Chapter 107

107 Request

The man frowned slightly and then said to Mo Ruyue, “To be honest, only the third and fourth eldest babies are suitable for the autumn enlightenment class. The other babies are too different in age. Even if they are put into the class, it will be inconvenient.”

“The oldest student in my school is only ten years old. At the age of eleven, he will go to the academy in the city. For your family’s Da Bao to study with children who are only four or five years old… I’m afraid he won’t feel very comfortable in his heart.”

“Besides, there are no girls in my private school. Your youngest baby is a girl. This… How can it be convenient for me, a man, to take care of her?”

The man’s words made Mo Ruyue frown as well. It was not that she had not thought about these problems. It was just that Da Bao and Er Bao’s actual situation was like this and she could not change it.

“Then, if Da Bao and Er Bao can catch up with the progress of your large class in autumn, are you willing to take them in?”

!!

Mo Ruyue suddenly asked.

The gentleman looked at her in surprise and then shook his head. “Madam, if a large class’ teaching can let a child who has not even received enlightenment to catch up in two or three months, then how perfunctory and incompetent am I as a teacher?”

“Generally, children from rich families are initiated by the age of three or four. In our countryside, there are very few who can afford to study, so it’s more or less the same when they’re seven or eight years old. The initiation class is a small class, the second year will be promoted to a middle class, and the third year will be a big class. Wasn’t this a joke?

“Sir, can you give me a list of books and a schedule? Anyway, if I succeed, you’ll still receive two good students. If I don’t succeed, you won’t lose anything, right?”

Mo Ruyue didn’t have any better ideas. Anyway, they couldn’t transfer classes now, and there were still a few months before the new class in autumn. There was no harm in letting Da Bao and Er Bao try.

“No, you have to carefully lay a good foundation in order to study. Even your two children are rare geniuses. Such a hasty study will only be spoiling them through excessive enthusiasm and will harm them instead. Please forgive me for not agreeing.”

The man immediately refused.

Not only did his words not anger Mo Ruyue, but it also made her have a good impression of him.

This was the attitude that a teacher should have. He was serious and responsible. If her babies could study under him, there would be nothing to worry about.

“Sir, please let me try. I promise you that I will lay a solid foundation for them. If you are not satisfied with the entrance examination, I will immediately lead the babies and leave. I will never trouble you again.”

Mo Ruyue decided to give it a try. How would she know if it would work if she didn’t try? Besides, she had been teaching the babies how to read for the past few days, starting from the recent three character classic and hundred family names. The babies were very motivated and efficient in learning.

She always felt that since the five babies could become the most powerful characters in the book, they must have something extraordinary about them. Now, she wanted to explore their potential, but this potential had to be used on the right path.

“This… I say, this one’s words just now were for the sake of your baby. What you did really doesn’t benefit them at all.”

The teacher was still trying to persuade Mo Ruyue to change her mind, but Mo Ruyue was the kind of person who wouldn’t easily change her mind after making a decision. How could she listen to his advice?

“Sir, I just want to ask you to help me make a list of books and a timetable. Is this request too much? Besides, it won’t affect you in any way. I’m the mother of my children, so how could I harm my own children?”

Mo Ruyue was still insistent. The teacher saw that he couldn’t persuade her, so he simply changed his method and tried to scare her off with the high school fees.

“Madam, one of our children here pays three taels of silver a year. Your five children would pay three taels a year per student, and that’s not including the pen and paper fees. Are you sure you can afford it?”

“Please forgive this one for saying the ugly words first, but we don’t sell things on credit here. If you run out of paper and pen, we won’t provide you with them for free.”

He had thought that Mo Ruyue would back off with a pained expression. He didn’t expect her to still nod with a relaxed expression. “Three taels per person, that’s cheap. As for the books, paper, and pen, I will buy them myself. How can we let Teacher bear the responsibility?”

The teacher looked at her suspiciously. She said this so easily. She couldn’t be a liar, right?

When Mo Ruyue left the Li Clan Village, she brought a book list and a class schedule with her. It was just two pieces of paper, but she had spent five taels of deposit.

The reason was that she had made a bet with the teacher. If she brought her babies to take the exam in autumn and their foundations were not strong enough to pass the teacher’s test, they would give up on entering the school. Moreover, the five taels of deposit she paid now would all belong to the teacher.

If they could pass the written test and the teacher’s spot check, they would be admitted to the school according to the age set by the teacher, and the five taels of silver would be deducted as the babies’ tuition fees.

To put it bluntly, this was not spending five taels of silver to buy a piece of paper, but to buy an opportunity for the babies to enter the school.

After Mo Ruyue left the Li Clan Village, she immediately went straight to the county town. This place was very close to the county town, so she could just buy all the books she needed according to the book list.

As San Bao and Si Bao were of the right age to attend the initiation class, Da Bao and Er Bao were too old. It was impossible for them to enter the senior class directly. Therefore, the list was prepared for them.

However, Mo Ruyue had bought five sets of the same book. She felt that since everyone was standing on the same starting line, they should also participate in this process.

When she was only a few years old, she had already begun to struggle on the line of death for survival, so being young did not mean that she could not do anything.

After buying all the books, Mo Ruyue set off on her way home. She was going to read these books by herself and then teach them to the babies. There were still a few months left anyway, so there was still time.

After she returned home, she saw that the babies were all practicing writing in her room. Now, they no longer needed her to urge them. The babies could automatically start to study or do housework, and their self-care ability was getting stronger and stronger.

“Everyone, stop for a moment.”

Mo Ruyue placed the bundles of books in her hands on the brick bed and told the children to stop first. She then told them about her visit to the private school today.

“In other words, Da Bao and Er Bao have to increase the number of students they have to take now. Besides having a strong foundation, you have more to learn. Besides, Sir has said that if you can’t even pass the written entrance examination, there’s no need to take another test.”

“The third and fourth eldest babies should be enrolled in the school as per normal. However, I feel that you two are not any worse than your two brothers. It’s good to watch and learn more, but it’s not necessary.”