Chapter 337 Do you think he will still be filial to you?

Sister-in-law Fang's eyes were full of agreement.

Fang Erniu smiled, “…Going to the city will allow them to access richer resources. Whether it's classmates or teachers, they will learn valuable life lessons through daily interactions. If the children stay in the city to work later, they will have classmates and friends from elementary, middle, high school, and university. These people will also be looking for jobs. This is a resource that the children can access without spending money. If they perform well and gain the favor of their teachers, the teachers' resources may also be available to them. The resource pool built up through this teacher-student relationship is more reliable…”

Sister-in-law Fang was a little stunned. Her aunt was really different from before; she spoke about these things in a very logical and reasonable way.

The oldest child is only nine years old. How could she already be thinking about what will happen when she grows up?

"Sister-in-law?"

Fang Erniu flashed in front of her for a moment, and Fang's sister-in-law snapped out of her daze, "Hmm?"

What do you think?

Sister-in-law Fang nodded; of course she thought it was good, but...

"The tuition and fees in the city must be more expensive, right? I heard they also have to pay for school uniforms, and there are fees for attending schools outside the city, and they also have to pay to go out and have fun..."

"What my sister-in-law is talking about is spending money to go out and play. It's a study tour, where the school takes the children to see the outside world and broaden their horizons, instead of... being trapped in a well like a frog."

Fang Erniu coughed lightly. She always gave herself away when she spoke. What was that idiom again, about being a frog in a well?

“School starts in September, so there are still four or five months left. If we save forty a month, we’ll have one hundred and eighty in four and a half months. I’ve inquired, and it only costs sixty per person. They can attend school during the day and squeeze in with me at night. I’ll bring them lunch during their lunch break, and we can come back together when school is out for break. How does that sound?”

What's wrong with that?

Seeing how thoughtfully her sister-in-law was considering and planning for her children, Sister-in-law Fang was both excited and moved. This feeling was different from the money her sister-in-law had given her earlier.

But she couldn't be so selfish; her sister-in-law wanted what was best for her child, and she wanted what was best for her sister-in-law as well.

“It’s possible, but you’re a young woman taking care of two boys who are still growing and need to eat a lot. Can you handle it? I think you should think twice…”

Fang Erniu grinned.

She said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry about me. I'm fine, better than ever before. Before, when my family doted on me, I always felt like I was living in a daze. But after they ruined my marriage, I've actually started to think things through. Isn't that strange?"

Sister-in-law Fang's eyes were filled with heartache; this wasn't strange, it was excruciating pain.

"...Before, I believed whatever others said, but now...I can analyze things from several perspectives, isn't that amazing?"

Sister-in-law Fang paused for a moment, then nodded, "Awesome."

She thought her sister-in-law knew nothing, but it turned out she knew everything perfectly well.

Sister-in-law Fang sighed inwardly, raised her hand to tuck the stray hairs on her sister-in-law's face behind her ear, and said, "Erniu, I'll take care of the little one at home. Don't worry about your parents. Although I can't treat them like my own parents, I promise they won't go hungry or thirsty."

Fang Erniu nodded with a smile and said, "I know that my sister-in-law is a smart and sensible person. Actually, I have my own selfish reasons. I think that if my nephews become successful in the future, I can also benefit from it."

"Absolutely!"

Sister-in-law Fang laughed, "If they dare to be unfilial, I'll beat them to death for you without you even lifting a finger."

"Mom, Aunt..."

Several nephews were standing at the door at some point, peeking in. The older ones were holding the younger ones' hands, their faces serious, and they said, "We are close to our aunt, and we will be filial to her when we grow up."

Fang Erniu smiled and beckoned them in.

He held their heads and kissed them one by one.

"Your aunt is working hard to earn money for your tuition. You stay at home with your mother. You must study hard this semester. You need to take an exam to enroll in a school in the city. If you get excellent grades, you can be exempted from tuition fees. But you can't tell anyone about going to school in the city. Don't take what the villagers say to heart, and don't argue with them. Just focus on your studies, okay?"

The older boy nodded emphatically, clenching his little fists. "Don't worry, Auntie, I'm the man of the family. I'll protect my mom and my two younger brothers."

Fang Erniu patted his head and held out her little finger, "Pinky promise."

The boy was a little shy, but he still reached out his hand.

"Pinky promise, never to change for a hundred years, whoever changes is Pigsy... Stamp."

Fang Erniu smiled and pinched his cheek, "You two be good and listen to your mother. Next time you come back, your aunt will bring you candy."

The children nodded repeatedly, their eyes crinkling with joy.

The little girl hugged Fang Erniu's leg and said, "Auntie is the best..."

After escorting the children back to their room next door to sleep again, and seeing that they were asleep, Fang Erniu and Fang Dasao left to return to their own rooms.

When Fang Erniu pushed open the door to return to her room, her suspicious-looking mother called her to their bedroom.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Erniu's mother asked her, "Don't you know where Su Laosan and Li Banxia have their shop? Take your dad and me there tomorrow, we'll go ask them for money... compensation. She caused my two sons to go to jail, this isn't over until she gives us ten thousand or eight thousand! If they dare not pay, I'll make sure their shop goes out of business."

Fang Erniu frowned, her face darkening as she looked at her father.

Erniu's father waved his hands repeatedly and said, "This was your mother's idea, it has nothing to do with me, and I didn't plan to go."

"Do you still want a son to take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die? Didn't you see the look on the eldest daughter's face? Expecting her son to do things for us is not as good as expecting your own son!"

Erniu's mom slapped Erniu's dad hard.

Erniu's father grimaced and cursed, "Crazy woman! It's not like the eldest son and the mistress aren't coming back. Listen to what you're saying!"

Fang Erniu looked over and asked her mother, "Mom, do you remember why my older brother and younger brother were arrested and imprisoned?"

Erniu's mother's expression stiffened for a moment, and she awkwardly avoided Fang Erniu's gaze.

Fang Erniu's eyes turned cold as she said, "He used the money Su Laosan gave me to distribute to the villagers, confirming that he bought votes in the election. Buying votes in official elections is illegal. You and Grandma accepting money, cloth, and food from the villagers is called bribery, which is also illegal. Why did my brother buy votes? Because my uncle and the others knew that my marriage to Su Laosan hadn't gone through, so they instigated the villagers to make everyone think that they wouldn't be able to make money from intercropping rice. Why didn't my marriage to Su Laosan go through? Mom, it's because of you."

"How can this be blamed on me alone?"

Erniu's mother opened her mouth, then said, "How was I supposed to know things were this serious? What business is it of theirs whether you marry Su Laosan or not? That Li Banxia just didn't want her son to marry a peasant girl like you, so she deliberately refused my conditions. Their whole family must have planned this beforehand. All the kindness they showed you before was just an act! I'm your own mother, would I ever harm you?"

hehe.

Fang Erniu couldn't express the grievances and anger in her heart. Her eyes were slightly cold as she stared straight at her mother.

Erniu's mother felt uneasy under her gaze. Wiping away her tearless eyes, she said mournfully, "How should I know? If I had known earlier, I... Why don't you tell them now that I won't mention it anymore? Ask them to release your older brother and younger brother..."

Fang Erniu gave a weak laugh.

He said, "Mom, it's because of you that my brother lost his position as village secretary and went to jail, making him unable to hold his head up in public anymore. Do you think he'll still be as filial to you as before when he comes back?"

Erniu's mother's expression changed.