Chapter 16 requires one hundred coins.
Seeing her mother return with the yellow mustard greens, Chen Feng, wearing a floral headscarf, stood at the entrance of the thatched kiln with a kind smile.
"Mom, you cut some wild mustard greens, could you give me some? I'll go cut some more and pay you back another day." As she spoke, she touched her apron. "Your eldest son likes to eat them, and the baby in my belly likes to eat them too."
Song Chunxue suppressed the urge to curse, "Bring me a basin, I'll grab some for you, that's all."
Carrying things uphill from the river bend, she was covered in sweat.
I packed a very tight bag today, thinking that it would taste even better if I dried it and mixed it with other foods in winter.
It seems we have to keep an eye on the eldest son and his wife when drying the yellow mustard greens.
Before the second son left, she wanted him to keep an eye on things for her.
Judging by the time, it should be barely dry before the second child leaves.
She went to the east room and found that the second son was not there.
When they arrived at the sheepfold, they found him cleaning up sheep droppings with Sanwa.
The two brothers chatted and laughed, having a very pleasant conversation.
Seeing Song Chunxue arrive, the second son asked with a smile, "Mother, what are we having for lunch today? Xiaojun is coming home for lunch today."
Yes, Song Chunxue almost forgot, Lao Si should be back today.
"Let's have buckwheat noodles today, and also some mixed mustard greens."
Regardless of the future, at this moment, Song Chunxue stands healthy and well in front of her two sons, and she has no regrets.
Perhaps, if she didn't place her hopes on her children, she would have lived a much easier life.
She had four sons and one daughter, all of whom she gave birth to and raised herself. Although they were naughty when they were young, they were all her precious children.
I wonder how Hongying is doing now. Judging from the time, she has already given birth to her second child.
That evening, the second and fourth sons were to write a letter and send it out to Hongying so she could come home.
She's much better-tempered now and doesn't yell at or scold anyone anymore. Hopefully, Hongying will become closer to her.
Just as she finished cooking and was about to serve the meal, the fourth brother, Jiang Yejun, returned.
Fifteen-year-old Jiang Yejun is already as tall as Sanwa, but for some reason...
He spends all his time reading in the house, and he's not as fair-skinned as Sanwa, who herds sheep outside every day.
However, his father's skin is a bit darker.
"Mom, I'm so tired from walking." The fourth son casually tossed his schoolbag onto the steps of the east room.
"If you're tired, bring back fewer books. You don't like reading them anyway," Song Chunxue said casually. "Wash your face and eat. After you eat, take a nap."
"Oh, okay." The fourth brother was suddenly startled and couldn't help but glance at his mother.
There's something strange about her.
She used to say that studying was hard, so I would cook her some chives and eggs.
Why would you say he doesn't like reading today?
He suddenly felt guilty. Did his mother find out something?
Full of doubts, he went to the north room to wash his face.
On the dinner table, the fourth brother's eyes lit up when he saw the Chinese mustard greens mixed with cooking oil and minced garlic.
"Mother, did you cut some more wild mustard greens? Are they heavy?" the fourth son asked. "You didn't carry them back yourself, did you? Next time, have a donkey carry them back."
"Hmm, I'll bring the donkey next time." She had completely forgotten that she had a donkey at home.
She had too many things on her mind during this period.
"Which of you writes a letter to your sister, asking her to come home and stay a while longer? She hasn't been back for several years."
Although Hongying will come back in a few days, she will bring her daughter with her and leave her daughter behind to raise until she is three years old.
This resulted in Hongying being completely distant from her only daughter, constantly ordering her around, and almost leading her daughter astray.
This time, she will not take care of Hongying's daughter.
"I'll write it," the fourth brother said while eating heartily, "Home-cooked meals are still the best."
The others couldn't help but glance at each other, recalling the time they saw Lao Si eating mutton soup with others at the market.
"By the way, have my eldest brother and sister-in-law separated their households? I saw that the thatched hut was cleaned up very well, and there were several bags of grain stacked inside. My eldest brother had a smile on his face and seemed very happy."
"If we had known it would be like this, we would have separated them earlier. If eldest brother were happy, Mother wouldn't have to put up with sister-in-law's attitude." The fourth brother smiled and looked at Song Chunxue. "Mother, don't you think so?"
The fourth son, Jiang Yejun, was the only one among the children with single eyelids. He took after his father; his eyes crinkled when he smiled, giving him a憨憨 (simple and honest) look.
Song Chunxue replied casually, "Yes, the sooner we separate, the more peaceful everyone will be."
"But the land hasn't been distributed yet. Once the grain tax is paid, we'll be dividing the grain, and there's bound to be a commotion then." She brought this up early so they would be aware of the situation.
"You and the second son shouldn't take the division of the family property lightly. The second son is going to the army camp, so he definitely won't be able to take the food with him. He should get a bigger share of the silver. The fourth son is still young, but I've already divided everything in the house into five parts. So no one should complain about anyone else, understand?"
The second brother nodded, "I won't ask for too much money, just enough for the journey. Once I get to the military camp and pass the selection process, they will give me money in the future."
“I don’t eat much food. I just spend some money to eat in the school’s kitchen every month. Also, I need to buy things for my good classmate’s birthday. I’ll bring a little more this time, just one hundred coins will do.”
As he spoke, the fourth brother awkwardly extended a finger, observing Song Chunxue's expression.
"One hundred coins?" the second son exclaimed. "Didn't we pay the school's grain tax last month? How come we have to spend so much money on food? What's your classmate's status? Is it his birthday or a big celebration?"
Now that the second son doesn't need to study anymore, he's not worried about being exposed.
"It's not easy for your mother to save money. She can only earn 100 coins a month by shoveling wormwood. You've spent it all at once. Will you not need to spend money anywhere else?"
Sanwa didn't understand any of this and focused on eating.
The Chinese mustard greens were delicious today; I accidentally ate three bowls of buckwheat noodle soup.
Song Chunxue buried her head in her food, waiting for them to stop talking. Only when the fourth brother looked at her somewhat guiltily did she speak up.
“I can give you a hundred coins, but I want to go to school with you tomorrow. The school used to be close to home, so I knew very well how well you were doing. But now that you're older, I'm worried that you'll be led astray by your classmates.”
"..." The fourth son's face turned pale instantly, and he said awkwardly, "No need, Mother. I study very hard at school, and the teacher often praises me."
"With everything so busy at home, aren't you most afraid of being delayed in weeding and digging for medicinal herbs to earn money? You don't need to go to so much trouble. I'll just bring back the exam papers from the teacher's exam next time."
The fourth brother was already secretly drenched in sweat.
I feel that my mother has changed a lot since then. She speaks clearly and logically, and is not easy to fool. She is also very calm and composed, as if she can see right through me.
That's terrifying.
He would rather his mother yell and scream, startling him, because it made him feel more at ease.
"Fourth brother, you don't know, the reason why your third brother stopped studying was not only because your father passed away and no one helped me, but also because you cried and begged to study, and I didn't have enough money at the time."
"Actually, the Master said that your third brother is more talented in studying than you, so you should cherish the opportunity."
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