My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 38 Xiao Fuzi

Butler Tao found a place for Zhu Zi to study at a private school in the city. It cost 200 copper coins, a piece of meat, and a peck of rice per month, which would amount to about 1500 yuan, equivalent to the price of a modern private school. In contrast, the tuition at Moshan was 1 tael of silver per month, and clothes, shoes, and books were to be paid for by the student himself.

Lin Ziping clicked his tongue inwardly. A monthly tuition of 1 yuan was probably similar to that of a prestigious academy. Even if one studied well and received scholarships and various subsidies, it would still cost about half a tael of silver a month. One tael of silver was roughly half a year's living expenses for a farmer. Studying was so difficult. He missed the nine years of compulsory education.

Having learned from his previous experience during the morning rush hour, Lin Ziping refused the carriage service and walked to school alone every day.

The carriage ride takes twenty minutes, and it takes about forty minutes to walk to the foot of Moshan Mountain. From there, it takes about fifteen minutes to walk to the classroom. That's an hour spent on travel every day, plus about an hour for dressing, washing, and eating. Class starts at eight, so I normally have to get up at six. If I also need to practice martial arts for an hour, I have to get up at five. Even going to bed at nine doesn't guarantee eight hours of sleep. I might not grow tall enough. No wonder school district housing is so expensive. We can't be poor in education, and we can't let our children suffer. ╥﹏╥...

I originally thought that without the harmful effects of modern technology like cell phones, I could become a master of time management, going to bed early and waking up early, but...

Sometimes I feel that a day is always too short, and no matter how carefully I plan, it's never enough. Other times I feel that a day is too long, and even eternity is just a moment away.

She slung a satchel sewn by Granny Liao over her shoulder, filled it with books and a large-scale Zhou edition of "Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation" that she had customized for Tao Ju'an, and prepared to give it to him to start the sea of ​​questions for the prefectural examination.

I left home at seven o'clock. It was already past the spring equinox, and the sky was already bright. The area where the Lin family lived was a residential area, and there were few vendors setting up stalls. Occasionally, a peddler would pass by carrying his goods.

As Lin Ziping crossed two streets, the area gradually became bustling. The most lively spots were the breakfast stalls, where people were buying steamed buns, rice noodles, and bread, all steaming hot and emitting enticing aromas. Farmers carrying loads of vegetables weaved through the crowd, and when an elderly woman with a basket passed by, she would put down her load for customers to choose from. The sounds of vendors calling out their wares filled the air, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Lin Ziping carefully made his way through the crowd and continued walking forward. He looked up and saw "Lin's Spice Shop," his family's property. It was too early for it to open yet. He had heard from Steward Tao that his family also had a general store in Qingyang County, but he had never been there and didn't know exactly what they sold. Maybe needles, thread, hoes, sickles, or something like that.

After walking down another street, a building came into view. The building had two floors, with a row of lanterns hanging under the eaves. A sign reading "Chunhua Building" hung in the center of the second floor. The exterior decoration style was similar to that of a restaurant I had eaten at in an old town street before. Both were antique, except one was faked and the other was genuinely antique.

The name sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I've heard it before.

Arriving at the foot of Moshan Academy, people had already started walking up the steps, and the scene was like a pilgrimage. There were even earlier travelers than you.[1]

Lin Ziping joins the pilgrimage group, starting a new day.

"La la la, la la la, I'm a little expert at selling newspapers~" Humming a song, Lin Ziping ran out of the classroom and down the steps at the foot of the mountain.

Whether you're in school or at work, the happiest time is when you're on vacation. You feel light on your feet and in a good mood!

The Qingming Festival is a three-day holiday.

No make-up days, just three full days of rest, I instantly fell in love (‐＾▽＾‐)

"The rain falls in torrents on Qingming Festival, and the travelers on the road are heartbroken." [2]

Having worked as a professional laborer for many years away from home, Lin Ziping has long lost interest in holidays like Qingming and Dragon Boat Festival, except for the Spring Festival which evokes special feelings. He is only concerned with whether there are holidays or not, and whether there is triple pay for overtime. The city he lives in doesn't hold any events, so it's usually just a mundane holiday that passes by before he realizes it.

