Sun curled her lips and sneered, "Third brother, it's not that your second sister-in-law is criticizing you, but for so many years the whole family has devoted all its resources to your studies, just so that you can pass the imperial examination as soon as possible and get an official position, so that the family can also enjoy some happiness. So we accept the hardships and fatigue."
But you need to be grateful. Don't take our actions for granted and treat us like fools.
Chen Zhancai smiled sheepishly, "Second sister-in-law, of course. I've seen all your efforts. Don't worry, as long as I pass the imperial examination, our family will be exempt from taxes, and life will definitely get better and better."
Mrs. Sun looked disdainful; she had heard this nonsense for over ten years.
My mother-in-law talks every day about how they will enjoy a life of luxury after the third son passes the imperial examination.
But now, the third son's studies are like this: tasteless to eat, but a pity to give up.
On second thought, what if the third son really did develop a fever like a donkey dung ball? The second wife's family could at least benefit a little from it.
At the very least, taxes would be waived, and her husband wouldn't have to suffer the hardship of forced labor.
"Third brother, your second sister-in-law will trust you one more time. If you pass the imperial examination in the spring, everyone will be happy. If you don't pass, your second sister-in-law will no longer squeeze money from her own pocket to support your studies."
Chen Zhancai's face turned pale. Although he was enjoying a life of luxury in town with his family's hard-earned money, he knew that he had been taking the exam for more than ten years. If he failed again, it would be truly unacceptable. He was under immense pressure.
But she still forced herself to promise, "Second sister-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely pass the exam this time."
Hearing her most beloved son speak with such certainty, Old Mrs. Chen looked smug. "My son, you should leave tomorrow. Don't let your studies be delayed."
"Mother, I know our family's situation now. With your son gone, it will be hard on you and your second brother and sister-in-law." Chen Zhancai concealed the joy in his eyes, finally feeling at ease.
Grandma Chen waved her hand, "What are you saying, my son? Just focus on your studies and don't worry about anything at home."
As she spoke, Old Mrs. Chen took out a cloth bag from her inner clothes and took out twenty-five taels of silver. “Son, our family isn’t well-off. This money should be enough for your family’s expenses.”
"This..." Chen Zhancai hesitated, secretly calculating in his mind.
Twenty-five taels of silver was indeed enough for their family to squander, enough to live a life of luxury and indulgence until the imperial examinations next spring.
But when he got tired of studying, he would occasionally want to relax and go to Chunfeng Tower to see the beautiful girls.
If he gets really happy, not to mention fifty taels, even a hundred taels of silver wouldn't be enough to spend.
No, as the saying goes, "A poor family should be well-off on the road." Staying at home is not difficult, but it's best to have enough money when you're out and about. You can't lose face in front of others.
Having made up his mind, he pretended to look troubled.
“Mother, this amount of money is enough for my studies, but I know a tutor who is very accurate in predicting the exam questions. I want to bribe him so that I can have a better chance of passing next year’s exam.”
"I see!"
Old Mrs. Chen frowned; she had heard others mention the idea of predicting exam questions before.
It is said that Wang, a scholar from Qiantang Village, spent twenty taels of silver to guess the exam questions correctly and passed the exam with flying colors. He is now a scholar and is said to be a candidate official in the imperial court.
However, in just a few years, the cost of studying has been rising steadily, and last year it cost more than twenty taels of silver.
Giving him twenty-five taels of silver now is still not enough; this is too extravagant.
However, in order to make their son stand out from the crowd, the whole family would beg for food to support his education.
Although she thought this way, she was still a little uneasy. This fifty taels of silver was the money she got from selling Qingya. What if the eldest son's family refused to back down and the money was taken by the third son? How would she return the betrothal gifts?
If that really happens, I'll be in a real bind...
Seeing that Old Mrs. Chen was keeping her head down and not saying a word, while constantly scratching her head, Liu Fengjiao became anxious.
We must seize this opportunity to squeeze out some money. With money in hand, we can eat delicacies and wear fine silks and satins.
Over the years, she had become accustomed to a life of extravagance and luxury, and couldn't bear the slightest hardship.
Now, let alone twenty or so taels of silver, even fifty taels would be good enough to cover the expenses of a family of four.
"Mother, what are you still thinking about? As the saying goes, everything is easy at home, but difficult when you're away from home. No matter what you do, money is needed everywhere. We can't let a scholar suffer, no matter how poor we are; we can't let a scholar suffer, no matter how hard life is."
Think about it, Zhancai uses his brain all day long, it's no easier than a farmer's work, so he needs to eat and sleep well.
If you're really struggling financially, unable to eat or drink properly, and end up looking pale and thin like a sickly person, how can you have the energy to study?
If that's really the case, our dog will never be able to become a scholar in his entire life.
"You silly child, what nonsense are you spouting? It's really bad luck."
Old Mrs. Chen's face was grim; she glared at Liu Fengjiao, baring her teeth.
"It's not that I don't want to give you money. Just use these twenty-five taels of silver first. If you run out of money, you can come back for more. Why do you have to bring it all?"
"Mother, you don't understand. Zhanshan is going to town to study, not to go sightseeing. He doesn't have time to keep coming home. It would be such a waste of time for him to go back and forth like this!"
"You're right, but it's alright, Mom can deliver it to you and check on you while she's at it!"
Liu Fengjiao's heart skipped a beat. Good heavens, we can't let this old lady go to town!
If she finds out that her family is eating and living well, she'll probably scold herself for being wasteful.
If she gets angry and something bad happens to her, like she'll die, then our livelihood will be cut off. We absolutely cannot let her send us money.
"Mother, Zhancai and I appreciate your kindness, but we can't accept it. With your old arms and legs, we're worried about you traveling such a long distance."
Besides, if you go, Zhancai won't be able to concentrate on his studies; he'll want to spend time talking to you.
In order to bring honor to your family and ancestors, you must sever all unnecessary ties and continue as before; you should not visit us anymore.
"This," Old Mrs. Chen was speechless. She was a little unhappy. What kind of situation was this? Over the years, they not only refused to let their family members visit, but they had never even mentioned where they lived to her.
After a long silence, Old Man Chen nodded. "Old woman, what the third brother's family said makes sense. We'd better not disturb them."
"Alright then, take all the money, but be careful with it, we really have no savings."
"Oh dear mother, please don't worry. Zhan Cai and I will definitely make every penny count. We'll save where we can, and we absolutely won't be stingy with the things we can't save."
Old Mrs. Chen was heartbroken; she was reluctant to part with the money and wanted to save some for her funeral. But then she thought of her third son, a promising young man, and knew she couldn't skimp on that money.
Just grit your teeth, and better days will come.
Thinking about it that way, he felt relieved and took out the remaining twenty-five taels of silver from his cloth bag.
Just as he was about to hand it to Chen Zhancai, he heard his second daughter-in-law's voice...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
