Zhao Dawen blushed with embarrassment and knew he couldn't back down now.
"Alright, I want the small courtyard for three hundred coins. Third brother, do you know how much it costs a month to hire a housekeeper?"
"I don't know. I'll have to go down and ask when we get to the middleman's shop. I don't even know if they'll still be willing to talk to you."
It's unbelievable that even middlemen are unwilling to accompany you when you're looking at houses.
Sigh, how come he never knew his older brother was so shameless?
If he hadn't broken off relations just now, that bastard really was planning to extort money from him.
A cook and a laundry maid costs 150 coins a month, and even then, you have to be an older woman; younger ones don't get that price.
Zhao Dawen carefully calculated that it was better than the father and son eating out every day. His son needed to have something good for his exams, and he couldn't just make do with flatbread every day.
Besides, someone has to do the housework. If he doesn't want to do laundry or cleaning, he might as well copy more books and earn back all the money he spends.
Suddenly the house was rented, the people were settled, and everything was taken care of.
Zhao Dashu snorted angrily, thinking that this man was like a dog, utterly despicable.
If he hadn't made those harsh remarks, he might have continued wandering around aimlessly for many more days.
"Congratulations, brother! You've got everything ready in no time. I've calculated that tomorrow is an auspicious day for moving."
Zhao Dawen was so angry that he didn't want to say a word.
That bastard, he never wins when he spars with the third brother.
I've never seen such a beast before. Could he be any more animalistic?
"Let's go home!"
With the matter settled, Zhao Dashu was in a great mood. Passing by a pastry shop, he bought his daughter and daughter-in-law some of their favorite snacks.
When they got home, Zhao Dawen didn't have time to be angry. He first checked his son's homework and then started copying books.
He spent so much money today, he has to earn it back no matter what.
"How's your son? How much did Xiao Lei teach you today? Why don't you pester him all day?"
"Why are you bothering me? He went to the academy and hasn't told me a single thing. Dad, have you found a house yet?"
"Find a place, we'll move tomorrow. Why did Xiao Lei go to the academy so quickly?"
"They said the academy would start classes after the Lantern Festival, and classes would continue even in winter. This year he had been on leave for a long time and couldn't continue to delay."
"That's true. In the capital city, there are people shoveling snow in winter, so classes don't have to stop. It's such a waste that he takes such a long leave with such expensive tuition fees."
"Well, so I'd better get to my studies today. Xiao Lei's studies are really comfortable. He's picked up and dropped off by carriage, and a servant accompanies him. If he needs anything, he can just ask the servant to buy it for him outside the academy."
Xiaoyu also prepared meals for him, saying that the food at the academy was not as good as what he ate at home, and that the servant would heat it up for him every day.
He has nothing to worry about, and he uses good writing materials. Father, why is it that different people have different fates?
They even had to be frugal with their meals. Xiao Lei, on the other hand, got incredibly lucky and married into his third uncle's family, so he didn't have to worry about anything. He had a beautiful wife and an obedient son. What made him so special?
Zhao Dawen felt even worse. "Son, don't say anymore, I'm not feeling well. This time when I came to your third uncle's house, I felt like dying. Look at how big and powerful his family is, and what about me?"
We were born of the same parents, so why can he make money everywhere while I can't? I copy books every day, my hands are calloused from copying, and I still barely make ends meet.
"Father, your son has dragged you into this mess."
"Don't say that. We two need to work even harder. The family is counting on you from now on."
Rely on him?
He used to be very confident in himself, but now...
"You will definitely succeed. Your father has never misjudged anyone. You are the most talented student in our family. Don't be discouraged, okay? Xiao Lei is just lucky to have found a good teacher. If you stay in the prefectural city, you will definitely do well too."
"Really?"
"You trust your father. Tomorrow we'll go to the rented courtyard, and I'll put in a lot more effort to teach you."
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