Chapter 95: The Youngest Daughter Returns to School

Chapter 95: The Youngest Daughter Returns to School

One evening, after dinner, Deng Shirong and his children gathered under a longan tree to chat.

After asking his three sons about their homework, Deng Shirong turned to his youngest daughter and asked, "Azhu, do you still want to go to school?"

Whether now or in the future, rural areas in Bobai County often favor sons over daughters. Many families have completely different attitudes toward their sons and daughters, especially when it comes to education. Some families only send their sons to school, while their daughters may or may not receive an education. Only a very small number of families truly value their daughters' education.

In comparison, Deng Shirong had always been relatively fair in treating his children. In his previous life, he had allowed all seven of his children to attend school. Whether they continued their studies or not was another matter, but as long as they wanted to learn, he would pay their tuition, regardless of whether they were sons or daughters.

However, the quality of education in village primary schools during this era was limited, and not many rural parents truly valued education. In such an environment, not every child was eager to study. The most typical example was his youngest daughter, who, due to poor academic performance, had refused to continue her education after finishing primary school.

In his previous life, Deng Shirong had given her a few words of advice, but when he saw that she truly couldn't continue studying, he had let her drop out.

However, the reborn Deng Shirong knew how much emphasis future generations would place on academic qualifications. Without a decent education, one could only take on the lowest-level jobs in society. Other, easier, and higher-paying jobs would be out of reach for those with limited education.

Of course, since he had been reborn, his children were destined to live a life of wealth and comfort, free from worries about food and clothing. In that sense, their level of education wasn't as crucial. This was also the main reason he hadn't forced his youngest daughter to return to school earlier.

After all, learning is only effective if one is willing to learn.

But today, he suddenly thought of something. When he looked for partners for his two daughters in the future, he certainly wouldn't choose someone illiterate, someone who couldn't even read a few words. He didn't require a high level of education, but the man had to at least be a high school graduate.

As a result, while his eldest daughter's junior high school education was a bit low, it was normal for boys to study more than girls in this era. A junior high school graduate paired with a high school graduate wasn't a bad match.

However, his youngest daughter's primary school education wasn't sufficient. He couldn't expect the man to be at least a high school graduate while his daughter only had a primary school education, could he?

So, Deng Shirong decided to persuade his daughter to return to school. He didn't expect her to go to college, but at the very least, she needed to finish junior high school, which was considered a decent education in this era.

Deng Yunzhu hadn't expected her father to ask her this question. She immediately shook her head and said, "Dad, I don't want to study anymore. I just can't focus on it."

Deng Shirong tried to persuade her. "Azhu, I know you don't do well in school and don't have much interest in studying, but you only have a primary school education. While that's better than most girls in the village, you can only compare with other villagers. Girls in the city don't have such limited education.

Dad was thinking of finding a good partner for you in the city when you grow up, but with only a primary school education, it's really not enough.

If you only want to marry an uneducated countryman, then Dad won't say much. But if you want to marry an outstanding young man from the city, you must go back to school and study for a few more years. Otherwise, which outstanding young man in the city would be interested in a country girl with no looks and no education?"

"Ugh…" Although Deng Yunzhu didn't want to study, she felt that her father's words made sense. She was at a loss for how to respond.

Deng Yunzhen also chimed in to persuade her. "Azhu, Dad is right. There are so many girls in the village who want to go to school, but their parents won't let them. Now Dad wants you to study more, and it's really for your own good. Don't miss this opportunity."

Deng Yuntai added, "You should read more books. Your sister-in-law didn't read much, but when she comes to our house, I plan to teach her to read more."

Deng Yunzhu certainly understood that reading more books was a good thing, but the thought of the material in the textbooks overwhelmed her. She frowned and said, "I also want to read more, but what if I can't understand it?"

Deng Shirong said, "Try to learn as much as you can. For example, if you can't handle math, focus on Chinese. If you can't handle Chinese, study history or geography. In short, learn more about culture and get a junior high school diploma. If possible, aim for a high school diploma. This will be good for your future."

Since her father had said so much, Deng Yunzhu couldn't find a reason to refuse. She gritted her teeth and agreed. "Okay, I'll go, but I can't guarantee how my grades will turn out!"

Deng Shirong implemented his simple and effective monetary reward system. "Tomorrow, I'll go to the school to talk to the teacher and have you continue in the fifth grade. My request is simple: as long as you pass all your midterm and final exams, I'll reward you with five yuan in pocket money.

Whether you get this pocket money or not depends on how hard you're willing to work!"

Deng Yunzhu's eyes lit up at this. "Dad, are you serious?" If her father's requirements were the same as those for her second brother and three younger brothers, she would have no hope. But if she only needed to pass, there was a chance!

Deng Shirong smiled. "Of course, as long as you pass every subject!"

Deng Yunzhu was instantly motivated by the promise of money. She stood up and said, "I'll go find my old textbooks and see how much I remember from what the teacher taught me."

Deng Shirong smiled with relief. As he had said earlier, he only wanted his youngest daughter to continue her studies. He didn't expect her to excel in exams, but at least she could earn a junior high school diploma and gain more knowledge. That would be enough.

If she could make it to high school, that would be a bonus.

The next day, Deng Shirong went to the school to speak with the teacher. After paying the tuition, his youngest daughter successfully re-enrolled in the fifth grade as a transfer student. In that era, attending school wasn't as strict as in later generations. As long as you could pay the tuition, you could transfer to the village primary school at any time.

Although Deng Yunzhu was already fifteen years old, if she were still in elementary school in the future, she would likely be laughed at by her classmates.

But in this era, children in rural areas often started school late, with many beginning at nine or ten years old. There were many students in her class who were older than Deng Yunzhu, so she didn't stand out at all.

That afternoon, to celebrate his youngest daughter's return to school, Deng Shirong bought a chicken and cooked it. The family enjoyed a delicious meal of boiled chicken.

(End of this chapter)