Chapter 61: Yun Zhen Is Uneducated

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Yun Zhen Is Uneducated

Su Yue was bewildered by the question. She turned back around, looked at Yun Zhen’s innocent face, and pointed at the school gate. "Yun Zhen, this is a university campus. It’s full of college students. Where would high-ranking officials come from?"

"Uni-verse-city?"

"Cam-bus?"

Yun Zhen didn’t quite understand.

Hearing this strange pronunciation, Su Yue frowned. Yun Zhen usually spoke perfectly fine, so why did the words "university campus" sound so awkward coming out of her mouth?

Su Yue realized that Yun Zhen definitely hadn’t understood her. "Do you not know what a university is? Do you know about the elementary, middle, and high school exams?"

Yun Zhen shook her head honestly.

Su Yue gasped. "A compulsory education dodger?"

No, it was worse than being a dodger!

An illiterate!

Question marks popped up above Yun Zhen’s head. "What’s a dodger?"

Su Yue pressed on, "Yun Zhen, have you never been to school?"

School? Did she mean attending an academy?

Of course, Yun Zhen had never attended an academy in this world.

So far, she had only learned a few characters from Mr. Gao. "No, I don’t even know all the words yet."

Mystery solved!

What a pitiful little girl. She probably hadn’t even attended kindergarten or preschool. No wonder Su Yue always felt that there was something odd about her. A seven-yuan cup of milk tea was treated like a precious luxury. Yun Zhen didn’t seem like she came from a rural village; it was more like she had walked straight out of a primitive forest.

Yun Zhen was still confused. "What does this have to do with attending an academy?"

Su Yue found it a bit hard to explain, so she simply broke it down from start to finish. "A university is an institution of higher education. In our country, the vast majority of people, regardless of whether they are male or female, go to kindergarten when they are three or four years old.

"Kindergarten is divided into junior, middle, and senior classes, lasting for three years.

"Then comes elementary school, which takes six years, followed by exams to enter middle school.

"After another three years of middle school, students take the high school entrance exam. If they pass, they go to a regular high school. If not, they enter a vocational high school or technical school.

"Students who make it into high school will take the college entrance exam three years later. It’s known as the most important selection exam in life. If you score above the cutoff line, you can attend a university.

"The top tiny percentage of students in each province will enter the top-tier prestigious universities in the country, followed by other key national universities.

"Then it goes all the way down to third-tier colleges and vocational junior colleges.

"University takes at least three years, though the duration varies depending on your major."

She pointed at the school gate. "The College of Arts and Sciences is a second-tier university in this province, and I’m a student here. This is my third year of college. Next semester, after completing my internship, I’ll get my graduation and degree certificates. Then, I’ll step out of campus and officially become an ordinary worker in society!

"Do you understand now?

"This is a school. It’s full of students, not a place where high-ranking officials live!"

The phrase "high-ranking officials" had startled Su Yue quite a bit. If one didn’t know better, they would think Yun Zhen was a time traveler from ancient times.

The more Yun Zhen listened, the more shocked she became. She had thought she already knew enough about this world, but after hearing Su Yue’s explanation, she realized she had barely seen anything!

Previously, she had been puzzled as to why Li Mei’s daughter, Lele, went to school alongside boys. Now, she seemed to understand. There was no distinction between men and women in this world. As long as you were human, regardless of gender, you could go to school and read more books through fair competition.

Everyone had completely equal opportunities!

How could such a perfect world exist?!

In her world, knowledge was mostly monopolized by the nobility and the wealthy. For a child from a farming family, getting an education was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. If one managed to become a Scholar, they were already considered the reincarnation of Wenquxing.

Taking a deep breath, she asked Su Yue, "You’ve been studying since you were young. It must have cost a lot of money to reach this point, right?"

