Snowflakes are falling outside, but the town's taverns are doing brisk business. In such weather, most of the people are confined to their homes, staying at home and bored, and those with two spare money come to the tavern, and spend a little copper plate to drink and chat in the warm tavern all day.

Therefore, the more snow falls outside, the more lively the tavern becomes.

The door creaked open, and then the thick curtain was lifted, and a cold wind poured in with snowflakes, making the people in the room shiver.

A few men at the table at the door shouted impatiently, "Close it, close it." ”

Coming in from outside was a middle-aged man in a long robe, but although he was wearing a robe, his clothes were patches and patches. The whole person is also thin and haggard, with a scruffy beard.

"Warm two bowls of wine, and ask for a plate of salted peanuts."

The middle-aged robed guest walked up to the high counter and lined up nine yellow copper dollars on the counter.

Behind the counter sat a shopkeeper with his hands in his sleeve and a melon skin hat, and next to him stood a young man in his teens. The old shopkeeper was not in a hurry to collect the money, and he did not let the man go to drink immediately.

He just glanced at the nine copper yuan, and then chuckled, "Nine boys can't warm two bowls of wine, let alone a plate of peanuts." If it's freezing today, prices have also risen. A bowl of rice wine, you have two big sons, if you want to warm two bowls of wine and add a plate of salted peanuts, now you have three big sons, you don't have enough nine boys, you have to add six boys. ”

The white-faced robe muttered a few words, but he really couldn't take out six boys on his body, and he was embarrassed to say that he had no money and turned away. In the end, I had to say, "Bring the chalk, I'll hang six boys on this little blackboard first, and I'll give it back to you." ”

The shopkeeper is not unforgiving, and this robe customer is also an old customer in the tavern, although he often hangs some accounts. But the character is always good, or it won't be long before I come to pay back the money and cancel the account. Unlike some poor drunkards in short clothes, they always don't drink enough, but they don't always have enough money, and their accounts hang there, and they always can't settle them, and they accumulate more and more.

"Write it yourself." The shopkeeper didn't bother to do it himself, and motioned to the man to hand over a piece of chalk. Let the robed guest keep his own account on the small blackboard by the counter.

The robed guest picked up the chalk and skillfully wrote two powerful Chinese characters, Jiangxun, in the only remaining space on the blackboard, and then wrote a line of small characters on the back, a copper plate in six characters.

The young man had already gone to the side of the wine jar to drink, and the wine jar was placed on the edge of the counter, and those short-clothed customers always had to stare at the guy every time to see if there was any water in it, and they had to see that the beaten wine was personally sent to the hot water on the side to warm it. Never let the guy have a chance to mix with water.

However, Jiang Xun didn't watch it every time, and he didn't trust his buddy, he just felt that that kind of behavior would discredit him as a scholar. He was also reluctant to add a few copper plates to the table inside, and he was even more reluctant to pay for the private room. So he drank outside. However, he didn't like to sit at the table with a bunch of rough men who were very loud and only liked to brag and talk, so every time he came to drink, he would stand directly at the counter and drink.

Every time he comes to drink, he must drink Shaoxing rice wine. In fact, the wine in the tavern is not the Shaoxing Yellow River at all. It's just ordinary rice wine, everyone knows it, and they don't say it. When it was sold, it was still in the name of Shaoxing rice wine.

In addition to this Shaoxing rice wine, the tavern also sells liquor, red wine, and even beer. However, everyone's favorite drink is rice wine and beer, generally everyone calls rice wine winter wine, and beer is ale wine. As for white wine and red wine, although they are sold, there are few people who drink them, mainly because they are too expensive.

Baijiu is also easy to get drunk, which is not in line with everyone's plan to mix a few beers in a tavern for a day.

Jiang Xun only drinks rice wine, and orders Shaoxing rice wine every time.

If you want wine, you will naturally have some snacks to accompany the wine, such as salt-boiled dried bamboo shoots, or fennel beans, or iron broad beans, fried soybeans, salted peanuts, if you are rich, you will generally ask for an inside table, and then order a plate of fried liver or spiced beef or pig's head meat, if you are more rich, you generally order the box directly, and you may also order roast chicken and duck and the like.

However, most people just sit in the lobby downstairs, grab a glass of ale or winter wine, and then ask for the cheapest dried bamboo shoots.

