Chapter 37: Sun Shan Is Off to School

On New Year's Eve, Sun Shan was dragged off early by his mother, Su, to bathe and change into a new set of red clothes—jacket and trousers—making him look like a small, scrawny firecracker. The red fabric had been a gift from Eldest Aunt Sun, enough for two outfits; Mother Huang had specifically provided the money for Su to buy quality cotton for the padding, insisting that good fabric deserved good filler. As for the others, standard cotton would suffice. The girls in the family also received new floral-patterned outfits, but fortunately, they were pink, far less flamboyant than Sun Shan’s ensemble.

De’er had put on his new clothes and started playing with firecrackers, but his moment of glory lasted less than three seconds before his new outfit was riddled with holes. Furious, Third Aunt Sun grabbed a stick as thick as an arm and began swatting him. Third Uncle Sun cheered from the sidelines, "Hit him! He deserves it! He's too mischievous—such a nice set of clothes, ruined in an instant." Eldest Sister brought home fabric every year, but De’er never learned his lesson; his new clothes became old rags in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Dingming from the second branch followed Second Aunt Sun into the kitchen. Since Eldest Aunt Sun ran a food business, his aunt and uncle had specifically trained him in cooking, serving dishes, and washing up. When Mother Huang learned of this, she nodded in approval: "Ming’er, even if you don't become a chef, you must know how to cook, serve, and clean. You’re heading to the prefectural city after the New Year; you must be diligent and learn everything you can from your aunt." Ming’er nodded eagerly and said earnestly, "Grandma, I understand. I will do whatever my aunt tells me and learn all I can from her." Ming’er felt that every job required starting from the bottom; even if he had to scrub the latrines, he would do it. Third Uncle Sun curled his lip, thinking, *Easy to say, harder to do. Once he’s in the city, he’ll have to listen to Eldest Sister regardless.* He glanced at his own eldest son, Dingguang, playing nearby, and felt a surge of resentment—such a golden opportunity, wasted on the second branch.

Soon, the New Year's Eve dinner was ready. After exchanging well-wishes and staying up until midnight, the three Sun brothers lit the firecrackers, welcoming the new year amidst the crackling explosions.

Sun Shan was now six. He felt that his education should be placed on the agenda. He had tried to start school at five, but the entire Sun family had opposed it, worried about his frail health. Left with no choice, Sun Shan had focused on exercise, striving to become a healthy child. Once the Lantern Festival passed, Sun Shan told his family, "Father, I want to go to school. De’er is going this year too, so I’ll have company."

De’er was seven, and Third Uncle Sun was planning to send him to the village school. In the Sun family, children usually started school between seven and eight, studied for a few years to learn the basics, and then dropped out. Sun Bomin had no objections and asked with a smile, "Why is that? Does my Shanzi love to read?" It wasn't that other children hadn't expressed a desire to study, but those weren't Sun children. The youngsters in the family didn't seem particularly keen on schooling; even those from the second and third branches were rumored to be mediocre students.

Sun Shan nodded with grave seriousness: "Father, I like to read. I want to pass the imperial examinations and become a scholar." Hearing this, Su was delighted by her son’s ambition and smiled, "Husband, let Shanzi go to school this year. We have the money; we can afford it." Over the years, Sun Bomin and Su had worked diligently, and since they didn't have to hand over their earnings to the collective, they had saved enough to keep Sun Shan in school for several years. The couple planned for him to study until he had learned all the essentials, then go work at his aunt’s shop. If the opportunity arose, he could become an accountant; if not, he would stay by his aunt’s side. They hoped he could eventually buy a house in the prefectural city and take a wife. Life in the city was always better than in Sun Village, where farming was grueling work—toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk, barely making ends meet. Sun Bomin believed that without the help of the He family, they would struggle even to feed themselves.

Since the decision to attend school was made, Sun Bomin sought out Third Uncle Sun: "Third Brother, since De’er is starting school this year, I plan to send Shanzi as well. Dingguang and Dingyong are already there. You have experience—what should I prepare?"

Third Uncle Sun was surprised. "Brother, you’re sending Shanzi to learn to read at only six years old?" He glanced at his nephew playing with De’er—a year younger than De’er, yet a head shorter and much thinner. *Can Shanzi handle school?*

Sun Bomin gave a wry smile: "Shanzi heard De’er was going and started clamoring to join. He and De’er are inseparable. If De’er goes to study and Shanzi is left all alone, he won't have it." Third Uncle Sun understood; children always wanted what others had. Only those who had tasted the bitterness of study knew what it was truly like. When he had first told De’er about school, the boy had wailed, yet he had still excitedly shared the news with Shanzi. It was only natural for Shanzi to want to go now.

Third Uncle Sun laughed, "Fine, let the two brothers go together. They can study and keep each other company."

Sun Bomin asked, "We are sending them to Scholar Zheng, right?"

"Of course," Third Uncle Sun replied as if it were obvious. "Brother, he’s the only licentiate within a hundred miles. Unless you want to send them to the county seat—I hear there's a scholar there, but that’s only for those aiming for the imperial examinations. For our kids, just learning to read is enough." They didn't send them to the town because there were no licentiates there either. Huangyang County was impoverished, both economically and educationally. It was said that besides the officials at the prefectural office, there were only two licentiates in the entire county, both of whom had passed during the very first examinations of the new dynasty. In those days, talent was scarce, and those with even a modicum of knowledge could pass through sheer luck. Scholar Zheng of Zheng Village was one of those from that first batch.

Sun Shan had learned from He Shuyu that the Great Qian Dynasty was a new regime. This was the twenty-fourth year of Taiqi, meaning the Emperor had been on the throne for twenty-four years. The current Emperor was the founding ruler. Shuyu hadn't mentioned his exact age, and Sun Shan didn't know it either.

Sun Bomin and Third Uncle Sun had never considered the path of the imperial examinations. It was a time-consuming and expensive road that rural folk could neither afford nor desire to walk. The Sun family hoped that with the protection of Eldest Aunt Sun, their children would have a better life than their fathers.

Sun Bomin asked, "What is the tuition?"

Third Uncle Sun, having two sons already studying under Scholar Zheng, knew the rules well: "One tael of silver for tuition per year. Books, brushes, and ink are extra. When Yong’er started, he needed several books, plus the four treasures of the study—that’s about two taels." In other words, to walk through the school gates, one needed at least three taels of silver. A typical farming household in Sun Village only earned two to three taels a year, so supporting a child in school was an immense burden. Aside from Sun Shan’s family, only the village head’s family sent their children to school; no one else in the village did. This was an era where knowledge was monopolized; without money, one simply could not study.

Third Uncle Sun complained, "Oh, Brother, with all three of my boys enrolled, I’m suffering."

Sun Bomin shot his brother a look. It was a burden, to be sure, but Third Brother shouldn't forget that Eldest Sister always subsidized the children's schooling. For instance, when it was confirmed that De’er would go to school this year, Eldest Sister had immediately given three taels for the registration fees. This was public knowledge among the Suns. Third Brother might be struggling, but certainly not as much as he claimed. Between the annual harvests, foraging in the mountains, the dividends from selling citrus in previous years, and his occasional odd jobs in the county, Third Brother could definitely afford it.

Sun Bomin had originally planned to send Shanzi next year, but since the boy was demanding to go early, he hadn't told Eldest Sister, and thus had received no subsidy. Sun Bomin had the silver, and with only one son, he could afford it without troubling his sister.