But whether I, having been tempered by the world back then, possessed the same expectations and desires as I do now, is unknown.

“Aunt,” Jiang Chao said with a complicated expression, “you don’t need to do this.”

“It’s necessary,” Jiang Nuan said seriously. “This is what I owe them both, and they deserve this apology.”

"Mother, really, it's not necessary, I..."

"No need for further explanation. If a mother makes a mistake, she must be brave enough to take responsibility. As a mother, I must set an example."

She's already made a mistake once; she can't keep making the same mistake by deceiving herself.

Upon hearing this, the four fell silent.

They can express that they don't mind, but they can't refute the teachings of their elders.

Seeing this, Jiang Nuan continued, "Just now, I wrote a letter to borrow some manpower from the Han family."

"Mother, are we on guard against the Tie family?" Huang Xiaosan asked.

“No,” Jiang Nuan shook her head and explained, “it’s to teach you.”

“I used to think that we were just farmers and didn’t need to be as strict as wealthy families. Now I realize that I made decisions for you without ever asking for your opinions.”

Putting aside others, at least the third son would definitely not be content to be a farm boy.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have sold herself to get into Wuweilou.

In her eyes, there was nothing wrong with farmers, but her son might not think so.

It's not a matter of life and death. The sons should be able to choose their own path in life, instead of me using the excuse of doing what's best for them to decide their future.

“It’s good as it is now,” Old Huang said sincerely. “My son is very satisfied with his life now.”

They have no worries about food and drink, and they eat meat at every meal. Life is much better than before. Old Master Huang never dared to imagine that his family would be like this today.

At that time, his biggest dream was to find a tael of silver so that his whole family could have enough to eat.

“My son is very content,” Huang Lao Er said with a smile. “We have food at home, no one dares to bully us, and we don’t have to go out to make a living. Life is as wonderful as that of an immortal.”

"You're satisfied with this? You have no ambition at all." Hearing their words, Jiang Nuan laughed.

"What about you, mistress?"

“Mother, life is good now,” Huang Xiaosan said through gritted teeth, “but son doesn’t want to live like this for the rest of his life.”

He originally intended to keep this matter to himself, after all, his family was living a good life, peaceful and not being bullied.

But after a while, you'll find it's really boring.

As one's status rises, this feeling becomes more and more pronounced; no matter what one does or who one meets, all one hears is praise.

It was really comfortable at first, I felt like I was floating, but later I found it was not interesting at all.

Such praise is mixed with too many factors; it's impossible to tell whether it's genuine or feigned, or whether it's out of consideration for one's elders...

As time went on, he began to miss the days at Wuweilou. It wasn't that he liked being a dog, but rather that he missed the hard-working version of himself.

It was tiring, but I felt fulfilled.

"Jiang Chao, what about you?"

"Should I say it too?" Jiang Chao pointed at himself in disbelief.

He thought he was just a spectator today.

After all, a nephew is different from a son.

“Of course,” Jiang Nuan said with a smile, “Auntie never jokes. If she says she will raise you as her son, she will raise you as her son.”

Whether she has one sheep or two, she can still herd them. She only has this one nephew, and he's not much different from her son.

Jiang Nuan was confident that her teaching was definitely better than that simpleton Jiang Xu's.

As for Huang Shan, it wasn't that Jiang Nuan was biased, but rather that the circumstances were different. Huang Shan was the eldest grandson of the second wife, and his future path would not be the same as her own son's.

As the eldest daughter in the Jiang family, she could directly decide matters concerning the Jiang dynasty without anyone daring to object. However, in the Huang family, it was different. As the second son's wife, it was inappropriate for her to interfere in the education of the eldest grandson.

“I’ve never thought about this question,” Jiang Chao said, looking confused. “I don’t know what I want.”

His elders nagged him every day about getting married, but Jiang Chao didn't want a wife. He was perfectly happy being alone and didn't want to be a burden.

That's right. Even today, Jiang Chao still feels that his wife is a burden and has never changed his mind.

“Yes,” Jiang Nuan nodded, “I’ve heard your thoughts, now let me share mine.”

“You are still young and haven’t experienced much. It’s normal that you don’t know what you want. You two shouldn’t argue with me. Since ancient times, experience has determined one’s level of achievement. Your current ideas are not mature.”

“Mother,” Huang Laoda said with a bitter smile, “I’m a father of three, am I still young?”

“Very young,” Jiang Nuan said confidently. “If you don’t believe me, look back at yourself now in ten years.”

"And then?" Huang Xiaosan asked, "What are Mother's plans?"

"Your mother has decided to dedicate herself to your upbringing and will hire various masters to teach you. After you graduate, you can choose your own path in life," Jiang Nuan explained. "Your mother respects your ideas and supports your decisions, but your current experience is not enough to support the future you desire."

Parents plan far ahead for their children, and Jiang Nuan finally understood the meaning of this saying.

This was probably the last time she would make decisions for her son.

"What do we need to learn?" Jiang Chao asked curiously.

He is not opposed to this.

Although he didn't know what he wanted, he understood the principle that having more skills is never a bad thing.

Such an opportunity should not be missed.

"Literacy, arithmetic, horsemanship and archery, martial arts, and if you have other interests, music, chess, calligraphy and painting are also acceptable."

"This, so many?" Jiang Chao's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Auntie, are you raising us like rich young masters?"

These refined things are hardly useful in the countryside.

"Besides literacy and arithmetic, you don't need to learn everything. Just pick what you like." Saying this, Jiang Nuan looked at the other three, "Do you have any objections?"

"Mother," Old Huang asked weakly, "what about the work in the fields?"

The reason we've been idle these past few days is because Xiao Liu is capable. In April, we still need to transplant rice seedlings and then fertilize the wheat fields. Xiao Liu can't help with any of that.

“When it’s busy farming season, Mother will discuss with the teacher about giving you a break.”

The Huang family are farmers. No matter what the future holds, Jiang Nuan will always remember their origins and the deep-rooted respect and importance farmers have for the land.

This was a selfish motive of hers as an agricultural science student.

"Mother," Huang Lao Er said hesitantly, "what if your son is too stupid to learn?"

Huang Lao Er was very worried about his future.

This is a case of a struggling student taking precautions.

“Mother has already said that you don’t have to learn everything. Just choose what you like and are good at,” Jiang Nuan comforted softly. “Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Only by taking the first step will you know whether you can do it or not.”