Chapter 104 The Conflicts among the Four Brothers
"Big brother, second brother, third brother, you are all here."
Qin Mingsong forced an awkward smile and greeted the three people.
Then I looked at Qin Chi who was standing the farthest away.
Qin Chi looked helpless, "Uncle, we are worried about grandma, so we are here all the time."
Qin Mingsong's expression indeed changed.
Old man Qin in the room secretly felt something was wrong.
Qin Lao Er was a scoundrel who didn't care about money. He said in a sarcastic tone, "Lao Si, if I wasn't worried about mother not leaving today, I wouldn't know that you spend more than 130 taels a year, and even giving people a New Year's gift costs 10 taels."
"Haha, the funniest thing is that we three brothers have to report to our parents if we spend any extra money. Even my mother said she didn't have the money to buy medicine for my wife's abortion!"
There was a flash of murderous intent in Qin Laosan's eyes.
Qin Lao Er sneered again, "That's right, Erlang and Sanlang's annual tuition is twenty taels, which is saved by Dalang through his frugal life."
Qin Chi, who lived frugally, was silent.
No, it's not to that extent.
"I knew my parents were partial. As a son, I can't blame them, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed."
Boss Qin looked straight at Old Man Qin who came out.
Old man Qin knew that something was wrong.
Qin Mingsong stepped forward first, looking at the three elder brothers with a guilty look on his face, bowed deeply again, and said sincerely: "Mingsong will remember all the efforts you three brothers have made for him over the years. If I can make a name for myself in the future, I will definitely repay you for your kindness."
This trick again!
Qin Chi admires his uncle.
The most appropriate response was made so quickly.
Old man Qin said with a sullen face, "Big brother, second brother, third brother, our family has indeed owed you a lot over the years, but there is nothing we can do about it. When our fourth son graduates from high school, we can ask him to help our family, and our family will surely get better and better. This is the only way to change our family's status. You don't want to be peasants all your life, do you?"
Boss Qin and the other two remained silent.
Even Qin Chi didn't say a word.
The older you are, the wiser it is. Just a few words made the three brothers silent.
Old Man Qin put his hands behind his back again, "There is only one year left. Next year, Si'er will take part in the provincial examination. If he fails, the family will not support him to study anymore."
As soon as these words came out.
Qin Mingsong clenched his fists hidden in his long sleeves.
Qin Chi was a little surprised by Old Man Qin's decision.
It was precisely because of this decision that the three brothers of Qin Lao Da suppressed their dissatisfaction today and did not completely explode and cause the family to fall apart.
If Song Jin were here, he would tell them cruelly.
When Qin Mingsong graduates from high school, it will be the day for the family to separate.
How can I help my brother at home?
Don't dream! At most, my brother would be allowed to register the land under Qin Mingsong's name and exempt him from annual taxes, but there weren't many fields in Huizhou.
Farming alone is not enough to support a family.
This benefit is really not that great.
…
Xiao Liu in the kitchen was paying attention to what was happening here.
Lin used rice to make porridge for Song Xiu. When it was almost ready, she served all the porridge out.
"Third sister-in-law, what are those old men talking about? They all look solemn, as if something big has happened." Little Liu poked her head in at the door.
He didn't forget to gossip with Lin.
Lin lowered her head and said, "Second sister-in-law, the porridge is ready. Do you want to take it to the fourth room?"
"Okay, I'll bring it over."
Little Liu turned around and walked to the stove. "This fourth brother's wife had a miscarriage, and her life has changed for the better. During this period of time, she has done nothing and we have to take turns to serve her."
Lin remained silent and did not agree with Xiao Liu's words.
Little Liu was used to her silence, so she kept on nagging, "I have been married to the Qin family for more than ten years, and I have never seen anyone serve me for a day."
While talking, he added some salt into the porridge with a spoon.
Only then did they serve the porridge out.
When Xiao Liu came out, passed the yard and looked towards the door of the main house, the old and young masters also dispersed.
Just then, Qin Laoer saw his wife bringing food to the fourth room, so he simply took the big bowl from Xiao Liu's hand and gave it to Qin Mingsong.
"Fourth brother, go and serve your own wife yourself."
After saying this, Qin Lao Er took Xiao Liu away.
Xiao Liu was stunned for a while.
After returning to the house, he peeked outside and said, "Dad, what happened? Did his uncle offend you?"
There is no wrong version in the 1619 book forum!
"This is worse than an offense."
Qin Laoer was very angry.
I was just about to talk to my wife about this, but when I thought about her character, if she knew that all the money in the family was spent on the fourth child, wouldn't she be furious? I held back and said nothing.
Not only did Qin Laoer not say anything.
Neither Qin Lao Da nor Qin Lao San told their wives.
Speaking out about this won't change anything due to filial piety, it will only make more people feel aggrieved.
Instead, Qin Chi returned to the house.
He treated this as a joke and told it to Song Jin.
The reason is that Qin Chi knew that Song Jin was generous and had no shortage of money, so he wouldn't feel upset after knowing this.
"My uncle's expression was wonderful, and so was my grandfather's." Qin Chi's brows were rarely relaxed, with a gloating look hidden in his eyes.
Song Jin was not very clear about how much money it would normally cost to study for a year.
Qin Chi was a scholar, so he naturally understood this. "To be honest, studying is very expensive. The money paid for tuition is secondary. The biggest part is the money spent on pens, ink, paper, and books. It costs at least 40 to 50 taels a year."
These forty or fifty taels are still frugal.
The children of wealthy families would spend much more on fine pens, ink, paper and inkstone.
Qin Chi estimated the expenses of Qin Mingsong's bookstore in his mind, "My uncle passed the examination and became a scholar. In fact, there is no need for him to go to the capital to study. We have Tachuan Academy and Nanhu Academy in Yi County."
Ziyang Academy is the most famous academy in Huizhou Prefecture.
Many students want to study in Ziyang.
But that was an expense that only the sons of the rich could afford, and the tuition alone was 40 taels per year. Even so, with Qin Mingsong's talent, as long as his grades were at the top, he would have the academy's subsidy and free board and lodging, and he would not have spent more than 100 taels in a year if he was frugal.
Come across a book you must buy.
Students do not have to spend money to buy it. They can also borrow it from classmates to copy and read, thus saving some money.
According to Qin Chi's calculations, Qin Mingsong's expenses were at least fifty taels more than those of ordinary students.
Don't say fifty taels is not a lot.
Song Jin would spend hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver, but for an ordinary farmer, fifty taels of silver was definitely a huge sum of money.
Especially since some of this money was earned by Li's hard work as an embroidery worker, otherwise, Qin Chi would not have been so flattering in front of his father and two uncles.
Qin Chi's eyes revealed mockery, "My uncle has never considered his family since he was a child. He is a good match for your half-sister."
"Indeed, the two of them are quite a good match."
Song Jin deeply agreed with this statement.
Hearing this, Qin Chi glanced sideways at the woman with gentle eyes and eyebrows beside him, and for a long while, he raised the corners of his lips in joy.