After shaking off the enthusiastic villagers, Wang Li finally returned home. This was only after his Spirit awakened, and he had not yet obtained a spirit ring.
He let out a long breath. Although it wasn't absolutely true, he was now a lonely orphan, instantly becoming a hot commodity in everyone's eyes.
Returning home, he picked up his weeding tools and went out again, heading towards the fields.
Even though his Spirit had awakened, the fields still needed to be cultivated.
Wang Li's face showed deep thought, and he mused in his heart:
There are still three months. Once I arrive at Notting Academy, I definitely won't need to farm anymore. Work-study students don't pay tuition, but I still need to figure out a way to pay for food.
All the grain harvested this year, after paying taxes, will be sold. As for the fields at home, I'll sell them if I can, and rent them out if I can't.
As long as I officially become a Spirit Master and can receive subsidies from Spirit Hall, then I'll be able to escape this tight situation.
…
Three months, neither long nor short, passed quickly.
Wang Li counted all his savings, mainly bronze coins, mixed with some silver coins. After counting, he said:
"Twenty-five silver coins, two hundred thirty-four bronze coins. That converts to twenty-seven silver coins and thirty-four bronze coins. This should be enough for me to live on for a while."
The currency of the Douluo World is: one gold coin can be exchanged for one hundred silver coins, or ten thousand bronze coins.
(PS: In the original work, 1 gold coin = 10 silver coins = 100 bronze coins. The author must have been careless, either not calculating clearly or not writing clearly. Otherwise, at the academy, sweeping for one day is ten bronze coins, and sweeping for ten days would be one gold coin.)
Wang Li sold his grain, and under the supervision of the village chief, Wang Ping, he leased out his family's fields to other villagers at a low price. If he could, Wang Li would have liked to raise the price, but given the economic level of their village, if the price was too high, no one would rent.
As it was, the price wasn't high, but it was a steady income, and Wang Li was already very satisfied.
At this moment, a voice came from outside the house:
"Xiao Li, are you home?"
Hearing this, Wang Li put away the two money bags, one large and one small, in front of him, then quickly ran to open the door. He saw not only Wang Ping but also some villagers. He greeted them, saying:
"Grandpa Village Chief, and all the uncles and aunties, why have you all come? Please come in and sit, I'll pour you some water!"
Wang Ping knew there were many of them and Wang Li's house couldn't accommodate them, so he didn't go inside. Instead, he said with a smile:
"Xiao Li, we won't go in. You're going into the city with me tomorrow, so you must have a lot of things to pack. Make sure you bring everything you need. Once you enter Notting Academy, we commoners won't be able to come in and see you."
After speaking, Wang Ping took out a bag and very solemnly handed it to Wang Li, saying seriously:
"The city is not like our countryside. Once you go, you won't be back for a year or a half. Take this money; it's a token of everyone's goodwill. Cultivate well, study hard, and you must become a Spirit Master in the future!"
Wang Li accepted it as if it were a treasure. He didn't know how much money was inside, but seeing the expectant faces of Wang Ping and the other villagers, he thanked them loudly, saying:
"Thank you, Grandpa Village Chief, thank you, all the uncles and aunties, I will definitely become a powerful Spirit Master!"
This feeling was like a backward village suddenly producing a university student, who then carried the entire village's hopes to study in the city.
Wang Li did not refuse this kindness. When his strength grew, it would be an easy matter to repay the village a little.
Wang Ping's face was filled with joy upon hearing this. The sorrow of a small place, after so many years, finally produced a Wang Li with spirit power. They could only place all their hopes on him. He took a deep breath and repeatedly said:
"Good boy, good boy…"
Besides Wang Ping, the villagers also enthusiastically brought Wang Li some dry food and fruits. Wang Li accepted them all with a smile.
After seeing off Wang Ping and the villagers, Wang Li's face was a little stiff from smiling. He returned to the house, first tidied up the dry food and fruits, then opened the money bag Wang Ping gave him and carefully counted. It was a full thirty silver coins.
Wang Li's eyes sparkled. It seemed that after he went to Notting Academy, not only could he eat his fill, but he could even eat well, at least adding a chicken leg.
He quickly put all the money away. Just as Wang Ping said, Wang Li indeed needed to pack many things: two sets of clothes for changing, shoes and socks, bedding, dry food… It really felt a bit like a university student.
The next day!
Before dawn, Wang Li got up. He didn't cook but boiled a pot of hot water and filled his stomach with dry food.
Then, carrying his large and small bags, he walked out the door, looked back at the place he had lived for six years, then closed the door, resolutely embarking on his Spirit Master path.
Spirit, spirit ring, Spirit Bone… Douluo Continent, it truly makes one look forward to it.
At the village entrance, Wang Ping and his son Wang Shun were already waiting, and beside them was a ox cart.
Wang Li walked over quickly and called out:
"Grandpa Village Chief, Uncle Wang Shun."
Wang Ping's old face was full of smiles. He looked at Wang Li and quickly greeted him, saying:
"Xiao Li has arrived, hurry and get in the cart. Let's leave early so we don't delay your enrollment time."
Wang Ping's son, the tall and strong Wang Shun, strode over to help Wang Li move his luggage onto the cart. His eyes were full of envy, as Wang Li would very likely be the only Spirit Master from their village in the future.
Everything was ready. Wang Ping and Wang Li sat on the ox cart, and Wang Shun drove the cart away.
Along the way, Wang Ping loudly told Wang Li about the Spirit Master anecdotes he knew. Some were true stories, some were legends, and his words were full of longing for the Spirit World.
In the Douluo Continent, Spirit Masters are equivalent to nobles. Nobility is inborn, but Spirit Masters give commoners hope, though this hope is very slim.
This shows the special status of Spirit Masters.
Outside Nuoding City, Wang Shun guarded the ox cart while Wang Ping took Wang Li into the city. After a little inquiry, they found the location of Notting Academy.
Arriving at Notting Academy, it was a very large building. The gate alone was twenty meters long and four meters high, forged from refined iron.
At this moment, in front of the gate, there was also an old man and a young boy, seemingly wanting to enter to register, but they were stopped by the doorman.