After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

Su Xiaoyin woke up before dawn.

She quietly got up without disturbing Chen Dashan, who was still fast asleep, put on her cotton-padded coat, and got off the kang (a heated brick bed). In the kitchen, Su Xiaoqing had already started a fire, and the water in the pot was bubbling away.

"Sis, you're up so early?" Su Xiaoqing turned around and glanced at her.

Su Xiaoyin tied on her apron and started kneading the dough: "Shitou and the others are going to school today, so we need to cook early. Were your clothes prepared last night?"

Su Xiaoqing nodded: "Everything is ready. New cotton-padded jackets and new shoes, one set for each person. I've also packed Xiaohe's bundle, including tuition and apprenticeship gifts, nothing is missing."

The two sisters busied themselves in the kitchen for an hour, and dawn gradually broke. Chen's mother also got up and helped wake the children.

Shi Tou rubbed his eyes and sat up. Seeing the new clothes placed by the kang (a heated brick bed), he immediately perked up: "Mother, are we going to school today?"

Su Xiaoyin went into the room to help him get dressed, and while she dressed him, she instructed him, "Shitou, you are the older brother. When you get to school, you must be obedient. Answer whatever the teacher asks. Don't be naughty, do you understand?"

Stone puffed out his little chest: "I heard you! Mother, I will definitely study hard!"

Aji and Afu were also tidied up by Su Xiaoqing and Chen's mother. The three children wore new cotton-padded jackets, their hair was neatly combed, and their faces were clean, making them a delightful sight.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also changed into clean clothes. Chen Dashan carefully checked the tuition and apprenticeship gifts. There were three sets, and each set was the same: more than two catties of pork belly, a portion of red dates, longan, and celery, and a wrapped silver.

"Let's go." Chen Dashan loaded the things onto the oxcart and called the children to get on.

Shi Tou was the first to climb up, followed by Aji and Afu. The three children sat side by side, chattering excitedly.

Su Xiaoqing chased after Chen Xiaohe to the courtyard gate and said, "You two can go ahead without worry. My mother and I are going to the county town to open a shop today. Drive carefully."

Chen Xiaohe responded and jumped onto the oxcart. Chen Dashan cracked his whip, and the oxcart creaked and groaned its way out of the courtyard.

When they arrived at the village entrance, Brother De was already waiting there. Standing next to him was a little boy, chubby-faced and about the size of a stone, dressed in new clothes and clutching a bundle in his hand.

"Big Mountain, Little River, you're here!" Brother De greeted with a smile. "This is my youngest son, Tiedan. Tiedan, call Uncle Chen."

Tie Dan was a little shy and called out softly, "Uncle Chen." Shi Tou leaned out of the car and waved to him, "Tie Dan, come on up and sit down!"

Tie Dan glanced at his father, and De Ge nodded before he climbed onto the vehicle and sat down next to Shi Tou. The two little boys quickly became acquainted and started chattering away.

After waiting a while, two other families from the village arrived. One family was surnamed Wang, and the other was surnamed Liu. Both were relatively well-off families in the village and also planned to send their children to learn to read. Wang's son was seven years old, and Liu's son was eight years old. Both were lively and energetic, and they quickly became friends and started playing together.

Several oxcarts headed towards the county town together. Along the way, children chattered incessantly, and adults talked about the school. Brother De said, "Liu Xiucai's school has a good reputation in the county town. I've inquired about it; he's been teaching there for many years, and many of his students have passed the imperial examinations and become scholars."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Li Hu's child studies there, saying that the teacher is good and kind."

Upon arriving in the county town, several oxcarts stopped in front of the school. The school was a small courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles. Two locust trees stood in front of the gate, and a plaque above the gate read "Liu Family School." The courtyard was very clean, and the classrooms were bright and spotless, with calligraphy and paintings pasted on the walls.

A middle-aged man in his forties walked out of the house, wearing a slightly worn blue cloth long gown and a square scarf. He had a thin face and gentle eyes. This was Liu Xiucai.

"Are you here to send your children to school?" Liu Xiucai asked, bowing respectfully.

Dege quickly stepped forward and explained his purpose. Liu Xiucai nodded and told the children to wait in the courtyard, then called them in one by one for questioning.

Shi Tou was the first to be called in. Chen Dashan stood in the courtyard, feeling a little nervous. After a while, Shi Tou came out with a smile on his face. Chen Dashan squatted down and asked him, "What did the master ask you?"

Shi Tou said, "The teacher asked me what my name was, how old I was, and if I could read. I said I knew a few characters, which were taught to me by Brother Li An. The teacher asked me to write my name, which I did. The teacher said it was good."

Chen Dashan felt relieved and patted his head.

Then Aji and Afu were called in. Aji was a little nervous, but he spoke quite fluently. Afu spoke in a childish voice, and he answered whatever Liu Xiucai asked him crisply, which made Liu Xiucai laugh.

After all six children had finished their interviews, Liu Xiucai came out and said to the parents, "I've accepted all of these children. They all have a good foundation; take them back and nurture them well, and they will be successful in the future."

Several parents quickly expressed their gratitude and presented the tuition fees and apprenticeship gifts. Liu, the scholar, accepted them and explained the school schedule: "Attend school at 3:45 AM and dismiss at 3:45 PM daily. There will be a day off every ten days. There will be ten-day holidays during spring planting and autumn harvest. If your home is far away, you can stay at the school; just pay for accommodation and meals. However, boarding students must be able to take care of themselves, including dressing, eating, and getting up on their own."

Chen Dashan asked, "Sir, how much silver does it cost to live at the school each month?"

Liu Xiucai said, "The cost of lodging and meals is five hundred coins a month. There is a chef to cook for us, and the children live together with a tutor to look after them."

Brother De, who was standing nearby, said, "We're not staying at your place for the time being; we'll provide daily pick-up and drop-off service."

Chen Dashan also said, "We don't live here either. We drop you off in the morning and pick you up in the afternoon."

The other two families hesitated for a moment and said they would go back and discuss it with their families.

The children were overjoyed as they left the school. Shi Tou, holding Aji and Afu's hands, skipped and hopped along. Tie Dan followed behind, and the children chased each other, their laughter echoing all the way.

When Su Xiaoyin got home, she was busy in the kitchen. Hearing the sound of the gate, she quickly came out to greet her.

"How is it? Has Liu Xiucai accepted them?" she asked, pulling Shi Tou up and down as she looked him over.

Chen Xiaohe smiled and said, "We've accepted them! We've accepted all six children. The teacher said they'll be at school at 3:45 AM and dismissed at 3:45 PM every day. They'll have a day off every ten days, and ten days off each for spring planting and autumn harvest."

Su Xiaoyin breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "What about accommodation? Do we need to live on campus?"

Chen Dashan tied up the ox, walked over, and said, "No need to stay there. We can pick them up and drop them off every day. But the teacher said that staying at the school is also fine, it's five hundred coins a month, including food and lodging. I'm thinking that the children will live in the county town, and our home isn't far from the school, so there's no need to spend that money."