Chapter 2 Parents
When Shu Tong saw Ma Pozi, he immediately bowed and saluted, "Thank you, Ma Pozi. You have worked hard."
Mrs. Ma smiled politely and opened her mouth, but felt it was inappropriate and hesitated.
Su Ruojin quickly pulled Shu Tong's arm.
Shu Tong bent down and lowered his head to get close to her.
"Uncle Shutong, half a tael for the delivery and twenty coins for the wedding."
"Oh, oh." Shu Tong took out a silver coin from the bag on his waist, "This is your hard work fee."
Mrs. Ma originally thought that she would not get any hard work pay today, but it turned out to be true. No matter how small the official was, he was still an official, so how could he owe her some money? She left happily.
Shu Tong turned around and closed the gate. "Where's the master?"
"Dad is out."
"Hey, didn't the lady give birth? Why did he go out?" Shu Tong was puzzled.
Su Ruojin said helplessly: "Of course I went to borrow money."
Living in the capital, everything is expensive. The master's salary is not enough to cover expenses. Shu Tong hasn't received his monthly salary for more than a year. He was about to sigh, but his hand touched the bag at his waist and he smiled happily, "Second Madam, guess how much it was sold for?"
Su Ruojin shook her head and said she didn’t know.
It has been six years since she came to the Dayin Dynasty. Even if she came with the memories and abilities of a thousand years later, she couldn't just say this can be sold and that can make money right after she was born. Otherwise, she would be burned to death as a monster.
Su Ruojin followed the steps, starting from babbling to learning to walk, step by step. When she was three years old, her father taught her five-year-old brother, and she moved a small stool and sat beside him, listening and learning quietly.
There was only one servant and one maid in the house, and Cheng had to do the housework, so she studied with Su Anzhi without making any noise. Su Yanli didn't care at all. Occasionally, he would test her on what she had learned. Su Ruojin could recite it fluently, and was not worse than Su Anzhi. Su Yanli was stunned and even shouted, "It's a pity that Jin'er is not a boy, otherwise she would have passed the imperial examination and become a pillar of the country."
Su Ruojin could only smile guiltily, thinking to herself, if it weren't for her memories of her past life, she would be no better than the five-year-old Su Anzhi.
While learning to read, he followed his mother Cheng to learn the management of the An family of the Dayin Dynasty. He also pestered his mother, who often went out, to talk about things outside, and quietly understood the world.
As she learned more, Su Ruojin had an almost comprehensive understanding of her parents in this life.
Her father, Su Yanli, was a bastard's son.
What is a bastard's legitimate son? A boy born to a concubine is called a bastard's legitimate son if he is born under the name of his legitimate mother. The Su family is not from the capital, but from Pingjiang Prefecture in Jiangnan. His legitimate mother gave birth to three daughters in one breath. When she gave birth to the third daughter, she injured her body and was afraid that it would be difficult to give birth to a legitimate son, so she gave birth to a maidservant beside her. The maidservant was very competitive and followed the male owner. Ten months later, she gave birth to his father, Su Yanli.
The Su family was a gentry family in Pingjiang Prefecture and had quite a bit of wealth. As long as the child was willing to study and could make progress in his studies, they had the financial resources to support a Jinshi degree. Su Yanli lived up to everyone's expectations and became a Jinshi degree at the age of twenty. He was also recommended by the chief examiner to enter the Imperial College.
Since the Su family is a wealthy family in Jiangnan, Su Yanli's life in the capital should not be so difficult!
There are of course reasons for all this. When Su Yanli passed the imperial examination and became a scholar at the age of twelve, his stepmother had a son in her old age. The child started to learn at the age of five and was extremely intelligent. The Su couple was so happy that they burned incense at their ancestral grave every day.
If Su Yanli had not been determined, it would have been a question whether he could pass the imperial examinations and become a Jinshi. Ever since his father was waiting to be appointed as an official in the capital, the Su family of Pingjiang Prefecture had never sent any money to the capital again.
Her father is completely self-reliant.
Now let’s talk about her mother, Cheng Yingzhen. It is said that she was born in the mansion of the noble Earl of Loyalty and Bravery, but she was the daughter of an inconspicuous bastard.
