Chapter 43043 Sisters Change Their Names
Du Qiya burst into tears amid the lively sound of firecrackers.
The other three girls were infected by the atmosphere and burst into tears.
I don't know who came over first, but they hugged Du Qiya with their left hand and Du Qingtang with their right hand. Then two more pairs of hands hugged the sisters on the left and right. The five heads were close together, very close.
"Qiya, stop crying."
"But... woo... you guys are crying too."
"It's because you cried first that we started crying too."
"Do you still want to cry?"
"I still want to."
Du Qingtang was surrounded by the girls. Hearing this, he sighed softly, "Cry if you want to."
At the turn of the old year and the new year, the five sisters of the Du family hugged each other tightly and cried loudly, as if they wanted to cry out all the sadness and pain they had experienced over the years.
Du Qingtang knelt on the kang, his legs stiff and numb, and he didn't move at all.
The sound of firecrackers continues.
The girls were tired of crying and fell into a deep sleep huddled together, occasionally uttering a mutter or two.
Du Qingtang covered them with a quilt, took out the "Analects of Confucius" to read, and took a sip of sour plum soup from time to time to refresh himself.
The last sound of firecrackers dissipated in the morning mist. Du Qingtang put down the book, lay down and fell asleep.
The eleventh year of Qingyuan arrived as scheduled.
-
They slept until noon and woke up one after another.
Du Qingtang was not on the kang, and the aroma of food drifted into the room through the crack in the door, making one's mouth water.
The girls hadn't woken up naturally in a long time. They hummed in comfort, twisted their bodies a few times, and suddenly made eye contact with the sisters next to them, and then -
"Fifth sister, why are you blushing?"
"Aren't you too?"
"I didn't."
"It's all Qiya's fault. If it weren't for Qiya, my eyes wouldn't be swollen like fish eyes."
The three sisters looked at each other, reached a tacit understanding in an instant, and pounced on Du Qiya in a ferocious manner.
Du Qiya was lying on the kang, laughing wildly: "Stop tickling me, hahaha! Help! Help!"
Du Qingtang added a handful of firewood to the stove and listened to the laughter coming from the west room, and then he exclaimed, "......"
Forget it, it’s the beginning of the new year. I cried again last night. Let me cry, as long as I’m happy.
After a while of making a fuss, the girls got up and rushed into the kitchen.
"Tang Ge'er, Happy New Year!"
"Why didn't Tangge call me when he was cooking?"
"Tang Ge'er..."
"Tang Ge'er..."
There were chirping calls in his ears, and Du Qingtang had a blank expression on his face. He began to doubt whether his decision last night was correct.
After lunch, the girls carried bamboo baskets filled with incense, candles, paper money and offerings to worship Boss Du.
Most of the villagers in Taoyuan Village are buried at the foot of the mountain after their death.
When we got there, we saw graves everywhere.
Du Wuya burned paper, Du Liuya lit incense and candles, and Du Qiya and Du Baya placed offerings.
Du Qingtang had never met Boss Du, and the few impressions he had of him were all recounted by the girls. He just silently cleared the dead grass on the grave.
Boss Du is a typical man of the feudal era. He favors boys over girls and devotes his life to giving birth to a son who can break pots for him.
Unfortunately, this wish was never fulfilled until his death.
Du Wuya kept chattering about what happened in the previous year.
"Tang'er has entered Qingyuan Academy and plans to take the county exam this year. Dad, please bless Tang'er and let her pass the exam as soon as possible. Mom left and went to Dahe Town. I haven't seen her for a long time. I don't know how she is doing now. In the twelfth lunar month, Tang'er took us to the city and is now setting up a stall at the market..."
After they finished speaking, the incense, candles and paper money were burned out, and the girls got up and left.
The graves of Old Man Du and Old Lady Du are right next to Old Man Du's, but no one has ever taken a second look at them.
They didn't like the granddaughters of the eldest wife during their lifetime. They thought they were a waste of money and would become the daughter-in-law of someone else's family sooner or later. They were reluctant to show them a good face.
