Chapter 13
Writing letters for others sounds very tempting. The work is not tiring and the income is high. However, Jiang Wanning is not naive enough to think that this can really be done.
The restrictions on women in Dazhao were not very severe, but under the rule of the previous dynasty a hundred years ago, women over the age of six were not allowed to go out easily. If they went out, they had to be accompanied by their father or brother and cover their faces with black veils.
There are countless examples like this. The shackles imposed on women by the previous dynasty were so heavy that it is unimaginable.
After the founding of Dazhao, the first thing it did was to abolish the many restrictions on women. They were allowed to study literature and walk on the streets like men. After nearly a hundred years of subtle influence, most of those incredible rules had been eliminated.
But in the final analysis, only men could become officials through the imperial examinations, and expensive things like studying and learning to read were privileges that only men could enjoy.
Even if Jiang Wanning herself doesn't mind a newly married girl showing up in public, there's no guarantee that the Lu family won't mind.
Besides, even if she could really set up a stall with Lu Shang's support, a little girl's letter-writing stall would not be able to attract customers at all.
Rich families who could afford to send their girls to school would not bother asking their women to do such a thing, and girls from poor families could not even read.
Put yourself in her shoes. Who would believe that a girl from the village could read and write letters for others?
Just looking at the brilliance in Fan Sanniang's eyes, she didn't say anything discouraging: "That's great, I will think about it carefully when I get back."
Now that she had found out everything, Jiang Wanning prepared to go back. Lu Laoer's home and Fan Sanniang's home were in two different directions, so the two said goodbye.
But before leaving, Fan Sanniang suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She tugged at Jiang Wanning's sleeve and stammered, "Wanning, there's something I want to ask you, but I'm not sure if it's okay."
Jiang Wanning asked, "What?"
"Oh, it's all because of those two troublesome little ones at home. The eldest one will be four years old at the end of this month. I heard that it's best for children to start their education at the age of four or five. Although my family has no shortage of food and clothing, it's still a bit difficult to send the children to school. I was thinking about that..." She was too embarrassed to say the rest of the words.
Jiang Wanning tilted her head: "Do you want Lu Shang to teach Dabao a lesson?"
"No, no, how dare we trouble Mr. Lu!" Fan Sanniang denied repeatedly and pointed at Jiang Wanning. "I'm asking if you could help me teach Dabao a few words."
"Please rest assured, I will definitely pay you the tuition according to the rules, but it may not be as much as in town..." To put it bluntly, I still can't afford that much money.
Jiang Wanning suddenly understood, but after understanding, she didn't dare to agree: "I——"
It’s not that she is not confident in her knowledge, but she is afraid that if she agrees, the Lu family will stop her.
After much thought, Jiang Wanning said truthfully, "If it's just a matter of learning a few characters, there's no need for any tuition. But I can't make the final decision on this matter alone. Wait until I get home and ask."
"If it works, then everyone will be happy. Even if it doesn't, I can think of other ways for you. It won't delay Dabao's enlightenment."
With Jiang Wanning's guarantee, Fan Sanniang was overjoyed. She thanked her repeatedly and stuffed all the sweet fruits in the basket to Jiang Wanning. Seeing that she couldn't hold it, she simply gave her the basket as well.
“No, no, these…”
"Hey, why are you being so polite to me? Okay, I'm going home. You should go back soon too. It will be very hot on the road when the sun rises!" Fan Sanniang said, turned around and ran home, waiting to share the good news with her family.
As everyone knows, Jiang Wanning is the daughter of a high-ranking official. Even if she becomes a convicted official, she still knows more than these peasants.
Others were just afraid of causing gossip or getting into trouble, but Fan Sanniang was not afraid. Under her pressure, even her family members did not dare to object.
In her opinion, she didn't ask her children to pass the imperial examination and become scholars. It would be a blessing if they could do some math and read, and become an accountant when they grew up.
