The two were immediately overjoyed. In those days, academies cost a lot of money, not to mention that there were very few academies that women could attend.

They were both peasants, one carrying goods and the other washing clothes for others. They couldn't teach their daughter anything. If they could teach their daughter some arithmetic, she would be better off than them, who were illiterate, when she looked for work in the future.

So he asked his second sister, "When you went there today, was that Sister Meng you mentioned unhappy? Did she look down on you?"

Upon hearing this, the second sister immediately raised her chin high, "Sister Meng likes me so much. She warms my hands and gives me candy. When I came back, she even said that if I wanted to hear it, I should return it to her tomorrow."

At this point, the second sister seemed to suddenly remember something, pouted, and rubbed her cheeks, "It's because Sister Meng always likes to pinch my cheeks, and it hurts me."

When the two heard that Meng Zhao did not dislike the second daughter, they were relieved. It would be inappropriate for the adults to come over while the children were playing, so the next morning they invited the eldest daughter of the family to come over.

The eldest daughter of the Lin family is now ten years old. She usually helps with chores at home and rarely goes out to play with her second daughter.

Lu Yingniang took some dried persimmons from home and asked her eldest daughter to take her second daughter to the Meng family. "You need to be perceptive. If you feel that they are unhappy to see you, take your second daughter back quickly. If they are not unhappy, sit there with your second daughter and listen for a while, understand?"

When the eldest daughter of the Lin family heard that she was going out, she was a little hesitant, as she was not used to going to other people's houses.

Seeing her like this, Lu Yingniang anxiously reached out and pushed her, "Go, go! What's the use of staying at home all day? You're so old already. If you don't learn something, are you going to end up like me, washing clothes for others?"

Although the eldest daughter of the Lin family was somewhat unwilling, she could only reluctantly agree under her mother's urging. She carried a basket of persimmon cakes and took her younger sister to the Meng family.

On the way, I kept thinking about what to say, what to do if people disliked me, and how to give away the dried persimmons in the basket. But when I got to the door, I didn't dare to go in. I took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door.

Meng Zhao happened to be in the courtyard when she heard a knock at the door. She went to open it and immediately saw her second daughter standing at the door, with a ten-year-old girl standing next to her. Meng Zhao had seen her from afar before and knew she was the eldest daughter of the Lin family, so she smiled and said:

"Eldest sister, second sister is here. Come in and sit down, it's warm inside."

Seeing Meng Zhao's enthusiasm, her nervousness eased a little. She reached out and handed over the persimmons in the basket, stammering, "This, my mother asked me to bring these over. We dried them ourselves."

Meng Zhao's gaze naturally fell on the persimmons in the basket. The persimmons were all round and plump, covered with a layer of white frost, and looked delicious.

She didn't refuse, but reached out and took it, saying, "That's great! It just so happens that I didn't buy any persimmon cakes this year, so you brought them to me. Please thank your parents for me when you go back."

Meng Zhao's voice was gentle. When she saw her coming, she was not unhappy at all. She even invited her to come in and find a place to sit. The eldest daughter of the Lin family gradually lost her anxiety and sat down to listen to the lesson.

Seeing the growing crowd below, Meng Zhao was extremely gratified. Craftsmanship is different from knowledge; her skills were her livelihood, so she naturally couldn't easily pass them on to others.

Knowledge should not be kept on a shelf. It is the common wealth of all mankind. If others learn to read more and do more arithmetic, it will not affect her business. On the contrary, if the knowledge she imparts can make people live better, have more money, and improve their living standards, it is very likely to boost the business of her shop.

Besides, she always has to give lectures, so having a few more auditors won't take much effort, as long as they don't make a fuss and listen quietly.

Before they knew it, it was New Year's Eve. On this day, the Meng and Shen families gathered together for a reunion dinner, which consisted of hot pot.

One stove was simmering a fragrant and spicy broth, while the other was a sauerkraut broth. Everyone brought out all sorts of hot pot ingredients they could find at home and laid them out on a large table. Everyone chose their favorite flavor according to their own habits and ate for more than an hour before stopping.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Aunt Qian was sitting at the Meng family home listening to a lesson when she heard someone calling her from outside. Upon closer listening, she realized it sounded like her husband, Zhou Xin's, voice. So she quickly signaled to Meng Zhao and then tiptoed out of the Meng family home.

Seeing her husband and son return safely, Aunt Qian was initially happy, but later complained a little, "You're finally back. It's the New Year, how can you not be at home for the New Year? The snow outside was so heavy, it scared me so much. I couldn't sleep peacefully at night, afraid that something might have happened to you outside."

Zhou Xin looked a little guilty and helpless, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "There's nothing I can do about it. There are many people who owe money. On ordinary days, you can't find them at all. It's only during the New Year that everyone is at home, so you won't be disappointed. That's why the master asked me to go out and make a trip during the New Year."

Seeing his mother so worried, Zhou Xiucai quickly stepped forward to comfort her, "Mother, don't worry. With me here, nothing will happen. Look, we're back safely."

Once the resentment in her heart had subsided a bit, Aunt Qian began to care about the two men's health again. She noticed that they had both lost a little weight since they left home, so she quickly went to prepare some food for them.

The two ate while talking to Aunt Qian about what was happening outside. Before evening, their conversation reached Meng Zhao's ears.

This snowfall was indeed much heavier than in previous years. Although it stopped for a day or two in the middle, the temperature did not rise, and the snow did not melt. It piled up layer by layer, becoming thicker and thicker.

The situation was better in the county. The county magistrate personally led a group of yamen runners and enthusiastic citizens to clear the snow from the streets during the Lunar New Year, so the roads in the county were relatively clear.

However, the villages outside are vast and sparsely populated. Many families often cannot even leave their homes for several days. Along the way, they saw many houses that had collapsed under the weight of the snow.

The welfare homes in the county town were already full. Those who couldn't find a place to stay had to live in temporary shacks set up by the county government. Nowadays, the checks at the city gates are extremely strict. It took Zhou Xin and his son a lot of effort to get in when they returned.