The girls also tried their best and never tried to please them.
As the group walked away, Du Qiya looked back at the numerous graves.
Grandpa and grandma, you would never have thought that your most beloved third wife is still in Taoyuan Village, working with crops all day long. Your grandchildren cannot read a single word and spend their days teasing cats and dogs, and fishing and climbing trees.
And we are the granddaughters that you two looked down upon the most during your lifetime.
We went to the city and made a lot of money every day.
There is also Tang Ge'er. She is diligent and hardworking in the best academy in Baoding Prefecture, and has excellent grades. She will be able to pass the imperial examination soon.
Grandpa, grandma, will you regret it?
For my bias and misjudgment back then.
Du Qiya suddenly didn't care anymore.
How could she care about two insignificant people?
She only cares about her brothers and sisters and how much money she can earn this year.
A gust of wind blew across the graves of Old Man Du and Old Lady Du, whistling and sounding like the howling of regret.
......
After returning home, the girls couldn't sit still and discussed doing embroidery work, which they would send to the Jinyi Pavilion after returning to the city on the third day of the Lunar New Year.
Du Qingtang took out the brush, ink, paper and inkstone: "From today on, I will teach you how to read and write."
The girls were stunned at first. Except for Du Qiya whose eyes suddenly lit up, the other three girls shook their heads.
"This is something only men can do. Why should we read books?"
"We don't need to learn to read and write, as long as we can count. Tang Ge'er, just focus on studying hard."
"Yes, we..."
Before Du Liuya could finish her words, Du Qingtang interrupted her harshly, "Nonsense!"
When had they ever seen the youngest brother speak so harshly? They were so scared that their faces turned pale, but they still felt that they were not wrong.
Men can pass the imperial examinations and gain fame by reading and writing, but what’s the point of them reading and writing?
They only need to learn how to count and make sure they don't count the money wrong when setting up stalls. Why should Tang Ge'er waste his time studying to teach them?
"I don't know when reading and writing became a man's specialty?" Du Qingtang's expression was cold, making the girls feel timid. "Reading can make you wise, distinguish right from wrong, and understand the truth. Similarly, writing can improve your character and enhance your personal qualities."
Du Qiya nodded as she listened. She had long felt that the world was too partial to those stinky men.
Men can read, so why can't women?
Women can also read and write!
"Both men and women should read more." Du Qingtang said in an unyielding tone, "Come here. Today I will teach you ten characters. Read, practice, and memorize them more. With time and effort, you will soon be able to master 3,500 commonly used characters."
Afterwards, let them read enlightenment books such as "Three Character Classic", "Hundred Family Names", and "Thousand Character Classic".
After Du Qingtang finished speaking, Du Qiya trotted over and sat down next to her, not forgetting to call out to her sisters: "What are you still standing there for? Come over here!"
She can't wait to learn to read and write!
Under the youngest's gaze, the three girls had no choice but to sit over and hold their breath while sitting upright.
Until now, they have not realized their wrong thinking.
They did so only as a compromise.
Because Tang Ge'er was angry, they were scared.
Du Qingtang knew it all, but pretended not to know. He picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and began today's lesson: "Let's start with the character 'Du'..."
Du Qingtang broke down the strokes and meanings of the ten characters and instilled them into her four students.
It was clearly just ten simple words, but it took her nearly half an hour.
At the end, both teachers and students breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved.
Du Qingtang brought out the sand table and said, "Your task today is to master the writing of these ten characters. I don't have any extra brushes at home, so I'll buy some after we get to the city. I'll then teach you how to hold a brush and write. For the next few days, you can practice calligraphy on the sand table."
Du Qiya: "Okay, I will definitely work hard on my calligraphy!"
Du Qingtang looked at the other three and got the same answer. Satisfied, he left and went back to the southwest room to practice questions, leaving the girls looking at each other in bewilderment.