Her family had no money to send her child to school, and Jiang Wanning was able to teach her child to read and write, so naturally she was the one she favored. All other trivial matters were unimportant in the face of the child's future.
After Fan Sanniang left, Jiang Wanning also changed her route and went home.
When she returned home, Lu Laoer and others had not returned yet. The yard was quiet and no one came out to scold her for running around.
Jiang Wanning looked around, then quickly walked back to the room carrying the flowers and the basket.
I thought Lu Shang was still lying on the bed, but when I walked in, I saw that he was sitting at the table with paper and pen on it.
Hearing the door open, Lu Shang looked over, and was even more surprised when he saw the many things Jiang Wanning brought back.
"Didn't you say you were just going to take a look? Why did you bring back so many? Let me see what kind of flower this is... Is this a wild vegetable?" Lu Shang stood up, closed the door, and took the things from Jiang Wanning's hand.
Jiang Wanning curled her fingers and whispered, "I picked the flowers from the roadside. They look so beautiful in bloom. They should look great in the house."
"The wild vegetables and sweet fruits were given by Sanniang. I met her on the road and asked her about them."
Lu Shang didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he lowered his head and smelled the flowers and plants: "These flowers are quite fragrant. Aning is right. We should put some things in the house. It's too dull now."
Jiang Wanning did not expect to gain Lu Shang's approval. As long as he did not despise her, she would be satisfied.
Lu Shang's reaction now was beyond her expectations. When she came back to her senses, Jiang Wanning's eyebrows were curved.
She hummed heavily, looking rather bewildered: "Then I'll find a basin, fill it with water and put the flowers in it!"
"No hurry, no hurry, sit down first." Lu Shang hurriedly pulled her aside and quickly poured her a glass of boiled water. "Drink some water first. You look like your face is red from running so much."
Jiang Wanning was very happy and agreed to everything Lu Shang said. While she was drinking water, Lu Shang had already moved the wooden barrel under the bed out and carefully put the flowers and plants into it.
He moved the wooden barrel to the door of the room so that it could get some sunlight but not too strong. He added two buckets of water into it, and the flowers would bloom for at least three to five days.
I don’t know if it was a psychological effect or something, but as soon as the flowers and plants were decorated, Jiang Wanning felt that the whole room became brighter and more lively.
Even Lu Shang said, "This feels much better."
After the flowers and plants were tidied up, Lu Shang sat down again.
Jiang Wanning just saw the words on the paper. Those words... She not only knew the Dazhao characters, but also had some knowledge of the symbols of the Western Regions. But now, she frowned and moved closer to the table to carefully identify them for a long time.
The characters on the paper are densely packed together. From a distance, there is nothing unusual. But when you get closer, you find that none of the characters are correct. This is no longer a question of whether it looks good or not.
"What did my husband write?" Jiang Wanning really couldn't recognize it.
A trace of panic flashed across Lu Shang's face. He quickly rolled up the papers and pressed them down in his hands. "Nothing. I was just scribbling something. Didn't Aning go to inquire about the situation? What did she find out?"
His change of topic was too abrupt. Jiang Wanning was still confused, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions.
She thought for a moment and said, "There are a lot of jobs that require physical labor, but my husband is probably not suitable for them. Besides, Sanniang said that writing letters for others in town is very profitable, so you might consider it. Another option is -"
Jiang Wanning pursed her lips and told her about Fan Sanniang's request for her to teach her children. She continued, "I heard there's no school in the village yet. Since you're the only scholar in the village, can you open one? The small tuition you can collect would not only help with the family income, but also allow them to review their lessons every day."
Whether it's writing letters or teaching in a village school.
Lu Shang patted his empty head and could only smile bitterly.
There are so many things a scholar can do, but for Lu Shang, anything related to knowledge is a dead end.
He was thinking about how to refuse politely when he accidentally met Jiang Wanning's eyes. His whole body trembled and his gaze towards Jiang Wanning suddenly became hot.
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