Chapter 22 How can we afford to send all our grandchildren to school?

In early summer, the small village at the foot of Mount Langshen is still very cool in the evening.

As soon as Xingxing walked out of the house, she struggled to get out of Grandma Wei's arms, because she didn't want Grandma Wei to get tired from holding her.

Mrs. Wei knew that her granddaughter was filial, so she happily followed her.

Opposite the Yu family's door, there is an old elm tree. Because Yu is pronounced as "yu" and the old elm tree has grown for many years and is very strong, the Yu family likes to take a rest under the old elm tree on weekdays.

Not long after the grandfather and grandson sat down, some villagers came out to cool off after their meal.

Mrs. Wei was holding an old palm-leaf fan in her hand. She was waving it to help Xingxing drive away mosquitoes while greeting acquaintances in the village.

Today Xingxing wore brand new clothes and her hair was tied up very cutely, which won unanimous praise from the villagers.

Several elderly grandmothers all looked at Xingxing and liked her very much. They took turns kissing her and then let her go to play with their children.

"Auntie Wei, your third daughter-in-law hasn't come back yet?"

The person who was speaking was a villager who had a good relationship with Mrs. Wei. Her surname was Zhou. Before she got married, she was from Nantuo Village and the fifth child in her family. After she got married in the same village, people still called her Zhou Wu Niang according to her ranking in her natal family.

Zhou Wu Niang waved her palm-leaf fan and winked at Mrs. Wei: "I told you long ago that your dainty daughter-in-law from the county town is not an easy person to deal with!"

Although Mrs. Wei didn't like Su Rouer, she didn't want to talk about her daughter-in-law in public. She waved her palm-leaf fan and said nothing.

However, another villager nearby echoed in agreement: "On weekdays, when we say hello to your wife from the county town on the road, her eyes almost float to the sky! I don't know why she is so arrogant!"

"That's right! Aunt Wei, tell me, Sanbao insisted on marrying her. He was really obsessed with lust. Why marry her when she can't even be lifted up? I don't know what's wrong with your Sanbao!"

Everyone was talking in a tut-tut manner. Mrs. Wei frowned and said something for Su Rouer: "Forget it, let's not talk about her. At least during the famine years, she, a girl from the county town, came to this small mountain village to suffer, and she didn't do anything to let down our Yu family."

Zhou Wu's mother was outspoken and laughed, "Auntie Wei, you are the only one who is kind!... In a famine year, everyone has a hard time, but when she goes back to her parents' home during the holidays, I have seen the gifts she carries, which are so abundant. It is obvious that she has brought a lot of things from her husband's family to her parents' home! As a result, when she comes back from her parents' home, I don't see her bringing anything back... And what else, Auntie Wei, you don't even take Old Xu's mule car when you go to the county. But she takes the car every time she goes back to the county, for fear of getting tired. She doesn't want to endure any hardship at all."

"Okay. Let's not talk about her anymore." Mrs. Wei was upset, but she didn't want to criticize her daughter-in-law in front of everyone, so she changed the subject and asked Zhou Wu's mother's youngest son, "How is your Qian'an?"

Speaking of her youngest son, Wang Qianan, Zhou Wu's mother suddenly perked up: "Oh my, speaking of him, I also have a headache. You said that this kid is only 11 years old, he gets up before the cock crows every day, and comes back after dark. He insists on crossing mountains and ridges to go to some village to study in a private school! ... As a mother, I feel so distressed! I advised him not to be so nervous, but he just wouldn't listen."

A woman nearby laughed and said, "You just show off! If I had a son who loves reading so much, I would build tombs for all my ancestors and burn incense for them!"

Everyone laughed.

Zhou Wu Niang couldn't help but feel a little proud: "...The teacher also praised our Qian'an, saying that he worked very hard and was a good seedling."

Speaking of this, Mrs. Wei seemed a little distracted.

That's how it is with her sons. None of them likes to study, but she doesn't say anything.

The only smart one, the third child, Yu Sanbao, learned a few words after one year of school, but he didn't want to study anymore. He ran away and hung out with all kinds of people for a long time. He looked like a gangster and didn't have any bookish air at all.