Du Baya: "Fifth sister, do you really want to write it?"
Du Liuya: "Compared to practicing calligraphy, I prefer embroidery."
Du Wuya: "Me neither..."
Du Qiya said in a gloomy tone: "If Tang Ge'er knew that you were half-hearted and perfunctory, she would be very angry and the consequences would be serious."
Du Wuya: "...I don't want to either, but who told me to practice calligraphy?"
Du Qiya: "Puff——"
Du Wuya's ears turned red with embarrassment, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Anyway, there's nothing to do at home during the New Year, so just write it, and then go do your own things after you finish it."
The girls sighed and had no choice but to raise their index fingers and write and draw on the sand table according to the words on the rice paper.
During this time, Du Qingtang quietly came to the door and observed secretly. Seeing that they were concentrating on practicing calligraphy, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes, and then he left quietly.
Because of the big exam, she reviewed ten days in advance. She still had two of Liu Tongsheng's test questions to finish, and planned to finish them in the afternoon. She would visit him tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to wish him a happy new year and discuss academic matters.
An hour and a half passed in a flash.
Du Qingtang finished writing a policy paper and then a test poem that gave her a headache and she wanted to avoid it. She stood up to stretch her legs and then went to the main room.
The girls are still practicing calligraphy.
Although they had never come into contact with the Daxia language before, they had a responsible teacher like Du Qingtang and they were very smart themselves, so they were able to write well in just two questions.
Du Qiya looked at the youngest with great interest, asking for credit: "Tang'er, look at my handwriting, isn't it very good?"
Du Qingtang didn't engage in repressive education. He pursed his lips and chuckled, his voice rising at the end: "Of course it's excellent."
"Great!" Du Qiya cheered and wrote even harder.
Du Qingtang went to see the practice results of the other three people. Although they were reluctant, they always strived for perfection in their work, so their writing was also very good.
Du Qingtang praised them sincerely, which made the girls look very happy. He then said, "That's all for today. I will check it again before teaching tomorrow."
"Ah? Need more checks?"
Du Qingtang nodded, and rarely felt like teasing: "I am a strict teacher, so you better be mentally prepared for what's coming next."
Then he walked away amidst a series of wails.
-
The next day, Du Qingtang visited Liu Tongsheng with the test questions and answers, as well as two kilograms of braised food and fried skewers.
Sun was very curious when she saw the fried skewers: "Is this what your sister sells at her stall?"
Du Qingtang nodded and said, "There are also powders and sauces in here, use whichever you like."
Sun smiled and agreed: "Then I will accept it without hesitation."
Du Qingtang said, "Master, you have taught me a lot, and I should give something back."
Entering the main hall, Liu Tongsheng was testing his two grandsons, Liu Guang and Liu Yao. Seeing Du Qingtang coming over, he extended his hand and beckoned: "It's just right, come over here too."
Du Qingtang: "...Yes."
After the exam, the two men, who were criticized by their grandfather and could not raise their heads, slipped away under the pretext of endorsement, leaving Du Qingtang alone to face Liu Tongsheng.
Liu Tongsheng blew his beard and glared: "These two unfilial grandchildren are really pissing me off to death!"
Du Qingtang didn't say anything, just watched him say one thing and mean another.
Liu Tongsheng suddenly met her curious gaze, his face twitching, nearly tearing his beard off, and coughed forcefully twice: "Have you finished the test?"
Du Qingtang offered it with both hands: "I still have some doubts, please help me solve them."
Liu Tongsheng carefully looked over Du Qingtang's answers, and occasionally picked up his pen to make a comment.
After an incense stick of time, Liu Tongsheng twirled his beard and said, "Good answer. Here..."
"Thank you, sir." Du Qingtang took the test paper on the table.
Liu Tongsheng glared: "Stinky boy!"
Du Qingtang just smiled and said nothing. Liu Tongsheng pointed at her twice in vain, and for the time being, he forgives her mistakes and answers her doubts.
Before leaving, Liu Tongsheng asked, "When do you plan to leave?"
