Chapter 159: Double the Results with Half the Effort
Look at the appearance of little Shitou, his skin is fair and delicate, his face is plump and healthy, and especially his pair of big and bright eyes are very eye-catching. If he is taken out for a walk, someone might think he is less than two years old.
"Oh, mother, look how time flies! In the blink of an eye, Little Shitou is almost nine months old, right? His first birthday is coming soon. Should we prepare for his first birthday party in advance?"
Ever since my father Shu Changqi passed away, the family seems to be shrouded in a shadow. Although everyone is busy with their own affairs, it is inevitable that the whole family atmosphere has become a little cold and lacks vitality.
"Let's just have a meal at home. When your belly gets bigger due to pregnancy, it might be difficult for you to move around."
Zhao Chunhua said gently, her heart full of concern for Shu Mian'er.
Zhao Chunhua also shifted her gaze to Xiao Shitou. This poor child didn't know that his father was gone, and even his mother seemed to be just an empty shell.
Looking at his confused and helpless eyes, she couldn't help but feel pity for him.
"If it is inconvenient for me to attend, let Jia Ze come alone, and then ask him to tell me about what happened that day."
Shu Mian'er is a person who loves to be lively. Even if she didn't see the party in person, it would be nice to hear the description of it.
Although it is a bit regrettable, it is better than missing out on everything.
"Okay, just let him come."
Zhao Chunhua replied that it was just a family gathering and more people wouldn’t be too many.
Besides, Jia Ze's arrival is also something to look forward to.
"Actually, you don't have to accompany me all the time. Just go and do your own thing. Little Shitou is so obedient, I can take care of him by myself."
Shu Mian'er was worried that she would affect Zhao Chunhua's schedule, so she pretended to be strong.
She understood that even family members could not always be tied to each other.
"Why can't you even allow me time to rest? I wanted to take care of the vegetable garden today, but now that Jia Ze has gone there, I can relax for a while."
Zhao Chunhua smiled and shook her head.
For her, there will always be endless things to do unless she wants to.
But relaxing once in a while is great for your body and mind.
"Speaking of which, you just lie down after eating all day long. How long has it been since you wrote properly?"
Thinking of the series of books she brought back from outside, Zhao Chunhua suddenly had an idea.
She remembered that the cursive calligraphy that Shu Mian'er had practiced before was very beautiful.
Hearing this, Shu Mian'er's face turned slightly red, and she felt a little ashamed, "But the Shen Mansion doesn't have a special space for a study, where should I start writing?"
However, during the explanation, she gradually regained some confidence. After all, it was not because she did not want to practice, but because the environmental conditions did not allow it.
"In other words, you haven't practiced calligraphy seriously for half a year?"
Zhao Chunhua asked softly. She knew that the original owner and his wife had indeed put a lot of effort into their children's education.
They clearly have more room for discussion on this issue.
The brothers learned the standard handwriting commonly used in the imperial examinations, and calligraphy copies were easy to find; but for a girl, in order to let Shu Mian'er also master the writing style that suits her, Shu Changqi once wrote letters to some friends specifically to ask for suitable works.
This good intention should not be underestimated.
Being asked about calligraphy in this way, Shu Mian'er felt a little guilty, realizing that it was indeed due to her own laziness.
She lowered her head, her father's concerned eyes appeared in her mind, and her heart was filled with deep self-blame.
In fact, the dowry she brought with her when she got married included a whole box filled with various study tools and a collection of calligraphy copies that she was familiar with and used to.
Whenever Shu Mian'er opened the carefully prepared tools and materials, she could feel the high hopes her family had for her.
"You know you're wrong, right? Then come and sit down, and continue practicing at home from today."
Zhao Chunhua then arranged the felt, tables and chairs, and after everything was ready, she let Shu Mian'er start writing.
She carefully adjusted every detail until she was sure everything was correct before she slowly spoke: "Sit down and start now."
"I'm not asking you to become a calligrapher, but you're going to be a mother in the future, and you can't let your future daughter be illiterate."
Zhao Chunhua's words were gentle but powerful.
Especially now that the Shen family is still in the state of not dividing up, although the family has accumulated some wealth, it has a large population and many children.
Boys still have the opportunity to receive education and learn basic literacy knowledge; but if girls want to learn to read, they probably need to rely on Shumian'er, who plays the role of an older sister or mother, to teach them most of the time.
Listening to Zhao Chunhua's words, Shu Mian'er felt even more guilty, and every stroke of the pen was so solemn.
Every horizontal and vertical hook is given extraordinary meaning at this moment.
In fact, the reason Zhao Chunhua just gave is only part of the truth.
A deeper motivation is that she now makes two copies of every book she writes: one copy is for delivery to the publisher, and the other is for collection and collection in her own home.
In today's world, books are really expensive. Although hand-copied books are cheaper than printed ones, it is still a considerable expense if you want to read more books.
It is precisely because of the consideration of effective utilization of these precious resources that she pays special attention to the cultivation of Shumian'er's writing ability.
She writes quite fast and is now preparing to copy some books and materials, which will save a lot of money when her children need to study in the future.
After all, paper and ink cost money, and every penny saved counts.
We should increase income while not forgetting to save expenses.
Both must be taken into account in order to ensure the family's financial stability and avoid spending more than income.
Increasing revenue and reducing expenditure are equally important.
The first few lines he wrote seemed very stiff and the handwriting was crooked, obviously because he hadn't held a pen for a long time.
However, she did not become discouraged. Instead, she carefully considered the structure of each word and strived to do better.
There was no need for Zhao Chunhua to say more, Shu Mian'er had already adjusted his attitude and started working with full concentration.
A lot of effort and energy went into every stroke, for fear of any mistake or negligence.
This professionalism is commendable and touching.
The subsequent text gradually showed what it should be like in the original owner's memory. The strokes were smooth and natural, and the characters were dignified and elegant. There was no trace of the previous awkward feeling.
The whole process was like a metamorphosis, completing a qualitative change in a very short period of time.
Seeing such progress, Zhao Chunhua nodded in satisfaction.
Fortunately, she was reminded early, otherwise if she had to wait a few years to make up for it, even if she wanted to recover her knowledge, it would probably be much more difficult than it is now.
Not only will it take more time, but it may also result in half the effort and twice the results, with little effect.
Next to him, Zhao Chunhua played with Little Stone, occasionally humming nursery rhymes to cheer him up.
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