Hua Kai tapped her younger brother on the head: "You're daydreaming in class and you still have the nerve to talk to me? Don't you know what kind of situation our family is in? How much hardship did Mom and Dad have to endure to send us both to school? Your older brother doesn't even have the chance to go to school anymore, and you still shouldn't be studying hard?"
Hua Qingyang knew he was wrong, so he lowered his head and said, "Sister, I was wrong. I will listen carefully in class from now on."
Hua Kai sighed: "Qingyang, studying may not be the only way out, but knowledge can give you more choices in the future. Don't take it lightly."
Hua Qingyang nodded: "I know, sister. I will try my best. Actually, I don't have much of a problem with other subjects, but I really can't learn English well."
Hua Kai understood this; students from rural areas generally have weaker English skills. She smiled and said, "With your sister here, I'll make sure your English becomes the best in the whole school within six months, believe it or not?"
Hua Qingyang was a little skeptical: "I actually studied really hard, but I really can't learn it."
Hua Kai said, "Before, your teacher taught you using the teacher's methods, but now your sister is teaching you using her own learning methods. How can that be the same?"
Hua Qingyang made up his mind and said, "Sister, I will definitely study hard."
Hua Kai opened the book and began to teach Hua Qingyang in her own way, starting by getting her younger brother interested.
The siblings were engrossed in their studies when Hua Wanjiang and Hua Qingyi returned from outside.
Hua Kai ran out after putting down her book: "Dad, Big Brother, I'm back."
Hua Wanjiang smiled as he looked at Hua Kai: "I knew you'd be back today. Your older brother and I came back from the mountain early. Are you tired from studying?"
Hua Kai shook her head: "Not tired. How can studying be more tiring than farm work?" As she spoke, she fetched water for the two of them to wash their hands.
Hua Qingyi looked at his younger sister with a constant smile. Although he didn't say anything, his eyes were full of affection.
Gu Lanyan came out carrying a basin, pouring water as she said to them, "It's time to eat. Kaikai, come inside and set the table. Qingyang, that kid, always goes to the toilet as soon as he starts working."
Hua Kai felt a warmth in her heart as she listened to her mother's nagging, and went to help with a smile.
At the dinner table, Huakai also asked her parents how their business was doing lately.
Gu Lanyan was happy when she talked about this, saying that business was particularly good and there were no leftovers at each market. She planned to make twenty more smoked meat pancakes at the village market in the future, because many students buy them at noon.
Hua Kai was quite surprised by Gu Lanyan's keen business sense. Perhaps her mother really had a talent for business, while her father wouldn't have thought of these things. But her down-to-earth and capable nature was also very rare.
After dinner, it was already dark. Now, unlike before when we were reluctant to turn on the lights to save electricity, the atmosphere at home is different, even though it's still the same dim light bulb.
After clearing away the dishes, the family sat in the house chatting. Hua Kai told her family about her school life, focusing only on the good things.
Since there's no market tomorrow, there's no need to prepare anything in advance today, so it's quite relaxed.
I slept well that night, and the next day was still a sunny day. There was little rain in the north in autumn, and the air was very fresh.
This morning, Hua Wanjiang is going to the neighboring village to give a wedding gift. It's for a friend's house to be built and the roof beam is being raised, so he left after breakfast.
Gu Lanyan went out to buy piglets in the morning, as she had arranged to do so beforehand.
Today, Huakai didn't let her older brother go up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs, saying she wanted to talk to him.
In the past few days, Huakai has also been thinking about her older brother's future. It's impossible for him to always be doing hard labor. She had previously thought about opening a factory for him when she had money in the future, but she felt that her older brother lacked social experience and needed to be trained before thinking about the future.
When she took something out of her bag in the morning, she saw the blueprints and thought it would be better to let her older brother start doing business first. That way, he would meet more people and, no matter what he does in the future, he wouldn't be easily deceived.
So she assigned Hua Qingyang some homework and told him to go to the west room to do it in peace. Then she talked to Hua Qingyi about it.
"Big brother, what are your thoughts on the future?" Hua Kai wanted to know what her brother's dreams were, so she could help him achieve them as much as possible. If not, she would make arrangements according to her own wishes.
Hua Qingyi shook his head: "I don't have any particular ideas. I just want to work hard, earn more money, and help my parents support you and your brother's schooling."
Looking at her simple and honest brother, Hua Kai felt truly happy. In her past life, she hadn't experienced much warmth from home, and she had dreamed of having a brother who could protect her. What she couldn't have in her past life, she had in this one.
She took out the drawings she had made and handed them to Hua Qingyi, saying, "Brother, I met a benefactor and learned interior design from her. It's about designing how to decorate and furnish houses in the city. I got a job last week that's quite lucrative and has good prospects. I'd like you to come to the city with me. You can run the business and talk to clients, and I'll just draw the drawings. In the future, we can start our own company. Now we don't need to be affiliated with anyone anymore, so we can be our own bosses."
Since Huakai's future direction is architectural design and environmental art, the interior design part can be handed over to the eldest brother in the future.
Hua Qingyi found the map fascinating and was tempted to go out and try his luck, but he was also a little timid: "I don't know anything. I've only been to the city twice. If I go, I won't be able to help you and may even delay your plans."
Hua Kai smiled at Hua Qingyi: "Brother, don't always deny yourself first. I'll teach you when you go. I'll show you a couple of jobs, and you'll understand. It's peak season now, so let's get familiar with the market first. We'll be able to achieve a small scale next spring."
Hua Qingyi was still unsure: "Let's discuss this properly when Mom and Dad get back."
Hua Kai also knew that her older brother hadn't experienced anything major and didn't have much of a plan, and that this matter really needed to be discussed with their parents.
But now she needs to get her older brother to accept it from the heart first, and then it will be easier to persuade her parents: "Brother, I know you have concerns, but people always have to take risks. Just like when Qingyang and I went to school, we couldn't be sure we would pass the exam, but we still had to study. If we didn't even try, then we would have no chance at all, right?"
These words struck a chord with Hua Qingyi: "Hmm, you're right. If I don't try, nothing will be accomplished. Kai Kai, is this really going to work? Where will I stay? I don't know anything about this. Won't it really affect your studies?"
“I’ll go back this week and look into renting a place first. Then you can go. We don’t need to worry about things at home now. If we can make a name for ourselves out there, it will make our parents proud, right?”
"Yes, you're right. Let's discuss it when Mom and Dad get back. I can endure hardship, but I'm afraid I'll learn too slowly."
“It’s alright, it’s not difficult at all. I hope you’ll go to the city so that I can give you more opportunities. Once we’re all settled, I still hope you can go to night school and learn something. Brother, skills are never a burden. Like I told my brother, knowledge may not change your destiny, but it can give you more choices.”
“Kai Kai, I didn’t realize it before, but seeing how you’ve changed since you started school, I know how important it is to study. If I have the chance in the future, I will not give up on my studies.”
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