Zhou Shuren let go of Zhulan, “You rest first, I’ll let Mingteng run errands.”
Zhulan was indeed tired. She had been thinking all day long, so she waited for Zhou Shuren to go out, changed clothes, and then lay down on the kang to rest.
When dinner was ready, Zhulan heard her granddaughter calling her to eat and was surprised to realize that she had slept for more than an hour. Her wài sūnnǚ Jiang Mu was not that big, and she was holding her hands on the edge of the kang and making a sweet sound, “Wàipó, it’s time to eat.”
Zhulan sat up and touched her granddaughter’s bald head. This girl’s hair was not good and she shaved it off now and then. Unlike the older sūnnǚs who had grown their hair since childhood, the little girl didn’t like being touched and shook her head. Zhulan smiled, took her hand back, and put on her shoes.
Xuemei bent down and picked up her daughter, “Mom, this girl has come in several times. Mom has been sleeping. I didn’t let her speak out and she was always angry with me. This time she can finally speak out. Look how happy she is.”
Jiang Miao pouted, “Mother is wrong, wàipó is not mother, but wàipó.”
Zhulan looked at the little girl pointing out the mistake seriously and laughed out loud, “Miao Miao is right, wàipó is wàipó.”
The young girl looked smug, mocking someone playfully.
Xuemei was speechless, “Mom, we shouldn’t follow what she says.”
Zhulan waved her hand, “She’s too young to understand your words. Let’s go eat. By the way, how long have you all been here?”
Xuemei waited for her mother to leave. She followed up from the front and said, “We came when mom had just fallen asleep.”
When she thought that her mother and father went to the county magistrate’s house today, she felt excited. She didn’t expect her father to be so capable!
Dinner wasn’t anything special either. Xue Mei and her husband lived nearby, and she wasn’t the distant daughter-in-law who only returned home occasionally. Having a meal together frequently was more meaningful than preparing something extravagant.
Moreover, Zhlan’s family meals were already good without any fuss; every meal was satisfying.
After the meal, Xuemei wanted to ask her mother about her visit to the county magistrate’s house. Unfortunately, her father looked over and she understood. He felt sorry for her mother because she was tired, so she helped clear the table with great discernment and went home neatly.
Zhulan returned to the house and was followed by Zhou Shuren. Zhulan asked, “Can we talk this time?”
Zhou Shuren took off his shoes and lay down on the kang. He was the most tired and had not rested for a day. “This is not the beginning of summer.” It’s the season of heavy rains. We are near the river. This year we ordered to build dams. The county needs a lot of people. The county magistrate thought Jiang Sheng was quite good and told me that Jiang Sheng would help him keep records and he would be given one tael of silver a month. Three meals a day, and he will work until autumn.”
Zhulan was pleasantly surprised, “This is a great thing!”
Although it delayed his studies, listening to Zhou Shuren’s explanation, Jiang Sheng’s foundation was solid. Now, without the psychological pressure from the Jiang family, as long as he held steady the next year and wasn’t exceptionally unlucky, passing the imperial examination was not a problem. So, he was not afraid of wasting time; earning money was quite important.
The eldest daughter and her husband have a lot of expenses in a month. The family has no land, so they have to buy food every month and pay rent. Jiang Sheng sometimes treats people to meals, which cost 500 Wen a month. They really can’t save any money.
With this thought, the foundation of the eldest daughter’s family was indeed thin. When Jiang Sheng passes the county examination, there will be the cost of preparing for the imperial examination. The grandson was growing up and needed education, which meant more expenses. Zhulan sighed; achieving financial ease for the eldest daughter’s family would probably take years, maybe until Jiang Sheng passed the provincial examination, but who knew how many years that might take!
Zhou Shuren heard Zhulan sigh, “What are you worried about?”
Zhulan calculated the accounts and said, “I’m worried that Xuemei has no family assets. She doesn’t have an acre of land, only one house and her monthly expenses are quite high.”
After a moment of silence, Zhou Shuren said, “We will move to Pingzhou next year. Let Xuemei and her family live at home and help look after the house and land. We will pay for the food for a year as payment for looking at the land and house. This is the last thing we will do as parents.”
In the future, besides studying, he wouldn’t assist Jiang Sheng anymore. He had paved the way that needed to be paved; from now on, it would be up to Jiang Sheng himself. Fortunately, Jiang Sheng didn’t disappoint him and truly caught the eye of Magistrate Dong. Slowly accumulating, he would be able to live a decent life in the days to come.
Zhulan laid out the quilt and said, “Okay.”
