"This medicine… is truly expensive!"
Having gotten a clear idea of the prices, Chu Mu glanced down at the medicine in his hand and couldn't help but be taken aback.
A single trip to the Medicine Hall had cost him nearly ten silver.
According to these prices, that was the equivalent of nearly one thousand five hundred pounds of grain!
Chu Mu remembered that when he first transmigrated, Elder Li had treated him for several days straight, and that had also cost him nearly ten silver.
In just a few short days, thousands of pounds of grain had been spent. Compared to the era he was in now, it felt as absurd as a fairy tale.
Chu Mu wasn't sure whether to lament how cheap grain was or how expensive it was to see a doctor.
As for his Monthly Stipend, eight silver seemed like a lot, but it was clearly just enough to be better off than the poorest.
'Spending money like water…'
Chu Mu shook his head. He had to get back to the Inspection Department to officially take up his post as soon as possible.
Although it was just a minor soldier's post in a small town, it was still an official position within Qinghe County's establishment—a secure, government-paid job.
From the original owner's memories, this "iron rice bowl" of an Inspector was highly sought after. Countless people had their eyes on it. If the original owner's father hadn't died a tragic death in the line of duty, his body never even recovered, this position likely wouldn't have fallen to him.
Influenced by decades of experience from his past life, Chu Mu had considerable expectations for being part of the official establishment.
Having just arrived, he also needed this official post to help him quickly and completely integrate into this era.
All sorts of plans for the future flickered through his mind. Lost in thought, it wasn't long before Chu Mu returned to his own courtyard home.
When the courtyard gate closed behind him, although the din from outside persisted, a strange sense of peace instantly washed over Chu Mu.
At this moment, Chu Mu found himself in an inexplicably good mood. Humming a tune, he casually picked up the Long Saber he had left on the ground. The morning dew still clung to the blade, and the once-bright edge now showed a few new spots of rust.
Chu Mu paid it no mind. It was a small matter; he could just sharpen it again later.
Using the still-glowing firewood in the stove, Chu Mu placed a dose of medicinal herbs into an earthenware pot, added some clear water, and began to leisurely brew them. In the meantime, he took a moment to polish his rusty saber, even rubbing a bit of lard on it for maintenance.
About half an hour later, the scalding medicinal liquid, along with its increasingly rich aroma, was placed on the table.
However, Chu Mu's attention wasn't on the liquid at the moment. Instead, he was staring at the boiled herbs in the earthenware pot, muttering to himself.
"Is this Yellow Essence? This looks like Ginseng…"
Rummaging through them with chopsticks, Chu Mu managed to identify a few types with his limited knowledge of medicinal herbs. He just didn't know if they went by the same names in this world.
Elder Li's prescription had listed them, but unfortunately, Chu Mu was still illiterate and didn't even know how to write his own name.
'I have to learn to read and write.'
In an instant, Chu Mu made up his mind.
Even setting aside his future plans, for someone who had gone through nine years of compulsory education to be unable to read a sign as if it were scripture from heaven—that alone was something Chu Mu absolutely could not tolerate.
He was a man of action, not one to procrastinate. He downed the slightly cooled medicine in a few gulps, tidied up the stove, and rushed out the door again.
According to the original owner's memories, Nanshan Town naturally had schools—more than one, in fact. The school in the Southern part of town was the county's official academy, and most of the town's wealthy families sent their children there.
In the Northern part of town, there was a private school, said to have been opened by a decorated Scholar. The tuition was considerably cheaper than the official academy's.
Since he was just trying to become literate, Chu Mu had no reason to be picky. Without a second thought, he headed straight for the private school in the Northern part of town.
The private school wasn't far from where Chu Mu lived, only a few hundred meters away. However, the school valued tranquility and was located in a secluded area. Chu Mu had to wind his way through the alleyways for a while before finally arriving at its gate.
Although it was a private school, it was clearly just an ordinary residence being used for teaching. However, this residence was noticeably much larger than Chu Mu's.
Not to mention anything else, just its tall courtyard gate was far more imposing than the small one at Chu Mu's humble home.
Chu Mu stopped outside the gate. After glancing at the tall entrance, he instinctively looked up at the plaque hanging high above, but he immediately averted his gaze after just one look.
'A person's virtue lies in knowing their own limitations. I'm already illiterate, what's the point of staring at it...'
He knocked and entered the courtyard.
In less than a quarter of an hour, Chu Mu appeared outside the gate again.
Turning around, Chu Mu looked at the high-hanging plaque again. Now he understood why, despite his father holding a public office for many years and their family being relatively well-off, the original owner of his body was still illiterate.
Studying… was truly too expensive!
According to Chang the Scholar, tuition was paid every six months and cost twenty silver per term. And that was just the tuition. The required ink, brushes, paper, inkstones, and even meals all had to be purchased separately.
Chu Mu did a rough calculation. If one was determined to study for an official career, it would take at least several years of schooling just to build a foundation.
Forty silver a year, plus the cost of ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones, would require at least fifty silver.
After a few years, the cost would be several hundred, perhaps even the better part of a thousand, silver!
Even for the original owner's family, which was considered quite well-off, this was basically unaffordable. For ordinary commoners, it was completely out of the question—they couldn't even dream of affording it!
'I should be able to learn all the characters in half a year, right…?'
Chu Mu felt the Paper Currency in his robes. He had only paid for half a year's tuition. He reckoned he could only come to study in his spare time, since he still had a post waiting for him at the Inspection Office.
If he couldn't learn it all in half a year, that would be another twenty silver…
Although he was grumbling internally, Chu Mu's decisive nature didn't slow him down. After winding his way back out of the alleyways, he headed straight for a bookshop on the main street.
But reality… dealt Chu Mu another heavy blow.
The cheapest inkstone cost three silver. The lowest quality ink stick plus a brush cost two silver. Two stacks of white paper, sixty sheets in total, cost one silver.
The most outrageous part was the four introductory books the teacher had mentioned… Four books cost twelve silver!
"The sages say that knowledge is priceless, not to be bought for a thousand gold pieces. Young Master, one can tell at a glance that you are a person of great fortune and virtue…"
Perhaps thinking he had met a wealthy patron, the bookshop owner was lavishing him with praise. Chu Mu didn't hear a word of it, however. He was only considering one question…
'Am I being ripped off?'
He hadn't even started studying, and he'd already thrown away dozens of silver.
'Knowledge may be priceless, but isn't this too expensive?'
Gazing at the eloquently-speaking shopkeeper who was praising him so generously, Chu Mu impassively placed a token on the counter.
The token was made of bronze, with two words carved on it: "Inspection Department."
The Inspection Department had broad responsibilities. As the only armed force in Qinghe County, there was almost nothing within the county, aside from the affairs of nobles, that it couldn't oversee.
For a bookshop to be established, it surely had some Energy behind it.
But… the King of Hell is easy to meet, but his minor demons are hard to deal with…
Chu Mu felt that anyone in business should understand this principle…
…