Du Qingtang said frankly: "This year."
Liu Tongsheng raised his eyebrows, looking a little surprised: "So fast?"
But on second thought, although Du Qingtang had only studied for two years, he was better than his grandson who started his education at the age of five. He had enough knowledge to handle the examination for the position of a scholar.
Liu Tongsheng pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, come back tomorrow."
He didn't say why he came, and Du Qingtang didn't ask. He just responded politely, left with the new test questions, and bought a piece of tofu to take back.
I have eaten a lot of meat these two days and I feel very sick of it. There are some bean curd sheets left at home, so I had stir-fried bean curd sheets with vegetables and vegetable and tofu soup for lunch.
Jadeite and white jade will whet your appetite just by looking at them.
On the way, they met a few villagers. When they saw Du Qingtang, they said cheerfully, "Tang'er, go back quickly. Your mother is here!"
Yuanshi?
Du Qingtang responded casually and quickened his pace towards the Du family.
Outside the Du family's gate, Yuanshi was wearing a dark green short shirt and long skirt, with a silver hairpin in her bun and a brocade box in her hand. She had put aside her previous timid look and was chatting with the women in the village with a smile.
Du Qingtang looked at him coldly, with a bit of a show-off attitude as if he had returned home in glory.
"Mother Tang, how have you been lately?"
The woman who asked the question was just looking for trouble and asked this on purpose.
Unfortunately, Yuan Shi was a dullard who only took the words literally, thinking that these people were jealous of her. She raised her chin proudly, and her smile was mixed with a hint of inexplicable shyness: "They are very good to me."
The women were stunned. Could it be that Yuan was deceiving them?
She married into the Hu family in a ghost marriage, so how could she have a good life?
Du Qingtang, the only one who knew the inside story: "......"
"Hey, Tang Ge'er is here. We have something else to do, so we'll leave first. You two can catch up on the past."
The woman had an indescribable expression on her face and walked away with a wink.
Yuan followed Du Qingtang into the room and placed the brocade box on the table in the main hall.
The girls were practicing calligraphy when they looked up and found Yuanshi standing in front of them. Their first reaction was why she was here.
Just as he was about to ask, Yuan slammed the table and said, "Du Qingtang, come here!"
Du Qingtang put the rice paper filled with test questions back into the southwest room and walked into the main room slowly.
"Kneel down!" Yuan ordered sharply.
Of course Du Qingtang would not agree to her wishes: "Just say it."
Yuan Shi's fingers trembled with anger at her lukewarm tone. "Sheng Ge'er told me it was you who arranged for someone to frame him, causing everyone to believe he was having an affair without a matchmaker. It was you who got him kicked out of the Li family private school. Your uncle's gambling debts were caused by you stealing his money."
Yuan spoke very quickly, saying a lot of things, and then took a breath and continued: "This time, he had his hands and feet broken and thrown in the alley. It was you who did it, right?"
Du Qingtang had no expression on his face and just looked at her coldly.
The girls were all stunned after hearing Yuan's words.
"What do you mean, mother?"
"How could Tang Ge'er do these things?"
"On the contrary, Yuan Sheng is full of evil intentions. Mother, please don't believe his nonsense."
"Shut up!"
Yuanshi didn't expect that the daughter she gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy would stand on Du Qingtang's side. She shouted angrily and raised her hand to slap Du Qiya, who was closest to her.
Du Qiya was not stupid. She jumped back and easily dodged it.
Yuan's slap missed, and she was unwilling to give up, so she slapped Du Qingtang again.
Du Qingtang didn't dodge, but grabbed her wrist and tightened his fingers, causing Yuan to scream in pain.
"So what?"
When these words were spoken, the girls were dumbfounded, while Yuanshi showed an expression of "as expected".
On the evening of the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Yuanshi had just finished helping Old Lady Hu wash up and was preparing to wash up herself.
Tonight it is Boss Hu's turn. She plans to sprinkle some perfume powder on her body in an attempt to have a boy.
