Old Mrs. Zhao thought about it and realized that with spring approaching, household expenses had indeed increased significantly.
Moreover, she made a special trip back to Wanjiacun last time to finalize Zhao Daniu's marriage. Next month, on the 18th, their family will be able to welcome their new daughter-in-law.
Since it was a family member getting married, everyone knew each other well.
Old Mrs. Zhao didn't want to cheat her own brother, so she counted all sorts of miscellaneous items as money, giving him a total of one tael of silver.
Old Mrs. Zhao didn't tell anyone about this, especially not to Cheng Shi. Otherwise, her youngest daughter-in-law certainly wouldn't have let it go so easily.
In fact, Cheng was already worried that her sister-in-law's son would spend all the family's money on his wedding. There was no money left for her husband to earn.
Moreover, her son, Zhao Pang, is getting married next year, and there are many expenses involved.
Seeing that Old Lady Zhao remained silent, Cheng urged, "Mother, you must think of a solution! This delay has been so long; once the sweet potatoes are planted, there will be no work left. If Xiang Nan and Xiang Bei don't go to work in the mines by then, we won't have any other way to earn money. Are we just going to sit here and do nothing but eat our savings?"
"Shut up! You're always making noise, it's giving me a headache." Old Mrs. Zhao glared at Cheng Shi, who quickly shut her mouth in fright.
After Cheng left the house, Old Lady Zhao kept thinking about this matter.
She had a good relationship with Granny Yuan, and she would go to Granny Yuan's house tomorrow to find out more before making any decisions.
After the snow melted, it became much more convenient for the oxcart from Changfeng Village to the county to make one trip a day.
Almost all the women and men in the village rode in oxcarts to the county to see if there were any jobs that could earn them money. Uncle Li, who drove the oxcarts, was the busiest of them all.
I drove carts for the mine on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and for the village on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It was hard work, but the two coins I earned per trip were definitely better than being idle.
Since recovering from her illness, Widow Zhang has been taking an oxcart to the county every few days.
She had no land; the land that originally belonged to her husband had been divided up by those bloodsucking uncles after he died. Moreover, it would indeed be difficult for her, a woman, to farm.
On this day, He Tiantian planned to go to Changning County with her finished cross-stitch.
Coincidentally, Zhao Yan, whom she knew, along with Zhao Yan's mother and Widow Zhang, were also on the oxcart.
Seeing that He Tiantian was heavily pregnant, Widow Zhang warmly made room for her in the best spot.
"Wanzi's mother, please sit here, it's more comfortable here."
He Tiantian did not refuse. The journey to Changning County would take most of the day, and she really couldn't have endured such a bumpy ride without a good seat.
When Zhao Yan saw He Tiantian, he looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Last time, he almost made a big mistake because of a moment of greed. Although he returned all the money to Cheng Fang, they still caused him some trouble at the academy afterwards.
But all of these are much better than being expelled from the academy.
When Cheng Fang's method didn't work with him, he turned to other people. Sure enough, nothing stays hidden forever, and during the mock exam at the end of the month, the proctor caught them red-handed.
Cheng Fang and his classmates came from wealthy families and had spent a lot of money to get into the academy. After the incident, it was said that their families had poured money into the academy again, which allowed Cheng Fang and his classmates to continue studying there.
But the poor man who accepted the bribe wasn't so lucky; he was expelled from the academy, and his future career was cut short.
"Aunt He... Aunt He." Zhao Yan blushed and bowed to He Tiantian with both hands in front of her.
He Tiantian didn't seem too awkward; she greeted Zhao Yan with a smile.
"Isn't the academy busy right now? Why are you back?" He Tiantian has been quite busy lately and hasn't paid much attention to what's happening in the village.
Zhao Yan explained, "During the busy farming season, I specifically asked the academy for a few days off to help my family with the planting before heading back."
Aunt Zhao said helplessly, "I told him not to come back, but he wouldn't listen. He secretly asked the academy for leave, which made his father and me so angry. My son is good in every way, but he can't bear to see his father and me suffer."
Although Aunt Zhao was helpless, she couldn't hide the pride in her tone, and everyone in the car couldn't help but agree.
After all, if Aunt Zhao's son passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, it will be too late to climb the social ladder then.
"Oh, Aunt Zhao, with a son like this, you can just wait to enjoy your retirement."
"Yes, my son refuses to study no matter what, he's hopeless!"
Zhao Yan blushed slightly at the praise and glanced awkwardly at He Tiantian.
He Tiantian was also embarrassed and didn't know what to say. Zhao Yan stood out from the crowd; because he hadn't worked in the fields much since childhood, Zhao Yan's skin was very fair.
However, I've done some work these past few days, and my fair skin has become slightly tanned.
Even so, her skin was still better than He Tiantian's. The original owner had been severely worn out, so her skin didn't look like that of a twenty-three-year-old at all.
It's a bit rough and a bit dark.
If He Tiantian hadn't secretly bought some skincare products from the mall over the past six months, her skin would probably be in even worse shape now.
After a moment of silence, He Tiantian asked softly, "After you left last time, did those people give you any trouble?"
It's impossible not to feel awkward; even a fool could guess the perverse tastes of spoiled brats. Otherwise, why would they be called "spoiled brats"?
"Fortunately, the teachers at the academy are all very good." When faced with injustice, the teachers would stand up for students from poor families.
This deeply touched Zhao Yan.
In two months, he will be taking the imperial examination. He is determined to pass with flying colors and live up to Master Qin's teachings.
Widow Zhang was already known for her eccentricities in the village, and now she couldn't join in the conversation.
She had originally intended to build a good relationship with He Tiantian, but Zhao Yan beat her to it. Now that the two of them had finally finished their conversation, Widow Zhang started talking to He Tiantian.
"Wanzi's mother, you seem to be about to give birth, right?" Widow Zhang asked, staring at He Tiantian's swollen belly.
He Tiantian nodded. "Two more months."
“Eh…” Widow Zhang’s tone was so exaggerated that it startled He Tiantian.
"Can you still go to work in the mine? It's probably inconvenient with your heavy body..." Widow Zhang had been thinking about the job as a cook in the mine for a long time.
She had no choice before because there was a shortage of people, but if Maruko's mother had a baby, she naturally wouldn't be able to go. Wouldn't that give her a chance?
Widow Zhang wore her heart on her sleeve. On the surface, she seemed to feel sorry for He Tiantian, but in reality, she was overjoyed!
He Tiantian saw all of this, and she also pretended to be surprised as she looked at Widow Zhang.
"Don't you know? I already explained the situation to Director Song and said I wouldn't be going to work in the mine."
[Author's Note]: My darlings, this book is still on the recommendation list~ Please vote with some silver tickets to support it!
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