People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 202 Learning
"My fellow villagers, the imperial court is now carrying out a literacy campaign, which is beneficial to all of us. If you can't read, you are illiterate. In the future, when you go out to find a job and sign a work contract with others, you won't understand what you are reading. If you are sold, you will have to count money for others. As long as we can read, we don't have to worry about such things!
Moreover, literacy is also a skill. Once you have this skill, when the village or township needs people to do something in the future, they will give priority to literate people. If you are illiterate, you will not have this opportunity. Don't blame the village or township for not giving you a chance then.

Besides, if you can read, others will always look up to you, right? The imperial court is determined to eradicate illiteracy, and in the future, more and more people will be literate. If we wait until this becomes popular, then illiterate people will inevitably be despised by others."

In a small village under the jurisdiction of Guangyang, the village chief called all the villagers to hold a village meeting and began to publicize the court's literacy policy.

Xuanxia has officially been established. Both the common people and the village chiefs are adapting to their new identities. They all know that they are no longer citizens of the Han Dynasty, but citizens of Xuanxia.

All the people were delighted by this, and the establishment of Xuanxia made the vast majority of the people excited.

After Xuanxia was established, it did bring a whole new atmosphere. Even the most ordinary people could feel the changes around them. First, the original head of the team became the village chief, and then various new policies began to appear in their lives.

For example, after the separation of military and political affairs, the mechanism of local supervision was no longer the inspectors, but was transformed into church inspectors. Church inspectors regularly came to the grassroots to supervise officials at all levels. Once an official made a mistake, he would be subject to church review.

If the people committed a crime, they would no longer be punished by the military system, but would be dealt with by the county government according to civil and criminal laws.

The people had just adapted to this new change when they heard the village chief begin to promote a literacy campaign. The court advocated that the people learn to read and write, and most of the people were confused about this.

In fact, for ordinary people who have been farming all their lives, knowing how to read is a useless skill. They work hard in the fields every day and there is no place for them to use their knowledge of reading.

But after hearing the village chief's analysis, they felt that learning to read was not a bad idea, and at least they would have some face if they could tell others about it.

However, even if they wanted to learn, how to learn was still a problem. Soon someone raised this question, and after the village chief answered, they realized that this literacy campaign would rely more on their own awareness.

The literacy campaign actually did not start now, but Xu Chen had already started it at the beginning of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

The army, as a highly organized group, is the starting point for literacy.

After five or six years, the Yellow Turbans had basically achieved literacy among the entire army. The soldiers could at least recognize most of the words, and those who were smart and studious had a more extensive level of knowledge.

Now Xuanxia has to rely on the large number of reserve soldiers who have returned to their hometowns to spread the literacy campaign to the people.

Ordinary people do not need to learn too much or too diverse knowledge. As long as they can recognize words, it will be enough, and the difficulty only remains at the level of rote memorization. This is the basis for achieving literacy.

The teaching materials used by soldiers for study can also be used by civilians.

The advantage of such a literacy campaign is that the Xuanxia court does not have to spend any extra costs, and it all depends on the people's conscious learning. The disadvantage is that the effect will not be very good, and only a small number of people will be able to get rid of illiteracy in the end.

The Xuanxia court was of course aware of this, and it had never really expected to achieve universal literacy through this. This was just a supplementary means, and any improvement in the literacy rate would be good enough. After all, the court did not need to pay any extra costs, so any effect was acceptable.

To achieve true universal literacy, we actually hope to rely on the education system to popularize knowledge among the younger generation.

"Literacy is a good thing. Dad can learn it. Even if I go to Ji County to formally join the army, when the schools in our county and township are built, my younger brothers and sisters can teach you after they have learned it." The village chief was talking at the top, but Ma Yan, who was below, was chatting privately with his father, Lao Ma.

Old Ma frowned, seeming a little reluctant: "It's a good thing to let children study, but it's OK for boys to go, girls will get married in the future, what's the point of studying!"

Ma Yan sighed immediately and tried to persuade him helplessly: "Dad, everyone in Xuanxia is equal, both men and women, and everyone needs to receive education."

Old Ma curled his lips and said, "How can I arrange for someone else to take care of my daughter?"

Ma Yan had a headache and said, "Dad, this is not up to you. In Xuanxia, ​​no matter whether boys or girls are of the right age, they must go to school. This is an obligation that must be fulfilled. If you don't agree, and you are caught and beaten by the county government, I won't be able to save you!"

Old Ma shrank his neck, feeling a little guilty. Finally, he said unsatisfactorily: "We are good at everything in Xuanxia, ​​but we are too involved. This is our family affair, how can we do this!"

After years of governance, the Yellow Turbans have established prestige in the hearts of the people, and the government's regulations and laws have a strong binding force on the people.

