Shen Qinghe then began to observe the courtyard where he had lived for more than ten years. The most obvious change was that the ceiling in the courtyard had been enlarged by more than half, and there were two more stoves. Fresh ingredients were displayed on the shelves against the wall.
The vegetable garden in the yard has also grown a bit, and there are a few more chickens, making the yard very lively.
These past few days, while he was at the academy, he would often worry about the situation at home. Today, he returned home with trepidation, but he never expected to see such a peaceful scene.
However, no matter how much things changed in the courtyard, it was not as great as the changes in his three blood relatives. After his father and brothers passed away one after another, Gu Shi was always shrouded in sorrow, as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment.
Meanwhile, Gu was struggling to swing his arms, secretly anxious because he couldn't keep up with Meng Zhao's pace. He hadn't seen such a vivid expression on his mother's face in a long time.
His two younger siblings looked much healthier than when he went to the academy; their faces were fuller, and their clothes and hair were exceptionally neat, clearly indicating that they were well cared for.
And all these changes are because of the woman in front of him, his sister-in-law.
Shen Qinghe's eyes were filled with inquiry. How could a person change so quickly? Half a month ago, she was a woman full of calculation, but today, the sinister look in her eyes had completely disappeared.
But whatever happened to her, at least what she did at this moment was harmless to them, and the anxiety they had been feeling these past few days finally eased a little.
Seeing that the group had stopped moving, Shen Qinghe assumed that the exercise had ended. She stepped forward, put her hands together, bowed slightly, and said to Meng Zhao, "Thank you for taking care of my mother and younger siblings while I was at the academy these past few days."
"Second brother, you're too kind. We're all family, there's no need for thanks." The male protagonist took the initiative to show goodwill; regardless of the meaning, it's always good to be polite first.
After getting up, Shen Qinghe called Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu to come to his room, saying he wanted to test their studies.
Although neither of them went to the academy, Shen Qinghe had taught them to read at home and told them to practice diligently before he left. Now that he was back, he naturally wanted to ask about his younger siblings' studies.
The brother and sister, who had just been playing in the yard, suddenly looked at each other with fear in their eyes. They had been busy setting up a stall to sell boxed lunches these past few days and had forgotten everything their second brother had taught them before he left.
The two lingered in the yard, unsure of what to do. Although the second brother had a better temper than the eldest brother and rarely lost his temper, he was always stricter with them than their father and eldest brother when they made mistakes. If they went to plead with their mother now, the second brother would only get angrier.
Having no other choice, the two went to Meng Zhao and explained the situation. Meng Zhao immediately understood what had happened: the child hadn't done his homework.
"You didn't work hard before, and now you're cramming at the last minute, right? There's nothing I can do about it. Who told your second brother to look so strict?"
Hearing that their last hope had been dashed, the two looked at each other and almost burst into tears.
Thinking of how well-behaved the two were usually, Meng Zhao couldn't bear to offer any advice.
"Making a mistake isn't a big deal, but don't shirk responsibility. Be brave enough to take it on, recognize your mistake, and correct it in the future. I believe your second brother won't be too angry." After saying that, he got up and saw the two people with sour faces out of the house.
The two entered the second brother's room one after the other, and before Shen Qinghe could speak, they admitted their mistakes.
"Second brother, my sister and I haven't been practicing writing these past few days. We've been helping Mom and sister-in-law set up their food stall to sell boxed lunches. But it's not that we haven't had time to practice; we just forgot. We promise we won't do it again."
"Yes, Second Brother, it's all our fault. We will definitely study calligraphy more diligently from now on."
Seeing that the two had apologized, explained, and made promises in one go before he could even speak, Shen Qinghe guessed that someone was behind it all.
Call the two men closer and have them tell him what has happened recently.
Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu poured out their stories to their second brother, recounting the events of the past few days one by one.
They said their sister-in-law cooked delicious food for them, with plenty of rice and meat every day.
They said their sister-in-law took them to set up a stall and taught them how to collect money and do accounting.
They said their sister-in-law would tell them stories on the way, especially the story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, which they loved to hear. They dreamed of having seventy-two transformations and being able to fly 108,000 miles with a single somersault.
After listening to the two of them finish speaking, even Shen Qinghe couldn't find anything suspicious about what Meng Zhao had done. Could it be that he was just being petty and judging others by his own standards?
After finishing their conversation, the two men buried their heads in their pockets, each pulling out ten copper coins and handing them to their second brother with expectant eyes.
"Second brother, sister-in-law said she'll pay us wages from now on. This is the wages my brother and I have earned these past few days, a total of twenty coins. We've been saving them all for my brother to pay his tuition." Before Shen Qinghe could react, she stuffed the coins into his hand.
Looking at the copper coin in his hand, Shen Qinghe felt deeply ashamed. With his father and brother gone, he should have been the one to support the family, but now he was making his younger siblings worry about him. It was really wrong of him.
Looking at his obedient younger brother and sister-in-law, Shen Qinghe handed the copper coins back to them and said softly, "This is your money. Keep it yourselves. Your second brother has money, so don't worry about him."
The two exchanged a glance. Their second brother was indeed a very capable person, so they nodded and said, "Then we'll keep it ourselves. Second brother, you don't need to worry about us. We can take care of ourselves, and we can also take care of Mother and Sister-in-law."
"Okay, your second brother knows you're the best behaved." Looking at his obedient younger brother and sister, Shen Qinghe was filled with satisfaction.
It wasn't until the two left the room that he realized he had forgotten about the teaching assignment.
"..."
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