flstandardbreds Chapter 431 Volunteers
Chapter 431 Volunteers
"Good!" The crowd erupted in cheers. An old farmer with a wrinkled face stamped his foot excitedly: "It should have been like this long ago! I gave three hundred coins as 'lucky money' when my daughter got married!"
Turning the corner, a teahouse was packed with people. The storyteller struck his gavel, right at the most exciting part: "...The head of the tax office, Zheng Guo, pointed his sword at Zheng Yuanpei and shouted, 'You've embezzled 100,000 shi of grain! Do you have any conscience towards the people of Qin?' The traitor Zheng instantly turned ashen-faced..."
A burly man in the audience suddenly stood up: "He deserves to die! My brother died under the river embankment built by the Zheng family!" The people around him echoed, some even spitting on the ground. Zhao Laoliu quietly withdrew; he had never seen ordinary people dare to curse officials so openly.
The most bustling place was at the entrance of the county school. The usually quiet bluestone square was now crowded with people, mostly young people, who gathered around the newly posted notice, their voices rising and falling in discussion. Curious, Zhao Laoliu squeezed into the crowd and heard a scholar in a patched robe reading in a trembling voice:
"...Daqin Academy, Daqin Medical College, and Daqin Women's Academy are now recruiting students from across Daqin. All citizens of Daqin, regardless of background, gender, or age (15-25), who pass the examination, are eligible for admission..."
As the scholar read this, his voice suddenly choked with emotion: "Heavens... our chance... has finally come..."
The crowd erupted in cheers. A thin boy rushed to the notice, his fingers trembling as he traced the words: "No background restrictions...really no background restrictions! I...I can go to school!" Tears streamed down his dirty face.
Zhao Laoliu's heart skipped a beat. He had lived for fifty years and seen far too many bright and clever farm children barred from school simply because they couldn't afford the tuition. Now, the imperial court had actually opened that door...
"A women's college?" a shrill female voice suddenly rang out. "Women can attend school?"
All eyes turned to the bottom of the notice. The scholar took a deep breath and continued reading: "...The curriculum of the Great Qin Women's Academy is exactly the same as that of the Great Qin Academy. Graduates can be appointed as local officials just like men after passing the examinations..."
Before he could finish speaking, a heart-wrenching cry came from behind the crowd. Zhao Laoliu turned around and saw two young women weeping bitterly. They were about fifteen or sixteen years old, their coarse cloth dresses stained with loose threads, clearly indicating that they came from poor families.
“Sister…we…we don’t have to weave cloth for the rest of our lives anymore…” the younger woman sobbed, her fingers gripping her companion’s sleeve tightly.
The older woman raised her head, tears streaming down her face: "I entered the weaving workshop when I was ten... I wove until my fingers bled every day... Now... now finally..." She couldn't continue, and the two embraced again, their sobs suppressed yet intense.
Zhao Laoliu turned his face away, his throat tightening inexplicably. He thought of his daughter who had died young—if he had had such an opportunity back then, would that bright girl have survived because of a high fever and lack of money for treatment?
"Old man, do you have any children of school age?" a gentle voice asked. Zhao Laoliu turned around and saw a young man dressed in official robes but without any airs of authority, with a wooden sign on his chest that read "Advising Students".
“I… my son is twenty-three…” Zhao Laoliu answered subconsciously.
"It's within the time limit." He smiled warmly at the student, "Can you read?"
Old Zhao shook his head in shame. His ancestors had been farmers for three generations; how could they have had the opportunity to learn to read?
"It's alright. Princess Jiayang plans to establish basic classes in various counties of Daqin. Then all children will be able to learn to read and write in these basic classes," she advised the students.
He then turned to other people, asking about suitable candidates. He took a piece of paper from his bag and handed it to one of them. Zhao Laoliu heard the other person say, "This is the admission brochure. The entrance exam will be held in Xianyang in a month. If you pass, tuition will be waived, and you'll receive a monthly stipend."
Hearing the two women crying in each other's arms, Zhao Laoliu cautiously asked, "Sir...can girls really go to school?"
"Of course!" The student's eyes gleamed. "His Majesty has decreed that women make up half the population; how can their talents be wasted? The Qin Women's Academy will be personally overseen by Princess Jiayang."
Just then, the two women suddenly knelt down, their eyes filled with fear and awe, and said in unison, "My lord... this servant... this servant thanks you, my lord..."
Upon seeing this, the student was startled and quickly stepped forward to help them up, saying, "Please rise! I am not an adult, you do not need to bow like this."
One of the women looked up, her gaze falling on the student, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Sir, why do you say you are not an adult?"
The student smiled slightly and explained, "I am Cheng Mingyuan, a student volunteer. I dare not accept the title of 'sir'. I am not an official, nor do I hold any official position. I am just an ordinary student volunteer in the Volunteer Association."
"What is a volunteer?" The woman blinked, the unfamiliar word swirling on her tongue. At this moment, many women gathered around, looking at Cheng Mingyuan with curiosity.
Cheng Mingyuan looked around at everyone and patiently explained, "Volunteers are organizations that voluntarily help others; this was proposed by Princess Jiayang. We don't work for the government, nor are we subject to its jurisdiction; we simply help those in need spontaneously."
The woman frowned slightly. In her fifteen years of life, she had never heard of anyone "voluntarily" helping others without expecting anything in return. In her understanding, people either worked for the government and received a salary, or worked for merchants and earned wages; there was no such thing as working for free.
"Huh? You don't get paid?" she couldn't help but ask, her voice full of disbelief.
Cheng Mingyuan smiled and shook his head: "There is a basic living allowance, but it's definitely not considered wages. Princess Jiayang believes that being a volunteer not only helps others but is also a form of self-improvement."
A middle-aged woman next to the woman curled her lip: "Working without pay? That's stupid." Her voice was soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet neighborhood.
Cheng Mingyuan wasn't angry. Instead, he took a few steps closer and sat down on a wooden bench not far from the group: "You all weave cloth every day, but have you ever thought about who will ultimately wear it?"
“Naturally, they are sold to high-ranking officials and nobles, or transported to the border for the soldiers,” the middle-aged woman replied.
“That’s exactly right,” Cheng Mingyuan nodded. “Your meticulous work, stitch by stitch, has warmed the bodies of countless strangers. This is actually similar to the spirit of volunteers helping strangers.”
The woman looked down at her fingers, slightly roughened from years of weaving, and a thought stirred within her. She had never considered the meaning of her labor, only knowing that she could earn a meager wage each month to support herself.
"So... what do the volunteers do?" she asked softly.
Cheng Mingyuan's eyes lit up, seemingly pleased that someone had asked the question: "Many. We regularly run schools in impoverished areas, teaching children to read and do arithmetic..."