Back then, Qiu Xu, who always yielded, learned to rebel because of his sister's change.
Qiu Dazhi appears glamorous on the surface, but he is actually arrogant and disdainful of others.
He gave Qiu Xu a cold glance. "Your fathers are all gone, where would you get the spare money to go to school? Besides, are you even cut out for studying?"
"How do you know we don't have money to go to school? If you were exceptionally intelligent, you wouldn't have taken the imperial examinations for several years before finally becoming a scholar. What are you so proud of!" This Qiu Dazhi stirred up many unpleasant memories for Qiu Yan.
In ordinary times, Qiu Dazhi always appeared arrogant and aloof in front of the three of them.
Mrs. Yang said that Qiu Yan and her two siblings had lowly fates, and told Qiu Dazhi to stay away from them to avoid getting bad luck.
Qiu Dazhi, on the other hand, remained indifferent to the three of them.
Qiu Yan is never one to suffer in silence. If someone dares to mock her younger brother, she will only feel aggrieved if she doesn't fight back.
"You!" Qiu Dazhi's face turned bright red. He had only been away from home for two months, but Qiu Yan seemed to have become a completely different person, so sharp-tongued.
Qiu Dazhi considered himself clever; he was a scholar, and in Lingnan Village, everyone had to treat him with respect.
Now, he is being looked down upon by his niece, whom he usually dislikes. He is furious, but he is not good at arguing or fighting.
Fine, if I don't want to go back, I don't want to go back. Anyway, I've already delivered the message.
He turned and walked away in a huff.
Qiu Dazhi's visit did not affect Qiu Yan's mood.
She took her younger brother to the village school.
Qiu Yan, having just been spurred on by Qiu Dazhi, has a heightened desire to read.
He thought that he must work with his sister to earn money in his spare time.
The village teacher was a down-on-his-luck scholar named Wang, and was known as Teacher Wang.
After years of fruitless scientific research, he finally started a village school.
When she came, she also brought the remaining two catties of mutton, intending to give it to the teacher as a gift.
Inside the village school, children ranging from five or six years old to twelve or thirteen years old sat in rows in the courtyard, reciting ancient poems while holding books.
The village school was a large courtyard where teachers were mostly teaching children who were just beginning their education.
Most students, after passing the preliminary examination, would go to Baiyang or other places to continue their studies.
When Master Wang saw someone approaching, he put down his book and came out to ask Qiu Yan and the other girl if they had come to enroll.
Qiu Yan nodded, briefly explained her purpose, and asked Master Wang if the fee could be paid every six months.
If that doesn't work, she'll come again next time.
After a moment's thought, Master Wang agreed to Qiu Yan's request.
Among the students, Qiu Xiaobao was also at the village school. He was quite surprised to see Qiu Xu studying there as well.
He gave Qiu Xu a provocative look, then whispered to his classmates, which caused a burst of laughter from the surrounding children.
Master Wang turned around, glared at them, and the laughter stopped abruptly.
Qiu Yan paid a small sum of money and went home that day. The next morning, she sent Qiu Xu to the village school.
Because the roof of their house was not dry, Ms. Ye offered to let the three of them stay at the Li family's house temporarily.
Ye was gentle, and Qiu Yan no longer felt uncomfortable as before.
During that time, my aunt came again.
They brought some food, three new sets of bedding, and two taels of silver with them.
Since it was her aunt's kind gesture, Qiu Yan kept the food and bedding, but she didn't accept the money.
Qiu Yan said that when she runs out of money, she will take the initiative to borrow from her aunt.
My aunt only earns thirty coins a day, which isn't much.
Because she had been caught in the rain yesterday, Qiu Yan thought that she hadn't had time to wash the new clothes she had just changed into. Just then, Xiao Ling'er was tending to the vegetable garden in front of the door with Ye Shi, so she carried a wooden basin to the stream in front of the door.
Many young women and wives had already arrived by the stream, chatting and laughing about everyday matters.
When they saw Qiu Yan arrive, they all greeted her warmly.
"Qiu Yan, you're here to do the laundry too."
"Qiu Yan, I heard you sent Qiu Xu to the village school? Is that true?"
"If you ask me, leaving the Qiu family was the right thing to do."
"Who says otherwise? Qiu Yan has even learned to earn her own money now..."
