After filling out the form, the next step was to pay the tuition fees.
"Twenty taels per person per month," the teacher said casually.
Gu Xiaoshun’s eyes widened in shock, thinking it was a robbery! Twenty taels!
"Lodging is ten taels," the teacher continued, "per month."
Gu Xiaoshun was rendered stone-still on the spot. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
In Zhan Country, one wouldn’t even pay thirty taels for a whole year of study!
Moreover, Gu Yan’s paperwork and household registration were brought over by her, as Gu Yan had fallen ill, and she had requested sick leave for him.
The teacher indifferently stated: "Thirty taels."
Even to request sick leave, one had to pay!
Gu Jiao asked, "What if we don’t stay in the dormitory?"
The teacher replied, "You still have to pay."
Gu Jiao checked the Academy’s rules and regulations to confirm that the teacher wasn’t defrauding them, then she took out her purse and paid the fees.
"Two people per room," the teacher spoke and tossed two name tags with their names and a key attached to each of them.
Gu Xiaoshun thought he was supposed to share a room with Gu Jiao; however, on closer inspection, he was assigned room seventeen and Gu Jiao room twenty-seven—they were separated by so many rooms!
Gu Xiaoshun was bewildered: "Can’t we be arranged in the same room?"
The teacher glanced at Gu Xiaoshun indifferently: "No."
Gu Jiao said, "Never mind, we’re not staying anyway."
"It’s so expensive, sister. I want to stay and get my money’s worth," Gu Xiaoshun, who had known hardship, said. Ten taels a month for lodging was extremely painful for him, and he wished he could wear the room out!
Not only were they not in the same room, but upon arrival, they found they weren’t even in the same courtyard.
Gu Jiao was in the south courtyard, while Gu Xiaoshun was in the east courtyard.
Gu Xiaoshun’s heart was bleeding. He clutched at his chest and said, "Sister, let’s go have a look. Let’s see what exactly a ten-tael dormitory looks like."
Gu Jiao went with Gu Xiaoshun to the east courtyard.
"Ah, so you two..." Zhong Ding gestured with his eyes toward the room behind him.
Understanding his meaning, Gu Jiao said, "My brother-in-law is your roommate."
Zhong Ding exclaimed anew and awkwardly laughed: "I thought it was Xiao Brother. By the way, there was a thief at the post station last night. Xiao Brother, you were all right, weren’t you?"
Gu Xiaoshun was surprised: "There was a thief last night?"
Zhong Ding appeared even more surprised than him: you slept that soundly?
The group chatted for a while, mainly because Zhong Ding was particularly talkative. No matter how dull the conversation, he invariably managed to revive it.
From his words, Gu Jiao gathered that dormitories were generally assigned by country: people from Zhao Country stayed together, and those from Shang Country did the same.
Given that, her roommate must also be someone from a lesser country.
"Only people from the lower countries live in the east courtyard. We from Zhao Country are the majority," Zhong Ding stated, "By the way, Xiao Brother, which room are you in?"
Gu Jiao said, "I’m not staying in the east courtyard."
Without hesitation, Zhong Ding said, "Then it must be the west courtyard."
The north and south courtyards were for those from the greater countries.
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