The village chief chuckled as he puffed on his pipe, pointing at the men in each household.
"That's good. From now on, the young men in the village won't have to worry about finding wives. I'm afraid all the good girls from far and wide will want to marry into the village."
Everyone thought about it and agreed, laughing, "Then our girls are probably even more sought after. They've been earning work points since they were little, and their dowries will be incredibly generous."
"We should keep our daughters in the village and not let them go to outsiders. It's better for our daughters to marry into our own village. We can't let them get away with marrying into the village."
"Yes, the school will be built in the fall, and my daughter will go to school to learn to write and do arithmetic then."
The men squatted together, worrying that their wives wouldn't get drunk, while chatting happily about the future.
I'm not afraid of hardship, I'm afraid of having no hope for the future.
With something to look forward to, I feel full of energy every day, and I don't feel tired no matter how hard it is!
Not long after Li Laosi carried the half-drunk Tao Hongying into the house, Li Laoer returned with Jiaren and Jiayi.
The three of them had smiles on their faces. Jiaren, unusually, acted like a child, talking to his grandmother about how good Luo'an Academy was.
"Grandma, the academy is located a dozen or so miles east of Xindu, outside Yunwu Mountain. The scenery there is exceptionally beautiful. There's also a small town outside the academy that's very lively. Many teachers in the academy eat in the small shops just like the students, and they seem very approachable. Many students also carry guqin and flutes; I heard that everyone who enters the academy has to learn a musical instrument."
Grandma Li listened attentively, her smile never fading. She didn't care whether the academy was good or bad; if it made her grandson so happy, she had to go.
Jiayin sat in her older brother's lap, listening to him speak with great enthusiasm, and was happy for her brother as well.
This is how young people should be: unrestrained and flamboyant, not as deep and still as a well.
Perhaps realizing he was too excited, Jiaren blushed and whispered, "Grandma, did I say too much? But this academy is really good."
"Not much, not much, Grandma is happy. When you go to school, Grandma will personally take you. And when you have good classmates, bring them to our house to play." Grandma Li patted her grandson's shoulder with a smile.
Li Lao Er, however, chimed in, "The tuition at the academy isn't cheap, it's sixty taels a year. Add in food and lodging, and it'll probably cost a hundred taels."
Grandma Li immediately waved her hand and replied, "If our family had to worry before, we wouldn't be afraid now. The dividends from the valley are at least three or four hundred taels a year, and there's also a melon field, which is a valuable resource that can definitely be sold for a lot of money. That's more than enough for my grandson's schooling."
After saying that, she took Jiaren's hand and instructed him again, "Jiaren, once you get to the academy, focus on your studies and don't worry about anything else. Grandma doesn't only have you as her grandson, and she can't only dote on you. If the family really can't afford your tuition, we will definitely tell you, and we will all work together to find a way. So, don't worry, just study hard, okay?"
Jiayin nodded her little head, shaking the gold bracelet on her wrist, the bell jingling, "Big brother, Fu Niu has money, she'll give you money to study!"
The little girl's arms were chubby like lotus roots, white and adorned with gold bracelets, making her very cute.
The whole family couldn't help but laugh. Jiaren kissed his sister's arm and replied, "Okay, if your older brother needs money, I'll borrow from you. When you get married, I'll pay you back tenfold!"
"Okay!" Jiayin proudly raised her chin and looked at Li Lao Er. "Second Uncle said doing business is difficult, but look how easy it is for me."
The family couldn't stop laughing. Grandma Li gently tapped her granddaughter's head and said, "Little girl, you've robbed your brother. What kind of business is that?"
The evening breeze brought a touch of coolness that was absent during the day, and carried the sounds of laughter from the crowd far and wide.
Mr. Wen didn't keep the Li family waiting for long; he arrived three days later at dusk.
The Li family was just setting out dinner, so Tao Hongying quickly added two more dishes before inviting Mr. Wen to the table.
Mr. Wen asked Wen Hai to bring in two baskets, one filled with most of the eggs and the other with two hens.
"My junior sister asked me to bring this over. She's digging a lotus pond at her estate, so she'll probably be busy for a few days before she can come."
"Digging a lotus pond?" Old Mrs. Li asked in surprise, "This is no small task. Do you have enough manpower?"
“It’s enough,” Mr. Wen said with a smile. “Auntie, you don’t know this, but some of the people on her estate were recruited by the Marquis’s mansion. They are given heavy work to do, and the mansion is used as an opportunity to see what kind of character they have. Those who are lazy and shirk their duties will be kicked out.”
Everyone was relieved and sat down to eat.
After the meal, the table was cleared, and everyone drank tea together. Mr. Wen said, "I have already made arrangements at the academy. Jiaren can go there directly in three days."
As he spoke, he took a note from his pocket.
"When you get to the academy gate, just give the invitation to the gatekeeper. Someone will take care of you. I'll go and check on things when I have time, but most of the time, Jiaren will have to rely on himself to get along with his classmates, adapt to the coursework, and take care of his own food and lodging. You should be prepared for that."
Jiaren quickly accepted the invitation with both hands and thanked him sincerely.
The Li family was all happy for Jiaren. Zhao Yuru said, "I'll hurry up and sew two new clothes for Jiaren in the next couple of days."
Tao Hongying also said, "I'll fry a jar of meat sauce for Jiaren and make some extra dried noodles, so that if he doesn't like the food, he can at least have something to eat."
Li Lao Er also laughed and said, "Mother, I'll send Jia Ren over then."
Jiayin had been eager to try it out for a long time; she had been feeling cooped up for so long and was looking forward to going out for a walk.
At that moment, she hugged her grandmother's neck, her chubby little body twisting like a pretzel, "Grandma, Fu Niu wants to go, wants to go!"
The old lady was also looking forward to seeing where her eldest grandson would go to school, but her beloved granddaughter kept pestering her, so she quickly gave in, saying, "Alright, alright, whoever can put aside their work can go with him."
Jia'an and Jiaxi had been eagerly anticipating this for a long time, and they jumped up immediately upon hearing this.
"Oh, time to go out and play!"
"Taking my older brother to school!"
Everyone found it amusing; the two mischievous boys were the perfect helpers in the valley, making it easy for them to slack off, and they were determined to go with them.
Old Lady Li remembered something and said to Mr. Wen, "Sir, we're building a school in the village this autumn. We can't let these boys spend their whole lives as laborers in the valley. Do you have a suitable candidate? Could you help our village find one?"
Mr. Wen nodded, "I've been keeping an eye out for it, and I'm sure I'll find something suitable if I take my time."
"Great, these kids are like wild horses, they only behave when you put a bridle on them."
After a few more casual words from his family, Mr. Wen thought for a moment and said, "Auntie, a few days ago, my fourth brother mentioned to me that he wanted to investigate a family in Willow Lane in the south of the city. I sent Ye Hai to inquire about them. The Wang family is a collateral branch, but their main branch is also an old and prestigious family. They do have many officials and scholars. I also have a colleague from the Wang family. After some subtle questioning, I managed to find out some things..."
The old woman gripped the chair armrests nervously, her lips trembling as she finally asked after a long pause, "The Wang family... is that person my eldest son?"
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