Although Jiang Xun wears a robe, he can also keep accounts on the blackboard by himself, and he is a scholar. But everyone was in awe of him, after all, he was a guy who stood by the counter and drank every time.

Of course, the most important thing is that although Jiang Xun is a scholar, he has no fame, not even a talent. None of the talents are showmen, and of course the big guys can be on an equal footing with him.

As soon as he saw him drinking again, he deliberately shouted familiarly, "Master Jiang, aren't you in the capital to participate in the audition, why did you come to drink?" ”

Jiang Xun's pale face was slightly red, and his eyes widened and he said, "Why are you insulting me for nothing? ”

"How is this an insult to you, isn't it just to study to participate in the imperial examination, why don't you go?"

Jiang Xun's face turned red, the green tendons on his forehead were exposed, and he also distinguished, "Ten years of hard work, once the title of the gold list, this is not an easy thing. There are millions of people who read books in the world, as many as carp crossing the river, but every three years there is one subject, and there are only a few hundred scholars, just like thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge, how difficult it is. ”

Jiang Xun is also just from an ordinary family and has been studying since he was a child. People say that after ten years of hard study, they thought that they could be nominated for the gold list in ten years, but the reality is that he is already over 30 years old, he has been enlightened since he was four years old, and he has been reading books for nearly 30 years now, and he has participated in a total of seven county exams since he was 12 years old.

As a result, not only did he fail to take the Jinshi Juren, but he didn't even get into the show.

In fact, he only passed the county test, but he was repeatedly brushed down at the level of the government test, the hospital test, and the child test. I'm in my thirties, but I'm still just a child.

After studying for 30 years, he didn't know how to make a living, except for studying all day long, and he didn't even have a field at home. His father died early, and the family actually relied on his mother and wife to weave and embroider to earn some money to supplement the family.

Jiang Xun is just a boy who can't pass the government exam, so even if he wants to teach in the museum, no one invites him. Everyone called him Master, also because the neighbors in the neighborhood and those poor families had no money to give gifts to the teacher, so they sent the children to his house to teach him a few words.

Such a master. Of course, it can't be compared with the gentleman in the regular private school, everyone sends a fish to two catties of meat during the New Year's holidays. Fortunately, although Jiang Xun Bagu can't do it, he writes very well in one hand, and he usually copies it for people, which can be regarded as earning three melons and two dates.

It's a pity that this is not a real job after all, and copying books can't support a family.

Since the late Ming Dynasty, there have been more and more people in the world, no less than a million people, even those who have been admitted to show talents, and there are hundreds of thousands. But the road to the imperial examination is difficult. It is said that the poor show can raise the rich, and the gold lifts the people and the silver jinshi, and the higher you go, the more difficult it is.

If you can pass the exam, life can be very better, in the previous dynasty, you are qualified to be an official, and once you win the lift, you will be called the master. At that time, many people will come to make offerings, and they will also be eligible for preferential exemption from the tax of two dings and two stones.

But there are too few people who can be lifted in the exam. There are only more than 100 places in a province to admit people.

What's more, if you want to be promoted, you must at least show off your talents first.

There are too many talents, and there are few people in the middle, so most of the talents are very poor. Therefore, it is called poor Xiucai. If you are a talent in the examination, you can enter the school, which is called a student. At the time of the previous dynasty, the entrance examination must go through the imperial examination, and the imperial examination must go through the school. The imperial examination and the school are connected.

Each county will have 20 places for students. You can get the rice and food money given by the imperial court. Generally, there is one stone of rice per person per month, and Fu County will also have some food.

However, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, all the prefectures and counties in the world. There are hundreds of talents in large counties, and there are more than 100 in small counties, but there are only 20 people who can eat, so they can't take the exam, and the families are average, so they are mostly poor talents.

In the end, in addition to continuing to take the imperial examination, most of them will also choose to teach in the museum, or become a staff master for officials, or change their careers to study medicine and become doctors, and some people simply go to the sea to do business.

But this is the way out for the talents, Jiang Xun can't pass a house test, no one invites him to be a gentleman, he is not qualified to be a master, and he also needs to pay for studying medicine and doing business, so in the end he has been hanging in the middle and swaying.

