Chapter 109:
“Right, Dad, just now on the way back I ran into Li Zuzu.”
Li Sanmao said.
“He said Muqing Yunliang, they’ve already talked to the school over there, and made a guarantee with Zhao Zuzu, saying that in three days they can go to the school to study!”
Old Li Tou ate two bites of corn grits, lifted his head and looked at him.
“Going to school isn’t it supposed to be prepared in advance, Eldest Sister-in-law you can arrange for Muqing Yunliang!”
“Dad, that’s great!”
Old Li Tou saw Li Daqiang’s happy expression, felt sour inside, a mix of emotions!
He had previously looked at Li Gui with the same anticipation…
Li Daqiang bared his big yellow teeth, his mouth nearly splitting to the roots of his ears behind, looked at his wife, “Wife, are you happy? With this you can finally set your mind at ease!”
Xiao Zhou Shi’s face beside them also relaxed, after these past few days, she finally gave Li Daqiang a smile.
This really was a good thing, even Luo Zhi’er was happy for the two of them.
Old Li Tou after these few days had also accepted this reality, thinking of the Donglin Academy he saw in town that day, it was shocking, studying really was very useful.
Bring honor to the family, then when he walked in the village his back would be ramrod straight, but just thinking of the silver that would have to be paid in the future, he sighed.
Not easy ah, just one Li Gui had the whole family worrying!
Now suddenly two more, just slowly endure it!
The only unhappy one was Zhou Shi, this silver estimated would have to go out six taels at once, even though it was going in as owed fees, after easing up they’d still have to pay it out!
This matter was all because Li Fuquan and Zhao Guangyuan those two old geezers meddled and made the guarantee!
With a dark face she flew in and out complaining, disparaging.
“The kids are born with their own stipend, just give them a bite to eat, no need to stubbornly make those sky-high plans!”
“We’re rural people, how much silver does the home have to show off with?”
Inner thoughts: Old lady at my age, can’t enjoy their blessings anyway.
If they prosper in the future, it would be their parents enjoying the fortune, why make her this grandmother suffer, tighten her belt, squeeze it out from between her teeth?
“Still prepare? Prepare what? Our home’s belongings are just this, wear clean clothes and go, that’ll do!”
Going to school anyway normal families would sew one or two sets of new clothes for the kids, hat, shoes, buy book bag, writing supplies and such.
Even prepare tuition gift for the teacher, several pieces of dried meat, other grains.
These three days estimated was time left for them to prepare.
She complained, no one responded! Xiao Zhou Shi felt both sad and happy inside.
Sad she had no silver to prepare these for the kids, happy the kids were about to spread wings and fly!
“You this old woman, a set of clothes is just a few dozen coppers, just be generous and take out thirty or fifty coppers, buy a piece of cloth to come back and sew clothes for each of Muqing Yunliang.”
“As for the book bag, Eldest Sister-in-law you just sew it from scraps, shoes, cough, now it’s summer, no need to fuss so much, you just weave some more from hemp grass…”
Writing supplies heard Third Wife already bought them, no need to buy again.
Xiao Zhou Shi listened unhappily, “Dad, hemp grass shoes aren’t you letting the other students laugh at Muqing Yunliang?” She remembered when she first married over, Li Gui as a child studying had four sets of clothes per season to change, from inside to outside, from head to toe all new, no old ones.
Why when it came to her family’s Muqing Yunliang it had to be treated so differently!
Old Li Tou also felt guilty saying it, immediately explained: “Sigh, they’re still little kids who would laugh? Don’t let them learn to compare at such a young age! Knowledge is the most important, if they learn bad habits then you’ll suffer!”
“But…”
“You ah don’t overthink it, you know the home now has three students, the expenses aren’t ordinary big.”
“Them being able to go to school to study is already good, other aspects endure what can be endured and it’ll pass…”
“Her not willing is just right, what book to read ah, our Old Li Family already has one scholar that’s enough.”
Zhou Shi jumped up,
“You this old man really, still spend silver to buy cloth for what? Our home Gui’er previously making clothes still has quite a bit of leftover new cloth, take it out to make clothes and it’ll be done!”
Xiao Zhou Shi’s face was unhappy, her kids just starting school, why make them use old ones, others’ leftovers they didn’t want!
“You don’t be unhappy either, I was reluctant too, kept it without bearing to use, you don’t want it then think of your own way, the tuition is six taels of silver, old lady still can’t think where it’ll come from! All counting on the few coins from selling wheat, don’t even know what the price will be this year!”
“What if it drops in price?”
“You shut up!”
Old Li Tou disliked Zhou Shi saying such bad luck words, he was quite superstitious! Liked to hear good words!
“As for the tuition gift, home still has dried meat, just take eight pieces to make up the number, the two of them going to school together should be fine right!”
“Dad, how can that work?”
Li Daqiang felt a bit like sitting on pins and needles, Xiao Zhou Shi’s look was murderous!
Normally tuition gift one student ten pieces of dried meat, his family two kids only giving eight, that would get them pointed at behind their backs!
“Then ten pieces it is, Old Three, you got any objections?”
Old Li Tou steeled his heart, shifted the topic to Li Sanmao.
Also wanted to find a way out, if Old Three disagreed.
But Li Sanmao shook his head: “Dad, I got no objections, you all decide!”
Though the hunt was his kill, the silver handed to the family, moreover for Muqing Yunliang studying, he had no objection!
“Cough… alright then, ten pieces of dried meat, Eldest Sister-in-law, these few days you hurry and prepare, in three days, so the kids can go study with peace of mind.”
The matter was decided just like that.
Evening, Luo Zhi’er took out the only loose change she had on her and gave it to Li Sanmao, to give to Li Daqiang.
Not much, not little, thirty-six coppers.
Said it was silver Old Luo Tou previously left for her, though not much, hoped it would help Muqing Yunliang study!
Li Daqiang receiving this silver his palm trembled, really didn’t expect this third brother’s wife to support his family’s Muqing Yunliang studying so much!
Last time even bought writing supplies, with these thirty-six could buy one pair of new shoes each no problem.
“Oldest Brother, hurry and put it away, don’t tell Mom, otherwise it’ll be taken away then, and you’ll have nothing!”
“Third Brother, trouble you to thank Third Wife for me!”
Xiao Zhou Shi seeing these coppers, eyes lit up, face quite disdainful, giving her silver of course she was happy.
Just, last time she bought for her own daughter Miaomiao but didn’t buy for her family’s kids, moreover was this silver really from Old Luo Tou?
Jealousy, just this fat daughter, still picked up, yet that Old Man Luo treated her like a treasure, arranged everything for her!
She had belongings, everyone heard it was from Old Man Luo, Li Sanmao protected it, never saw it, didn’t know exactly what…
Why no one in her home ever planned for her, only thinking of getting some benefits from her, if not get it then look down on her.
Quilt gripped tightly by her, accidentally also yanked the flesh on Li Daqiang’s back making it hurt!
“Hiss! Wife, what’s wrong with you?”
Kids studying, and now silver to buy shoes, why still that expression like she wanted to eat him, unhappy?
“Nothing!”
“Hey, then let me hug you! A kiss!”
He hadn’t been allowed to sleep in the same quilt with her for a long time!
Xiao Zhou Shi kicked him away with one foot,
“Get lost!”