Mrs. Wei felt uneasy when she thought about it.

But her grandchildren are a little different.

It seems that the grandchildren all want to study.

Especially the third grandson Liu Ge'er, who had been learning from his third uncle, a half-baked one, for a while, and now he knows more words than his uncle. He has even read over and over again those old books that Yu Sanbao found.

You can tell at first glance that he is a smart student.

But this money...

Whenever she thought of this, Mrs. Wei couldn't help but sigh secretly.

If she wanted to study seriously, she would have to pay the tuition from the teacher, as well as the expenses for pens, ink, paper and inkstone. It was unthinkable! It would cost a family almost nothing to support one child, and if she had several grandchildren to study, it would be a huge expense. How could she afford it?

Especially in recent years, natural disasters and man-made disasters have caused the land to produce nothing. In the past, Yu Daniu could still hunt some prey in the mountains to exchange for food, but in recent years, the amount has become less and less. The whole family can only rely on the weather for food, and it is good enough if they are not starving to death, let alone provide several children with education!

The more Mrs. Wei thought about it, the deeper her frowns became, and the faster she waved the palm-leaf fan in her hand.

…

Xingxing was playing games with some older kids in the open space in front of the elm tree.

Xingxing was too young and thin, so she looked even younger than her actual age. Some of the older children couldn't help but think that she couldn't keep up and gave up on her.

Xingxing was very sensitive. When she saw others disliked her, she shyly retreated from the crowd, tangled her hands, and squatted aside to watch.

But children play like crazy. Xingxing slowly backed away and tried to avoid them. Seeing that she was always blocking the children's way, she ran deeper into the place with her head down, feeling a little embarrassed.

However, when Xing Xing came to her senses, she found that she didn't know where she had run to! It was quiet all around, with weeds rustling and only a few lights could be vaguely seen in the distance.

The crescent moon was high in the sky, but not very bright, especially since Xingxing was short and the weeds were much taller than her. To little Xingxing, it was scary how dark it was all around.

Xing Xing was trembling with fear and could only hear the sound of insects chirping in the weeds.

She covered her mouth tightly with her two little hands, not daring to cry out loud.

In Xingxing's hazy memory, she vaguely remembered that someone seemed to have told her that children should not cry at night. Not only would they be annoying, but the crying would also attract big tigers, which would catch the disobedient children and eat them!

Xingxing is so afraid that the big tiger will eat her!

Xingxing covered her mouth, holding back her tears, and walked forward carefully step by step through the grass.

However, gradually, the sound of the wind seemed to bring some strange sounds from not far away.

Like who is speaking.

"You always come here for trysts. It's not annoying for you, but it's annoying for me!"

"Don't worry... Wait until that damned guy in my house dies, and then we can do whatever we want in the future~"

"Hey, come on, let me kiss you!"

Xingxing tiptoed over hurriedly, but when she got a little closer, she heard some strange voices.

Xingxing tilted her head. What did these words mean? Why couldn’t she understand?

Xing Xing instinctively felt something was wrong and stopped.

Coupled with the moaning and panting sounds that sounded like crying and laughing, Xingxing got goosebumps all over her body. She was so scared that she dared not move forward.

That……

Or, should we go towards the light?

Xing Xing sniffed softly, clenched her fists to cheer herself up, suppressed her fear, and slowly moved towards the direction of the twinkling lights.

"Xingxing!"

Before Xingxing could walk back, she vaguely heard her grandmother calling her.

"Grandma! Xingxing is here!" Xingxing's voice broke with excitement, and she rolled and crawled towards the direction of Grandma Wei's voice.

Xing Xing wiped away her tears and pretended nothing had happened. She rushed out from the darkness, ran to Mrs. Wei, and hugged her legs.

Mrs. Wei didn't think much about it. She thought Xingxing was playing nearby and patted her little head.

Xingxing was a very happy child. The moonlight shone on her body, and her grandmother was holding her hand. The candlelight coming from the Yu family's courtyard not far away looked warm and bright.

Xing Xing immediately forgot her previous fear in the dark and happily followed Mrs. Wei back home.