The shopkeeper of the tavern and Jiang Xun have also been neighbors for many years, and in the past two years, the world has gradually become peaceful, and the business of his tavern has become better and better. Especially after the new dynasty, all kinds of taxes were less apportioned, although commercial taxes and so on were levied, but these taxes were all placed in the clear place, how much should be how much, there will be no various requests for cards, etc., after paying taxes, business is still more than in the past.

The shopkeeper once wanted to invite Jiang Xun to come to the store to help, but Jiang Xun couldn't afford to be an ordinary guy in the store because he couldn't afford to be a scholar.

Jiang Xun stood on the edge of the counter, drank half a bowl of warm wine, and his face gradually recovered.

The shopkeeper asked him, "Master, is it difficult to take the examination today, I heard that the examination method has been changed this time, and a lot of places have been added?" ”

Jiang Xun looked at the shopkeeper, sighed, and continued, "This imperial examination has indeed changed the examination method and added the number of places, but the county examination is still an eight-share system, and the most unfortunate thing for me is the eight-share system." ”

Jiang Xun's face showed a decadent look, his face was gray, and he sighed for a long time.

Although the county examination this time is still eight shares, the number of admitted students has more than doubled, but he is still named Sun Shan.

"Master, what are your plans, are you going to go to the dark on a road, you are also in the age of standing, the old mother in the family is old, you can't always rely on the hard work of the old mother and wife to subsidize the family, right?"

Jiang Xun lowered his head and was speechless.

He was also often uneasy, but he really didn't know what else he could do except study for the imperial examination.

"I've heard people say that the Mengtong in the neighborhood where you teach at home is good, and they are better than the teachers in ordinary private schools. A few children not only know more words than they are taught in private schools, but also can do simple calculations, which is not easy, I think you are suitable for teaching. ”

Jiang Xun smiled bitterly, he was just a boy who couldn't pass the government test, who would ask him to teach.

"Master, I have good news here." The shopkeeper said with a smile.

"Oh, what's the good news, is any neighbor ready to send their children to my enlightenment?"

"It's not." The shopkeeper shook his hand, "I only heard from our mayor yesterday that we are not going to build a primary school in our town." ”

Jiang Xun nodded, he knew this, this was the emperor's will, to set up schools in all counties and towns in the world, not the kind of schools in the previous dynasty. The official school of the previous dynasty must have a talent to enter the school, so it is also called entering the school.

In the previous dynasties, the county schools were all talented students, and there were Guozijian in Beijing and Nanjing, and they were all prisoners.

However, there are also privately run schools, which are usually private schools or seowons.

The schools to be opened by the imperial court now are not official schools in the past, but are similar to private schools, and the prefectures and counties are open middle schools. There are junior high schools and senior high schools, and in the provincial capitals, it is said that there are also universities, such as normal universities, such as Jingshi University, such as Guozijian University, etc.

And in the county and township, it is the senior novel and the junior elementary school.

According to the imperial court's wishes, all five-year-old boys must be enrolled in school in the future, and receive at least three years of elementary school education, which is mandatory. But there is no need to pay tuition, tuition and miscellaneous fees, etc., and even the imperial court also includes a lunch.

At least one primary school should be built in each township. With so many primary schools, it is natural that many teachers are needed.

Jiang Xun also wanted to teach in elementary school, but after inquiring, the teacher recruited by others must at least be a showman.

"Mr. Zhen Primary School recruits, at least you have to show your talents." Jiang Xun said helplessly.

"I know that, but there's an opportunity." The shopkeeper hurriedly told the neighbor the good news he had heard, "You know, the imperial court has decreed that every township should build a primary school, and that all boys must receive at least three years of junior primary education in the future. It is mandatory, compulsory and compulsory. The shopkeeper said a new word.

"This is a good thing, teaching and educating people, and opening up the wisdom of the people. Ten years of trees and a hundred years of people, the benefit is in the contemporary, and the merit is in the future. Jiang Xun said.

"But you also know, although the county now has a township. But how many townships are there in a county? But there are dozens of villages in a large country, and there are more than a dozen villages in the small ones. Some villages are dozens of miles away from the township, especially many villages are still in the mountains. Roads are blocked. It is also difficult for a few year-old children in the mountains to send them to the countryside to study, you say yes, and the people in the village are not at ease. ”

Jiang Xun nodded.

"Therefore, the imperial court also allowed the villages below to open their own village primary schools."

Jiang Xun's eyes lit up and he thought of something. The imperial court wants all three years of compulsory education, and the village is unwilling to let children of a few years old go to the village dozens of miles away to study in primary school, so if the village is willing to build a primary school, the court is also willing.

