Zhi'er asked curiously, "Then aside from places like Mingyang Academy, are there other places where common people can study?"
Bai Daoyan took her little hand and walked along the street.
"A few years ago, there were two merchants who wanted to set up an academy for the common people, but the tuition was so expensive that almost no one was interested, and naturally, it didn't succeed."
"For the common people, filling their stomachs is the priority, and studying is secondary."
Zhi'er pouted, "A few days ago, when I went to the market with Brother A Kuang, I saw a poor scholar. To prepare for the imperial exam, he stole books to sell and tried to curry favor."
"So where did he study?"
Bai Daoyan smiled indifferently, "Stealing books? It's not surprising he did that; it was an act of desperation when he was backed into a corner."
