"Shut up, my son is none of your business."
Liu Fengjiao gave Ruhua a cold look. For the past few months, Ruhua had been a laughing stock in Nanshan Village, all because of her.
She harbored deep resentment towards Chen Zhancai. Over the years, she had borne him children, managed the household, and given him her youth, only to be betrayed by him in return.
Every night, listening to the two people in the east room flirting and exchanging sweet nothings, she felt an urge to grab a knife, rush in, and stab them to death...
Ru Hua looked aggrieved. "Sister, how can you not know what's good for you? I'm only doing this for Ji Ye's sake."
"I don't need your blind kindness. If you're so capable, you should have your own child soon. You can do whatever you want with it then." Liu Fengjiao showed no appreciation whatsoever.
Chen Zhancai's face darkened, and he said with displeasure, "Fengjiao, I think Ruhua makes a good point. Our Jiye is the son of a scholar, how can he become someone's page? When I pass the imperial examination and return, we can afford to hire a tutor. Why do you have to go through all this trouble?"
Liu Fengjiao was utterly disappointed in Chen Zhancai. She had thought that after he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, he would break off his relationship with Wang Qizhang and wholeheartedly dedicate himself to living a good life with him.
But who would have thought he would be so heartless and ungrateful, even bringing back a concubine? It's utterly disheartening!
Fine, if you're heartless, then don't blame me for being ruthless.
Now, hearing him make empty promises again, I find it utterly laughable. It's not that I look down on him; I utterly despise him.
He was able to pass the county-level imperial examination only because of Chen Han's influence; passing the provincial-level imperial examination would probably not be so easy.
Liu Fengjiao inwardly scoffed, but outwardly remained expressionless; she simply smiled slightly.
“Husband, you’ll be gone for several months. Jiye and I are just sitting at home doing nothing. Going to town will at least allow us to learn something.”
Chen Zhancai remained silent.
Old Mrs. Chen frowned and couldn't help but object again, "No matter what, it's still serving someone, I don't think it's appropriate."
Liu Fengjiao patiently said, "Mother, a page doesn't serve people. He just reads with them, helps organize books, and does some writing. It's not what you think."
"So that's how it is. Zhan Cai, what do you mean?"
Old Mrs. Chen couldn't make up her mind, so she looked at Chen Zhancai for advice.
Chen Zhancai stroked his chin thoughtfully. He was, after all, a respected scholar, and it was indeed inappropriate for him to send his son to be someone else's page. If word got out, it would be an insult to the literati.
But then I thought, Wang Qizhang was just a minor garrison commander.
If he knew his status as a scholar, he probably wouldn't have dared to mistreat his son.
Perhaps they would treat their son like an honored guest all day long, providing him with the best food and drink, since offending a scholar could have serious consequences.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sneer, "I didn't realize that Elder Wang was so arrogant. He even wanted to find a page for his son. I'll write him a letter and tell him that my son is willing to be his page. Let him think it over carefully. If he's really blind, I'll settle the score with him later."
Hearing that he could earn two hundred coins a month, Old Chen's eyes lit up. His wife had been showing off everywhere lately, showing no concern whatsoever. The family's food reserves were running low; if they all stayed home, they'd probably be eating bran and wild vegetables in less than a month.
If Fengjiao takes the children to town, there will be only three people left at home. That little bit of food should be enough to last until the third son returns after passing the imperial examination.
Thinking about it, he nodded in agreement, "Zhancai is right. Jiye is now the son of a scholar, so Elder Wang wouldn't dare to mistreat him. I think it would be good for him to go out and get some experience."
Hearing them say that, Liu Fengjiao almost cursed. This family was truly hopeless; their confidence had inflated to such an extent.
He's just a poor, pedantic scholar, yet he's so shameless and boastful.
You also need to write a letter to him. He's a garrison commander, after all. Who does he know about you?
Suppressing her nausea, Liu Fengjiao forced a smile.
"My lord, let's skip the letter. Wang Qizhang is just a minor official; such a large-scale conflict would only embarrass him."
Besides, with your status as a scholar, even without prior notice, he would never dare to neglect our son.
Chen Zhancai nodded repeatedly, "You're right. In that case, I won't waste my ink."
"Since you have agreed, I think I will set off for town tomorrow so that Jiye can start learning as soon as possible."
"Alright, do you have enough money for you and your child to spend?"
Chen Zhancai didn't think much of it. He felt it was much better for Liu Fengjiao to go to town than to stay at home. The exam preparation period wasn't too long or too short, and with two wives living under the same roof, they were bound to clash. It was better for them to live separately.
"Enough."
Liu Fengjiao nodded. She didn't have much money; the money she'd received for Ruolan's wedding had long been squandered. She hoped that Elder Wang, out of consideration for their past friendship, could help her out on this trip to town...
At the sugar mill, the people who had been busy all day had finally taken a break.
Liang Fugui's wife and the others looked on with gossip. "Cuiqin, your mother-in-law is such a braggart. She praises Chen Zhancai's good fortune to everyone she meets. This morning, she kept talking about it to Dalongzi until he soiled his pants."
Sun chuckled softly but didn't reply.
The sixth son's wife chimed in, "Cuiqin, you said your mother-in-law is always bragging. What if Chen Zhancai fails the imperial examination?"
Mrs. Sun shook her head. "I don't know. I guess we'll be starving this winter."
"Qing'er was farsighted. By severing ties, even if your mother-in-law's family goes hungry, the Zhan family won't have to worry about them. But you've only separated from the family; what if things really come to that..."
Although the wealthy woman didn't say it aloud, Madam Sun understood her meaning. She gave a soft snort.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