Just as I unbuttoned my clothes, someone knocked on the door.
"Yuan Sheng was thrown into an alley with his limbs broken. He was found and taken to a clinic. His parents are not here, and you are his aunt. Go and take care of him quickly, and pay the medical fee."
Yuan rushed to the clinic and saw her nephew lying on the wooden bed like a rag doll. She was so heartbroken that tears streamed down her face.
After Yuan Sheng woke up, he cried and complained to her, telling her what Du Qingtang had done to him in the past few months.
Yuan wanted to fly to the county town immediately and beat the bastard Du Qingtang to death, but she had to take care of the seriously injured Yuan Sheng and serve Old Lady Hu, so she only found time today.
Hearing Du Qingtang admit her various abuses against Yuan Sheng, Yuan Shi was furious and resentful: "Du Qingtang, he is your cousin, you have such a cruel heart!"
"So what if he's my cousin? With what he's done, even if I cut him into pieces, it wouldn't be enough to vent the hatred in my heart."
When Du Qingtang said this, the cruelty revealed in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows turned into a sharp blade, stabbing mercilessly at Yuanshi.
At this moment, Yuan felt as if a big hand was strangling her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe and her legs were trembling.
"Since you gave birth to me, I won't hold a grudge against you for what happened in the past, but that doesn't mean you can push your luck and make trouble."
Du Qingtang let go of his hand, and Yuanshi lost her strength and collapsed to the ground.
"Go away and don't come back again."
Yuan Shi trembled and climbed to her feet, breathing rapidly as she pointed at Du Qingtang: "You, you cold-blooded monster, you will get your comeuppance!"
retribution?
I'm not even afraid of death, so why would I be afraid of retribution?
Du Qingtang grabbed the brocade box and threw it out: "Get lost."
Yuan screamed, picked up the brocade box and rushed out.
Silence returned to the main hall. Du Qingtang looked at the girls and asked, "Is there anything you want to ask?"
The girls all shook their heads and said in unison: "No."
Du Wuya said seriously, "Yuan Sheng is not a good person. Tang Ge'er must have had a compelling reason for doing this."
Du Qingtang was slightly startled, then suddenly chuckled.
Yes, she did have her reasons.
There is a life between her and Yuan Sheng, so she must do this.
Du Qingtang's expression softened: "How's the training going?"
Du Qiya waved her hand as if offering a treasure: "Tang'er, look quickly, is my handwriting almost the same as yours?"
Du Qingtang took a look and found that there was actually a big difference, not to mention that calligraphy was much more difficult than simply writing with the hands.
Under Du Qiya's expectant gaze, Du Qingtang remained calm, his face neither red nor fluttering: "Yeah, almost."
Du Qiya jumped up with joy, her eyes curved with smiles.
Du Qingtang looked at the other three people's questions and went back to the southwest room to practice.
In the main hall, Du Liuya asked, "Aren't you curious about what Yuan Sheng did to make Tang Ge'er so angry?"
Du Wuya patted her chest with lingering fear: "Tang Ge'er's eyes were so scary just now. My heart was pounding."
Du Baya whispered softly: "I'm not curious. Tang Ge'er has her own reasons for doing things. She won't hurt anyone for no reason."
Du Qiya nodded: "That's right, but Yuan Sheng actually broke his hands and feet? That's really satisfying, I've wanted to do this for a long time!"
Over the years, the Yuan family has favored Yuan Sheng. They are angry and aggrieved, but there is nothing they can do.
After learning about what Du Qingtang had done to Yuan Sheng, the initial shock was replaced by a feeling of relief.
"Let's not talk about him anymore. Hurry up and practice your calligraphy. You still have to continue embroidering the handkerchief later."
"Yeah, okay."
They never mentioned Yuanshi again, as if she had never come back.
......
On the third day of the first lunar month, the eldest, second, third and fourth sisters return to their parents' home.