Zhou Shuren let go of Zhulan, “You rest first, I’ll let Mingteng run errands.”
Zhulan was indeed tired. She had been thinking all day long, so she waited for Zhou Shuren to go out, changed clothes, and then lay down on the kang to rest.
When dinner was ready, Zhulan heard her granddaughter calling her to eat and was surprised to realize that she had slept for more than an hour. Her wài sūnnǚ Jiang Mu was not that big, and she was holding her hands on the edge of the kang and making a sweet sound, “Wàipó, it’s time to eat.”
Zhulan sat up and touched her granddaughter’s bald head. This girl’s hair was not good and she shaved it off now and then. Unlike the older sūnnǚs who had grown their hair since childhood, the little girl didn’t like being touched and shook her head. Zhulan smiled, took her hand back, and put on her shoes.
Xuemei bent down and picked up her daughter, “Mom, this girl has come in several times. Mom has been sleeping. I didn’t let her speak out and she was always angry with me. This time she can finally speak out. Look how happy she is.”
Jiang Miao pouted, “Mother is wrong, wàipó is not mother, but wàipó.”
Zhulan looked at the little girl pointing out the mistake seriously and laughed out loud, “Miao Miao is right, wàipó is wàipó.”
The young girl looked smug, mocking someone playfully.
Xuemei was speechless, “Mom, we shouldn’t follow what she says.”
Zhulan waved her hand, “She’s too young to understand your words. Let’s go eat. By the way, how long have you all been here?”
Xuemei waited for her mother to leave. She followed up from the front and said, “We came when mom had just fallen asleep.”
When she thought that her mother and father went to the county magistrate’s house today, she felt excited. She didn’t expect her father to be so capable!
Dinner wasn’t anything special either. Xue Mei and her husband lived nearby, and she wasn’t the distant daughter-in-law who only returned home occasionally. Having a meal together frequently was more meaningful than preparing something extravagant.
Moreover, Zhlan’s family meals were already good without any fuss; every meal was satisfying.
After the meal, Xuemei wanted to ask her mother about her visit to the county magistrate’s house. Unfortunately, her father looked over and she understood. He felt sorry for her mother because she was tired, so she helped clear the table with great discernment and went home neatly.
Zhulan returned to the house and was followed by Zhou Shuren. Zhulan asked, “Can we talk this time?”
Zhou Shuren took off his shoes and lay down on the kang. He was the most tired and had not rested for a day. “This is not the beginning of summer.” It’s the season of heavy rains. We are near the river. This year we ordered to build dams. The county needs a lot of people. The county magistrate thought Jiang Sheng was quite good and told me that Jiang Sheng would help him keep records and he would be given one tael of silver a month. Three meals a day, and he will work until autumn.”
Zhulan was pleasantly surprised, “This is a great thing!”
Although it delayed his studies, listening to Zhou Shuren’s explanation, Jiang Sheng’s foundation was solid. Now, without the psychological pressure from the Jiang family, as long as he held steady the next year and wasn’t exceptionally unlucky, passing the imperial examination was not a problem. So, he was not afraid of wasting time; earning money was quite important.
The eldest daughter and her husband have a lot of expenses in a month. The family has no land, so they have to buy food every month and pay rent. Jiang Sheng sometimes treats people to meals, which cost 500 Wen a month. They really can’t save any money.
With this thought, the foundation of the eldest daughter’s family was indeed thin. When Jiang Sheng passes the county examination, there will be the cost of preparing for the imperial examination. The grandson was growing up and needed education, which meant more expenses. Zhulan sighed; achieving financial ease for the eldest daughter’s family would probably take years, maybe until Jiang Sheng passed the provincial examination, but who knew how many years that might take!
Zhou Shuren heard Zhulan sigh, “What are you worried about?”
Zhulan calculated the accounts and said, “I’m worried that Xuemei has no family assets. She doesn’t have an acre of land, only one house and her monthly expenses are quite high.”
After a moment of silence, Zhou Shuren said, “We will move to Pingzhou next year. Let Xuemei and her family live at home and help look after the house and land. We will pay for the food for a year as payment for looking at the land and house. This is the last thing we will do as parents.”
In the future, besides studying, he wouldn’t assist Jiang Sheng anymore. He had paved the way that needed to be paved; from now on, it would be up to Jiang Sheng himself. Fortunately, Jiang Sheng didn’t disappoint him and truly caught the eye of Magistrate Dong. Slowly accumulating, he would be able to live a decent life in the days to come.
Zhulan laid out the quilt and said, “Okay.”