Upon arriving at Chunhua Tower, the windows on the second floor were already open, and melodious piano music drifted onto the street, attracting people to stop and listen. Occasionally, a young lady wearing a light veil would walk past the window, covering her mouth and giggling as she saw the people stopping on the street. Her eyes sparkled, and Lin Ziping felt somewhat intoxicated.

A voice called out, "Lin Ziping," pulling Lin Ziping back to reality.

Looking around, he didn't see anyone calling him.

"Here, Lin Ziping!" This time the voice was louder. Lin Ziping saw a head peeking out from the alley next to Chunhua Tower, waving at him.

Lin Ziping looked closely, and... wasn't this Xiao Fuzi?!

"Little Fuzi, what are you doing here?" Lin Ziping walked towards the alley entrance, raising his voice with a hint of surprise.

"This isn't the place to talk, let's go," said Xiao Fuzi.

Looking at the somewhat dimly lit alley, Lin Ziping suddenly recalled his experience during the Lantern Festival and withdrew his foot.

"Where are you going? Come on, I'll treat you to tea." Luckily, I had brought some pocket money that Granny Liao had given me when I left, about twenty copper coins, otherwise I wouldn't be able to refuse now.

Xiao Fuzi stopped, looked at Lin Ziping, and smiled, "Okay."

The two arrived at a tea shop, which was right across from Lin's Spice Shop.

"Little Fuzi, where did you go behind the city gate last time? I couldn't find you when I turned around." Lin Ziping ordered a pot of tea and found a clean table to sit down.

"Seeing that your family had arrived, I left without saying anything to you." Xiao Fuzi poured water into the teacup in front of Lin Ziping from the teapot.

Just like he always did when eating at restaurants, Lin Ziping habitually rinsed his cup and poured out the water. Suddenly realizing this wasn't the usual routine, and fearing Xiao Fuzi might misunderstand, he rinsed and poured out the cup in front of her as well. He gave himself a thumbs up for his quick thinking! (????)

"Oh, I was wondering why I hadn't seen you. Where do you live? I'll come visit you next time," Lin Ziping said as he refilled the two cups with water.

Xiao Fuzi held his teacup in silence, and Lin Ziping noticed that his injury had healed, leaving a fresh scar on the back of his hand.

"Little Fuzi?" Seeing that the person opposite him didn't react and was still holding the water in a daze, he waved his hand in front of his eyes.

Xiao Fuzi looked at Lin Ziping, put down her teacup as if she had made a great decision, and said, "I am from Chunhualou."

"Chunhua Tower, no wonder you were in that alley." Lin Ziping took a sip of tea, and it seemed like there was a tea stalk inside.

"Don't you know Chunhua Tower?" Xiao Fuzi asked in surprise, her eyes wide.

"I know, isn't it that building from earlier, where you worked as a waiter... a waiter?"

Lin Ziping looked at Xiao Fuzi, his thoughts starting to wander. She should be around ten years old. If she's under sixteen, she's considered a child laborer, but there certainly isn't a law protecting minors in this era.

"No...yes, I'm the waiter inside." Xiao Fuzi stammered, lowering her head.

"If you come out with me now, will you be punished when you go back?" Lin Ziping felt a sense of sympathy for the other person when he saw that she was a little embarrassed. When he was in college, he was always evasive when introducing where he came from to his classmates because his hometown was too small, just like Xiao Fuzi.

Xiao Fuzi looked up at Lin Ziping but didn't say anything.

"When are you free tomorrow? Let's meet here again?" Lin Ziping thought that it should be peak time for hotels and restaurants now, and Xiao Fuzi might get scolded if she went back late.

"We won't go here anymore. We'll meet at Changliu Lane tomorrow, there's a bridge over the river."

Lin Ziping thought for a moment. When he went to the academy in the morning, he passed through a long alley. The water from Moshan Mountain flows there and is considered a branch of the moat. There are two rows of willow trees on both sides of the river, which is probably where the name comes from.

“Okay, let’s meet there at noon.” Lin Ziping calculated the time; it was almost 9 AM, time for breakfast, and the hotel wasn’t too crowded.

Xiao Fuzi took a big gulp of water and said, "Okay, see you tomorrow at 9:00 AM. I'm off."

After saying that, he turned and ran away, before Er Kang could even reach out his hand to stop him.

As they packed their things to pay the bill, Xiao Fuzi had already paid.

Lin Ziping felt a little embarrassed; he should pay in advance next time he treats someone to a meal.