Chapter 95: The Youngest Daughter Returns to School
Chapter 95: The Youngest Daughter Returns to School
After dinner, Deng Shirong and his children gathered under the longan tree for a chat.
After inquiring about his three sons' studies, Deng Shirong turned to his youngest daughter and asked, "Azhu, do you still want to go back to school?"
In both this life and the future, the rural areas of Bobai County were plagued by a preference for sons over daughters. Many families treated their sons and daughters very differently, especially when it came to education. Sons were often sent to school, while daughters might or might not be, depending on the family. Only a few truly valued their daughters' education.
In comparison, Deng Shirong was relatively fair in his treatment of his children. In his previous life, he had allowed all seven of his children to attend school, regardless of whether they were boys or girls. As long as they wanted to study, he would pay their tuition.
However, the educational standards in village schools were limited in this era, and there were few parents who truly valued education. This environment often discouraged children from pursuing their studies. A prime example was his youngest daughter, who, due to poor academic performance, had lost interest in school after finishing elementary education.
In his past life, Deng Shirong had only tried to persuade her a few times. Seeing that she genuinely couldn't keep up, he let her be.
However, now that he had been reborn, he knew how important a good education would be in the future. Without a solid academic background, one could only do the lowest-paying jobs. Higher-paying, more comfortable jobs were out of reach for those with low education levels.
Of course, in this life, his children were destined for a life of comfort and prosperity, regardless of their education levels. This was why he hadn't pushed his youngest daughter to continue her studies before.
After all, learning was ultimately a personal choice, and it only worked if one was willing to put in the effort.
But today, he thought of something important. When it came time to find suitable matches for his daughters, he definitely wouldn't want someone who couldn't even read a few words. He didn't expect the men to have extremely high educational standards, but at least they should have a high school degree.
With this in mind, while his eldest daughter's middle school education was a bit lacking, it was still acceptable in this era, where men generally had more education than women. A middle school graduate paired with a high school graduate wasn't too bad.
However, his youngest daughter's elementary school education was a bit of a problem. He couldn't very well expect a high school graduate for her while she only had an elementary school degree.
So, Deng Shirong decided to try to persuade his youngest daughter to return to school. He didn't expect her to go to college, but at least a high school degree would be ideal. At the very least, she should finish middle school, which would be a respectable achievement in this era.
Deng Yunzhu was taken aback by her father's question. She shook her head immediately. "Dad, I don't want to go back to school. I just can't get into it."
Deng Shirong tried to reason with her. "Azhu, I know your grades aren't great, and you don't have much interest in studying. But right now, you only have an elementary school education. While that's better than most girls in the village, it's not enough to compare with city girls.
I was thinking that when you grow up, I could find you an excellent match in the city. But with your elementary school education, it's a bit embarrassing.
If you only want to marry someone from the village with little education, then I won't say much. But if you want to marry an outstanding young man from the city, you need to go back to school and study for a few more years. Otherwise, with your lack of education and average looks, no city boy will look twice at you."
"Uh..." Deng Yunzhu didn't want to go back to school, but her father's words made sense. She was at a loss for words.
Deng Yunzhen also joined in to persuade her, "Azhu, Father is right. So many girls in the village want to study, but their parents don't agree. Now that Father is letting you study more, it's really for your own good. You shouldn't miss this opportunity."
Deng Yuntai chimed in, "You should study more. Your eldest sister-in-law didn't study much, and once she joins our family, I plan to teach her more. You should take this chance!"
Deng Yunzhu, of course, understood that studying more was a good thing, but the thought of the textbooks made her head spin. She frowned and said, "I want to study more, but what if I can't focus on the lessons?"
Deng Shirong replied, "Try your best. Study as much as you can. If you can't handle math, then focus on Chinese. If Chinese is too hard, try history or geography. The goal is to learn as much as you can and get your junior high school diploma. If possible, aim for a high school diploma. It will benefit you in the future."
With Father speaking so earnestly, Deng Yunzhu found it hard to refuse. She steeled herself and said, "Alright, I'll go, but I can't guarantee my grades!"
Deng Shirong, sticking to his straightforward and effective method of monetary incentives, said, "Tomorrow, I'll go to the school and speak to the teacher to get you enrolled in fifth grade. My requirements are simple: if you pass all your mid-term and final exams, I'll give you five yuan as pocket money. Whether you get this money or not depends on how hard you're willing to work!"
Deng Yunzhu's eyes lit up with surprise. "Father, are you serious?" If Father had set the same high standards as her second brother and the three younger brothers, she would have had no chance. But if passing was all it took, there was hope!
Deng Shirong smiled, "Of course, I'm serious. Just pass all your subjects!"
The promise of money instantly motivated Deng Yunzhu. She stood up and said, "I'll go find my old textbooks and see how much I can still remember."
Deng Shirong smiled with satisfaction. As he had said, he didn't expect his youngest daughter to excel in her studies. Getting a junior high school diploma and learning more was enough. If she could even go to high school, it would be a pleasant surprise.
...
The next day.
Deng Shirong went to the school and spoke to the teacher. After paying the tuition, his youngest daughter was smoothly enrolled as a fifth-grade student. In those days, schooling wasn't as strict as it is now. As long as you could pay the fees, you could join a class at any time.
Although Deng Yunzhu was already fifteen years old, which would have been a source of ridicule in a future era, in this time, children in rural areas often started school much later. Many began at nine or ten years old, and there were several students older than her in her class. She blended in without standing out.
That afternoon, to celebrate her return to school, Deng Shirong specially bought a chicken and prepared a delicious boiled chicken for the family to enjoy.
Thank you all for your strong support. Our book has risen from 413th to 381st on the overall monthly chart, and from 14th to 12th on the new book monthly chart. We're only 20 votes away from 11th place. Can we push a bit more? I know you all still have monthly votes to spare, right? ^_^
(End of Chapter)
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