In the early years, because of Yuanshi, every time they came back with their husbands and children, Yuanshi would find various reasons to ask them for money and their husbands for money, and she was not worried at all that this would cause a rift between the couple.
After a few times, they tacitly chose to have one person go back to her parents' home.
This year Yuan married someone else, and as in previous years, they did not bring their husbands and children back.
My younger sisters are already tired enough from setting up the stall, and as their elder sister, I can't bear to see them busy in the kitchen early in the morning for a visit from my brother-in-law and nephews and nieces.
The sun was shining brightly in the morning and it felt warm on my body.
Nine sisters sat in the yard, basking in the sun and chatting and laughing.
During the process, the topic of setting up stalls was inevitably brought up.
Du Daya looked relieved: "Knowing that you are doing well, I feel relieved."
Du Si Ya agreed: "It's a good thing to have a legitimate business. Wu Ya and the others will have a place to put their dowries, and we can also support Tang Ge'er's education."
Seeing her second sister burying her head in silence, Du Sanya rolled her eyes. "Someone from Ping'an Village saw you setting up a stall in the city, but they didn't dare to provoke me. Instead, they went to persuade my second sister to ask you for the secret recipe. My second sister was actually persuaded. Fortunately, my second brother-in-law had a clear mind and stopped her in time. Otherwise, my second sister would have gone to the city to ask for the secret recipe long ago."
Facing the astonished gazes of her sisters, Du Erya's face flushed red, and she wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
Du San Ya still didn't let her go and continued, "I didn't know this was going on. When those nagging old women saw they couldn't persuade Second Sister, they came and nagged at me again. I didn't tolerate them. I picked up a broom and scratched their faces. Let them keep on nagging! Humph!"
Du Erya lowered her head and picked at her fingers, her voice as soft as a mosquito: "I didn't go."
Du Sanya was so angry that she fell backwards: "Big sister, please take care of her!"
Du Daya felt a dull pain in her forehead and sighed, "Erya, can't you see that they have bad intentions?"
Du Erya was confused: "Huh?"
Looking at the innocent-looking second sister, the girls all rolled their eyes. She was really hopeless.
Du Qingtang said, "If you didn't get the secret recipe, it wouldn't be a big loss for them, but you would definitely feel resentful towards Fifth Sister and the others. If you did get the secret recipe, Second Sister, you are always easy to talk to, and they could also get a share."
Du Erya opened her eyes wide, her face flushed red as she managed to utter, "How could they do this? They're so mean!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Girls: “…”
Du Daya held her forehead and said earnestly, "In short, if you have any problems in the future, don't act on your own. Ask San Ya first."
Her younger sister is beyond saving, so she can only ask her third sister to keep a closer eye on her.
Du Erya nodded obediently: "I understand."
But everyone present knew the truth, and if it happened again, she would still be confused.
Du Si Ya muttered angrily, "Did her mother crush her brain when she gave birth to her?"
Otherwise, why would such a beautiful person do such stupid things?
"Fortunately, my second brother-in-law is quick-witted, cautious, and not greedy. With him and my third sister, the possibility of my second sister being sold and having to pay the money is much smaller."
"Alas, this is the only way."
After the nine sisters had a lively lunch, Du Qingtang took out four pieces of paper.
"Fifth sister and the others have no worries about their livelihood now, but you four, eldest sister, your families aren't well off either. You needed help in the early years..." Du Qingtang paused, skipping over certain titles, and handed out four pieces of paper one by one. "Eldest sister, I'm making multi-grain pancakes, second sister, I'm making rice balls, third sister, I'm making vegetable rice rolls, and fourth sister, I'm making egg-filled pancakes. These snacks can be sold morning and night, and they're simple to make. As long as you're diligent, you'll definitely make money."
Except for the second brother-in-law who has only a few relatives and is left alone, the other three brothers-in-law have various relatives. Unless they have a falling out, they will definitely get a share of the pie.
Instead of giving them some snacks that are complicated to prepare, it is better to give them something that is simple to prepare and can make money quickly, which is less likely to cause conflicts.
