Chapter 43 Wang Xiujuan
Li Yulan was a little panicked.
How should I put it? The way Wang Xiujuan looked at her always made her feel like her thoughts were seen through.
Of course, Li Yulan was not stupid enough to tell Wang Xiujuan directly that she wanted to marry Xu Jiahuai, a scholar from Dongshi Village.
But she had secretly gone to Dongshi Village several times and quietly helped Xu Jiahuai's mother and daughters.
She felt that she was sneaky enough, but she was prepared for the worst.
Wang Xiujuan had actually encountered this before, but she didn't say anything about it.
To be honest, Wang Xiujuan was jealous at first and wanted to expose the matter, but she held back.
If you think about it carefully, Xu Xiucai doesn't seem to be much better than others except for his status as a scholar.
Her wife had died, and she had two children with her. She had inquired carefully about the time when she married into Dongshi Village. She knew that the life of the scholar's family was just like that. In order to support Xu Xiucai's schooling, they still lived a tight life even after renting out their land.
If Li Yulan really married Xu Xiucai, her life would not be as good as hers. What was there for her to be jealous of?
Thinking of the purpose of her visit, Wang Xiujuan patted Li Yulan's hand and talked about the sweet days after her marriage, and how much her in-laws valued her now that she was pregnant.
"Yulan, you're sixteen now. Has your mother found a husband for you? Do you want to marry into our Dongshi Village?"
Li Yulan's heart nearly jumped into her throat when she heard this. "What Dongshi Village? Don't talk nonsense."
Wang Xiujuan smiled and said, "What's wrong with our Dongshi Village? You may not know that our village is going to open a private school."
Wang Xiujuan touched her belly and said, "When my child grows up, he can go to school in the village. Tuition fees are not as expensive as outside. How great!"
"Oh, really?" Li Yulan asked absentmindedly, "Why does your village want to open a private school?"
Wang Xiujuan leaned closer to Li Yulan and said, "You may not know this, but our village has a scholar. Xu Xiucai went to the head of the village a few days ago to discuss this matter. The village allocated land to him, and the private school he runs now costs only 500 coins a year for our children to attend."
"Five hundred coins, that's one or two ounces of silver cheaper than the school in town!"
"What? Five hundred wen?" Li Yulan finally came back to her senses. "That's a bargain."
"Yes, but those from other villages have to pay one ounce. Even though it's only one ounce, it's still five hundred coins cheaper than in town."
Wang Xiujuan nudged Li Yulan's arm and said, "Yulan, I heard your little brother didn't go to school in town? He was doing well there, what did he think? I heard he even hit his head and almost became an idiot."
Li Yulan couldn't stand hearing people say bad things about her younger brother, so she retorted, "Sister Xiujuan, don't say that about my younger brother. He's fine. He may not be in school anymore, but he's learned a lot in school, and it's all useful. My mother will send him to another place to study later."
"Is that so? Then why don't you just come to our village? It's only a few steps away, and your little brother can help out around the house after school. Didn't you always say your mother favored your little brother? Why are you on good terms with him now?"
"We've always had a good relationship. Don't say anything. If my little brother hears about it, he'll be unhappy."
Her younger brother is very ambitious now and wants to open a cosmetics shop for her in the future.
"Okay, okay, I won't say it, I won't say it..." Wang Xiujuan turned the topic back to letting Li Baisong go to the private school in Dongshi Village.
As long as Li Baisong goes, Xiucai's task of acting as their agent will be completed, and her child can then go to Xu Xiucai's private school for a year for free.
Wang Xiujuan took another look at Li Yulan. She had big eyes and a small nose, and wasn't very pretty. How could she have caught Xu Xiucai's eye?
As she thought about it, she couldn't help but laugh again. It's good if it's pleasing to the eye. If it's not pleasing to the eye, it's not good for her.
Wang Xiujuan's husband knocked on the door outside, "Xiujuan, the sun is about to set, we have to go back."
"Yulan, think about it carefully and go back and talk to your mother. I'm going back first. When I left, my mother-in-law told me that I couldn't walk at night because I was pregnant. If there's anything else you want to know, you can come to Dongshi Village to find me."
Li Yulan smiled dryly and nodded, then walked out with Wang Xiujuan.
Wang Xiujuan's husband looked at the two of them, and his eyes looked at Li Yulan for a few more seconds before looking away. "Madam, let's go back."
Li Yulan was walking slowly towards home when she was stopped by villagers on the way. An aunt or sister-in-law wanted to ask her why her brother was expelled from school and whether he had done anything bad.
Just like a ripe fruit on the ground being accidentally stepped on, the news spread everywhere like bursting juice.
Li Yulan was in no mood to argue. She waved her hand and ran home. "Aunt Wei, you can ask my mother about this matter later. My mother asked me to go home. I'll tell you next time."
"Hey, hey, just say a few words to me. Why are you asking your mother? Your mother is a shrew. How can she ask questions easily?"
Before Aunt Wei could finish her words, Li Yulan had already disappeared.
Li Yulan rushed all the way to the door of her house and heard her eldest brother's loud voice in the yard. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt like she was caught for not listening to her mother.
Li Yulan was just trying to gather herself when Erdan rushed from behind and yelled, "Little aunt, make way! Make way!"
Li Yulan: “…”
Erdaner walked in grunting, carrying a bundle of firewood as thick as his waist.
"Grandma, look, is there much firewood I collected?"
Erdan was looking for his grandma all over the yard.
Next time the money is divided, he also wants to get a share.
Dadan followed behind, also carrying two small bundles of firewood on his shoulders, which together were only a little more than Erdan's.
"Grandma, I also brought back some firewood."
Following Dadan were the little ducks in the family. Daya and Erya followed their grandmother's instructions and drove the little ducks to the fields to eat insects first, so that there would be fewer insects after the rice seedlings were planted.
The ducks were all well fed and walked more wobbly.
"The disobedient one ran away again."
As soon as Erya finished speaking, Li Yulan blocked the little duck's way. After being blocked twice in a row, the little duck had to return to the team.
"Aunt." Daya and Erya called out obediently.
Li Yulan took a look and took the small wooden stick from Erya's hand. "This duck is not obedient. Let me help you drive it away."
Erya, with nothing in her hands: "..."
Daya pulled Erya and whispered, "Thank you, aunt."
The ducks quacked as they walked in, and Li Yulan lowered her head and pretended to be serious.
Li Baisong came over holding Si Ya, "Fourth sister, you're back?"
Li Yulan was startled by Li Bosong's sudden voice. Seeing that it was him, she angrily turned to him and said, "You really scared me to death. You scare people to death!"
"I didn't mean to scare you. Did you do something bad to scare yourself, Fourth Sister?"
"Don't talk nonsense! What could I possibly have done wrong? I just went to talk to Xiujuan."
Li Baisong said quietly, "This is a case of trying to cover up one's own mistake."
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