Caojiazhuang, Xihe County.

Cao Erlang was pressing oil at the mill, a little absent-minded.

My eldest brother and his wife went to Beijing a few years ago, secretly bought a house, and found a job.

They thought they could hide the truth, but little did they know that he had already known that they had bought a house in Beijing.

They kept it a secret simply because they were afraid that their brothers would divide up their house.

Cao Erlang spat and looked towards his house.

He doesn't care about his eldest brother's house or his eldest brother's money.

Although the family had not been divided, he had already tacitly agreed in his heart that whoever earned the money would own it.

My eldest brother and his wife are capable. When they were in the refugee camp in Beijing, my eldest brother was the first one to find a job.

My eldest sister-in-law also got a job at the Refugee Resettlement Office with her own ability and learned to read and write.

I heard that my eldest sister-in-law was looking after houses at the foot of the Imperial College in the capital. It was because she was literate and hardworking that the employer was willing to hire her.

The eldest brother found a job in the Imperial College.

The couple managed to settle down in the capital and even brought their children to the capital to attend free school.

Cao Erlang was a little envious.

But he knew his own limitations and that he didn't have as flexible a brain as his elder brother Cao Dalang.

He is dull by nature and not good at scheming.

I read a few days of books when I was a child and knew a few words, which could barely be considered an advantage.

Another thing is that he is down-to-earth and able to endure hardships.

It's just that in the past one or two years, seeing that my eldest brother and his wife's family are thriving, and my nephews and nieces are able to study in the capital, I can't help but have some thoughts in my mind.

He also wanted his children, both boys and girls, to be able to study.

It is old news that girls don’t need to study.

It was because of my sister-in-law's literacy that she was able to earn a higher income in the capital than by sewing and embroidering.

It’s just that my parents still have old ideas.

I am reluctant to spend money on children’s education, especially girls’ education.

Cao Erlang has brothers under him.

If his children go to school, his younger brothers' children will definitely clamor to go to school too.

The burden is heavy.

Mr. Cao and Mrs. Cao Xu have so many grandchildren that it is impossible for every child to go to school.

Every time I talk about letting the children study, I find excuses and keep putting it off.

So, as time went by, even though the family had savings, the children had no chance to go to school.

It was my eldest brother and his wife who were insightful. They went to the capital early, secretly bought a house at the foot of the Imperial College Mountain, and decisively brought their children to the capital to study.

How enviable.

Cao Erlang finished pressing the oil absentmindedly.

The oil mill was passed down from our ancestors.

All the income from the oil mill belongs to the public.

Cao Erlang worked in an oil mill pressing oil without receiving a penny of wages.

In the words of Master Cao, working for the family and asking for wages is bullshit! I provide you with food and drink, and help you marry wives and raise children. Isn't it your duty to do some work?

Cao Erlang worked in the oil mill, earning a small amount of oil at most. He would accumulate a small amount and sell it at the market for money.

In this way, the couple lived a tight life.

After finishing the work, I packed up and went to the river to wash up before heading home.

Taking a bath every day in the summer and once every three to five days in the winter are habits developed by refugees in the capital.

The refugee camps have extremely strict hygiene requirements. With so many people living together, eating, drinking, defecating and urinating, it is easy for diseases to spread.

Therefore, the refugee camp resettlement office requires all refugees to take a bath at least once every two days in the summer and change clothes frequently in the winter.

It was at that time that Cao Erlang developed the habit of taking a bath.

Even his wife and children were influenced by him and often boiled water to take a bath.

Because of this matter, my mother-in-law Cao Xu cursed a lot.

Scolding the second brother's family for wasting water and firewood.

Not satisfied with just scolding, he also demanded harshly about the food for the second brother's family.

The reason is very good and powerful. Firewood costs money, and you have to boil water every few days to take a bath. You are more particular than the people in the city. But what you are taking a bath in is not a bath, but money.

If you spend extra money, you naturally have to make it back on food.

Because of this, Cao Erlang's wife cried several times.

She complained to Cao Erlang, "I really envy my eldest sister-in-law. She said she would go to the capital and she really went to the capital. She didn't come back for several years after she left. She was the boss of the family and kept all the money she earned in her own pocket. We are nothing like us. We work so hard at home every day and don't get paid a penny. Even if I take a few more baths, even the food will be cut. Now I can't touch the kitchen at all. I know my mother-in-law is worried that I will cheat.

I don't mind. I've been hungry since I was little and I'm used to it. I'm a poor child. It's the time for growth. How can I not eat well? My third brother's wife's child is a year younger than our Xiaofu, but he's already taller than Xiaofu. What will happen if this continues? Otherwise, I won't bathe the children anymore and at least make sure they have enough to eat.

Cao Erlang sat on a small stool, silent.

If it were a daughter-in-law with a more irritable temper, she would have turned against him long ago.

Who can stand talking for a long time without any response?

After a long while, Cao Erlang finally said, "I'll go out and take a look."

"It's getting dark, where are you going?" asked his wife.

Cao Erlang said, "I heard that Zhuzi is back. I'm going to ask him if there's any chance."

"What chance does Zhuzi, a retired soldier, have? It would be better for him to look for my elder brother and his wife." Cao Erlang's wife also wanted to go to the capital.

