“Well, since it’s what Madam Qin said, let’s give it a try. Don’t we have some paddy fields at home?” He Yingyuan said.
"Yes, but husband, why are you suddenly concerned about the crops?" Liao Hongying asked with a smile. Their relationship had always been good, but it was an arranged marriage, and they treated each other with respect. Now, perhaps because they had shared hardships together, they had developed a better understanding and more tolerance, and she dared to joke with him now!
"Well, maybe after experiencing the feeling of an empty stomach, you don't want to go hungry anymore? Anything with more food is a good thing." He Yingyuan wasn't angry and patiently explained to her.
Liao Hongying nodded. Her family had almost starved to death on the road. If it weren't for their good fortune in meeting Qin Sanniang, they wouldn't have survived. The thought of her beloved sons starving to death still gave her a pang of anxiety every time she woke up in the middle of the night. Fortunately, seeing them sleeping peacefully beside her brought her peace of mind.
"Husband, Third Sister has helped us a lot. Now that she plans to start a business, she will take us all with her. This is a way of helping us out! Didn't you say you wanted to prepare well for the imperial examination? Although the school is also important, you still need to put some effort into studying." Normally, Liao Hongying never said much about his studies and exams, but she had taken Third Sister's words to heart that day, and she took this opportunity to say it.
Since coming to Shiligou, although life has been comfortable in every way, my husband seems to have become less motivated. He used to spend at least two hours a day studying, but now it has been reduced to about one hour, and he spends most of his time teaching in the school.
Although she also believed that teaching was a career, now that she could earn money, she still needed to study and take the imperial examinations to get ahead. If He Yingyuan were stupid, she wouldn't say anything, but obviously her husband was not like that. How could someone who could pass the imperial examinations be stupid? He had absolutely nothing to do with those two words.
He Yingyuan nodded, took her hand, and comforted her, "Hongying, I've remembered everything you said, but the world is in chaos right now, and we don't know when things will settle down. The competition might even be postponed."
Although I spend my days teaching and nurturing students, the fundamental principles are all contained in the most basic books. Teaching students and my pursuit of the imperial examinations are not contradictory. I understand everything you're saying, and I'm well aware of the situation, so don't worry! I will definitely earn you an official title!
Hearing that he was confident, Liao Hongying felt relieved. She thought to herself, how could her husband be so reckless as a young boy? As for an imperial title or anything like that, she wouldn't dare to dream of it. However, she knew his ambitions and that he certainly wouldn't want to be confined to a narrow path, which made her a little worried. What if he failed the imperial examinations in the future? Would that make him depressed?
"Then I'll wait for you to come back with an imperial decree!" Liao Hongying said mischievously, now she was truly relieved!
"Sigh, Madam Qin is such a capable person, and so kind-hearted. I don't know what the Wang family was thinking back then, that they could abandon her and her child?" Liao Hongying muttered to herself in confusion.
This wasn't just something she'd considered; He Yingyuan had long harbored suspicions as well. If the Wang family were truly kind, they wouldn't have abandoned their daughter-in-law and grandson. If they weren't kind, they shouldn't have abandoned them either, since Qin San Niang could bring them greater benefits—high martial arts skills and money-making ability; no one would question that she was a lucky charm, right? Could there be some hidden story? Or perhaps Qin San Niang had simply abandoned them? How wicked this family must have been!
"I can't figure this out either, it's really puzzling." He Yingyuan shook his head, genuinely unable to come up with the reason.
"I know, it was Wang Dalang who was killed by bandits when he was working as a broker. Dawang's grandmother was actually his second wife, so she treated them very badly. This third sister probably took this opportunity to escape from the Wang family. She is truly brave and resourceful!"
Even if the Wang family comes knocking on our door in the future, don't talk about loyalty, filial piety, or human ethics. They were the ones who were unjust first! Sigh, if you ask me, that old lady from the Wang family is simply a fool. If she had treated Third Sister better, what would she have to worry about?!" Liao Hongying said to herself, feeling that her analysis was very correct.
Thinking about it that way, it did seem to make sense, but He Yingyuan still felt that things weren't that simple, and that something was wrong. So he simply stopped thinking about it. Right now, the families were sticking together for warmth. They were all in the same boat, sharing both prosperity and adversity. Even if the Wang family came knocking on their door, he would have to find a way to help Qin Sanniang settle things.
However, He Yingyuan did not expect things to happen so quickly. Was he a jinx?
These past few days have also been the time to deliver the design drawings to Lan Yao as promised. Qin San Niang almost forgot about it. Fortunately, it's only once every two months, and she has several books about design in her space. She also has a foundation in sketching. Combined with the current fashion trends, she can easily create a new style with a few modifications.
Before delivering the map, Qin Sanniang detoured to the county town. She wondered how Guo Er's progress was. It was indeed inconvenient for him not to contact her at any time, so she planned to tell him her address as soon as possible! Guo Er was a man of his word. On the other hand, if he were untrustworthy, Qin Sanniang would definitely make him pay the price. She just hoped that Guo Er would not disappoint her.
In the past few days, many more orphans and widows have come. Guo Er was almost in tears. The children were so noisy. However, as a charity, this was inevitable. In addition, although he was a hoodlum, he was actually quite handsome. After spending time with him, he was not scary at all. The children were no longer afraid of him and were running and jumping around in the yard.
Qin San Niang found it quite interesting; this was simply the nature of children, and it also proved that Guo Er and the others were actually quite good, otherwise the children wouldn't have been so accommodating.
"Madam Qin, are you still making fun of me? I'm about to be driven crazy by those monkeys! I wish I could spank them all," Guo Er grumbled.
“I’m not making fun of you. The children are all quite pitiful. They’ve lost their families at such a young age. The fact that they can smile shows that our charity is doing a good job. If they were to keep crying and fussing, wouldn’t you have an even bigger headache?”
Qin San Niang said to him earnestly.
However, understanding his predicament, she offered him advice: "You should think of this place as an orphanage. You see, there are quite a few women here, aren't there? Gather them together. These women can work or help take care of the children. For example, one adult can take care of six or seven children, and the children can help the women who take care of them with their work. That's a small group. Over time, they'll develop feelings for each other, like a family, and they won't cause so much trouble anymore."
Alternatively, you can divide them into larger groups based on their numbers, with each group having a leader to manage everyone's food, clothing, and accommodation. This will lighten your workload.
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