Chapter 1931 Hongtian Village
Man Bao said, "I've asked around. Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang are not the children of the Xia clan leader. Xia Qilang is actually the nephew of the Xia clan leader, and he is several generations away from Xia Wulang. However, he still supports Xia Wulang's studies very much. He helps him a lot and asks other families in the clan to help him. Obviously, they want Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang to take the exams first, and then help the clan in the future."
In fact, this is a strategy commonly used by many small gentry families. As long as an official emerges from a family, he can lead the entire family, or even the entire village, to a higher level.
Just look at Manbao and you will know. Zhou Erlang wrote back to say that after the news of her becoming an official reached Qili Village, the villagers went out to buy firecrackers and set them off for a whole day. The clan members also bought a lot of firecrackers and set them off for a whole day. Finally, Zhou Erlang had no choice but to buy some more firecrackers as well.
Last winter, while I was doing labor service, the county decided to build a road from Qili Village to the county seat. They simply widened it and then filled it with earth. I heard that it is now almost as big as a pipeline. Not only is it no longer bumpy, but it can also accommodate two carriages side by side.
Even the small path over the mountain was simply repaired.
This is the invisible benefit that being an official can bring to the village and family.
Not to mention the additional subsidies for seeds and farm tools when encouraging farming and sericulture, even the county government's assessment of taxes was not so harsh.
In the past, a pound of hemp would always be given an extra two taels before it was given. Now, if two taels were given, the yamen runners would take the initiative to give back one tael...
This is a typical case of one person's success bringing prosperity to the whole family, cough cough...
Man Bao said, "But I think that happiness is better shared than happiness alone. Apparently, some of the Xia clan elders think the same way. When I proposed to open a clan school the other day, didn't they agree?"
Bai Erlang asked, "Are you going to bring down their family?"
"Nonsense," Manbao glared at him and said righteously, "Am I that kind of person? Although my last name is Zhou, I also have Xia family blood flowing in my body. Would I harm the Xia family? Even if children learn to read and write, even if they don't take the civil service exam, there will be other benefits. For example, after reading, they will always be more polite than others, and it will be easier for them to find jobs and make money, right?"
Bai Erlang said, "Their goal isn't to make money as accountants or clerks, but to become officials. You've practically cut off their path to becoming officials."
Manbao shook his head. "No, we can wait until this generation makes money and the next generation has money, then we can train them. Why do we have to mobilize the entire family to support these two people now?"
Bai Shan interrupted the two people's argument, "Alright, the final choice is also the decision of the human family. We are just making a proposal. Why are you still arguing? It's as if you can make the decision."
Bai Erlang and Manbao stopped arguing, but Bai Erlang still commented, "You two are so treacherous."
Manbao accepted it without objection.
Bai Shan did not refute. They just wanted to prevent the Xia family from causing trouble for them in the next twenty years, and after another ten or twenty years, the Xia family probably would not cause trouble for them either.
With this purpose in mind, they dressed up specially when they set off for Hongtian Village the next day. They put on the best clothes they brought with them, hung up the best accessories, and combed their hair neatly and smoothly before getting on the car.
Old Zhou also put on his best clothes, determined to lose the battle rather than the battle.
Hongtian Village is a big village, much larger than Qili Village, and the Xia family is the largest family in Hongtian Village. Of course, in addition to the Xia family, there are several other surnames, which are not particularly small.
In such a big village, if children want to go to school, they have to walk three kilometers to the town. It doesn't seem very far, but the tuition is high and the expenses are also high, so there are not many families in the village who can really afford to send their children there.
However, the Xia family is still the family that can send the most children to school.
When Manbao and his companions' carriage entered Hongtian Village, it attracted the attention of the villagers who were busy working in the fields. This was mainly because their horses were good and it was obvious that they were not from an ordinary family. So those who had heard the news earlier immediately carried their hoes and went back to watch the fun.
As they walked back, they were still talking loudly, "I heard that Zhou Yin and Xin Niang's daughter was found. I'm afraid they're going to fight with the Xia family."
"It looks like Zhou Yin has become rich, so why hasn't he come back?"
"I heard from the Xia family that he died a long time ago. His daughter was raised by his brother and sister-in-law. If anyone is going to be successful, it will be his daughter who will be successful."
"Who is Zhou Yin?"
"You don't know him. He's Xia Yan's son-in-law."
Many young people don’t even know who Xia Yan is, but who cares? Just watch the fun and you’ll find out soon.
The carriage went a little further into the village, and Chief Xia came in person to pick up Zhou Man and the others. Seeing so many villagers gathered around to watch the fun, the smile on his face became a little forced.
Fortunately, Manbao, who got off the car, gave him face and walked up to him with a smile and greeted him.
Clan leader Xia heaved a sigh of relief, then turned aside and invited Old Zhou and Qian to come inside, saying, "Please come in, my dear relatives. The elders of the clan are waiting at home."
The villagers were rather bored to see that they weren't arguing, but were living in harmony. Someone who knew something about the situation wondered, "Strange! Didn't Zhou Yin's daughter come back and not only take over Xia Yi's house, but also all his former land? Why aren't they arguing?"
"Yeah, when did Chief Xia become so good-tempered?"
Everyone also wanted to follow to the Xia clan leader's house to watch the fun. People from the same village but with different surnames are enemies, especially when your family is bigger but my family is not much smaller than yours and we are from the same village, there will always be some friction.
The young men of the Xia family did not want to be laughed at by them, so they took the lead in occupying the walls and the gate of the Xia clan leader's house, and outsiders could not squeeze in at all.
Manbao and the others entered the courtyard of Patriarch Xia's house. When they looked up, they saw people standing at the door on the wall, and they couldn't help but pause.
Chief Xia probably knew their intentions. Although he felt embarrassed, he did not drive them away. It is better to be laughed at by people of the same tribe than by outsiders, right?
So he smiled awkwardly at Zhou Man, and then said: "The children are naughty, please don't be offended, my in-laws and my wife."
Manbao was not surprised at all because she had seen it many times. The people in Qili Village also liked to climb over the wall of her house.
There just aren't that many.
Because there were too many people and there was no room in the house, they sat down in the yard.
Chief Xia also asked Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang, who were following behind him, to come and see Zhou Man. "Last time, you were in such a hurry that you didn't even meet Wulang and Qilang, right? They are your brothers."
Although her surname is not Xia, she is still a granddaughter, and definitely not a granddaughter-in-law. This is the last stubbornness of Patriarch Xia.
Manbao greeted Xia Wulang and Xia Qilang, then looked around and asked, "Where is Uncle Yitang?"
Clan leader Xia didn't expect her to bring up such a topic. He twitched his lips and said, "He went to the county town to pick up his wife."
Manbao then remembered that, yes, Xia Yi had left his keys on the street after moving his things yesterday, so the county government released his wife and notified him to pick her up the next day.
Yesterday, neither Zhou Dalang nor Zhou Wulang went to pick up the key. After checking the house, they asked someone to change the lock. Now the house is hers.
See you at 9pm
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