The four sisters were stunned at first, then they held the light rice paper and looked at the youngest with tears in their eyes.
Du Qingtang put his fist to his lips, coughed lightly and said, "It's up to you to arrange it after you go back, whether you want to set up the stall alone or with your sisters-in-law, but you must remember that your family will take the lion's share."
"It's natural."
"Don't worry, Tang'er. My sisters-in-law are so scared that they don't even dare to speak loudly to me."
"Thank you, Tang'er."
The four unmarried girls saw this but didn't feel anything.
They are all family. Even if they earn money, they cannot forget their elder sister who loved them very much before they got married.
"There's one more important thing to do next."
As soon as Du Qingtang said this, the girls all looked at her at the same time.
"What's the matter?"
"You speak, and we listen."
Du Qingtang took out eight pieces of paper and placed them in front of them one by one. He then stepped back and sat upright. "Since everyone is here today, I'm going to take this opportunity to give you a new name."
"Name it?"
"Is this your name now? Many girls in the village are called this."
"Why did Tangge suddenly want to change our name?"
Because in Du Qingtang's view, names like Daya and Erya are no different from Zhaodi, Niandi and Pandi. They are all concrete manifestations of the idea of favoring boys over girls, and every stroke is full of sexism.
Du Qingtang had this idea from the moment he decided to take responsibility for their lives.
Until this moment, she finally took action.
Du Qingtang spoke each word with great solemnity: "You can become a unique existence, not just one of the thousands of Da Ya and Er Ya."
The girls' pupils dilated, their expressions startled: "Unique?"
Du Qingtang said with certainty: "Yes, it is unique."
The girls unfolded the slips of paper with their names on them.
Du Qiya exclaimed, "I recognize these three characters: Du, Qing, and Zhu! Tang Ge'er, my name is Du Qingzhu, right?"
Du Qingtang nodded.
Du Wuya: "My name is Du Qingmei."
Du Liuya: "My name is Du Qinglan."
Du Baya: "My name is Du Qingju."
Du Daya was shocked: "How come you..." You all recognize the words on the paper?
Seventh Sister said loudly: "Tang Ge'er has been teaching us to read these past two days, and these are the words we practiced!"
She took out the slips of paper with the names of her eldest, second, third, and fourth sisters and read out their names one by one: "The eldest sister is Du Qingqin, the second sister is Du Qingqi, the third sister is Du Qingshu, and the fourth sister is Du Qinghua."
"What a nice name."
"Chess and book, why does it sound a bit like a man's name?"
Du Qingtang was calm and composed: "When writing was first invented, there was no distinction between men and women. Men can use it, so why can't women?"
The girls finally felt relieved.
"Du Qinghua."
"Du Qingmei."
"Du Qinglan."
They were all smiling as they read their own names and the names of their sisters.
The piece of paper was crumpled into a ball in their palms, and the ink spread out, just like their hearts, which were crumpled into a wrinkled ball. Indescribable emotions such as sourness, joy, and excitement spread out layer by layer, lasting for a long time.
......
At three quarters after noon, the eldest sister, the second sister, the third sister, and the fourth sister said goodbye to their younger siblings and set out on their journey home.
When the eldest sister returned to Xiaoxi Village, many women were sitting outside chatting.
Seeing the heavy bamboo basket in her arms, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. It had always been Du Daya who gave money to her parents' home, and it was the first time for her to bring things back from her parents' home and get into the bridal sedan.
The eldest sister had an average relationship with them, so she just greeted them before entering the house.
"mother!"
Daughter Fang Jie'er rushed over and rubbed against her mother's warm arms.
Her husband Zhang Cong came out of the house and called out "Daya" in a silly voice.
The eldest sister hugged her daughter and said, "My name is not Daya."
Zhang Cong didn't react for a moment: "What did you say?"
The eldest sister spoke each word with great emphasis, announcing, "My name is Du Qingqin."
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