Song Anxin thought about it and nodded. After all, his younger brother was a student who had passed the preliminary examination, and perhaps he could teach the family to become a scholar who had passed the county-level examination.
Although she could teach, the exam papers of this era were different from those of theirs.
When Lin Fengnian, Fengshou, and the others heard that their uncle, the young scholar, was going to teach them, they were extremely nervous. They were afraid that they were too stupid, and even more afraid of embarrassing their mothers. So they practiced even more diligently, constantly chanting the mantra.
Lin Fenghe remained calm, saying that it didn't matter who taught him, as long as they had time to teach him.
Even after Song Anbang taught him, Lin Fenghe still frequently sought Song Anxin's advice. Song Anbang was puzzled and asked if he hadn't understood what he was being taught.
Lin Fenghe, however, said no, that his mother's views might be different. So Song Anbang went with Lin Fenghe to listen, and sure enough, it was true; his thinking was still too narrow.
Song Anxin: "......."
Didn't I say I'd tutor you? Why are you asking me questions too?
As night fell, the men's patrols and shouts resumed. After learning the details of what had happened, Song Anbang was completely terrified.
What books hasn't his older sister read yet? He suggested that he also wanted to participate in the patrol, so Song Anxin had no choice but to let Brother Lin take him along, since it just so happened that it was Brother Lin's turn to patrol tonight.
The rice harvest has finally arrived, and the long-awaited autumn harvest has officially begun.
Linjia Village is bustling with activity from morning till night. This is the most anticipated time of the year, when the fruits of a year's hard work, toiling in the fields, ripen.
At Song Anxin's insistence, the Lin family's small classroom was temporarily suspended. He didn't want the children to be too overworked, otherwise they would get sick.
In the field, Song Anxin, wearing a straw hat, was harvesting rice with a sickle, her back bent. Large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead to her neck.
He and Lin Fengshou were in one group, while Lin Fengnian and Song Anbang were in another. The two of them harvested the crops.
Song Anxin and Song Anbang were significantly slower than Lin Fengnian and Lin Fengshou. Often, Lin Fengnian and Lin Fengshou had already harvested more than half of the furrows before they encountered Song Anxin and Song Anbang.
Under the blazing sun, everyone was drenched in sweat. After cutting for more than an hour, Song Anxin felt dizzy and lightheaded when she stood up.
Not only was it hot, but the rice itself was also itchy on people's skin. Song Anxin felt that many red spots had appeared on her body.
Looking at Song Anbang again, his younger brother was not much worse off than him. His snow-white neck was covered with red bumps. He would scratch them from time to time, drawing blood, which looked even more terrifying. Even so, he did not stop or complain of being tired.
This was a disaster for the two siblings with their delicate skin.
Song Anxin said, "Anbang, stop cutting. Come with me and carry these rice stalks to the open space in the middle of the village, then come home with me."
Song Anbang raised his head. Although he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, his elegant demeanor was undiminished: "Sister, why do we need to go home? The rice hasn't been harvested yet."
Song Anxin said, "If you keep scratching your neck, it'll break. I'll go back and mash some herbs for you to apply, and it won't itch so much."
Besides, it's too hot. Let's go home and get some cooling tea, lest we all faint from the heat.
Upon hearing this, Lin Fengnian and Lin Fengshou looked up and said, "Mother, you and Uncle should rest at home. We're not hot or thirsty."
Song Anxin felt extremely sorry for the two children: "Take your time, and rest when you're tired. Your mother and your uncle will be here soon."
Lin Fenghe and Lin Fengyao came over from the ridge of the field and said:
"Mom, Uncle, our threshing machine can be placed at the very edge under the tree, right next to the rice pile."
Song Anxin nodded. During the busiest time of the year, Lin Fenghe and Lin Fengyao were naturally not idle either. The two of them were responsible for picking up the fallen rice. After collecting a large handful, they would carry it to the rice threshing area under the large ginkgo tree in the middle of the village.
She and Song Anbang each carried a load of rice on a shoulder pole and headed towards the center of the village. Song Anxin was alright, but Song Anbang stumbled and staggered the whole way.
Many women and girls in the fields would look up at him from time to time, feeling extremely sorry for him, wishing they could help him pick the vegetables themselves.
Song Anxin had already gotten used to it. In the two days that Song Anbang had been there, the whole village had heard that a handsome young man had taken up residence in his house.
Some women and old women came to his house under the pretense of delivering duck eggs, while some young girls hid behind them and secretly watched.
The village girls had never seen such a fair-skinned and handsome young man before, especially one who was also a scholar with an innate air of elegance. They blushed instantly, completely captivated by him.
Song Anbang is now the most handsome man in Linjia Village.
"Stop looking! If you keep looking, will that Song Tongsheng still look at you? Get back to work and stop slacking off!" a woman yelled at her daughter.
The girl stomped her feet in anger: "Can't I even take a look? Mother, look how tired Song Tongsheng is. He shouldn't be doing this work. How can Aunt Lin not care about people at all?"
The woman said, "That's right, it breaks my heart to see her like this. What's wrong with Sister-in-law Lin? How could she let the future official Song Tongsheng do this kind of work? If it were me, I would have kept her at home long ago."
The woman said to the man, "What are you babbling about all day long? You should at least show some concern for your man."
Song Tongsheng said we're no different; we all have one nose and two eyes, and we can all work in the fields. Looking at it that way, I think Song Tongsheng isn't much different from us guys, hehehe..."
The man smiled confidently.
The mother and daughter glanced at him, rolled their eyes, and looked speechless. "Your nose and eyes are nowhere near as good as Song Tongsheng's. They're nowhere near as good."
Song Anxin and Song Anbang carried rice on their shoulders and encountered many villagers along the way. Everyone in Linjia Village, from the young to the pregnant young women, had come out to help, and everyone's face was filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.
Song Anxin was also moved; he hadn't felt the joy of pure labor in a long time.
It's like she's come back from her childhood. Back then, travel was slow, and people were easily satisfied.
Lin Gangzi was also harvesting rice in the fields. This was a major event for the family at the end of the year, and he had to come whether he wanted to or not. Naturally, he saw Song Anbang there as well.
He wore that faded long gown and said in a pretentious manner:
"A mere student has actually changed into those peasant clothes, and he's supposed to be a student at Renshan Academy? What a disgrace to scholarship!"
He had always wanted to study at Renshan Academy, but Renshan Academy wouldn't accept him. Now that he saw Song Anbang working in the fields in the village, he curled his lip and thought that the students of Renshan Academy were nothing special.
Upon arriving at the open space in the middle of the village, some villagers saw Song Anxin arrive and asked:
"Sister-in-law Lin, could you teach us how to use this threshing machine to thresh rice?"
Song Anxin put down the carrying pole and smiled, "Of course it's fine."
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