Chapter 9
After thinking for a moment, Jeongha spread out a sheet of paper and pressed it firmly with a paperweight. Then, after pondering a price that the students wouldn’t find off-putting, she picked up her brush.
[Notice.
Correction of the Four Books and Five Classics – One nyang
Correction of the Five Classics – Two nyang
Prediction of exam questions per question – Five nyang
……]
She was quite pleased with the detailed price list.
“Today’s last student is entering.”
Jeongha folded the notice and set it aside, straightening her posture. Checking the eggs the student had brought in the bundle, she smiled and finished the lesson.
That night, after everyone had left, Jeongha posted a notice on the beam above the door.
“Who would come just by seeing this?”
Nakbun looked at it full of worry.
“Don’t worry. The first time is difficult, the second is easy. And the students will like it even more.”
Since these students had already received lessons and bought her services, the likelihood of them paying without hesitation was high.
“Huh? You’re saying they’ll be happy to pay money?”
Nakbun tilted her head, unable to understand immediately.
The next day, Nakbun finally understood what Jeongha had meant.
“How neat. It used to be a task to wonder what the teacher would like and go choose it, but now it’s perfectly handled.”
The students’ faces brightened upon seeing the room.
A week later, Nakbun had a new worry.
“How am I supposed to carry all this money? Oh dear, it’s too heavy for me to lift.”
Nakbun laughed, tossing small bundles of money into the air.
Meanwhile, Jeongha felt satisfied but didn’t smile fully.
She had earned enough to live without hardship for the time being. Rumors even spread that “the tavern in Ban Village is a shortcut to Sungkyunkwan.”
With this, she had established her place through the small-level lectures. But it wasn’t enough to satisfy Jeongha’s ambition.
“Shall we move on to the next step?”
From the beginning, Jeongha had been aiming for the higher-level exam, the daegwa.
If one passed the daegwa, even an unremarkable family could suddenly gain attention, while even a renowned family could quietly be forgotten if their candidates failed multiple times.
Thus, passing the daegwa and becoming an official was the ultimate goal of Joseon students—scholars.
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say a family’s rise or fall depended on the exams.”
Eventually, this led to situations where families in poverty even borrowed money to prepare for the exams—a waste in Jeongha’s eyes.
Why pour money into temples that don’t even teach properly, into instructors who cannot teach properly?
If that money were given to Jeongha…
“I could make them pass the daegwa.”
But a competent instructor proves ability not by words but by results.
“I’ll make a top scorer in the daegwa.”
Jeongha smiled, imagining a nameless figure wearing the official headpiece. Naturally, she pictured Daeyong as the top scorer as well.
At Sungkyunkwan, if a student accumulated 300 points, they could take the gwanshi, an exam exclusive to Sungkyunkwan students.
As a special advantage, since only Sungkyunkwan students competed, the chance of passing was higher.
“Ten months from now.”
It was enough time to fully prepare for the daegwa.
“If my brother passes the daegwa, my name will rise too, and he will get an official post, so things will be more comfortable then.”
Yet she didn’t want to wait ten months. Above all, there was a good opportunity called the byeolsi (special exam).
“My brother isn’t yet skilled enough to become the top scorer in the byeolsi. He also needs to stay at Sungkyunkwan to build connections.”
Excluding Daeyong from the byeolsi candidate list created a problem.
“Who should I make the top scorer?”
Unlike the small-level exams, the byeolsi required more attention.
“We only have hints about what type of questions will appear, so we have to predict them as well.”
The exam scope was broader than the small-level exam, so more materials needed to be gathered and stored.
And one more thing. Jeongha planned to select a few with potential for top scoring in the byeolsi and make a focused training group.
“They will also need a place to live while training.”
The byeolsi selected top scorers in a single exam. Naturally, there were many candidates, and luck played a part. But Jeongha had no intention of relying on luck.
“I’ll surpass luck with skill. It won’t be easy. We have to prepare step by step. Don’t rush.”
Eating hastily only upsets the stomach.
Jeongha looked around the room to clear her thoughts.
The newly applied hanji over the yellowed wallpaper was beautiful. Pillowcases that were once tattered now smelled of fresh sunlight.
Seeing the improvement in her surroundings made her heart swell with pride.
“From now on, it will only get better.”
But there was a problem to solve first.
“We can’t hide while teaching forever.”
At first, students were satisfied just receiving notes passed over from beyond the door. But gradually, they became curious about her herself.
Strange rumors began to circulate—some said her face must be ugly, others said she must be short—mostly negative.
Jeongha didn’t care much about the rumors.
The more false rumors spread, the more people would be astonished and enthusiastic when they finally saw the truth.
What she worried about was her gender.
A woman.
How would people in Joseon accept a female teacher?
She hid her identity for now, as the repercussions were unpredictable. But secrets eventually get discovered.
It was better to reveal it before someone mistreated her.
“When should I reveal it?”
The answer was simple: when there were students willing to learn despite her being a woman, and…
“When I have a proper school.”
Revealing her identity in a tavern would not be elegant. After that, she would start preparing for the byeolsi.
Jeongha smiled, imagining the day she would reveal herself in a splendid mansion. She was confident that day was not far off.
Household finances were steadily improving. The proportion of rice in meals gradually increased, and soy sauce had long since been removed from the table.
The windows, which had holes letting the wind through, were patched with new paper. Before the rainy season, new wooden shoes were prepared for the whole family. The musty bedding was replaced.
Jeongha made new clothes for Anbin, Daeyong, Nakbun, and herself. She also prepared four new folding fans. Everything came in sets of four.
“You’re giving me one too?”
Nakbun was shocked and tried to refuse, but Jeongha forced it into her hands with a word.
“It’s not free. Later, when I need your help, consider this a bribe.”
“Ah! Just say so. If it’s for you, I can even put my nose in for good luck.”
Their devotion was touching. Jeongha smiled and gave Nakbun a pretty hair ribbon.
“Good. Nakbun will handle school meals. To really train the top scorers, we’ll need assistants, so I need to earn more money.”
From that day, Jeongha threw herself into work again.
Labor never betrayed her. As she worked, money steadily accumulated. Her nickname also became known: Daetong Teacher!
The students she taught at Sungkyunkwan always received top marks in various exams, earning her that nickname. Jeongha liked it very much.
She had already noticed a few candidates suitable for the byeolsi. Things were progressing smoothly.
One day, after the rainy season ended and the cicadas were at their loudest, Na Daeyong ran out of Sungkyunkwan.
To take the special exam replacing the daegwa, he needed 300 points at Sungkyunkwan—meaning he had to stay there for at least 300 days and eat two meals a day.
Even as points were being painstakingly accumulated, Daeyong left Sungkyunkwan, which made Jeongha anxious. She knocked on his door.
“Brother, it’s Jeongha. May I come in for a moment?”
She intended to find out why he was staying home.
“Ah, just wait a moment.”
Inside, it was busy. The sun was high, and he was only now getting up.
Jeongha didn’t feel contempt but curiosity.
Daeyong was the model scholar—upright in demeanor, waking before sunrise, washing his face with clean water, dressing properly, never missing a day of reading. That he had overslept and was only now making his bed…
“Something must have happened. It must be serious enough to unsettle his routine.”
Jeongha waited until it calmed down and entered the room. Daeyong, adjusting his clothing, looked up at the sound of the door opening.
“Brother, I hope I’m not disturbing your rest?”
“What are you saying? You’re always welcome. Sit down.”
They sat facing each other across the desk. Daeyong smiled at her, and Jeongha scrutinized him.
After a brief silence, Jeongha spoke.
“Why did you leave Sungkyunkwan?”
