"How long will it take to use up so many writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones? It must have cost a lot of money!" Madam Lu asked Lu Qiqi with wide eyes.

Li chimed in, "Yes, Seventh Girl, you can't squander the money you make in business!"

Lu Qiqi smiled and said, "Auntie, Third Aunt, please don't be in a hurry, listen to me first."

"I plan to send the Zhou brothers and Ayao to school after the New Year."

"Buying them writing materials and stationery in advance for school isn't a waste! It's an investment in their education!"

Curious, Ms. Lu asked Lu Qiqi, "What is education investment? I don't understand any of those four words."

Lu Qiqi glanced at the gazes directed at her and explained, "For example, buying them writing and stationery before sending them to school, paying tuition before enrollment, and buying books before taking the imperial examinations—any preparation made for taking the imperial examinations is called an educational investment."

Mrs. Lu nodded as if she understood, and what she heard was that spending money to pass the imperial examinations was called educational investment.

Madam Lu glanced at Lu Qiqi's slightly smiling face and decided to have a private talk with her.

In her half-life, Mrs. Lu had never seen a family send their daughter to school; it was simply unheard of.

It would be good if we could send Lu Yao to school, since Lu Yao is family and can read and write, which would make Madam Lu happy. But if we send so many Zhou brothers to school, how much money would that cost!

Lu felt a pain in her chest whenever she thought about it.

Lu Qiqi was unaware of the rich inner world of Madam Lu. She divided the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone into four portions, giving one to Lu Yao, one to Thursday, one to Friday, and one to Saturday.

A few days ago, Lu Qiqi mentioned the Zhou brothers about going to school. They had told Lu Qiqi on Monday that he wouldn't be going to school and hadn't changed his mind yet.

On Tuesday, Lu Qiqi didn't pay much attention to him; he was always following behind Monday. When Lu Qiqi asked him about it, he was initially surprised, but quickly declined her suggestion, and Lu Qiqi didn't press him.

On the contrary, Zhou San's reluctance to go to school surprised Lu Qiqi. However, Zhou San's words on the spot made Lu Qiqi give up the idea of ​​persuading him.

On Wednesday, he told Lu Qiqi that he wanted to learn how to do business so that his younger brothers could have a better life. He preferred using an abacus to do math to going to school.

The four children, carrying heavy writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, never stopped smiling.

"Look what this is!" Lu Qiqi took out a small paper package and opened it to show everyone.

Lu Shi, sitting next to Lu Qiqi, was the first to see it, exclaiming, "Malt candy!"

Maltose is a precious thing, and Madam Lu only tasted it on her wedding day. From then on, she could never forget the sweet taste that touched her heart.

“Yes, it’s maltose,” Lu Qiqi first gave the candy to the youngest Xibao and Lu Yao.

Lu Qiqi then distributed the candy to the Zhou brothers, saying, "I promised Zhou San that you would not only have meat to eat with me, but also candy. I have fulfilled my promise."

Lu Qiqi placed a square piece of candy in Grandma Zhou's palm and said with a smile, "Grandma Zhou, have a piece of candy, and may you live a long and healthy life!"

The elderly love to hear wishes for longevity. Grandma Zhou smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits, and thanked Lu Qiqi.

"We still have some?!" Mrs. Lu was somewhat incredulous when she received the candy. This kind of thing is usually reserved for children; adults are reluctant to eat it.

Lu Qiqi handed another piece of candy to Li Qingshan and said, "Everyone has some. We don't have the custom of putting the children first when it comes to food in our family. If we want to eat, we eat together. If we don't have any, we'll work hard to earn money to buy some."

Li smiled as she took the candy, saying, "I never thought I'd be so greedy at my age."

Lu Qiqi gave one piece to Lu Dahai and Li Changlong, kept one for herself, and left four pieces for Liu Tong and his apprentice, and Zhou San.

Lu Yao and Xi Bao sat on small stools, enjoying their meal immensely.

The Zhou brothers looked at Zhou Yi, and after Zhou Yi nodded, they each licked a piece of maltose and tasted its flavor. It was the first time they had ever eaten it, and they found it even sweeter than the sweetest wild fruit on the mountain.

Mrs. Lu ate rudely, but she still carefully took a bite of maltose and savored it in her mouth.

Li Qingshan knew his wife well enough to know that when no one was looking, he secretly placed his piece of candy into Lu's palm.

Looking at the extra candy in her palm, tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly stuffed the candy, with a small corner bitten off, into Li Qingshan's mouth before turning and going back to her room.

Li Qingshan chuckled lightly, a candy in his mouth, and calmly faced Lu Qiqi's teasing gaze before following Madam Lu back to his room.

Xi Bao ate the sweet candy, and her mouth was covered in it, almost sticking to her lips. Seeing this, Lu Yao quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe Xi Bao's mouth.

...

Business was slow at the noodle shop, so Lu Qiqi didn't rush to help. Instead, she got up early and covered the stone slabs over the sewage pit with a tarpaulin.

It took half a day of work to completely cover the stone slab.

The bamboo that Li Qingshan cut that day surrounded the backyard. Lu Qiqi planned to plant some side dishes that she usually used in cooking on it, such as scallions, cilantro, chili peppers, ginger, and garlic.

If we plant some more vegetables, then Li and Lu won't have to go to the fields to pick them.

Lu Qiqi planted ginger in the backyard where Li Changlong had turned the soil. The weather wasn't cold, but Lu Qiqi still covered the ginger with a layer of chopped straw that the villagers of Laobing Village didn't want.

As soon as Lu Qiqi finished planting the ginger and stood up, she saw Xibao running towards her with her short little legs.

"Xi Bao, slow down! Don't run!" Lu Qiqi called out to Xi Bao.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!