gratefully from the bottom of his heart, "When we were young, it was still the Manchu Qing Dynasty in the previous dynasty, how could there be such a good thing for those Tartars?" Not to mention building a school in our Lijia Village, even in the town, in the county seat, there will be no such school! is just a fancy county school, and it has been covered by those gentry, where will there be our poor people's share! If you want to go to a private school, you can't even afford to give the master's shackles! ”

Li Zhongxian seemed to be deeply touched, when his eldest son Li Long was eight years old, he struggled with the family's money to make up enough money for a year and sent him to a private school, but he couldn't pay the money and stopped school in the second year, but he finally knew some words.

"I heard that the current emperor is the holy king of the original Taiping Holy Kingdom, and I heard the businessmen in the south say that he is a good emperor who loves the people like a son. That's why we have this good policy today. Reading for free, this is still the second primary school, and the first primary school was built in the county two months ago. Hey, I almost wondered if it was a dream, how could such a good thing happen! ”

"Yes, I heard that after attending this elementary school, he is more knowledgeable than the previous Xiucai, not only can read and write, but also can settle accounts, which is really good!"

As soon as the two were chatting, they had already approached the gate of the school.

At this time, there were more and more people, and suddenly there was a noise at the entrance of the village, but it was the county magistrate of Qizhou County who led a group of officials from the county seat to attend the opening ceremony of the school.

Li Zhongxian looked at it with excitement on his face, although it was not the first time he had seen the county magistrate, he still couldn't help but be excited.

After the sound of firecrackers was over, the county magistrate, a scholar in his thirties, stood in front of the gate of the school with a foreign accent and announced loudly: "Fathers and fellow villagers of Qizhou, this county announces that the second primary school of Qizhou County has been officially completed and opened!" ”

Then, in the loud shout of the county magistrate, it was revealed that a total of 10 primary schools and two secondary schools should be built in 9 townships and towns in Qizhou County. Among them, the primary school is temporarily classified as compulsory education, and all admission is free of charge. Now the county, has been completed two, half a year later, will be completed six, a year later will be all the school will be completed, then, all 8 years old school-age children, regardless of gender, need to enroll, if there are found that school-age children are not enrolled, parents are punished, together with the village head.

After a brief speech, the county magistrate hurried away with the officials. And the principal of the school and a group of teachers officially opened the school and recruited students. Li Hu and two to three hundred other children were introduced to the school and officially began their primary school students.