Chapter 46 The Three Kids Go to School
Other people from Lijiazhuangzi also went to the market today.
They were right behind the carriage where Song Chunxue was sitting when they saw her push the two men from Shangchuan off the carriage and casually toss two copper coins off the carriage.
After they returned home, the news spread quickly.
Li Dazui lived alone. After eating, he had nothing to do, so he sat by the roadside waiting for Sanwa to drive the sheep up.
He immediately asked Sanwa, and realizing that Sanwa was unaware of the situation, he vividly recounted what had happened on the road to him.
He excitedly instructed Sanwa to ask Song Chunxue and then tell him what exactly happened.
Although Sanwa disliked Li Dazui's spectator-like behavior, he found it particularly unbelievable that his mother had fought with two people from another village and even gained the upper hand.
Mother used to say that the Jiang family was weak and powerless, and that they shouldn't cause trouble outside, because we couldn't afford to.
But recently, my mother seems to have suddenly developed a rebellious streak; she has changed completely, inside and out.
In particular, when he walked into the kitchen and saw his mother wearing that red patterned cross-collar short jacket that she hadn't worn in a long time, he felt as if he had returned to his childhood.
When I was a child, I saw her wear it a few times during Chinese New Year.
He used to wonder why his mother wouldn't wear such beautiful clothes.
Later, after experiencing firsthand the people of Zhuangzi's penchant for making things up, he understood.
Especially after his father passed away, if his mother came back late from the fields one day, the gossipy people in the village would ask him, as if his mother had been getting close to people from other villages in the mountains.
If you wear a floral dress, who knows what kind of fashion it will look like?
Even he himself, if his sister hadn't reminded him earlier, would have thought that his mother had experienced a second spring in her life.
"You're back. There's still some jelly left. Cut a bowl and eat it." Song Chunxue deftly wrapped dumplings in her hands. "The dumplings will be cooked soon. Go and rest for a while."
Sanwa suppressed his curiosity and squatted down in front of the stove to tend the fire.
"Did Mother see the fourth son today?"
“I saw him, but their teacher told me to take him home and discipline him. We can’t count on him for studying. He didn’t want to come back, so I didn’t force him. He’ll come back when the school stops feeding him.”
"Is it that serious?" Sanwa asked in surprise. "What did he do to anger the teacher?"
"Anyway, he does everything except study." Song Chunxue lifted the pot lid and put the dumplings into the pot little by little.
“You’re only a year older than the fourth brother. You should go back to school next month. He doesn’t appreciate it and hangs out with those bad kids all day. He spends all the money I give him on frivolous things. We don’t earn money easily, so don’t spoil him anymore.”
"But……"
"Let's put it this way. Don't worry about him complaining about you. It's his own fault for not studying hard, so there's no reason for him to blame you. Since he's not studying properly, you can go and study too. That way, I won't keep feeling guilty towards you."
"..." Sanwa remained silent.
The sudden happiness left him a little stunned.
During the years he spent herding sheep in the mountains, he dreamed of going to school.
Especially when the sun was blazing and there was no one to be seen in the rolling mountains, and he was the only one herding sheep, he particularly envied those who were studying in the school.
Reading is so wonderful; you won't be exposed to the wind and sun, and you can still learn something.
But he knew that ever since he chose to herd sheep, he would never be able to go to school again.
And now, his mother is actually telling him to go to school next month.
This must be a dream.
That was something he had always dreamed of.
“Mother, there’s really no need for this,” he said softly, holding a stalk of wheat in his hand. “I’m very happy that you want me to go, but I’m not a child anymore. I only studied for a little over two years back then…”
"What's wrong with that? There are people who don't start learning to read until they're twenty. Besides, you've already studied before and know most of the characters."
Song Chunxue gently stirred the dumplings in the pot with her chopsticks and said with a gentle smile, "If you want to study, then go ahead and study. Anyway, you've been herding sheep for so many years and you're a hero in our family. No one is more qualified to study than you. You've already saved up enough for your books and tuition."
Sanwa lowered his head and tears streamed down his face.
He wasn't a crybaby. Even though he had suffered a lot of grievances over the years—his eldest brother's scolding, his second brother's ridicule, and his fourth brother's disdain—he had taken it all in stride.
But recently his mother has been very nice to him, not only making him new clothes but also buying him shoes. He thought these were things that only students could afford.
In the past, he would get up in the morning, drink some hot water, eat some dry bread, and then leave before herding the sheep.
He was afraid that if he arrived any later, he would see his mother making egg drop soup for his older brother and the others, only to find that there was none left in the pot when he wanted some.
He covered his face with his hands, not wanting to cry out loud, feeling ashamed and afraid his mother would laugh at him.
But thinking about how it feels like a dream lately, he has become a child his mother favors, and her gaze falls on him. When she notices he is unhappy, she even makes him cold noodles.
He felt very uncomfortable and was afraid that all of this would disappear.
He cried and cried until he was sobbing uncontrollably. He got up, rushed out of the kitchen, locked himself in the west room, and lay on the quilt, crying without restraint.
Song Chunxue, standing by the stove, was also in tears.
She owes her third child too much.
*
The following morning, the fourth brother, Jiang Yejun, returned.
He was carrying a large book bag, which looked like he had brought back all the books.
Jiang Hongying saw him enter the yard with his head down and asked with a smile, "Fourth brother is back. What would you like to eat?"
The fourth brother merely glanced at Jiang Hongying and the girl beside her before silently entering the east room.
Jiang Hongying thought of what her mother had said last night, so she didn't ask any more questions. She just went to the kitchen and made egg drop soup for her fourth son.
She stood outside the door and knocked gently. "I made some egg drop soup. Go to the kitchen and have some. I'm going to the vegetable garden."
Jiang Hongying thought that the fourth son was just shy and didn't want her to ask about the school, so she took Xiujuan to the vegetable garden.
As she stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Chen Feng carrying an iron basin out of the thatched hut. Just as she was about to say something, Chen Feng turned away with a cold face and went to pour water.
Fine, Jiang Hongying ignored her and went to cut chives with her child in her arms.
The fourth child is back; Mom will definitely cook something delicious.
A little while later, Sanwa returned from herding sheep and saw Jiang Hongying kneeling in the field cutting leeks, so he hugged Xiujuan in his arms.
He took Xiujuan into the sheepfold and let her play with the lambs.
The fluffy white lamb, unafraid of people, ran over and played around Xiujuan, even eating her clothes.
Sanwa played with her and didn't rush to go inside.
Knowing that the fourth brother was back, and that he might be blamed, he didn't want to risk offending him.
Afterwards, when Jiang Hongying came out of the vegetable garden, he returned Xiujuan to her and went to the water cellar to fetch water.
The family has many sheep and livestock, which consumes a lot of water.
He needs at least two buckets of water to drink from the sheep, one bucket from the donkey, and two or three buckets of water from the water jar in the house.
After that, he added hay for the donkey and fed the pigs, and only went into the house after his mother returned home.
The fourth son drank the soup and stayed in the east room. When he felt the urge to urinate, he had to go out of the room. When he lifted the curtain, he saw his mother and the third son.
He paused, then lowered his head and quickly walked out of the courtyard.
Song Chunxue didn't ask him anything and went into the kitchen to cook with Jiang Hongying.
"Mom, the eldest son had a fight with Chen Feng. Chen Feng just went back to her parents' house. Should we bring him a bowl of rice later?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