But in this way, even if the village is willing to build a primary school, those talents are not necessarily willing to go to the village to teach. After all, the conditions of the village primary school must be poor, just get a room, or simply go to the ancestral hall to attend classes, it is estimated that there will not be many children, and the conditions for teaching in such a primary school are definitely not as good as the township primary school.

That's what the shopkeeper said.

"Now that's the case, in addition to the government-run township primary school, the imperial court allows the following villages to run village schools, and is also willing to provide some financial support, but the demand for Mr. is greater, and it is impossible for the court to assign Mr. to each village school. Therefore, what is given now is the policy, the township is a public teacher, and the village is a private teacher. ”

"Private teacher?"

"It's equivalent to the difference between the past economic officials and ordinary officials in the yamen." The shopkeeper explained, "The salary of private teachers is definitely not as good as that of public teachers, and the conditions are worse." ”

Jiang Xun knew that the public teachers hired by the township elementary school now had at least ten silver dollars a month. This is still the lowest salary level, and the principal of the primary school can get 30 yuan a month, which is not lower than the officials in the county government.

When Jiang Xun knew about this treatment, he was envious for a long time. Even if prices have risen in the past two years, an ordinary worker may not be able to earn five silver dollars a month. However, a primary school teacher has a minimum of ten silver dollars, which is even higher than the treatment of ordinary soldiers in the imperial court today.

But think about it, these township teachers must at least be a showman, and it's normal. Show talent, but also have a reputation. Even if there is no such preferential exemption in the new dynasty now, after all, it is a person who has made a name for himself in the imperial examination.

"How many private teachers are there?" Jiang Xun asked. He did want to find a job and earn money to support his family.

"Five yuan a month, a double salary at the end of the year, and some subsidies and bonuses during the New Year's Festival, it is estimated that there will be seventy or eighty yuan a year. The most important thing is that this salary is paid by the township office, not by the village. ”

There is a big difference between the township office and the village. If it is from the village, no matter how high the salary is, it may not be able to get it.

Five yuan a month, seventy or eighty yuan a year, Jiang Xun's breathing is a little short, which is a great thing. If there were seventy or eighty yuan a year, the life of the family would improve immediately, and the mother and wife would no longer have to weave until dawn.

"I do." He shouted impatiently, and without paying attention, the voice was so loud that the entire tavern heard it. Everyone turned their heads to look at each other, and then after a few moments, they went back to drinking and chatting.

"Don't worry, it's not so easy to be a small village private teacher, there is still a one-month probation period, and then the county education department will assess whether you are qualified."

"It should." Jiang Xun nodded, and then asked an important question, "If you become a private teacher, can you still participate in the imperial examination in the future?" ”

"Yes, but there are conditions. is to become a private teacher, you have to teach for at least three years before you can participate in the imperial examination. If you pass the imperial examination, you can naturally stop teaching. If you don't win, you can continue to teach. ”

"If you teach for six consecutive years, then the imperial court will also grant you the title of Tongxiucai."

"Same as the same person?"

"Yes, it's the same as the new Tongju now." The shopkeeper of the tavern nodded and said, Tongju people are only available in this imperial examination, and they are those who failed to take the township examination this time, and then take another exam, and the outstanding ones selected from them will be awarded the title of Tongju people, and then they will be selected to enter Jingshi University for further study.

"What's the benefit of being the same show?" Jiang Xun couldn't help but ask.

"Tongxiu is not just a title."

After having the title of Tongxiucai, he can be sent to the provincial normal school for further study by the imperial court, and after he comes out, he will be assigned to the township primary schools as public primary school teachers.

The private teacher of the village primary school, with the title of Xiucai, was sent to the provincial normal school, and after coming out, he was assigned to the township primary school to become a public teacher, with a salary of at least ten silver dollars a month

At this moment, Jiang Xun's whole face turned red with excitement, and he felt that the dark future was suddenly bright.

He drank the remaining glass of wine in one gulp, and shouted at the young man, "Two more bowls of Shaoxing rice wine, I want the real Shaoxing rice wine, and my eighteen-year-old daughter is red!" ”

(To be continued.) )

PS: Thank you for your support from 123456789ass, Fengxue Xiaoxiaowang, and Bu Zhixuan, thank you!