Cao Erlang shook his head. "Brother and sister-in-law have finally settled down in the capital. We can't go and cause them trouble. And if we go to the capital too, do you think Mom and Dad will go? If Mom and Dad go, will the third and fourth sons want to go? Brother and sister-in-law will hate us to death."

Cao Erlang's wife was speechless and sighed.

Both of them were honest and dutiful people. Although they envied their elder brother and sister-in-law's independent life in the capital, they never thought of exposing it all.

Even when the third and fourth families asked, they kept their mouths shut.

It is precisely because of this that the eldest brother and his wife trust them and are willing to tell them some things.

Cao Erlang went to find his childhood friend Li Zhu, Zhuzi.

Zhuzi joined the army at the age of sixteen and served for nearly ten years. He was discharged from the army some time ago.

When Zhuzi learned that Cao Erlang was bored at home and wanted to go out and find a job early to give the children a chance to study, he was suddenly excited.

"I have an opportunity, but I'm afraid you won't want it."

"Tell me first, what opportunity is it?"

"Go to the grasslands and claim your place. Do you dare?"

Cao Erlang frowned and smiled bitterly, "I have no capital, I don't know how to herd, I can't ride a horse, and I don't know how to run a business. Going to the grassland is just feeding the wolves."

"I'm not asking you to go to the grasslands to enclose land alone. Our boss is looking for a loan from the Shaofu Bank. The interest rate is extremely low, so low that it's unimaginable. In short, money is not a problem. As soon as the money is in place, our boss will set off to the grasslands to enclose land and become the king, and directly become a sixth-rank official. We are currently recruiting people. I have decided to follow our boss. Our boss said that if I go, he will give me a seventh-rank official position, a formal official position with a file in the Ministry of Personnel of the Imperial Court. If you are willing to follow our boss, I will guarantee you a seventh-rank official position at least."

Li Zhu became more and more excited as he spoke, and tried to persuade Cao Erlang to follow him.

Cao Erlang knew his own limitations. "I don't know how to herd cattle or ride a horse. If I go to the grassland, I'll just be a burden to you. Besides, I can't leave my wife and child behind. I'm still counting on my child to go to school."

"You're just a stubborn person. Who told you that you have to learn how to herd livestock when you go to the grassland? If you can press oil, then go and press oil, sheep fat, and beef fat. Your wife can help you and earn two wages. As for the children's education, that's even easier. My eldest son has already contacted a scholar and offered him a high salary. The scholar has agreed to go to the grassland with us. When the time comes, let the scholar open a private school and let the children study for free."

Forget about anything else. When Cao Erlang heard that a scholar was opening a private school, his eyes widened.

He asked anxiously, "Is there really a scholar willing to go to the grassland?"

"Of course I am willing! If I can enclose the land and become the king of a region, I will be prosperous for several lifetimes. A scholar can only earn a few dollars in his hometown. Following our boss, it will be no problem to earn one or two hundred taels a year."

"Is your boss so powerful?" Cao Erlang was secretly amazed.

An income of one or two hundred taels a year is definitely a high-to-high salary, a salary that you can't even imagine.

Li Zhu said with admiration: "Our boss used to work under Yang Xianggong, how could he not be powerful?"

"Who is Mr. Yang?" Cao Erlang looked confused.

"You don't even know Mr. Yang?" Li Zhu looked surprised.

Cao Erlang nodded repeatedly, "I haven't been out of the house in years, how would I know about Mr. Yang?"

"Mr. Yang, Lord Yang Ji, the late emperor's chosen scholar, Grand Commander of the Jiangnan Grand Military Governorate, in charge of the war in the south. You must be aware of the war going on in the south. Mr. Yang is the supreme commander of this war. Even the emperor's uncle has to obey his orders. Isn't that impressive?"

Cao Erlang nodded heavily, "That's amazing!"

"That's not the most amazing thing." Li Zhu showed off his knowledge. "The most amazing thing is that Lord Yang is from the Shanhe Academy, and the Empress is his backer."

Wow!

No matter how ignorant Cao Erlang was, he knew how famous Shanhe Academy was. He heard that it had surpassed the Imperial College and became the best academy in the world.

Having the Empress as your backer is even more amazing.

The reason my eldest brother and his wife had been able to afford to settle down in Beijing was thanks to the Universal Transport shares they had purchased. The annual dividends brought them a considerable income.

Universal transportation is the Queen's business.

"Master Yang is so powerful, so why doesn't your boss work with Master Yang?"

Li Zhu waved his hands, "You just don't understand! When Lord Yang was training at the Northwest Military Governor's Office, he was a civil servant. My eldest son is a military commander, and how could a military commander follow a civil servant? Later, Lord Yang was transferred back to the capital and then to Jiangnan, but my eldest son has never forgotten Lord Yang's teachings.

During the years he spent with Lord Yang, my eldest son learned a lot. He used to be illiterate, but now he can read and write official documents on his own. He'd previously suffered from his lack of education and missed out on promotions. But after a few years of training under Lord Yang, my eldest son has finally achieved official status.

"Go to the prairie, enclose the land and become a king, and instantly become a sixth-rank official. If you do well, you will have money and an official position in the future. It's much better than staying at home and working like a donkey pressing oil every day."