Farmhouse Green Plum

Chapter 562 Persuasion

"There's a saying that goes, 'Poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people.' People in those places are very bold and capable of doing anything. Sometimes they're not even afraid of the government. As a girl, you should be careful."

Song Ying agreed with this point and sincerely thanked Qian.

Qian sighed again, "Back then, the Sun family was considered a respectable family in Daya Village. Who could have imagined that a few years later, their situation would be worse than the Shen family's? It's fate, after all."

Mrs. Li disagreed: "What a fate! Shen Zhuangyuan was a good scholar. His family was only temporarily poor at the time, but they later became officials. How can the Sun family, a peasant family, compare to him?"

"That's true. Your Yuanwa is a good student. He even got into Jiahu Academy. He'll become an official sooner or later. Maybe he can even earn an imperial decree for you, an old woman."

"He is still young, what can he see?" Although she said so, Li couldn't suppress the corners of her mouth.

"He's already been admitted to Jiahu Academy, what else can't you see?" Aunt Meihua said sourly, "My Ziliang has studied for so many years and has learned how to write and write, but he still didn't pass the entrance exam.

I later went to ask Mr. Wang, and he said that Jiahu Academy accepts students based on talent. The fact that your son was accepted proves that the teachers at the academy think he has a talent for studying.

"Really?" Qian was even more surprised. She had just been talking and making a few polite remarks before. After hearing what Aunt Meihua said, she became even more envious of Li. She had two grandsons, and each one was more capable than the other!

"You old woman are really a blessed old woman!"

"What kind of old lady is this? Supporting a scholar is very expensive. Tuition and festival gifts are just a small part of the cost. The pens, ink, paper, and inkstone are the big part. They're so expensive that if you don't know, you'd think they were made of gold!"

"The Shen family exposed him in such a bad way, what are you afraid of? Your son sells eels for a few dozen coins a pound. I don't believe he didn't make money.

Besides, don’t you still have your Yingwa? She treats patients and runs a shop. I heard that she charges at least one tael of silver for each consultation she makes at a wealthy family. If you can’t afford it, don’t you still have her?

At this point, Qian took Song Ying's hand and said earnestly, "Song Ying, brothers and sisters should support each other. You have the ability now, so help your brothers. When your brother passes the imperial examination, you can also marry an official and become his wife, just like Hehua from the Shen family."

Song Ying was already in a bad mood because of Aunt Lian's matter, and she was very upset when she heard these words. Aunt Meihua and Aunt Liu San both chimed in:

"It's not easy for your second uncle to support such a large family. Now that you've made it, you should help the family. You and Yuanwa live close to each other, so if he needs anything, you, as his sister, can give him some money to help your second uncle share the burden."

"Your parents died young, and your uncle and aunt took great pains to get you to this age..."

Song Ying became increasingly upset as he listened, and interrupted, "What you're saying is that if Song Yuan passes the exam, you'll arrange a marriage for me with an official?"

The few people who were trying to persuade them fell silent, and there was silence under the tree for a while.

After a moment, Qian said awkwardly, "I'm old and forgetful. I forgot that you were engaged. The young man from the Yuan family is also a gifted scholar. He's already a scholar at a young age.

You are also a lucky person. If you marry him, you will be the wife of a scholar. If you wait a few more years, you will be the wife of an official."

Song Ying raised his eyebrows and said sincerely, "According to what you said, I have to help the Yuan family more. They have many expenses right now, and without the income from my second uncle's eel catching, they will definitely not be able to take good care of Yuan Qing.

He was studying alone in the county school, and had to use all his money to buy pens, ink, paper, and inkstone, so he must not have eaten well.

If you don't eat well, your body won't be healthy. If you don't have a healthy body, no matter how good your knowledge is, if you get sick during the exam, you're doomed! Tsk, for the sake of my wife, why don't I go to the county school every day to bring him food.

There are also pens, ink, paper, and inkstones. The other three are fine, but paper consumption is really high. The large filing paper I bought for my younger brother before could be used for more than two months, but now that he's in the academy, it's all gone in half a month. Yuan Qing is a scholar, so he must use even more paper. Why don't I buy some for him in the future?"

Li cursed angrily, "You haven't even gotten married yet, and you're already turning your elbows outward. Aren't you ashamed?"

"Didn't you scold Second Aunt Gu's family for being disloyal before?" Song Ying looked surprised. "Since I will be a member of the Yuan family sooner or later, and I have to rely on Yuan Qing if I want to become an official's wife, isn't it my duty to help now?"

Li's face turned green. "When did I ever call your Second Aunt Gu's family traitors?"

"Often. I remember one time, Second Aunt was going back to her parents' home. She was in such a hurry that she tripped over a rock in the yard. She was fine, but the blue cloth bundle in her arms flew out, smashing the duck eggs inside. And you scolded her for taking everything back to her parents' home, calling her a traitorous little whore."

After telling the story seriously, Song Ying looked at the Qian family and the others. "Grandma Qian, Aunt Meihua, do you remember this? My grandma scolded me so loudly at that time. I remember Aunt Meihua persuaded me, saying that Second Aunt's mother was sick and that she was being filial by bringing duck eggs back to nourish her mother."

Aunt Meihua's expression suddenly became embarrassed. Of course she remembered this incident. It happened a long time ago when Song Fuping was still alive.

Yang Lan went back to her mother's home to visit a sick patient. Mrs. Li only allowed her to take a bag of brown sugar back. Yang Lan felt sorry for her mother, so she secretly stole ten duck eggs from home and hid them under the bag. She wanted to leave quickly out of guilt, but she fell down in her haste.

"And that time you discovered half a can of lard was missing, and another time she took some flour back to her parents' home..."

Song Ying counted on his fingers, listing all the things one by one, and made Li so angry that she stood up and left, not even bothering to take the Shu brocade clothes she had made for her.

Family disgrace should not be made public. It is one thing for the villagers to know it, but it is another to point it out to her in front of her. She still has her dignity!

Besides, it is normal that this dead woman cannot spit out ivory from a dog's mouth. But when she said it, she felt like a wicked mother-in-law who was harsh on her daughter-in-law.

Song Ying blinked, looking puzzled at the Qian family. "Isn't Gu's family a bad character? I remember hearing you scold your daughter-in-law for taking things from her parents' home. Why is my grandmother so angry?"

Qian: “…”

Aunt Meihua: “…”

Aunt Liu: “…”

"Ahem, it's getting late. My daughter-in-law should have cooked dinner. I'm going back to eat." Qian stood up with her crutch.

Aunt Meihua also swiftly shouldered her backpack and said, "My daughter-in-law is almost done cooking, so I'm leaving too."

After the two of them left, Song Ying looked at Aunt Liu who had also stood up and asked, "Has Sister Chun'er cooked dinner for you?"