Time slowly passed by, and the autumn harvest was just a few days away. Mu Yi'an was thinking about the selection of rice seeds.
Before going to bed that night, Jiang Shuyun said to Mu Yi'an, "Yi'an, I'm going to the county school tomorrow. I'll ask the teacher if he knows anything about the watermelon."
"Go tomorrow. Wait here, I'll go find something. You can't go empty-handed, you should bring something as a token of your appreciation."
Mu Yi'an got up and went to the storage room.
Jiang Shuyun was about to tell her that it wasn't necessary, as he had never given gifts to anyone before. Then he remembered that this wasn't the era where he could just sit back and relax; he needed to listen to Mu Yi'an's advice on some social interactions, as she was more experienced in this area.
Mu Yi'an searched the storage room and took out a packet of tea leaves, a packet of homemade chrysanthemum tea, dried mushrooms, and chestnuts she had picked earlier. She had carried these things back from the mountain, and after tidying them up, she put them away herself.
“Jiang Shuyun, take these things with you tomorrow: a packet of tea, a packet of dried chrysanthemums, some chestnuts, and dried mushrooms. These things are neither expensive nor inexpensive and are very practical. They can help you get closer to your teacher. From what you’ve said, I guess he’s an upright and unpretentious person, so these things from home will be more suitable.”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you. I really don’t have any experience in this area. Your family must be quite extraordinary. He’s here without his children, just his wife and a pair of old servants. I guess he might be one of the more indifferent people in some family. His manner of speaking is quite unusual.”
Jiang Shuyun has a good eye for people. Although he always lives a sedentary life, his freedom-loving parents still have some social standing. He often has access to high-level people or gatherings.
"Then just pretend you don't know that your persona is that of a diligent and honest man from a farming family. Those scholars like students like you."
"I understand. It's getting late, so go to sleep. We need to get up early to cook tomorrow."
Jiang Shuyun didn't know when she could help Mu Yi'an escape the fate of doing housework; it might have to wait until he passed the imperial examination or the family divided the property. But neither of these things was likely to happen in the short term, especially the division of the property.
Mu Yi'an yawned, feeling sleepy. Her schedule was very regular now; she would fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Listening to the soft snoring beside her, Jiang Shuyun sighed again, "This person's sleep quality is really good!"
The next morning, Mu Yi'an got up early and made two egg pancakes for Jiang Shuyun. He didn't put any scallions in them because he was afraid they would smell bad when she went out.
Did you take the money bag?
"Take it. I'll go to the bookstore to hand in the books first, and then I'll have the money. Don't worry. I'm leaving now. Take care to rest while you work. If there's any heavy work, wait for me to come back."
"Okay, take the water pouch. We'll eat the egg pancakes in the car later. Let's hurry, or we'll be late."
After seeing Jiang Shuyun off, Mu Yi'an hurried to make breakfast, as it would be late soon.
The three women, sisters-in-law and mother-in-law, still take turns cooking. The mother-in-law said the younger sister-in-law needs to rest and prepare for marriage, so she doesn't need to cook anymore. Mu Yi'an didn't say anything about this, nor could she. The Jiang family parents are considered very fair and reasonable patriarchs of ancient times, much better than those depicted in TV dramas and novels.
Breakfast consisted of egg pancakes, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and a soup made with old cucumbers.
"Second sister-in-law, this old cucumber makes a really good soup. It's sour and makes my mouth water."
Li Qiuniang liked the soup and drank two bowls in a row.
"What? It's just a bowl of cucumber soup! Third Sister-in-law, you're exaggerating. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were eating something amazing!"
Jiang Lan just couldn't stand hearing others praise Mu Yi'an; it made her uncomfortable. After she came back this time, she found that Mu Yi'an had changed—not in appearance, but in aura. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she was just different.
Mu Yi'an was originally a woman from a small landlord's family. She knew a little about literature, but her knowledge was limited, and she didn't like to talk. She was no different from most women of that era who devoted themselves to their husbands and raising their children.
Mu Yi'an is now thirty-five or thirty-six years old at heart, and after so many years as a university teacher, she has been exposed to a different world. Even though she is still the same person, the aura she exudes from within is different.
"If your sister-in-law doesn't like the drink, don't serve her a second bowl. If she likes it, even if you don't say anything to praise her, don't say anything unpleasant, or you'll seem petty."
Mu Yi'an put down her chopsticks and looked at Jiang Lan with a clear gaze until Jiang Lan looked away and muttered a few words under her breath. Mu Yi'an looked away. She didn't know what was wrong with this person, or why she was always picking on her, but she wouldn't let her bully her.
The Jiang family's breakfast ended in this atmosphere. Meanwhile, Jiang Zhonglin arrived in the county town, first went to the bookstore to hand over the books, and then brought back two taels of silver.
"Manager He, I have to go to the county school later. Is it alright if I come back later to pick up the books I need to copy?"
"Of course, Scholar Jiang's calligraphy has improved even more. You can come and pick up the book whenever you want, it's up to you."
Shopkeeper He truly appreciated Jiang Xiucai's calligraphy; it had become more unrestrained and the strokes were sharper than before.
"Then thank you in advance, Manager He. I'll take my leave now."
Jiang Shuyun arrived at the county school carrying her things and went to Master Wei's house first.
"Greetings, Madam. Is the Master in?"
"Shuyun is here. Your teacher is here. Come in."
In the courtyard, Mr. Wei's wife was tending to the potted plants, and she looked quite professional.
"Madam, these are some wild game that my wife has dried herself. Please have a taste, husband and wife."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
