Chapter 61 What Would You Do Without Me?
Gu Jiayue continued to patiently coax him. "Look, you care so much about your grades, which shows that it's not that you don't want to study, but that you just don't think you're good at it. But Zhigeng, you can now recite the Three Character Classic and even write ninety-eight characters. Compared to a month ago, isn't that a big improvement?"
Gu Zhigeng was stunned. Compared with himself a month ago?
She had never thought about it from this perspective.
What were you like a month ago?
At that time, she didn't know a single word and had never even thought that one day she would be able to hold a textbook and read.
"Second sister." Gu Zhigeng felt his throat tighten, as if something was about to break out of its shell.
Gu Jiayue hugged her gently. "We are still very weak now, so don't compare yourself with others. We should only compare ourselves with ourselves. As long as we are a little better than yesterday, that's enough, right? Besides, we are only ten years old, and we still have plenty of time to learn slowly. Although we can't take the imperial examinations or become officials in the court, we can become teachers. You study hard, and when you have achieved success and your sister's school is established, you can come to the school and be a teacher."
Gu Zhigeng pursed his lips tightly and said no more, but ripples were rising in his heart.
Gu Jiayue continued, "How about we make a deal today? If your test scores next month are better than this time, I'll let Hua Chao teach you a brand new needlework technique, okay?"
Gu Zhigeng is extremely obsessed with embroidery. Ever since she learned that Hua Chao knows many embroidery techniques, she would pester Hua Chao to teach her the skills whenever she has free time.
Sure enough, upon hearing Gu Jiayue's words, Gu Zhigeng's eyes lit up immediately, and he asked expectantly, "Really?"
"Of course, as a teacher, how could I go back on my word?"
"Okay, I will try my best." Gu Zhigeng nodded heavily, his eyes full of determination.
After comforting Gu Zhigeng, Gu Jiayue turned her gaze to Gu Bailu.
Bai Lu's results were quite surprising. She passed both subjects and even scored 80 points in liberal arts, ranking second in the exam.
Feeling Gu Jiayue's gaze, Bai Lu smiled slightly and said, "Second sister, there's no need to enlighten me. I understand that you let us study for our own good. I will definitely continue to work hard and study well."
In fact, at first, she, like Zhigeng, was somewhat resistant to this nosy second sister.
Not everyone loves studying, and she doesn't understand why her second sister wants to impose her will on them.
However, one night, her elder sister told her that she envied her for being able to study with her second elder sister.
Bai Lu was stunned at that time. What was there to envy about studying?
If she had a choice, she would rather work in the fields than recite those "the dark yellow of heaven and earth, the vastness of the universe" all day long.
But my sister just smiled and said, "I don't know why, but I feel that you become very different when you study. There's a sacred feeling. Anyway, you must cherish this opportunity. It's always good to learn more skills."
Later, she secretly taught her sister to recognize words and read, and she actually felt that her sister seemed to have become real from being unreal.
That feeling is like the seeds you planted with your own hands. After a long wait, they finally sprout and bloom, and your heart is filled with joy.
So she thought, no matter what, it was always beneficial to learn something she didn't know before. It might not be useful now, but who could predict the future?
"That's good, but I can also make you a promise. If you can do better on the test next month than this month, I'll give you that crabapple flower hairpin, okay?"
Gu Zhi was more interested in embroidery, while Gu Bailu had a special liking for beautiful clothes and jewelry. Gu Jiayue had seen her staring at the hairpin on her head several times.
Gu Bailu was stunned. "Can I change the reward?"
"Huh? Don't you like that hairpin very much?" Could it be that I misunderstood?
"I do like that hairpin, but not entirely." Gu Bailu felt a little embarrassed. She had thought she was extremely secretive every time she peeked at it, but she didn't expect to be discovered.
"I like its style. I think the craftsman who made this hairpin was extremely ingenious, able to make the crabapple blossoms so lifelike. In fact, I also secretly drew some jewelry designs myself. Second sister, if I can do better in the exam next month, can you teach me to draw?"
So that's how it is. It seems my observations weren't detailed enough. "No problem." Gu Jiayue agreed readily.
After comforting the two sisters, the only problem left was the last one. "You two can go out. I want to talk to Yuhe alone."
Gu Zhigeng glanced at Gu Yuhe, giving him a look that said, "May the best come to you." Then he took Gu Bailu's hand, gently closed the door, and walked out.
Gu Yuhe covered his buttocks and kept backing away, saying in horror: "Grandma has already hit me!"
If the fight continues, I really won’t be able to bear it.
Gu Jiayue smiled, picked up the ointment on the table, and said, "Go lie down, I'll apply the ointment on you."
Gu Yuhe widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.
"What? Do you think I will hurt you?" Gu Jiayue raised her eyebrows.
That wouldn't happen. Gu Yuhe felt that her second sister wasn't vicious enough to kill her own siblings.
But seeing how serious his second sister looked just now, he thought she was going to teach him a lesson to vent her anger.
"Lie down quickly, doesn't your butt hurt?" Gu Jiayue urged.
It hurts, how could it not hurt? Grandma was so cruel.
Gu Yuhe hesitated for a moment, but still lay down on the bed obediently, and slowly took off his pants with some embarrassment.
There wasn't much flesh on that little butt to begin with, and now after being beaten twice in a row, it was swollen like a steamed bun, which was heartbreaking to look at.
Oh, poor child.
Gu Jiayue carefully picked out some ointment from the medicine box and placed it in the palm of her hand.
She lowered her head slightly, her expression focused, and slowly warmed the ointment with her body temperature. She then gently covered Gu Yuhe's wound and rubbed it slowly.
His actions showed his concern, and he asked softly, "Yuhe, what are your hobbies?"
Gu Yuhe lay on the bed, his voice muffled by the quilt, and answered without hesitation: "Climbing trees, catching insects, touching snails, playing in the mud."
Gu Jiayue didn't show any blame. Instead, she smiled gently and nodded in agreement, "Well, that's normal. Children love to play by nature. There's nothing wrong with that."
After saying this, he paused for a moment before continuing, "What about the future? When you are as old as your elder brother, what are your plans?"
Gu Yuhe tilted his head, thought seriously for a moment, and replied, "Of course, it's the same as my eldest brother. Marry a wife, have children, and then take care of the farm work at home."
Gu Jiayue's eyes softened as she continued, "Have you ever thought about whether you truly yearn for such a day?"
"But our ancestors have lived this way for generations." Gu Yuhe looked puzzled, his eyes full of confusion. "Why should I look for another way? Is the new way necessarily easier than the old way?"
Seeing his bewildered expression, Gu Jiayue remained calm and continued to gently guide him. "Do you remember the hailstorm a few days ago? All the rice seedlings that the villagers had so painstakingly planted were damaged. Grandpa and Uncle have been deeply worried about this these past few days. If this happened to you, how would you handle it?"
Gu Yuhe blinked, still confused. "Didn't Second Sister already ask Brother Huzi to go look for rice seedlings far away? As long as they find the seedlings, won't this matter be resolved?"
Gu Jiayue nodded gently, patiently coaxing him. "Well, this is what I did, but how does it have anything to do with you? If it weren't for me, how would you have resolved this crisis?"
How to resolve this crisis?
Gu Yuhe closed his eyes and racked his brains to think.
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