Chapter 230: Ending Next Year
With the 50,000 taels of silver notes, Li Wanqing took out 10,000 taels of silver to buy land and shops, and divided the remaining 40,000 taels into two parts.
Thirty thousand taels were exchanged for gold, and ten thousand taels were exchanged for silver ingots.
Ever since Gu Yan mentioned using the valley as their future refuge, Li Wanqing had always had a feeling that this valley would be used sooner or later.
So this time, when he got the silver notes, he quickly asked Gu Yan to exchange them for gold and silver in batches.
"Wife, I bought three hundred acres of land and two shops this time. It cost me a total of seven thousand eight hundred and forty taels of silver.
Of this, four thousand five hundred taels were spent on the land, three thousand three hundred taels were spent on the shop, and forty taels were given to the middleman.
This is the remaining 2,150 taels. I spent the remaining 10 taels." Gu Yan said as he handed over the remaining silver.
Li Wanqing took it and gave him ten taels of silver in change, which was Gu Yan's pocket money.
"No, wife, I don't need so much money." Gu Yan returned eight taels and kept only two taels for himself.
Li Wanqing stuffed the silver back in her pocket and said, "Take it. When you have time, go buy some salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Especially salt, if there is a disaster in the future, salt must be prepared in advance."
Only then did Gu Yan take the silver.
The following days passed peacefully, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Xuanxuan is nine years old and Hengheng is five years old. They also started school this year.
Now the two brothers study together, but Xuanxuan is in Class A, and Hengheng is in Class D because he just enrolled.
There has been no change at home in the past three years. Gu Yan and Li Wanqing still go into the mountains once a year. They eat what they hunt and sell the rest.
Every year, taking the opportunity of hunting and selling prey, he would take his two sons to live in the mountains for a month, and also take them with him when he went to the provincial capital.
Li Wanqing would not let her son develop a lazy and ignorant character.
Even if you take the imperial examination and become an official in the future, you must understand the suffering of the people and cannot develop a bookish nature.
So every autumn Li Wanqing would take Xuanxuan and the others to live in the mountains for one or two months.
Li Wanqing took the brothers Xuanxuan and Hengheng to pick mushrooms, fungus, and various mountain products.
Gu Yan would also take them to set traps to catch pheasants and rabbits, and teach them various skills for survival in the wild.
After hunting, Gu Yan and Li Wanqing would go to the provincial capital to sell the prey, and they would always bring their two sons with them.
Gu Yan would also take his two sons to the restaurant to discuss business.
However, the effect of their doing so is very obvious.
Even the teacher said that Xuanxuan was smarter, more clever, and more flexible than his peers. He also knew a lot about common sense.
So every time Gu Yan asked Xuanxuan for leave, the teacher always approved it very quickly. This time was no exception.
"Mom, are we going into the mountains tomorrow?" Xuanxuan, like a little adult, asked after returning from school.
"Yes, we are going into the mountains tomorrow. Didn't your father ask for leave for you?" Li Wanqing said.
"Okay, then I'll go pack my things. Hengheng will come with me." Xuanxuan not only left by himself, but also took his younger brother away.
"Brother, I don't have anything to pack. I want to play with my sister..."
Even after they had walked far away, Li Wanqing could still hear Hengheng's voice.
Li Wanqing held her stomach and shook her head, laughing.
Yes, Li Wanqing is pregnant again, and it’s just four months now.
Because the family already has two sons, Gu Yan and Li Wanqing both hope that this baby will be a daughter.
The two boys who are about to become older brothers also call her sister.
"Mom, have you made my archery for me?" Xuanxuan asked while eating at the dinner table.
"It's done. It's right there. You can carry it on your back tomorrow." Gu Yan pointed to the corner of the wall.
"Okay, I will carry it myself, Mom. I will hunt pheasants and make soup for you to nourish your body." Xuanxuan turned around and showed his courtesy to Li Wanqing.
"Hmph, your mother doesn't need you to drink the chicken soup." Gu Yan snorted coldly.
"I hunted pheasants and made chicken soup for my sister." Xuanxuan retorted without showing any weakness.
"Hmph, that's my daughter." Gu Yan said proudly.
"My sister." Xuanxuan was not to be outdone.
"She's my sister too." Hengheng also interrupted.
…
"Enough, hurry up and eat, or the food will get cold." Li Wanqing quickly stopped them.
When Gu Yan and Xuanxuan saw their wife (mother) face darken, they quickly lowered their heads to eat and didn't dare to speak.
No one knew what was going on, but ever since she became pregnant again, Gu Yan had become keen on competing for favor with her two sons.
It's nothing serious, it just looks childish.
But it doesn’t matter. Even though they quarrel, the relationship between the three of them is very good.
Sometimes they need Li Wanqing to settle lawsuits for them.
"Mom, the teacher said I can leave next year." After dinner, Xuanxuan talked about another thing.
"Really? Did your teacher really say that?" Li Wanqing looked at Xuanxuan and Gu Yan in surprise.
"Well, the teacher talked to me today. He said that Xuanxuan has learned everything he should learn and can give it a try next year." Gu Yan nodded affirmatively.
"But Xuanxuan is still so young, can he do it?" Li Wanqing asked worriedly as she looked at her son who was only as tall as her chest.
"Mom, I'm not a kid anymore, I'm already nine years old and will be ten soon.
"And the teacher said, 'I've learned a lot and I know how to adapt. As long as I perform normally, I'll definitely pass the exam.'" Xuanxuan said, patting his chest confidently.
"Okay, okay, my son has grown up, and I believe you.
But don't feel burdened, you are still young and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future." Li Wanqing said, touching Xuanxuan's head.
"Yes, I know, Mom, I will definitely pass the exam and become a scholar." Xuanxuan clenched his fists and said confidently.
"I also want to take the exam to become a scholar. I also want to take the exam to become a scholar." Hengheng also joined in the fun.
"Okay, let's all take the exam to become a scholar. Let's all take the exam to become a scholar." Li Wanqing said with a smile.
"Okay, go back to sleep. We have to travel tomorrow, so don't sleep too late today." Gu Yan started to drive people away.
It wasn't the first year that the two children had gone to the mountains with them. They knew that walking on the mountain road was tiring, so they went back to the house to sleep without saying anything else.
"Wife, in the blink of an eye, Xuanxuan is already nine years old, and I am already thirty-one. Time flies so fast." Gu Yan lay on the kang, holding Li Wanqing with one hand, and said with emotion.
Li Wanqing also felt a little emotional. It had been ten years since she traveled to ancient times.
"Well, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and we are about to welcome our third child." Li Wanqing said, touching her slightly bulging belly.
"Wife, the teacher said today that if Xuanxuan passes the imperial examination, this place will no longer be suitable for him.
The teacher said he could recommend Xuanxuan to go to the county school.
The teacher also said that if conditions permit, he could stay in the county school for two years, and when Xuanxuan is older, he could try to go to the provincial school." Gu Yan said.
"Sure? We have houses and shops in the provincial capital, so we can live there." Li Wanqing said.
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