Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity
Chapter 84 - 9 The Four Treasures of the Study

Chapter 84: Chapter 9 The Four Treasures of the Study

"The tuition here is two taels of silver per year, and you must provide your own brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. If you don’t have the books, you can buy them from me at a price cheaper than the bookstores outside. Additionally, if you live far away, you’ll need to have lunch at the private school. Of course, you can also bring your lunch, and the kitchen can heat it for you, just give the cook ten wen a month. If you don’t bring your own, you can eat at the school for two hundred wen a month as a meal fee. Lunch here is at early noon, so you’ll need to have breakfast before coming, otherwise, your stomach won’t endure it." Mr. Wen was quite satisfied with this student, finding him perceptive, calm, not impetuous, and good at reading people and situations, with decent aptitude. Actually, he would have accepted him just based on the first part of what he said. It’s already commendable for a five-year-old to think that much. However, what he said afterward appealed to him even more. He wasn’t the type to rigidly adhere to conventions. Why study? Isn’t it just to gain scholarly status and become an official? So why bother with pretentious words? It’s better to be honest.

Thinking that Gu Chengyu would officially become his student tomorrow, he gave him a few careful reminders because he knew that farming families weren’t well-off and typically have only two meals a day, which would be different from the diet at the private school.

"Thank you, sir, for the reminder." Two taels of silver doesn’t seem like a lot, but when starting at a private school, you still have to buy brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and books. On holidays, you also need to give gifts, and considering all these costs, it adds up. If classmates want to socialize outside, it costs even more silver. No wonder they say it’s not easy for the poor to study in ancient times!

"Then I’ll take the books from you, sir! And I’ll pay the tuition and meal fees. Sir, could you calculate the total amount in silver?" Mr. Gu intended to pay the tuition today, so tomorrow, they would only need to bring the formal teacher-gifting ceremony items.

"Three books, each for one hundred and eighty wen, cheaper by twenty wen per book than outside bookstores, the meal fee is two hundred wen, and the tuition is two taels, for a total of two taels and seven hundred and forty wen. But since you are my student now, I’ll waive the forty wen, just give me two taels and seven qian of silver, and I’ll give you the books tomorrow when you arrive." Mr. Wen knew it wasn’t easy for farm families. Seeing that the father and son were wearing clothes made of fine cotton fabric, although brand new, they were likely rarely worn, so he reduced the price by forty wen.

"Thank you, sir!" Gu Chengyu bowed again to Mr. Wen.

Mr. Gu took out three taels of broken silver from his pocket and handed them to Mr. Wen, who then counted out three hundred wen from his own pocket and gave it back to Mr. Gu.

"Then I and the boy will not bother you further, sir, we will take our leave!" Mr. Gu, seeing that everything had been settled, decided to say goodbye, feeling somewhat uneasy staying longer.

Gu Chengyu watched his father, who had been hunching his back ever since they entered, and felt a pang of heartache. In ancient times, scholars had a high status, and farmers felt inferior just standing next to them, even before speaking. Furthermore, the Gu family had been poor for so many years, which caused his father’s lack of confidence when speaking. Alas! Gu Chengyu cheered himself on, determined to study hard. He would not let down all his golden opportunities, nor his parents, who were wholeheartedly thinking of him! But now was too early to think about these things; better to first let the family become prosperous. Isn’t it said that money is the courage of men?

After leaving Mr. Wen’s private school, Gu Chengyu and Mr. Gu went to Xiwu Bookstore.

"Manager Pan, sorry to trouble you again." Mr. Gu greeted Manager Pan with a smile.

"Oh! Seeing Uncle Gu looking so cheerful, I guess little Bao has passed Mr. Wen’s examination? Ready to study then? Soon to be a scholar, huh!" Manager Pan was also pleased to see them. This meant business for him!

"Haha! You guessed right! Isn’t it? Little Bao is starting school tomorrow! I brought him to buy some Four Treasures of the Study and some writing paper. Do you have good recommendations? I’ll say upfront, I don’t want anything that’s bad, and you have to give me a good price.""

Manager Pan was a bit surprised by his words. Could it be that the Gu family isn’t short of silver? "Uncle Gu, what are you saying? How could I give you anything bad? You bought the books from Mr. Wen, right? To be honest, Mr. Wen treats his students very well. If they are students of his private school, he sells the books cheaply. Those are handwritten copies, sometimes done by others, sometimes by himself, and they are twenty wen cheaper than outside. We all know this. But he only sells to his own students, and only the essential books; for other exam materials or additional books, you still have to come to me." Manager Pan knew well that even at one hundred and eighty wen, there was still a profit to be made, but now that they were Mr. Wen’s students, there were certain things better left unsaid, right?

What Manager Pan knew, Gu Chengyu could also imagine. The cost of handwritten copies was lower since it only required ink and paper, of course, the handwriting had to be good, the writing fast, and no mistakes; otherwise, it required rewriting, wasting paper and ink. But even at that, selling them for one hundred and eighty wen would still yield at least forty wen in profit. In this way, it garnered reputation, and students benefitted from the savings, a win-win! However, for the bookstore, it did mean a reduction in income, as many of their books were also handwritten. If printing was used, the cost would be in the two hundred wen range per book, so handwritten ones were sold at two hundred wen, leaving bookstores with little profit.

"Let me get some brushes and ink for you, take a look." Manager Pan retrieved three inkstones and several brushes from the counter. In his previous life, Gu Chengyu had practiced calligraphy with a teacher, and though the teacher said he wrote with accuracy but lacked spiritual energy and flair—essentially, too mechanical—he didn’t give up because he enjoyed it. After two years of practice, he was quite familiar with brushes and inkstones.

There were several types of brushes; Manager Pan seemed to have taken out those for large scripts and small regular scripts, while others weren’t needed yet. Gu Chengyu picked up one and examined it closely, likely made of mouse whiskers, the other was mountain rabbit hair. There were no high-quality wolf or goat bristles, just ordinary brushes—not too expensive nor the poorest quality.

The inkstones were very basic, just porcelain ones, but made of smooth, white porcelain. Then he picked up the ink stick placed earlier; this ink stick was rectangular with no designs, emitting a black sheen, feeling slightly rough to the touch, falling into the lower middle-quality range.

These would suffice for his practice now. In fact, he could use the lower-quality ones entirely; only the ink stick smelled unpleasant if too poor. Brushes couldn’t be too inferior either, as they would affect his writing practice. Alright! He admitted he was being meticulous, but why should he economize? If there’s no silver, just earn more! Saving money won’t bring wealth.

Gu Chengyu picked up a white porcelain inkstone with green bamboo drawn on it and an ink stick, plus two brushes, one large and one small, made of mountain rabbit hair, and set them aside. "Manager Pan, how much for these? If too expensive, I won’t take them!" he half-jokingly remarked as he watched Manager Pan, still preparing to fetch more ink sticks.

"Wow! You’ve chosen so quickly?" Manager Pan looked at the pile Gu Chengyu had selected and praised, "You have a good eye; these are among the most reasonably priced and fine-quality items I have. If we weren’t acquainted, I’d be reluctant to bring them out!"