After Xie Yushu finished speaking, she went back into the house and retrieved four pieces of cloth, each over a meter long, and said...
"These two green pieces are for my parents, this light purple one is for my aunt to make clothes, and the remaining one is for my fourth brother's family."
Xiao Yan found the light purple color she received to be quite pretty, so she kept quiet and put it away with satisfaction.
Xie Yushu originally thought she could get rid of these people and have some peace and quiet.
However, she underestimated the shamelessness of such a shameless person. The next second, Xie Yujiao asked in a sarcastic tone...
"Hey, there are two of us, why are you giving me one piece?"
"This piece is over six feet long; it's enough to make two short-sleeved shirts!"
"We, the sailors, are scholars, so we must wear long gowns!"
"That's your own business! I'm just a newlywed sister-in-law, it's not my place to tell my brother-in-law whether he wears a long gown or a short gown!"
Xie Yujiao was about to say something more when Xiao Yuanhang stopped her, instead stepping forward and bowing to Xie Yushu.
"I'm sorry for what happened before."
Now that you've married my second brother, we're practically family. I was impulsive and spoke too harshly just now, so I apologize to my second brother and sister-in-law.
That being said, my second brother and I are blood brothers, blood is thicker than water. When I get better, my second brother will naturally get better too. Second sister-in-law, you see, these days, everyone is struggling to make ends meet, and it's not easy to borrow money.
Could you lend me some money first? I'll pay my tuition, and I'll pay you back after my family harvests the grain!
They only apologized more than a year after they did what they did. Who are they trying to disgust now?
He really thinks the original owner was so proud of him!
Xie Yushu was annoyed by his pretentious attitude and didn't bother pretending anymore, speaking bluntly.
"What happened in the past? Your affair with Xie Yujiao without a matchmaker? That's between the two of you, what does it have to do with me!"
I told you I have no money!
"How could you be so rude and disgusting!"
Xiao Yuanhang's face turned red, and Xie Yujiao screamed.
"What nonsense about an unmarried couple? Yuan and I are truly in love. He didn't even like you, so you're slandering us! Someone as petty as you deserves to be dumped!"
"It's really interesting that the people doing the work don't feel it's dirty, but I feel it's dirty just because I say something?"
My engagement was broken off because some shameless people, blinded by lust, slept with my future sister-in-law, and some unscrupulous people seduced my future brother-in-law. I must have had the worst luck to be associated with either of you to become a victim.
"Speaking of which, you two perpetrators, what gives you the audacity to come to me asking for things and borrowing money?"
"Yes! They did something wrong. If it weren't for the old lady's timely intervention, Xie Yujiao would have been drowned in a pig cage!"
"That's right, if someone reports it, even Scholar Xiao will lose his scholar title!"
"Shameless! If I had a daughter like that, I'd beat her to death!"
The onlookers whispered among themselves.
"Shut up, all of you!"
Grandma Xiao was afraid that continuing the conversation would have a negative impact on Zhao Yuanhang, so she spoke loudly.
"I broke off the engagement with Xie Yushu because Xie Yushu's birth chart was unlucky and would bring misfortune to our Yuan'er, so I replaced her with Xie Yujiao."
"It's just that there was a severe drought at the time, and we were busy fetching water to save the crops, which delayed the annulment of the engagement. It's not Yuan'er's fault. If anyone spreads rumors again, I'll make them pay!"
Old Mrs. Xiao was unreasonable and shrewish. Although she never gained the upper hand over Xie Yushu, she was invincible in the village when it came to village women who didn't know martial arts!
After she said that, many people shut up. They were just watching the show and didn't want to be attacked by this shrew. They could talk about it themselves after dinner.
"Alright, let's all disperse! Have some self-respect!"
Village chief Xiao Zhengde sighed.
“Uncle Village Chief, I think Yuanhang is right. These days, money isn’t so easy to borrow.”
Why not let the second son's family lend the money to Yuanhang first, and he can pay it back when he has the money later!
"It's always easier to talk to your own brothers than strangers! Tell me, isn't that true?"
Old Mrs. Xiao is using Xiao Zhengde to pressure Xie Yushu and the others.
Xiao Zhengde knew perfectly well that lending them money was like throwing good money after bad—it would be a lost cause, and he was unwilling to ask for it. He immediately replied...
"Didn't the second brother's family say they'd spent all their money?"
You can borrow from the money exchange in town; the interest rate isn't too high!
"Oh my god, why isn't the profit of Liu Li high!"
If you borrow one tael of silver, you'll have to give them sixty copper coins a year. If you borrow ten taels of silver, you'll have to give them six hundred copper coins. Six hundred copper coins is enough to buy two days' worth of grain! And even ten taels isn't enough!
"My brother has it; why should I spend money to borrow it!"
Xiao Zhengde frowned and said
"Isn't the county school tuition paid every six months? And this year, in response to His Majesty's call to reduce taxes, the county school has specially reduced the tuition by half. How come ten taels isn't enough! Five taels would be enough!"
Xiao Yuanhang had intended to take the opportunity to ask for more money to spend, but he did not expect that Xiao Zhengde knew about the county school, so he felt a little guilty.
Then it dawned on them that Xie Yushu and the others had passed through the county a few days ago and seen the county school's announcement. Xiao Zhengde's son was there too, so he must have gone home and told his father.
But he still shamelessly said
"But there's also the cost of writing brushes, ink, paper, and food. It costs at least a dozen taels of silver a year, so in total, it would take at least twenty taels to get by!"
This is only after the tuition fee was reduced by about half this year; otherwise, it would have been at least thirty taels!
"Hiss! Thirty taels for a year of schooling? Does he really think he's some rich kid!"
“I heard that my nephew’s brother, who is from my maternal family, only spent seventeen or eighteen taels of silver a year on his studies, ten taels for tuition, and five hundred copper coins a month for food. Sometimes he could even save some money. The boy is sensible and can earn some money by copying books. His family basically doesn’t have to pay for his writing materials!”
"That's right, there's a scholar next door to my sister-in-law's family. I heard he's bald, so he doesn't have to pay for food. Twelve or thirteen taels of silver a year is more than enough for him!"
"Yes, even if he wasn't born with a lizard, the scholar from Zhu Family Village was in similar circumstances to the Xiao family. My sister is from their village, and I heard that twenty taels a year is enough for her!"
That's right, it's not easy for us rural kids to go to school. The whole family has to tighten their belts to support one child; we have to save wherever we can!
"A difference of ten or eight taels may not sound like much, but you have to understand, for us farmers, ten taels of silver is enough to feed a family of six for more than a year!"
As soon as Xiao Yuanhang finished speaking, the crowd began to discuss among themselves.
Xiao Zhengde couldn't listen anymore either. Thinking of the lives Xiao Dayong and Xiao Yi were living, he frowned and said...
"We're all farmers, so please try to save money wherever you can! Life isn't easy for your families!"
"Yes, but studying is very expensive. When I become successful in the future, I will definitely not let my family down! Please ask my second brother and the others to help me out this time!"
Grandma Xiao also turned around and sat down on the ground.
"Anyway, I'm not leaving today if they don't give money for Lao Si's schooling. I'll starve to death and die of anger here. Xiao Yi and his wife are extremely unfilial. Lao Si's wife, you can sue them and have the county magistrate chop those two unfilial bastards up and make them be buried with your mother!"
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