As long as Li Xiangping knows what's going on, Yan Qingqing won't interfere too much; children always need their own space to grow.
Yan Qingqing looked at Yuan Huiniang and asked, "Has Dalang returned?"
Yuan Huiniang nodded and said, "I'm back. I invited Doctor Zheng from Renshantang. My life has been saved, but Doctor Zheng said that the damage has been fundamental. From now on, I'll be similar to... a eunuch in the palace."
After saying this, Yuan Huiniang was a little embarrassed. What had she been talking about with her mother-in-law?
Yan Qingqing was unaware of this, thinking it was better this way to avoid getting into any romantic entanglements.
Yan Qingqing then asked, "What about Liu? Yesterday, the village chief said that the Wu family beat her quite badly."
Yuan Huiniang replied, "I don't know who informed Liu's family, but they sent people to take her away overnight."
Yan Qingqing asked with some doubt, "Could the Wu family have let her be taken away so easily?"
Yuan Huiniang shook her head and replied, "Of course it won't be that easy. I heard that the Wu family only allowed them to take the person away after the Liu family returned the original betrothal gifts."
Yan Qingqing became even more suspicious after hearing this. The Liu family hadn't taken Liu back when she was newly widowed, but they had now taken her back.
If she truly cared for her daughter, she wouldn't have waited until now. If Liu had been determined to remain a widow, she certainly wouldn't have had this scandalous affair with Li Daniu.
The fact that the Liu family is now willing to return the betrothal gifts and take Liu away means that Liu still has value to them. The greatest value of a widow is that she can remarry.
It's unlikely that a good family would want a daughter who has been married twice and has been involved in such a scandal, so Liu's fate is unlikely to be good.
It has to be said that Yan Qingqing deduced almost everything from just a few words from Yuan Huiniang.
However, all of this had nothing to do with Yan Qingqing. She wasn't a saint and couldn't save everyone. Besides, she genuinely disliked Liu Shi.
After breakfast, the people who worked for Yan Qingqing's family were the same as usual, except that Liu was not there.
As they worked, the group discussed what had happened the night before. Some said that Liu was promiscuous and had a good figure, while others said that she deserved her fate for not being a virtuous woman.
Because of the special relationship between Yan Qingqing's family and Li Daniu, they didn't dare to discuss it openly, but only whispered among themselves.
Yan Qingqing pretended not to hear it. After all, other people can say whatever they want, and she couldn't control what they said.
A few days later, the matter between Li Daniu and Liu Shi finally faded away.
Because of this incident, Li Daniu stopped going out and locked himself in his room all day.
Zhao Yumei went back to her parents' home, but fortunately, Li Xiangjin and the others were all grown up and married, so it didn't have a major impact.
Old Mrs. Li was no longer as arrogant and domineering as before, and she would avoid Yan Qingqing whenever she saw her.
On the contrary, Old Master Li was the least affected. He ate and drank as usual, and occasionally came to ask Li Xiangkang when he would go to the academy to study.
In fact, Yan Qingqing had been keeping this matter in mind. She asked around and found out that there were two famous academies in the county: Dongfeng Academy and Xifeng Academy.
Dongfeng Academy has a long history and produced several highly learned scholars who passed the imperial examinations, making it quite famous. Many parents come here specifically because of its reputation.
However, in recent years, there has been a strong sense of utilitarianism, and I heard that there is a trend of competition among academies. Li Daniu studied at this academy.
Come to think of it, otherwise why would they name Li Daniu Li Chengye? Although there was an expectation that he would settle down and start a family, it ultimately meant he had lost sight of his original intention of studying.
Xifeng Academy is a relatively new institution, and I heard it was founded by a woman. It has a complete range of courses, including rites, music, archery, horsemanship, calligraphy, and mathematics.
However, I've heard that they don't focus entirely on these things. They value the students' free development and don't emphasize the imperial examinations, which is different from the original intentions of some parents, so there aren't many students.
The most important point is that Xifeng Academy recruits female students, which many people consider improper and are unwilling to send their children there.
However, Yan Qingqing thought that the dean of Xifeng Academy was very capable and planned to send Li Xiangkang there to study.
That day, while all the children were at home, Yan Qingqing deliberately brought up this matter.
Li Xiangkang was very happy to hear this. Although his mother had said before that she would send him to school, schooling was very expensive, and with the new house they had built, they didn't have much money left.
Li Xiangkang had thought he would have to wait until next year to enter the academy. Unexpectedly, his mother was sending him there this year.
Li Xiangkang, always with a sweet smile, said, "Mother, don't worry, I will definitely study hard. When I pass the imperial examination, I will ask you to become a titled lady and make you the most prestigious old lady."
Yan Qingqing: ……
This brat is trying to hurt her feelings, why did he have to add the word "old"? She's sensitive about it!
Looking at Yan Qingqing, Li Xiangkang sensed that his mother was somewhat unhappy. He didn't know what he had said wrong; what he had just said was from the bottom of his heart.
Yuan Huiniang, who knew her mother-in-law's thoughts best, covered her mouth and chuckled secretly. Yan Qingqing rolled her eyes at her helplessly.
Yuan Huiniang quickly changed the subject, saying, "Fourth brother's filial piety is commendable! I have high hopes for you, sister-in-law."
Yan Qingqing snorted and said, "Don't try to fool me. I'm not buying it."
Li Xiangping, as the eldest brother, said to Li Xiangkang earnestly, "Fourth brother, it's rare for you to have such a good opportunity. You must seize it and not let down Mother and your brothers and sisters who have high expectations for you."
Li Xiangkang nodded earnestly and replied, "Don't worry, brother, I will definitely work hard."
Although Li Xiangkang was young, he was very perceptive and knew that his opportunity to study was hard-won.
The second brother in the family is the most intelligent, but his mother still sent him to school, which must be because she favors him.
Yan Qingqing naturally thought of this as well, and she didn't want the children to feel that she was being biased.
So she asked, "What are your thoughts on me sending Silang to school? Do you feel that your mother is biased towards Silang?"
The children all shook their heads. They had all seen Yan Qingqing's contributions to the family, so they naturally didn't think their mother was being unreasonable.
Yan Qingqing was pleased to see this; at least these children hadn't disappointed her, and she couldn't let them down either.
He explained, "The reason I sent Silang to study is because he is the most suitable."
Firstly, Silang is young, which is the perfect time for him to study; secondly, Silang has a natural talent for academics.
Yan Qingqing had been observing for a long time, and Li Xiangkang did indeed have a photographic memory. This was a talent that others couldn't match.
Li Xiangping and the others nodded in agreement. Li Xiangkang was indeed much faster than them when they studied.
Yan Qingqing paused and continued, "If our family continues to be so ordinary, that's fine. But if we really have some great fortune, we'll need a support system. Silang is the support system I need to cultivate."
The eldest son enjoys working with the land, and his mother has already made plans in this area, hoping he will achieve something in it in the future.
The second son likes doing business. We're just dabbling in it now. Our real business will begin once we've accumulated capital and connections.
Although the third brother hasn't shown any particular hobbies yet, I can tell he likes martial arts. He's just a bit older now, but that's okay. You don't necessarily have to be a peerless master to achieve something in this field.
As for Xinniang and Yueniang, if you have anything you like, you can go ahead and do it. Even without your mother, I can guarantee you a life free from want.
After Yan Qingqing finished speaking, everyone looked at her with emotion. They never expected that their mother had made plans for all of them. How fortunate they were to have such a mother who cared for them in everything.
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