Su Yue shook her head. "My early schooling fell under the nine-year compulsory education system, so tuition was free. Poor students even received various subsidies for food and housing. They only charged miscellaneous fees, so my family barely had to pay anything. High school and university cost a bit more, but families can usually afford high school tuition. As for university, there are student loans. You can use student loans to cover tuition and living expenses, and then earn money to pay them back after graduation.

"If you have excellent grades, there are scholarships for both high school and university, allowing you to cover most of your own educational expenses.

"I haven’t spent too much money on my studies up to this point."

Yun Zhen finally understood.

So everyone in this world could afford to go to school!

Children from poor families even received all sorts of subsidies!

And if they studied well, they would be rewarded with money!

The more she listened, the more bittersweet she felt. In her world, women couldn’t go to academies to study, and even men couldn’t necessarily afford it. She also felt a little lucky. If the bracelet hadn’t brought her here, she wouldn’t have even known that free education existed.

In the past, she couldn’t have even imagined it! Now, she only felt profound shock!

Su Yue continued, "Some regions are now implementing twelve years of compulsory education, so high school tuition is also waived. Almost everyone can afford to go to school."

She didn’t know why Yun Zhen had never been to school. She assumed it was like what played out on TV—that Yun Zhen had met irresponsible parents. Or perhaps: a gambling-addicted father, a sick mother, a young brother, and poor her!

In short, everyone in the world had their own difficulties.

Yun Zhen’s head was spinning. It took her a long while before she spoke. "Su Yue, thank you for telling me so much. So the people inside this gate are all students, not high-ranking officials. I saw how grand it looked earlier, so I mistakenly thought it was a residence for officials."

Su Yue smiled. "No need to thank me. If there’s anything you don’t understand in the future, you can just ask me directly."

Yun Zhen’s smile carried a touch more intimacy. "I don’t have any more questions. You should go get busy with your things."

Su Yue waved her hand. "I’m heading off then. Bye-bye."

Yun Zhen watched her figure gradually disappear into the distance. The words Su Yue said today kept looping in her ears. She felt like she had received a tremendous shock.

After selling her crocheted dolls, Yun Zhen went to Sister-in-law Liu’s vegetable stall to work.

When it was time to clock out, she received fifty yuan in wages. Sister-in-law Liu asked with concern, "Yun Zhen, are you feeling unwell? Do you need to go to the hospital? You seemed a bit distracted all afternoon."

Li Mei had noticed it too. "Yeah, you’re usually full of energy every day, but today you look like a frostbitten eggplant—wilted and listless."

Hearing their concern, Yun Zhen explained, "I probably just didn’t sleep well last night. I’m not sick."

Li Mei was puzzled. "If you stayed up late playing on your phone, that would make sense. But the thing is, you don’t even have a phone. If you have insomnia and can’t sleep, doesn’t that mean you’re sick?"

Sister-in-law Liu nodded in agreement. "It’s better to go to the hospital to get checked out, just for peace of mind."

Yun Zhen waved her hands. "I’m in great health, I don’t need to see a doctor. If I really feel unwell, I’ll go then."

Getting this response, the two didn’t push the matter further.

Yun Zhen counted the money she had earned today.

Scavenging for recyclables: seventy-four yuan and fifty cents.

The restaurant: fifty yuan.

Crocheted dolls: one thousand five hundred yuan.

Sorting vegetables: sixty yuan.

Remaining from last time: two yuan and fifty cents.

Total: one thousand six hundred and eighty-seven yuan.

She planned to buy a few more sets of bedding to distribute to the villagers who hadn’t received any last time. When she was teaching everyone how to make crocheted dolls, she noticed that their hands were all frostbitten, with the cracks seeping blood. She planned to buy some frostbite ointment as well.

The village was currently clearing snow, and the villagers were wearing unlined shoes with their feet wrapped in tattered rags. The snow would soak through their shoes, and their feet would get frostbitten, making it impossible for them to even walk. She also wanted to buy some cotton-padded winter shoes.