He himself was a scholar who had already been exempted from taxes.
The main problem is that his son looks completely clueless and can't seem to learn anything. He feels that none of the other school-aged children in the village have much of a future; only his son Lei has any hope, he thinks the others have a very difficult time.
"Honey, what happened to you? Why are your clothes wet and dirty?"
Wang was very angry that the clothes she had just washed got dirty after going out. How could she not wash clothes in such cold weather?
Zhao Dawen angrily took off his clothes, threw them on the ground, and went straight to the kang (a heated brick bed).
Wang: ...
"What's wrong? Did the third brother upset you again?"
"Can we please stop mentioning that bastard? He's never willing to help with anything."
Wang put down her needlework. "What did you say?"
“He’s unwilling to help the eldest brother even a little bit, unwilling to lend him a house, and unwilling to let him stay at their house. In the future, when the eldest brother is in the prefectural city, he’s unwilling to help him even a little bit.”
"How can this be allowed? What if he gets into trouble in the prefectural city without anyone's help?"
Zhao Dawen is lying there pretending to be dead. What to do? Solve it yourself.
"Wife, if the third son doesn't help at all, we're afraid we won't be able to support the eldest son."
Zhao Dawen's voice was filled with despair. He knew better than anyone how expensive things were in the prefectural city. Besides, he was worried about leaving his son alone in the city; what if he got bullied?
"Didn't you say before that it was okay to suffer a little?"
“If all the money is spent on him, will the second son’s wife be willing in the future? The second son has already suffered because he didn’t study. Look at why the second brother is living like this. It’s because he is biased and unfair to his son. We can’t repeat the same mistake and end up with no one to rely on in our old age.”
Ms. Wang nodded, agreeing that the two children shouldn't be too far apart in age.
"So the eldest brother isn't going to study anymore?"
"No, keep reading. He just needs to write a guarantee that we will support him with all our might, and that he must help the second son if he achieves success. We cannot be ungrateful."
That way, the second son's family won't cause trouble anymore, and I can finally have peace of mind.
Wang glanced at Zhao Dawen. That's why they say you shouldn't mess with scholars; they're incredibly cunning when it comes to scheming.
"you mean……"
"Because everyone here has lost faith in the idea of being supported, especially our Zhao family, I have to do something to restore their faith, you understand?"
"Make the boss write a guarantee?"
“Yes, can the contract be changed once it’s in hand? With that backing, they will naturally focus all their efforts on nurturing their eldest son, and our family will naturally stay in order. You and I will still have hope.”
He felt that even if it was hard work, he could make it by supporting one person with the whole family.
"I know why the third brother is unwilling to help the eldest brother, and you don't even want our eldest brother to go to the prefectural city, do you?"
Wang leaned closer, "Why?"
"Because he's afraid our son will get into a good school and we'll steal the spotlight from his son-in-law. I suspect the academic results at Xiao Lei Academy must not be very good."
The third brother is such a braggart. Did you see him even mention Xiao Lei once since he came back? How glorious they were when they passed the imperial examination! How arrogant they were back then.”
“You’re right. They’re definitely afraid that our son will surpass their son-in-law. The third son has always been very petty.”
"It's good that you understand. It's just that you'll have to accompany the second child to the exam this year, and I'll have to go with the third child after the New Year."
Wang nodded, "Wait until the results come out, then you can come back after finding a good academy for your eldest son."
"Understood. Please take good care of your eldest daughter-in-law. She's pregnant now and can't do too much work."
"I understand, don't worry, no matter what, I wouldn't treat my grandson badly. By the way, husband, what if—I mean, what if—the eldest son doesn't pass the exam, will he still stay in the prefectural city?"
Zhao Dawen frowned. "Even if he doesn't pass the exam, I still plan to keep him in the prefectural city. You know, the academies in the prefectural city are generally better than the best academies in the county. I haven't been to an examination hall for many years and know nothing about the current exam content. I'm afraid I'll hold my son back."
Wang glanced at him, thinking, "Why don't you admit that you're useless and can't teach your child at all?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
