Linjia Village has always been the poorest of the surrounding villages. Looking at the villagers under his jurisdiction, who are so poor that they can't even afford meat a few times a year, he, as the village head and the patriarch of the Lin family, felt terrible.
Song Anxin was completely bewildered. She hadn't expected that her casual act would actually help the people of Linjia Village make a living. She sighed at the villagers' hardships, and the village head was even more dedicated to helping them, leading the villagers to her house to thank her. This showed how kind-hearted the villagers were.
She said, "Uncle Village Head, please don't say that. I was just saying it casually to the children. I didn't expect everyone to trust me so much and do as I said."
Uncle Lin said, "Fengnian's mother, you are clever and have received rewards from the county magistrate. We don't believe you will listen to us."
“In that case, let me say a few more words,” Song Anxin said gently. “When you go to the county town to sell persimmons, you must make sure that each household sells separately and at a uniform price. Don’t sell at a lower price than others just so that your own persimmons can be sold. We are from the same village, so we should unite with each other, especially when we are out in the countryside. That way, everyone can sell better and earn more money.”
Lin Lizheng's beard trembled: "Good, good, good, Fengnian's words are very good, this is a good idea. Did everyone hear that? Let's do as Fengnian's mother said. Listening to Fengnian's mother is definitely the right thing to do."
The villagers, of course, had no objections and wholeheartedly agreed with Aunt Lin's words.
"That's right, we people of Linjia Village must unite!"
An old woman said, "Fengnian's mother really knows everything. She even knows how to cure persimmons, and she runs her business very well."
"That's right. Don't you know that Fengnian's father is a scholar, and Song Tongsheng is her younger brother? Song Tongsheng might become an official in the future."
"Yes, Fengnian's mother was also educated."
"....."
Suddenly everyone started praising Song Anxin. Song Anxin was a little uncomfortable with this sudden shower of compliments, but she thought it was a good opportunity to promote her philosophy of valuing education.
She smiled and said, "What you ladies say is true. It is precisely because I have been fortunate enough to read a little that I know more than others. Reading is not just for the sake of becoming an examiner, but also for broadening one's horizons and making one's mind more agile when dealing with matters."
Everyone agreed with what Song Anxin said, and several women immediately chimed in.
“I used to think my child was too old to go to school, but seeing how Fengnian Fengshou’s kids are all grown up and have become much more agile after going to school, I’ll have Liuzi go to the ancestral hall to study too. Second sister-in-law, I’ll send your tuition fee over later.”
“Then I’ll send my son there too, so he won’t be running wild in the mountains all day. He can also learn some manners.”
"Oh dear, it's a pity I only have one granddaughter. Once my wife gives birth to a son, I'll definitely make sure he gets an education too."
Upon hearing this, Song Anxin said, "Auntie, girls can also be sent to school. In fact, girls should be educated even more so so they won't have to rely on their husbands and in-laws for everything."
The moment Song Anxin uttered these words, there was complete silence. The villagers all stared at Song Anxin in astonishment, and the atmosphere became rather tense.
Well, Song Anxin knew she couldn't force it. The villagers were used to the idea that women should marry well and rely on their own men and in-laws. Saying things like that would shatter their values. Before, when Sister-in-law Lin asked Lin Dahong to help with the work, it was out of good intentions to help her find a good husband.
Lin Li wanted to speak up for Song Anxin, but for a moment he didn't know where to begin. This... this Fengnian's mind is just different!
Everyone fell silent for a moment, and Song Anxin was also a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Lin Fengyao came over with a group of children at that time.
Lin Fengyao heard his voice before he even entered the yard: "Mom, we've picked so many persimmons again!"
"Hey, Grandpa, what are you doing here? Did Father and Uncle sell the persimmons today?" Lin Ermu, the second grandson of the village head, came in and asked his grandfather.
Some of the children also saw their parents and started asking questions.
The adults were naturally delighted to tell them that they had sold out, and the children were all happy to hear this, saying that they wanted to go up the mountain to pick more persimmons.
Seeing that the awkwardness had been broken and the atmosphere had become lively again, Song Anxin breathed a sigh of relief. She also knew that she couldn't expect to change people's preconceived notions overnight by saying a few words.
She looked down at a group of children and said, “Children, you may pick persimmons, but remember this: do not pick the persimmons on the branches, leave them for the birds to spend the winter.”
Some children asked curiously, "Why does Auntie leave the persimmons on the branches for the birds to eat?"
Song Anxin smiled and explained, "Because it's very difficult for birds to find food in winter, and it's also unsafe for them to climb too high. Everything in the world is in a cycle of life and death. When birds eat persimmons, they carry the seeds to various mountain peaks to take root and sprout, so we can have more persimmons to pick next year."
The children all nodded and said they understood.
Some villagers, upon hearing this, suddenly realized that Aunt Lin's words made sense, as Aunt Lin had lived a very good life on her own since becoming a widow.
And so, the temporary school in the Linjia Village ancestral hall gained a few more children, including one or two little girls.
Two days passed like this, and Song Anxin's family was busy for two days as usual. Old Mrs. Song was very happy here. She had her daughters and grandchildren to talk to, and she often went to the workshop in the back room to chat with some old women while they worked. She had clearly adapted very well to this place.
Song Anxin was amazed by her mother's excellent social skills and strong adaptability.
The next morning, a horse-drawn carriage arrived at Linjia Village. As soon as the carriage reached the village entrance, it attracted the attention of the villagers. Although they were used to seeing horse-drawn carriages, the carriage was so luxurious and the horses in front were so majestic that it was hard for them not to notice it.
A woman's eyes widened in astonishment: "Where did this distinguished guest come from? Oh my, if I could ride in such a carriage for the rest of my life, it would be worth it to be a beast of burden."
"They must be heading to Aunt Lin's house again. Let's go and see what's going on."
When the carriage arrived at Song Anxin's courtyard, a large crowd of villagers had already gathered to watch the spectacle. Song Anxin and her elder brother and sister-in-law, along with their entire family, were already waiting at the gate. Yesterday evening, the Liu family had sent someone to say that Aunt Lin would be returning to visit relatives today, and Song Anxin had also given her elder brother and sister-in-law the day off so the whole family could have a proper reunion.
The curtain of the luxurious carriage was lifted, and first an old woman came out, followed by two maids. The group helped the two young girls, Lin Liumingzhu and Mingyue, down from the carriage, and then the pregnant Lin Taohua.
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