"Father, we know."
"That's how it should be."
Jiang Shuheng and Jiang Shuwen had no objections; this was agreed upon beforehand, and it was written in black and white.
“Shuheng, you are twenty-eight years old this year, and Shaoqin is ten years old. There are three more children. Your mother and I are getting old. You study at the county school. If you fail the next autumn examination, come back and take over the school to earn money to support your family.”
"Father, I...I understand."
Jiang Shuheng looked at his elderly father, his heart filled with sorrow.
Looking back on the past thirty years, it seems that I have always relied on my parents and have never really earned any money myself.
"Don't feel wronged. As a man, it's your responsibility to start a family, support your wife and children. You also need to set a good example for your children. Don't let them think that you've always relied on your parents, or they'll follow your example and become complacent."
Jiang's father believed that passing the imperial examination required both talent and luck, neither of which could be lacking.
Shuheng has been studying since he was a child, and after all these years, passing the imperial examination at the lowest level, like a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), is the best he can hope for. There's no need to blindly follow a single path and ignore everything else for an unattainable goal.
“Father, I understand. I’ve been studying at the county school for almost a year now, and I know my own level. But I’m not willing to give up without even taking the provincial examination.”
Jiang Shuheng understood his father's meaning. He had also thought it through. If he failed the imperial examination in the autumn, he would give up the examination and take over his father's school.
"I understand, but there are some things you need to face and process yourself."
That's settled for Jiang Shuheng's matter. Jiang's father asked Jiang Qi to keep track of the total cost of Jiang's mother's medical treatment, so that Jiang Shuheng and Jiang Shuwen could reimburse Jiang Shuyun later. Shuyun's family is well-off, but that's because they earned it themselves. Just because they're well-off doesn't mean they should have to contribute both money and effort.
"Father, I will remember this."
Jiang Qi had actually started keeping accounts. It wasn't that she favored her second brother; parents are everyone's parents, and her second brother shouldn't have to bear the burden alone.
After finishing his business, Mu Yi'an came in and invited everyone to eat.
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