Chapter 1347 Inside and Outside
Man Bao, who was standing by, couldn't help but ask, "Sister-in-law, how come Daya has become the one who supports Guan Yong? Shouldn't Guan Yong be the one taking care of the family?"
Xiao Qianshi laughed and said, "What a silly child! Guan Yong is still studying now, where can he earn money?"
"Why not? I'm studying now and I can still make money."
"That's different," Xiao Qian said confidently, "You are so much smarter than him, and you are the reincarnation of a fairy. How can a mortal like him compare to you?"
Manbao: “…”
She was choked for a long time before she said, "Then you see, Bai Shan and Bai Er also earn their own money."
"That's because their family is rich. Mr. Bai gave you such a large piece of land to play with, and Mrs. Liu also paid so much money and people to manage it for you. It's like you have more than a hundred acres of land behind you."
Xiao Qian said, "Guan Yong doesn't have his own farm. The land he was given as an adult still has to be cultivated by his family. If he were to manage the land himself, not to mention whether the income would be enough for his studies, he wouldn't have the time either."
Before agreeing to this marriage, Mrs. Qian discussed the pros and cons of the marriage with her and Zhou Dalang, so little Mrs. Qian specifically learned about how scholars studied.
That's why she held her daughter's hand and whispered, "Your grandmother is right. Guan Yong studied not only for himself and the Guan family, but also for you. You, too, studied with the teacher for a year and have read several books yourself. You should be more polite than mother."
"Don't they say that when a man becomes an official, the first people to benefit are his wife and children? What's that called?"
Daya whispered, "Ennoble your wife and protect your son."
"That's right, that's the truth anyway. So, you have to be clear about this. Don't listen to your aunt and think about letting Guan Yong earn money to support the family. It's not the right time yet," said Xiao Qian. "You should earn money to support him first. When he finishes his studies and passes the civil service exam, you won't have to run the shop yourself. By then, you can even give up the shop and let him support you."
Manbao, who was standing by, asked quietly, "What if he fails the exam and becomes an official?"
"Don't be afraid," Xiao Qian said, "You can support him until he's thirty or forty years old. If that doesn't work out, you can support your son. Anyway, you have the shop and you don't have to worry about food and clothing. What are you afraid of?"
Daya nodded with a red face.
Manbao shuddered, "Why do I have to support my son? What's the point of Daya getting married? All the money she earns is spent on others."
Xiao Qianshi felt that it was a wrong decision for her to drag Manbao here to listen to her experience. She couldn't help but tap her forehead and said, "You talk as if the money we earn is not for you to spend."
She said, "My parents have been farming and earning money their entire lives, but how much of it have they spent on themselves? Didn't they spend most of it on you?"
Manbao was stunned, thought about it carefully, and found that it was true.
"Your brothers' marriages, childbirth, daily meals and soup, medical treatment and medicine—which of these wasn't paid for from the public treasury? Does that mean your parents' marriages are meaningless?"
Xiao Qianshi said, "After your elder brother and I got married, all the money we earned was spent on you. Doesn't that mean our marriage is meaningless? Life isn't calculated the way you do. Whether your life is good or not, only you know it best in your heart."
Manbao blinked and asked, "How are you doing, sister-in-law?"
Little Qian couldn't help but laugh, "Of course it's good. Mother treats me well, and your eldest brother also knows how to love me. Of the three children, except for the third one who is still a little naughty, the eldest and the youngest are sensible and know how to be filial. You are also getting better and better. I am very happy in my heart. Even if all the money I earn is spent on you, what does it matter?"
Manbao seemed to understand, but she felt that she didn't quite understand it, because it was very different from what was written in some storybooks she had seen in the encyclopedia.
She pondered it herself, but before she could figure it out, Daya beside her nodded and said, "I understand. If you live like your parents, you can give us the money. I'm happy to give it to you. But if you live like Uncle Baldy, it's better to throw the money in the water and listen to the sound. Isn't that right?"
Manbao understood immediately.
Mrs. Qian: "...That's the truth, but you have to remember that you can't be extravagant with your money. When I say spend it on the family, I mean only on your small family. Don't spend it on your entire in-laws, otherwise no matter how much you earn, it won't be enough."
In front of Manbao, Xiao Qianshi had nothing to say, so she lowered her voice slightly and said, "Look, the money your mother and father earn is only given to you three siblings. If your second aunt and the others ask me for money, they have to borrow it. So when you come to the Guan family, you have to distinguish between what's inside and what's outside, okay?"
Daya and Manbao nodded slowly, gradually figuring out the taste of the big family and the small family.
After listening to the experience for a long time, the two of them, including the aunt, sister-in-law, mother and daughter, simply slept together at night.
When Manbao woke up the next day, Xiao Qianshi and Daya had already woken up and gone out. The courtyard was very lively.
Manbao got up, dressed, opened the door, and went out. Sanya came running over and said, "Aunt, my father bought a pig from the village, and we're slaughtering it right now. Fourth Uncle said we're going to slaughter a sheep too. Grandma asked you to invite Bai Shan and the others over to eat the pig-slaughtering meal. The Guan family will be here soon, so go get the red envelopes."
Manbao said: "I received the red envelope, do you want some too?"
San Ya said with regret: "We don't have any, only you have one, but I heard from grandpa that if Bai Shan and the others come over, they should be able to get one too."
Manbao is older than Daya, and according to the local customs, when the in-laws come to make the betrothal, they have to give her a red envelope. However, Manbao was not at home when the two families made the betrothal, so they have to make up for it today.
This was the first time in Manbao’s life that he received such a red envelope, and he felt a little excited just thinking about it.
So she immediately went to wash up. San Ya even helped her get a basin of hot water. She sat aside and waited, "Aunt, last night my mother said that if I don't give her the money I earned from tea leaves I exchanged for silk, she will not let me go to school."
Manbao almost fell into the washbasin. She turned her head and asked, "What did your father say?"
"My father told me not to spend money recklessly and to save it for future use. He didn't say anything else. My second brother quietly told me that my mother's words don't count and I have to listen to my grandmother about studying."
San Ya said, "My mother said that I had better learn a skill, either to be a great cook like my aunt, or to be able to use an abacus and keep accounts like my second sister, so that I don't have to work in the fields after I get married. But I have tried it, and I feel that my cooking skills are exactly the same as my mother's. Even my second sister can't compare."
"I was just helping out in the kitchen, but even Aunt Wu looked down on me."
Fifth sister-in-law is well-known in the family for her good temper. She is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. Although she is very opinionated, she has a very soft temper. If even she is disgusted...
Manbao looked at her sympathetically and said, "It's okay. It's not your fault. It's all my second sister-in-law's fault. It's hereditary. There's nothing we can do about it."
See you at 6pm
(End of this chapter)
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