Logically speaking, one is the illegitimate son of a country gentry, and the other is the illegitimate granddaughter of a noble family in the capital. These two people really have nothing to do with each other.
But fate is so magical. After passing the imperial examination, Su Yanli was waiting for an official appointment in the capital. During the Lantern Festival, he met Cheng Yingzhen, the illegitimate granddaughter of a noble family, while watching the lanterns on Imperial Street. They fell in love at first sight.
Su Yanli, who is usually a nerd, actually opened the social bull channel. Not only did he shamelessly ask the examiner to make connections, he also asked his family for money to hire an ice man.
The Su family already has a true legitimate son, so they don’t care who Su Yanli marries. Anyway, they want to train a true legitimate son.
The life of the illegitimate son in the Duke of Loyalty and Bravery's Mansion is not easy. Why not marry off the illegitimate son's daughter without any dowry?
The two of them got married smoothly, rented a house and lived a simple life.
Before marriage, Su Yanli was recommended by the chief examiner, Mr. Fan, to the Imperial Academy, where he became an assistant teacher, a ninth-rank official with a monthly salary of five dan, equivalent to nine taels of silver.
After marriage, perhaps because marriage makes people grow, Su Yanli was promoted from a ninth-rank assistant teacher to a ninth-rank academic principal, with a monthly salary of five stone and five dou, which is equivalent to ten taels of silver.
The rent, food, clothing, and daily necessities, as well as Su Yanli's means of transportation to work - a mule, and the monthly wages for two servants, at the end of the month, it's barely enough. This is the cost of food and clothing when you have a child!
Two years later, Su Ruojin was born. Expenses increased and life became tight all of a sudden. Su Yanli had to shamelessly borrow money from the examiner, Mr. Fan, to celebrate the holidays. Not long after his father borrowed the money, he was promoted to the eighth rank of Doctor of the Imperial College, with a monthly salary of six stone, which was equivalent to about 10.8 taels of silver, an increase of less than one tael of silver.
Well, an increase is better than no increase.
Just when Su Ruojin was praying for her parents to have good birth and upbringing, her older brother Su Ganzhi was born. Their lives went from tight to difficult, and they often spent more than they earned.
His father went to borrow money again, and it was still the same Lord Fan. The amazing thing was that after borrowing the money, his father got a promotion and a raise from the Doctor of the Imperial College to the Doctor of the Imperial College, the eighth rank, with a monthly salary of six stone and six dou, which is about 11.7 taels of silver.
It increased by less than one or two taels again.
So a child is not worth a penny? Su Ruojin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
I wonder if Dad is going to borrow money from Lord Fan again today. Will he be able to get promoted to the next level after borrowing the money?
"Second Madam... Second Madam..."
Su Ruojin was awakened by Shu Tong. She smiled slightly and shook her head, "I really can't guess."
Painting on broken stones is a rare skill, but it requires the right person to appreciate it. If no one appreciates it, it will be worthless. She really can't guess how much it can be sold for.
The bookkeeper proudly opened his bag to reveal two round, shiny silver coins: "I just spent a small one."
"Wow, the quality of the silver coins is so good?" Su Ruojin happily pinched out the silver from the bag. The newly minted silver, which had not yet had time to be oxidized, was shiny and attractive.
Shu Tong raised his chin and said, "Not only are the colors good, but the portions are also large. Each one weighs more than 3 taels, and two weigh almost 7 taels!"
Wouldn’t it be possible to wait until my father pays me? This is really great news. The cold winter is finally not that hard to endure.
Su Ruojin and Shu Tong were chattering about how to buy things for the house when they heard a baby crying in the bridal chamber. She quickly stopped talking to Shu Tong and ran straight into the bridal chamber.
She first gathered around the fire to warm herself before reaching out to hug her little brother. At this time, her mother also woke up, "Ajin..." Her voice was hoarse and lifeless.
Su Ruojin stuffed the little brother into his mother's arms and said, "I'll go get some rice soup and sweet water for you."
(End of this chapter)
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