If the regulations and laws are really violated, Lao Ma believes that what Ma Yan said will become a reality. The Yellow Turbans have always had strong execution capabilities and have always done what they said.

Ma Yan continued, "The government subsidizes tuition fees, so we don't have much pressure to support our younger brothers and sisters to study. Besides, we still have my military pay, so why not let my younger sister go to school!"

Old Ma said nothing, just nodded silently.

Ma Yan breathed a sigh of relief, finally convincing his old father.

He accepted ideological transformation among the Yellow Turbans, and his view on problems was no longer the same as that of ordinary people like Lao Ma, but he could not explain these principles to Lao Ma, so he could only persuade him to solve the problem. Only after this matter was resolved could he go to Ji County to join the army and become a Christian, otherwise he was really afraid that his old father would resist the government and be arrested and beaten.

The Yellow Turbans have always governed the world with the people at the center, but they will never completely indulge them.

After a conversation, the father and son were in no mood to continue listening to the village chief's ramblings. Old Ma changed the topic of reading and started talking about Ma Yan's own affairs.

"You have performed great merit in killing enemy generals on the battlefield. Now you can officially join the sect and be recruited by the Yellow Turbans as a standing soldier. You have a promising future. As long as you fight well in the future, you may even be able to become an official.

I know that the officials in Xuanxia today were all farmers and craftsmen in their former lives. They are no different from the poor people like us. If they can do it, then you can too.

The wealth of our Ma family depends on you. I agree with you about studying, but you have to earn a good future for us Ma family!"

Talking about this, Old Ma's mouth grinned unconsciously, and he couldn't hide the smugness and pride on his face. His own son has now become a Yellow Turban, and he doesn't know how envious the neighbors are.

He had no idea how many times he had imagined Ma Yan achieving great things and becoming a high-ranking official in the future.

Ma Yan subconsciously wanted to reply that being an official is not for wealth and fame, but when he saw his old father's excited look, he felt that such words would probably be ignored by his old father, and in the end he could only say "Oh" helplessly.

The villagers' meeting ended quickly, and the villagers discussed learning matters in groups of three or four.

In fact, what they talked about was not much different from what the Ma father and son had just said.

We are all from an ordinary family and we think about similar things.

The people have different attitudes towards Xuan Xia's policies, but whether they are willing or not, they have to accept them in the end.

After accompanying his old father to attend the villagers' meeting, Ma Yan prepared to report to Ji County the next day.

This time when he joins the army, he will not only become a professional soldier of Xuanxia, ​​but also officially join the religion and truly become a Yellow Turban. Whenever he thinks of this, he can't help but touch the red-stained book on his chest.

When leaving home, Ma Yan knelt down and kowtowed to Old Ma who was sitting in the main hall. He then looked at his wife and children who were wiping their tears with some reluctance, and finally his gaze fell on his younger brothers and sisters.

"Second brother and third sister, you are already over the school enrollment age, but as long as you study hard on your own, the court will open middle schools and universities in the future, and you can take the exam to enter the school. You don't have to worry about the tuition fees, as long as you can pass the exam, I will pay for you!

As for my fourth brother and younger sister, you are still young, so just study hard in elementary school. Only with knowledge can you have a bright future, understand?"

After Ma Yan finished speaking, his four younger brothers and sisters nodded in turn. They were of different ages, but they were all full of hope for the future.

Reading, which was previously completely unfamiliar to them, has now become part of their lives. They even have the opportunity to become literate and educated people!
"I will study hard on my own. Whenever I have some free time on the farm, I will read the textbooks my elder brother left behind. I will definitely get into middle school or university!"

"Me too. We Xuanxia women can also join the sect and become officials. I will study hard and become as successful as my brother in the future!"

Looking at the responses from his second brother and third sister, Ma Yan also laughed.

It is extremely difficult for poor people like us to have the opportunity to succeed now, and everyone cherishes this opportunity very much.

In Xuanxia, ​​from top to bottom, all those who can become officials are from poor backgrounds. This is the greatest hope of thousands of poor people.

"Our great celestial master once said, study hard and make progress every day, you must remember this."

Finally, he touched the heads of his confused fourth brother and little sister, left these words to them, then Ma Yan picked up his bag, turned around and walked away, and soon disappeared from their sight.

The boss is gone, but life still has to go on as usual. Old Ma then put on a serious face and said, "What are you standing there for? Come with me to the fields!"

The second son quickly responded, holding a book in his hand and following Lao Ma's footsteps to the fields.

The third daughter did the same, but when she looked at Lao Ma from behind, she pursed her lips and snorted, then made a face, and then she walked while holding the book and reading seriously.

If it weren’t for my eldest brother’s persuasion, I’m afraid my old father would never agree to let me and my younger sister go to school!
(End of this chapter)