“Mother, Xiaohua is my child. Even if she is sold, it will not be the fourth branch’s turn. I want to save the money for Yuan’er so that he can go to the village to learn to read.”
Lady Lü muttered under her breath, "Besides, why should we only train Yu Shu? Maybe my Yu Yuan can also become the top scholar."
Lu Shi had always been resentful that her husband had handed over all his wages, but given that they had indeed raised Shen Yushu over the years, wouldn't it be a waste of time if he withdrew halfway through?
Besides, they were unwilling to give up, so they snowballed their money and gave it all to Shen Yushu.
Shen Yushu was not the child of the third wife after all. Even if she became successful, the first wife would benefit first.
The biggest fear is that the eldest son's family will deny everything and kick the third son's family out of the picture. Where will they go to seek justice then?
They still need to raise their own children; no one can take them away from them when the time comes.
Shen Yuyuan, overhearing his mother's suggestion that he go to school, immediately objected:
“Mom, I don’t want to study. Erniu’s dad sent Erniu to the village school, so he can’t come out to play anymore. Every time I call him, he’s at home practicing calligraphy. If he doesn’t write well, his dad beats him. I don’t want to be beaten.”
“I went to his house and saw that he was always holding a pen and writing the same word over and over again. It was annoying to look at, so I’m not going there.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Lü was furious that her son was so useless.
"Playing, playing, all you know is playing. Look at your eldest cousin, he's already a student of the preliminary examination. If he takes the next exam, he'll become a scholar. When he becomes the top scholar, he'll be a powerful official. Everyone will be afraid of him, respect him, and honor him. Everyone will have to kneel down when they see him. Don't you want to be one?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuyuan was immediately tempted.
So, does that mean Shen Yuyan would have to kneel down when she sees him?
He's been feeling quite uneasy ever since Shen Yuyan stopped living in this courtyard.
When they used to live in the same courtyard, the two often fought. Every time their grandparents punished Yu Yan, he would stand aside smugly, showing off his status.
Since his second uncle moved away, he had seen Shen Yuyan several times, and each time he saw her, she was eating something delicious. When he asked her for some, she wouldn't give it to him.
The two got into a fight, but he lost to Shen Yuyan. He ran home crying, and his grandparents scolded him for being stupid, saying that he couldn't even beat a little bastard and still had the nerve to cry.
Having suffered several losses in a row, Shen Yuyuan no longer dared to provoke Shen Yuyan.
So, if he were to become an official, would Shen Yuyan have to kneel before him?
I've heard that those officials can even behead people. Wouldn't it be great to scare them with the threat of beheading?
Thinking of this, Shen Yuyuan immediately changed his mind: "Mother, I want to study, and I also want to become an official."
Upon hearing this, Lady Lü was finally relieved.
“Mother, Yuyuan also wants to go to school. In the future, can we set aside some of the family’s money for Yuyuan’s education? You are a grandmother of two children, so you can’t be too biased.”
Lu Shi spoke the last sentence very carefully, afraid that Chen Shi would get angry.
Indeed, every word of what Madam Lü said reached Madam Chen's ears, which angered her so much that she smashed the bowl of medicine she was drinking:
"Thirty thousand, you go and control your wife. Where in the family is there any money left to send Yuyuan to school? You might as well sell your mother."
Shen Wan was somewhat troubled. He had to admit that he was also tempted by what Madam Lü said, and he also wanted his son to go to school.
He had learned a few characters before and became a shopkeeper in town, which shows that he was quite intelligent, and his son must be no less so.
It would be much more worthwhile to raise Yu Yuan well than to raise Yu Shu. That Taoist priest said that a member of the family would become the top scholar in the imperial examination, but he didn't say that person would be Yu Shu. What if he turned out to be his own son?
Now that Yu Yuan is willing to go to school, that's a good thing.
“Mother, what Xiaohua’s mother said makes sense. I also want to raise my son. We can’t give everything to Yushu while Yuyuan can’t even get a bowl of soup.”
Upon hearing this, Niu immediately became restless.
"Third brother, you know what the situation is at home. We don't have any money left for Yuyuan's schooling. Aren't you just making things difficult for your mother?"
Previously, all the family's resources were given to Yushu. Now, if there's another Shen Yuyuan, and the fourth son is still in the river for treatment, how will the family afford to support Yushu's education?
She absolutely wouldn't allow this to happen, so she continued to make empty promises to them.
"Besides, didn't we already agree that when Yushu becomes the top scholar, our entire Shen family will benefit? We'll all go to Shengjing with him. Yushu was raised by our Shen family, and he's also a child of your third branch."
When Shen Yuyuan saw that his aunt was unwilling to let him study, he immediately sat on the ground and threw a tantrum.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, I want to study! I want to study! I want to be an official like my older cousin..."
That's what Grandma usually does. She sits on the ground and shouts, and everyone gets scared and goes along with her.
This trick is sure to work.
He pretended to cry while observing everyone's reactions.
"Yuan'er, get up quickly, the ground is cold. Don't cry, Mother will definitely find a way to let you go to school."
Hearing his mother say this, Shen Yuyuan did not get up; he looked at Chen Shi.
He knew that his grandparents were the ultimate decision-makers in the family. He wouldn't dare to get up unless they spoke up, and his mother's words were of no use.
Madam Lü called out to Madam Chen, "Mother, please tell me quickly, can Yu Yuan go to school? If not, I think we should separate the family. Our third branch is so wronged. All the money we earn goes to others, and we've wronged Yu Yuan. Yu Yuan is so smart, tell me, why can't he go to school?"
Chen was caught in a dilemma.
In the end, it was Old Man Shen who made the final decision: "Sell Xiaohua for a good price, send Yuyuan to study, and use the remaining money to treat Sihe's illness. That's settled."
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