Qiu Yan listened to the village woman's remarks, sometimes nodding and sometimes shaking her head.
Zhao Yuanyuan was among them. She first looked up at the Qiu family's old courtyard, sighed, and then said, "Qiu Yan, I heard that your thatched hut is leaking. Is it still habitable?"
"It's all fine now. My siblings and I have done our best to repair the roof," Qiu Yan replied.
“My family has an old courtyard house, which is much better than where you are living now. If your house is really uninhabitable, you can move there.” The original owner and Zhao Yuanyuan were not familiar with each other. Zhao Yuanyuan only offered to help because she felt sorry for Qiu Yan and her two sisters.
Qiu Yan nodded and thanked her, "Yuanyuan, thank you for your kindness..." As the two were talking, they saw Qiu Hui also come over with a wooden basin to do laundry.
Because of Qiu Hui's arrival, the laundry women changed the subject of their conversation.
When Qiu Hui arrived, she first gave Qiu Yan a hostile look.
Because of Qiu Yan, their family is now in complete chaos.
All the dirty and tiring work at home fell to the third branch of the family. Originally, all the work that Qiu Yan and her two sisters did was now done by the third branch of the family.
Even so, Grandma's health is poor now, and she needs her mother to take care of her at her bedside all day.
If you're not careful, Grandma will yell at the family. Everyone in the family dislikes Grandma, but no one dares to say it out loud.
Now, no one washes her clothes anymore, so she has to wash them herself, which is a pity for her delicate hands that she has nurtured for over thirteen years.
She squatted down beside Zhao Yuanyuan and said, "Yuanyuan, why should they live in your old house? It would be bad if good intentions were met with misfortune. Some people are just born with bad luck."
Because Zhao Yuanyuan was the village chief's daughter, Qiu Hui always liked to fawn over her.
Qiu Hui glanced at Qiu Yan cautiously, fearing that she might suddenly attack someone.
Even though Qiu Hui spoke the last four words very softly, Qiu Yan still heard them.
Some people, if they don't court death, they won't die! Qiu Yan remained expressionless, rubbing her clothes repeatedly.
Zhao Yuanyuan glanced at Qiu Hui sideways, then moved closer to Qiu Yan's side.
"That's my yard. I can let whoever I want live there!"
Qiu Hui was taken aback, her expression changing several times. "Yuanyuan, you don't know, Grandma said that Uncle secretly left them money. They're buying new clothes and eating meat now, they don't lack money at all."
Zhao Yuanyuan didn't understand. Even as an outsider, she felt some sympathy for the three siblings' plight, so why did Yang Shi and the third branch of the Qiu family dislike them so much?
Qiu Yan's third sister is currently staying at the Ye family's house. Zhao Yuanyuan had already heard about the house repairs that happened yesterday, along with the two siblings and their aunt.
How wicked must this person be to say such callous things after seeing the three siblings suffering in the rain and living under the roof of others?
“I’ve heard about this before, it’s false! Every time Uncle Qiu brings back money from the military camp, it goes through my father’s hands. If Uncle Qiu were secretly keeping money, how come my father wouldn’t know?”
Qiu Yan has money to eat well and dress well; she earned it herself. Didn't you hear she went to Baiyang to sell eggs and wild game? Honestly, she can't stand seeing others doing better than her own family.
After hearing Zhao Yuanyuan's words, several village women couldn't help but glance at Qiu Yan, and at the same time felt a little more favorably towards her.
Despite such adversity, this girl managed to find ways to survive; it was an instinctive drive for survival.
Qiu Hui pursed her lips.
"Hmph, Yuanyuan, I haven't done anything to offend you, so why do you always side with Qiu Yan? My grandma said your dad is just biased towards Qiu Yan. If your uncle really wanted to leave them money, he could have just passed on a message. Who knows if your dad is intentionally protecting her! Do you know where Qiu Yan got her wild game? It was a gift from some random guy. In the whole Lingnan Village, who has as thick skin as her? So young and already trying to seduce men like Widow Lian. Oh, and by the way, that man even stayed at her house one night. Who knows what would happen that night..."
Splash... As Qiu Hui finished speaking, suddenly, she, along with her clothes and the wooden basin, was kicked into the stream by Qiu Yan.
"Ah..." Because the event happened so suddenly, Qiu Hui had no idea that Qiu Yan would do such a thing.
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